Synonyms of my soul:

Dance;pray

Run;Rest

Chaos;Peace

Joy;Heart Ache

Lazy;Busy work

Productive;Restoration

Love;Serve

Life;Adventure

Lack of adventure;Dead

Writing;Therapy

Future;His

Perfect relationship;Holy trinity;Giving AND receiving

Friends;Strangers

Strangers;Brothers and sisters

Boldness; humility

Try;fail

Do;succeed

To be continued; The End.

growth

“after awhile you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul.
and you learn that love doesn't mean security,
and you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises.
and you begin to accept your defeats with you head up and your eyes open.
with the grace of maturity, not the grief of a child.
and you learn to build all your roads on
today because tommorow's ground is too uncertain for plans,
and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
after awhile you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.
so you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
and you learn that you really can endure...
that you really are strong
and that you really do have worth.
and you learn and learn and learn ....
with every goodbye you learn.”

~ veronica a. shoffstal

Nobility

I found this wonderful poem in a very old book at an Antique store in the Factory in Franklin.

Nobility by Alice Cary

True worth is in being, not seeming,—
In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good—not in dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.
For whatever men say in their blindness,
And spite of the fancies of youth,

There's nothing so kingly as kindness,
And nothing so royal as truth.
We get back our mete as we measure—
We cannot do wrong and feel right,
Nor can we give pain and gain pleasure,
For justice avenges each slight.
The air for the wing of the sparrow,
The bush for the robin and wren,
But always the path that is narrow
And straight, for the children of men.

'Tis not in the pages of story
The heart of its ills to beguile,
Though he who makes courtship to glory
Gives all that he hath for her smile.
For when from her heights he has won her,
Alas! it is only to prove
That nothing's so sacred as honor,
And nothing so loyal as love!

We cannot make bargains for blisses,
Nor catch them like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our life misses
Helps more than the thing which it gets.
For good lieth not in pursuing,
Nor gaining of great nor of small,
But just in the doing, and doing
As we would be done by, is all.

Through envy, through malice, through hating,
Against the world, ,early and late.
No jot of our courage abating
Our part is to work and to wait
And slight is the sting of his trouble
Whose winnings are less than his worth.
For he who is honest is noble
Whatever his fortunes or birth.

At the dawn of my 22nd year

My feet are tired but my heart is at rest.

My eyes are heavy but my spirit is light.

My body is tired yet my soul is wide awake.

I’m not home, but I’m not lost.

God is great. God is good.

All to Thee, Beloved. Lets keep going. :)

*****************************************
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

What's Missing...

"What’s missing? A life of meaning, a life of ideas and reading books and being valued for our thoughts and accomplishments.” —More Here

The Mad Ones

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes “Awww!” —Jack Kerouac

If a pastor were to quote this at church I would, for once, be the one to shout "Amen".

Growth.

Words I always used to hear when people described me: Shy, quiet, cautious, nice, hesitant, reserved.

Words I hear recently when people describe me: Bold, kind, fiery, sassy, strong, "gentle yet bad ass"(<-- my personal favorite).

I'm growing and I'm proud. It takes a lot of work to transform the good into something even better and to concur the things that hold us back.