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 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

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 148

Journal entry:

The prompt at my friend Khara’s Our Lost Jungle helped initiate this poem, as did the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson…

Avoid The Crush

Emerson wrote,
“Things are in the saddle,
And ride mankind.”
Even those many years ago,
It was realized that people
Are crushed under the weight
Of all that they possess.

We need to turn our hearts
To the finer things of spirit,
Letting go our occupation
With always acquiring more,
Our souls are forever reaching
Out to be filled with sweetness
Found in loving interaction.

We can develop our potential
By employing our creative powers
Making our dear held dreams
Become reality and leaving things
To a lesser importance within
The days we live… Then we will
Be much happier every moment.

Loaded down with soulless things
We are crushed and find ourselves
Unable to rise above the heaviness,
We must break free, desiring
Relationships that reward us
With the best fulfillment of
Our many human needs.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, June 5, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I slept long and soundly with no disturbing dreams.
2.   The buffalo hot wings we had for supper were as good as something at a restaurant.
3.   We have a working air conditioner.
4.   There is rain coming down outside.
5.   Using Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations is helping me write when I have so few ideas.

I caught up on some rest on this wonderful Wednesday. I hope your day was pleasurable. If you will turn your thoughts to working creatively, I am sure you can make something of worth to share with the world. You have the tools you need, the most important being your imagination. I urge you to give your talent a chance to shine.

As a prompt, use Emerson’s lines, “Things are in the saddle, And ride mankind.” in a poem, story, or journal entry. No doubt you can do something marvelous. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will return often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles for updates by email. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 147

Journal entry:

Consecration

Silver and gold have I none;
But such as I have, give I Thee…
I turn my heart toward You,
But that is not fit for my King;
There should be so much more.

I must devote every fiber
Of my existence to You,
Oh my Lord, but You give
Everything to me who am
Completely unworthy of favor.

The life You give me is fit
For highest royalty, but I have
Nothing with which to repay
Your ultimate kindness and
Totally magnanimous love.

My devotion is all I can offer
To You my mighty King,
You hold my life in Your palms
And I am blessed beyond measure
Because of Your sacrifice for me.

Silver and gold have I none;
But such as I have, give I Thee…
Jesus, my heart, my whole being,
Is yours to employ however
It is you may decide, my King.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, June 4, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I enjoyed staying up all night.
2.   I made progress with installing applications on my tablet.
3.   I only have about 100 pages left to read in The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates.
4.   God graciously allowed my test results to come back without further irregularities.
5.   Life is rewarding though packed with challenges.

My day went much better than I expected, because I was very afraid. I hope your day went beyond your expectations as well. Now, while you have a few moments, I encourage you to engage your mind in creative exercise. You are full of talent and gifts that you have hardly explored can bring dreams to fruition. So get busy.

As a prompt, use this line as from the Bible for your inspiration: Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee. Any part of it, or all of it, can be used in your creation. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Please come back often. If you are interested in receiving email updates from Chronicles, please subscribe. Any comment you may have to share would be appreciated.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 145

Journal entry:

Hoke took this picture of the group at the meeting today with my camera. I am on the right. I don’t do pictures well… Probably should hide away from photographers…

Not A Stranger

You do not know me
Like I wish you knew me or
You would understand,
I have too much going on
To convince you to love me.

My heart is laid out
Bare upon the page for you
To make your own choice,
If you only take the time
To read a few of my lines.

I am not hiding
Myself away from you or
Anyone else who
Wishes to learn about me,
I am highly visible.

Make yourself at home
Inside my virtual world,
Explore what you like,
Maybe you will then decide
I am someone worth knowing.

I beg you only
Do not judge me without you
Take time to know me,
I am more than my surface
Can fully convey to you.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, June 2, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I chose to get some sleep last night.
2.   Mom bought me some beautiful clothes that make me presentable to go to meetings.
3.   I did not have to drive to the conference today.
4.   I got home before too late and fixed Mom’s supper.
5.   Mom is always interested in my endeavors.

This is an artistically rendered photo of me taken and processed by my mentor, Richard Nichols.

I enjoyed my Sunday a great deal. I hope your day was equally pleasant. I encourage you to spend a few minutes exercising your creativity. There is much in your experience worth sharing with the world. Your imagination, your vision, can contribute so much to the perceptions of others. I am convinced you are uniquely talented in amazing ways. Believe in your ability to make a difference.

As a prompt, write about how others perceive you. You can share a link to your poem, story, or journal entry in the comments below. The exercise could be very revealing to you.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will return to visit often, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles for updates by email. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave a comment below. Your feedback helps me know how to better reach you and others.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 143

Journal entry:

Provision

Study
His ways, you will
Find God is loving, kind,
Forgiving, and a steadfast friend
In times of greatest trouble, lifting up
The hearts of those who face despair,
He never deserts those
Who will give Him
Their lives.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, May 31, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   After Mom yelled and woke me around 2:00 this morning, she did not have to call me again.
2.   I slept well, without nightmares.
3.   Mom’s appointment went well.
4.   We ate supper at Taco Bell so I did not have to cook this evening.
5.   I finally got some capris that fit Mom. Only took me three tries.

My Friday was fairly good, though quite busy. I hope your day was enjoyable. Now, while you are able, create something to share with others. You could take a picture, write a poem, make a gratitude list, draw something, whatever feeds your imagination at the moment. Do it and see how it enriches your life, then make a habit of creativity.

As a prompt, write about your creative process and how you nurture yourself. You might create a poem, story, or journal entry, whichever appeals to you. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for taking time to read my blog. I hope you will make a habit of visiting, but I also encourage you to subscribe to Chronicles by email so you miss no updates. Your thoughts, suggestions, and criticism are welcome, so please leave me a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 142

Journal entry:

I wrote the following poem in the deep darkness of the early morning hours. There is an element of crisis to it…

In Doubt

Am I so wholly
Unpleasing to God that He
Would fully desert
Those for whom I so dearly
Care, leaving them to suffer?

So it seems to me,
For I have constantly prayed
Entreating the Lord
To reach down in His mercy
And alleviate their pain,

But with no result.
I am bereft; believing,
Praying, and hoping
Has worked no good on their part,
They are in great agony.

I am now beset
With undeniable doubt,
I am not given
The strength of faith that Job had;
I am so weakling a worm.

Yet still I pray God
Even should He find it just
To forsake my cause
That He would show unceasing
Love and tenderness to them.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, May 30, 2013

This was a Facebook status inspired by the above picture and divided into lines to make a poem…

In Life’s Garden

People are beautiful
And delicate like Summer roses.
They need careful tending
And abundant love to
Reach their glorious potential.
No matter their appearance
People are worthy of respect.
Nurture every person
Who touches your life
And show your gratitude
For the blessings they impart.
Like the roses, people only
Bloom for a little while
And then they fade away.
You are only left with
Memories of their splendor.
So cherish your moments with
Others and share your
Feelings of love.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, May 30, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I got a little sleep, but accomplished a lot overnight.
2.   I decided to call Qwest Diagnostics, and hopefully took care of that problem.
3.   We were not late to Mom’s appointment.
4.   The new program seems to be helping Mom a little.
5.   I got some beautiful pictures today.

This was an emotional Thursday. I hope your day was more stable and enjoyable. I encourage you to engage your imagination and do some creative work. I guarantee it will enrich your life and touch others with whom you share. You may believe you have nothing to say, but if you open your mind you will find words. I believe in your talent. Believe in yourself.

As a prompt, write a crisis poem, story, or journal entry. You might want to resolve the crisis or leave it as a cliffhanger. You know what writing will nourish you. Follow your heart. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading my words. I have managed another day of writing and I have a little hope that I can go on. You might want to subscribe to Chronicles for future updates. I hope you will also come back to visit. Your comments are always appreciated and they help encourage me. Sometimes I feel the writing is too personal and I should stop sharing, but you all help me go on.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 138

Journal entry:

My son, Alex, and his beautiful bride, Laura… Since they married they have hardly had time together because he has been stationed in Okinawa and she is going to school back here.

Military Duty

They all
Give full measure
Of their hearts, minds, and souls
That they may serve and defend our
Nation from enemies both foreign and
Domestic keeping us safe from
Harm and protecting our
Independence
Bravely.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, May 26, 2013

I am grateful:

1.   I was able to spend some time in conversation with Alex.
2.   I finished all the laundry.
3.   When Hope bit me, she did not hurt me to badly, although it was on the face and drew blood.
4.   Mom was pleased with the work I did today.
5.   I fixed her medicine much earlier than I usually do.

I have accomplished more than I imagined possible on this Sunday. I hope you enjoyed your day. I encourage you to make a creative effort and see what you can do. I know you have the talent necessary, just get busy. The world awaits your contribution.

As a prompt, write about our military personnel. You may wish to note their sacrifice or their honor. This is a weekend to have them on our hearts and in our minds, as we should always. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I hope you will come back often. You may also wish to subscribe to Chronicles by email so you won’t miss updates. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann