When God Winks Haiku
When God winks on love
You can feel His eyelashes
Fluttering your heart
Godwinks
Day 11 of #VerseLove with Amber Harrison
Amber Harrison of Oklahoma is our host today for the 11th day of #VerseLove. She inspires us to write Surprising Supplies poems, and explains the process. You can read her full prompt here, along with the poems and comments of others.
I want a meadow ~ I think it could supply all the needs a person ever truly has.
Heavenly Meadow
a royal fortress
meadow
cloaked
in Mother
Earth’s
embrace
arms
cradling
us
carrying
us
crossing
us
from
bosom
to
heaven
For What it’s Worth – The Stafford Challenge Day 43
Forget finery.
Could we value family?
Prioritize worth.
Because in the end
~when life’s regrets take firm hold~
possessions don’t care.
OLW = Pray. Diopter Word = Release. Today I’m praying for things to always take a back seat to the people in my life. The worth or value of possessions can demand more of our investment of time and energy, and I’m praying that this never takes root in my own life. The stories many of my friends share in their challenges with their aging parents who struggle to let go of the past and move forward shines an unwelcome spotlight on priorities – and the degree to which they are a priority. Enough is plenty and preferable, as Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass explains, and I pray I never amass an anchor of belongings that gets in the way of what is most important.
Today, I begin a season of release and pre-spring cleaning. Starting in my own attic.
Body Aches
My arms and legs don’t want to go to work today. The rest of me is dressed and ready, and my mindset is already thinking about the day ahead. My lower back will clock in at some point once I get moving, but my body is protesting Monday with tired, sore muscles after we refinished the kitchen table and a couple of chairs over the weekend. I can’t wait to share some before and after photos once the project is complete, but for today, I’m keeping my One Little Word front and center (pray) and my diopter word of the day is stand. I’m praying I can stand up and step out and struggle through the woes of an aging body trying to do what my younger body did without all the grief and agony the next day.
Why Old People Walk Bent
refinishing chairs
sanding, painting, staining slats
bending, straining backs
Goals and Aspirations for 2024
At the end of each month for the past decade plus a few years, I’ve reviewed my yearly goals and spent time reflecting on how I’m living the life I want to live ~ a way of becoming my own accountability partner and having frequent check-ins to evaluate my progress. The process I’ve been using has been helpful in guiding steps of intentionality and observable differences – – it has put teeth of quantifiable measure in the conversations I have with myself whenever I might attempt to believe that I’m making progress and provided a way to articulate exact progress so that I’m not merely shuffling things back and forth and deceiving myself. I make a table, establish goals, and keep an accountability log of accomplishments and action steps through month-end reflections. I learned this system somewhere in my early years of teaching and it was reinforced by my doctoral chair, Dr. Rachel Pienta, who assured me that it would get me to the diploma at the finish line with fewer tears and less frustration.
She was absolutely right.
This year, though, I’m tweaking my process by a few degrees to get to the things in life I need to accomplish. Everything on my list is not an ongoing action goal – – some of these are aspirations, and I need to recognize the differences and prioritize my efforts. Weight loss is an action goal that needs quantifiable progress markers with a timeline. Downsizing and retirement planning needs quantifiable progress markers with a less strict timeline. But gardening and hobbies like knitting or quilting or canning fig preserves are not as high on the list of priorities, and they’ll fit in between the more challenging goals where time permits.
So this year, I’m using a different system. I’m evaluating my progress in bold areas monthly, and all other areas quarterly.
I’m looking through a proverbial viewfinder for the big areas of life where I need the presence of some focal lenses, and I’m thinking of the smaller aspects of those larger lenses as I adjust the diopter lens and take snapshots of my journey.
2024 underway, taking us on a new scenic journey. The conductor punched our tickets at midnight – – (and where we live in rural Georgia, our front door literally shook with a sonic boom from someone’s Tannerite explosion welcoming the new year).
It’s here, folks! Welcome 2024, and cheers to you and yours!
The Viewfinder
| Optical Lenses of Focus | Diopter Lenses of Possibility | Snapshots of Success |
| Hobbies and Life Outside Work | Sewing, Knitting, Quilting Traveling and camping Gardening Birdwatching Monthly reading group with Sarah J. Donovan Writing with Ethicalela.com 5 times a month, and every day in April Writing with Two Writing Teachers at the Slice of Life Blog every Tuesday and every day in March Writing with Spiritual Journey Blogging group on Thursdays The Stafford Challenge – a poem every day starting mid-January Writing group book proposals | These columns will be shared as progress occurs each month or quarter. For starters, I am sharing my blog post on Slice of Life today. And just like that, I’ve taken a step into 2024 with a hobby that I enjoy. |
| Career and Work Life | Financial Strategies Retirement Plans Downsizing home, possessions Continuing Education Networking | |
| Spiritual Life | Church Life Prayer Life (OLW) | |
| Family Life | Weekly Dinners and game nights In Person Visits FaceTime Visits Group Texts Traveling together Celebrate Red Letter Days | |
| Mental and Physical Health | Reach top of weight range (I know this number) by June 1 and maintain it throughout 2024 Walking Hiking campsite trails |
My One Little Word for 2024 is pray. Today’s diopter word is step. As I pray for 2024 to be a productive and fulfilling year, I must step into it with purpose, and take the steps necessary – to do my part – to make it a great year.
My One Little Word of 2024
Last week, I presented a family member with a box of verbs to encourage reflection, guidance, journaling, and meditation on positive words and the actions they inspire. She used these words written on miniature Jenga blocks to select her One Little Word for 2024, choosing the word trust because she says, “It’s something I truly want to be able to do.”
When I think of selecting a word of the year, it’s challenging to choose only one. As a lover of words and all their nuances, it makes it even more challenging to parse out synonyms and all their shades of meaning. It’s like having that big box of Crayola crayons and being asked to choose one favorite color – – – only harder.
I really have trouble with that. I love the bright yellow sunshine, the crystal blue water, the spring green grass, the scarlet red cardinals, and the orange embers burning in the fire pit, glimmering with the heat like embers do. I want all the colors, and I want all the words.
Most of all, I want the verbs.
Not just any verbs. I want verbs that inspire positive action in my life and lead me along healthy paths.
After considering a few hundred words for 2024, I’m staying with my 2023 word for another year.
Pray.
I can’t think of a better word fit for me for the coming year. To pray without ceasing is to carry this word each day, each hour. On my way in to work each morning, I turn off the radio and follow the ACTS model of prayer, first offering Admiration, then Confession, then Thanksgiving, and finally Supplication. Mostly, I give thanks for the miracles of blessings received. But I also give thanks for the miracles of things that didn’t happen that I may never realize I was spared.
My friend Glenda Funk is taking the word care as her word for 2024. An article in The Washington Post encouraged her to choose a nudge word – a word that nudges her to live the life she wants to live. She writes in her blog post, “Care is a word I expect to push me to live the life I want to live in the coming leap year.” Fellow Slice of Life writer Sally Donnelly has selected the word prioritize, because she wants to keep the mantra, “Should this be a priority?” in focus as she chooses her path and all of her options.
When I read about all the words my friends choose, it gives me such joy when they share the reasons they’re choosing them. What is your One Little Word for 2024, and how did you choose your word?
A Christmas Gift of Action Verbs
I shared in my post yesterday a way I’d discovered to incorporate positive action verbs into daily reflection and journaling. I’m giving a box filled with Jenga block words to a relative across the miles and making a twin set for myself. These will be the basis of texts and phone conversations to share what our words do for us, how they inspire us and keep us focused on all that is good. Today, I’m sharing the list I created. Each word should be read as an infinitive with intention, as a way of taking action and creating positive energy.
Merry Christmas!
| A | ask awaken act allow appreciate affirm amaze accomplish align attend accept anticipate |
| B | believe balance become be begin belong budget better braid bloom breathe build beautify bake belong bless befriend brainstorm |
| C | compose create care choose celebrate center challenge clean clear cleanse color carry cheer cherish comfort commit complete connect conquer contemplate cultivate consider contribute |
| D | draw dance decorate dedicate deliver declutter deliberate design determine devote direct dream drive discover delight donate dwell |
| E | empower embrace encourage ease elevate emerge enlighten educate evolve excite exhale expand explore enjoy experience empathize engage embark |
| F | find finish flourish focus flow forgive free feel fulfill forge feed fill fellowship |
| G | give grow glow go glorify gather guide greet |
| H | heal hope harmonize help honor hug hold |
| I | inspire ignite imagine improve increase innovate influence invest illustrate illuminate invite include initiate |
| J | journey join |
| K | know knit kindle keep |
| L | listen love laud laugh lead learn lighten live leap light look launch laud |
| M | meditate make maximize minimize manage maintain mend mold magnify |
| N | nurture nourish notice |
| O | open organize overcome observe offer |
| P | paint prioritize praise pray pause persevere persist practice prosper progress participate plan play prepare partake plant preserve present protect prune pace provide |
| Q | question quench |
| R | redesign reach reap read receive reclaim reflect relax rest release rely renew reset restore respond resolve rise respect repair replenish |
| S | sketch sense sow seek sing stand smile shine savor see share sacrifice serve simplify soar solve spark sparkle steady strengthen strive support surrender soften sustain soothe sweeten steep save still |
| T | touch tend thirst trust thrive think thank taste testify teach transform transcend try treasure tithe thank |
| U | unleash understand unite |
| V | volunteer venture value voice |
| W | walk weave witness wonder wish win work welcome worship warm write |
| XYZ | eXtend eXpress eXplain Xenialize yield zestify zoom |
Word Box
I’m a sucker for wooden blocks that will fit words on them, so when I found miniature Jenga blocks in the Dollar Tree for $1.25 per set, I bought 3 boxes of them. Each game set has 72 blocks. I also purchased a sturdy Christmas giftbox I’d planned to use for recipe cards, but I got a better idea once I saw the blocks.
Three sets fit perfectly into the recipe box.
What if I wrote positive action verbs on them and gave them as a gift to someone who needs positive words every day? Instead of having One Little Word, what if I came up with 72 x 3 = 216 words and wrote them on the box, encouraging this person to pull one daily and meditate on it or use it as a journaling challenge to not only meditate, but to write a quip about how the word played into the day?
Wait, what if I used both sides, like 216 x 2 = 432 and said, “take your choice, front or back, and start all over when you get to 217 so you can have one for every day of the year?”
So that is what I worked on all day yesterday.
My Christmas Day post will be my word list you might choose to print and write on your own Dollar Tree miniature Jenga blocks, and place in your own container for journaling throughout the year. Perhaps one of these words will be your One Little Word for 2024, or perhaps…..just perhaps……you might even use these words as the diopter lens on the choice word, to give it an added focus and perspective.
Christmas Eve – – a time for reflecting, for renewing, for thinking back and looking ahead. A time for silent introspection, for all the wonder of lights and magic. A time for the sacredness of the Nativity, and the blessings of peace and everlasting life for all who believe.
Storytelling Open Mic Night
We will have an open mic night at our local coffeeshop this evening, where we will share stories. Mine is entitled Ancestral Spirits.
Before my mother died 4 days after Christmas in 2015, I asked Dad to look through the recipe box and give me some recipes written by the hands of my ancestors. I framed them, and they hang on the wall of my kitchen to welcome the kitchen spirits for those times I attempt to cook anything. They gather, I’m sure, standing over my shoulders, shaking their heads, convinced by now that I’m a complete kitchen misfit.
Throughout her life, Mom was a great everything, teaching my brother and me the ways of the outdoors on the coastal island of St. Simons. We crabbed and fished off the pier, collected shells, and learned how to identify all kinds of birds.
Mom had some inner sensor that alerted her to bird presence, particularly hawks. My brother Ken and I frequently send text alerts: Mom was on a wire by Highway 362 checking to make sure I had my seatbelt on, warning me the cops are running radar up ahead.
We believe in the presence of birds to convey messages.
Ken and I were a little divided on where she’d be buried. We walked through Christ Church Cemetery, my preference being in the old section, where she’d have casket neighbors who were friends. My realtor brother was concerned with the oak roots and preferred the new section.
“Fine, brat,” I told him. “I picked the spot, you pick the plot.” So he picked the new section.
I wrestled with it and lost sleep. At breakfast, I confessed to my preacher Dad (who did her funeral) that I needed reassurance from Mom that she’d be okay up there by herself until more burials happened. “I prayed for a sign – – some majestic bird, with a large wingspan, like an eagle. Since there is no tree canopy up there yet, I want her send a bird to let me know Ken didn’t mess this all up.”
We pulled into the cemetery for the graveside service, and parked up by the tent. And when the car doors opened, we heard them before we ever saw them.
“What have you done?” My father looked at me accusingly, like I’d done some voodoo magic.
We glanced up, and three buzzards circled overhead.
My brother elbowed me and pointed to the skies, chuckling. “Look! She showed up! And she brought her parents.”
My ancestral spirits seem to enjoy their gatherings, always giving us signs and messages.
Imagine our deep comfort when, just last week, one of my grown children was having surgery two states north of here. As we left the hotel for the hospital that morning, there on a wire above my RAV 4 was a hawk. Mom. Gathering with us. Waiting on us to say everything’s going to be okay.
Goal Update for November
At the end of each month, (or beginning), I review my yearly goals and spend some time reflecting on how I’m doing in living the life I want to live ~ a way of becoming my own accountability partner and having frequent check-ins to evaluate my progress. I’m still in the process of revising some of my goals as I encounter successes…..and setbacks. New goals have asterisks for the month of December, when I will report on them in a few weeks. For the month of November, here’s my goal reflection:
| Category | Goals | My Progress |
| Literature | Read for Sarah Donovan’s Book Group Blog Daily Write a proposal for my writing group’s book and a proposal for an NCTE presentation for November 2024 | I participated in the November book discussion with Sarah’s reading group and look forward to reading January’s book (we skip the month of December)– I Hope This Finds You Well, by Kate Baer. I’ll participate in this book discussion in January 2024. I continue to blog daily, and the daily writing and reflecting is a wonderful habit for me. I don’t feel complete without some form of daily writing, and the blog is a way of continuing the habit. My writing group is writing a series of new books, and I will spend time editing the chapters we have written. I will continue to add chapters as we receive feedback from our proposals. We are each sending our proposal out to some publishing companies. I’m also meeting to help write a proposal for the NCTE 2024 Convention in Boston in 2024. |
| Creativity | *Decorate the house for Christmas | My main December creativity goal is decorating the house for Christmas, since we didn’t decorate at all last year. The grandchildren will be coming to see us, so there must be trees! For the month of November, I spent some time knitting hats and doing some therapy coloring with a daughter recovering from surgery. |
| Spirituality | Tune in to church Pray! Keep OLW priority | We have tuned in to church every Sunday in November and will continue doing the same for December. We plan to attend a Christmas Eve service this year as well, with one of our children. My car is still my prayer chamber for daily prayer, and there’s so much to give thanks for. I continue my conversations with the good Lord each morning and afternoon. I’m still keeping my OLW my priority: pray! |
| Reflection | Write family stories Spend time tracking goals each month | I have shared family stories through my blog this month and will continue this month to do the same. I’ll participate in an Open Write storytelling event and share a family story out loud! I’m tracking goals, revising, and considering some new categories as I look at my goal table. I’m already looking at my goals for next year. |
| Self-Improvement | *Reach top of weight range | This is a setback for me since April. I’ve hit major stress and gained weight, despite joining WW. I need to set a firm date and get the mental mindset that it takes to stay on track. I have work to do. Update: every day, the diet is starting “tomorrow.” I seriously need a good mindset to start back. |
| Gratitude | Devote blog days to counting blessings | I begin the days this way and end them giving thanks as well. November was full of gratitude and thanksgiving by its sheer celebrations, and I celebrated the birthdays of a grandson and a brother. Taking time to pause and give thanks for people and blessings brings joy and reminders that family is a gift. |
| Experience | Embrace Slow Travel Focus on the Outdoors | I’ve taken a trip to be with a daughter having surgery in November, and while this was not adventure travel or vacation, we found ways to maximize our togetherness and make the best of a time of recovery. Next month, we will be welcoming visits from family members and visiting some out of state as well. I’ve joined Project Feeder Watch, since birdwatching is far more comfortable and warm from inside the house. I plan to add two entries per week throughout December, totaling at least one hour per week. |
Common Threads 