Spring does strange things to people and I’ve been on a cleansing and purging kick. These deep digs turn up funny things. I found a box of rejection slips—from lit journals, anthologies, magazines, and various other publications. It’s like I couldn’t take no for an answer. One “yes” every six months kept me going, and…
Tag: Encouragement
Motivation, hope, beating blues, defeating depression, taking a pause, lifting up
The Beginning is Here
When YeHoVaH brought back those that returned to Zion, We were like unto them that dream.2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter,And our tongue with singing:Then said they among the nations,YeHoVaH has done great things for them.3 Jehovah has done great things for us,Whereof we are glad.4 Turn again our captivity, O YeHoVaH,As the streams in the…
Follow the Sun
One dreary grey day, many years ago, I stared out the window from my seat on a delayed flight to New Mexico. To be honest, the weather reflected my mood pretty accurately. In a word: joyless. After everyone boarded and buckled in, the pilot announced our imminent takeoff. Soon we were speeding down the runway….
Satisfy Small Curiosities
The people around us cannot see into the future. If they could, I would have been accepted into every college prep English class I signed up for in high school.
Sneak Preview
Winter is tough, but you’re tougher. Hang on to your hope. Spring and all its glory are just around the corner. The days are longer, the sun is warmer, let brightness cheer you. You’re stronger this year than ever before! It can still be the best year of your life. You were built for greatness!…
Opportunity: Triumphs or traps
You’ve set your goal, eliminated the biggest obstacles, and now you can set the cruise control and coast, right? If only that were true. Just as getting a degree takes a certain level of dedication and sacrifice, so does monitoring your trajectory. Many things will try to horn in and squander your time, under the…
See the Forest in the Seeds
I shared an apple with a six-year-old boy. When I cut the apple into wedges, a small handful of seeds fell out. My mind went one way, his went another. I wanted to scoop them up and throw them away so his little brother wouldn’t find them and eat them. They have traces of arsenic,…
Winter Night Reflections
I hope you’re all snuggled up with something hot to drink and a blanket to keep you warm. You could have been anywhere else, a party, talking to a friend or even traveling. But you stopped by to read me. I’m truly honored. I know you don’t read just anything. Thanks for following me this…
Little Steps Big Results
In my writing journey, amid reading a ton of books, I came across one of the most prolific new authors I ever had the pleasure to read. An internet search revealed she’d written a dozen books. She had a sharp-looking website, a social media platform that reached around the world, and everywhere I looked, there…
Tumbleweeds or Oak Trees
Teresa Lund is a supporter, encourager, and fantastic writer in her own right. She volunteered to write posts for me this year while I struggled with loss, the resulting lack of words, and mild depression. She always reached out to strengthen just when I really thought I couldn’t take another breath. Her posts really touched…
Dusting Off Trunk Books
It surprises most people to find out that ghostwriting is “a thing.” But truthfully, most celebrities, politicians, and entertainers don’t have time to write a book. You don’t have to be in that crowd to write one. There are loads of fascinating stories out there that want to be told. Maybe yours is one of…
Bittersweet
I expected that over the following months, there would be a number of reality shifts.
Juli Ocean 