Me, the Dog, and Jesus

The shelter dog experience requires a great deal of patience (at least two I know of, do). Sometimes I look at this beautiful dog with some of the most aggravating quirks I have seen, and I think how I am also a mongrel. I do not fit the average design, but God chose me, just as He did you, to be who exactly we are. He has a purpose for every sort of difficulty I present to Him. Usually, I think He wants me to learn on Him to depend, instead of any faith I might place in me.

I do not run straight to Jesus as often as I should. My dog does not run to me, she creeps, or sometimes she has that sad, sad face that will break me open because, despite her craziness, I love her. She hurts me, I have scars, I had to wear a brace, she runs off where I have to go into strange territory miles away searching for her, and she does not always answer when I call. I am like this with my sweet Jesus too. He died on the cross because of me, that is some incredible injury. How much a disappointment it must be to Him, when He is certain He made it perfectly clear what is expected, and I go my own way, then creep to touch His hand, hoping He will fight my battles. Thankfully, He does not scream at me, as I sometimes do with the dog. He remembers that I am living a broken, sinful life, in a shattered sin-filled world and over and again He has mercy on me. My mercifulness leaves much to be desired with the dog, but we are working on it, and it improves in spurts and starts.

I do not recommend the shelter dog experience, but should you wish an object lesson on who our Father is, try it. As Alex told me, “Get a big dog, it’ll be fun, Mom.”

I do not know how my analogy stands up, and really I just wrote this off the cuff. Jesus knows I try to explain who He is to me, so maybe you will find a life with Him. It is the only life worth living and has a single promise of eternity.

The Wookie is the big dog, the tiny tot is Mom’s dog (mine now), Tribble. We might explore another story another day.

Just So…

This day may not go my way, but that is okay. I know there is a reason God made it that way. Maybe He has a lesson of understanding for me to learn; that others’ experiences when related, I might not as insignificant spurn.

Our lives are not a vacuum, they are part of the immensity of Jesus’ relation with the race of mankind. He imparts lessons through us to His divinity show. We may bear the impositions of our days with better resolve if we realize they are part of God’s infinite picture of grace. All things He works together to point our lives to Himself.

I am still here. I hope all you are well and experiencing many blessings. I am delighted that the weather begins to cool.

I am grateful to have finally gotten my Explorer repaired. It is a joy to have acceleration again. I hope you are enjoying comfort and prosperity. May the good always outweigh the difficulties in your existence. Love be with each of you.

Thank you for reading. Come back if you wish.

Always,
Jo Ann

Site Blunders, Mistaken Communication

I was checking in on the tablet because I turned the computer off. Scrolling through themes, I found one more attractive to my sensitivities. So, sorry, but we are now revamped. This theme is Publication 2. It has my sidebars and widgets, which were sadly missing in SAGA. I am old school, having blogged since 2005. (See Chronicles should you be interested in that history. It has lots on it.) I like as much detail on pages as artificial intelligence can afford me. I am still not paying for the website, though I did keep my domain. (It will happen, just at the appropriate time.)

School has begun in a lot of places. Those of you with kids, (and our crowd of creatives), I recommend you institute a period of gratitude each day. I find this gives a perspective that sometimes slips into the busy oblivion of day following day. Just have a few minutes to write or simply verbally share some things that went well during your limit of hours.

I am thankful:

The Wookie (Marbles) did not injure me while we walked. This being an ongoing problem I am praying about, I would much appreciate an improvement.
My stomach seems to be recovering, I, unfortunately, forgot I cannot eat foods with heavy concentrations of MSG. Mongolian Chicken should be prohibited.
I found a much more appropriate and loveable theme.
I completed reading Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger. An excellent book with some paranormal emphasis and well-developed characters. Missing it. Somewhat adrift trying to find something new. Oh, it was 5 stars, highly recommend it.
Music; brings me through the days when I am straying and finding the way hard to navigate. (We Believe – Newsboys) (Time Waits For Noone – Freddie Mercury) (Anything by the most esteemed Dr. Brian May) (Gangsters Are Running the World – Roger Taylor) ( Hide Away – What can I say, Mick Jagger)

If you can, pull your youngsters (and yourselves) away from screens long enough to do a minimum of ten minutes of creative work, whether art, writing, photography or whatever the penchant. These things will enrich your days and add joy to your lives.

I know many of you are more successful social media mavens than I am. Should you feel inclined and you find my communications of efficacy, please share as you may. I thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative today. I hope you will explore and wander about a bit. There is a follow button, or you may simply return as appeals to you. I think my links are now available again without having to search as much.

As a prompt, if you have a blog or site, which you have not refreshed in some time. Consider what a change might do. I know it takes some investment of time and effort, but the payoffs are sometimes higher than we expect.

Had to share the Tribble, just for the cuteness factor. My buddy.

Love, it may come late, but when it shows up, the world rocks…

Hands touching across
A divide longstanding wide,
Could grow side by side.

Recalibration

I did not set out to write a poem, as I almost always start with a title. The poem found me and captivated my hand. I think there are times when all of us doubt ourselves and doubt the lives we live. I want you to know everything is in place for a reason, and you are strong enough to get through whatever comes.

I encountered some frustration in the evening that definitely caused undue stress. I decided to change my reading material up, then found the apps for what I wanted would not work on my devices. It became clear that I was going to need an alternative. Though I never used it as a tablet before, I have a tablet PC. I used Chrome to pull up the publication sites I wanted and read them that way, so I could walk while reading. As a tablet that Dell will give an arm a workout, but reading on it cheered me up. I had solved an issue and overcome.

It may sound minor, but sometimes the little things can change the direction of your hours. Even when you accomplish just a step in the right direction, give yourself credit. It can help move your mood into positivity, and there is enough negativity without us adding to our own.

There is wonder in you, there is beauty, glory, strength, possibility, courage, brilliance, talent, goodness, love, honor, joy, ability, gifts, you are you for a reason and a purpose, and you will contribute great things to the world. Small things matter. If one brick is left out of the foundation of a wall, the whole structure is unstable and unreliable, what you do is building something grand, and it is tremendously important.

I feel like I am running on, and I do not wish to bore you, so, as a prompt, create something that expresses affirmations that you can meditate on when you are discouraged.

I appreciate your visit to Haphazard Creative. I hope it has nurtured and inspired you. You may drop down the MENU button to follow, or come back as suits you. I am trying very hard to encourage myself to post here more often and employ my creativity.

Creativity is a quality that grows bolder when more often used. Try it yourself, and you will find it correct. Just do one small thing a day if that is all that you have time or energy for doing. It will help you feel better adjusted to reality and get you out of it for those moments.

I am grateful that I bought the tablet PC and it was available for my time of need. Sometimes we do things without quite knowing why, and things come clear in time. I am so blessed and I bet you are too.

God be with you. Blessings to you and all your kin. Smile, let joy be your aspect even should you not feel it. Smiling will increase the likelihood of you living it.

Dogs, on Fairness…

In the animal kingdom, (observing dogs), fair, is not a known concept. If one is stronger, one wins; without human interference. Fair is an artificial human construct where we attempt to apply the idea of equality in interactions between beings of widely varied attributes. It is a linchpin of civilization.

For successful human relationships, there must be an agreement between those of every station and situation to abide by rules that do not necessarily benefit all involved in the process. Our baser impulses, like those of the animals, resent and reject being fair. An individual must, in every moment choose to conquer or acquiesce to the grandeur of personal restraint.

We often say life is not fair. It is somewhat true, but the world would not run within any structure of goodness did we not primarily abide within reasonable limits of justice.

Blame it on the dogs. Tribble being smaller always eats her treats slower, and I have to restrict Marbles, who scarfs everything down in, like, one quick swallow, from stealing from Tribble.

So philosophy, my dears. You will recall I wanted to be a lawyer. I AM A POET, who better to comment on the state of living. There are precedents. LOL!

Some jottings, yesterday and today:

If you hope to accomplish something, get busy. You cannot dance if you do not put your feet on the floor.

Toes, nose, against the wall; back up, reconsider, change direction. Reversal can relieve misconceptions immobilizing you. Go forward with new momentum. You are in charge, do not stop, never give up, tell quit to go to the abyss. There is greatness within you, let the star shine.

If you are holding your breath, expecting your dreams to come true, remember energy follows the breath & no breakthroughs occur without the expenditure of energy. Inflate your hopes with passionate activity, & challenge yourself to thrive. You are capable of miraculous things.

A tempest of enthusiasm, hyper and excitable, with energy enough to entomb the dark threads of pain. What is hidden is inadmissible. The stars remain within reach. Smile and lean into happiness. Nurture hope and grasp the dream.

Take the shot and capture the image of the moment. The chance comes once, miss it and you must chase another opportunity. Life is here, live every moment and create an outstanding existence. You are an original, magnify the unique.

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As a prompt, explore something you believe is a human artificial construct. Any way you wish, create something about it.

If you do not follow me on Twitter and Facebook, an inordinate amount of stuff goes to those. I just started Twitter again, but you know, all the people are doing it.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to Haphazard Creative. Follow the site if you like, or I hope you will find your way back here.

Always,
Jo Ann

Time Enough

2019_07_19_Journal Entry - Tomorrow

Carried

Inside God’s pocket
Where there are no enemies,
I am protected.

In the breast pocket,
Lying right beside His heart;
Never forgotten.

His voice speaks clearly,
The Lord knows my need of Him;
I am always loved.

Not ever alone,
Inside my Savior’s pocket;
Destined for success.

I procrastinate; it is an awful habit, and I often pay dearly. I also worry, too much for my or anyone’s good. Still, I know that Tomorrow is not mine, only God controls the days, and if I make it there, it is by His grace.

I have 23 chapters of a novel and the beginning of a book on creativity. I am guessing one day I will write both. Would that I did it now.

We do these things, or most do, we harm ourselves and withhold help we could lend the world. Tomorrow is the song of uncertainty. There is no guarantee. We could be joyous in the present if we were not dependent on some future condition. Usually, when we achieve the thing we have set our dreams upon, we find we are not, in fact, happy and postpone it until the next big thing.

Invest in the present, it will pay you rich dividends.

I am grateful:

My son is doing well.
My rescue dog is becoming a tiny bit more docile.
The Insider update finally loaded after over two hours.
I have a new nickname with the editor I copy edit with, Our Grammar Genie. I like this quite a lot.
Library books are gifts, better than Air Heads candy.

As a prompt, examine your use of time. Are you employing it to the best of your ability? Create a work related to Tomorrow and its meaning in your mindscape. As I have mentioned, the prompt is for any media you use, there are no limits on creativity.

I hope all is well with you and yours. Thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative. You may follow the site if you like, or you may visit again as pleases you.

Always,
Jo Ann

Time to Time… And All Times

A day like today, one can feel awash in time, especially me, cause my relationship with time is tenuous. Alex, my son, asked me this morning if I thought I would live to be 56. There have been times when I came close to checking out. Only by the grace of God am I here.

I think we do not know how often the Lord keeps some tragedy from happening, maybe that walk back to check the door, or having to change a little one’s clothes, or the misplaced article is actually the Savior at work.

I am thankful for both the bad and the good because the trouble taught me to be stronger and keep fighting to thrive. There are times maybe I just survive, but I am so grateful for the people and relationships that grace(d) my life. I enjoy so many blessings.

Life’s struggles are constant, but to overcome, oh, how sweet is the victory. Jesus is near to those who need Him and will in no wise desert His people who are called by His name.

I am touched by the people who say I make a difference, having so often felt inconsequential. When you spend a lot of time alone, doubt can invade your mind and inhibit your productivity. Positive words are so precious.

I try to encourage and inspire, but sometimes I can wallow in the mire. I appreciate those who throw me a life float when I am sinking into the quicksand. I know sometimes it takes a monster truck and chains to rescue me; I am grateful to you all too.

I am not sure exactly where this was going. I just want to thank all of you who have sent me well-wishes today. I am so glad I got to the church because I got some kind words and hugs, hugs are so special. Sunday School and Worship were terrific as well. Jesus was present.

I sincerely hope I make better use of the coming years than I have the past ones, but I would not miss what has gone before because the Lord has woven a tapestry of identity from all I have experienced and it was worth it all.

I was going to affix Freddie Mercury singing Time Waits For No One to this, but maybe not. You can find it on YouTube, the Offical video is best.

Time does, however, rush away like the water going over the falls. Live every moment to the fullest, never give up, remember happiness is an internal thing, you create it. Do your best to avoid wasting all that is given to you. If there are things, you dream of doing, to the best of your ability, do those. Find your creativity and employ it to enhance the world.

You are so very precious. God loves you, and God makes no junk. I love you, too, all of you mean so much. I think I should probably stop now. Sorry for running long.

This was posted to Facebook first.

I want to add a few things here. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have been given to have some poetry published. The social media communities in which I have been active have been supportive, and I am thankful for each person who has commented or liked or further interacted with my work and myself. I have been on the web since 1991 and put a lot of work out here.

I encourage you if you are creative, to invest sufficient time and effort in your work to hone your skills. Do not let negative thoughts stop you. Do not fear. Make it happen, cause happening is why you are here.

There are so many things, but it will wait. More than anything, know you matter. The world would be a lesser place without you. You are wonderfully made and specially fashioned for this, your time.

I need to be on here more. Sometimes I lose the belief that I make a difference. We are all liable to feel unworthy at times, we are though. We are here, and we belong.

As a quick prompt, explore your feelings about the passage of time and create an original work around your discovery.

The day comes running
Full of gifts, activities;
Freely, we grasp them.

Thank you for visiting Haphazard Creative. If you enjoyed what you read, please share, if you like follow the site or come back again. There is plenty to explore, and there is also my site at Chronicles, which contains my Creativity Project, which I did daily for a year and a half.