• journal,  writing/reading

    Use Words Wisely

    Words. So powerful. They can crush a heart, or heal it. They can shame a soul, or liberate it. They can shatter dreams, or energize them. They can obstruct connection, or invite it. They can create defenses, or melt them. We have to use words wisely.

    Jeff Brown

    After years of journaling I’ve come to understand the shortcomings of words to express much of what we think and experience of life. There are thousands of books written in prose and poetry in our attempt to express thoughts, ideas, concepts, feelings, or define a single word. For thousands of years man has attempted to put into words what and who God is. Some feel they have found the answer. I don’t have that same feeling. It’s a mystery!

    Since my teenage years, and maybe earlier than that, I have asked those deep questions: how was I created and why? How did it all start and why and by whom? Who is God? Is there a God? If there is a God why would God create then punish what is created? All questions I believe we cannot define or comprehend. Nor can words define the fragrance of a rose. Words fall short.

    My journaling is a collection of letters and prayers addressing questions to my deeper self, that essence of who I really am. For me the name, definition or comprehension of the word god is not as important as experiencing the reality of something Divine through nature, my journals, my meditation, all experiences in life.

    Meister Eckhart says, “God is above all a reality to be experienced from within.” I’m well aware of the inadequacy of my words to express my experiences or fully articulate the questions. What is important is asking of questions. So, through this blog and my journaling I’m learning to use words wisely.

  • coffee shops,  journal,  poems,  poetic journal,  writing/reading

    A Sanctuary Within

    A morning of blank pages, empty and barren
    my mind wandering while I sit before them, staring.

    Aware I refuse to face them, even turning away,
    finding something else to do, even daydreaming.

    I ask for a willingness to listen for inspiration,
    alert to the inner voice seen through pen and ink.

    Transformative words are not always found in books
    but through whispers heard from a sanctuary within.

    ms

  • fountain pens,  haiku,  writing/reading

    Something New

    The limited edition Gold Marbled Pelikan M200 fountain pen

    an open journal
    blank pages fill with words
    new fountain pen

    ms

    Cloudy and overcast skies with possible snow flurries later today. May be one of those days for a hot chocolate or tea and a good book. Or, writing with a new fountain pen.

  • gratitude,  haiku,  leaves,  Plants,  seasons,  snow,  winter scenes,  writing/reading

    Unspoken Words

    Patterns of frosty leaves this morning on my walk

    grateful for the gifts
    rising from within the soul
    unspoken words

    ms

    Reflecting this morning on the gift of words that appear on pages when I journal. This led me to reflect on the words I read from the blogs I follow, the words that rise within you. When you share what you’re feeling, your experiences, what you see, and the joys and struggles of your daily lives, I see them as a gift of unspoken words now heard. So, thank you!

  • coffee life,  coffee shops,  fountain pens,  haiku,  journal,  writing/reading

    Coffeehouse Writing

    Morning sunlight, journal, fountain pen and new ink

    half blank pages
    find new words in brown ink
    coffeehouse writing

    ms

    Had a friend give me a new bottle of ink yesterday appropriately named, Coffee Break. 😃 It is a soft subtle brown that shades well, one of my favorite traits in inks, and works well with my cream colored journal pages. Using it in my white Pelikan M205 fountain pen. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!