May our minds flourish with creation, and may our hands never deny its expression.
in the spaces between drinks
he repeats to himself
i’m a good man
i’m a good man
i’m a good man
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Regrets come from the corners
and fears drip through the cracks.
Errors with their voices shrill
lurk in their red and black.
Our demons for us crawl
in the light, unseen,
for the horror is our own —
this is Halloween.
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In our daily lives, we speak loosely, swaying effortlessly in and out of dialects. Our mouths are filled with colloquialisms, slang, humor, and hoards of other speech patterns that make our language seem indirect or common. This is a beautiful reflection of our adaptability — that we can formulate different speech at work, at home, with friends, and even at certain venues. It can, however, allow us to forget that, within this overwhelming wealth of words, all power is hidden.
It is empowering to remember that words create and recreate the world. Armies march at spoken command. Societies operate on the foundations of written law. The beginning of a friendship, the end of a marriage, a religious conversion, and the formation or the fall of a government can all happen at the spur of words. For good or for evil, words transform our lives.
Words are inevitable, undeniable, and unrivaled pathways for knowledge, inspiration, transformation, and, in a ‘word,’ power. How easily we overlook the electrifying potential we all have in our capacity to create words and, thereby, affect minds. Language is so robust that it often trounces reality; what matters is not the truth, but what we believe to be the truth, and that ‘truth’ is delivered through words.
This fills my mind as I read another article about another tragedy. And I am struck, like most readers, with a feeling of staunch helplessness, until I discipline my mind to recall the great power we all have to give life to good in direct response to evil. As long as we can create words, we can change minds. As long as we can change minds, we can change behavior. And, as long as we still have the opportunity to change behavior, we can change it all.
A stone in your river
An ember in your fire
A flake in your storm –
You consume me.
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I suppose it could be argued that poetry seems as a colossal waste of time and a fruitless expense of energy. What does it gain a writer to craft flowery limericks or a reader to encounter an edgy rambling?
Everything. The writer gains everything when she tears wide her heart and permits it to pour freely onto the pages before her. She commands self-expression, a moment of triumphant bravery in giving voice to her thoughts. She gains creative fulfillment, realizing the great power within her to speak design into being. And she finds freedom, bursting, finally, from the parliament of self-defeating doubts.
The reader, likewise, gains everything when he encounters skin-raising poetry. He feels the fire of inspiration stirring within him, motivating him to conquer what is yet unconquered. He finds beauty, an undeniable value to life and its countless expressions. And he finds freedom, with a mind expanded, a heart enlivened, and a soul enchanted.
Food and water might sustain life, but art, in its unrivaled power to unite a universe, is what makes it worth our while.
May our minds flourish with creation, and may our hands never deny its expression.
She’s never been my sun;
she’s a vibrant moon,
and when her tides pull me in,
the waves crash and carry
my howl
for her.
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I spent most of 2018 in the bedlam of poetry. Poetry is like a wound — one that pains and one that heals. The wound is internal, garnering leverage over the organs with every experience the poet encounters. It forms and it festers, spreading wildly throughout the trunk of a person until it finally reaches the hands. And, through claws rigid with purpose, the poetry is expelled as ink onto parchment. The lesion that once victimized the poet transforms into liniment that relieves the aching reader.
My poetry was finally, fully expelled in November 2018 when I published, with great trepidation and greater reward, my first compilation of poems: Strong Language
It was equal parts triumph and relief to fashion 77 wounds into an ordered piece of writing. Enthusiastic for every breed and every style of literature, my mind hammered the stone in a thousand different shapes at once. I could not tell the stone what shape I wanted, for I wanted them all. So, I abandoned expectations, prescriptive rules, and reservations to just form as many sculptures in as many styles as my mind ached to construct. My book of poetry is without a determined style and is without a certain format. It is a flowing river of bloody letters expelled from my wounds.
Poetry is alluring yet strikingly powerful – a delicate strike of lightning. I will remain in the storm a little longer.
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I tried a thousand ways to write that title in a jovial, snappy way, but you’ll have to take what I gave you. You get the point: here is a list of low-glycemic gift ideas for our loved ones with blood sugar sensitivities. See why I was struggling with all of those clunky words?
Holidays can be especially frustrating for those of us with sugar sensitivities (or any food sensitivities, really). While Uncle Eugene polishes off his fourth tray of Christmas cookies, you’re left poking around the vegetable tray, looking longingly at the table of bright, delicious-looking desserts. Even with my theatrical flare (sorry, Uncle Eugene), the point is clear: people with blood sugar sensitivities struggle most during the holidays, as seemingly everyone else opens chocolate-covered treats, and they’re stuck without.
No more! Joyfully, companies and manufacturers have noted the need for diabetic-friendly treats, and have answered. What I mean by that is corporations have recognized an untapped market and exploited it. Ah, capitalism — it keeps things moving!
Here are some gift ideas for your diabetic and sugar-sensitive loved ones. Haven’t you just missed buying them holiday treats?
2. Green & Black’s Decadent Dark Chocolate Bars
Green & Black�s: Organic Dark Chocolate 70% (1 x 3.5 oz)
3. ChocZero Chocolates
4. Keep Healthy Coconut Crunch Bar
5. Simple MD Chocolate Almond Mediterranean Bars
6. Sweet Chipotle Think Jerky
Think Jerky Sweet Chipotle Grass-Fed Beef Jerky (Pack of 5)
You’ve probably missed purchasing snacks and desserts for your loved ones as much as they have missed receiving them! May this list give you some ideas that renew your gift-giving! What other low-glycemic treats have you found?
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This is a platform to discuss and reflect on ideas, advancements, questions, and other musings. I am neither a health expert nor a member of clergy. The only authority I have to speak is my experience — I yield no degree or certification to give you medical, psychological, or religious advice. This is simply where minds come to meet and broaden.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
That’s like me asking you if you’re staring, glossy-eyed into your phone. Of course you are, right?
We’re all suffering from something, because this world stubbornly refuses to pander to our needs — depression, arthritis, anxiety, autoimmune disorders, skin conditions, PTSD, digestive disorders, and sufferings unto infinity. We’re all burdened by physical, emotional, and spiritual frailty.
It’s good and bad, isn’t it, that all of those things are so deeply connected? When we struggle mentally, our bodies are without energy and health, and when we struggle physically, our minds just can’t operate. The good thing is this: healing and redemption, then, can flood all of our being. Making healthy choices, honoring our bodies, and pursuing a higher life washes over the full of us. When we pursue health, our entire being can’t help but to be redeemed.
Honoring our bodies
Sometimes, it feels like there isn’t much here to honor, right? Wrong! As frustrating (and disappointing) as they can be, our bodies are of incredible value. What else lets you consume an entire chocolate cake and somehow come out alive? Or who let’s you stay up all night, throwing back cold ones and then still wakes you up in the morning? Your body is your most loyal and forgiving companion.
And we can do better for it. Let’s make decisions a little better each day, choosing life over lethargy. Reach for the nutritious food, rewarding your body for getting you this far. Conquer your cravings by falling in love with new, super foods.
Yes, you know what’s next: exercise. Walk to the coffee shop to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. Better yet, walk with a friend during lunchtime or after work. (Truly, you wouldn’t believe the health benefits of companionship. Here is a great Ted Talk about the incredible effects of companionship.)
Pursue health by making small, achievable steps each day to build a life that is both more uplifting and more fulfilling. You know it’s real, because you always feel better (and are better) after you exercise or go a full day eating according to plan. So let’s go.
Understanding health
What I hear most from people reluctant to embrace a healthier life is the misunderstanding of what it means to make healthy choices. It isn’t starving, it isn’t boring, and it isn’t a waste of time. It’s creating a menu of new, nutritious food, it’s self-care, and it’s rewarding.
Avoiding common offenders like gluten, dairy, preservatives, and chemicals and fueling your body with the nutrition it needs allows your body to overcome much of our suffering. When we’re burdened by physical and mental ailments, our bodies are crying out for relief. Let’s give it to them.
Here are some ideas to consider as you build a better, more fulfilling life:
That sounds like a pretty good life, right? As our bodies heal, so too do our minds. May you find yourself more at peace.
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This is a platform to discuss and reflect on ideas, advancements, questions, and other musings. I am neither a health expert nor a member of clergy. The only authority I have to speak is my experience — I yield no degree or certification to give you medical, psychological, or religious advice. This is simply where minds come to meet and broaden.
Of all our systems (digestive, immune, nervous, lymph, etc.), lymph just doesn’t get the attention it has earned. Our lymphatic system is in charge of managing defense and detoxification — not a small job, right?
The lymphatic system is this: a waste-management and protection network that moves lymph fluid throughout the body, with primary operators being tonsils, spleen, and thymus.
Perhaps, the enormous function of the lymphatic system is more powerfully expressed by considering the burdens we endure when it isn’t functioning properly:
When the body’s defense and detoxification system isn’t functioning well, we become bogged down by lethargy, illness, toxicity, and disease. Our channels are blocked, causing a buildup of toxins — how could we not develop burdensome symptoms?
As critical thinkers, then, we wonder, “what could make our lymphatic system perform poorly?” We are. Our lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump. This means that it relies on our breathing, laughing, exercise, and anything else that causes muscle contraction to function. With our troublesome diet and our incredible lack of physical activity, our lymph fluid is sitting idle, unable to carry toxins.
How to jump start your lymphatic system
As usual, our bodies are pretty forgiving. If we put a little effort into this, we can help our lymph system to help us. Here are some simple ways to earn back the functionality of your lymphatic system:
For a system that does incredible things for our health, it doesn’t take much to help it along. Try some of the ideas above and let me know if you find relief from your symptoms! Stay healthy.
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This is a platform to discuss and reflect on ideas, advancements, questions, and other musings. I am neither a health expert nor a member of clergy. The only authority I have to speak is my experience — I yield no degree or certification to give you medical, psychological, or religious advice. This is simply where minds come to meet and broaden.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Faith, Health, and Other Musings 