Words from the Heart

Constellations of Light - Hope Always Prevails Photo (c) 2019 Rev. Linda M. Rhinehart Neas From time to time, I will see or hear something that just hits my solar plexus with such power that I no longer have control of my emotions. Tears flow without my thinking. My heart fills with the beauty of the moment. At these times, I know there is something mystically magical happening. The BBC series, Doctor Who, has given me several such moments. The writers somehow manage to put words into the actors' mouths that the actors are able to say in such a way as to hit the heartstrings at just the right vibration to trigger an auto-response. Most recently, this happened as I was watching Season 11, Episode 5 with the new Doctor played by Jodie Whittaker. After a series of frenetic incidents in which the Doctor, her companions and the passengers of a failing space ship try to outwit a deadly alien species, the episode ends with a prayer for the general who gives her life to pi...

My decision to write a post about fibromyalgia isn't to start a pity party. I am writing in the hopes that this will bring some awareness to how conditions such as fibromyalgia, MS,  endometriosis , migraine and a host of other disease/conditions are not obvious. The victim doesn't "look" ill, and yet, they may be doing all they can to put one foot in front of the other without screaming. I have fibromyalgia. This was diagnosed close to 25 years ago after years of being in pain and having mysterious symptoms that the medical field could not diagnose. When I was given the diagnosis two things happened.  First, I began learning everything I could about this condition and how to keep it from taking over my life. Second, I promised myself I would not let this condition get in my way. I will tell you, this has not been easy.  For years, I was told I was either lying about my pain to seek attention or I was a    hypochondriac .  I am neither.  ...

Today, I am delighted to have a fellow educator and writer as a guest blogger for the Women on Writing Blog Tour of her new book.  B. Lynn Goodwin, author of Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife, shares her honest, and often, humorous thoughts on relationships, marriage, hope, faith and most of all, Love! I hope you will enjoy reading her post.  Please feel free to leave a comment. Those who do, will have an opportunity of winning a copy of her book, Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife.  Compromise and Acceptance       In my memoir Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife , I wrote,    “I never believed that opposites were attracted to one another until I met Richard. Part of the allure was that we got along so well despite our differences. Part of the fear was that I might be on a pink cloud.    “He wanted to marry me as soon as possible. I wanted to wait. He said he needed the influence of a good woman. I avoided the...

An acquaintance and I met unexpectedly the other day. I had not seen her in months, maybe even years. We greeted each other with the kind of joy one has when this happens, instantly recalling the fun we had had long ago. Of course, as tradition dictates, I asked how she was doing. Suddenly, joy went nose-diving into a long spiral of negativity that began with the horrors of her job to the state of the nation. I attempted to raise the vibration of our discussion by pointing out the blessings that surrounded her and us, but to no avail. So, what do we do when faced with hopelessness? How do we manage not to sink into the muddy hole of despair? Practice! Being positive and upbeat is impossible all the time , make no mistake about it. But, with practice, you can continue to see the Light, even when traversing the darkest tunnel. Every storm has a silver-lining. Every dark night has stars that light the sky. The trick is not to focus on the darkness, which never really is gone; but ...

(c) 2017 Linda M Rhinehart Neas Today would have been my mother's 88th birthday. I began the day giving thanks for her and all the things that she taught me, knowingly as well as unknowingly. I have said many times that Momma put the "fun" in dysfunctional. The older I get the more I realize what a gift that was.  You see, life was not easy for Momma or our family. There were multiple issues that constantly reared their ugly heads, sucking the joy out of life. However, Momma would do things during these dark times that showed us how to laugh in the face of adversity, grief, and pain.    For instance, I remember having a friend over for lunch when I was young. This had been planned for several days. However, Momma did have much in the house for food because Dad had not gotten paid. (I didn't know this until adulthood.) She never let on that there was an issue. Rather, she created a feast for me and my friend out of tomato soup, crackers with peanut bu...

Albrecht Dürer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Over the past two and half months the feel of helplessness has washed over me in tidal waves. Like standing on the shore watching someone drown without the means to rescue them, I have been watching, as systematically, the things I hold true - education for all, care of the elderly and veterans, care for single mom's and children, justice, the Constitutional rights of all people - have been slashed, cut, stepped on, ignored, and violated. What to do? My mind wanders back to a day, long ago. I was very young, but I understood that what was being shown in the news terrified me. I turned to my mother, saying what can we do? Her reply still echoes in my head, "When you think you can't do anything to help, you can always pray. Then, do something good for someone else." This has been my practice over the years when life overwhelms me with horror and pain. I pray for change, then do what I can in my own small ci...

The older I get, the more I realize that wisdom needs to be shared.  This used to happen when we came together in long houses, around campfires, and at the kitchen table.  Today, wisdom comes in bits and pieces that often lack the personal connection of a parent, grandparent or familial elder.  I find this unfortunate, but, I have also learned from my Elders that we MUST share wisdom with the world NOW.   So, my gift to the world on my last day being 62 is 62 bits of wisdom.  My greatest joy will be to know that you find something here that resonates with you. 62.  No matter how old you are, you are never too old to dream and to have goals.  61.  Gardens are great places of healing.  Visit often. 60.  Water is the life blood of Mother Earth; we MUST protect both. 59.  Children are wiser today; listen to them.  They have a lot to teach us. 58.  Music should be a part of every day! 57.  If you w...