her name

My name was once something I didn't know, 

But since then, I discovered something, 

Something important, 

Something essential—

Myself. 

Knowing myself and loving her

Showed me that my name 

Has always been 

Love. 

writer life

nearly out of words

distilled inconsistency 

discovering depth

a slice of myself

I am dedicated and authentic. 

I wonder if I make a difference. 

I hear hope alighting on the dark night. 

I see joy amidst the deep. 

I want peace. 

I am dedicated and authentic. 

I pretend to be more than I am with hope of becoming that. 

I feel that I must question what I'm told. 

I touch happiness with kid gloves. 

I worry I won't reach my goals. 

I cry for my expectations. 

I am dedicated and authentic. 

I understand God's love for me—His pure charity. 

I say mistakes can be steps toward perfection when we rise from them. 

I dream of the day I am happy inside and out. 

I try to be my best self. 

I hope for good for all. 

I am dedicated and authentic. 

i am …

I am vivacious. 

I am smart, intelligent, intellectual. 

I am content only some days. 

I am faithful and hopeful like Pollyanna. 

I am a good writer. 

I am a dedicated teacher, mother, sister, aunt, daughter. 

I am driven to do right. 

I am authentic. 

good and kind

I am good and kind

Except for when I'm not, 

Yet somehow I always forget that first part. 

I am a rememberer of mistakes

Except for when friends 

Remind me of who I truly am—my better self. 

I am good and kind and sweet and mean. 

I am a human woman with faults and a sheen 

Made of memories both real and perceived. 

I am two sides of one coin. 

I am my hopes and dreams and ruinous flaws

With goodness and kindness at my core. 

building faith

gratitude pervades

happy for motivation

prayerful attitude

solitude is mine

Solitude is never mine, yet somehow

I found some today. 

I found it in the music played that

Guided me to think of God. 

I found it in the sky and gentle breeze and sunshine

As I walked myself to the church to find 

The peace I prayed for. 

I found it in the smiles of the people

Who came for the same reasons as me, 

To get some peace and comfort

From the ravages of life. 

I found solitude in quiet 

And in the rain and clouds. 

I found it in the stillness 

Of a quiet Sunday afternoon. 

this view

Remnants of a life well lived

Chopped chunks of trees

Nails, glue, and wood shavings

Turned into art

Now a memory already

Fading into the shadows

Of the blazingly bright future 

But with pure love planted, 

There in the wheelbarrow 

Of life, transported, there are memories

Lashed to the fence post 

Showing us the way

Showing us how to follow 

His footsteps 

In our own way 

Making our way 

With a universe of hope

Guiding our eyes up 

To the light, to the clouds,

To the mountains 

That build us up while

Tearing us down 

Like this grief intertwined 

With so much joy

This view pushes us to be

More and stand in wonder 

At the love God planted 

All around, surrounding

And saturating, this 

Brilliant life 

for me

Finding my words one letter at a time

with one breath, one thought

writing my way into a love 

that hands me the words 

with both hands 

held out for just 

me—within 

myself. 

writer life

 

Hands-on giving,

The artist connect the little things

Made with dance and sanctuary,

Proximity to an opportunity for growth.

Delicious smile—

The joy is in the giving. 

progress

 

Love's labor

Underscores everything—

Love, courtship, heart. 

Each step forward

Immediately opens knowledge

With sacrifice, dedication

With this legacy, 

This progress of both the mind and character,

This lofty goal of perfection. 

The price committed to can uphold

The arrival of direction—

To winning hearts. 

(Found Words Source: "The Price of Progress" Essay by Rochelle Rudd 27 September 2012)

where

...are you 

going?

...could the joy

have gone? 

…will this life

lead me? 

…am I trying to get

with so little? 

…might I find myself

if I keep going? 

… 

rampant

thoughts

feelings

spring

want 

stress/distress

lack of rest

opportunity

loving friends

watchcare 

faith

never-ending hope

desire to do right

His Gift

The Lamb rose on that Sabbath morn

Tranformed into our resurrected Lord

And glory be to God for saving us through Him

Life taken in order to give 

Eternal life to all

art of spring

splashes of color

spring brushed upon every thing

splendor enlivens

that friday

Sacrifice—exhale 

Darkness blankets all the earth 

Light, life, shall rise—soon

inhale joy

At times, suffocation seems imminent. 

Other times, anything seems possible. 

What makes the difference? 

What changes things from night to day? 

Usually, it is perspective— 

The ability to see the good, 

The ability to get past the bad. 

So today, let us inhale joy, 

Face the sun, and walk in light. 

Let us attain all the good we can. 

fruit trees

discover rebirth

the wind blowing spring blossoms

nature's confetti

awake and shine

I woke today to wrench myself alive

With thoughts and senses riding high (henceforth)

To be a mighty woman this day sent forth

To work and pray and be my best and thrive

Remind me why the world decries the good

That comes to us through Christ the Lord, the Son

Of God who did in fact arise when done 

With sacrifice, with death, the One least understood

When I do find a friend who shows God's love

The day becomes my source of power strong

With light arriving fast and sure—left on

For me and you and all who try to love 

The world awakes to us in heart and mind

To find the joy in every spark and shine

bring me peace

there is none here

nowhere to be found 

with the teenage existence 

ruling existence

except when 

asleep. 

Lord, 

bring 

me 

peace. 

the truth

Christ, the Word, the Son,

He is our Brother and Friend, 

An eternal Light for the World 

Whose charity never ends. 

Beaming warmth of gospel goodness

As the Father calls us to Him, 

The Bread of Life invites us to 

Follow, look, and live. 

This Jesus, our Redeemer, 

Proved and proves His love

With that matchless and infinite sacrifice made

As he suffered while pleading to Father above. 

think clearly

push away the fray 

enrobed in crystalline light 

prayerful attention

loudness

Leaning out of the window with a handful of hope

As the world whirs past working to rip it away, 

With each passing day, the journey is to cope

Instead of live while making the best of each day.

Tendrils of tension tighten their unforgiving grasp 

Stealing the ability to breathe and think and comprehend. 

To do more than barely function creates a blur, a trap, 

Of spiky moments of stress with apparently no end. 

If a breath of fresh air could just make its way

Inside, just a puff of calm and cool, 

There might be a chance to stay or at least delay

The suffocation pushing away renewal. 

Trepidation like a rolled up window in a car

In summer and you can't get out, 

Not knowing how long or how far 

You have to live unable to see, unable to feel—so you shout. 

perfection

It does not exist, perfection. 

Whoever sold you the lie 

That you can somehow find,

Achieve, be, or create it 

Gave you false hope that

Never will be found here. 

Instead—

Go for gold 

In your everyday 

Way 

Reaching for your best.  

And always 

Always

Always 

Give yourself grace 

Because God does. 

Strike out again and again, 

But never give up on you. 

Never give up on faith and truth. 

Be perfect in the act of striving 

To endure. 

Find perfection in the way 

You make the day better 

No matter how it was 

Before you go 

And turn it around. 

listen

Listen to the secret joy that rises up within. 

Let yourself believe in something good and right.

Be the type of person who has a heart 

That takes people in and holds them tight.

Listen to the beating of the heart that waits. 

Let patience guide the way to peace and love.

Become the type of person who leads with a light

That shows people there is a loving God above. 

Listen to the quiet wisps of laughter wanting in. 

Let yourself believe in mirrored pools and golden paths. 

Be the type of person whose heart smiles so brightly

That it takes people by surprise like frothy bubbles in a bath. 

Listen better,

Let your soul breathe, 

And be someone who 

Lets love in today.  

beyond

Looking beyond the horizon

Always seems to be the thing

That gets you 

Thinking beyond the limits 

Of this life and all that

Reality keeps you from 

Taking beyond the borders

Of the lane you find yourself

In as you are wanting more

Going beyond anything anyone

Could have known was possible

When looking one time toward the sun. 

unseen

miles of love unfeigned

infinite footsteps toward you

the painted on smiles

answers

In my deepest sorrow that looks like rain

On rain on rain, 

God sees my pain. 

In my darkest night that looks like pain 

On pain on pain, 

God sees my heart. 

Within my shrillest cries that sound like a broken heart 

On broken heart on broken heart, 

God hears my sliver of hope. 

Within my slightest slivers of hope that sound like prayers

On prayers on prayers, 

God hears my pleading and answers it with His love. 

drive

Get in and don't look back. 

Take the chance you've got 

And be someone who 

Does more with their lot. 

Put your foot on the gas. 

Propel your heart into 

Everything you can

And enjoy the process too. 

Roll down the windows. 

Let your best dreams

Be carried on the wind 

And alight on sunbeams. 

Drive slow or drive fast. 

But be sure to keep going

Along the road of life singing,

Trying, crying, loving, and doing. 

Just Write

With breath held, fingers crossed, 

I write into the space that feels empty

But is crying out for words and meaning. 

Words will come. 

They need to. 

Somehow. 

I just need to keep on trying 

To write and share

And fill the space with myself.