#write31days

when ashes of summer usher in the new

/ Joy Lenton / 25 Comments

write31days-journeyingintojoy-ashes-of-summer

 

There is still beauty to be found in the ashes of summer’s ending, these dying back days when flowers lose their lustre. There is a tendency for us to fade with them in sympathy with summer’s passing, as we ache inside at the dimming of the light.

We might grieve a season’s closure, a period when life seemed bright and happy but is fast becoming a distant memory. Sadness can pervade all too swiftly when good times end and we get caught up in busyness.

My summer passed in a blur of unusual activity where I was overly preoccupied with the tasks before me, namely supporting my spouse’s post-op recovery. It’s still an ongoing process because of the setbacks he has endured and how much his progress has been slowed.

I mourn the months I feel I’ve missed, those lazy, leisurely days we cannot get back again for a while. I miss sun’s warmth, long evenings and length of days. And I could easily become stuck in a groove of grumbling, unless I make a conscious effort to consider how beginning again is available to us 24/7, any day, any month, any year.

God is the God of the Now. He reveals Himself through a series of This Moment moments which echo His presence with us. If we fail to pause and absorb the lessons last season (or even yesterday) has been teaching us, we also retain the weight of it, those burdens God is asking us to relinquish to Him.

Moving on and moving forward is only possible if we have arms wide open to receive the new, hearts ready and receptive and minds aligned with God’s will.

In moving on from one season to the next, it helps to remember how new life comes cyclically in creation and our lives mirror the morphing it represents.

Death is always a precursor to the new. Leaves shrivel into crispness, flowers lose their bloom as they fade and die, and plants need to be pliant while they switch between new roots and shoots or a necessary dying back season.

It’s reassuring to our restless souls to believe in new life springing up at a time of God’s choosing. As we sow seeds of faith for the future, we are sowing into a bountiful harvest to come, invisible as it may be for now.

Joy is a seed which needs to take root in good soil. If we are still digging around in yesterday’s detritus, meandering in its mess, we are not well placed to see and sense joy’s presence in the here and now. And that’s reason enough to relinquish each day to God, so we can begin to embrace all the new, joy-filled things that lay before us.

31-days-of-journeying-into-joy-badge

Welcome to #day2 of 31 days of journeying into joy. It’s good to have you here! I am no expert in this topic, but I am hoping we can learn together about how to have more joy in our lives.

How are the changing seasons speaking to you? Please share in the comments below.

write31days-journeying-into-joy-ashes-of-summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

when you can’t see the wood for the trees

/ Joy Lenton / 12 Comments

write31days-journeyingintojoy-wood-for-the-trees

 

We’ve all been there – lost and unsure, wondering which direction to take, what decision to make. Ideas loom up large as trees, yet we cannot  see the way ahead, nor barely find the light hidden within the foliage.

As we examine our lives we can see a mixture of the old and new; some things feel fresh and vital and others seem stale and lifeless. Maybe they are signs to point the way ahead?

Guidance can feel like walking down a long dark tunnel with only a tiny match to light the path before us. We long for further clarity. God usually gives us just enough light for the next step we need to take.

Beyond that all is black to our eyes. How can we have hope and joy when we feel so uncertain? It helps to remember the walk of faith is exactly that – not a quick jog or a drive-through. We will walk slow at times, falter and fumble our way into the future, though as long as we keep on keeping on we are making progress.

But that doesn’t mean God isn’t with us for every step we take. He is the silent companion for all our days,  whispering words of comfort, offering help just when we need it. And we have His covering of grace, wisdom and discernment which grows stronger as we press on and push past our reservations.

Fear will keep us glued to the spot but faith will help us to march on regardless. The more accustomed we are to holding onto the hand of God in daily life, the more we grow used to the way He leads and guides.

During times when you can’t see the wood for the trees, take note of what seems dead, what appears to be dying back and what is still showing signs of life and vitality.

There are hints wrapped up in life’s seasons and whispers given with each new thing. Our task is to pray, search the Scriptures, ask God to reveal His will for us, keep our eyes and ears open for all the ways in which He chooses to speak.

We may hear a direct word which appears to leap off the pages of our Bible. We might be listening to a sermon, or having a conversation where our heart jumps in recognition at something we hear.

We could be quietly carrying on with our everyday lives, preoccupied with a mindless task, perhaps, and suddenly sense God speaking to us. It’s a good idea to have a pen and paper handy or use a phone to record those thoughts. They could be really useful in the days or months ahead. This is a great tip for writers especially, so we don’t lose those sudden flashes of inspiration!

There is always new life emerging from what seems dead or dying, although some days we have to deliberately seek it out. Even our hopes, dreams and plans can experience a lay-off season and be followed by a resurrection of sorts. Our journey into joy will be fraught with obstacles, yet we can negotiate them all with God beside us.

31-days-of-journeying-into-joy-badge

Welcome to #day1 of 31 days of journeying into joy. I’m so pleased you are here! Thank you for joining me.

Do make yourself known in the comments below, and share what you are writing about this month…  🙂

 

write31days-journeyingintojoy-wood-for-the-trees-new-leaves

Journeying into joy when you feel joyless

/ Joy Lenton / 14 Comments

journeying-into-joy-write-31-days

 

Joy may be my name but it doesn’t always describe my nature. I’m inclined to let my feelings run away with me sometimes, especially those that slide toward life’s dark side.

This season of diminishing light usually means I sit more with sadness and SAD becomes my defining characteristic, as well as a condition I battle with.

And it’s probably because of this propensity that God has lain a word on my heart about the need to deliberately pursue joy in the midst of challenging circumstances.

My journey into joy may sound easy and delightful, (and I hope it will be!), but experience tells me I have a natural bent toward discouragement. It’s one I fight continually in my desire to reveal God’s hope and joy to others.

So I am going against my feelings, aiming to see joy as more than an emotion, and seeking to unearth the fruit of it as a woman of faith who could really use a fresh infusion of joy in her mind and heart. Maybe you do too?

Before we start (October 1st, God willing), I am sharing a poem written at a time when feelings overwhelmed and faith had a fight on its hands. Because we need to acknowledge where we have a joy deficit before we can move forward toward a greater awareness of what sparks joy for us.

Joyless

Today’s events tied me up in knots of stress,

taking captive the better part, no less,

while my worst emotions became unravelled

loose like string, leaving patience looking

patchy, worn and thin. Life will leave

us lifeless, fired up with feelings

which dissipate like a fading wind

 

And I seem to have swallowed a stone

I can’t shift. It sits heavy as iron,

wrinkling up my soul, pressing sharp

edges into my insides. A sour

twisting, turning acid with each

remembrance of how I have failed

to live with joy – as one already blessed

JoyLenton2016

As you can see from the poem above, I really need to fight for joy, to make space each day for happiness and contentment.

It’s not going to be plain sailing because my current life and health challenges make for choppy seas, and daily writing is a big ask for me. However, this wobbly faith warrior has a steel core of confidence in God seeing her through. I believe God has inspired me to undertake this journey and I trust Him to provide as I depend on Him.

I greatly value your prayers, and would love your company here as we learn how to walk with more joy over the days ahead via an eclectic mix of poetry and prose. Come join me? If you would like to follow along, you can do so by signing up via email. See you in October! 🙂

take-the-write-31-days-challenge-500x500

Hope sings a joyful song

/ Joy Lenton / 4 Comments

hope sings PJ

In the midst of life’s pain and darkness there sounds a note of joy.

It is the call of Hope reminding us of its presence within our thorny circumstances.

And as we tune our hearts to listen, we find its melody is like music to our ears.

Souls seek solace in hope’s calm waters. Bathe in its warm glow.

We lift our heads above the waves, resist the winds blowing us sideways, and we drift slowly toward the pull of soothing streams.

We already have a Lifebelt around our waist to keep us afloat, holding us steady.

Now we see how Hope also companions our days and defends us against dark night’s covering.

So we surrender to its sound as our souls contribute their own harmony.

God is here. We are safe. Hope rises strong. We can face another day.

Grace and Hope join hands to lift us to a better place.

Hope sings

Hope sings out loud with joyful

sound like an uncaged bird perched

within a confident trusting soul

who sees life complete and whole

Another may quake and shake

and be all of a flutter

with an anxious heart prone to

quail, splutter and falter

Hope is like a light

burning on the inside

A flame often wavering, slim

we must tend to keep it alive

God doesn’t bow to our

indecent haste, our nervous

exhaustion when life is viewed

like a marathon race

His ways are ones of

unhurried, restful peace

with hope ascending high

as it’s lubricated by

the oil of Holy Spirit ease

And we can remain calm

when our Hope is secure

while we rest in God’s arms

and trust an unknown future

to a faithful, risen Saviour

©JoyLenton2015

This is day 28 of write-31-days with five-minute-free-writes. Today I’m linking up with fellow writing friends for ‘Tell His Story at Jennifer’s place and ‘Coffee for your Heart’ at Holley’s site.

And it’s also my last contribution to this writing challenge. Family will be staying over and I hope to unwind and spend some precious quality time with them. Thank you for reading.

I’ve taken part here on a weekly basis but most of  these #write31days posts can be found over at my other site ‘Words of Joy’ if you’d like to catch up with them while I take a break. Blessings and love to you as you rest in our eternal Hope of Christ for this life and beyond.  Joy ❤

hope sings light - PJ

Riding the waves

/ Joy Lenton / 9 Comments

riding the waves PJ

Riding the waves

When waves threaten to overwhelm

seal my cells in the security

of Your safe embrace

Remind me that life’s storms

cannot completely swallow me

I belong to a different shore

A Kingdom of peace prevailing

where joy is the sound

that roars, deafening in its

clarity. For nothing there

can sink us, only draw us

closer to Your trinity

So as these waves of worry

encompass me today

and waves of uncertainty

try to have their way,

keep me anchored in Hope

held fast against the Rock

sheltered from the storms

battering and bruising my heart

Render me ready to meet

life’s waves with equanimity

And steady myself in Your grace

while they rise higher day by day

May I see only Light’s beacon

burning bright ahead

and rest in tender waves

of Love rushing toward

me as Lifebelt holding me

close in their stead

©JoyLenton2015

riding the waves PJ poem

This is day 21 of write-31-days five-minute-free-writes with the prompt:‘wave’. You can see the rest of the prompts here. I am also joining in with fellow writing friends at Jennifer’s place for #TellHisStory and with Holley for #coffeeforyourheart as we share God’s grace seen in His hand on our lives.

Thank you for being here and at Words of Joy where most of the posts have been written this month.

I am so thankful for your company and support!

I want to fly free

/ Joy Lenton / 5 Comments

fly free web PJ

Do you ever get days when the world seems to crush you with the weight of their collective opinion?

The internet can be a great place to hang out but it can also leave us feeling invisible in the stream of news and views, likes and shares or the lack thereof.

Maybe you feel caught in a comparison trap where you appear to be less favourably situated than others are? Me too, sometimes.

If so, today’s poem (written a while back when energy was more available) may speak to your insecure soul and lead you to seek your worth and value primarily in how God views you.

Because we are infinitely precious, dearly beloved and deeply special to Him.

Yes, you too. You really are. Just As You Are. He knows and notices everything about you.

You can fly free of people-approval because you’re already pre-approved by God.

You can let go the need to impress because you’re special to Him.

You can rest in His grace for every circumstance and His peace for every problem.

You can be reassured of God’s great faithfulness to take good care of you all the days of your life.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” ~ Lamentations 3:22 – 23

Fly free

I’m stuck fast like a wasp

in a honey-pot, caught like

a fly in a web of deceit

because I’ve bought into

the lie that I’m incomplete

without fame and acclaim

tasting oh so sweet

It spins soft as sugar

as it wraps round our thoughts

and persuades us we’re not

quite as good as we ought

to be, not adequate or

enough for the likes of

Them who decide if

we’re out or in, you see

And I soon sicken of

the sugary smiles and

false acclaim offered

to us if we’ve made

our name, or the pain

we feel of being ‘less than’

in another’s eyes due to

their flawed opinion

I just want to fly free

of it all, and spread my

wings onto purer

and sweeter and better things

My soul seeks the solace

of being grounded in grace

where I can be my true self

in God’s accepting embrace

©JoyLenton2015

 “Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. ..Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you.” ~ Isaiah 43:1, 4

This is day 14 of 31 days of #fiveminutefreewrites taking place with these prompts over at Kate Motaung’s place. I’m joining in as often as I can, even if my posts are not necessarily written on the day itself, because there’s grace to participate in your own way.

If you’d like to see the rest of my posts in this series, the majority can be found at my‘Words of Joy’ blog. I’d love to see you there! 🙂

I’m also linking with Jennifer for #TellHisStory and Holley for #coffeeforyourheart

fly free PJ poem pin

Shades of purple

/ Joy Lenton / 8 Comments

shades of purple

Life is a rich variety of colours, shading dark to light, dull to bright.

And we experience the same as emotions of joy and pleasure soon seep into sadness and pain.

When we live with invisible illness, like Fibromyalgia, M.E and Arthritis, it can be hard for others to appreciate the way it colours our outlook and darkens days with its brooding presence.

I love the colour purple, and because it is also the shade chosen to represent Fibromyalgia awareness, I have an even closer affinity with it.

The butterfly symbol reminds me that I can float free of my circumstances as I seek treatment and help, support and relief.

When I rest in God’s healing powers and soothing waters of grace, my mind and body are more at peace.

He binds up our wounds, grants us grace to live with pain and to sense His presence in our darkest times.

BUTTERFLY symbol for Fibro

Shades of Purple

Ringed black and blue

visible wounding

heavy bruised stain

seeping into skin

with tender, throbbing pain

But you wound internal

pulsating deep

Fibro fingers

prodding, poking, pain

that always lingers

Morning stiff

to greet the dawn

making body stumble

movement slow

with risk of tumble

Purple prose

swallowed down

as limbs grind painful

muscles sore, gait unsteady,

awkward, shameful

Echoes of dark

bleeding out of day

escorting in the night

with sleep-elusive sigh

as body seizes tight

Purple-coloured robes

draping royal and holy

a mantle of love

covering aches and pains

with grace from above

Shades of purple

tinged with layers of faith,

bringing strength and healing

as God’s heavenly light

shines with Hope revealing

©JoyLenton2013

**NOTE** –  Sadly, my weary brain wouldn’t co-operate and let me write a new poem today, therefore I’ve chosen one which originally appeared in a Words of Joy post.

But as it was written in just over five minutes it seems a suitable one to choose for today’s #write31days and #fiveminutefreewrites prompt:‘purple’.  The rest of the prompts for October can be found here. You can also catch up with more of  these posts at my Words of Joy site.

shades of purple PJ pin

This is my calling

/ Joy Lenton / 6 Comments

calling -way forward PJ

Finding our calling in life can feel like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

How do we separate out the wheat from the chaff?

We look for a way forward and find ourselves going in circles.

How can we decide what to focus on to the exclusion of other things, or which path to pursue if we neglect another?

Because in seeking the best we may have to lay aside what seems better, or worthy of our attention.

Perhaps it’s not necessarily a vocation, a task which only we can do, a unique way of life.

Maybe our calling is more of a recognition of what really matters to us, what fuels our passions and drives our desires.

That used to be nursing for me, becoming a wife and raising a family. Then it became more about seeing what God laid on my heart, supporting others who are sick and struggling with chronic illness, being a writer and encourager.

As I pondered on the word ‘calling’ I was drawn more to reveal its hidden depths than to dwell on a single thing of significance.

And as a Christian, I consider above all things that my calling is to live a surrendered, authentic life in the light of God’s Word, by the power of His Spirit and in obedience to Him.

It will be a pathway that others follow, but it will look different on each one of us as we live out our unique, God-given place and purpose in this world.

This is my calling

This life which I own as mine

Days unfolding over time

This is my calling

The way I make my faith-walk

How I behave and how I talk

This is my calling

Being seen and being heard

as I share God’s saving Word

This is my calling

Listening and being aware

what, when, where I need to share

This is my calling

Encouraging others and being kind

Turning the cheek, trying not to mind

This is my calling

Seeing and sensing God’s hand in this world

Helping His purpose become unfurled

This is my calling

©JoyLenton2015

calling - PJ pin

This post is the first part of #31days of five-minute-free-writes as prompted by the #FMF writing community. You can see the writing prompts for the rest of October and find out more here.

Five-Minute-Free-Writes-button

I’ll be taking part on an ad hoc basis as and when I have energy and inspiration enough to do  so. You’re warmly invited to join us.

A lingering mist

/ Joy Lenton / 2 Comments

as mist poem image

‘Lingering’

Even the happy things

hold a sadness, lingering

with importunity

like a fading kiss

Still hovering

on the premises

as wraith, as mist

Seeking to steal

kill and destroy our

joy and happiness

It’s darkening cloud

cloaking like a fine grey

shroud over every missed

opportunity and day

when hope takes wings

and flies clear away

©JoyLenton2014

lingering poem file pin image PJ

Autumnal days

/ Joy Lenton / 9 Comments

There is a special beauty in autumnal days.

I love to watch as leaves give out a dying blaze before they crisp and curl then fall away.

And this week I have a wonderfully familiar yet completely different outlook.

My son’s garden and surroundings speak soft of summer’s ending, autumn’s kaleidoscope colours signalling the approach of colder days.

So as I’ve window-watched and pondered, taken images and enjoyed the views, it seemed good to share them with you too.

Because there is a bevy of beauty in the everyday as God pours out His glory and grace.

‘Autumnal days’

autumnal rain and trees

Autumnal days have a sacred blaze

They glow with mystery and a hint of history

Glistening raindrops gather soft light

as they turn liquid gold and rusty bright

crack where light gets in

Landscape misted by a foggy haze

in deepening darker rain-soaked days

No matter how dim and dull it may seem

there’s always a crack where the light gets in

garden squirrel file image PJ

And familiar green can become a scene

where a squirrel hides himself in plain sight

before he scampers clean away

having made his mark on the day

©JoyLenton2014

This poem shaped itself as I looked at the images I had taken this week. It is part of my aim to see beauty in the everyday and God’s grace in the commonplace during my  #31days of #writingbraveandfree here and at Words of Joy. 

Posts have of necessity been rather sporadic due to many health challenges and the extra fatigue from making a journey, but I hope you will enjoy what I’ve managed to write so far. 🙂