Tag Archives: writing

Family, writing

Be Finding Flow

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Oh I want to rap this post, but my words will have to suffice. 

Flow. 

Flowing. 

Flow ‘in. 

I am in the flow. 

My flow is coming in the form of authentic communication.

Communication that is not trying to change someone by resonate WITH someone. 

Communication that flows like a piano duet.  

One part of the duet can be playing the low notes but they stay in harmony wherever they are in the song. 

The people that continue to come into my life, whether it is new or old friends, are part of this beautiful flow that exists in my life right now.  

Nothing holding me back.  

Playing notes side by side.  

Highs and lows. 

All flowing together.  

Where will you find your flow today? 

Will it be in communication?

In movement?

In music?

Alone?

Be find ‘in ya flow!

Peace out! 



God, Jesus Christ

Be Having a Gas Pump Epiphany

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I am standing at the gas pump.

Minding my own business.

Just hanging out.

Chilling.

Watching the numbers go up and up and up and…

Wham!

Epiphany time!

Yup, that’s how it rolls for me right now.

I realized that as the gas filled my tank that I had FAITH that this was gas pouring into my car.  I had FAITH that this was gas not some other liquid.  I TRUSTED the gas station.  I had FAITH that once my car was filled with this smelly, unseen liquid that my car would then convert it so that I could drive.  I TRUSTED the gas station and the drivers that brought the gas to the station AND I even trusted the people that put it in the tankers in the first place!   I TRUST and have FAITH that this whole process will work, even though I don’t UNDERSTAND even how my car works and why can’t I just put vegetable oil into my car?

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That is whole bunch of TRUST and FAITH in one simple act.

Gas.

Powerful.

Energy producing.

Faith.

Trust.

Understanding?

This time at the pump made me ponder my relationship with God.  I didn’t come to know God until university, until the age that I truly began to ponder life for myself, outside the safety of the house my parent’s created.  I came to seek this relationship on the university grounds.  I came to know this very personal God in my bedroom, in my childhood home.  I asked Him to show Himself to me.

He did.

Personally.

On my own.

He is my light.

My force.

He is my God, Saviour, Father…

Since then, every day I have FAITH that God will be with me and help me.  I have TRUST that He will work everything out for His good even when I don’t UNDERSTAND.

No longer do I seek to understand many things that I know I never will, but I TRUST and have FAITH.

This is enough.

What will you put your FAITH and TRUST in today?

Boys, Family

Be Savouring Sunsets 

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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.  

Family, Teaching, writing

Be Wondering About Words 

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Why are people mean and rude?

Short with words and sometimes crude?
Why do we decide to speak this way? 
Without compassion with what we say?  
How does the tongue twist and hurt? 
It can make anyone feel like dirt? 
Why do we withhold our words sometime? 
While other days they are like a chime? 
Words can be cruel. 
Make me look like a fool. 
They can lift someone up.  
Even make me spill my cup.  
Sweet sentences to soothe my ears.  
Little ditties to give me the gears.  
How I love to play with words!
Let’s use them to build up, anything else is absurd.  

Building.  
Building up.  
Built. 
Built up.  
With words. 
Don’t be absurd.  
You turd.  

Family, Grief

Be an Overcomer

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There are some things in my life that bring me to a full sweaty mess.

There are many more things that bring me to my knees in a puddle of tears or a need to vomit.

Tonight it was tears.

I went back to Hospice House where my mom died, with dad at her side, on December 26th.

I felt a pull to go back, but also a humbling fear that brought me to tears. I knew that I needed to do this for myself. I knew I needed to overcome my overwhelming feelings of grief and love, despair and compassion that Hospice House brings up for me.

I drove my car north followed by a bright, clear moon and clean roads, as I did many times last fall visiting mom and dad.

I arrived at Hospice House.

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I entered the very familiar building and went to a chair to await the seminar about grief and the holidays. I tried not to look too hard, but it was the same.

Beautiful spaces

Christmas decorations

Warmth

Love

Healing

I sat. I cried. I listened to great strategies on Christmas in the midst of grief.

I wrote a card with my mom’s name on it and placed it on the memory tree.

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I had some juice and cookies and took a wander down the hall to room number eight.

Yup, it’s still there.

Yup, mom still isn’t.

Unless she’s now a man. A bald-headed one.

Nope, no mom here on earth.

A checked out the fish tank down the hall.

I walked back to the living room and put another name on the tree for my Auntie Gail. I remembered her putting her son, Michael, on the memory tree last Christmas. My cousin was killed in a motor vehicle accident many years ago. I put Michael’s tag on the tree and told him how much his mom loves him.

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And then I walked out.

An Overcomer of my emotions.

An Overcomer of fear.

An Overcomer of doing the hard stuff.

Overcome.

Overcame.

Overcomer.

God, Grief, writing

Be Standing in the Light

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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.

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

Just being.

In His light.

Grief, writing

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.

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