Try to take my joy,
You will fail every attempt,
To deny freedom.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
When Ronovan Met Miss Maple (on Skype) – Part 6
Read it, and get caught up, cause the next episode is coming at you very soon. How soon? Like real soon, like so soon I am almost finished writing it now and might would have finished it if I wasn’t explaining how close to being finished I was. But then if I didn’t explain it then you wouldn’t know how soon it would be. Okay, all of that should tell you the mood I am in as I am writing the story. Just be warned Internet Troll, the Doctor is coming for you and your little dog too. Wait. And your Rudolph thong too.
RonovanWrites Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt Challenge #27 Joy&Freedom
The 27th Haiku Prompt Challenge!
Badge provided by Me for this season.
Haiku is simple and simply addictive. So be warned now. Once you start it’s difficult to stop. Here are two things to know:
- Haiku can be broken into two sentences with the middle line of the three lines being the commonly used part, meaning 1&2 and 2&3 making sentences. That’s Haiku.
- Opposite meanings in the first and last sentences. That’s Haiku.
For a full refresher or How to write Haiku in English click here. But you can use whatever Haiku style you want to. As long as you, do a Haiku.
For Tips and Guidelines refreshers click here.
If you have a Twitter and your handle has not appeared in a ReCap of a previous challenge, please let me know what it is so when I Tweet the ReCap on Sundays I may include it.
This weeks two words to use in some form, meaning you can use another word that means the same thing are:
Joy&Freedom
My Example
Take my joy away,
Then I will fight more fiercely,
To gain my freedom.
DEADLINE: Noon on Sunday New York Time.
(I hate doing deadlines, but it takes quite a while to complete the ReCap.)
There are TWO “A RONOVAN’S CHOICE!” recipients each week. One for Humor and one for something more Serious. The Haiku are quite good each week and I am having to turn to the structure guidelines of a Haiku at times to help determine my selection.
Really each Haiku is a choice of mine, and I’m not just saying that, so I feel a bit odd even having something called A RONOVAN’S CHOICE, but hey, it’s a thing, right? And it does make it kind of fun.
2015 © Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com.
Write a Leader for Freedom. #BloggersForFreedom
I wrote in My Sunday Thoughts about Raif Badawi, a Saudi Arabian blogger who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes, 50 each week for 20 weeks, plus about US $266,631.
50 of those lashes were just given in a public square after people had finished their prayer time. It was an example being set, Talk about us and we don’t like it and we’ll imprison you and beat you.
His wife was forced into a divorce and was able to leave the country with their three children, so are free in Canada now.
I also wrote a post about doing a hashtag campaign using #BloggersForRaifBadawi and #BloggersForFreedom.
Not much response to that, but it’s only been a short time. It may go somewhere.
The U.S. State Department posted this on January 8. There site is here.
“We are greatly concerned by reports that human rights activist Raif Badawi will start facing the inhumane punishment of a 1,000 lashes, in addition to serving a 10-year sentence in prison for exercising his rights to freedom of expression and religion. The United States Government calls on Saudi authorities to cancel this brutal punishment and to review Badawi’s case and sentence. The United States strongly opposes laws, including apostasy laws, that restrict the exercise of these freedoms, and urges all countries to uphold these rights in practice.”
The lashings took place. I wonder what the U.S. government will do now.
Amnesty International has been involved as well. Article here.
“The decision to sentence Raif Badawi to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes is outrageous. He is a prisoner of conscience who is guilty of nothing more than daring to create a public forum for discussion and peacefully exercising the right to freedom of expression. The authorities must overturn his conviction and release him immediately and unconditionally,” said Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. ~From the article at amnesty.org.
I thought these Tweets from UN Watch were telling:
But if a political machine doesn’t think it will lose votes by doing nothing, then guess what it won’t do. That’s right, it won’t do something. I am not for the U.S. to act like it is the protector of the world but I would appreciate them making a stand where a stand needs to be made. The truth is we don’t need Saudi Arabia for anything. By that I mean the leadership. Just like you can’t judge Americans by our leadership, I’m not judging the Saudi people by theirs.
But we as citizens can do something. We can make noise. We can make it constantly. Americans on average get fired up about something and then that fire dies off after a while and everyone knows it. Time to change that.
Write your congressman. How often? That’s up to you.
I’m not going to tell you how to say something. I personally will likely speak to the inhumanity of what is happening. Laws of a nation are different wherever you go. So I don’t plan to speak to laws but I do plan to speak to inhumanity and a desire for our nation to place sanctions on Saudi Arabia unless the lashings discontinue.
I don’t think we should all be carbon copies of each other. Speak in a personal way to each Congressman. You are a voter that helps get them there or not. You didn’t vote for them? I don’t care. This isn’t about a political party. This is about humanity.
I don’t agree with his imprisonment either, but being in prison is one thing. 1,000 lashes with 50 per week I just cannot fathom even the idea of who comes up with punishments like that. If he had not listened to a judge and not appealed it would have been 7 years and 600 lashes I believe.
So you want to write a letter to your congressman? The link below will give you advice on how to form a letter. The same is for email or snail mail.
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/letterscongress.htm
Not sure who your Senator is? The link below will help you out.
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Don’t know who your Representative is? Try the link below. Just need to know your zip code.
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
As bloggers we should be angry about imprisonment over something like discussions about politics and society even if they belittle leaders. Imagine if that were a law in the U.S., there would be some serious overcrowding of the prison system.
But as people we all should be angry. Some may point to other cases in the world that could equally be spoken of but this is the one that jumped out at me. This is the one that was placed in front of my eyes and I decided to speak about it.
Now will you do anything about it? Are you in another country? You can write to your leaders too. Sorry I cannot do a list for every nation in the world of how to find your leaders and write to them. Well I could but it would take a while.
This is the next step I thought of in what to do. I will keep thinking but you think as well and start something. Like write your local and regional papers. Write to the White House. Start up whatever it is you need to start up. Set up a network to be used not just this once, but for the future as well. That’s the great thing about blogging. We’re all connected around the world. And we could do so much if we all just united to do it. I don’t know who could organize that. I would likely forget about something by the end of the week if not for my blog content to remind me. But let’s start something. #BloggersForFreedom
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
#BloggersForRaifBadawi #BloggersForFreedom begins now.
I don’t know how to start a Hashtag Trend. But I am going to start a Hashtag or two and see what happens. I am really upset about the cruel treatment of the Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi. I wrote about in my Sunday Thought, 50 Lashes Against Freedom. Read it and see. I am too angry to write coherently right now about it again. Links to what is going on to him are there as well.
The hashtags I want to use are #BloggersForRaifBadawi and #BloggersForFreedom I don’t know if either will catch on but I am going to begin using them every day in some way. Join me if you like. You don’t have to but this is the only way I knew to really let people know what I want to do. Seriously, you do not have to join in and I will not think any less of any of my friends for not doing it. It’s just something I feel convicted to do.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
RonovanWrites Week 26 Haiku Prompt Challenge Review
The 26th Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge Review. And they said it wouldn’t last. I don’t know who they are but I am certain someone said it somewhere.
First to the finish line this week!
TA Wyatt and Broken Mind. Visit Finale to an Entrance to read this Haiku that is almost about me or a once me. The Broken Mind is definitely me. Remember T.A. is another of our resident authors so check out books available at Amazon here. @FinaletoEntranc
Battered Wife seeking Better Life wrote Ready, Set Go. She wasn’t thrilled with it but I think it works. I do half of what she says but the other half not so much. @BWseekingBL
Crisisalive with Storm of Ideas. Oh how I feel this one. Well I use a laptop though.
Sue from Daily Echo. Bedlam. Just go check out this one. I SO LOVE THE IMAGE!!!! Joy! @SCVincent is one of our resident authors so check out books available at Amazon here. The Sword of Destiny in England looks cool and The Osiriad based in Egypt very awesome. And don’t get me started on that whole Doomsday series of books co-authored with Stuart France, who doesn’t like a series?
Elizabeth brought Emptiness from Tea&Paper. This definitely defines this first day of the first full week of the new year. @teandpaper
Serins of Serins Sphere wrote Chaos Bleeds for us this week. Hugh wants Photoshop tips and there is something about vampire fan fic in there. Both are evident in the piece this week. @SerinsSphere
Becca from On Dragonfly Wings with Buttercup Tea returns with Empty Bedlam. A good description of mental fatigue. @rgbickerstaff
Cyril of Cyril Bussiere: My Secret Bedlam. A Haiku that I feel at times. More than a few times. I wish we all could have Freedom from these thoughts. Cyril, of course, is one of our resident authors, even having been interviewed before I created my LWI site. I will need to interview him again for his next book and have a real interview now that I have a few more under my belt. Check his work on Amazon here. @CyrilBussiere
Mira of To Wear a Rainbow: Soul . . . less. Somber but honest. Sad yet joyful depending on your side of the words and imagery. @BediMona
Claudette from To Search and to Find Happiness in Every Day brought us Mad House. A Haiku that I would put as the next chapter after Cyril’s if I were making a book out of these Haiku.
Meredith and Martha bringing their 2×2 from Meredith’s Musings. The ladies have created their own challenge where YOU must guess who wrote which Haiku. It’s more difficult than you think. @Meredithlbl
Faith Unlocked: Restored by Grace. Excellent message. Goes along with my Year of Renewal message. @FaithUnlocked
Carolyn of Reviews & Recommendations: Young Nest. Something you don’t think about but really is common these days.
Colleen of Silver Threading wrote My Vacant Heart. I believe Colleen had to stretch out for this one. Her with a vacant heart? @ColleenCheseboro
Marigold of Versus Bulb: Jellyfish Bedlam. A bit sad. I was thinking this was going another place but then was surprised. Marigold Deidre Dicer is one of the RW Haiku Challenge resident authors. Check out her work on Amazon here. @MarigoldDicer
AC Elliott has returned. Bedlam is on File Cabinet Ramblings. I mean the Haiku not actual chaos and stuff is occurring on his site. Well it might be. A definite writer’s mind wrote this. A writer’s mind with a writer’s problem. Check it out. @Elliott_ac
Florence of Rambling On rejoins with Creating Bedlam. I think we, well a lot of us might connect with this one. @FTThum
Maniparna from Scattered Thoughts wrote Memories. You walk in and things just come to you sometimes for good or ill they happen. They can bring happiness or sadness. A good one. @Maniparna
Melissa of This, Right Now with Bedlam. A true contrast here, not only in sentences but even in elemental meanings. Excellent.
Canaf over at Faithful Devotionals: Peace. An interesting way to do it and an excellent message.
Cindy of Dreams in Alaska. I’m still not telling you where she lives. She wrote Empty Illusions. I get it. I have bedlam, at least I think I do. @cindyburrill
this week goes to:
Sue from Daily Echo. Bedlam. If you don’t know why, then you haven’t visited the Haiku yet. @SCVincent
this week:
A tie. That’s right. I simply am not going to agonize over this one. Two poems spoke to me on a personal level in different ways.
Cyril of Cyril Bussiere: My Secret Bedlam. @CyrilBussiere
AC Elliott has returned. Bedlam is on File Cabinet Ramblings. @Elliott_ac
My offering this week was a timely one titled Back to School. I am not often so much proud of a Haiku I do but I was very happy with this one for once.
And now for our closing Haiku for this week:
Though pens are empty,
May your minds be full of thoughts,
Lest fear bring bedlam.
As for Challenge #27 Prompt Words? You can always wait until tomorrow or find them hidden in this Review.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
My Sunday Thought: 50 Lashes against Freedom
Stepping on toes, insulting people, getting in someone’s face. Those aren’t things I tend to do.
Saudi blogger receives first 50 lashes of sentence for ‘insulting Islam’
You know I saw that article heading and some things jumped out at me.
Blogger
50 Lashes
Insulting Islam
I’m an honest guy so I am going to be honest. None of it surprised me from what I see in the news. Aren’t we all accustomed to seeing it? Received this many lashes for this or that reason. Put to death because of insulting this or that. It’s almost like we are desensitized to it all. I mean I KNOW not all of Islam is like that. We ALL have Muslim friends here through Blog World. I just never think of them as Muslim friends. I just think friends. The Muslim part never comes to mind nor does any other label you might put on someone.
Then I read the headline again because it came to my attention from a friend of mine across social media land. Yeah, we’re connected like that. Word.
Stay focused today, Ronovan.
Since this friend posted it I had to look again. So I looked again and saw “50 lashes OF sentence”. There would be more? I had to read more, as I always do when this particular friend posts something like this with the passion in which it was done.
The blogger is a man named Raif Badawi, a once husband, his wife’s family had 
the courts put through a forced divorce, and father of three. The wife and kids were able to make it to Canada. He will now spend 10 years in prison and receive 1,000 lashes, 50 per week until completed. Each week he will be flogged. Before the wounds fully heal he will be lashed again. Why?
I also wonder will he again be transported from prison to the public square so those who have just went to prayer will witness it? Will it again last 15 minutes? Will the public lashing send the intended message to others not to do the same as he did? What did he do?
“According to Amnesty the charges against Badawi mention his failure to remove articles by other people on his website. He was also accused in court of ridiculing Saudi Arabia’s morality police.
In a statement after the flogging Amnesty called it a “vicious act of cruelty” and said Badawi’s “only ‘crime’ was to exercise his right to freedom of expression by setting up a website for public discussion”.
The US state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki called the punishment an “inhumane” response to someone exercising his right to freedom of expression and religion.”~Associated Press Dubai as seen on TheGuardian.com site.
You know, for some this is only about Islam. For me it isn’t. It’s more than religion to me. Yes, I am a Christian. And this being my Sunday Thought spot where I discuss my faith I chose instead to discuss this matter. I think everyone that has roamed the site here knows that I am an unashamed Christian. That means I have no beef against anyone else. I love all people, no matter your faith or non-faith. I live my life and I pray and hope others will come to Christ because I believe in Jesus and what the Bible says. Part of what the Bible says, what Jesus says, is that if someone won’t listen to you then shake the dust of that place off your feet and move on. It doesn’t say flog them, lash them, imprison them or force them.
Yes, some idiots in the past have done all of those things and used the Bible and Jesus as an excuse for trying to be in control of things, but they fell from power.
Now that I have the religion faith part of the Sunday Thought done, let’s move on. Although really, all of this is me and my faith is me.
This today is specifically about freedoms and what is simply right to do . What is humane to do.
The U.S. reached out to Saudi Arabia and asked them not to do the lashings, sort of. Okay. What are they going to do now? They call it wrong. What are they going to do now?
Pardon me here for a moment as I may venture into some less than Ronovan like moments. The U.S. leadership on both sides of the line don’t have the . . . backbone . . . to make a serious stand about anything with a country that has something it needs. Sure, we can make a stand against Iran, North Korea but they really don’t have us in a place where they are in control or where we can’t live without them.
Saudi Arabia on the other hand has the fuel that dives the U.S.. I’m a bit sick of it myself. I won’t go into the politics of it all and where I see the failures in things. All I am saying is just as no one had the . . . backbone to stand up for Jesus, the U.S. doesn’t have it to stand up for this man nor any others who are flogged and murdered for offenses that aren’t offenses to anyone other than those who fear for their political power if an idea is allowed to spread.
Will I receive some backlash from readers or a drop in followers and views of my site for coming out against people who are gutless power tripping maniacs? If you are reading this, do you think I care?
Oh, but some are saying, “At least he wasn’t killed like those people in Paris for drawing cartoons.” You want to know why that happened? That happened because people haven’t made a stand for decades against things like what is happening to Raif Badawi. Those men in Paris and others have no fear of reprisals. They want to be martyrs. I don’t want Raif Badawi to be a martyr. Mankind already has the only martyr it needs.
Each country has a different set of laws. I don’t know the laws in Saudi Arabia. I do know this though, there is no law that can keep me from thinking, believing and caring what I want to.
Lord,
Thank you for giving us the freedom to think as we wish and make the choices as we wish. I pray that those in power will have the strength to follow what is right over what is self serving. As you have been a servant to this world I ask that those in Saudi Arabia become servants as well, servants to those who look to them for leadership and example, those in the U.S. to do the same. I pray that all those who read this are blessed by you with a desire to better the world with love and not lashes. All of this I ask in the name of Jesus who you gave all power in heaven and on earth, Amen.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
My Video Welcome
Just letting people know there is a new addition to the sidebar. No, the other sidebar. The one on the left. It’s a video welcome. It’s just a first try but I thought why not put it out there so you can all get an idea of the man behind the myth. I am a little nervous so excuse what most of it looks and sounds like. I am actually better spoken than this. Well I hope I am.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
Together All Ways
I logged in to write something, anything. Then I got upset and was going to rant, but then I remembered that this is The Year Of Renewal. So, pardon my language a moment, screw the upset. Listened to a song right after writing that bit of paragraph and a lyric poem came to mind. No, nothing to do with that first part. Just to show you a moment does have to color your entire day. Well that and I was just feeling it.
I know that, I’m growing old
But my heart, feels eighteen
Your love is, growing cold
No that’s not, what I mean
Words come out wrong, but I say them anyway
The pain is so strong, it gets worse every day
I can’t tell you
How,
I want to be with you in every breath of every day,
I want to be with you in every thought in every way,
Take this beating heart keep with you to stay,
Because we,
Be
long
To
gether
All ways
I can’t tell you how,
I want to be with you in every breath of every day,
I want to be with you in every thought in every way,
Take this beating heart keep with you to stay,
Because we,
Be
long
To
gether
All ways
They say you, are just a dream
You can’t be, that for real
But I know, you’re all you seem
You’re more than, sex appeal
I say that I love you, you stay anyway,
You keep running farther, coming back every day
Oh let me tell you
How,
I want to be with you in every breath of every day,
I want to be with you in every thought in every way,
Take this beating heart keep with you, to stay,
Because we,
Be
long
To
gether
All ways
Yes,
We
Be
long
To
gether
Always
So lady
you
know
That
I
know
We’re
guaranteed
Yes,
We
Be
long
To
gether
All ways
To
gether
Always
Dedicated to . . .
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
Nonsense makes sense to me. Eggplant.
Sometimes you just love a song. You love the music and the way the words sound and flow. You don’t even care what they mean. And sometimes it’s even a song where you can understand the lyrics but you still just don’t know what in the world the guys were thinking when they wrote.
Eggplant by Train is one of those songs. I have always called it Eggplant and Caviar. Why? I just think it sounds cool. And, well that’s part of the lyrics.
If you look around you don’t really find an explanation of this song by the boys in the band. And some people have just looked at the lyrics and nonsense. Being that I love nonsensical things at times, or at least writing it, I get the song.
Egglant and Caviar for you. One of the lines, a repetitive line. The repetitive line. Exotic things that many consider, at least young people consider to be expensive and of a higher taste of foods. Fancy if you want to get downright common about it.
When I think of this song I think there is obviously someone this guy just really loved and felt so into in that moment while writing the song that the words just flowed. This is poetry, pure and simple. Words like that aren’t made up. They. Just. Happen. Trust me on this one.
I see the imagery created by the pairing of words to be one completing the other or giving the other purpose. Each one is the reason for the existence of the other and the purpose of each. It’s all in there.
Call me crazy but, I. Just. Get. It.
Guys, if you are in love for real. Listen to this and you’ll get it. Ladies, you will to and this is the stupidness we want to say but are to self conscious to do so because we know it just sounds out there.
Train has a lot of great songs. But I think this one is my favorite. It’s funky. It’s out there. But it says it all.
Scarlet your eyes, cover your face
If I could dance, or stay in this place
I would be King and you would be mine
I would be day and you would be time
Eggplant and Caviar for you
For you for you for you
Eggplant and Caviar for you
Hold up my wings cause you are the sky
Paint me by numbers and don’t ask me why
Cause I am in bloom and you are perfume
And you are perfume and you are
Eggplant and Caviar for you
For you for you for you
Eggplant and Caviar for you
For you for you for you – ah
Apple Pie or Apple seed,
All the mouths that I must feed
Cold sheets or Tumble weed
All the ones that I must need
I would be King and you would be mine
I would be nine and you would be Mother Time
Eggplant and Caviar for you, for you, for you
Apple Pie or Apple seed,
All the mouths that I must feed
Cold sheets or Tumble weed
All the ones that I must need
All the ones that I must need
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
Back to School
Empty days bring peace,
As routines return to norm,
The classroom, bedlam.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
Introduction: Part 1
Brand New Blog
Go Check it out and Follow from the Beginning. Welcome a new WordPress family member.
RonovanWrites Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt Challenge #26 Empty&Bedlam
The 26th Haiku Prompt Challenge!
Badge provided by Me for this season.
Haiku is simple and simply addictive. So be warned now. Once you start it’s difficult to stop. Here are two things to know:
- Haiku can be broken into two sentences with the middle line of the three lines being the commonly used part, meaning 1&2 and 2&3 making sentences. That’s Haiku.
- Opposite meanings in the first and last sentences. That’s Haiku.
For a full refresher or How to write Haiku in English click here. But you can use whatever Haiku style you want to. As long as you, do a Haiku.
For Tips and Guidelines refreshers click here.
If you have a Twitter and your handle has not appeared in a ReCap of a previous challenge, please let me know what it is so when I Tweet the ReCap on Sundays I may include it.
This weeks two words to use in some form, meaning you can use another word that means the same thing are:
Empty&Bedlam
The source of the prompts came as I closed my eyes and basically asked God for words. Nothing came to mind. “Empty”. I typed the word and closed my eyes again. There were noises everywhere and dozens of images bombarding my mind at once. “Bedlam”.
My Example
With an empty bed,
He sleeps little and smiles less,
With bedlam his Mind.
DEADLINE: Noon on Sunday New York Time.
(I hate doing deadlines, but it takes quite a while to complete the ReCap.)
There are TWO “A RONOVAN’S CHOICE!” recipients each week. One for Humor and one for something more Serious. The Haiku are quite good each week and I am having to turn to the structure guidelines of a Haiku at times to help determine my selection.
Really each Haiku is a choice of mine, and I’m not just saying that, so I feel a bit odd even having something called A RONOVAN’S CHOICE, but hey, it’s a thing, right? And it does make it kind of fun.
2015 © Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com.
PhotoKu No More.
Due to a lot of things going on with my health I have made the very stomach churning decision to discontinue the PhotoKu Challenge. I have messaged someone about taking it over if they like. So perhaps it will be seen again and in a better form. The person I have asked is very talented with photography and very enthusiastic about Haiku as well. I am hoping for the best.
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
RonovanWrites Week 25 Haiku Poetry Challenge Review
Here we are with the 25th Haiku Poetry Challenge Review. 25 Weeks in a row. Hard to believe it but we’re still growing and enjoying. It would have been nice to reach 25 participants, just because the number would have matched. I have a thing about numbers at times. But the holidays do take their toll on the world of blogging.
With the idea of growing and enjoying you might notice a few changes with the Recap. I need to spend less time with computer related issues. Formatting is a big problem with my hands so things might be a little simpler for the time being. Well, at least as long as I can stand it. But as long as you keep writing, I’ll keep Recapping.
First to Write?
Patty of I’m Not Sick Boy gave us My Alex this week. Not only do we get a view of her world but we get to see a great picture of Her Alex.
Faith Unlocked wrote in with Old Wisdom. Wisdom is something to cherish. Some scoff at the old wisdom even when repackaging it as something new but so very skewed. This message keeps it real. And then a second Haiku with 25. I think this one is a personal favorite. I don’t know why I say that but perhaps you should go look and see. 🙂 @FaithUnlocked
Maniparna returns for her second week, and are we lucky or what. On her site Scattered Thoughts she wrote Year. I think you can get an idea of what her Haiku is about but how did she did it is the question. Go find out. It’s not quite what you think. @Maniparna
Sue is back as well! Love it when the Authors participate. You all know I have a weakness for them. From the site Daily Echo this week we have Sowing. No, this has nothing do to with pigs. (I wait for some to ponder that one for a moment.) Or does it? You won’t know unless you go check it out. @SCVincent is one of our resident authors so check out books available at Amazon here. The Sword of Destiny in England looks cool and The Osiriad based in Egypt very awesome. And don’t get me started on that whole Doomsday series of books co-authored with Stuart France, who doesn’t like a series?
Elizabeth of Tea & Paper. I have to say I always enjoy seeing this lady give us an offering. She gives us The Dress this week. Hmm, she’s been in someone’s closet and I’m not saying whose. @teandpaper
Kimberly of K.S. Fause seems to have taken my enjoyment of History to a new level. Yes, I know it is a coincidence but I don’t believe in those. I think her studies and my likes happened together for this Haiku in a very wonderful way. Chains by @KSFause
T.A. Wyatt, the mystery. No that’s not the title of the poem from the Finale to an Entrance site. Just my observation of our mystery poet. No, Passing Time: A New Year Haiku is the offering this week. Remember T.A. is another of our resident authors so check out books available at Amazon here. @FinaletoEntranc
Serins of Serins Sphere brings two Haiku this week to our 25th Anniversary. Optimistic sounding Haiku. While many have been reflecting on sadness of old it seems Serins is looking to the future. Go check her out. @SerinsSphere
KiwiBee of Snap Thoughts gives us From Goodbye to New. The prompt words were a bit obvious this week but I liked the contrast of the dimming aspects of the first ‘sentence’ formed and the sharpness of the second formed. One with a clarity and one with a foggy memory quality.
Colleen of Silver Threading throws out the old year and rings in the new with Expiration. A very good tone set with the words and image used. You need to go see it to know what I mean. @ColleenChesebro
Steve gave us Step Off from Simplicity Lane. Steve continues to bring originality to the words. Didn’t see this one coming. Remember that Steven Walsky is one of our authors and you can find his books on Barnes & Noble by clicking here and Smashwords here.
Cindy returns to us for her second week and yes, we are all happy! She wrote Unbound Hopes on Dreams in Alaska. Sometimes a title says it all. Well, it gives you an idea of the message. Go Read It Already! @cindyburrill
Meredith’s Musings and the Two Literary Angels of Meredith and Martha have their four for us this week. Meredith discontinued the guess who wrote which Haiku but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe if everyone asked her to start it again we could all guess after the busy holidays. @Meredithlbl
Marigold of Versus Blurb: A Reading and Writing Blog provided us with Tried & True. Whoa. Almost a tongue twister but very much a twister of the mind. I didn’t say twisted mind. Just remember that. Be certain to check Marigold Deidre Dicer’s book The Black Swan Inheritance just released in Nov. and available at Amazon for Kindle here. @MarigoldDicer
Nato of Chasing Life and Finding Dreams showed up with Growing New Again. One that we probably have all experienced. @MichelleLunato
Melissa of This, Right Now: Old Dog, new Tricks. Interesting. That’s what I’m saying, interesting.
Canaf from Faithful Devotions wrote New Creation. If only some would remember this message.
Battered Wife Seeking Better Life returns! And y’all have a lot to check out. She actually caught up with all of the ones she missed out on over the past view weeks with the madness of the world. Click here to go her Healing Haiku. Happy to have her back! @BWseekingBL
The Ronovan Write’s Choice selections for Week #25
For Humor this week I found that humor was not all that easy to find. But there was one that struck me as funny. And you must go see it.
Step Off by Author Steven Walsky.
The Serious Haiku is always difficult to select. It often times depends on my mood because we have so many good serious Haiku.
Old Wisdom by Faith Unlocked. A message I think all should embrace. With a choice of a badge to use.
My own offering this week was Peace to Old and New. And if you don’t mind for a moment, I will say I was proud of the drawing and the haiku I did this week. It was a very fun thing to do and I hope to do more like it. It inspires me to do a greeting card business, almost. But once it’s a job, then it is work and then the creativity goes out the window.
The closing Haiku for this weeks prompt:
My heart beats like new,
Although the pain is still here,
Old scars are fading.
A Cry For Help Ignored.
Christian Flash Weekly Event #40 From Christian Weekly.
A Flash Fiction Challenge.
Prompt and Word Limits for Event #40
Length: 1-150 words
Prompt: John 11:35 (KJV)
Jesus wept.
“I’m so confused,” Charlie said.
“Sup, man?” I asked.
“Dude, I just don’t know anymore. Parents have been dogging me about everything. I don’t think I can take it much longer.” His hands kept clenching and unclenching.
“Not a problem, man. You know all parents are like that. They just trying to get to you. Maybe trying to help too, in their own weird way.” I laughed a little, hoping to lighten the mood.
“It ain’t funny. You know I ain’t going to put up with it much longer. I can’t take it. I gotta do something.”
I knew he wasn’t joking. “Dude, just chill til tomorrow. I gotta go now, but text me later, okay?”
“Sure, man. Yeah.”
In the car Mom could tell I was upset. “What’s wrong Jeremy?”
“Nothing, Mom.”
“We have to be at church early before Youth Group tonight, so we’re going to just run through somewhere for fast food, okay?”
“Sure, Mom.”
Jesus wept.
As a former youth pastor I tried so hard to show my kids how to reach out to others, how to share their faith, how to talk to people, how to simply invite someone to the Youth Group on Wednesdays to have some fun and ease into church. It was a frustrating time. We even went out and visited people in the hopes of making a connection. But it was difficult when the Youth didn’t know where their friends lived. But we still tried. Tuesdays we would load up the van and go visiting and Wednesdays we would gather for our studies and activities.
It wasn’t just about more kids in church that was my biggest concern. It was about helping them. I knew there were dozens, hundreds of kids out there needing help. But with a church body that wasn’t as a whole as concerned about young people, the lack of empathy was absorbed by the youth themselves. Yes, there are many who care but too many that don’t.
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My Sunday Thought: Insults Don’t Insult Me.
Some of you may have noticed I have a slogan or motto attached to the blog now.
I’ve been asked the renewal of what. No, I don’t remember by whom. But I do remember whoever it was had read my Sunday Thought last week about the renewing of our minds or had at least liked it.
There are a lot of things I’ve seen in the news of late about some pretty, well, let’s just call them what they are. Stupid and even juvenile disagreements. A great many involve the back and forth Tweet fights of celebrities, usually music people. Sometimes it is between on artist that once was somebody who is trying to remain relevant by insulting a current somebody. The truth is they are really both nobodies as far as on my radar of celebrities of enjoyment. They simply waste mental energy and disrupt positivity for a moment of time that could be better used for something else.
Imagine if you will that one celebrity praised another instead. How often do you see that trending on any social outlet?
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.~2 Timothy 2:23-24
First of all, don’t even try and confuse this with an idea of we should roll over and let a nation or a person just completely stomp us into the ground. These verses have been misinterpreted almost as much as, well actually not near as much as the following.
But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.-Jesus in Matthew 5:39
There is a lot of culture behind the wording of this and I won’t get into it too much but simply put it is saying to ignore the insults and the slights of the world because they really mean nothing. The left hand was the shall we say the unclean hand in the time of Jesus. People predominantly used their right to do things such as eating and striking someone but of course to strike me on the right cheek you would have to backhand me, a sign of believing I was inferior to you. An insult.
We get backhanded a lot. We get backhanded in our blogs, we get backhanded at work, in our relationships, in love and in pretty much ever facet of life. A big step toward renewal is to realize these are insults that do you no permanent life ending harm. It may take a few moments to realize that, but you will realize it, just pray it’s not too late.
A 16 year old boy, I emphasize boy here, calls me a cripple in a grocery store. Do I let him know he has touched a nerve by retaliating? No, I do something I talk about in an old article I wrote back in May called Don’t ALLOW People to Control You. It’s advice from a very successful woman I heard at a business luncheon probably 15 years or so ago. I do not mean some large gathering with hundreds of people. There were maybe 50 people there and we were able to actually have a good discussion. Perhaps that is why I went home and typed up the notes from that meeting.
I’ve learned through the years to let the petty little garbage things go. I don’t give it space in my mind or heart that belongs to loving and adoring. That gives me a lot of loving and adoring to give. It also gives me a lot of ability to step back and look at situations in a fair manner. You learn how to look beyond things that spark that emotional reaction inside of you.
A lot of things this past year could have been avoided if dealt with in a mature fashion and would have set such a great example in many ways. But people are ALLOWING things to happen.
To get to the point of Renewal you need to get rid of the old habits you have of ALLOWING others control over you.
Remember;
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.~James 1:19-20
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From nothing to a Blog Post. It happens.
I’ll be honest with you, I have no idea what I am going to write. I opened up this page with the thought of just letting words happen. The idea of writing about How I DIDN’T Watch Football on New Year’s Day came to mind. Then I thought, why? I asked myself that as I leaned back against the headboard of my bed, leg stretched out crossed at the ankles and my laptop, well, on my lap top. Not that I’ve ever heard of a lap bottom. Why would I write about no football?
I thought about writing a poem, but it felt forced. So that was a no.
I thought about a writing or blogging tip, no.
I thought about promoting a book I like a lot by a friend of many of us, no. But that being said seriously go and purchase The Blue Diamond: The Razor’s Edge by PS Bartlett. It really is excellent and no, I do not say that as a friend. My honesty comes before friendship, otherwise my recommendations mean nothing. And she has other books in the series she is working on so there are more to come.
I did create a logo for the Lit World Interviews site. I am sharing that because I enjoyed doing it and I do think it looks pretty good.
Okay so there, picmonkey.com. I was a fan of fotoflexer.com for a while. I still like some of their features. But picmonkey has become my current go to. I create all my own images of late, if at all possible. That way I don’t have to worry about credits and the like. My images, my credit, or no credit really.
I originally was against picmonkey because of the way you had to navigate, but as I mentioned in a previous article it was just a matter of getting accustomed to things. And it was very easy to grow accustomed.
There are some limitations in some font choices I would like but the ones they have are very cool and varied and you can load your own fonts. The borders are nice and the effects and textures are excellent. If you are creative you can do a lot with them.
From creating a banner, a simple blog insert or even a book cover picmonkey.com is a great place to get the hang of. And it is really simple once you just start clicking and playing around with it. I use it every day.
Oh, and when you save it, make sure to put dashes between words like this – and 
not like this _ because _ is ignored in searches so words run together. While this – is seen as a space.
And that’s how I created a post for today. I wrote until something of interest to me came up and I thought would be of use to you. Normally I get rid of the not possibly interesting parts but decided to leave them in today just to show you how random I am.
Resolution Day.
Resolution Day.
This the day we make promises not to be kept. Promises we make each year. Be honest with yourself today and make this resolution;
- wake up each morning and renew your commitment to what it is you have as a goal.
- Print out your list and tape it to your mirror, your wall or wherever you will always see it.
- Keep several lists.
- Each month change the color of the list so as not to become so accustomed to it your eyes ignore it.
Resolutions are lost each year because we fall away from being Resolute to them. We do not have a Resolve to do the tasks.
Each morning make it part of your routine to prepare yourself each day to work toward your goals.
I do not normally make New Year’s Resolutions. This year I do have some goals and I will share them here so I will be reminded in a years time whether I met my goals.
These are professional goals:
- I will have two books made available to the public this year.
- I will be part of making the LitWorldInterviews site become something much respected in the Author and Lit World by improving the quality of my interviews once the current set of interviews have been completed.
- Quality on all of my sites will improve. Meaning Quality over Quantity as I endeavor to provide my friends with my absolute best.
- I will begin to take time each day to read more of my friends’ blogs and promote them.
- I will ask a friend each month to do a Guest Blog on my RonovanWrites site, beginning with Suzie of Suzie81Speaks, who will respectfully decline because she is so busy. This will be followed by requests made to Florence T and Hugh Roberts. Then I will go from there. Why so public announcement of who I will ask? These are three that have impressed me with a maturity in growth in tone of their blogs since I began reading them. I don’t know if others have noticed but I have. And maturity does not mean they were silly to begin with. I simply mean there is a tone in them that is more about writing as they like and not for others TO like. And there are others as well.
- I will simplify my blogging and in turn attempt to help others do so as well to make blogging more enjoyable as opposed to a time consuming unpaid business venture.
There are other Resolutions I am certain I will come up with but for now these will do.
Do I dare say I will find an agent or publisher to sign with this year? Do I go out on a limb and say that?
I will say yes.
With that in mind, just know that I will be devoting a lot of time to making a dream come true. And when it happens to me, know it can happen to you.
Now what are You
Resolving
To Do?
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