The Schemer
There is a man who we can surmise,
by his words and actions,
he plots our nation’s demise.
His ego is such he cares not one whit,
if we rise to the top,
or stay mired in our own____.
© 2021- Ronovan Hester Copyright reserved. The author asserts his moral and legal rights over this work.
“Don’t be so set in your understanding that you ignore the truth right in front of you.”-Ronovan
I want to talk about something today that I don’t really dig in to deeply here on RonovanWrites very often. Yes, I mention it, but I don’t really discuss it. I want to talk about my faith, my religion. You may think I have but I don’t. I normally save that for another site I have.
But this is RonovanWrites and so I’m Ronovan and I’m going to write. And I won’t be doing my humor moments to splice my Christian thoughts in with. I prefer clarity today.
You know, some people don’t know what Christianity is. They look at TV and history books, listen to friends or family, and that’s it. There is their views of Christianity.
That is not Christianity.
Those are personal views formed and written by personal views. And before some decide to stop reading and begin commenting they know from the inside of Christianity what it is and it’s bad, I am here to tell you what Christianity should be. What it is in my life.
Yes, this will be from my personal views. I like to think the Christianity that guides me in my actions here on my site is a good example of what it should be or at the least a good example of the good Christianity can be. What it is meant to be.
Don’t look to the aspects of the Crusades people like to point to. The President of the United States already showed his ignorance of what all the Crusades was completely about. No side was completely right and no side was completely wrong.
Don’t look at The Inquisition, the witch trials or even the attempted justification of slavery. Or whatever may the Bible may have been used for in your country. All of those twisted views of the Bible to advance PERSONAL agendas. They are very frustrating to me. Those views are NOT what Jesus intended.
How can I say that with such certainty? Jesus said that if a place didn’t agree with you, then move along. “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.”~Jesus Matthew 10:14
Sounds like Jesus wanted to force his teachings on people, doesn’t it? Wanted you to be confrontational. Wanted you to cram your ideas of down a persons throat, right? If you are taking all of that as I am seriously saying Jesus meant all of that then please step back, breathe and let’s move on.
Too bad so many Christians don’t take the attitude of Jesus, you know the guy they follow, about sharing Christianity. I know of one ordained minister who pretty much says it’s his job to try and keep at a person, be confrontational about it. I disagreed with him. He didn’t like that. Yes, I do that. A piece of paper doesn’t make you more knowledgeable or closer to God than anyone else. Sometimes it means you were willing to use your credit card for that online site to get your paper. I use mine to by books by Indie Authors trying to make their dreams come true.
I have been friends in the physical world and blog world with virtually every walk of life. Being in a college town will do that. And I have been supportive of every walk of life that does not bring harm to others. Why?
I see people, I don’t see labels. That’s not exactly correct. I do see the labels, I just don’t live by them.
I don’t force anyone to be like me, or believe like me, or think like me. You don’t have to be my clone for me to follow your blog or read your posts or support your blog by having it mentioned here on mine.
If you’ve read my blog you’ve seen articles and poems about pretty much every subject. I’ve written about society. I’ve written about love. I’ve written about sex. I’ve written about sensuality. I’ve written about being a father. I’ve written about blogging and writing.
All of those things are who I am. Being a Christian is part of that, the main part of that. It guides all the other pieces of my life. When I stray from that part of my life things become confused and wrong. Since my fall and concussion those times happen. I always find my way back and I write about that as well. I write about my faith. Hopefully not in a preachy way. There are realities of life that we all should face.
For me, I face them every day and am fine with them. For others I hope they can face Christianity, true Christ Led Christianity in a favorable way. Not the hate groups like the church that boycotts funerals. Or the supposed religious icon on his TV show that says don’t support your child who loves the same gender.
I’ve written about my thoughts on same gender love. It would surprise my denomination but is as Biblical as it can get.
Passion is a part of Christianity in a way few people realize. By knowing God, by loving God and being loved by God I believe I have opened myself up to the ultimate in loving. If you know me you know I love hard. I have passion about what I love, what I care for.
There are a great many times I will see the title of an article and won’t even bother clicking it, even if it is by someone I follow in the blogs or an opinion of a famous person I might like because the title is just that bad. Sometimes it’s bad of subject and sometimes it’s bad in regards to Christianity. Sure I am open to opinions but those with intelligence behind them.
And some of this goes back to an article I wrote about a blogger’s personality. We are lulled in to a safe place and then slapped by what may be the true personality of the blogger with a diatribe. In that one moment, that one glimpse all of that effort put in to building up a blog loses momentum. They’ve created a facade that has now been seen through and must be sewn back up for people to hopefully forget about.
I don’t think anyone today is surprised at my talking about Christianity during my Sunday Thoughts. You know, I am not defending churches or any particular denomination, although I am a member of a certain church. They all get it wrong. They all get a bit of it right. They’ve made Church Traditions imitators of Biblical Teachings.
It happens in every aspect of society at some point. You just need to step back periodically and get back to basics. It’s kind of like a pitching coach for baseball. He sees his ace pitcher having problems. The coach watches and sees if the pitcher is doing the basic mechanics right. And that’s where the problem normally lies.
In closing, if you run across a Christian that just seems to touch that nerve of, “If that’s what a Christian is then what’s the point?” then step back and compare to the teachings of Jesus.
I haven’t been perfect in my Christian walk, but I try to follow as best as I can. That’s all we’re asked to do, try. We can’t be perfect. But we can make good decisions and be a good example.
I hope I haven’t been too preachy to all of you today. It wasn’t my intent. This was actually the third version of this and maybe even not the best. Maybe it delivered the point I wanted. Maybe it didn’t, but I hope you received something positive from it.
My goal in life and in Blog World is to share my love, encouragement, and positivity. When it comes down to it, that’s all I’ve got to give.
Much Respect
Ronovan
© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2015
I read an article by someone I have come to consider a good friend of mine, Allison at Long & Luxe, and a phrase she used reminded me of one of my favorite all time scriptures.
“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”-Psalm 46:10
Each person reading this has different beliefs and we each have something we turn to that brings us comfort and peace. During a period where I was dealing with high blood pressure, which due to my weight loss I no longer have, and some newly found health problems at the time my world was chaotic. My mind was not able to focus and things had no stability to me.
I’m not one to believe in coincidences. Some people say God doesn’t speak to them. I say they just don’t recognize his language.
During this time two things happened:
One Wednesday night at church we broke up into different groups and prayed for each other. The one praying for me prayed for peace and focus in my life without my saying a word of my need.
The next week, as I was functioning as the Youth Pastor for my church, I took our youth to a Steven Curtis Chapman concert. For those of you not familiar with him, he is an American Contemporary Christian music legend. Some say he even broke the boundaries and brought music of a type that spoke to a new generation of Christians.
During the concert Chapman had the lights turned down low and it was just him and his guitar. And he sang this song.
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is holy
Be still oh, restless soul of mine
Bow before the Prince of Peace
Let the noise and clamor cease
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is faithful
Consider all that He has done
Stand in awe and be amazed
And know that He will never change
Be still
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know that He is God
Be still, be speechless
Be still and know that He is God
Be still and know He is our Father
Come rest your head upon His chest
Listen to the rhythm of
His unfailing heart of love
Beating for His little ones
Calling each of us to come
Be still, be still
As I said, I don’t believe in coincidences. I recognized God’s voice in what was going on around me. This was in 2008 and has been a mantra of mine ever since. Be still and know God is God and that there are things beyond your control, things you just have to pray about. Give the grief and the sorrows to Him. Let God be God.
Since an accident in my home in the summer of 2013 I’ve been through some tough times. One thing that has never left me is the Word of God. This verse keeps me going. I’ve expanded on it as I’ve studied the Bible more and taken a fresh look at how Christianity is today.
“Be still and Let God be God and people be people.”
I see the slogans and shirts about “Be calm . . .” or “Stay calm . . .” If I have to rely on people to bring me peace and calm, I’ll just give up now. My phrase means just stay calm and be yourself and LET God take care of the rest and LET people be the people they are and wish to be. Yes, as a Christian believing in Heaven and Hell I will share with someone what I think because I love them, no matter who they are, but I’m not going to force them to be what they don’t want to be. Jesus didn’t do that, and he’s the one I follow.
I heard Be Still and Know for the first time at that concert weeks before Chapman lost one of the three daughters he adopted from China. His youngest son ran over her in his truck as she ran to him. He didn’t see her. Chapman kept yelling to his son as he drove off after the helicopter taking his daughter away “I love you son. I love you.” Chapman eventually was able to record again. Was able to be still and know.
Much Love
Ronovan
2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com
The soul of a man,
Speaking always through words of life,
Truths are words unsaid.
Format is inspired by K.S. Fause. I still need to work on mine.
2014 © Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com
It’s All Good
by: Mr. Ronovan
Some may wonder
About this rambling fool
What’s he doing
Is he losing his cool
Ah, no, no worries
I’m just lettin’ off steam
Would you rather me vent
Or open up on them fools with laser beams
You see what people don’t get
Is that I am all about love
Even the misfits
That belch, dweeb and shove
I know they are actin’
From something else inside
Something that controls them
Something that likes to hide
People are a gift
Even the idiot mobs
God didn’t make them that way
He didn’t give them their probs
This is to you
All the impotent trolls
You know who you are
You’ll be paying some tolls
I speak like this
With honesty so direct
To wake you up
Before you break yourself like a train wreck
Step back for a moment
Reverse your situation
Think how you would feel
If you were on the end of your dictation
It’s okay to speak truth
As long as it is in love
And as long as it’s truth
And not some line you just thought of
How do you know the difference
It’s real easy to tell
Are you trying to build someone up
Or are you trying to make them fail
To all of my Friends
And you know you are All
Don’t listen to the drivel
Stand proud and stand Tall
Because when you are here
You know it’s all Good
That’s right my dear Friends
It’s all good in Mr. Ronovan’s Neighborhood
© Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com.
Truth in a Picture
by: Ronovan
You call me beautiful with your glance.
I get that a lot.
You like my eyes with their vacant stare
I don’t see you.
You see sexy in them, don’t you?
I see through you.
You say I have the perfect little nose.
I breathe, just.
You want to kiss my full red lips.
They sigh, barely.
I despise being an image for men to want.
You want me.
My eyes are vacant from being broken.
You don’t see.
I feel dirty and used and pained by him.
You see sexy.
I barely breathe when he hurts me.
You love my nose.
My lips bleed without a scream.
You want them.
Image Credit: gettyimages © Original Photo by nikkivanoostende.com
Copyright-All rights reserved-©RonovanWrites.wordpress.com-June 28, 2014.
“I can’t disguise myself with a wig and dark glasses – the wheelchair gives me away.”-Stephen Hawking
The Disguise of Contentment
by: Ronovan
Do you have certain thoughts when you see an elderly person slowly getting out of the car in the handicap spot at a store? What do you do when you see an elderly person in a store having to use a walker to walk with? What about those with obvious disabilities?
If you were to think about it honestly, you probably don’t give it a second thought. That’s who is supposed to be using those parking spaces and walkers, right?
I recently changed my Profile Picture back to my real photo. I was hesitant to do so because I was worried it would take away from the impression one gets from my writing. I know how when I read someone’s work the image used does sometimes add or take away from what I am reading but eventually I no longer even see the person as I read more and more of their work.
Now, look at my picture. You see a man that’s 6’1”, fairly clean cut, broad shouldered, some say rugged looking. I think rugged means someone who has been out in the rugged weather to much and is worn out looking, but okay, I can agree with that. When I wish I can assume the role of a bulldozer in crowds, politely so and people tend to get out of my way. This has usually occurred in the past when someone has held onto my shoulder and others are holding onto them in order to follow me through the crowd. Teenagers love me for this.
The rugged guy is leaning on a rail over a beautiful river, and somewhat smiling at the camera or at least not frowning. In other words you see the picture of contentment.
“Illusion is needed to disguise the emptiness within.”-Arthur Erickson
I’m the one that gets out of the car slowly from the handicap spot. I don’t use a walker in the grocery store, I lean on the cart instead. I’m the one that walks slowly forcing anyone with me to take their time. I’m the one that people have to get things from the bottom shelf for.
I’m the one that people look strangely at as he gets out of the car. I’m the one they look strangely at as he shuffles through the store. I’m the one that gets left behind as people walk on ahead. I’m the one that can’t get anyone to help get things from the bottom shelf.
I’m the one leaning on the rail for support. I’m the one hoping he doesn’t fall into the river as spasms of pain shoot through his body. I’m the one holding his dark glasses so he can have a normal picture of himself while hoping the earplugs blocking out the sounds don’t show up. I’m the one hoping the smile reaches the eyes in time before the click of the camera happens.
But what do you see?
Do you get yelled at as you get out of the car because you ‘look’ healthy? Do people stare at you as you shuffle through the store because they think you are on drugs or drunk? Do store employees chuckle when you ask for help as they walk away believing you are in jest?
Did you have to spend two hours of pain in a car . . . one way . . . to have your picture taken over a river? Do you have to hear the grinding of neck bones and the snapping and cracking of back bones every time you take a step?
Do your fingertips ache and hurt and feel like nails are being hammered into them every time you hit a letter on your keyboard? Is that keyboard your only escape and healing and chance at distraction and happiness? Do you pound the nails deeper or give up happiness?
I didn’t write this as a complaint about some of what I go through. I wrote this to show you that you don’t know what is on the inside of a person. I don’t go around wearing my illness and pains on a t-shirt or make it obvious. Just know that when you see people that there is a reason they are the way they are. Maybe it’s not a physical thing, it might be they are shy and don’t want to be bothered. There is a reason for it. Respect it. I walk slower, I move slower, but I ‘look’ healthy. And I am fine with that.
But here are some things I am not fine with:
Two things made me think to write this, one was a comment recently and the other was a thought I had.
“Friends may not know who you are, but they’ll never forget who you were.”-Ronovan
“The best live among us in disguise.”-Louis Dudek
© Copyright-All rights reserved-RonovanWrites.wordpress.com-June 21, 2014.
Writing, at its best, is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer’s loneliness but I doubt if they improve his writing. He grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness and often his work deteriorates. For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he must face eternity, or the lack of it, each day.-Ernest Hemingway accepting the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954 (You may listen to the actual speech here. It is only just over two minutes long.)
Does sharing your imagination frighten or worry you at times? Don’t laugh, you extroverted, uninhibited, creationistic, followers of your characters’ whims. There are those who think of who will be reading their work as in their friends and relatives, or even worse their religious leaders. Then all will know the strange goings on of their minds. Or even the naughty things they think of and dared shared. Those who do not venture into writing do not understand how the author can separate one world from the other.
Some will just laugh at the thought of being worried about what other people think, but for many it is a real fear. I believe this may be one think that keeps several very talented writers from ever becoming published or realizing their true potential. And the worst part is, they don’t even realize it.
Here is an example that might hit home for some. You have a situation where as you are writing one of the characters somehow turns out to be gay. I say somehow as in that it wasn’t a plan but as the story went along there was just something there that seemed to lead your writing in that direction. This character is a main character and a favorite. So far so good, right?
Now you have the issue that the author is fundamentally religious or whose friends are primarily against the gay life style. I use ‘religious’ because some religions share the same thoughts on certain issues. The writer personally doesn’t have an issue with it, but the friends would be shocked. So what does the writer do? Probably bails on the idea and just diverts from the issue.
But now we enter another one of those areas where the writer must decide between the truth of reality and the character or caving to peer pressure and believing it really doesn’t make a difference in the big picture. Where does the compromising end?
If anyone has read my We are the Editors of our Lives article you know that I believe God had a story written for us and then we end up editing it along the way. And I believe everyone may edit as they please without interference from anyone else, unless you plan to edit your life so that you intend to off me somehow. I might complain then.
I mention the article because my take on things is contrary to many that are of the same guild as I am in religion. I would write the character as the character would be written and move along. Would my views cost me some acquaintances? Yes, and it already has. But I believe that art should imitate life. Put what you believe into what you create.
I put the Hemingway quote at the beginning for a reason. Writing honestly will cost you some friends, perhaps many. Your life may end up a lonely one because you cannot make everyone happy. If you are making everyone happy then you are perhaps not being completely honest with yourself or your writing.
Readers want honesty. They are drawn to it. They revile the obvious snubs and cowardice of an author who runs from an issue. Some readers will never admit to reading the book, but they will read it. And…they will learn from it. That’s what we do, we allow them to escape into a place they want to be but cannot seem to get to. Be it a space adventure, a romance, a magical ride through another land, or yes, even admitting that there are real lives in the world that are not like our own but still exist and the world keeps turning as it always has anyway.
Now here comes the question all writers must face. Do you want to be true to yourself and your art and possibly end up lonely but free or be popular and unsatisfied with what should have been? And is perhaps honestly actually the popular in truth after all?
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