I know many people and cultures do not celebrate Halloween and Harvest.  With three sides of our family being from Ireland, our family has always celebrated with joy and fun!  Being farming families, we were always so grateful for the bountiful harvest, and Halloween just topped off the season with some last outdoor fun before winter.  Although our families really started celebrating Halloween for protection against spirits of the night, we have now moved on to the more fun and imaginative side of Halloween.  At seven months old, I was dressed in a costume, we ate a delightful fall meal especially including baked sweet potatoes, carved the family pumpkins, scared the relatives with our costumes, pulled a little trick here and there, and the night always ended with a bon fire!  My grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents had always celebrated this way.  And I will always honor my family’s way of life from our original country.  I realize the celebration reaches back to protection from the fear of spirits and things that we cannot explain.  I also know sometimes the celebration can be taken way too far.  As for my home, we will always celebrate and in the appropriate way.  I hope you and your family enjoy a safe and fun “hallowing” in your home too!

The Hallowing

The skeleton held his tight little smile.

One gourd grinned through its one tooth.

Another smiled through its many teeth.

And yet another rounded its mouth in a boo shape.

 

The ghosts glided easily in the wind.

All making a slightly “ooooo”.

The only thing visible were their mouths and eyes.

They dance around the trees resembling ballerinas.

 

The dark, pitch night displayed tiny groups of lights.

Some from the faces of the pumpkins,

Others from the candles glowing.

The moon cast the final glow for an eerie night.

 

There is excitement in the air,

But also a little fear.

All the costumes come out in a full gala.

Hoping to scare the one next to them into a laughter.

 

Treats line the counters of the kitchens.

Caramel apples and a banquet of candies.

Many hosts wait in their doorways,

Or on their lighted porches to distribute the prizes.

 

Bones line the driveways.

Ghosts linger in the windows.

Jack-o-lanterns adorn the porches.

Waiting for the ghouls.

 

Hosts and ghouls alike on this scary night,

Wait to be frightened and delighted.

The night of imagination and fun.

As the spirits walk the Earth.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Celebrate in a fun and festive way this week!  May you be blessed by sharing goodies with others and demonstrating your love for God’s blessings of such a wonderful season.  Thank you for being with me this week.  Happy Halloween!  Oh—and yeah—Boo!!!

Love,

Rennae

 

Family and Traditions

 

 

 

 

 

Fall!  Autumn!   Harvest!  Oh! So many names for such an exciting season!  Over the last several weeks I could not help but to think about all that this season brings.  Although, the weather has delayed many of our beautiful colors, seeing everyone’s cornstalks, pumpkins, and mums go out, just gets me excited! Nature gives us so very much splendor.  The problem is we don’t always slow down or stop to see the heaven we are in.  We overlook our heaven on Earth.  Slip away this week, if even for only a few moments in time, and see where you truly are.  Touch the grasses, see the butterflies, and smell the breeze to get just a touch of heaven.  You will start to realize how many blessings you are given, and you can better enjoy your life!

Little Piece of Heaven:  Fall

The wind carried the colors across the grass.

The geese loudly announced their exit.

The seeds and the grains scattered themselves.

 

Your touch flows against my skin like silk from pure cloth.

As the last of the butterflies take in the golden rod.

The grasshoppers make their final dance around the yard.

 

Between the sun and the shade,

The oranges, reds, and yellows blast the umbra of their colors.

As the stillness in time holds the calls of the birds.

 

The last sip of nectar is enjoyed by the bees.

As the trees sway their arms in a dance of delight.

It is their time to steal the show.

 

Dragonflies make their last hunt for water.

As the tall grasses clap their blades.

And strut their plums.

 

The morning glories make their final climb and explosion.

As the Earth beneath them becomes damp and wet.

The acorns and the hazelnuts wait to be absorbed back into their hidden burrows.

 

I hear You in my mind.

I See You in my soul

As I rest in this little piece of heaven called Fall.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I cannot thank you enough for being with me this week.  I pray that blessings will abound for you in your little piece of heaven.  Hey—who isn’t to say the streets of heaven are paved with goldenrod instead of gold!  Oh!  I hope without allergies!  Live a little this week in your fall heaven!  And as we say in the South—get your Fall on ya’ll!

Love,

Rennae

 

Blessings

 

 

 

 

There are some places that are just sacred places.  I think we all have our own.  A spot where your soul gives out a big sigh of relief and peace when you are in it.  Your body and mind can relax and take a moment of rest.  For me, it is our hollow.  I bet as I drive down our road leading into the hollow, my blood pressure goes down twenty measures.  The trees overhang the road, the chipmunks and squirrels greet me, and then the road opens up to these amazing hills filled with wonder!  For me this hollow has to be protected, because it protects me.  Your spot is probably the same way.  Your spot may be a comfy chair in your home, a spot under a tree at the park, or your kitchen table with a candle and a cup of coffee.  Wherever it is, it is yours to protect.  It has to be protected in order to allow you that safe and peaceful feeling.  Find your “hollow” this week.  And make an uprising to protect your “hollow”, in order that your soul can have peace in this busy and distracting world!

Hollow Uprising

Reaching for the leaf,

It was shriveled.

But its colors were vibrant,

And its stem was strong.

 

As I sat upon the edge of the pond,

I remembered this hollow.

Days ago it was vibrant.

And it was strong from the souls that inhabited it.

 

Now the colors are dull.

And the faces of the souls have changed.

Some have gone on to the valley beyond.

While others have returned for peace.

 

It is amazing how a place can set our souls.

A place that can provide comfort.

One that gives protection.

These hills and hollow always bring a satisfaction of peace.

 

The hollow stands for the people that searched for sanctity.

People who used the land wisely.

Providing food and shelter for their families.

Giving grace for their times of rest.

 

The trees held by the hills will again present life.

Their strong trunks will produce the greenest of greens.

And they will again show a magnificent array of colors.

All for the inhabitant’s delight.

 

But for now the hollow will bare its soul.

As the summer gives way to the fall.

And the fall to the winter.

We will see the hiding places of the animals and humans alike.

 

Once spring arrives our vibrancy will glow again.

And the hollow will feed us internally and externally.

The new ones will understand the ways here in the hollow.

They will also fight for its protection.

 

As I look at the leaf again.

Its strength seeps into me.

Putting the leaf down,

It once again had the color of life!

 

The hollow rises again!

To give peace, protection, and solace.

As long as we stand,

So shall the hollow!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I pray this week that joining me can be part of your “hollow uprising” experience.  I hope that I can provide some peace and relief for you.  May you “uprise” this week to protect your favorite spot.  And if you don’t have one, find one soon.  You cannot believe how it can improve your health and your spirit!  Rise up this week and reside in your “hollow”!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

Grace

All seasons bring new awareness and different experiences.  But for some reason the fall just enlightens us all!  The fall with all its warmth and coziness just turns inward on us and fills us completely up with good feelings and safety. We yearn for the outside, but it goes inside us for the best moments ever!  We see so many miracles from the Earth at this time, which gives us hope and anticipation of the many blessings we are given.  As you absorb all the fall colors and feelings this week, take yourself inward and examine all the many blessings you have.  Fall right into this amazing season!

Falling Inward

The grey sky carried the wind on its shoulders.

The trees knew it was here.

All the flowers were tucked back into their stems and seeds.

All could feel the fall.

 

Inside our bodies tell us.

It is time to return inward toward your soul.

Yet we outwardly want to touch the cool air.

We want to see God paint the Earth.

 

Colors of all hues.

Smells of every scent.

The Earth releases all she has.

Before going inward.

 

Even the animals start inward.

The squirrels find their tree nests.

The rabbits go to their burrows.

And the birds huddle near their trees.

 

All only coming out to forage.

The final fruits appear.

Many fall to the ground.

Waiting to provide nourishment to many creatures.

 

As the days shorten their light.

And the sun moves further away.

May our inward selves,

Reflect on the miracles we see and feel every season.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I am so glad we are given the opportunity to see and enjoy all the miracles that God gives us through all the seasons.  Thank you for taking your valuable time this week to join me in celebrating an amazing time of year!  I pray that your inward and outward blessings are bountiful and glorious this season.  Miracles are present every day, don’t miss out on them.  Look outward to really see these blessings, and fall inward to examine all that you are freely given!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

Grace

 

 

 

With all the hot weather we are having in our part of the country right now, I could not help but to think about how dry my own bones become at times.  Life and living will just suck your bones dry.  It is the little things day after day that dries them out completely.  Unfortunately, with activities, jobs, and tasks that really do not address our mental or physical health, the life of our bones can become very exhausted and tired.  There are days I need to be filled with love and hope.  God will send me that in the form of spiritual souls.  These souls will give me a call, send a message, or show up providing me that love and hope.  Then my bones start replenishing little by little!  They are massaged back to health by the Spirit through these souls.  Accept these notes and messages with welcoming arms.  Make sure this week that your bones are getting replenished!

Dry Bones

My bones dry out.

They get brittle.

Close to breaking.

They need to be replenished to survive.

 

Life wears on them.

Each day they lose a little more moisture.

Til they want to crunch under the pressure.

They sound hollow.

 

Bone rattles against bone.

As more of life’s demands seeps into the marrow.

Eating away at the life there.

Leaving empty vessels.

 

I find myself right before the breaking point.

Ready to lay down in the dust.

So, I can blow away with the wind.

And feel no more pain.

 

Then I feel the slightest breath.

A sweet whisper.

It flows across my dead bones.

And refreshes their substance!

 

Your gentle air lifts my bones from the dust.

Into the surrounding world.

Adding moisture to the bones’ surfaces.

Bringing me back to life!

 

You send a simple word.

Or a simple phrase.

Maybe even a note from a friend.

That gives the bones support and hope!

 

One by one.

They support my whole being again.

You put life and meaning back into their existence.

Giving reasons for moving on.

 

My bones are plump again!

Supporting my heart and soul.

Carrying me into the new future!

Remaining strong from Your magnificent Spirit!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I cannot thank you enough this week for reading with me.  Sharing with you is one means of my replenishment!  Look for the many ways and the many souls that replenish your bones this week!  You will be better equipped to face your hopeful future.  Blessings on your bones!

Love,

Rennae

 

Grace

 

You know—we should never stop dreaming!  You are never too old or too young to dream.  When we are young, it seems we can dream of doing anything, yet dreams seem far out of reach.  As we grow older, we question ourselves whether it is worth dreaming any longer.  It is always worth the dreaming!  Our dreaming is the hope deep inside of us that surfaces for our soul.  If you find yourself this week in a dream world, there is a purpose for that wondering.  One purpose for this hope you are given is to press forward in your life.  Embrace it and reach for new experiences and new directions!

Dreaming

God’s dream is my dream.

Do I always know that dream?

Sometimes yes.

Sometimes no.

 

I question sometimes whether I am dreaming.

My dreaming brings reassurance, so I am confident.

Then it brings uncertainty and fear.

And the dreaming goes on everywhere.

 

I dream beneath the stars.

The dream dances in my sleep.

I can dream as the warm sun touches my face.

As my coffee cools, I dream.

 

Do I always go toward the dream?

Do I sometimes wander from it?

I many times wonder, God, what is the dream?

I wonder when this dream will come true.

 

Where do I go to find the dream?

What do I do in making it come true?

How can I dream like this?

I am weak and Your dream is strong.

 

No, I do not always know how, where, what, or why,

But I still dream.

I dream big,

Because your power for me to dream is Your infinite dream!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Enjoy your dreaming this week!  I pray that you don’t stifle or give up on your dreams.  God has great plans for you at any age.  Opportunities and places are given to you at all ages in order that you shape your dreams and ignite your hope! Don’t ignore these.  Go for those dreams that are inside of you and enjoy the life of dreaming you are blessed with!  Blessings on your dreams this week!  And thank you for sharing your time with me!

Love,

Rennae

 

Grace

 

 

 

The harvest was a term specifically coined by our ancestors.  It refers to the gathering of the crops.  It was a time when the last crop production occurred and the gathering of the last crops before the frost.  Even though many of us are not in an agrarian community any longer, we still celebrate the harvest time.  My celebration this week was in the form of a prayer expressing my harvest of blessings.  Whether you are in an agrarian area or not, I am sure your harvest is plump and large!  Especially if you are able to buy products from our own farmers, and also if you have family, friends, and love!  Maybe you just have not taken the time to count the many parts of your harvest this week.  If you have not this week, make sure that you do during this season.  Your prayer of harvest will probably be much larger than you ever imagined!  I know mine could have gone on forever!

Harvest Prayer

Pour Your grace upon me.

Surround me with Your love.

I feel whole when I feel You.

Your presence gives me power.

 

I can stand and celebrate!

Because of You my hope explodes.

I will celebrate my life.

And the lives of others.

 

There is evil in this world.

But I stand against that evil.

Not really me.

But You in me and Your hope through me.

 

I rejoice in the day because of You!

Your blessings on my life have been so countless.

Your grace has delivered me from pain.

Your plan has grown my soul and life.

 

With the changes You have for me.

I proceed with great confidence.

Because You clear the paths.

And You know where I will go even though I do not.

 

My fear turns into comfort because You protect me.

And Your promises allow my soul to rest.

I could never praise You enough!

But I will try.

 

As the sun turns the leaves.

And the moon lights the cool night.

Your peace develops my heart.

I gain the wisdom that I am beyond blessed!

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I pray for blessings on your harvest this season!  I thank you for making mine the more fruitful and blessed by joining me each week.  Also, because I can celebrate when you share your blessings with me!  When you evaluate your gathering this season, find a reason to celebrate the goodness, love, and people you have.  The harvest should not be a time of false acknowledgements, but one of genuine and thoughtful praise.  As you gather your gourds, pumpkins, nuts, and fruits of the season, gather your blessings first!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

Blessings

 

Every year I still get chill bumps on 9/11.  I will probably always, as I should.  The date itself just swells up great feeling in me.  I wish I could say it is all anger, but a great deal of it is sadness.  Sadness that humanity could ever do such an evil deed.  We will never forget all the beautiful souls we lost that day and days after in New York City, Washington, and Pennsylvania.  I also think on that day how families and loved ones have to experience that day over and over again year after year.  My profound experience around this day was the year we visited the museum—really one of the sanctified grounds of the resting place of these souls.  The one spot that touched me was the enormous wall inside the museum.  An encased area of the ashes and remains of so many sweet souls never found lies within this wall.  This wall stands as a tomb of remembrance.  A remembrance of those to never be forgotten.  And this is one place where the loved ones have to visit in honoring their fallen.

So, if we think our little political issues matter this week, stop and remember the sanctity of life far exceeds these insignificant issues.  That very day dads, moms, husbands, wives, and so many more stopped living a blessed life here on Earth.  They left their loved ones behind because of evil in this world.  Our goal in this country should be to unify for good.  Our differences are the underlying success of this country.  Our differences were represented in all the great souls lost in and during the battles of this country in order to remain free.  Free of choice.  Free of spirit.  Free of differences.  Free of tyranny.  Free of fear.  We have to as humans honor and never forget the price of life and humanity.  If putting our petty issues aside is a way of doing that, then we must succeed so that all of the souls we have lost will be for a great purpose.  Please read and remember this week.

We Will Always Remember

So much smoke.

The hottest of fires.

We all set in our places.

Wondering if what we had seen was true.

 

Then our greatest fears set in.

This was real.

Who could ever be so dark and evil?

To do this to helpless souls.

 

It progressively worsened.

As we were glued to our TVs.

The smoke and the fire gave way.

To the fall of the two tallest buildings.

 

One crumbled into the street.

Then the other sank into the Earth.

The buildings did not matter.

What mattered was the souls we cried for.

 

The souls reaching out the windows for help.

The souls scaling stairs to get out.

The souls defending America on the plane in the Pennsylvania air .

The souls laying in their last moments agonizing in pain.

The souls who never knew what hit in Washington.

 

Our prayers immediately were given up.

Our heroes jumped into action,

With many going down.

Churches became sanctuaries.

Neighbor helped neighbor.

 

All Americans pitched in.

Whether we searched for survivors.

Or wrote letters of encouragement.

Or flew our flag in honor.

Our communities held vigils for all of these.

 

Americans, hand in hand.

Mourning our dead brothers and sisters.

Comforting the loved ones of those.

Uplifting each other for hope.

 

The phrase will always remain.

We will never forget.

Americans in one of their worst hours.

Americans at their best.

And we will always remember.

 

It did not matter who you were.

Or where you came from.

You were an American that day.

You were the part of a family invested in love.

Love for each other and an amazing country.

 

As our years have passed,

Unfortunately, some of us have forgotten this time.

We choose to dwell on the insignificant things.

We want to see all the bad there is in this world.

And defend evil rather than fight it.

 

Tragedies should not have to happen.

For us to see the good.

Our hope is to step beyond these trivial things.

And step toward unity.

 

Unity of differences.

All of us under one flag as one people.

Unity of reverence for life.

And unity beyond a political world,

Refraining from placing blame.

 

For Americans are Americans.

All from different places making up one great country.

Americans loving humanity.

And reaching for a peaceful future.

 

We will never forget.

Lest our souls fall into the smoke and fire of our enemies.

And our humanity being lost.

We will always remember, because we do not have a choice.

If we do forget these souls, they were lost in vain.

We will not let this happen.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

I hope this week you take a few moments to reflect on the 9/11 day.  Consider the reality of who we are as a country.  Respect where we have come from and how hopeful our future can be.  It is easy to find all the faults in life, but it is difficult to live a celebrated.  Living a celebrated life to honor these souls.  Then the families and loved ones of those lost can know there truly was a purpose for their lost one.  God bless you and yours this week.  Our love and prayers go out to all loved ones and families that have lost a sweet soul in honor of this country.

Love,

Rennae

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really don’t understand why, but I become sad at the changes of the seasons.  When I have to move from one to another, I want to hold that particular one so closely that it never goes away!  Of course, I always delight in what is ahead in the curve of the road.  The new scents, colors, and atmosphere, but for one moment I am sad to say goodbye to the one I am leaving.  Whether it is the memories I cling to with the people I love, or I am just hard-headed and do not want to move on.  I really, just can’t say.  I do believe it is our human nature to hesitate about change.  We get comfortable and secure where we are, and change brings the unknown and fear into our minds.  It really takes us exercising our faith to move on.  So, I do know I will have faith and I will embrace the change when God presents all the hope that the next season brings.  I also know God allows me to appreciate my blessings of each season in the way of sadness for what I was freely given and enjoyed!

The Fading Summer

I felt the little breeze go past my arm.

It was still hot and humid.

The sun bearing down.

But I knew the breeze said change.

 

Grasses are dried everywhere.

Iron weed strutting throughout them.

The butterflies and hummers getting in their last sips before it arrives.

Pools of water had turned colder just within a week.

 

The trees were sprinkling a few leaves.

Not from the changes,

But from the heat.

The other leaves will create their show in a few weeks.

 

The sunflowers’ heads begin to droop.

They dry providing the birds with a buffet.

The zinnas’ colors begin to fade.

All know the change is coming.

 

Beach towels are replaced with blankets outside.

The gardening tools begin to be stored.

The sounds are changing too.

The once loud and noisy symphony at night.

Is now a mild serenade from creatures in the grasses and even quiet at times.

 

Instead of thirsting for an iced tea,

My yearning is turning toward a warm coffee or cocoa.

My coconut smells of the summer scents.

Starts longing for pumpkin bread and cinnamon.

 

All the colors are trying to hold onto the lush olives and bright greens.

But yellow and light brown are replacing them.

As quickly as it came.

It even quicker fades into the landscape.

 

Change is here.

Our long summer nights.

Turn shorter and shorter.

And my summer slips from my fingers.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Enjoy your last days of summer this week and be thankful.  Embrace your first days of fall with hope and joy!  It is quit the miracle that we are given to live in a forever changing life!  Sun rays of blessings and the magic of hope be upon you in the old and new week of the old and new season!

Love,

Rennae

 

Blessings

 

If you have never experienced a circle of friends that make you completely safe, then you have not lived!  It is amazing to have people surround you, no matter circumstances or situation, that love you for you.  They respect who you are and how you make their life so much better.  Sometimes we call this group our tribe or village.  I refer to my intimate group here in the piece today as my circle.  This circle provides me love, comfort, and joy.  Sure, it is great getting these same things from family, but it is truly different when these individuals who do not have to accept you do make the choice to be with you.  At one time in my past this circle was very close.  Then life and changes separated us for a time.  When we reconnected way over a year and a half ago, we picked right back up with our same care and love for each other.  To say I am blessed to have these amazing women is an understatement!  If you have not joined or rejoined one of your circles, tribes, or villages today, make sure you do this week.  It will truly be a blessing!

The Mill

Who would have ever thought this was a mill.

A working mill providing sustenance for the community.

It’s new walls and new furnishing

Now provide a different sustenance.

A sustenance of family and community.

 

When the ladies arrive,

The anticipation of a new adventure bubbles everywhere!

They share with each other their speculations.

What will be the dining treasure of the day in this old mill?

Fruit tea, carrot cake, fresh tomatoes, or quiches?

 

The rough, hewed tables await them.

Odd matching chairs provide each with their own seat.

The décor takes them back into history.

The old wood planks on the floor,

Lead them to their circle.

 

They are settled in front of two small window,

That show how the mill was positioned into the ground for support.

The ladies are hoping to find the same support from each other that day.

The menus provide them with so many choices.

But the circle at the table provides them with even more choices.

The choices to speak freely from their hearts!

 

See the ladies don’t really come for the meal or the new experience.

They come for the circle of love.

A circle that is safe to share anything.

One that allows love no matter.

A circle of women that support and care deeply for each other.

Separated shortly by time and reunited by destiny.

 

The atmosphere and the table are the sanctuary.

A sanctuary where the women share their hearts and lives.

There is no judgement.

Only acceptance for their differences and who they really are.

Secrets of the circle that no one else is privileged to.

 

The mill on this day may have taught some history.

But more importantly it taught these women how valuable time together can be.

The mill provided so much more than physical sustenance that day.

It allowed them to protect and cherish this circle.

Because it is their place of love and refuge in a chaotic world.

Lori Rennae Hickman Chapman

Today’s piece was especially written for my close-knit circle, Karen Jenkins and Mandy King.  They are my heavenly sisters here on Earth!  A special thanks to Readyville Mills who provides a place for family and community to gather.  When you reconnect this week with one of your circles, remember these are people that breathe life into you and do not suck the life out of you.  If I needed either of these ladies, all it would take is a call or text and they would be beside me, no questions ask!  So, seek your sisters, brothers, and others today for a safe place to live life in such a chaotic world!

Love,

Rennae

 

 

Relationships