Tag Archives: poem

Be Savouring the Seasons

One of the secrets sauce of life, I believe, is savouring the seasons. Both the physical and metaphorical seasons that we go through.

We can’t change the climate where we live, so unless you are planning on moving, we all need to embrace where we live.

We can’t change what happens around us, so unless we can time travel or have out of body experiences, we all need to embrace where we live.

The amount of discourse on the weather, right now, I find slightly overwhelming and mildly humours. The physical season is affecting many people’s metaphorical season.

Do we not have better things to dialogue about?

Is it really that interesting that one of Canada’s cities was the coldest place on the planet for one day?

How’s your heart doing today? Isn’t that a gooder!!

What about snow? There are places in southern Canada that have had snow this week and their schools have been closed because of it. Welcome to Canada my friends.

This northern girl grew up in cold and with snow piled up to the roof. She had to embrace it all with big heavy mitts.

Now, I live in a balmy four seasons utopia where I truly can say I enjoy each and every season.

Winter.

Deepness.

Spring.

Growth.

Summer.

Flourishing.

Fall.

Gathering.

To embrace this season, this winter wonderland a friend and I flew away to the ski hill on Wednesday.

To hike…

To cross country ski…

And to skate…

As a friend once told me, there truly isn’t bad weather, just bad clothing.

Put on that bikini, hat and sunscreen.

Or those gumboots and rain jacket.

How about that comfy scarf and tall boots.

Or those wool socks and long johns.

Four seasons.

Winter.

Deepness.

Spring.

Growth.

Summer.

Flourishing.

Fall.

Gathering.

Embracing them all.

Creating freedom.

Controlling what I can.

Choosing to embrace and release the rest.

Being free.

Each day.

As the sun shines, snow falls, wind blows or rain rolls in.

Blessings poured over each of you as you live life in the season you are in.

😘 Joanna

Be Living Your Light 

Thrown down. 

Living looking down. 

Feeling down. 

While looking around. 

Eyes darting. 

Heart dying. 

Words cursing. 

Running. 

Playing 

All over my mind. 

BUT NOW LIGHT. 

My light shining. 

Pushing up. 

Living as me. 

While looking within. 

Eyes glowing. 

Heart overflowing. 

Words pouring. 

Lying down. 

Living. 

All over my mind. 

BUT NOW LIGHT. 

 
All our lights shining. 

Pushing out. 

Living out loud. 

While looking around. 

Eyes soaring. 

Heart bursting. 

Words blessing. 

Flying. 

Present. 

All over the world. 

MORE AND MORE LIGHT! 

This night do not allow the light of others to diminish all that you can do.  Allow your light to find strength in their light.  Be strong in who you are and build up those around you also living in their light!  Shine my beautiful friend! Light it up! 

 Smooch, Joanna  
Glory to God whose power in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine! (Eph 3:20)  

Be Pondering String, Puppies and a Lion 

Lying on the ground. 

In silence. 

In peace.  

Tangled woven fabric all around me, across my face circling my body. 

Standing arms flailing. 

A puppy, playfully pulling around, like he’s chasing his tail, helping me unravel. 

Around. 

And around. 

The puppet strings are cut. 

I no longer need to wrestle or perform. 

I can be. 

Me. 

  
A lion walks beside me. 

He smells like heaven. 

Lush and green. 

Warm and luscious. 

We are walking freely.  

Together. 

Alone.  

In peace. 

Enough. 

Enuf. 

Nuf said. 

Giggle. 

Giggle. 

Giggle. 

(Thank you to lovely Linda for helping me be and amazing Ang for the inspiration! Glory!) 

Be Savouring Sunsets 

Spring break. 

Done.  

Sunsets savoured.  

Tasted.  

Touched.  

Danced through.  

Played under.  

Sunsets. 

I first began my love affair with sunsets as an university student.  I moved from the mountains to the prairies to go to school and watching the sun slip off the earth mesmerized me.  

Captured.  

Stopped in my tracks.  

My propulsion moving me endlessly forward was halted.  

Breath taken. 

By brilliant colours.  

Chasing the sun setting.  

The sun has shown me its incredible force.  

Bringing light.  

Hope for a new day.  

A peaceful ending to moments made.  

Creating warmth.  

Thank you God for the sun and sunsets. 

We now have three boys who savour sunsets.  

Here they are enjoying a stopped moment savouring the sunset on our last day of spring break holidays.

Did anyone notice the sunrise shot I threw in?  Tee hee, cheeky monkey I am!

Lastly, I have been cleaning out old junk/treasures and I can across this poem I wrote in grade seven: 

I love how God weaves together themes for me.  

Be Standing in the Light

Me.

Yes, me.

I encourage you to stop.

Pause.

Stand.

Take one moment.

To be.

Watch your breath.

Listen.

Really listen to the sounds around you.

Right now.

What do you hear?

What do you see?

Why are you choosing to do what you are doing on THIS day?

Death is forever.

Life is now.

I choose to stand in the light.

Imperfectly me.

Humbled.

Vulnerable.

In His light.

Just being.

Me.

IMG_6156

I am not sure how I got this photo, but again it was through nothing that I did.

Just being.

In His light.

Be Short on Words for Awhile

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Wisdom.

Creating time.

Slowing the flow of input and regurgitation.

Change.

Create openness.

Slowly learning more than I thought I could.

Grief.

Creating space.

Slowly realizing I will live on earth forever without my mom.

Autumn.

Creator brings forth colour.

Slowly coming to peace.

Enfolded in His loving arms.

Surrounded by incredible beauty and colour.

Embracing this season.

With joy.

In tears.

Always with gratitude for life.

Be.

Just being Joanna.

I am enough. IMG_6416.JPG

Be Going Under

The waves pour over me.

The grief is profoundly painful.

Tears flows readily.

One year ago, my mom went into the hospital in excruciating pain.

Seventeen days she spent there.

The first time!

Our family was forever changed.

The knots that held my life together were unravelled, split apart and thrown into the fire.

Relationships changed forever.

Expectations shifted.

Pain.

Anguish.

Out of control.

Life. 20140803-220404-79444078.jpg

I will walk through my grief.

I will keep moving.

I know my strength, my weaknesses, my failings, my ways…

I will reach up towards the friends who love and accept me.

I will ride my bike.

I will give myself time and grace.

I will lie down when I need to.

I will not use food to soothe my soul.

I will not watch the news.

I will not put this on my boys.

I will not put my heart into a place where I could be wounded.

I will continue to deal with my stuff.

I will continue to loosen the rope, letting go of expectations.

I will cry.

I will seek God.

I will keep my eyes open for the light.

I will hold on as I go under.

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