Days 9 and 10- Words and Strong Feelings

Well, it appears that I did it again… missed another day, already. 

Day 9 and I have already missed a second day. I’m feeling mighty low about this but I’m trying to get back into the “butt in seat” habit.

So, Day 9’s prompt was “post some words of wisdom that speak to you” and Day 10, today, is “write about something for which you feel strongly.” Earlier today I could have stepped upon my soap box and given a speech or written a manifesto, of course now that I sit at the desk with my fingers on the keys I can’t think of a thing to say. Well, maybe a few little things…

I love words. I love quotes and have boards dedicated to them on Pinterest.com and surfaces plastered with them all over my house. Some of my favorite words of wisdom are from the Bible, such as;

Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message paraphrase

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

And …

Galatians 6:7-9 from the Good News Translation

7 Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant. 8 If you plant in the field of your natural desires, from it you will gather the harvest of death; if you plant in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit you will gather the harvest of eternal life. 9 So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. 

I also love wise words from great men and women of influence such as;

Maya Angelou- There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you. 

Mahatma Gandhi – Be the change that you wish to see in the world. 

Dr. Seuss – Why fit in when you were born to stand out.

And …

C.S. Lewis - You doubt your value- Don’t run from who you are. – Aslan, Chronicles of Narnia 

I suppose what I feel most strongly today is something along the lines of “know who you are and be that.”  So many of the problems in today’s world is that so many of us have no idea who we are and/or what our value is. I mean, people get killed daily over “disrespect”, or being offended by what someone else said. Such a sad thing when quite often the thing that was said was never meant to offend or was misheard or misquoted. If we all understood who we were and what our purpose was, our value at the very core of our being, then it seems no one else’s estimation, whether favorable or otherwise would matter so much as to make us act contrary to our truest self. 

I sometimes think I do know who I am at the very center of myself, and then other times I’m frightened to bits by what I think I might be at my very core. The only thing I know to be true of me is that I am God’s and He created me for a purpose. On days like today, when I feel tired and achy and my heart is heavy that knowledge sustains me and reminds me that because I still have breath, I still have a purpose.

Tomorrow will be day 11 of 30 and the prompt is “Something that you always think “what if” about.” Now there is a thought to think about, yes? 

What say you dear readers? Let me know what you think. 

Peace to you all,

TheWritingMommy

Day 8- Struggles

Day 8 – Share Something You Struggle With

Geeze, this is getting personal isn’t it? I guess I can trust you though; right? Sure I can, we’re all friends here.

I’m not sure exactly what sort of struggles to write about because sadly I have plenty to choose from.

Physically, I struggle with heart disease, type II diabetes, and fibromyalgia. As bad as it sounds I am really very blessed because I have survived cervical cancer in 1990, a heart attack in 2013, and fibromyalgia for 19 years. But I have survived! And now, I am eating a healthier diet and exercising almost every day and I feel so much better than I have in years.

I don’t really “struggle” with any of that now really, except the fibromyalgia, which is a daily adventure on its own. Sort of like Forrest’s box of chocolates, I never know what I’m gonna get.

One of my bigger struggles is with over eating, especially when I am upset or angry or sad; basically, emotional eating or using food as a source of comfort. And the guilt that follows… oy vey!

See, I know that gluttony is a sin, and I know that wasting food by eating more than I need or even want is just wrong and sometimes, even knowing these things, I feel powerless to stop it.

I know, I know, it sounds like a lot of hooey to someone who doesn’t have any addictive tendencies, or even to those who struggle with “real” addiction like cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol but believe me when I say, the struggle is real.

See, food is the addiction that has historically been accepted socially. It is even fostered. Don’t believe me? What do you do when someone dies? You take the grieving family a casserole or a bucket of chicken. When someone is celebrating a milestone in their life, wins a big game or is victorious in some other way, how do you celebrate? Usually with a dinner or at the very least, a cake.

I guess the point is we all struggle with something. We can’t quantify someone else's struggle because we don’t feel what they feel. What is excruciatingly difficult for me might be a piece of cake (no pun intended) for you, and what may be easy for me might be a stumbling block for you. We have to find a way to be at peace with ourselves, then with others, because you never really know what someone else is going through.

Peace and love y'all-

TheWritingMommy

Day 7- Favorite Music

Day 7 of my 30 day writing challenge…

Wow, this is a hard one too. And by the way, I apologize for “phoning it in” yesterday. No excuse, just, I apologize. 

So, todays prompt is a hard one for me; “lists 10 songs that you’re loving right now”, because I love to listen to so many types of music and music speaks to me in so many ways. If you could see my playlist you might think I have multiple personalities or something because it is very eclectic, or so it seems to me. Let me know if everyone has such diverse tastes as Janis Joplin, Casting Crowns, Hannah Montana, Rhett Walker Band, Hank Williams, and Beethoven (to mention just a few) all in a row. I know my best friend and her son, my son does too, but I’ve not met many outside my family who share our penchant for variety to the degree that we do. 

Still, there are some that rank for all time such as:

Amazing Grace (whether vocal or the bagpipes, it always makes me feel loved and grateful), How Great Thou Art, Handbags and Gladrags by Rod Stewart, Willie’s Always On My Mind, and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Pride and Joy. 

Some that I recently found and absolutely love are If You Can Use Anything by Ron Kenoly (amazing worship right there!) also, Jessica Reedy singing Better (or anything really) and CeCe Winan’s Alabaster Box. I love listening to Jimmy Needham, and the song that introduced me to him was one of his best; (although it is hard to choose) Clear the Stage. Gosh that song breaks it down to worship in its most basic and beautiful. There is one by a newcomer, Thomas Rhett, that most radio stations won’t play called Beer With Jesus. I think it is a great song and I see nothing wrong with it myself, but then, I don’t own a radio station so what do I know?

 The song by Brooks and Dunn, Believe, makes me cry almost every time, just like Dancing in the Sky by Dani and Lizzy, Justin Moore’s If Heaven Wasn’t so Far Away, and Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave. 

And the song Happy by Pharrell Williams makes me happy. And I dance! Yep, I dance around like a lunatic to that song and others such as Jesus Freak by Toby Mac, Rebel Yell by Billy Idol, Good Morning by Mandissa and Goody Two Shoes by Adam Ant. 

So, way more than 10 and those are just a few of my faves current and long time. I guess if I had to pick a hands down favorite it would be the cassette tape I have of my mom singing an assortment of original and other songs and the memories of my children singing along with me as I drove or sang them to sleep to theses;

Walking After Midnight, Patsy Cline

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Judy Garland

Where Are You Going (Turn Around) , by Harry Belafonte

Delta Dawn, by Tanya Tucker

So there it is y'all, day 7. Talk to me y'all; I would love to see and hear your favorite music too.

Till next time, 

TheWritingMommy

Day 5 and 6- Sorry for missing yesterday folks.

Day 5 and 6 because I missed a day L

List 5 places you want to visit and 3 ways to win your heart.

5 places I would like to visit are The Holy Land of Israel, Greece, The Redwood Forest, New York, and The Smithsonian. All of these places are ones that I’ve always wanted to go since I was a young person. I’m not a history buff but the idea of walking where my Savior and Lord walked inspires me. The idea of seeing the Parthenon and the Coliseum makes me feel a connection to the past that helped form our world. Of course visiting the American landmarks has the same strength to me; to be in a place that people have walked for years and to see the amazing things that man has created makes me hopeful that we can and will become great again.

Three ways to win my heart, oh my, I’m not sure if my heart is winnable some days. Today, I feel very sad so this is a hard topic for me but I think to tell me the truth, to treat me with respect, and to be kind to others is the best way to win my heart. Today you wouldn’t want it; it feels broken.