Prison break.

Trapped by expectations, she longed to gain the sky.

Folks and their opinions had quenched her urge to fly.

Encaged within her prison, she longed to be herself,

Cast off all inhibitions neatly folded on the shelf.

To cast away the costume of who others thought she’d be.

Step through bars of inhibition, wings unfolding to be free.

At last it came the season- couldn’t bear it anymore.

Broke out of limitation – to open sky did soar.

‘Twas not without a price tag, for her loved ones bore the bruise

She made upon her exit – when another life did choose.

And yet they saw the glory as she sped into the sky

You cannot bind in serfdom one who’s born to fly.

Stranger at the door.

A stranger stands before the door

You’d ask him in but he may want more,

More than you’re willing or able to give.

He’ll shake up your world and change how you live.

He may be a friend, but perhaps he’s a foe.

Taking you places you’d rather not go.

Should I go meekly or put up a fight?

Accept and be cheerful, or take off in flight?

I could slam the door refuse him his end.

Or open it wide receive as a friend.

Yes, that’s the wisest and smartest recorse

For the name of the stranger is “Change” of course.

 

 

 

 

Key day!

Today I get the keys to my new apartment – change ahead! Both excited and a little sad as I have loved my time here in my old place.

Particularly good for election day!

The joy of the morning.

Sometimes I miss the wonder of it, immersed in plans and busyness, but leaning out of my window on a spring morning I pause to smell the freshness, the scent of nature outside my window, the gentle warmth of the sun on my face, bringing colour and light to the surrounding garden. I remember the beauty of it all and I’m so glad to be alive.

“I’ve had many troubles, most of which never happened!”

“I’ve had many troubles, most of which never happened!” Great Mark Twain quote!

That summarizes my last few weeks (during which I’ve barely posted). I might say the troubles did come, but the scary visions of what might come of them didn’t. One of the biggest was a phone call out of the blue during which I discovered my landlord had to sell my cozy apartment I’ve been taking for granted for several years. Not that there was a possibility of being out on the streets, thank God, but still it was like someone wrenched my security blanket away, my personal refuge amidst the storms of life (of which there have been many of late).

One has to delve and face one’s secret fears and mine, I realised, was possibly ending in an unpleasant, dark or uncomfortable place. Being older, an artist, and sensitive to my environment I need a clean, bright, warm, inspiring place in which to function well. I also had to face the possibility that my time in my sweet old English town might be at an end (even my time in the UK). There’s been a kind of pattern to my life and I generally end up moving every three and a half years or so for one reason or another, and I realised it had been three and a half years here.

I know it is always good, every so often, to put everything on the altar and seek God’s will in my life… could He be trying to show me something? Will this be a small change or a big change? I know the best thing one can do with change is embrace it.

Thankfully this change turned out not to be so earth shattering in the end and I hope to soon finalise a contract for a new apartment very close to my youngest daughter’s, it’s clean, light, well kept with an incredible view. not so hard lol!

The major change however was to downsize to one bedroom and also put my name on a two year waiting list for over 60s sheltered housing (cute independent studio flats) with a local church association. Looking to the future I wouldn’t want this to happen in my 70’s!

So all’s well that ends well, change happened but not the scary bit thank God!

“This is Eternal Life?”

The first thought when hearing “eternal life” tends to be “life after death”, but either believers are right and all live eternally or atheists are correct and there is nothing after death (in which case also nothing to worry about since you will no longer be aware).

Examined logically “eternal life” (as expressed in Biblical texts etc.) denotes something more than survival because it is partaken by some and not others. It seems to be speaking rather of quality of life – living rather than existing. As Braveheart so aptly states, “All men die, but not all men truly live!” There’s a difference between eternal life and eternal survival. Eternal survival in an environment in which you felt trapped, fearful, or alone would be the worst kind of hell!

So what is meant by “eternal life”? John clarifies “This is eternal life, that they may know … the only true God, and Jesus Christ…” We are told Jesus came that we might “have life and have it more abundantly” an enriched life, beginning not at death but the moment we come to truly know him in a personal and intimate way, a life enriched by the power and joy of his spirit, possessed not at death but right now in our present life and that to come.