Thought for The Day - Tracing Lines

Soul Dance 8 x 11 colored pencils

I've got my finger on the pulse

I'm drawing it across the path

Following the link

From source

To the place where it's needed

But I don't understand what's going on

Some mysteries are too deep to explain in a paragraph

And the network of interconnected lines and pathways

Too complex to map

At least, not alone

This is a group effort

Needs a team approach

The pattern

The intersecting lines

And the interwoven material

Leave me scratching my head

Thought for The Day - Playin' to The Crowd

Shaken up! 8 x 11 pencil

At some point, we all do it, we become people pleasers. No one wants to spend every second of their lives "swimming upstream." We need relationship, a sense of family and community. And yet, we are individuals, our own being with thoughts and ideas that are distinct from one another.

What we agree to be as a group or a people allows familiarity. The need for mutual agreement can seem like a force greater than the individual. But never let the crowd or community kill your individuality. Listen, first, to God as he directs your path and as necessary, follow the common consensus.

Thought for The Day - Knowing Self

My newest hobby: freshwater aquariums. Growing up, I would see them in the store - back then, nearly every major department store carried a selection of goldfish and "one-offs." As long as my mom would allow, I would stand in front of the tanks, listening to the water filtering in and out and watching the fish. At 15, I got my first aquarium; a ten gallon aquarium that I cleaned faithfully for the next three years or so. Filled it with black Mollies and gold Platys and a bunch of snails. But this year, on my birthday, my wife bought a huge 37 gallon aquarium! It was all I had not to go out the same day and fill it with fish! Since that time, I have filled it and will add more as the tank matures.

My wife's one thing: I don't have many colorful fish in it. She's right, but the pet stores of today are "extremely helpful" - the good one's anyway. They made suggestions for 'starter' fish, creatures that are hardy and can tolerate fluctuations in temperature and chemicals naturally produced in our unstable industrialized water supply. They happen to be plain and small. Again, it was all I had not to populate the tank quickly, but that being said, I ignored advice from the sales reps in the store and good friends at work who also have or had aquariums. Angel fish had to make it in the tank and so far, they get along well with the rest of the community.

I'm sitting in my space at the moment, staring at my "third" tank. I wanted a smaller aquarium for my space, to look at while painting and writing. Tranquil, peaceful and lively... I filled it with fish that are as just as unappealing as the larger tank, but fish that love to be in schools of 6 or more. There movement as a group is beautiful and relaxing...

Some of my coworkers and others I've talked with spoke of their aquariums. The fish they've had are far more appealing. Beautiful colorful fish, but aggressive and in some cases predatory. The type of fish you feed with smaller fish! Mind you, I want colorful fish, but not predatory fish. And the one thing each person that had these fish said: "circle of life." meaning you see bigger fish eat smaller fish. Nope, not me. Community, unity, one place, like the world I desire...

My music preferences:

• Relaxing
• Romantic
• Soft
• Truthful
• Inspiring
• Thought-provoking

My book preferences:

• Educational
• Informative
• When violent, with a purpose
• Historical
• Romantic

My Desired World:

• Thoughtful
• Community - other minded
• Unified
• Peaceful
• Nurturing
• Growing

Thought for The Day - What's in There?

A big pot, the lid rattling steam rises from a corner, the contents boil and rumble...

Every now and then, something boils up to the surface...

I write

I paint

And within those two, there is no limit to what can be said! I absorb stories from the expression of people I may never meet, there body language as we pass one another on the street, part of the epic saga. Each passing cloud and the designs on a woman's dress or a man's tie, part of a huge tapestry that covers and surrounds us all.

Each day, with each moment of the day, we are living out the dream. Know your role, play it well...

Thought for The Day - A Long and Full Journey

A Thousand Miles in a day...

No color, no sound; then a rush of subdued grays, a muted light filtering through the window. A long power driven whoosh of a motorcycle riding by. The warm feeling of the bed under the left side of my body from shoulder to feet and pulling back the bed spread to rise...

Mid day, bright sunlight, music from my headphones mixing with the sound of cars driving by. Each step taken, leaving the building for a rejuvenating walk, faces are met, perhaps a nod, a slight smile. Faces I've never seen before and may never see again. In groups of twos or threes, others out for a walk to lunch, more about the conversation than filling the stomach, but a blend of both. The pavement is uneven in spots and my feet slowly adjust to the unevenness. Slowly, I increase my step to force muscles, tendon and bones to work out a morning of sitting too much. Body begins to warm and before long the water runs from the right side of my forehead...

...It's another day's journey and in it, I've observed, words, thoughts, impressions and suppositions.

...A Thousand Miles is only a fraction of the journey...

Thought for The Day - Connect

After the Dance (in progress) 18 x 24 charcoal

Longing

Painful memories

Family

Community

Island

Isolation

Recluse

If your reasons for distance are a result of past hurt, and you find yourself recalling the event when someone tries to connect, consider the present moment. The person reaching out to you may not have a thing to do with the past and if this is true, also keep in mind: the past is past. It is gone and if you examine closely, you will find "this day" is nothing like yesterday. Connect, reach out, feel, be touched and caressed.

We all long for a sense of community, even if someone connects with our hurt and pain, we need someone who understands. Certainly we want someone to help us rise above ignorance and pain. We love it when a wise and compassionate person comes along who seems to love us as we are, but works toward helping us grow. They are rare, those who accept us, love us and yearn for our growth. So rare as a matter of fact that we are happy to accept the influence of people who want us to remain in our misery to support their own. But in truth, we are never satisfied with yesterday's woes; everyone is born with a desire to grow and reach new heights. And there will be times when it seems we are an island; isolated and distant from others.

It would be great, that as we grow and change, we could take those who have been in our corner, along with us. But often, their attachment to hurt and bad habits doesn't work with our new life. And like the habits we've let go to adapt new and prosperous ones, we have to let them go as well. And yet, we are always striving for relationship and community.

Thought for The Day - Be Encouraged

Shaken Up! 8 x 11 pencils

I woke with this song playing in my mind and it seemed somehow, appropriate for this morning's entry. Not sure where this will take you and I, but here it goes!

These words "be encouraged," said when we know someone is going through a time of difficulty; the power of these words is the intent behind them. Literally saying to someone, with a desire that their life is turned from tragedy or calamity to joy; that desire seems to lift that person's sense of hope. And seeing that "shift" in the individual, gives us hope.

Paramount to my existence is giving individuals hope and encouragement. For me, it is like igniting or giving additional energy to the light inside us all. It is the human/divine connect that awakes in us our purpose for living. And for some, the igniting is more than a matter of "lifting up the bowed down head," for some, it's a matter of taking destructive energy and turning it to life affirming, life building energy! And just as uttering words of encouragement reflects on the listener as well as the one who says it, so we are a community, designed to bring us all into our divine purpose.

Thought for The Day: "...Processing..."

The Birth of... 18 x 24 pastels

Digital age

Information technology age

Storing our facts and stories in the cloud for the world to know

Open your mind and receive the message for the day...

...Processing...

If you would slow your pace at least once a day, rise earlier than is needed to rush to work and listen, you would be surprised at the insight gained in the silence.

If you are one of those whose family "always" wakes earlier and wakes with televisions, music and fighting, a quiet walk or just a small break in the middle of the chaos...take it.

What is gained, what can be known and experienced may not be easily repeatable in conversation, but it is invaluable in the rhythms of life.

Repeat this process enough and perhaps, the days won't seem nearly as hopeless. Perhaps you'll find peace and expression of the same.

Begin the process of "...processing..." there is far more to life than is captured by social media and in our digital landscape.

Thought for The Day - Fingerprints

I'm listening 24 x 36 Oil painting

The unique mark we leave everywhere, whether we want to or not. But isn't that every part of us? Every line and every word is an extension of our unique identity. We are composed of the same atoms, molecules and cellular combinations. We all have flesh, bones an organs and yet everyone of us is an amazing original. There may be Sarah Vaughn-esque performers or Elvis impersonators, but there will never be another Sarah Vaughn or Elvis Presley. But there will never be another you, or your brother or sister or parents as well!

I appreciate that we have built cities and technology that allow us to connect to one another. I'm glad standards for construction, medicine and even education were established and for the most part, it serves multiple societies well. But every person doesn't fit in the cookie-cutter molds we've created. I would dare say, more and more, people aren't fitting the mold and the shape is changing around us slowly but most assuredly. We are growing, friends and expanding and while we have this good foundation of structure, let's continue to build ourselves, our families and communities with caring and compassion. Explore your creativity and sense of innovation. Imagine a world where love and compassion rule, rather than "dog-eat-dog" as we have known it all of our lives. We've known that was not how life was meant to live, but we accepted it and somehow reveled in it. Before we destroy one another, let's find ways to connect and unify.