His Gift Was Knowing - A Short Story by Barbara Tremblay Cipak |
Sunday, January 24, 2021
His Gift Was Knowing - A Short Story
Sunday, December 27, 2020
What is Faith? As Seen Through a Personal Life Journey
What is Faith? As Seen Through a Life Review |
Challenges, endless challenges, or so it seems. Then without warning, there it is, light.
This article isn't meant to be preachy. My life is as imperfect as everyone else's. What's different now is the feeling that my soul is on track, on the right road to home. It doesn't mean life is always easy, although I'll take that if it happens, only that living in the light helps to make sense of it all. I actually wrote a video poem about that very thing; Living in Light.
My family's challenges and what I've had to witness as a mother, wife, daughter, and friend should have broken me. When I reflect back, I see clearly, that instead, it made me.
Each of us has our own bridge to peace, to inner calm. What I've learned along the way is that faith means many things throughout life.
FAITH - The Long Road Home - What is Faith?
- Faith is the belief that, in the end, everything WILL be ok: I believe that to the core of my being, I know this to be the absolute truth as sure as I breathe.
- Faith is losing it all and having to start over again, and you do.
- Faith is holding on when your heart has been torn to shreds, and you realize, even with that terrible pain, you've kept the most sacred thing you have safe in your heart. Love. You still love, you still can love. That horrible pain didn't steal anything from you - you discovered it couldn't.
- Faith is being able to let go and forgive when you've been betrayed and disrespected. You're still able to look beyond your own pain and assess the situation from the other person's perspective and flaws. You don't forgive for brownie-points; you do so because it's the only road to peace for all parties concerned. You hold on to the faith that the person who hurt you will grow, for their own betterment, not for yours. Whether they do or not, you love them anyway.
- Faith is a thousand prayers you've repeated in your heart and mind for your children. You watch them grow, and your heart fills with incredible worry for them until faith steps in to remind you that 'in the end, everything WILL be ok.'
- Faith is watching someone you love step back from the edge of addiction, and save themselves. The hardest thing in the world is bearing witness to something you have no control over. Along with a shoulder and helping hand, the only thing you ultimately can have is faith.
- Faith is watching your child drive away into their future endeavors. Your heart goes with them, and faith keeps you strong.
- Faith is working your way through a life long disease and still believing that 'everything will be ok.'
- Faith is when your children, even as adults, deal with sickness, and you still find faith, even through helplessness and tears.
- Faith is watching your friends battle cancer. Knowing you can't take away their pain, you pray, and you keep the faith for them.
- Faith is creating something, never knowing if anything will come of it, but you do it anyway.
- Faith is seeing your father's face in the casket and knowing, within the depths of your being, that he isn't in there. That his body was truly a temporary home. That he is standing beside you as you cry. That he hasn't left. Faith is the gift of total understanding that we live on. My father sealed that faith. I was raised with the belief in an afterlife and always had that belief. However, when I saw my dad's face in his casket, it was as though a bright light of knowledge filled my heart. I knew for certain that he was still here, that his body was just that, a body. His soul was still very much alive. I felt it. I still feel it.
- Faith is holding on so tight to your mother as she ages and lives without your dad. Your heart belongs to her in a way that nobody can truly understand. It's personal between you and her, and you love her so much that the only thing that erases worry is prayer and faith. I wrote this for mom a long time ago, and it's still how I feel.
- Faith is losing your parents' wedding rings that were gifted to you and praying so hard for their return: Then five months later, you're in your mother's room changing her bedsheets, asking that when you go back into your own room to "please let me find those rings." You know they can't possibly be there because you and your brother lifted that mattress right up and off the bed months ago, and nothing was there. Plus, you searched your room for months only to conclude that there is no way on God's green earth they can be there. However, because of faith, you prayed again the day you were changing those sheets. You didn't expect to find the rings, but you prayed anyway. When you got to your room, you peeked under one side of the bed's mattress, laughed to yourself, and nope, they weren't there. You were about to leave the room, and something compelled you to lift the mattress again on the other side of the bed. You were expecting nothing, but a miracle was delivered, and yes, both those rings were laying neatly just under the top mattress, one slightly overlapping the other!! You gasped! Almost fainted! You were gifted another powerful moment to keep in your heart for life. This is a moment in my life I'll never ever forget. I'm still shocked by it!
Friday, December 25, 2020
Merry Christmas!
Christmas is such a beautiful day of the year regardless of the weather! For a brief moment in time, we cease normal daily activities and concentrate on love, family, and friends. We focus on the meaning of Christmas.
Many of us are blessed to spend Christmas with the people we love the most. When our loved ones can't be with us, we call them, Zoom or Skype with them so we can still share that day with them. We stay connected with them while we open gifts, sing Christmas carols together, or even eat our separate meals together.
We also reflect on memories of Christmas's past and the loved ones who are no longer with us. The memory of them is a tremendous treasure even when our hearts are still breaking. This reality, perhaps more than any other, prompts us to embrace the loved ones still here with us, hold on a little tighter, and remember to say "I love you!"
Christmas is also a time for forgiveness and reconciliation. After all, the real reason for Christmas is the celebration of the gift of redemption and salvation.
"And the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of the great joy which shall be for all the people: for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord'." Luke 2:10-11
On this Christmas day, may you and your family be blessed and your hearts touched by the Creator who loves you with a love that surpasses all understanding.
We Wish You All A
Very Merry Christmas!
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Success After 60 - Is It Possible?
Success After 60? Yes, You Can Do It - Many Have |
I'll start off apologizing in typical Canadian fashion because, yah, this review about age is a bit self-serving; I turned 60 this year - and - I'm just getting started.
I personally live by that famous quote we've all heard: "It ain't over, 'til it's over." Actually, older-me believes it's never over; we keep growing and learning even after we transition, but that's for another day.
Are you familiar with some of the famous people who built their dreams after the age of 60? Here are just a few to inspire your aching bones.
Three Outstanding Souls Who Exemplify the Cliche "Age is Just a Number"
- Grandma Moses: She was born Anna Mary Robertson on September 7, 1860. She began painting at the age of 78. She was known for her rural scenery paintings. In 2006 her painting, "Sugaring Off," sold for 1.6 million dollars. Yep, proof right there, "it ain't over even when it's over!" She also lived to see her paintings sell for substantial amounts for her time (the 1930s) before passing on.
- Harry Bernstein: He enjoyed fame very late in life as a successful published author. On June 30th, 1910, he was born in Stockport, England, living 'til the ripe young age of 101 when he passed away in Brooklyn, New York, on June 3, 2011. Do you know when he wrote one of his first published successful books, The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers? The loneliness of losing his wife of sixty-seven years was the catalyst of this book. He started writing it at 93 years old! The book was published in his 96th year in 2007. He wrote and published The Dream in 2008, The Golden Willow in 2009, and What Happened to Rose was published posthumously in 2012.
- Fauja Singh: His absolute tenacity has garnered him the nickname the Sikh Superman. He's the oldest living Marathoner. He was born on April 1, 1911, in British India, and at the age of 109, continues to reside in the United Kingdom. The terrible personal family losses he suffered in the 1990s redirected him back to his first passion, running. In the over 90's bracket, at the age of 93, Singh completed a marathon in six hours and fifty-four minutes.
Hidden Dreams by Barbara Tremblay Cipak In the Poetry Book - We Will Have Morning Smiles |
What I've Personally Done For This Older Body, Mind, and Soul:
- I self-published a 50-year collection of a book of my personal poetry work.
- I published a series of personally written riddle books and created the website StumpedRiddles.com. I'm currently writing book six in the series.
- Keto saved my health. I lost over 60 pounds from 2019 to 2020. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 56 - and I was sick. Almost immobile. Today at 60, I feel ten years younger than I did at 56. Proper food and mild exercise are a part of my life every single day. It has taken a great deal of discipline, but feeling healthy is more important to me than eating the wrong foods and being sick.
- I work very hard on body, mind, and spirit. Spirit (soul work) is just as important to my day as eating and exercise.
"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete" by Buckminister Fuller (1895-1983) American Architect, Systems Theorist, Author, Designer, Inventor and Futurist
15 Personal Life Lessons I've Learned During These 60 Years of Living:
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Reviewing My Own Fear Factor
Admitting You Have Fear Is A Beginning
We all have fear, overcoming it is the trick image courtesy of pixabay.com |
What I have realized in the last few days is that I've been almost frozen with fears just below the surface of my consciousness. I haven't been walking around thinking about being afraid or thinking that I was scared but the emotion had been there for quite a while just waiting for me to do something. I've decided to start working on what I'm fearful of; kick those debilitating thoughts to the proverbial curb, so to speak.
There were hints that went unnoticed
What are my fears?
Sunday, April 19, 2020
55 Different Ways You Can Show Someone You Love Them
55 Ways to Show Someone You Love Them |
In the end, it's only love that matters. Our family lost someone yesterday (not from the pandemic), and we've been reflecting and remembering that love is the most valuable asset we take with us.
Let's not wait until it's too late to show those we love how we feel; let's start today. Here's a quick list of ways we can demonstrate we care:
- Call or video your I love you message and say it
- Physically mail a letter or a card
- Make them dinner and clean up the mess
- Clean the house for them
- Give them me-time; watch the kids
- Bring them a coffee, or two
- Play board games and laugh
- Email articles and photos to let them know you're thinking of them
- Write them a poem
- Dedicate a song to them via the radio
- Sing them a song; if you can't sing, even better!
- Create a video that lists all the reasons you love them
- Thank them for all they've done for you
- Accept or give forgiveness
- Say "I love you" as often as you can
- Bring them breakfast in bed
- Send flowers or a plant
- Drop off treats, gifts, personal drawings or groceries when social distancing
- Have cozy gifts delivered; throw blankets, pillows
- Snail mail a card every day, with a beautiful quote, for a month or a year
- Let them talk; be a listener
- Don't offer your opinions, just be there
- Don't try to solve unsolvable problems, just be there
- Accept each other's differences and just love each other for who you are
- Use please and thank you with your family members
- Speak with a kind voice to your loved ones
- Give sarcasm a break from time to time
- Remember they were once a little child, see them that way
- Keep dark thoughts at bay, and send people love and light often
- Remember none of us are perfect
- Go 24 hours judgment-free - judge nothing, forgive everything
- Read together, sing together, dance together
- Set a goal to laugh with them at least 20 times in one day
- Live for the moment, the specific moment you're sharing
- When possible, if possible, hug each other
- Start a story by email where everyone adds their portion and emails it to the next person
- Pray together in person or virtually
- Use your thoughtful inside voice when you have to ask for something
- Give them something personal that holds special meaning to you
- Ask them their opinion, so they feel they matter
- When they've made a mistake, remember your own mistakes before reacting
- Be a safe place for someone to land
- When they speak to you in confidence, keep it confident
- Don't gossip about people you love to other people you love
- Serve your community in some fashion; do it together
- Give each other space
- Be on their team in life
- When discussing testy issues, do it with grace and respect
- Smile at your loved ones - this one seems silly, but try it, you'll be surprised
- Laugh at their jokes
- It's ok to be happy; show joy in front of your friends and family
- Don't be afraid to apologize if you've made a mistake
- Forgive them if they can't apologize when they've made a mistake
- Be the change you want to see in a relationship
- When you need love, give love
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Reviewing The Love Of A Friend
Honoring Friendship
There is nothing like the love of a friend image courtesy of pixabay.com |
Friends hold your hand through life image courtesy of pixabay.com |
It is pretty special to have a friend that loves you through it all. They know all your faults and love you anyway. Her friendship was special like that, it is something I have always treasured and been in awe of. I've had many friends throughout my life but none quite like her. She was special.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Life's Changing Perspectives - A Twenty Year Review Through Poems
How have you changed in twenty years? |
I've declared 2020 the year of Body, Mind, and Spirit, with the main focus on feeding my spirit to balance all aspects of my life.
Remember Who I Am - Life Reflections Then and Now
Nearly twenty years ago, I wrote a poem called "Remember Who I Am." The poem isn't about begging to be remembered but rather about acknowledging the mistakes I made in life and how, ultimately, I learned from those mistakes.
Looking back to twenty years ago, when the video poem featured below was written, I can see my personal growth.
I'm a different person at 59 years old than I was in my 30s. I suspect that's quite normal. God willing, if I get to 80, I imagine my outlook will change further.
The most significant change inside me is a grander understanding of inner peace and what inner peace truly is.
There's so much I want to type about inner peace right now, but honestly, I don't think I can explain it? Let me say it this way with these powerful words:
"In the end, everything WILL be O.K." - I get this now.
We're still dealing with some of the same life struggles we faced when I was in my thirties. Even though those struggles are still quite significant, I now see how mundane they are and rarely pray about them. In the grand scheme of life, they don't rate.
When I was in church last week, I started thinking about my prayers from those times and how I've grown to understand that the secret to solutions is within us - and that prayers for souls, the human condition, our community, those we love, and visualizing the good, is where ultimate peace rests.
I feel I'm awake now.
As though I'd been handed a book with some of life's secrets in it. If I'm so blessed, I'm looking forward to the next book in twenty more years.
I've mastered forgiveness.
I can unequivocally state that I've got this one down without giving away anything overtly personal. What I understand most about forgiveness is that it's not up to me to 'forgive' others. It's lessons learned from all sides.
I approach the mistakes others make that hurt me, family, friends, or strangers as people who are either lost, dark, or learning at their own pace. Life is school; some of us are in pre-school while others have PhDs. No judging. Letting go.
Also, I disagree with the saying, "I forgive, but I'll never forget." If I have to hold any grudge, including 'never forgetting,' it's not forgiveness. You can read more about this in an article I wrote many years ago called "The Secret to Life."
Despite life's changes over the past twenty years, the words to this poem I wrote so long ago still stand.
Angels on Duty - Starting Our Day with a Helping Hand
Again, I wrote this one about twenty years ago. Of all the poems I've written over the past fifty years, this is one of my favorites.
The poem was written to visualize how Angels begin their daily work, helping us as soon as we wake up.
It's about waking up in the morning, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed, bending over with your hands over your face as you pause, thinking about the challenges you face today, and wondering if you have the strength to do it. Without knowing, there's an Angel present, whispering affirmations and confirmations that 'everything will be okay' and that you're not alone, and yes, you can do it.
Towards the end of last year, I achieved a bucket list item: I published a book featuring 50 years of my poems. Change, perspective, growth - it's all good. #bethechange #spreadthewordofgood
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Review of Year End
One Year Ends Another Begins
Wishing you all a Happy New Year image courtesy of pixabay.com |
Here is wishing you all the best in the coming year. I would like to leave you with this toast to end the year and begin our new one. It is a quote from Edith Pierce:
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Gratitude
God, Family and Church
Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church |
Photography
Fort Zumwalt Park |
Civic Park |
St. Louis Riverfront
|
Nature Photography
Lighthouse Photography
Photography Near my Home
Art Hill |
History Museum |
St. Louis Wheel |
Bandstand in Forest Park |
Sunrise and Sunsets
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Notre-Dame de Paris Reflections
Mourning The Loss Of History
Notre-Dame de Paris image courtesy of pixabay.com |
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Life is Short, Make it Sweet
The Heart of Country Music - More Songs |
As the song says, 'life is short, make it sweet'. The lyrics of this tune by Old Dominion remind us to spend time with those we love. Sunsets, fun and sharing time with each other, it doesn't get any simpler than that.
(Lyrics)
"I never gotta wonder where my honey be
I ain't savin' all my sugar for a Saturday Night
Seven days a week I got an appetite
The sunsets like a tangerine
Let's find a road we've never seen
Don't waste another mile or a minute not kissin' me
Life is short, make it sweet"
Make it Sweet is a Cheerful Song
When you need a musical boost, blast this one on repeat. With life's twists and turns, it's not easy being 'seen'. Lolz. The good news is, when you take control of your thoughts and your environment, being seen is something you can control from within. I know, it all sounds cliché but I speak from experience and I've personally done the work.
For over four years now I've made a conscious effort and practiced that other old cliché, 'control your thoughts control your life'. Sure I'll slip up from time to time and unwittingly let someone rent space in my head, but not very often.
As soon as I feel my mental strength begin to diminish, I work to take back that control. It requires a conscious effort, until it becomes subconscious. The key is practice. It's no different than exercising the body: Takes time, takes repetition.
A quick tool I use to pull my mind away from unproductive tangents is word repetition.
Choose your word. Mine is 'Hope'. When the brain decides it wants to run my life, I take back my control by repeating my word over and over inside my head as many times as it takes until that noggin' of mine has forgotten the tangent it was on.
You'll slip up many times and in the middle of it forget you were using word repetition. No biggie. Just pull yourself back on track and start again. After years of doing this, bad thoughts and energy just begin to avoid you - they'll realize you're like Fort Knox, no getting in.
Music is One Road to Inner Peace
Make it Sweet by Old Dominion is the ideal, bring it back to the basics song. As soon as my husband and I heard it, we both smiled and agreed that the message was calming. The lightness of the tune helped to unweight the heaviness of the day.
Another Relaxation Option - The Zen Channel - Stingray Ambiance
If you have this channel, be sure to use it as a way to control the energy you allow in your home.
We mostly read our news now and our TV sets on the main level have Stingray Ambience on all day. They feature gorgeous scenes from all over the world with light music in the background. In fact we rarely watch regular TV now. We only tune into shows that interest us from time to time. We're not blocking out the world, we keep up-to-date online. We're just actively controlling our home's environment. It makes a big difference. It heals the soul.
Between aromatherapy, the Zen Channel and the song Make it Sweet, we're creating our own peace.
Here's to your happiness :)
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