The Art of Listening

 

You have to choose the voice you are going to trust.

You can't listen to everyone.

Alice Hoffman

There are no lack of opinions

Everyone wants to tell you what to think

What to wear

What to dream

Who to vote for

 Maybe just for today

we can rise above it

and listen to our heart

and that's poetiquejustis

 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain; it was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper.
I Kings 19:11-13

Don't Get So Steamed!

 

For every minute you remain angry, 
you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A wrinkle mind...

Steamed?

Focused on life's wrinkles?

Shake it out!

Shake it off!

let it go

Or iron it out

Who wants to be seen in a wrinkled mind?

and that's poetiquejustis

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,

 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

I have my suspicions

 

Life's given me no reason to expect the worst

Dean Koontz

The City

You are still here, right?

and the world is still turning?

You are putting one thought next to the other, right?

Forging ahead from breath to breath?

Then why that suspicious look 

as you peek around the corner where  today meets your tomorrow?

If I were life, I would be pretty insulted.

just sayin'...

 

and that's poetiquejustis

Be strong and courageous. 

Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Let's Be Direct

 

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back

Robert Frost

 

 

I dropped by a shop to see if they had my favorite hand cream

 

 

The salesperson said: we don't carry that'

 

And went back to her phone screen as she walked away

 

I wanted to remind her that perhaps redirecting me to another product

 

May have been helpful

 

But I had to reflect in that moment

 

About my own self direction.

 

When purpose is not easy to find

 

When things in life are not where I want them

 How good am I at redirecting myself?

That's a pretty direct question

And that's poetiquejustis

 

 

Just Show Up

 

We convince by our presence

Walt Whitman 

Showing up

Sometimes that is all it takes

Showing up

for the birthday parties

the sad moments

the happy moments

Just showing up to share the moments of life with people

That is convincing

and that's poetiquejustis

And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Luke 6:31

Just How Happy Do You Want to be?

 

When I started counting my blessings, 

my whole life turned around.

Willie Nelson

Afraid you are not getting a piece of the pie?

Bake your own slice of life and enjoy it!

Afraid the parade is passing you by?

Grab a big bass drum and head off down your road.

You are as happy as you want to be

You have as much as you think you need

 now

is the time to be grateful

because you have it all

and that's poetiquejustis

                                Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; His love endures forever.
                                                                   Psalm 107:1

Making Time

 

And when is there time to remember

to sift, to weigh to estimate, to total?

Tillie Olsen

Young people racing to get ahead

Older people racing to keep up

No people keeping count

of what is happening 

Rich people racing to spend

Poor people racing to earn

All people caught in the race

when are we going to learn?

Today

Stop!

Sift!

let time run through your hands for a minute 

and see how it feels

Weigh your priorities

Estimate where these have a place in your life

then make your next move

and that's poetiquejustis

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14