Never Tardy

Being late is not
Something I do well at all,
It is inbred in
Me to always be on time,
I honor Mom in that way.

I am a little
Overzealous with attempts
To do things early,
Sometimes it creates problems
For other people I know.

I am most likely
To turn projects in before
Associates start
Work on preliminary
Outlines of what they’re planning.

It is not too hard
On me because I was raised
With expectations
I would not be late unless
Providentially hindered.

Almost no one thinks
This way anymore, but it
Is my normal mode
Of operation to be
Never late, always on time.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, May 22, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I got a little sleep.
2.   The library allows me to read books I could not otherwise afford.
3.   Penny ate well today.
4.   Mom was able to go out and enjoy being with June.
5.   I have new clothes that will look better than my blue jeans and tee-shirts.
6.   Life is a magnificent adventure if only taken one moment at a time.
7.   Pain can be overcome by service to others.
8.   God is merciful.
9.   Love can overcome all adversity.
10. Hope survives in the hearts of those who attempt to succeed.

I have enjoyed my Wednesday tremendously. I hope your day was filled with smiles and joy. You have the opportunity to exercise your imagination and create something that enriches our world. Never underestimate your ability to make a wonderful contribution. Your talent is amazing, as are you. I believe you can achieve whatever you desire. Just set yourself a goal, and go after it. You can succeed.

As a prompt, make a list of ten things for which you are grateful. Pick one of those and write a poem, story, or journal entry built around it. You might want to make a habit of the gratitude list. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope it has been inspirational. One of my goals for this Creativity Project is to encourage others to explore their creativity. If you would like to receive email updates, please subscribe to Chronicles. I would love to read your thoughts, suggestions, or criticism, so please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Living In Color

Life drenches me in
Color every moment of
Every single day.

There is the green of
All living things surrounding
Me with abundance.

There is the blue of
Water, sky, and loneliness
Arching over me.

There is the red of
Love, passion, anger, and clothes
Enveloping me.

There is the yellow
Of sunshine lighting my world
Revealing color.

There is the purple
Of friendship and loyalty
Adding happiness.

There is the orange of
Sunrise and sunset glowing
With such sweet romance.

There is the white of
Pages accepting my words
Or bringing others.

There is the black of
Pain that I cannot combat
And nighttime I love.

Life drenches me in
Rainbows of color, which bring
Much richness to life.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, May 21, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I slept well and awoke energized.
2.   I found great new books at the library.
3.   I am rich despite not being financially wealthy.
4.   Mom liked the tee-shirts I picked up for her.
5.   Life is rewarding, despite my limitations.

I enjoyed my Tuesday and accomplished more than I expected. I hope your day was good. Now, while you have a few moments, I encourage you to put your imagination to work and do something creative. There is no time like the present to engage in activity. In fact, this is the only time you can achieve your potential. The past is gone and unchangeable, and the future is always ahead of you. Use this moment to your advantage.

As a prompt, write about color. You could pick one color for your poem, story, or journal entry, or you could use a variety as I did. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

I hope you have enjoyed your visit to my blog. I appreciate the time you spent here so much. I hope you will return often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles by email. Any comments you have are welcome.

Always,
Jo Ann

Getting Better

The best
Is yet to come
Or at least I believe
I am capable of much more
Than I have ever accomplished before,
I am exploring my talents,
Trying abilities,
Everything to
Succeed.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, May 20, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I am still capable of staying up all night.
2.   I do not give up easily.
3.   I can deal with tedious work.
4.   I have been able to get more care for Mom, though I am not sure how much it is helping.
5.   We did not have severe weather here today.

I had a very busy Monday, but I accomplished more than I thought possible. I hope your day was also productive. Take a few moments and unleash your creative impulse. Let it take you wherever it will. Harness your talents and make something exceptional to share with others in your world. I have faith in your limitless ability, just believe in yourself and see what you can achieve.

As a prompt, write a poem, story, or journal entry about improvement. This could be something you wish to see in yourself or the world. Whatever moves your hand across the page. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I hope you will come often, but I encourage you to also subscribe to Chronicles by email. Your comments are welcome, so please tell me what you think.

Always,
Jo Ann

My Treasure

You shine
Like the lightning
Streaking through clouds on high,
You dance across earth with the grace
Of a professional ballerina,
You touch hearts with outstanding charm,
No one can resist you,
Yet you are mine
Alone.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, May 19, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   We did not have thunderstorms.
2.   Our home is on high ground.
3.   My shower helped my sore muscles.
4.   I did not have to cook.
5.   I decided to wait and crush cans another day.

My Sunday was wonderful. I hope you also had a pleasant day. I encourage you to engage your creativity and produce something unique to share with the world. Your gift could mean so much to someone who needs uplifting. I know you can make a positive contribution if you only put forth an effort.

As a prompt, write a poem, story, or journal entry using the words: shine, lightning, streaking, high, dance, clouds, grace, touch, professional, outstanding, resist, alone, charm. These words were taken from my poem above, see what you can make of them.

I am grateful you took a few precious moments to read my blog. I hope you will visit often, but you might also wish to subscribe to Chronicles by email. Any comments you would like to share are welcome.

Always,
Jo Ann

Roses Bring Memories

The roses in bloom
Remind me of days when you
And I were walking
Hand in hand with little thought
Of what our futures might hold.

The roses in bloom
Smell all the sweeter because
Of the time we spent,
Little girls with such big dreams
Loving life and sharing smiles.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, May 18, 2013

My mentors, Richard and Norma, in their tent at Taste of Douglasville Arts.

I am grateful:

1.   I was able to do a lot of work overnight.
2.   Penny ate well.
3.   I helped Mom with breakfast and left her food for lunch.
4.   It stopped raining on my way to Douglasville.
5.   I enjoyed my day out.

A hand-made musical bronze carousel.

I had a fantastic Saturday. I hope you enjoyed your day as much. I encourage you to engage in creative activity so that you will reap the awesome rewards of your effort. You have the tools and the ability, just apply yourself. What you share with the world can make it a richer place and it will also enrich your life.

As a prompt, write about the memory of a childhood friendship that you cherish. Your poem, story, or journal entry can be shared by leaving a link to your work in the comments below.

I am so glad you chose to spend some time reading my blog. I hope you will return often, but you might also like to subscribe to Chronicles by email. Any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you wish to share are very welcome, so please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Caregiver, Caretaker

I am vigilant,
Watching over my mother,
Who is now almost
Helpless to do things alone,
I try to fulfill her needs.

I realize there
Are those who would easily
Trample over her
Rights in their hurry to make
All the money possible.

I am her watchdog,
Glad to be of assistance
In these waning years
When she needs my gentle care
To ease her through painful days.

I’m the vigilant
Daughter, doing my best to
Give my Mom comfort,
Trying to make her days as
Pleasant as is probable.

I hope when my time
Of need arrives that someone
Will be at my side
To lend me any help that
I may need to survive, thrive.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, May 17, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I was not in intense pain when I woke up.
2.   The milk I drank with my Oreo cookies was cold and fresh.
3.   The session with the physical therapist went well.
4.   I found a new food that Penny ate well this evening.
5.   Sam’s Club had some baby clothes on sale and we got some for our Cabbage Patch Kids.

My Friday turned out quite well. I hope your day was pleasant. You have taken time to visit here and I encourage you to invest a few moments in creative endeavors. I know you have the most amazing abilities if you will only use them. There is so much you can share with the world if you are willing. Make an effort and see what you can accomplish.

As a prompt, write about helping someone or receiving help yourself. If you create a poem, story, or journal entry, using this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I hope that something here has touched you. Please make this one of your regular sites to visit. You might also want to subscribe to Chronicles by email. I hope you will share any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you may have by leaving a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Recollection

I tried to collect
My thoughts, making sense of all
The clamor within
My restless soul, but my mind’s
Attention moved endlessly.

No respite found I
From the jostling images
Invading my brain,
No idea brought me relief
From such an intense struggle.

My wayward thoughts kept
Me in an incessant state
Of indecision
With no refuge from the storm
Raging wild within myself.

Even prayer did not
Bring me any lasting peace,
I was awash in
Feeling inadequacy
Of all my tireless effort.

I tried to collect
My thoughts, preparing to
Do something worthwhile,
But no successful pathway
Presented itself to me.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, May 16, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   Mom had a little while today that she was in less pain.
2.   We did not have to go to any doctors.
3.   My son, Alex, is a successful adult.
4.   I finished reading The Sanctuary by Ted Dekker last night.
5.   I was able to write a poem this evening.

This Thursday was not a demanding day and I got to relax some, which was nice. I hope your day was good. Take some time now and dedicate yourself to doing something creative. You can do great things if you set your mind to it. I am convinced each of us has much to contribute to the world through our creativity, and you are no exception.

As a prompt, write about a time you attempted to collect your thoughts. You may have been successful, or you may have failed. Share the details with us by leaving a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you will visit often, but also encourage you to subscribe to Chronicles by email if you would like to receive future updates. Any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you care to share is welcome, so please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Open Hands And Heart

Come with me, I said
Without a reservation,
I only wanted
To be followed much further
Than ever I had before.

I needed to have
His full cooperation,
His full intention,
To share my life and my love
Though I knew it might not last.

I took his hand in
Mine and led him much deeper
Than I had allowed
Anyone’s reach within my
Heart in all the years before.

Possibilities
Surrounded us with questions,
But we held answers
To life, love, and existence
Inside our relationship.

Come with me, I said
Full well knowing I could be
Hurt and left behind,
But love was worth sacrifice
Of all my complacency.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I decided to go to bed at 3:00 this morning instead of staying up all night.
2.   I got up feeling quite rested at 7:30am.
3.   Mom’s procedure went well with no complications.
4.   We ate at IHOP.
5.   I took a nap this afternoon.

This Wednesday was a good day. I hope you accomplished much of what you planned today. Now I encourage you to busy yourself with creative work. No doubt you can make something wonderful if you apply yourself. Creativity enriches the world, and yours is vital to enhancing the lives of those you touch. Do not discount your gifts. You have amazing talent and I know you can make a contribution to the global community. You may feel you have a small reach, but every person you touch influences others and your words or art may drive them to achieve more than they could without your prompting.

As a prompt use the words, “Than ever I had before,” in a poem, story, or journal entry. See where it leads you. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope you have enjoyed your visit and encourage you to return often. You might also want to subscribe to Chronicles by email. I am very interested in any thoughts, suggestions, or criticism you may have to share, so please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

The Bud

It is a promise,
Given by nature,
That more beauty
Will unfold.

God puts the roses
Here to remind us
He has never
Forgotten us.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, May 14, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I slept well last night.
2.   I decided to dress up so I looked more competent today.
3.   I managed to handle myself well at Mom’s appointment.
4.   We had a nice lunch, though it was late.
5.   I had my photograph taken this evening for a new profile picture.

Tuesday was a fairly successful day for me, though Mom’s pain still is not much better. I hope you had an excellent day. Now while you have time, make an effort to do some creative work. You never know what you can accomplish until you dedicate yourself to the process. Practice will bring you competence and help you fulfill your potential. I believe in your abilities, have faith in yourself.

As a prompt, pick one of today’s pictures and write about it. Post a link to your work in the comments below, if you should use this prompt.

Thank you so much for taking time to read my blog. I hope you enjoyed your visit, if you would like please subscribe to Chronicles. Any comments you may have to share are more than welcome.

Always,
Jo Ann

Quiet Desperation

I’m treading the edge
Where the urge to die almost
Trumps the will to live.

I want to give up,
All the platitudes are vain,
They give no relief.

Pressure continues
To bear down on me without
Any real surcease.

I have to go on,
But have no heart to sustain
Me throughout the fight.

Tears flow down my face,
I cry out for someone’s help,
But no one aids me.

Must overcome this,
Defeat the desperation,
Somehow, I’ll make it.

I’m treading the edge
Where the urge to die almost
Trumps the will to live.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, May 13, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I had food to eat.
2.   I had clothes to wear.
3.   My dog loves me.
4.   My Mom loves me.
5.   I don’t have to sleep outside with no shelter tonight.

This has been a devastating Monday, please forgive me for being down, perhaps tomorrow will be better… perhaps I will feel like resuming the war. Right now I want to retreat and keep retreating until I cannot be found.

I hope your day was much more successful than my own. I usually encourage you to do something creative at this point, but I can understand if you feel creation would be better deferred. I felt that way tonight, but I laid my heart out anyway. Perhaps you should do the same. Who knows, it might brighten your day.

As a prompt, write about a time you felt defeated by circumstances beyond your control. The examples are above, pour your heart out on the page. If you would like to share your work and you use this prompt, please leave a link to your creation in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will find your way back here again. You can follow Chronicles by entering your email address in the space provided above so you get regular updates. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share with me, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann