Do you have that favorite spot that you go sometimes, so that you can just “be”?  You may find yourself there for a few minutes or even a few hours, just stopping your world for a short time.  We all need this safe spot.  It may be an art piece, a view, or even a watching spot.  It doesn’t matter, what matters is that the spot allows us to step back for a brief moment in this busy world to see things clearly.  We find answers or encouragement not just visiting this place once, but many times throughout the year.  Notice where your spot is in your busy schedule.  It is probably right in front of you and you have just not paid attention.  Stop and don’t miss the view!  You may see something unexpectantly!

The Portrait Within the Window

Its lines are straight and defined.

They are crisp and clean.

Yet the lines themselves display shapes of all kinds.

Shapes and characters that move and act inside the lines.

 

I find many colors.

Greens of all shades.

Then bright oranges, golds, and reds.

After a while the lines hold nothing but a blue sky.

 

I see many things that move.

The wind is visible because it tosses the tree limbs and leaves.

The squirrels hop limb to limb or tree to tree.

Birds of all types dart in and out.

 

The portrait also displays what is not really seen.

The absence of leaves exposes the beautiful colors of the bark.

The bumps and holes show us the hiding spots of the many insects and animals.

The space between the lines allow me to see the light and the dark.

 

Time is held within the lines.

I can see day moving to day.

A month moving to another month.

And a year moving to another year.

 

The glorious portrait gives me such views!

The shooting stars as they reach the Earth.

The moon as it makes faces at me.

The lightening bugs as they dance in the dark.

 

This portrait paints the days for me.

It tells me how my life has changed.

It cast a spell on my soul to watch and look for the changes.

For I will always remember the pictures the window has provided.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Pay attention this week to what spot draws you for time.  Find the time and be selfish for just a moment.  It may seem selfish, but if you allow the time your selfishness will turn into selflessness quicker!  Because you can be a better you!  Enjoy your “be spot” or “view spot” this week!  May God show you unimaginable visions!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

Journey

 

 

It is the time of year that we start moving activities indoors.  Especially if you are in Tennessee this morning.  A front moved through with rain and coolness.  It seems nature was saying the outdoor times are over.  The warm, long days of summer have shortened, and the cool, crisp dark creeps upon us faster.  There is not a more perfect time than now to settle, relax, and reflect.  The physical comforts at this time of year that you grab up and hold onto allow you to get comfortable.  You can settle into who you really are!

The settling allows time to remind us of reflections that we have for ourselves.  These reflections may be where you have come from in your life and also where you plan to go.  Settling will also let you hear what God has to say to you.  Your mind can settle and be more focused.  So as you read this week, grab your comfys, coffee, and pen with pad.  You never know what might settle out of you!  And you don’t want to forget!

Settling Down

I sit the warm coffee cup against my cool chest.

Its warmth permeates my cool body.

Yes! It is Fall!

When the world starts settling.

 

The leaves fall slowly.

And the Earth starts cooling.

The breeze turns from warm to cool,

And it wisp around in smooth swirls.

 

As I pull my big, leaf comfy across my shoulders,

I think about us moving inside.

I feel the cooling air refreshing and at the same time calming.

It is saying move inward.

 

I hear the acorns drop slowly one by one.

The squirrels make little scampers as they head after the acorns,

Before the acorns hit the ground.

When the trees drop their acorns,

They are getting ready for their last show.

 

Here in the middle of this cool air.

The grandest color show on Earth begins!

Bright orange, ruby red, and glowing yellow!

Just a few of the colors that settle within the leaves.

And each slowly releases its grip on the limb to drop and settle on the ground.

 

As we settle beneath the stars,

They are their brightest this time of year!

They settle into their alignments.

To project the most amazing characters.

 

And for some reason the fall breads just make our settling delightful!

The tastes and aromas with some warm coffee, tea, or cider.

Settle us into a cozy dinner dessert.

And the aromas give the house a way of bringing in the time of the year.

 

Now as I settle into the bed with a warm quilt or blanket,

I can tuck in warm and satisfied.

The air shifts into the house subtly,

And I will always know this settling is provided by God!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I pray for you this week that you can make time to enjoy what this season has to offer—settling and comfort.  Life is way too busy, but it is imperative that we find time.  There is so much to enjoy from the natural earth, don’t be too busy that you miss all the offerings!  Now—just settle down!  Blessings in your comfort!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

 

 

Blessings

 

 

 

I love Halloween!!!  Maybe it is from my ancestors in Ireland prancing around with gourds on this night, or maybe it was from Ms. Billy Rickman’s 1^st grade class where we were encouraged to be creative with a picture to go along with the Halloween poem we were learning.  No matter,  I just love it!  I have always been drawn to the fun and mystery!  In recent years, some people have felt children should not be exposed to such a holiday.  They fear evil steps in and departs concepts upon people.  I just disagree.  My family has always approached the holiday as one of fun and exploring!  It is a night you can make believe again (which we really are not allowed to do anymore)!  You can be an astronaut, a princess, or even a 3-eyed monster—you can imagine!  And imagination leads to creativity.

You know we all can turn any holiday into one created by evil.  We can set any agenda so the truth is hidden.  Halloween was a holiday created for imagination and joy, and specifically for children.  It is one that allows us to give to children.  Encouraging them to ask for help—asking for candy—Or to give help by handing out candy.  For some people asking is a very difficult thing, but this lets children practice in a safe way.  This holiday gives people a freedom to relax and enjoy family.  Things like a good old campfire (ours was sometimes in a wheelbarrow!), a good spooky movie (Ernest’s Halloween or Halloween Town), a good scary read (The Headless Horseman or a classic, Frankenstein!), a good snacky dinner (with weeny worms and fingernails) and of course the sharing of candy!  Enjoy the writing today as I reminisce about Halloween and let it lead you to be creative at this time of year!

Visions of All Hallows’ Eve

Dances with the devil in the night.

Eeks and shrieks are heard in the distance.

Witches and wizards tossing their capes and pointing their wands.

All make this night frightening!

 

The stark white image eliminates the dark and sends a chill up your spine.

All the pumpkins sit on their perches glow with their sinister smiles.

Their eyes come at you and follow you as you go!

Leaves swirl and twirl around them with tailspins making you run for cover.

 

Monsters unveil themselves as they scavage through their loot.

It all appears like a scene from a horror movie.

Making one shiver and quiver from spine to brain.

Covering your eyes only makes them more real.

 

And you realize the moon is so bright all these characters are spooky with the light exposing their evil features!

The giggles and large laughs can be heard as a batch of pirates and princesses scoot by.

Frankenstein and the Mummy wake to wreak havoc.

Cats dart across the street hiding from the chaos.

 

Everything is out of order.

Everything is out of control.

Is this a night of fear or a night of horror?

Am I dreaming or am I here?

 

My mind is cloudy and confused.

My eyes are heavy, but I open them slowly.

Ouch!!!  The book I was holding falls on my nose.

Oh, did I fall asleep?

 

The light I was reading by flickers.

Through my cracked window,

The wind makes a howling sound.

High pitch laughs float in.

 

I glance over at the jack-o-lantern on the table by the chair.

I had it lite to read by.

Is that fire flashing from its eyes??!!!

Oh!  My!  I am out of here!!!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

All of the things I discussed in my intro may have sounded “excusy” reasons for Halloween celebrations, but try to let go a little.  Everyone lately has been so tense and fearful of events going on in our country.  Try to use your creativity to let your family enjoy a good ‘ole All Hallows Eve!  Boo blessings to everyone!

Love,

Rennae

PS——Don’t dress up as a politician this year–Keep it at the polls!!

 

 

Blessings

Imagine the dark as dark could be.  Absence of all light.  You are there in the pitch black.  Most of the time we become afraid in the dark, but for some reason you are not scared this time.  Matter of fact you feel safe and secure, and even warm.  The black becomes a protective space.  It is here in this dark, protective space that I can be with God.  The dark represents no distractions.  It represents no calls, no texts, no errands, no task for someone else, no news, no tv—just nothing!  All of these and more can take me away from my focus.  I can talk, and I can listen here.  I have my own individual audience with God.  We so many times think that prayers have to be formal, or said out loud, or staged, but actually prayers are between you and God.  So the next time you may experience the dark, embrace it and use it as a nurturing time for God to lead you on toward the light!

Dark Dreams

I go into the dark of the night.

Where all I can hear are the trees breathing.

I go where only I can hear the things I think inside.

Where the silence is welcomed and the dark soaks in.

 

It is here that I not only talk but also listen.

I listen to hear God speak.

I talk about my secrets.

Even though He knows them.

 

It is in this pitch that I can rest.

I can rest and breath deeply from the many distractions.

I know the ground is cold and the air is clear.

Because of the absence of sound from the outside.

 

I go into the dark to say thank you and dream.

Dreams of weaknesses, fears, loves, and hopes.

Moments of revelation and peace.

Thoughts that make these dreams happen in the dark.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Dreams do not always have to be rainbows and unicorns.  Your dark dreams can be secure, warm, and hopeful, if you are willing to have the conversations with God.  Diving into the dark allows you to grow in prayer.  Find your comfort spot and relax into the depths of your dark dreams this week!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

Journey

 

Hurt.  A simple word that causes such damage.  A feeling that can crush a person deep into their psyche and soul.  I do not quite understood people that thrive on hurting others, but there are such people.  They seek power, fame, money, or some other earthly want, and they will hurt anyone to get that.  More times than not, I have also found that karma hits this type of person very hard when the least expected.  Life is very hard sometimes, because we all have experienced these hurtful people.  However, what I have found is that people with love, compassion, and care polarize these vindictive people.  When you find yourself in this spot, there are those standing hand in hand with you healing you with their auras.  Hurt will happen.  It may be superficial or it may dig deep, but it cannot destroy you because you are held together with the band of the Holy!

Injury to the Soul

I hurt so badly.

It doesn’t just hurt physically,

But I hurt in my heart,

In my soul, and in my spirit.

 

I do not want to hurt.

I want joy and smiles and happiness.

But just when I feel I am past things,

Someone, something, or the smallest detail takes me back to the experience.

 

How can the world and the people of the world be so cruel?

How can they be so interested in only themselves?

How can they carve themselves into the very special parts of your inner soul?

How can they soak your mind with their hurt?

 

We are good at describing love and joy,

But describing hurt is so difficult.

You feel the pain in every vein,

Every muscle, and every cell.

You do not know whether to explode with tears

Or implode with shaking.

 

You feel like every step is a deep, deep struggle.

When the pressure seems to be at the breaking point,

God sends that one thing.

That one small thing—a smile,

A soft spoken word,

Or a note from a caring person.

 

A simple, kindness can warm that hurt.

You start realizing cruelty can be overcome.

These hurters are fewer in number than you thought.

Joy can be brought back by others!

 

This one special act starts relieving the pressure.

You can feel the relief.

You can feel the peace returning.

The Holy Spirit in others conquers your pain.

 

God delivers you.

His sons and daughters request you live.

They demand that you live a full life with them.

They take you and lead you to the healing.

Hand in hand they stand with you in the realm of grace.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

When hurt comes your way, pray for that poor soul that has administered the hurt.  You have all of what they need—love, care, and peace.  This is easier said then done, but this is growing in God!  They will never know the healing power provided by the sons and daughters of the Holy One!  But you will!  Peace be with you through your journeys of hurt this week.

Love,

Rennae

 

 

 

 

Journey

 

 

 

I wish that I could say I am the only one that has experienced or faced what is in my piece today, but this is not true.  So many people are struggling every day with pain and suffering.  They are either trying to overcome emotional hurt or physical hurt, and in many cases both.  The very sad part is that others just can’t understand what people with constant pain are going through.  Especially, if they have never experienced hurt in this way.  It is so very easy when pain overcomes you, to just quit or give up.  When you see other people without pain do the simplest task, you can become very discouraged.  Why?  Because it takes you all the strength you can muster to even try to do the task.  It is at that point that we have to reach for God and trust to know His path for us.  Our path is not the same as others.  It is at that moment we must put our trust in Him.

You have to ask God for His strength.  This may sound really out there, but I actually have to talk to myself in my little head!!  Why?  To get it through to myself.  I have to say you can do this, because God’s strength is in you.  You are not the strong one, but God is.  We are really good at the negative mind talk, but the positive mind talk is what we need.  You have to gain strength not from the weak words but from the powerful words that God has placed in your heart and mind!

Now, if you are the one that has not been through pain in this way, learn to be compassionate.  Practice empathy, but most of all pray for this person.  You may feel helpless in knowing what to do, especially it is a loved one, but for sure you can pray and provide good thoughts.  You can also comfort them with kind words and words of encouragement.  They really are not expecting a solution from you, but they are seeking support.  Think about these things as you read today.

The Real Struggle

It is a struggle every day.

It is hard to move and motivate myself.

It is easy to listen to the negatives.

It is also easy to just be where you are and stay still.

 

But I don’t want to just be.

I want to put the devil in his place for tempting me.

Tempting me with negative thoughts.

Creeping around in my mind to find the most vulnerable areas.

 

It is so difficult to move one leg then another.

Bathing, grooming, and preparing a meal is such a chore.

Every day things become monumental assignments.

I seek sleep to hide away from the pain.

 

Do I melt into the fabric and walls of my house?

Do I disappear from society?

Maybe my bedroom can be the castle I need.

This is all what the devil would want.

 

The struggle is so real.

And he is there nagging it on.

I have to constantly talk to my brain.

I have to tell it to move body parts and think other things.

 

God is there with me.

He is helping me to defeat the dark one.

He tells me He is beside me.

He reminds me I have so much more to live for.

 

So, evil one, you may try to grab my soul.

You may try to seep into my thoughts with your nasty ways.

But try is all you can do.

Because the Great Warrior will take you down every time.

 

I will move.

I will stand tall and know my purpose.

Because I have become a warrior as well.

The day I said yes to the Great One Himself!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Reach out today.  Give comfort to someone that you know is hurting.  If you are the one in pain, reach deep inside yourself and keep the hope alive.  Your mind talks have to be positive to present hope.  Keep your prayers going even if they are small ones to the Devine that say help me.  Use your good times to invest with the people that encourage you and lift you up.  The most important thing to remember is you are never alone!  There is always someone who cares and the Great Healer is there!  May God bless those of you with and without pain this week!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

 

Journey

 

We have been blessed with so many beautiful, natural seasons.  Fall is absolutely one of the best!  It brings to all of us the grandest life we can hold through its colors and textures.  My heart just becomes warm and lightens with these changes given to us in nature.  After reading Aldo Leopold’s The Sand County Almanac, I could never see a blackberry bush the same again as it appears in the fall.  He calls them red lanterns.  I find the natural blessings so amazing, because they have inspired so many great artists like Leopold.  I have hope you can be inspired to bring out your artist with these colorful motivations!

Touch, smell, and see all that Fall brings.  Go out and really touch a leaf and feel its veins.  Run your fingers across the grasses that are turning golden and feel how they sway with you!  Look at the bright red blackberry bushes to see how they prepare for winter.  Let your senses carry you into this natural world of colors and textures.  Pause, even if it is briefly, to recognize these blessing you are given, and let them inspire you to celebrate!

Fall Dreaming

I lay my hand across the land.

The gingko leaves become a beautiful yellow.

The maple tree is a bright orange,

And the oak leaves are the brightest of reds.

 

As my fingers caress the wheat grass,

Its grains dazzle with a golden brown.

I whisper to the winter berry bushes,

And they respond with the brilliant red fruit.

 

I hold the ironweed close to my heart,

And the deep purple blends into my soul.

My tear falls upon the golden rod,

And it turns into a flume of yellow.

 

Ouch! 

What stuck my arm?

A small drop of blood trickles down the vine.

The blood causes the vine and the leaves of the blackberry bush to run crimson.

 

I stand underneath the white birch tree,

And its leaves float about my head like bubbles.

I look down to see that the soft crunch under my feet

Is the birch’s thin white skin on the ground.

 

I open my eyes.

Stretch my legs.

I look around at the fields.

I see that my fall dream has come true!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I pray your Fall is filled with blessings as brightly as all the Fall colors!  Create something spectacular to celebrate the season!  Let your artist side shine!  Happy Fall Ya’ll!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

 

Blessings

 

 

 

We all have times of crisis in our lives.  We all manage those times in different ways.  Recently I found myself not handling these in the best of ways.  I found myself being hit with one crisis right after another.  I kept thinking in my mind, I could take control and fix the crisis.  I said to myself if I take certain actions, the problem could be solved.  You do know by now that I truly believe our lives are set by our Creative Father.  The goods, the bads, the blessings, and the crisis all make us who we are and what we need to do.

Why were these times so difficult for me?  Why couldn’t I turn it over?  Why would I not accept the road I was on?  I finally discovered I was trying to do God’s job!  My faith had shrunk from the crisis, and I wasn’t allowing God to do his work!  I was reminded of this when a dear old friend posted on Facebook a piece about “God’s To Do List”.  I am and always will be a great prayer warrior.  I believe we can present anything to God and lay all things at His feet, but I had never thought about me trying to steal God’s job!

My crisis road has become quite different lately.  When my type A personality tries to take it all over and tries to do everything, I remember that’s not my job!  It is God’s job to direct that crisis road.  He sets the directions, the types of paths, and the final destinations.  I pray this week you can travel with more peace as God intervenes and controls your crisis paths.  I pray for blessings from God on your travels—like the ones I have received by letting go and letting God do His job!

Crisis Road

Just give me a little of life without crisis.

Please just take away the critical calls,

The immediate decisions and the now actions.

I want the pressure to stop.

 

I want it all to go away.

I want peace and calm to push the crisis to the back.

And I want the peace and calm to cloak the crisis.

To be covered forever.

 

I am not against valleys and hills of life.

But clawing my way from every valley to every hill is tiring.

I am weakening.

Constant clawing to stay above whatever is rolling up and rolling down.

 

Please allow me to get my breath.

Let me put it all at Your feet.

I know I need to release it.

But I am so badly afraid of letting go.

 

Please take it from me.

Assure me there will be no more.

Place hope in my heart.

Give me those that bring me comfort.

 

If I will not let it go.

Snatch it from me!

Lay Your calm and quiet Spirit on my soul.

Forgive me for not accepting my road.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Travel the road this week with more confidence and with your head held high.  You know the Holy Spirit’s aura is around you.  Jesus is holding your hand especially through the family and friends you have! And God has cleared the path for you to accomplish His destination for you in your life!  As one of our American icons, Roy Rogers, would say “Happy Trails (or Happy Crisis)”!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

Journey

 

 

 

I am very bias when it comes to the state of Tennessee.  I was born here, raised here, and have lived here all my life.  I have traveled the state from the small crevices in west Tennessee to the high mountains in east Tennessee.  Its beauty just surpasses anything I have ever seen!  The seasons provide even more diversity than the actual three divisions themselves.  Now know I have visited many places across the United States.  I have seen the northwest, the southwest, the northeast, the southeast, and the Midwest.  Even though I have enjoyed many places, especially San Diego and New York, I just find my Tennessee home is really special.  I like what we stand for, and I love where I have come from.  In my piece today, I try to share some of my reasons I love this place.

Many people just don’t understand the ethnicity of Tennessee.  The many immigrants that came to Tennessee are and were from many countries and cultures.  My family settled early in the founding of Tennessee.  Three of my four family sides are Irish.  The other one English.  We came in through the Ellis Island and the South Carolina routes, and we first settled in middle Tennessee.  But many families I know are from many other countries.  This diversity brought great variety in the cultures of our state.  All bringing great diversity in our music as well as our communities.  You can see my blood runs deep in this state.  I hope either if you live here or if you have or want to visit, some day you will appreciate my piece today.  I just had to share the great variety of everything that my state offers, especially with the change of the seasons upon us.  Enjoy our changes and our diversity if you are new here or if you have been here all your life!  And look me up to sit on the porch and visit, hum a tune, and sip some sweet tea!

Music of the Tennessee Land

The light rises along the muddy banks glistening on the clay.

The sound of the blues tunes glide through the air in the streets.

Sometimes the tune can be heard as far as the land between the lakes.

The mighty eagles and cranes along the waterways calmly sway to the tune.

As the mallards dance on the lake with their rhythm.

 

The white cotton covers the land like a snowfall.

It buffers the sound and carries high into the blue skies.

Just as the flat land changes into rolling hills, the tune shifts to a laid back country sound.

The toe tapping and the beat can be heard downtown coming from the Bluebird.

The Ryman and the Opry also add to the tone of the tune.

 

The hills and fields have cows and corn and soybeans laced throughout.

The squirrels, rabbits, and deer sway to the beat.

Then the tune makes its way toward the mountains.

The sound changes to a bluegrass twang.

The banjos and country violins ting and tang to the beat.

 

The trees thicken and the creeks run fast sending the tune further in.

The bears and the raccoons bounce to the beat.

The seasons change the tune of the song.

Fall, Spring, Summer, and Winter echo sounds of their own.

Up tunes, down tunes, high tunes, and low tunes all spread across the ground.

 

It does not matter where the beat takes me across the Tennessee land,

I am always welcomed as if I were at home.

Hospitality welcomes you anywhere.

Volunteering is just the natural thing we do.

Anyone’s porch is your porch for sitting and visiting.

 

Double names add an unusual tone to the way of life.

Family and food are the most precious lyrics of the song.

The football fields, the town squares, and the main streets serve as the community gathering places.

No one is a stranger as far as a Tennessean is concerned.

I find it easy to dance to the beat no matter where I am in the land of Tennessee!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I hope your home and place where you live has a special spot for you.  Look for all the wonders, diversity, and miracles that your spot holds!  You don’t know what you may be missing.  Isn’t it great having such different places to love on this Earth!  Thank you God for Your great plan in providing us beautiful visions, sounds, and taste of this Earth and your creation!  God bless you and your family where you call home!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

 

Blessings

As parents of children that are growing up and leaving home, we find great difficulty with the process.  Well most of us!  I can say that because I remember sitting in the welcome to the parents session at our first child’s college.  My husband and I seemed to be the minority in not being happy that ours was leaving the nest.  Other parents cheered when comments by the speaker were made about an empty house and free time.  We sat silent and looked at each other, because we knew each of us was thinking we love them too much to let them go.  It was the same with our other two children.  All the goodbyes, even to this day, are very hard.  We are adapting, but we really miss all the discussions, all the activity, and I have to admit even some of the fighting.  Well when the fights ended in hugs and ice cream!  So today’s piece is for all the parents like us that did not cheer that day.  It is for those of us that cherish every second of time before leavings occur again.  We would much rather hurt for that type of love than not to love at all! But we will always miss them!

Parting Love

If loving you means having to tell you goodbye,

Then I will love you.

I will send you away a hundred times,

If I can love you a hundred times more.

 

Loving you is a treasure that has been laid at my feet.

The opportunity shines like the silver and gold of the treasure.

The moments with you are like the stars.

They remain infinitely within my heart.

 

Love transcends all the boundaries that exist.

The boundaries think they can stop the love.

To only find they dissipate as love touches their constraints.

The distance only makes the love stronger.

 

When we are miles apart,

Our hearts are entwined like the branches of a vine.

We don’t have to speak to know we are there to support each other.

It becomes not just words but energy.

 

Some squander love.

They allow it to stagnate like water.

Or they shift it like sand allowing the precious grains to fall away.

They allow the love from those that love them to slip away.

 

But for others,

They hold the love so close to their chest that it is absorbed by the skin,

Reaching deep into the workings of the heart.

It is like when they began as one and then became two.

 

My heart beat brought you to life.

And your heart beat brought me love.

So what feels like hurt from your absence,

Is growth of the love I have for you.

 

If I have you part to love you,

I will allow it.

I will accept the hurt and pain,

But only allowing it if I know that your heart will always be with mine.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Good luck to parents with babies (excuse me grown adults or adult children—you will always be our babies!) leaving home!  Hold in your heart the love that will always remain in that bond no matter how far they travel, you are with them and they are with you.  And remember they know they can always come home!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

Relationships