Brick by Brick: Rebuilding the Broken

  The beloved cartoon series "Peanuts" has an endearing Christmas special, that many have loved to watch and re-watch as a yearly tradition. When I was young, I simply enjoyed seeing a favorite comic strip come to life. As years passed, it became a a new tradition to share with our wee children. Looking back as a finely aged adult now, (no laughing) I appreciate the beautiful speech given by Linus as he puts the craziness of his friends' party/theatrical rendition into better perspective. His intro, "Lights, Please..." sets the stage for listeners to sit still and pay close attention. I have never been one to enjoy "all eyes on me". Known to most people as the shy one, I have changed considerably since youth. Some might even be amazed at the progress, but you can never truly change a leopard's spots. To reach clear outside of my comfort zone and be writing to you today is proof of that.  My voice may be small, my answers might not look like much, b...

If you have glasses, you know how hard it is to wear sunglasses. Nathanael loved wearing sunglasses all the time. It became his trademark. My son, Nathanael had perfect vision. He was proud of the fact that he could see things far ahead, that those of us with glasses struggled to make out on the horizon. He could even drive at night (much to my disapproval) wearing sunglasses. He also had the uncanny insight to see things in people that most of us never take the time to notice. Part of what made him such a kindhearted soul.

  One of my favorite authors has a way of telling stories that make you think. His skill is crafted in such a way that you may not even realize that you are gaining perspective.   But then again, a close friend of C. S. Lewis thought he made his stories   too transparent. J. R. R. Tolkien was a craftsman of his own entire Middle Earth, and took an elaborate approach to the art of telling stories. His intentions were not the same as Lewis', yet in their separate styles, they endure as great ways to make the reader beg for more!   My story today is from the lovely land of Narnia. A place that many children, long to see for themselves. If you are honest, a place that calls to you as an adult.  As Lewis himself said, "But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it."   The land of Narnia calls to me frequen...

  “I love the part in fairy tales That's very near the end When all the kingdom cheers for this new queen; And all is well and all is good And everyone belongs, And happily they're ever-aftering. But when I enter the kingdom of dreams And face the promise of all I can be Will they see me as a heroine?  Tell me, will they let me in?” From the Artist: Kurt Bestor Album: Rigoletto   from the 1993 movie, an adaptation of the opera You must admit, most of us have believed in fairytales at one point in our childhood.   Some of the stories may have been terrifying, and others full of nonsense, and yet we loved to hear them over and over. The storybook bedtime ritual has been a staple for generations. Whether it was from a book or an oral recitation, a make-believe land or historic re-telling, the familiarity of traveling to places unknown before falling asleep was cathartic, relaxing the mind as it swept away the cares of our busy day. Fast f...

When cHaOs AiMs To ReIgN sUpReMe CaNnOns FiRiNg FrOm A trampoline  Visions BlUrRy in My hEad AfflicTiOns dripping Down in red NO escape, No way Out to find When darkness overtakes the mind Until, and only when it's time Does reason and peace come back to mind   The only sure and true way to be free To escape what is haunting me -  Cry out to God He is right there all it takes is a simple, tiny prayer - "GOD HELP ME! GET ME OUT SOMEHOW!!"   And He is Right There, Right Here, Right Now    Peace comes in and takes a seat Jesus is near, within your heartbeat   He is simply waiting for your call Jesus saves, rescues, restores He cares for ALL   He knows just what you need the most He will be there, He is very close  NOTHING MAKES SENSE in this broken world, But He takes DIRT and turns it into PEARLS. I don't know where you are right now If you are like me, life has broken you down The only thing, the only One  Who is always there  is God...

 Please don't tell me I am the only one who misplaces things.  I must admit, organization isn't my strong suit. I have a Dr.Jekyll/ Mr. Hyde ( or hide? ) approach to filing things away. The intentions are fine, but distractions are sometimes louder and - "One sheep, two sheep, I'm beginning to lose sleep!" Or however that song goes....Ok, time for the monster to go back under the bed where he belongs.    I make lists to accomplish daily goals. I fight against this gremlin every day. Some days I win. Every once in a while, though, he gets the upper hand.  But sometimes, the game takes a surprise twist. For instance, I need to wear finger-less gloves almost year round to keep my hands from going blue, (thanks, Reynaud's), and they need to be compression gloves to ease the crippling Psoriatic pain in the joints. So, I must have a pair available in the vehicles, by my bed, in the living room, and the kitchen. Great! Got it! Until I wear the living room gloves to b...

When the path is too hard to find on your own, you need someone to lead you through the haze. (I started writing this post over two years ago.) The fog was so thick, I could feel it slithering up my spine. The once silent beast had made it's way into my senses, no hope for recovery this time. The high-functioning anxiety had turned ugly. Even my loved ones had never seen this side of me before. My entire life, I was accustomed to hiding the darkness within. Like an ill-gotten prize to hoard in the filthy corners of my being. There is no definite explanation why a child is tormented so, with thoughts and feeble attempts of self-harm. To carry those characteristics to adulthood is a heavy burden none should bear. Everyone's story is different, yet many are the same. Some of our stories may end well, others are rocky and difficult beyond our own strength. Those are the stories that give us courage and fortitude to fight harder than ever before.  When it becomes too dark to see,...