A Thank You To My Friends

Prov. 18:24 "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

I need to send a shout out

To my online family

The dearest thing that I have

Hovering like a canopy

I tell them that I need help

They run to give me aid.

To me they are essential

The BEST thing that God made!

I call these faithful people friends

Even though we’ve never met

They shower me with support

And love I’ll never forget!

I’ve known some for a decade

Other friendships newly formed

I light up when I see their name

Their words have kept me warmed.

They could have left me out here

Without a care in the world

Instead, they share the burden

In this windowed computer world!

They actually care if I live or die

Their pockets turned inside out

These tender bonds we’ll carry

For years to come no doubt!

I sincerely love these friends of mine

Who treat me like one of their own

I’ll never forget the love they gave

Or the Light from God they’ve shown!

THANK YOU for keeping me ALIVE

God Bless Each and every one of you!

A most sincere indebted Thank you to:

Sara Brittany (niece), Flory (cousin)

Becky, Mike, Ben (Jeffrey), Debbie, Dixie,

DonnaS, Heather, Leona, Stena, B.J Gavina (Jim)

And to ALL of my online FB Friends,

too many to name!

Thank you for your continued support!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Never Feel Alone

 Pss. 55:1 “Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.”

Never Feel Alone

Now before you tell me that I am never alone, God is always with me, I got that down, I’ve been feeling lonely as people react at the mere mention of the enemy Cancer that is attacking me. I feel like I’m accepting the diagnosis better than they are. 

For the past week since I the hammer fell, I’ve been embracing optimism. I have hope and promise in my hand and I just so happen to be walking around with a mustard seed in my hand. My faith is actually bigger but those around me physically, may not be on the same fulfilling promise of their faith. That concerns me.

My mother-in-law wants to come and see me and I am fine with that. If she needs to see the Light of Jesus shining through me, then there really is a purpose and reason for everything and I believe that with every fiber of my being.

I wrote to her in all earnestness and asked her what she was coming out to my house with; pity, sorrow or hope and positive input? I know she surrounds me with love but I can honestly from ten miles away sense the pity in her tone the sorrow in her words, the fear in every letter of the alphabet.

Deut. 28:66 “And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:”

Just a few comments (not all) from DEAR friends. Full names withheld for privacy reasons. 

Mike said: “People fear death because they have no hope. They've been brainwashed into thinking it's [death] something really bad.”

Donna said: “It's normal for people that love you to be upset. Of course, you do not want pity but God will use you during this time to help him established his Kingdom.”

Shellie said: “I believe very firmly that we are healed through the stripes Jesus took for us!! You have many friends and family praying and loving you through this process! I also believe that staying as positive as possible is a must do in healing.”

My favorite response by Tom: “People fear most that which they cannot control; they think that if they eat right, think right and do right, they can control everything. Even Christians get coaxed into thinking their reward is in the blessings of this life. But then Cancer, ALS, MS, and Parkinson's diseases come along and confront their/our comfort in THIS life, taking away our self-confidence. But confidence in "self" is not confidence in God. Trusting in God, and placing CONFIDENCE in His will, is what ultimately allows us to make a smooth transition from this life to the next.”

One of MY responses: “Exactly! And I don't feel like God is saying (to ME) choose chemo, prolong your life over choose ME, *I* AM the WAY, THE TRUTH, and the LIFE. And I will take you when I'm good and ready no matter WHAT you choose.”

Pss. 27:6 “And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.”

Does my comment scare you? I understand that they’ve made great strides in the medical field but the treatment is still the same as it was forty years ago, drugs, chemo, radiation. Let me ask you this all of you political aficionados if the enemy from another country threatened your life, is attacking that country with radiation your first line of defense? No? Why not? Because it would KILL innocent people along with the bad! THAT is exactly what chemotherapy does; it KILLS the bad cells but also wipes out the GOOD cells needed to SURVIVE! I’m just choosing another line of defense for now.

When you get the big C diagnosis there is a flurry of bombardments from every angle. The treatments offered are only the ones that the doctors submit you up for, it’s their job. I keep hearing about positive thoughts and prayers are essential in healing but my Oncologists is sworn to Conventional Treatment and if I don’t go that route, she’s out some money I’m sure. 

How can chemo help me if I don’t BELIEVE it can help me? Chemo would NOT work for me because I don’t believe it can help me. I don’t have a positive mindset where chemo is concerned. Sure, they can pretend it is going to work, they can pump me with drugs and radiate me, but if I would go into a treatment that I didn’t have one iota of faith in helping me, how could treatment in that manner save me?

Now, I have faith in medicinal herbs, always have and always will. Why? Because I’ve always believed that God put a cure for EVERY illness right here under our noses and in front of our eyes, but we are too blind to see. We are too bogged with taking a ‘doctors orders’ to see something else that might benefit our disease/illness.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some doctors who go against the grain and are superb and richly needed but are they open to hearing YOU! Do they dismiss any hope you have by shrugging off your faith, your belief, and your wishes? If your doctor gives off negative vibes and a me, me, me attitude, is that the doctor you’re going to want to go with for healing YOU? 

That’s where I’m at, the oncologist left me feeling alone surrounded by people. Now, my friends, they’re a different story I told them I’m choosing this route of holistic healing and they lift me up! Surround me with prayer, and now are supporting me monetarily so I can get all of the vitamins I need to go into battle against the enemy. I have a very prayerful and faithful group of friends.

Isa. 2:12 “For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:”

My niece started me a sort of GoFundMe page called YouCaring. She asked beforehand if I’d mind and being bombarded with info from everywhere and what I’ll need to fight this enemy, I told her to go for it. Not thinking anything would come of it and I’d be in this battle alone but no, my friends and family came out of the woodwork to help their fellow man (um, woman). I WILL remember those who stood by and lifted me up and I DO thank each and every one who reaches into their bag of riches (can’t take it with you). And I will lift you all in prayer because I LOVE YOU! 

I’m without funds and I know we live in a world where people need every penny that they have, I totally get that and understand because I’m in the same boat with you. But not to share the link is leaving me alone, all alone in this fight of mine. It costs nothing to share the link, it is showing me visually that you support me on this journey. With a share, you are spreading a positive love and acceptance of me. I love you for that!  

Luke 6:20 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.”

Fear has crept into some, fear of the unknown. They don’t know enough about the disease, but I do know it’s not contagious. Staying away from me and ignoring me isn’t going to keep it from your doorstep. I’ve read that this cell was more than likely growing inside me for the past ten years and now it is full blown in an ‘I can feel you lump’ fashion. Unhealthy eating was the fertile soil the cell needed to grow. 

Come along with me on this journey of a lifetime! Hold on though, it’s not a fantasy trip; we’re going to the deepest depths of reality and there is NOTHING to fear because GOD is with me, with US, all the way. While I love you all, I love Him even more!

Pss. 5:3 “My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”

MY new motto! "The face of the CURE not the face of the Disease!"

May God touch you all, in the same way, He IS TOUCHING ME!

Poetry Sunday ~ Memories

4 Ezra 4:45 “Shew me then whether there be more to come than is past, or more past than is to come.”

Memories

When tears leak from my eyes I find

a place of healing that’s no surprise,

I find I’m lost once being found is not easy

To mechanically turn life around.

The glorious light of which I cling to 

Allows me comfort waters to wade through

I’m not the one who lives daily in fear

Let me make it clear why I’m still here

The days are long often filled with pain

I’ll say it again in life I’ll remain

The one who finds God in all that I do

As I waddle through memories I once knew

The past is there for me to step around

Tiptoe through eggshells for all I’ve found

Religion and alcohol a cocktail of frights

I made it through the dark stormy nights

I didn’t have a mother who cooked and baked 

I’m lucky to have had the food that we ate.

A penguin filled schoolhouse was my only friend

That carried my memories to the rivers bend

With a concrete garden and asphalt street

My life in Baltimore was never complete

Crimson skies lined my sunset dreams

Away from home’s not as murky it seems

I’ll go and drown my empty sorrow 

For all I carry to every tomorrow

What’s done is done what’s gone is gone

I’ll live my life and carry on.

You Can't Force Love

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

You Can’t Force Love

Can you imagine a heavenly Father forcing himself on us and making us love Him? Or trying to guilt us into loving him unconditionally? No, I can’t imagine that either. That is why we have a thing called free-will, we have a CHOICE to love the Lord or not to. We can love Him from afar or have an up close and personal relationship; the choice is ours. 

Relationships, whether earthly or spiritual, work two ways. Let’s say a person gives love but the receiver doesn’t return that love, but expects more and more love from the giver without ever acknowledging the heartfelt sentiment from the giver. Does that sound like love of any kind?

Take for example God. He gives you love, you receive it but never ever thank Him for all the love He has given, then when you’re down that’s the first thing you want is your Heavenly Father. 

Do you have a relationship with God where you do all the giving and He does all the taking? I myself cannot see a God that doesn’t reciprocate the love you give to Him. I can however see mothers and fathers and children with earthly choices choosing to do all the taking without ever an ounce of giving. I can see children growing up in the ‘me generation’ making love all about them without ever giving the love that it takes to get some in return. 

The children today are all about what THEY need, what THEY want and never thinking far enough ahead of what was given to get to this point of wanting and needing. Children today are very selfish and always worrying about their wants and not focusing on Him. It’s a hard realization when we come to terms that life is not about US, it is about Him and the sacrifices we must make to be at peace and have a relationship in a clogged-drain world. Kids today don’t realize the severity of not having Him first and foremost but they’ll learn, one day. 

True stories:
I have a niece born out of wedlock, an illegitimate child. Her mother forced child support, while bio-dad forced visitation rights. A compromise was made and thirty years later all involved has a mutual love-filled relationship; all because of CHOICES made in FORMING the relationship.

I have other nieces born out of love but torn apart by divorce. The choices of the mother and father to have relationships and be involved in their lives make the world of difference between bitter or self-absorbed. 

I have a son, who was born out of love who was torn apart by divorce, never seeing or knowing his dad since he was seven and as an adult now makes the CHOICE in whether he seeks out or has ANY relationship with his father. He chooses not to have one and I won’t FORCE him to do anything different because he’s an adult now. 

Some parents build a fantasy world for their children like telling them Santa exists and will bring you presents only for the kids to grow and realize their parents lied to them. If they lied about Santa, Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy what other lies were told that you, as an unknowing child, bought into? I’ve seen over the years so many kids torn apart by lies and deception only to find out later the truth. I never lied to my son about Santa, he never knew him whereas I tried to FORCE my God and all of MY opinions on him and it backfired. I didn’t lie to him about God, but I tried to FORCE him to love God.

God will never FORCE himself upon you. He gives you truth as a gift and it is up to you to wrap your mind around the giver or let it blow in the breeze like a self-entitled receiver. When we lie to our children by giving them what we think they want to hear, it is going to backfire and hurt the children in the long run and in the end FORCE them into making decisions as the adult they’ve become. We can no longer make decisions for our adult children because they have already formed an opinion. Either from what we forced on them, lied to them, or tried shaping them into.

I always told my son the truth about his father and our relationship and it is now up to him as an adult, to shape whatever if any relationship will be had later in life. The choice is now his, I can’t make it for him. God gives us the CHOICE to have a relationship with Him. My son now knows it is up to him to have a relationship with God and as an adult, he makes his own choices. Mom can’t save him now, only God can do that.

The CHOICE is always yours!

“A perfect relationship is two imperfect people who refused to give up on each other.”

Poetry Sunday ~ I See Him

Eph. 3:3-4 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

I see Him in the light of day
I see Him in the clouds that sway
I see Him in the breeze He breathes
I see Him in the soul that seethes

    

                                             

I hear Him in the songs of praise

I hear Him in intuitive ways

I hear Him in the reprimand

I hear Him in the Promised Land

I touch Him in my daily need

I touch Him in diurnal deed

I touch Him with my active prayer

I touch Him with each wisp of air

I taste Him in the scented dew

I taste Him in His words so true.

I taste Him in the daily bread

I taste Him in the cross He bled

I see, hear, touch and taste

The scent of Him in honor placed

For all I see and all I do

It is my God I share with you!

God Bless you all

Poetry Sunday ~ Soul Harvest

Gen. 8:22 “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Soul Harvest

The time is near, the hour nigh 

Moonbeams droop in a blackened sky 

Blazing sun scorches the land 

Earth erupts in a quivering stand 

Encircling us is ravaging hate

Lust and greed severs our fate 

I sit and watch as lives unravel 

The boulder of strength now merely gravel 

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust

Souls bewildered by mistrust 

Doubt and fear, they give rise 

To muted pleas and mournful cries

As souls ascend and souls descend 

It is our own that we must mend

Bringing forth joy, love and peace 

The decorum of beauty will never cease

Firmly tread as the time is here 

To boldly proclaim, all we revere 

The harvest of souls its beckoning plea 

It's craving you; devouring me

Come forth and share your wholesome beauty

Unleash love, as is our duty 

Reap what you sow, seek and find 

Then you my friend, won't be left behind. 

Copyright ©joni zipp

Rev. 14:15 “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

I wrote this many years ago and have posted it before but this seems timely to this very day. God Bless you all.

Poetry Sunday ~ Sunrise

Luke 1: 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Sunrise

The morning breaks

With flaming sun

I hear the winds

The rays outrun.

I see the shadows

In length from trees

Swaying softly

To the morning breeze.

Darkness lingers

Before the dawn

Creatures who creep

Are now withdrawn.

Softly the daylight

Breaks through the sky

Warming the ground

Without a sigh.

I raise my eyes

Begin to pray.

For God has granted

Me this day.

I will soar

Always share

With all I love

And whom I care.

Nothing dark

Will come from me

I’ll shine as the Son

For all to see.

Matt. 10: 27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

Happy New Year to You & ME!

Pic taken from the web

Rom. 8: 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Happy New Year

So starts a New Year for the poet within me. Since my shift in my goals last year from Write Right to Joni’s Muse, I have felt physically better, emotionally better and most importantly spiritually better.

I no longer have any desire to write fiction and my tales of non-fiction are all on display right here for the world to see. I don’t know what came over me but the change has been for the better and I actually FEEL better. That’s what is important to me.

Not that I’m being selfish or anything, I just feel the need in these darkened days to touch people in a different way. Life is not all about writing, the craft and learning new writing skills, at least not for me any more.

There was a time I craved learning the writing craft. I had friends that were all on the same path and we were all walking the same road to knowledge in the field of writing. Something happened and we all journeyed down different roads. I went this way, they went that way and we’re all embarking on different legs in the journey.

Now mind you some are still on the same path together, and they’re happy with that part of never changing just staying on the same path. Me, I’m a rebel, I had to leap off the path and leave some behind because we weren’t headed in the same direction.

As you can read from all of my final posts before the New Year began, I’ve gone the way of a shepherd instead of a sheep. I never did feel right just following along, I always liked the position of being a leader and not a leader among writers either.

And with that change came new friends with the same passion that I have, a love of God. You knew I’d mention Him sooner or later didn’t you? It is amazing to see God work and bring people to me. I definitely feel a pull toward the wholesome path and not a run down rock filled path where the sheep just kick the rocks to the curb and live happily in a rose-colored fog-laden world.

Rom. 12: 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

I cannot and will not conform to this world and as many people try to lead me back to the lonely path to nowhere, I will continue down the path I began towards the end of last year, one full of Light and love! I have to, to save possibly others and myself who are tired of idle idols.

I will have opinionated pieces too mixed with all the poetry but like I say, it is MY opinion and not that of others. You can agree, disagree, love it or hate it, but it is just an ‘opinion’ and like eyeballs, everybody has them!

Enjoy the New Year, enjoy the journey you are on at this moment as I am enjoying mine. We don’t all need to be on the same path to be friends but it sure is nice having company.

Also I’d like to add, as my blog came to an almost complete halt; I feared a total crash and burn meaning I was headed in a ‘delete the whole thing’ mood. I came out of the quagmire with a new lease on the blog and I finished the year with 162 total posts in 2013! Already 4 posts in 2014!! Kudos to me for not listening to the inner demons!

Praise be to you know who… GOD!

p.s. Just as an added footnote: I won’t be sharing EVERY post on facebook so please have my page bookmarked for an easy return visit.

Love and blessings, Joni

2 Cor. 6: 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Linked In

Okay, I’m gonna share a secret. My secret is LinkedIn. I’ve been secretly lurking on this site for some time now. I go, I read, I gain. I’m sure Linked In is more than just writers communing and discussing the business but it is all I use it for, gleaning info about the writing business. It is a professional network, not a social scene.

I lurk around many sites, meaning I visit them, learn and grow in my writing. I think my friend told me about Linked In many many years ago and I had no use for it because I was so busy with ‘schoolwork’ and teaching folks about writing that I didn’t see this site for the immense amount of information that it held.

It is really a site where writers link up or any professional field of interest. I’m sure if you’re an astronaut they have groups to link you up, or if you’re a librarian, yup link ups to other librarians. But to me, this is a source to link up to other writer’s, publishers and editors.

You join the group of people that are in your field of interest, and join in the discussions of others in your field. That simple. It’s a professional site, unlike facebook where you throw things out and friends connected to you throw things back. No this place isn’t a place to show your immature silly side loaded with pics. It’s all forums and sometimes the sharing of your work. Notice I say WORK; a place to share your professionalism.

Also on LinkedIn, friends can endorse your work. Other professionals see your profile, and find interest in your work. Some will even hire you for a job. You know, a job where you get money for your work?

LinkedIn is not the immature looney bin palace of MySpace or Facebook or other social networks where socializing with the world becomes a laughing stock. I didn’t list Twitter because all that that place is good for is PROMOTING your work. To socialize on Twitter is creepy!! No, Linked In is the place for the professional, where you AS the professional, put on your intelligence cap and let your light shine!

Another place I like to lurk is Faith Writers. That is a place for writers of faith, to share their work. Granted it has benefits when you pay for their membership. There is a no-fee way to post but all the benefits come from the ‘paid’ subscription. BUT it is an excellent place worth mentioning to my writing friends. I haven’t bought into the site yet, maybe one day.

I lurk on the sites, drinking in words like a warm cup of coffee. I’m not an obsessive person (unless it is cleaning the house) or a stalker but I do lurk and see who is watching and who is obsessing, and WHO is learning from me.

My hope is that as you follow me, you’re learning from me and not abusing the situation to suit your needs. I have a lot to offer. Use my info wisely. Thank you!

10 Reasons to Blog

Job 13: 6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

***

1. Because you want to tell your story in all forthrightness, truth and honesty.
 

When you have a blog your mind is like a conduit and the page is where all your  
thoughts flow. The written word is a healing tool (can’t say that one enough)and as you tell your story, you are releasing any emotion attached.

2. Because you can?
 

There is a blog about almost anything. Not almost anything, ANYTHING! Do you have toes that look like a deer? Well let me tell you, somewhere out there, there is a blog on that subject. We blog because it’s free, we can, and because we grow.

3. To reach out to lost souls who need something to read. Preferably  problems and ways of dealing with life, other than their own.
 

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own problems, just to sit down and read how others are getting through, say, the recession, cancer, or any struggle, we connect through a blog.

4. To teach someone something that they might not have learned elsewhere.
 

The blog is a way of teaching others new ways of writing, new recipes to try, new ways of healing. The blog is a teaching tool.

5. To learn something that you might not have been taught elsewhere.
 

With the advent of the internet, we have chosen not to use the library. We can search anything we want, right from the comfort of our homes. I’ve learned more about the Hubble project on the internet than any book could have possibly taught me. (And I get to see pics!) Blogs can be learning tools.

6. To give back to society what it has taken away from you.
 

From the comfort of your home, in your PJ’s, you can write and release all your feelings that you felt were inadvertently taken away by someone saying, “You can’t do that.” or “You’ll never amount to anything.” A blog gives back.

7. To share
 

All of the above can fit right here in this spot. We blog to share. Why be selfish, when you can share with the world? The WORLD!

8. Enlighten
 

Maybe someone is going through the same thing as you. Maybe there is another writer who is looking for something. To enlighten a person, we have to be willing to post all the examples as stated above. It might enlighten someone, somehow.

9. Encourage
 

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all!” People feed off of encouragement while they use a shell when it is reversed. I encourage everyone to have a blog, even if they are not writers.

10. Inspire!
 

If there is one thing in life I would love, that is to inspire someone! This is the greatest gift to mankind that I could give. Through my blog, I try (and mostly succeed) in giving you all ten of these here tips. Not because I have to, because I want to be a part of your life and shower you with blessings. Through my words, my job is...to share,encourage enlighten...inspire!

godspeed my friends!