Deep inside of us, we have our inner beings.  Some say our souls, our spirits, or even our physic.  The special part of each of us that makes us so very unique.  As we travel the roads on our journey, we have many different experiences, positive and negative.  All of these experiences, especially the bad ones, can cause us to protect that being in different ways.  When we experience pain and hurt, we seek coping mechanisms to protect that inner being.  I describe several of those in the writing today.  Saying that we use these is not saying they are either good or bad, it is saying we implement in order to survive.  The very bottom line in all of this is understanding our inner being no matter what it uses and learning from those experiences.  Understanding our inner being will allow us to accept ourselves.  This type of growth will lead us to peace!  And peace is what we all really seek in this chaotic world.  Peace  in who we are, where we come from, and where we will go!

The Inner Being

Who is the inner being?

Do we ever know who it really is?

Maybe we are not meant to ever find our being.

It could be the path of trying that is the real journey.

Not the finding.

 

The path creates drama for some to identify.

We use this to protect that inner being.

Some of us live from one episode to another in order to keep the being alive.

While at the same time alienating those around them.

Driving people away.

 

Inner beings also use laughter.

Not a joyful laughter.

But a painful laughter.

Especially when the path is not funny, and the pain is so deep.

The laughter covers the pain.

 

Silence is how so many inner beings survive.

They withdraw inward.

All emotions go deep, deep inside.

Eating away at the inner self for years.

And piling up more and more.

 

Some inner beings spew anger.

Explosive, vial anger.

At themselves and especially at others.

Trying to cover and protect the inner being.

But only to create more enemies.

 

The inner being tries to move out of us at times.

It causes illnesses and sickness.

Individuals endure pain from conditions caused by the constant fighting.

The inner being pushes and pushes until the physical cannot function.

And the whole person suffers.

 

The inner being must be nurtured.

Nurtured to avoid these damaging methods of coping.

To gain feelings of being safe.

We all have our own inner being.

And we all must guard against the negative evils on our paths.

 

Love of one’s inner being is the hope for the journey.

Loving ourselves, so others may love us.

Not being fearful of who we are.

Understanding the creation that we are inside,

And living the journey, loving ourselves.

 

Even though we may not find the inner being.

It will find us.

We cannot ignore it.

The inner being is a fragile entity.

We all must protect it in a healthy way.

 

The inner being is specific to each of us.

Even though we cope in similar ways,

The inner being is as different as each fingerprint.

The journey would be unbountiful without it.

Knowing the inner being is all that can bring us peace.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

This week work at acknowledging and seeking your inner being’s ways of coping.  Seek who you are and accept yourself with love as you would love others.  My prayer is that may your inner peace be reached this week.  Thank you so much for “being” with me this week!  Blessings and love on your journey!

Love,

Rennae

 

Journey

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have always admired the woods this time of year.  All other seasons we only see the external beauties of the woods like leaf color, mass growth, or animals leaving the security.  During the winter, we see clear through to the bones of the woods.  We are given glimpses into the secrets held there.  Many people are like this.  They hide their deep beauty because of hurts and pains due to life’s circumstances.  You only get to see this beauty briefly for a season.  I think many times we do not pay attention to these individuals when they are sharing a hidden secret about themselves.  We become too busy or too self-absorbed to notice, just like we are too busy or too self-absorbed to actually see the beautiful secrets of the woods.  When we are with these individuals, this may be the only time they are brave enough to share.  I encourage you this week to be observant.  Take time and notice the beautiful secrets of those around you, and take time to notice our wooded surroundings.  You will find all types of secrets that are very special.  You never know what blessings you will receive from just seeing things around you!

Secrets of the Woods

You show us all your hidden secrets at this time of year.

The leaves have blown away.

The grasses have dried and withered.

And you stand naked.

Exposing everything.

 

Beautiful secrets!

One of fallen logs.

Others hiding places for many creatures.

I can see all your insides.

Your veins of life running along the ground and throughout the sky.

 

The silhouettes you expose are magical.

The dark against the light.

Shows creatures and characters from other worlds.

The ghost trees dance in the clearings.

The cedars show their shades of green.

 

Your secrets reveal paths not taken.

Mosses provide carpeted paths.

And the curve of the Earth is so vivid.

I discover rocks to relax on.

And hidden earthy scents feel fresh and anew me.

 

I can see all the woods you have this time of year.

Maple, oak, and sweet gum are just a few.

Many have dropped their seeds and fruits.

To bury in the mulchy leaves across the floor.

Waiting to be carried away by creatures in the shadows.

 

You reveal the hues of your insides.

All shades of brown, white, charcoal, and deep green.

You make the homes of many by the knobs, cracks, holes, and twigs you contain.

The safe comfort for so many.

The lichens and moss make their resting spots in your bones.

 

The winter secrets are revealed.

If only we would look.

If only we would respect all that you give to us.

The day will come when you hide all these secrets again.

Until you let us see your internal beauty again.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I cannot thank you enough for joining me this week!  I pray you can be blessed by the secrets of the woods and the secrets of the beautiful people around you this week.  Open yourself up in order to receive blessings from both of these.  May your winter week be joyful, helpful to others, and happy from the secrets you discover in the woods!

Love,

Rennae

 

Blessings

 

 

One of the toughest times for me are those quiet times right after the holidays.  Visits and phone calls become fewer.  Busyness and preparation settle down.  Everyone returns to work and schedules.  It is just difficult adapting to the quietness again.  Where some of us search for the quiet, some of us dread this type of quiet.  As I reflect in today’s piece, I am so blessed to know this quietness after all the noise!  I am thankful I have those that love us and come home to be with us that causes all this noise!  Never be discouraged as the quietness settles in, because it also brings great hope for the noisy house again!  Use this quiet time to set goals, reflect, or express yourself in a positive way.  Come on quietness!  The sooner you are here the sooner the noise will return!

New Year’s Silence

The silence is deafening.

It is all over.

The hustling to hide gifts.

The rush to make cookies.

 

The most noise heard now.

Is that of the dogs rustling in their beds.

All the conversations are quiet.

Because all the characters have come and gone.

 

Not by choice,

But by life.

Not from lack of love,

But from living the journey.

 

All that can be heard.

Is the rain on the windows.

And the wind whistling in the eves.

Which both leave only contemplation.

 

The holiday movies are gone.

Dinners out will happen other times.

Books returned to the shelves.

All have provided dreams, trips, and fictions of many characters.

 

The rest provided in a safe place.

Has shut down for a time.

The comforters and pillows for naps.

Are all tucked back into their cubbies.

 

The winter lights are the only sounds to be heard.

Their warmth tries to replace the missing souls.

Everyone including the puppies.

Watch the doors and windows thinking someone will come in.

 

The silence may be scary.

But one has to remember it will not last long.

Other days will come.

When the conversations, laughter, and being together will drown it out again.

 

Quietness come as you may.

Because I know the hope is hidden beneath you.

The hope when the souls return.

Making this a noisy house once more!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Thank you so very much for being with me this week.  I am so grateful that you spend your quiet time with me.  May your quietness bring joy, smiles, and thanks, helping you to look forward to the hope of love again!  We say thanks to God for the blessing of noise!  Make your quietness a blessing of joy this week!

Love,

Rennae

 

Blessings

 

 

Wow!  Was that holiday season as fast for you as it was for me?  I pray yours was as wonderful as mine!  Thanks for your understanding in me taking time with family and friends.  I have to say while I was leisurely moving through the holidays, the stars where moving through the night sky.  I have never seen such brilliance on these clear, cold winter evenings.  The sky sure puts on an amazing show!  And even though in my belief, our day for celebrating is over, when I look at the stars the celebration only continues.  Their brilliance reminds me of one of the greatest stars ever given, Jesus!  As I peruse the winter night sky, I can not help but to consider the greatest star of all.  I hope with the beginning of your new year, your celebration can continue as we see the miracles before us.  I hope you can know the holiday just continues because of this brilliance!  The Star shines on!

The Winter Star

The star fell from the sky.

It landed in a lonely manager.

All thought the Star would be a king.

The Star would be from power and royalty.

 

There were other plans from the Universe.

The Star was to represent the normal.

Not the aristocrats of society.

But the humans at the lower echelons.

 

The Star grew up as a normal child.

Doing childlike things.

And raised in the religion of His people.

But with a special sense of being different.

 

Different in heart and mind.

Yet aligned with common man.

The Star became a young man.

Following the heart of His Father.

 

As the Star became brighter and brighter.

Many of those with small hearts

Feared the light of the Star.

They feared His connection to mere humans.

 

The Star cured people.

It taught children.

The Star ministered to those hurting emotionally.

And applied some of the greatest love laws throughout time.

 

This Star did miracles.

It led the common man to be strong

The Star scattered love everywhere.

And promised a light that would beam past death.

 

The leaders and governors of the people.

Became more fearful and developed hate for the Star.

So much hate that they sought to extinguish the Star.

Their small minds developed schemes to employ against the Star.

 

They appeared to snuff the Star out.

To only learn that the Star.

Returned to the sky to burn brighter.

And burned into the heart of man.

 

The Star found its way around the world.

And reached all nations and all people.

Uplifting many to know.

God’s grace through a simple Star.

 

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

May your winter journey be guided by the brightest light of all!  The most amazing thing about the brilliance of this Star is that it transfers that glorious energy into us as well.  Thank you for joining me again.  I hope my words can encourage and inspire you as the year begins.  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of that journey.  Shine on bright stars!

Love,

Rennae

 

Grace