Recent Missives

I have not posted in a while, but that does not mean I am not working. I am doing things on Facebook almost every day. I wanted to share these few things and show I have not forgotten my blog entirely. Much has been happening and I do not always feel like fighting with this interface. It eats my artwork, for no good reason. I don’t post anything not my own, so it makes me quite upset.

I hope you will enjoy these entries. I am doing some videos now too. If you want to see them you do not have to be my friend on Facebook to find them. Just look up my profile JoAnn J. A. Jordan and they are public so you can view them.

 

I am grateful:

1. It appears Mom will be able to come home from Rehab soon.
2. I found music calms me being here alone.
3. I can still write.
4. The dogs are here to give me animal support.
5. I made a friend who actually is not many miles away.

If you would like to work creatively, think of something that appears to be a monster in your life. Make a representation of that thing, either by writing about it or creating art or photography that visualizes it.

Please follow my blog to get alerts of my posts. I am not as regular with them as I once was, but sometimes I have things to communicate.

Thank you for reading. I hope God most generously blesses you in all you attempt and do. Remember you are precious and very important. You have a purpose and you deserve respect.

Always,
Jo Ann

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Thoughts in the dark of night

I wrote this while most were sleeping. It was one of those times when sleep eluded me. Perhaps having a new pen had something to do with it too. I hope you can read my scribblings.

Worth More Than The Stars

You may not realize
How very important you are
In the eyes of those
Who love you completely,
And God who created you
To be His own chosen child;
No matter your mistakes, sins,
You are treasured beyond your imagining,
You are counted among the precious,
Priceless people who are never forgotten.
You are worth more than the stars.

This photograph has nothing to do with the subject recounted above, but I thought it grand.

My doggy, Hope, who is my close companion now because it is raining and she is afraid of rain.

I am grateful:

1. I have my Mom for whom to care.
2. My dog is a very loving animal who helps me deal with problems.
3. There are beautiful ink pens in the world.
4. I am reasonably good at writing.
5. My new keyboard and mouse arrived on Monday.
6. We have central heat and air to keep us comfortable.
7. There is plenty of food in the house.
8. I have very recently secured a part-time job as Copy Editor for local publications.
9. My friends have encouraged me when I could not believe in myself.
10. My son will soon come off recruiting duty which is his wish.

If you have the time, write a short list of things for which you are thankful. I find detailing my blessings improves my mood and makes what I lack seem less important. You might find it beneficial as well.

If you need a prompt, consider doing as the handwritten part of this entry suggests and handwrite something. If you send someone a letter or card, I guarantee it will brighten their day.

Creativity is your natural state. Open yourself to the inspiration around you, put your mind and hands to work adding something beautiful to the world. We need what you have to share. Someone might be looking for exactly what you have to say. So get busy and create a work of art in whatever form you choose.

If you have enjoyed this blog, I invite you to explore more pages, follow it, so you get email updates, and come back to visit often.

Always,
Jo Ann J. A. Jordan

Just A Few Musings

This is a picture of me taken yesterday after physical therapy. After surgery on my right knee I need a little help getting back up to speed.

I have a few musings to share that have been written recently.

Own This

Dreams come true,
Yes they do, believe,
Say fervent prayers,
Follow your heart,
Invest your life,
Create the reality
That fits your desire.
Claim the miracle,
Make good on your promise,
Carry out your purpose,
Then watch your wishes
Become manifest in the now,
It happens, you can fulfill
All your fondest hopes.
Know it can transpire,
You have what it takes,
You deserve the gift,
Dreams come true!

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, October 28, 2016

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Love is the answer to the questions of the soul. It has the power to relax the weary mind and supply comfort to the body. Love holds the world in place in space and time. Love is the miracle giving life in the present, and eternal existence. Be at peace for Love is, and knows your name. You are never forsaken, forgotten because Love always surrounds you. There is one Truth, and He is Love.

I equate Love with my Lord, Jesus, but see Love as you will, Love is here for you.

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No Wasted Words

Writing can do magic,
Of this I am convinced,
Because it has supplied…
Me with things, once,
I thought impossible.

This life improves,
Becomes more blest,
By words written
Courageously, despite
Overwhelming fear.

To live this moment
More richly alive
Is fulfillment of
Long held dreams
Unbelievably realized.

Lessons learned
Through pages turned;
Questions asked,
Answers given,
Unconditional deliverance.

An article made request,
An inadequate email in reply,
A prayer answered;
The story continues
Much better than before.

Writing, editing, publishing,
Art, photography, design,
These things I love,
Finally, pay dividends,
Life becomes sublime.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, October 28, 2016

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You must define yourself; no one else knows who you are. You develop your abilities, your specializations. Let no one impose limitations on you; you are capable of changing the world.

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I know I don’t understand, I don’t have the experience, I cannot live your life with your challenges, but please know I am here. I want to hear your story; I want to listen carefully and learn what I can. I want to understand. I want to wrap you in love and show I care about all you are going through.

I tell you all that miracles happen all the time.

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This evening I gave Mom a bath in the little bitty shower that is too small for a human being. She was standing up after I rinsed her and went to sit down. Somehow she had turned so that her bottom came outside the shower stall and she headed for the floor. I caught her mostly on the leg that hurts so much because I am still recovering from surgery and with my arms. I pushed and pulled her upward and pushed her back into the s…tall and onto her shower stool.

We managed to get her settled without a fall, but in reality, I should not have been able to do it. Both of us should have wound up with broken bones.

God was with us, and it was a miracle.

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I hope November brings you many blessings. May you find many opportunities, much prosperity, and lots of love.

As a prompt today, write about something unexpected that happened over the last week and how it made you feel.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you enjoyed your time here please subscribe and be sure to come back soon.

Always,
Jo Ann

 

If We Were Aware

10/2/2016

Often we do not see what is happening around and within us until after the time has passed. Our awareness is not tuned into the present. Much of the time we are ruminating over the past or fantasizing about the future. This is not an ideal way to live. Throughout time many of our most respected leaders have recommended we become more in touch with the now.

If we wish to contribute to our times in ways that are important, we must engage in every moment. Creativity is not something for which we can delve into our past to enact, nor project into the far future. The reality is now is where creation occurs. We work with the materials and details of today. We take a scene we see, a conversation overheard, an article or book read, and we turn them into something that influences others. Our ability as creators is attached to the present. We may reach people in the future, but our work does not originate there.

We must commit ourselves to paying attention, being mindful, becoming involved in each moment of every day we live. Time is a precious commodity, and we should never waste it in a daze of careless inattention. We invent our lives and thereby touch others. This is a task we should take up with determination. We cannot change the world in the past because there is no way to return there. We cannot make a difference by stepping into the future because it is not here yet. Only now, only today, in this present can we impact events. We are instruments uniquely equipped to use our creativity to contribute positively to our lives and those of others with whom we interact.

When we face life with a positive attitude, sharing our smiles and encouragement, we can do lasting good. No matter what may have happened in our past, today we can give the world something that will help make it a better place. Every human being has talents, gifts, creative energy to share.

I urge you to become more intimately involved in your life. Notice what is around you, pay attention to your thoughts, ideas, emotions, begin to employ your gifts, talents, abilities more effectively. You are unique, an individual with the power to assist others in becoming the best version of themselves, as you also achieve this yourself.

I suggest you take a few moments to examine and detail the things for which you are grateful. Gratitude has a way of improving mood and bringing happiness. Here is a short list of mine.

I am grateful:

•  I learned how to use a new app that will improve my work.

•  Magazines are available electronically from the library.

• Conversation with my Mom is a gift I still enjoy.

• Reading on my tablet is fun.

• My current computer arrangement is excellent.

In this house of peace
I will have no argument,
No disagreement;
It is quiet, no one crying,
Tenderness is spoken here.

Engage your creativity with the following prompt: Express some ways or reasons why you and others can or should engage yourself in the present.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I hope you found it edifying. If you enjoyed the time you spent here, please come again. You may also subscribe to receive updates by email.

There are many unhappy things in our world. My wish for you is happiness, prosperity, and a multitude of blessings. Be at peace and do well.

Always,
Jo Ann

So Are You With Me?

01/02/2016

We are together for day two of this adventure if you are reading this right now. That is exciting because I want you to follow along. More than that I hope you will also take action on your own. I would like you to take a few minutes each day to write. Maybe it would just be a simple recounting of your day, or you could write a poem, story, memory, anything you want really. Just be creative. You have so much to share with the world, which only you can communicate. You are so unique and we need your voice. It adds so much to our communities, please get busy.

Once upon a time I wrote an entry on this blog every day for a year and a half. I cannot promise I will do that again. If you look at the past entries here, you will see that I have taken quite a while off. I think I am going to do things a bit differently this time. I want to do the entries on my tablet or my computer instead of handwritten journal pages. This may change, but it is my current modus operandi. Look at that, I actually used Latin, ha ha.

I stayed up all night. I seem to do this quite often recently. I enjoy the peace and quiet of the hours when Mom is sleeping. I am also able to keep watch over her. I need time to myself, I steal it in the darkness. I seem more creative in the wee hours of the night. Sometimes I write what I consider very good statuses and poems on Facebook overnight. If you follow me here, you might like to friend me on there. Send me a message and I will answer your request.

I have managed to keep my weight to 135 pounds for over a year now, down from over 200 pounds on December 6, 2013. I believe having a Samsung Galaxy Gear and the MyFitnessPal app have helped a great deal. Walking miles each day has been instrumental too. Here is a picture to illustrate the difference in my appearance…

The second photo is me today. Not the best lighting for taking a good picture. I am not great at selfies. Cannot ever seem to get that right. I try, but it seems an impossibility for me.

I am going to add a gratitude list today. I hope you will join me in taking a few moments to note your blessings. It seems to help me stay more positive and you may find it works for you too.

I Am Grateful:

1) Christmas is over.

2) The new year has begun with all its open days to fill with accomplishments.

3) I am able to read and write because of an excellent public education overseen by some outstanding teachers.

4) I have begun working on Otherwise Entertained again.

5) Mom has finally started moving around a bit more after almost two months of mostly inactivity.

6) I have some wonderful tools to employ in creative activity.

7) My dog, Hope, who is nine and a half years old is doing well. She is a joy in my life.

8) I have been listening to more music lately.

9) The weather is cooling off after unseasonable warmth and I am able to wear long sleeves.

10) God is good all the time and in all ways.

Now I am going to ask you to do a few things. First, if you enjoyed reading this, please follow my blog and leave a comment if you have time. Secondly, get your own self busy and do something creative today. You have all the talent you need for it. I have faith in your ability and you should too. Share your ideas and creations with the world. The world needs everyone’s input. You will change lives, including your own.

Always,
Jo Ann

Something From My Facebook Page I Wanted To Share Here, Plus Something More

Are they memories, or the delusions of my mind? So hard to say, and no one to answer… so I will pray that I make it through another day. I know God holds the answers and knows me completely, so I give it into His hands and remember Christ has the power to calm every storm.

Faith must trust in midst of turmoil, even if the turmoil is internal. God is greater than any trial, God is greater than any disease, God is greater than any person, and His love reaches out to each of us in our need. He sent His Son to save. Jesus became the sacrifice for sin in every life choosing to accept grace. His death, His blood, redeems. Christ’s resurrection shows the great power of Almighty God and how very great a love He bestowed upon us in giving us a future hope. His Spirit abides with us, bringing us to acknowledge Christ’s call upon our lives and then sealing us forever. No power can snatch a child of God from His grasp. Love enfolds us…

These things are sometimes hard to hold onto, but we are made strong through Him despite our weakness…

I stumble over words, but I pray God reveal Himself…

The following did not go on Facebook; I wanted to share it here first:

I went to Sunday School this morning, and it was Sanctity Of Life Day, which is a difficult day for me. Had I known that, I probably would not have gone. Someone said she could not imagine how anyone could have an abortion, and my heart broke all over again. My mind began to shatter as it always does when I think of choices I have been forced to make.

If you have read this blog much, you know my life has been a struggle and an adventure, but for those of you who are newcomers I am going to digress a bit. This is going to be sketchy, so if you have questions ask them in the comments.

I was once totally against abortion. I had to fight against it during my pregnancy with my wonderful son, Alex. I thought I might never have an opportunity to have a child, because I had wanted one for years, but never had one. When I got pregnant with Alex, I refused to terminate. He was born in 1988.

I had a miscarriage later, then in 1999 I became pregnant. I was carrying twin girls with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, which is a rare disorder where both babies share the same blood supply. Google it for more details… It rarely goes well. I was very sick all during the pregnancy and on bed rest. We knew the babies were developing at different rates and the neonatologist was very concerned. One day I went in for a sonogram and the smallest twin had died. The neonatologist recommended we terminate the pregnancy because the outlook for the remaining twin and myself was rather grim. I went home to make the hardest decision of my life.

Because there was no hope of a healthy baby being born and every indication that there would be severe problems for both of us, and because there was an almost certainty of losing the second baby, I chose to terminate. I cried, prayed, and suffered through agony. When we went in and her little heart was stopped, it nearly destroyed me. Then my ob-gyn refused to deliver the babies and told me to go to an abortion clinic. This was heartless and cruel of a highly respected doctor who serves politically. I did not want this outcome, but made the choice because of the health consequences. While devastated and emotionally in agony I had to try to find someone to deliver my twins. After two days, one of the other doctors in the ob-gyn practice had mercy on me and mine and delivered the girls in the hospital where I had hoped to have healthy babies.

I got treated with some respect for the grief I was suffering, but I felt overwhelming guilt. I continue to experience it. I doubt I made the right decision and wonder if the doctor could have been wrong. I hate myself for making a choice I feel only God can make, but I also know I was very sick and weak.

So I have come to believe there are circumstances where a woman may find herself almost forced to terminate a pregnancy… I am no longer totally against abortion. As I have often come to realize, life sometimes intervenes and brings unhappy choices. Not everything is always simple, there are gray areas.

I wish I had been strong enough to carry Katherine Rose to term, but after Melissa Faith died, and the blood was still flowing through her body as it decomposed, there did not seem any hope. I wish my babies had been healthy and I had born them. My life would no doubt be very different, but that was not the situation I was given. I made a tragic choice in a tragic situation.

Maybe others would choose differently, maybe I was wrong. I hope God can forgive me, and that perhaps my story can touch someone and make some hearts a little tenderer toward those who make hard choices in life. We are, after all, only human and prone to error.

We talked about the Sanctity Of Life on the other end, when caring for the elderly among us. I have dedicated the past thirteen, almost fourteen, years to the task. It is a hard job. My mother has a variety of health issues and I am her full-time caregiver. I, myself, suffer from Schizo-Affective Disorder, so am not without personal challenges daily. I will continue caring for my Mom as long as I can.

Sometimes, a little care and compassion can go a long way.

Always,
Jo Ann

Ramblings Of A Sleepless Mind

You are not required to stay up all night to reap the benefits of my activity. Please just follow along…

I want to start up my business again, but I don’t have any capital to begin… I guess dreaming is the best I can do. I wish I could win the lottery, but somehow I think that is unlikely since I do not buy tickets… If wishes were horses, beggars would ride…

My dog, Hope, has expensive tastes, she likes pistachios. I can hardly afford them for myself, what am I supposed to do now that the dog begs for them whenever I get the bag out?

What’s on your mind? Funny you should ask, because I have been thinking about trying to start my magazine up online. It would be a literary and art magazine showcasing a wide variety of talent as it was when I published it in print form. I do not know if I have a wide enough network to gather submissions, and I am not sure I have the discretionary time to afford all the effort required, but I am considering it. I have the prerequisite software for it and I think I might be able to secure web hosting… Am I ready to take the reins as editor and publisher again? It is not an easy job, for writers are sometimes troublesome, but I like a challenge… I wonder if I am too old to begin doing it again. It is a huge task and requires diligence… So that is what is on my mind…

Have you ever noticed that as a usual thing every other version Microsoft releases is great? Take Windows 98, great; Windows Millennium, not so good; Windows XP, great; Windows Vista, not so good; Windows 7, great; Windows 8, not so good; Windows 8.1, decent… Why do we beta test for them on every other release? Seems like their software engineers would get it together every time. Maybe they need to quit rushing out versions and wait until they have a solid release…

I just realized it was after 2:00AM… I am wide awake and feeling creative. Why is it that nighttime seems to be the time of ideas for me? I want to be a morning person, but it just does not work for me. I am a hopeless night owl. The daytime world just does not have the appeal of after dark… Is something wrong with me? I wake up when the sun goes down… not the greatest attribute.

I should have known coffee in the afternoon was a mistake, but did that stop me? Not in the least did it dissuade me… Sometimes I disregard the better part of my judgment. So I am up and feeling full of energy halfway through the night…

Why am I still in this place when I really want to move forward? Maybe fear is stopping me, but what is that about? I fear failure, because it is very hard for creatives to succeed. I fear success, because it would overturn all sorts of things in my life. I want to perfect things before I bring them out before others, and that keeps me in a stalled state, because really I can do nothing perfectly.
I am determined to get past these barriers to achieving the life I want, but it is hard… One step I can take is being positive, another step is to gather the material for what I want to accomplish. These are easy things and I should be able to do them, one small step at a time.
I am capable and I believe that my dreams can become a reality, so as I advise others, I must make the effort and continue going forward…

Going With The Flow

Rolling, that is what happens
When you allow time to wash
Over you without resistance,
You roll forward creeping into
Places you never realized you
Were really meant to go.
Time overtakes you and takes
You over the rough spaces
Where intention would not
Allow you to succeed without
A great deal of extra effort
You might unwillingly expend.
Your perfectionism cannot
Hinder you because the momentum
Comes from beyond yourself,
You drift on currents that lift
Your fragile spirits up higher
Than you ever imagined going.
You roll, a creative force,
Unstoppable, moving through
Both time and space with only
One idea to carry you onward,
A positive declaration that you
Will finally accomplish your dreams.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Adjusted the settings on my mouse… Now this clunky mouse works like the best I have ever had. Who knew tweaking the software could make such improvements? Now I think I love the Logitech M705. It is like having a whole new mouse.

Just fixed a cup of coffee because I have decided I want to stay up all day… Should be no problem, the night is nearly over and daylight will soon arrive. Now if only the coffee cup cools down enough that I can drink from it…

Mom gave me some pens she has not used. Ink pens! Gel pens! I love free pens… My Mom is the greatest! Happy, happy, happy!

If you wish to achieve, you must first believe! You can exceed any goal you have decreed! Just continue forward and your effort will manifest what you are working toward!

Coffee! In a seasonal cup, coffee, what more can you ask for?

Fulfilling A Need

What do we want?
Poems!
Where do we get them?
We make them!
How do we do that?
We engage our creativity!
Who benefits?
The people of the world!
Why does it matter?
It wakes people to happiness!
When can we do it?
Now, because time is slipping by!
What do we want?
Poems!

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Invitation Only

Come! Whispered on the air,
Inviting you to join
Others already there…
Come! Such gentle care
Exhibited for all,
Do you want to share?
Come! Do you dare
Accept the invitation,
So very fair?
Come! Do not delay
Make your choice right away
While you have the chance today!
Come! Christ beckons,
The Spirit encourages,
Come as your heart reckons!
Come! While time makes way
Because the moments flee quickly
Hearken now for seconds slip away.
Come! Your choice cannot wait,
Be fast to answer the quiet call
For it urgently decides your fate.
Come! Whispered on the air,
Inviting you to join
Others already there…

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, October 22, 2013

These are the nighttime, early morning, ramblings of a restless mind. You should join me at Jo Ann J. A. Jordan on Facebook if you would like to follow my adventures there… Lots of things make it there that never see the blog. I only put it all here today because I thought you might like to experience the process.

I am grateful:

1)   I have equipment that helps me reach my creative potential.
2)   I am old enough to choose my bedtime, most of the time anyway.
3)   People still visit my blog, even though I am no longer doing the Creativity Project.
4)   Life is a gift we can enjoy in the moment.
5)   People are a precious blessing when they touch my life.

As a prompt, write a how, what, when, where, who, why poem. If you need an example, reread the one I did above. If you are a visual artist, instead of poet, picture something that explore at least one of the aspects. I know you can do this, and I bet you will enjoy it. Your creativity is at least as bountiful as mine.

Thank you so much for visiting Chronicles and reading this post. You might find it enjoyable to browse the archives. There is much material contained there. If you like what you found here you can subscribe for email updates by entering your address in the space provided.

I hope your day meets your expectations. Generally you get out of the hours in direct proportion to what you invest, so make each moment special.

Always,
Jo Ann