Resurrecting the Blog
Time Flies, More Than a Saying...
As the calendar pages turn, we are always fond of saying, "Time Flies" or some variation thereof. The older one gets, the faster it seems to fly by, it's true! I have even read a mathematical explanation for this phenomenon but frankly it makes my head spin. Whatever the case, once you are a certain age, retired for sure, it seems to whiz by and before you know it, Christmas is here again.
I say all of that to explain that 10 years had passed since I posted on the blog. Ten years. 120 months. How is that possible? It was very difficult to log in, I nearly gave up! But, I had my poems logged here and I wasn't willing to give it all up quite that easily so I persisted. Sometimes, persistence pays off. It turns out I had used a VERY old email and once I figured that out, the rest fell into place.
A current goal for the blog is to catch up some of the various poems I have written over the last few years, I am certain there will be a major gap and some may have been discarded with journals I got rid of in the multiple moves. However, the ones I have available, I intend to post here as a central drop point. It may be just for my own desire to preserve what at each writing was a moment in time when the Lord met me with truth. I don't claim to be a poet :-) I am sure any English teacher could offer stinging critiques but each one came from deep convictions and time spent pondering various scriptural concepts that intersect with life. I am attempting to date these entries when they were written so there is a context.
Back to my 10 year gap in the blog. Why would that be? 2015, I was retired and I should have had more time to attend to the blog but instead it was completely neglected. In 2019 Covid invaded our land with a vengeance and by 2020 the total chaos was underway. That led to a total upheaval in the lives of many, including mine.
Dave's health was worsening, the world was locking people alone in hospitals or nursing homes to die alone. Even funerals were tightly managed and scripted as the numbers allowed, etc. In additional to all of this Antifa and BLM took to the streets and further added to the chaos and upheaval in our cities and suburbs.
David stepped up and began suggesting a "compound" almost jokingly but over some months it took shape, especially as he and I talked more on the phone about the benefits of combining resources and leaving the cities. This would ensure Dave would be protected from the nursing home nonsense if he worsened, or at least it seemed he may. In retrospect, this was in some ways very positive and in other ways a Pollyanna dream for me. I wasn't realistically considering any of the possible pitfalls.
Therefore, the Fall of 2020 began what I now call the "wandering years" akin to the children of Israel in the wilderness. By 2022 Dave went to be with the Lord. Thankfully he was her to see his grandson Elijah David, which brought him joy for a few short months. In the Fall of 2023 as I sought to have a small getaway and remain with the family status-quo, it did not turn out the way I thought. The getaway became "home" for two years. But it was never the home I would have chosen permanently had I known the full trajectory of my decision as to how the family would react and I would find necessary to respond. But then life if full of those pivotal moments that change our course, sometimes forever.
In the Fall of 2025 I moved once more to the more permanent condo, back to where I believed the Lord was leading me - Hartville, Ohio. There was already a ministry with my friend Kathy here and women I had connected with. In Navarre, my previous home every event was a 40 minute drive. This move has opened doors to Christian friendships rekindled, service opportunities, and an easier life day to day in the convenience of location and less driving. I am grateful! When I had gone around the mountain long enough, the Lord said to, "Head North!" His grace and mercy and never-ending.
The recent months have rekindled my pen to paper and in the early mornings I often have a poem rattling around in my brain on one topic or another. Creativity is a gift as we are made in His image. I have many more ideas ahead and a strong desire to write on everything of late.
For now, it will be here and hopefully no year long gaps!
