I Am Still Here, Are You?

Things have been interesting, but I am sure you know that within your own life. Tonight I wrote a journal entry and thought I would share it with you all.

As I said I have been writing poetry…

Another Blessed Day

The sun has risen…
It is just another day…
Another day that
I am alive and able
To give my own smile away.

There is happiness
To share with those encountered
Along life’s bright way…
There is goodness in moments
That make up another day.

God travels with me
As I walk the paths given
Through another day…
I must share His love freely
With each one who comes my way.

Friends, family, and
Even strangers cross my path
All without knowing…
How much they really mean to
Me on this another day.

The sun has risen…
It is just another day…
Another day that
I am alive and able
To give my own smile away.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, August 16, 2013

Today has been a reasonably good day. I hope yours was enjoyable. Now take a few moments to engage your mind in creative tasks. You are definitely able to achieve anything you desire if you put your heart into the task. No one can keep you from making things happen unless you allow them.

I am grateful:

1)   I was able to go out for a pleasant time last evening.
2)   When people want information they often rely on me.
3)   Writing is something that comes naturally to me.
4)   God gifted me with an abundance of creativity.
5)   Even though I am growing older, I still enjoy the simple pleasure of reading.

As a prompt, write about something that made this day a gift to you. Recognize the blessing granted you and write a poem, story, journal entry, or simple note that celebrates the uniqueness of this day. I have no doubt you can create something wonderful.

I am very grateful you took the time to read this blog entry. You might find you enjoy browsing the archives and might also want to subscribe to the blog by entering your email address in the space provided above.

Always,
Jo Ann

Some Things I Created Today

A poem in comment on current affairs:

Expression Of Exasperation

They fight endlessly,
They refuse to compromise,
They hold our nation
In a state where progress is
Held in complete abeyance.

Politicians do
No work for electorate,
They simply will not;
Every day the country falls
Further into great distress.

Can we the people
Continue so quietly
While disaster falls
Upon those who sacrifice
Life and limb for our freedom?

Is freedom truly
Manifest in lofty halls
Where reasonable
Voices are not allowed to
Debate or even discuss.

I fear we have let
The very few work toward
Destruction of all
Created by patriots
Who wanted better for us.

When rulers cease to
Serve the interests of those
Who raised them up to
Prominence the time comes to
Cast them out of their places.

Come now citizens,
Rise, throw off the iron shackles
Of a government
Gone willfully against us,
Vote wisdom into power.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, October 12, 2013

An older photograph and a poem created today:

A photograph taken at dusk today and a thought:

I hope you are well. I encourage you to engage your creativity and make something wonderful to share with the world. I am convinced you have greater ability than you may even realize and that you can reach further than you estimate.

As a prompt, take a picture of your own, past or present, add some relevant text. Share it with others, or post it where it will encourage you.

I am grateful:

1)   No matter what happens, God will never desert me.
2)   I am blessed beyond what I deserve.
3)   My son, Alex, is on his way home.
4)   We still have a home, food to eat, and drink to quench our thirst.
5)   I am strong enough to accomplish my dreams with Christ’s help.

Be a blessing wherever you travel. Even if your belief system is different, you can brighten someone’s life with your kindness, compassion and smile.

Always,
Jo Ann

Thoughts, Poems, Pictures, I Would Like To Share

Please indulge me as I write about my son…

He is not perfect, but he is my joy. I wish he were not so far away. I miss him more than I like to think about. We talked on Voxer this morning, which made staying up all night worthwhile. He is writing a book, and unlike mine, I fully expect it to be published. He makes me believe I might even be able to write something publishable. He inspires me.

Aptly Suited

You were chosen
To be exactly
Who you are in
This time and place.

Your experience
Has made you quite
Perfect for the tasks
Given you to do.

No one else in
All of Creation
Can fill your special
Place so completely.

No matter what you
Think, no matter how
You feel, it is clear
You are exactly ideal.

Called to be part
Of this time and space,
Someone who has an
Influential place.

So make the best
Of your many talents,
Take advantage of
Your wonderful gifts.

Leave a trace of
Yourself in all things
You accomplish here,
Helping create reality.

Who knows who may
Be watching, depending
On you to go forward,
Leading courageously?

Be light within
The darkness where some
Fear greatly to tread,
You make the difference.

Never let those
Positive words leave
The center of your mind,
For you matter so much.

You were chosen
To be exactly
Who you are in
This time and place.

©Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, July 29, 2013

Positive Uncertainty

You never know,
It is absolutely true,
You never know
When time will end
For those you love,
Or even yet for you.

So make the best
Of every moment,
Letting your love
Shine clearly through
In everything you do,
Because you never know.

Just because you
Have become angry,
Or you carry hidden hurts,
Does not mean you
Should not forgive, make up,
Because you never know.

Live your life to the best
Of your highest ability
And share your heart freely
With those who touch
Your existence so many ways,
Because you never know.

You can be a blessing
If you will only choose
To share your love abroad
With every single person
And creature every day,
Because you never know.

You never know,
It is absolutely true,
You never know
When time will end
For those you love,
Or even yet for you.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The other side of the persona that makes up who I am…

Guilt And Shame

Tell me why I must
And always how I can be,
Because I cannot
But see where this failure is
Held within the depths of me.

I am not ever
And never could I yet be
The perfect answer
To the prayers lifted for
Who I should in their truth be.

I am illusion
And perhaps a delusion,
Not a reality,
I am someone no one else
Can completely imagine.

I am the broken
And crushed reed once left standing
In the cruel wind,
Who cannot survive the fall
Or the awful loss of grace.

I hang my head low
And wish I could hide away
So no one else sees
The tears that constantly fall
Because of my great mistakes.

Tell me why I must
And always how I can be,
Because I cannot
But see where this failure is
Held within the depths of me.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, August 12, 2013

I am grateful:

1)   Depression does not always dog me.
2)   I am blessed beyond measure.
3)   I have not lost my faith in others despite the fact I often feel incompetence rules.
4)   Technology has allowed me to do more than I ever imagined.
5)   Dreams do come true.

As a prompt, write about a person, place, or thing that inspires you to fulfill your potential. You have an infinite ability to create, just put your heart, mind, and soul into it. I believe in you…

Please come back here again. I am not writing quite as often as I did with my Creativity Project, but you can definitely explore the past entries and perhaps find something encouraging.

God Bless You in all your endeavors.

Always,
Jo Ann

A Journal Entry, Photographs, and Poetry…

That felt a bit strange, like my pen was rusty. I guess it has every right to be since I have taken a couple of months off. I would like to think I could come back as regular and strong as before, but my heart is not entirely in it. There seems too much going on to pick up where I quit.

Traveling Onward

I had suicide
On my mind
Once upon a time,
But those days are
Long gone in the past.

I am looking forward
Into a future filled
With pleasures I have
Yet to imagine,
Understand, or taste.

Therefore, I will aptly
Leave all these visions
Of death spun rudely
Out behind me and
Chase after happiness.

As I see it now,
God is still in
His Heaven and we
Left here below may
Someday obtain Paradise.

Yes, I did once have
Suicide on my mind,
But I have outlived
Such selfish urges,
Life remains to treasure.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Birth Song

The sun in freedom
Streams across the skies
Lending warmth and light
To us here on Earth,
Keeping our hope alive.

The wind it whispers
With untold stories
Through the leafy trees,
Scattering our dreams
With its easy breeze.

The water washes
Unending against
The soft yielding shore,
Wetting thirsty land
Causing growth galore.

The land allows us
To find shelter in
Places it affords,
Where we can sometime
Live and make abode.

We humans are but
Strangers lodging here,
Only passing quick,
Children wandering
Beneath passing stars.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, July 17, 2013

In Simplicity

There is this much
And I know its truth
That I am imperfect,
But worthy of care.

God sees my flaws
Knows my defects
And yet He loves me,
In Him is my perfection.

I long for someone
Who will love me true,
But I know it is hard
To find such affection.

Someday, perhaps
I will meet the man
Who will hold my heart,
And abstain from rejection.

Thank God for family
And friends who help
Me keep heart and soul
Knit tightly together.

There is this much
And I know its truth
That I am imperfect,
But worthy of care.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, July 20, 2013

A thought I shared elsewhere, but find very true: Only writers and artists give away the secrets of their hearts and souls to strangers they are likely never to meet…

I am grateful:

1)   I have this place in which to share my thoughts with you out there.
2)   Creativity has not abandoned me though I have chosen to take time off.
3)   Good behavior has its own rewards.
4)   Books can impart truths even when they are written fictionally.
5)   We are not abandoned here without love, for even when we are most alone we are caressed by the divine.

I sincerely hope you will find your way back here again. If you have not visited elsewhere on this blog I suggest you go to the about page and the archives to find information about me and enjoy more of the work contained here.

You are a wonderfully creative person who embodies dreams that you can share with the world. Do something creative and let your light shine. Maybe you could write a poem, journal entry, or list detailing something wonderful that has happened in your life recently. Small miracles occur for all of us every day.

I will be back… Until we meet again…

Always,
Jo Ann

I’ve Had A Few Thoughts, I’ll Share Them With You…

July has not been the best month for me, but it has given me a few poems which I thought you might enjoy reading. As an update about the Creativity Project, I think that chapter is over for now. I am not certain what will replace it, but for the present I am just trying to recharge my creative batteries. That involves a lot of reading. I am hopeful that I will return to more regular blogging in the not too distant future, so please stay tuned…

Moon Arising

The sun sets,
The moon rises,
My thoughts turn
Once more toward
The past and you!

We had the best
Of all the things
Given under the
Sun and risen
Beneath the moon.

We had love,
Life, happiness,
And the gifts
Of one another…
We were blessed.

Now those days
And nights have long
Passed us by…
But memories remain
To sustain my life.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, July 1, 2013

Unchangeable

Don’t Go!
Those were words enough
To say, but they could
Not halt time’s passage.
Don’t go!
A heart cry all well
Meant, but God Himself
Had made other plans.
Don’t go!
Accompanied by
Many falling tears,
But unstoppable.
Don’t go!
Impossible trial,
But somehow all will
Go on, left behind.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, July 2, 2013

My Heart Remembers

When I said I love you
I meant forever,
And though we are apart
My heart will always
And forever remember.

That does not mean
There cannot be someone
New who I love too,
Just I will always love you
No matter what life brings.

I know others say
I should move on
Let you go, and it is true
I have, as have you,
But you are still a part of me.

My heart is not a fickle thing,
My love is deep and true,
And though there will be
Others who I love,
I will always love you.

So if you are reading this
And you think it might
Apply to you, it is most
Probably true, because
If I once did, I still love you.

If you chance to want
To be involved with me
Do not be afraid,
For though my love was given
There is still enough for you.

I promise you as I have
Promised in the past,
That I will truly love you
And that honestly means
You will be in my heart forever.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, July 12, 2013

There were more poems this month, but I do not want to overtax you with my verbosity. I thank you for reading and hope you will find your way here again.

I will leave you with a list of things for which I am grateful:

1.   The tablet my Mom gave me for my birthday.
2.   Books, which I have been reading to help replenish my imagination.
3.   My dog, Hope, who comforts and delights me with her unconditional love.
4.   My Mom did not have to go to the hospital last evening, though she gave me an awful scare.
5.   The pain in my neck, shoulder, and back was not so bad that I could not make this post.

I hope you will take time to consider some of the things in your life for which you are grateful. Also, make an effort to do something creative and share it with the world. Your precious creations could change a life or brighten someone’s day.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 154

Journal entry:

Unknown, But Unforgotten

Their names might have been
Jones, or Smith, or Brown, or White…
I surely don’t know,
Nor does anybody else,
But I owe them gratitude.

For whoever they
Were, from wherever they came,
They gave up their lives
To provide me with freedom,
And now they are lost, unknown.

No family comes
Shedding saddest tears, laying
Beautiful flowers
Upon the tomb, whispering
Their quiet prayers of blessing.

Yet, they are not quite
Forgotten, because someone
Somewhere remembers,
They are greatly missed, hearts grieve
Waiting for them to return.

I owe them honor…
I will not ever forget
Those unnamed ones who
Might have been Joneses, Smiths, Browns,
Whites, or so many others.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, June 11, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I have such a fertile imagination.
2.   I have some wonderful friends all though I may never know all of them in person.
3.   Computers have brought people closer together who live at a distance.
4.   We have air conditioning and refrigerators.
5.   We live in the country instead of inside the city.

This Tuesday has been quite a good day. I hope things went well for you also. If you have not already put your imagination to work today, I encourage you to do it now. You will never know what you may accomplish if you fail to make an effort. Do as I do and just begin putting words on paper and let it lead you where it will. The world awaits the genius of your sharing.

As a prompt, write about something unknown or forgotten. This could go in many directions and could lead to creation of new worlds. Wherever it takes you, write your poem, story, or journal entry down and share the link to your work in the comments below.

I am so grateful that you have taken time to visit my blog. I hope something here has touched your heart. Please come back often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles for email updates. Your thoughts, suggestions, and criticism are welcome, so leave a comment if you like.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 153

Journal entry:

Constant Pursuit

Green is the freshness
Of love newly discovered,
It brings you awake
From half contented slumber,
Thrusting you into living.

Green is ultimate
Fulfillment in loving arms
Of the one you have
Dreamed of, waited on, searched for
Throughout each day of your life.

Green is the pleasure
Of seeing your reflection
Mirrored in eyes which
Overflow with unending
Adoration uncontained.

Green is the moment
You break free of the prison
Of hope long deferred
And find yourself wide open
To miraculous passion.

Green is the sweet taste
Of luscious kisses shared with
The person you have
Known within the depths of your
Questing soul forevermore.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, June 10, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I had a very productive day.
2.   I have a heart for encouraging other people and so lift myself from depression.
3.   Beauty surrounds me in all aspects of my life.
4.   I have much more than I deserve.
5.   Love begets more love.

Hope, my inspiration, my companion, my sweetheart…

This was a wonderful Monday because I accomplished more than I expected. I hope your day was also blessed. You have witnessed how I let my mind carry me to new insights through the creative process. I invite you to engage your imagination in a similar way. You can make your dreams come true if you only make a concerted effort. Do not put off your fulfillment… Do your work now.

As a prompt, write some affirmations that lift your heart and might encourage others. Even if you are feeling downtrodden, I know there are many blessings in your life, because there are in mine. Write them in a poem, story, or journal entry, and share a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will come back often and explore the many entries here. You might also want to subscribe to Chronicles by email so that you do not miss my updates. Your comments are always welcome, so do not hesitate to leave your thoughts, suggestions, or criticism.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 152

Journal entry:

The following poem is in answer to the prompt at Our Lost Jungle which is “wicked”. I am not quite sure I got it right, but I made a valiant attempt…

Oddly Whimsical

It is a wicked
Truth that I am different,
Especially strange,
But it does not bother me…
I am accustomed to it.

People may wonder
How it is I am become
This way that I am,
But it is difficult to
Make any explanation.

Life has been so much
A puzzle of highs and lows,
Which have somewhat shaped
Me into the person who
Lives in this world nowadays.

I may not fit an
Ordinary description
Of who they would like
Me to be, but I am who
God exactly chose I be.

Considering what
I have survived, it is quite
A miraculous
Blessing I continue in
Achieving so many things.

It is a wicked
Truth that I am different,
Especially strange,
But all of us are chosen
To be uniquely deranged.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, June 9, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I have wonderful tools with which to express my creativity.
2.   God gifted me with extraordinary imagination.
3.   I am blessed to live in a time when there is freedom of expression.
4.   I have opportunities to do things I enjoy.
5.   I am loved.

My Sunday was very peaceful. I hope you had a great day. Now while you have a chance, engage your creativity and produce something to enliven the world. Your gifts are plentiful and you must only make an attempt to accomplish wonderful things. I know you can do it, because I do.

As a prompt, write about how you break the ordinary mold through your personal expression of uniqueness. Maybe you have a talent that is very rare, or you have done something most people only dream of doing. Whatever makes you different, write a poem, story, or journal entry about it and leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for reading this blog. I hope you will find your way back regularly, but you might also like to subscribe to Chronicles by email. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, I would appreciate you leaving a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 151

Journal entry:

This poem is in answer to the prompt at Our Lost Jungle, but it also just happens to coincide with what I did this evening…

Bravery, Behind A Lens

It takes courage to
Go out alone not knowing
If friends will be there,
Events are not quite my thing
But I took my camera…

I could stand behind
That little window into
The world without fear,
Because after all people
Always smile in photographs.

A few years ago,
I could not have attended
A function where I
Was very likely going
To be a stranger to most.

I am gaining some
Courage as time travels by,
I have learned to smile
And hide my fears underneath
A veneer of confidence.

When I am taking
Pictures, I have a purpose
To keep me busy
So others do not notice
My total uneasiness.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, June 8, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I took a nap today.
2.   I had a nice outfit to wear.
3.   I decided to go to the Pebblebrook High School Spring Fling.
4.   Mom felt like being alone while I was gone.
5.   I took my Nikon D5100 and tablet.

My Saturday was quite delightful, though I was quite nervous going out. I hope your day was full of pleasant surprises. Now, I urge you to put your creativity into action and make something to share with the world. You are definitely gifted with all the talent you need to produce art. People are awaiting your vision.

As a prompt, write about something you have overcome. Your example might encourage someone else to be courageous. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for spending some of your precious time reading my blog. I hope you will visit often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles by leaving your email address in the space provided above. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 150

Journal entry:

Tremble, And Be Real

When you kiss my lips
The earth trembles underneath
My feet, or so it
Seems to me, as I am swept
Away by deep emotion.

My mind leaves orbit,
Trembling outside usual
Spheres of influence,
I am engulfed in magic,
Driven by flaming desire.

As your heated hands
Rove wild over my body
My skin burns hotter
Than molten metal within
A blazing fiery furnace.

I tremble like a
Flower in a fierce windstorm,
My body opens
To you without one restraint,
I am yours to be taken.

I cling to you with
Hands trembling, body heaving,
Caught up in passion,
Which cannot be easily
Undone, I am your captive.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, June 7, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I woke up fairly early, and decided to stay up.
2.   It did not rain on me, though Mom says it poured here while I was gone.
3.   I found a cover that will help protect my tablet when I transport it.
4.   Sam’s Club had capris in colors and sizes I wanted, and tee-shirts too.
5.   I made it home safely and unloaded the truck without assistance.

I had a very good Friday, even though I seem to have acquired a strained ankle and had to put on my glasses, which I dislike. I hope your day fulfilled your expectations. It would be great if you engaged your imagination and created something that will nourish you and others. You have all you need within you to accomplish wonders. I believe in your talent and so should you.

As a prompt, write passionately. You may pick any topic, just be caught up in it and bring your reader along. Maybe there is love in your life that burns brightly, maybe you are inflamed by politics, maybe there is a cause you cannot resist, or something else that engages all your senses. Write about it, and share a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you will return often. Please explore the archives and if you are interested in receiving updates by email, subscribe to Chronicles. Your comments help me know what is working here, so please leave one.

Always,
Jo Ann

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