Have you ever had situations, circumstances, or relationships that seemed just dead on the surface?  Most of us have been there.  Either what once was promising, hopeful, or even flourishing just stagnates, withers, and dies.  Or it seems dead.  The winter scene this week reminded me of those many scenarios.  All can seem lost, and then within moments a glimpse of revival can change the course of the scenario then changing the outcome.  Underneath what appeared dead is life!  Survival that keeps us moving forward in life!  Hope just rises above the death.  Don’t let the dead fool you this week.  At any second, moment, or even day the survival can arise above the death!

Survivors of Death

Nothing appears to be alive.

All things I see are brown, brittle, and dead.

The ground is dry and crunchy.

Dampness hangs everywhere.

The longer you are surrounded by it.

The colder you get.

Nothing moves.

All things are hidden away.

Then one by one they start to appear.

They dart from tree to tree.

Trying to reach the feeders left for them.

Red, yellow, blue, brown—-blue birds, woodpeckers, chickadees, red birds.

All gather back and forth from trees to feeders.

Then at a glimpse I see the long, fluffy tail.

A squirrel appears on the fence.

Playing a game of hop-scotch.

The cold wind moves the trees.

Making them appear to be dancing.

All in synchrony like ballet dancers,

But bare without life.

Out of the thick, beige grasses,

Peaks a bunny.

Grey and furry sneaking out just a moment to grab anything green.

Then right back into her warm burrow.

The landscape looks barren.

Then very slowly a slight twitch of a snow, white tail moves.

She moves very slowly across the brown leaves blending right in.

Then as quickly as the deer came, she is gone.

What once seemed dead and gone,

Proves me wrong again.

Hidden beneath the death is a world of living survivors.

Survivors living and thriving til another green day.

I will never be fooled again.

What appears dead can revive again!

Who knows what treasures live beneath the death.

Magical survivors that will appear another day!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Thank you so much for joining me this week.  I pray blessings for the path you are traveling and the death you survive this week.  This week as you examine the winter landscape, search for those survivors, and do the same in the scenarios along your journey.  Our lives can be so enriched from the composting of the dead if we are willing to stop and look! Live as a survivor this week!

Love,

Rennae

Journey

I felt compelled this week to speak to each person’s heart.  What I have seen unfold in our country over the past 15-20 years has been very sad.  Many good people have fallen into the trap of believing that our country needs one person or a group of people to “save us”.  One of my searching questions is to save us from who or what?  Our bad or good choices, our good or bad decisions, people in “power”, people not in “power”, our own freedom, other people’s freedom, or what?  This “need for saving” has caused us to examine everyone else’s heart except our own.  And not in private, but out publicly for the world to see.  It also has caused us to think we depend on something other than our own Higher Power for inner peace, love, and protection.  I guess if this was the first time this had happened in various civilizations of the past, we would be surprised, but how has such a diverse humanity as we are, allowed itself to be sucked into a void of power.  The greatness in our humanity has always been differing in order to agree on the humane building blocks of any civilization.  We believe that these various differences make for a strong, stable group of humans.  My piece this week describes my struggle and pain in seeing my country torn apart by multiple non-humane individuals and groups, political, non-political, past, present, future, and all in between.  I pray my piece today helps you to think about each of our own parts in maintaining humanity with a civilization of love and strong convictions.  I hope we all remember there is always a strength greater than just one.  It is the powerful hearts and souls of the many that make up the Almighty One.

Convictions of Humanity

I search in my heart these days.

Seeking answers to questions that are perplexing.

Trying to make peace with humanity.

And trying to understand actions.

We are all always in a motion of change.

And humanity is always that way too.

But no matter the changes I am going through,

My basics of life remain the same.

There is always room for love.

Treating someone like I like to be treated is the only way to live.

Respect, toward others and ourselves, is a must for all people.

Staying strong in my beliefs is my constant.

I truly believe humanity is the same.

No matter the changes,

There are certain convictions that remain constant.

Unfortunately, many these days have lost these convictions of humanity.

And that leads me back to my questions.

It leads me back to my search.

Who decided these convictions of humanity were no longer needed?

No one person can do this for civilizations of humanity.

All have personal beliefs.

Beliefs with all the basic convictions spoken in different ways,

But behind all ways.

The convictions of humanity.

As my mind and heart tries to understand this perplexion.

I go back to my constant beliefs.

One of which is hope.

Hope meaning to dream, wish, or aspire.

I hope that humanity returns to its convictions.

I know not all of humanity will,

Because there are those that lack a love for humanity.

Those that seek power of self above all else.

But my wish is that there is more of humanity that seeks love instead of power.

Those that know no structure can make civilizations thrive and exist.

My wish is for humanity itself to ascertain love above all.

The only way for the existence of humanity to survive

Will be through the hearts and souls of each individual.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I hope this week I have sparked your brain on how you can be a part of strengthening our humanity.  How each of us, and us together can keep a civilization of honor and trust going.  In my heart I really feel we have relied on too many higher ups in our world to maintain this civilization.  We have thought the leadership of this country is what makes our humanity great, and it is not.  The building of this type of humanity begins in each of us.  It begins in the deepest parts of our souls and hearts.  Blessings on your part this week in carrying out the convictions of a great country in a great civilization!  We are the leaders setting the examples of mankind!

Love,

Rennae

Relationships

As the winter settles around us, there could be no more of a perfect time to examine the whispers in our heads.  Whispers of hope and plans telling us to do and be the very best we can be.  Winter provides the perfect background to address the whispers.  List them as they come to you, but leave a little space below each one.  Just jot down in a notebook or on a sticky.  Examine them.  Are they whispers that need validating or are they whispers that need to be dismissed?  Next what can you do with the whispers, or what do you want to do?  Star the ones that are most important to you.  Then as you go back over the ones most important, jot a simple statement down of what you want to see happen with this whisper.  Do not try to do this all at once.  Come back later and listen inside on how to make this whisper happen! This season is the perfect time to investigate and address the winter whispers!  Start today!  Tackle one at a time.  Plan for success on those that are truly important and being delivered by the Holy Spirit.  Sit back, listen for the whispers, and plan to succeed on the ones meant for you!

Winter Whispers

That good cup of coffee.

My comfy chair and whispers in my head.

Kisses from my fur babies.

Calls from my human babies.

Twinkle lights in the winter dark.

Muted woody trees against the cedars green.

The white birch trees appear to stand with snow layered on them.

Dry, brown leaves barely hang on to a few limbs.

All present a calm, unspoken word, whispers.

Showing us every blessing in this bleak season.

All the mysteries of our purpose hidden during any other day.

Treasures right in front of us.

The chilly, cold air makes us appreciate the warmth.

And the quiet that come with it allows the whispers to be heard.

The quiet provides us time to think and study life.

Life’s questions, life’s answers, life’s trials, and life’s joys.

The weak sun appears for minutes.

Illuminating all things in the trees and the hills.

We examine our hidden things too.

Whispers in our hearts and in our souls.

It is a time to be inside.

Nestled where we feel safe.

Opening ourselves up,

As the Earth opens up to us.

We can learn about ourselves by the winter whispers,

As we learn about the Earth.

Making goals and promises,

To who we are and who we want to become.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Thank you for being with me this week.  I hope your winter has been safe and enjoyable.  Bring your best out this season by growing from our winter whispers!  Don’t let them hold you back, but let them whisk you forward toward a promising future!  Stop, listen, and hear the silence speak!  Blessings and love to you and your families in this still quiet season!

Love,

Rennae

Grace

We made it!  Through pains, heartaches, and hardships!  We can say goodbye to a year that no one wants to reflect on.  I would love to thank all of you for understanding me being away for a little period of time.  My husband, Danny, did amazing with hip replacement surgery!  Our holidays were just wonderful with family and friends.  I cannot thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers.  Now we have a clean calendar and a new clock available to us.  Is this what heaven is like?  New beginnings with our slates wiped cleaned!  I hope so!  The feeling of hope and anticipation just swells in our hearts.  If each of us can move forward with joyful energy, love, and positive perspective, our light will be contagious and others cannot help but to join in!  I pray the piece today provides you with a great perspective on 2021.  This is one time and maybe the only time, I will say do not really worry about reflecting back.  Instead look forward!  Leap forward! Run forward!  Toward new hope and joy!

The New Year

The slate will be wiped away!

Have I not heard that before!

New hope with new dreams!

Memories to make.

Souls to satisfy.

We get to start over.

Begin again.

Going forward.

Future wishes to be fulfilled,

And relationships to grow.

Our breath signs a relief.

As we put the pains behind us.

Hopes do not lie in one of us,

But in all of our hands held tight.

We march toward the sun!

The light draws our hearts.

As we face the glorious future!

We have new goals,

With new directions,

And roads that lead to new experiences!

Here we go again!

A new second, a new moment, or a new hour.

To be filled with pictures of new celebrations.

Blue skies.

Fresh air.

We can attain the hope in our hearts.

We will dance with passion.

Sing with glee.

Hug and squeeze until our hearts overflow!

Every moment we are blessed with love!

New Year—Watch out!

We are coming your way!

To love,

To laugh,

And to live beyond even our own imaginations!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Thank you for rejoining me this week.  I pray I am back on track getting to share with you.  It means all the world to me that you take time to be with me every week.  May you and your family and friends be blessed on this new journey.  I am so glad we are given a new beginning to write other parts of our lives.  Go out there and live in 2021!

Love,

Rennae

Blessings