Busy, busy, busy

Hey little guy,

what ya doin today?

Not much dear girl,

I thought I’d sway.

From tree to tree,

and to and fro.

And watch the people

down below.

They rush and run,

don’t notice the sun.

They text and talk,

and run, not walk

Inhaling food,

not savouring each bite.

Under a tree,

they’ve lost all sight.

Of what it is

to live each day.

To love and learn,

and rest and play.

To see the gift

each moment brings.

Oh well, dear girl

I’m off to swing.

“The genesis moment is to assume every moment is fresh” –Makoto Fujimura

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This poem and photo I have posted before. I have decided to do so again because I am in a season of busyness. Lots and lots and lots of busyness. For this reason, I have decided to take a brief hiatus of about a month in order to focus on getting things done that I so desperately need to.

The following are a few other poetry photos I have taken around my place (and yes, the mico monkeys are real, and we live together 🙂 ).

I will be back on WordPress in about a month.

 

Color me blue

Color me Blue – Part 7 of a 9 part poem on mixed media

Blue is the color of hope. Hope is one of the three eternal treasures available to all mankind.

Hope that is seen is no hope at all.

Like the wind. You don’t see it, but you know it’s there.

Like the Spirit of God. You can’t see Him, but He’s there.

One can hope, because they have faith, and along with that faith comes peace and tranquility.

Yes, that’s what blue feels like. Peace that passes all understanding and tranquility of mind and spirit.

Have you ever felt blue? What does blue feel like to you?

Forgiven Woman

Forgiven Woman – poem on mixed media

Have you ever wanted something so bad that it didn’t matter the circumstances, you went for it? That’s what happened with this woman. She knew she was dirty. She knew her life was empty and aimless. She knew that nobody respected her, especially the religious folk.

She had heard about this miracle worker and how he accepted all that were broken – the outcasts and those that society despised. She knew he would accept her. All other men looked at her as an object to be used and thrown away, and this stripped her of every ounce of dignity she had.

That’s what I love about this man. Grace, pure grace. And unconditional love. Coming to Him with a brokenness and an understanding that there is great need for forgiveness.

Have you ever wanted something so bad that it didn’t matter the circumstances, you went for it? Tell your story. 🙂

Made to connect

Lover of my soul
Will you listen to me
I know you will
My spirit you see
My heart you touch
My soul you shape
My being is yours
I’m here, please take
Me away to that secret place
Where we connect

Do you long for real relationships? Not the fluff ones, which have no real soul or depth.  The superficial ones where you talk about nothing and they don’t have an impact on your life.  Do you long for relationships where you truly sense there’s a connection? I do.

Connectivity.  It’s what we, human beings long for.  It’s what we were made for.  Relationships. 

This poem was written for the one I have the deepest and most profound relationship with.

Do you have a relationship like that with anyone? Is there anyone you can share your innermost secrets with? If not, do you long for that type of connection?

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I wrote this about a year and a half ago, but wanted to post it again because of what I’ve been living recently. As many of you know, I was just in Rio de Janeiro for an arts workshop. When I returned home, there was another big workshop happening here on my YWAM base. It was wonderful connecting with so many people. We really were made for relationship. I believe that with all my heart.

Butterfly Tears

Mixed media and poem

Butterflies often symbolize transformation, and rightly so. I mean, they start out as a creepy crawly caterpillar, bound to the ground. Then they hide away for a bit in seclusion, all alone. Once their cocoon breaks open, they are set free. They’re given a new colourful body and wings to fly.

I like to compare this process of metamorphosis in the natural world to my own life experience. I see myself as this sad, dark and empty girl in the artwork above. Not me today, but years ago when I was young and immature. Years ago when I was asking what the heck I was doing here on Earth. When I was living an empty, meaningless life, without direction or purpose.

When I came to my senses and decided to leave that life behind, my transformation started. It didn’t happen overnight though. I spun a good thick cocoon because it took time. A long time. I am thankful that God has pulled me through. I owe it all to Him, because I know that I couldn’t do it alone. Nobody can.

I would love to know if you can relate to this at all. Please share your own experience.

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The above painting was done on recycled material. An empty cereal box actually.

A Caged Bird

Childhood is a very important time in a person’s life. Those who raise children can either make or break them. If broken during these fragile, formative years, the outcome can be drastic. It can take a whole lifetime to heal, and oftentimes there are wounds that scar until death.

Do you agree with the above?

 

 

A Human Being

“We know artists by their most important creations” –Kurt Bruner at thriving family.com

Human beings are such amazing creatures, don’t you think? There is something special about being human. Something unique. Something that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom, and all creation. I think people instinctively know and believe that. We speak, blush, have compassion, wear clothing, have a spirit, appreciate beauty, have very fine hair, walk upright, understand time, live long childhoods, know the difference between right and wrong, and are self-conscious.

Here are a few interesting things I found online about the difference between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom.

“Without a doubt, the human trait that sets us apart the most from the animal kingdom is our extraordinary brain. Humans don’t have the largest brains in the world… …Yet the human brain, weighing only about 3 pounds when fully grown, give us the ability to reason and think on our feet beyond the capabilities of the rest of the animal kingdom, and provided the works of Mozart, Einstein and many other geniuses.”  —livescience.com

“Animals sing. So do we, but we make it into music.
Animals breed. So do we, but we also make it into love..
Animals kill. So do we, but we try to feel remorse.” (source)

Do you think humans are unique? If so, why?

Hanging Around (Tanaga)

I was invited by Elizabeth from Tea and Paper to join the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge: “Post a photo each day for five consecutive days and attach a story to the photo. It can be fiction or non-fiction, a poem or a short paragraph and each day nominate another blogger for the challenge”. Elizabeth posts photos, poems, artsy stuff and other things on her lovely blog. Please drop by and check it out.

My nomination for today is Rob, from The V-Pub. Rob is a fun blogger that writes about everything and anything, and has been a faithful friend for over a year and a half now.

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The above photo is of a plant that hangs from bananas, and was taken close to my house. I have written a Tanaga poem once again to pair with my photo. I thought the theme of the poem was perfect for it.

Here is another photo I took of the plant hanging from the bananas.

Modern living has placed expectations on humanity (at least much of the western world) to always be busy. I have decided not to buy into that way of thinking. I believe that living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t just mean eating right and exercising. A healthy lifestyle includes taking care of the entire being – body, soul and spirit. For this to happen, it is necessary to stop regularly and just hang out. Do nothing. Relax and rest. It may even mean saying ‘no’ to others when they ask something of you.

Do you regularly take time out to just hang out? To do nothing? To relax and breathe a bit? What do you like to do to relax and take care of yourself?

From Death to Life

Have you ever considered what it means to live? Did you know that the Greek have three words for our English word, ‘life’? I just recently found that out.

Bios: Physical or biological life.

Psuche: Psychological life of a human. Soul, mind, emotion, will.

Zoe: Absolute fullness of life, spiritual life, the divine life uniquely possessed by God.

Isn’t that amazing? The Greek words go so much deeper. It makes me think about how the physical, psychological (soul, mind, emotion, will) and spiritual are all interconnected. It also seems to answer certain questions I’ve grappled with in the past. Questions about life, death, meaning, purpose, fear of death and what happens when a human dies.

What do you think about these three Greek words, and their meanings?

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Photo taken in Ouro Preto, Brazil

Blood

Can you imagine a body without blood? Kind of a strange question, isn’t it?

This week I was reading the lyrics to an old hymn, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus”. I’m not a big fan of old hymns, but in the past few months, this hymn has struck a chord with me. Mainly because I was questioning certain aspects of my faith.

I decided to do some research in google on the ‘whys’ of blood and it’s function. Did you know that blood is absolutely essential for life? It carries water, nutrients, proteins and hormones to the parts of our body that need them. It also carries carbon dioxide, toxins and waste along so they can be disposed of. Without blood we can’t keep warm, nor cool off. Blood helps fight infection, bacteria and viruses too.

If you are not of the same worldview as me, you may not be able to fully appreciate how there seems to be a strong analogy between the physical and the spiritual here. I find it fascinating, and quite revelatory.

If you’re interested, this is a great version of the song by Sarah Hart Pearsons.

Have you ever thought about the complexity of the human body, and how it’s different systems work?