F2K Again...

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

F2K Again…

Well friends, I decided to take the beloved F2K again. That’s the six-week Creative Writing Course that I used to mentor for many years and I allowed it to fall to the wayside. I still carry the knowledge, who am I kidding, it changed my writing life, and much of my entire life, completely.

As many of my writing friends are taking the course again because we love it so much, I decided this year of all years, I NEEDED this course to ground me.  The learning, the camaraderie, the fun and the lasting friendships are worth the course alone. The reason I’m taking it this year? I need to focus on something other than this stinkin’ disease.

I’ve been in a nonfiction group at WVU writing nonfiction, meaning my true-life tale, so when I signed up for F2K, short for Fiction2000, I had every intention of writing nonfiction. Then I thought about it after my first lesson, this has to be fiction; then out of nowhere, my day was spent writing an amazing fictional tale with my true life story weaved within every sentence.

I wanted the story to be about faith, hope, and love in the midst of turmoil. It’s all about weathering the storm with an illness in tow. Intertwining every word would take some skill, skill I know many of my friends have but I never felt that I was that good of a writer to pull it off. To actually write a fictional tale that could hold its own weight. Telling my story through the eyes of a character. I should also say I know I'm a good writer but I believe all writers lack the intense confidence in their work.

I may eventually post the work on here, my blog, but right now it is too raw and unedited. After it gets perfected, sent out to a few places, I may eventually put the story on here. Unless of course, you’re in my class, you’ll see the tale firsthand. Please don’t give me any suggestions on the story as I’m still weaving the threads. The story is already complete, I’m just in the editing stages, so no advice will be helpful at this point to shape my tale, but thank you. This is my gem.

I believe that everything happens for a reason and in its time. Anyone who has ever read my work knows me virtually or personally knows that about me. Recently, some things have been happening that I know are from Him. Like F2K happening at this precise time, the story unfolding like a blanket at a picnic, and in essence finding a source for my healing.

First let me say, I never buy into conspiracy theories and never get easily swayed by supposed prophetic events and this weekend was no different. This is the weekend 9 24 17 that the world was going to end (again) because a scripture lined up with the signs. I haven’t lived that long on this planet but I know, the prophecy never ends, it’s been going on for a millennium.
While everyone is out trying to make sense of these ‘prophetic’ words looking at every sign and wonder, conjuring up fear in themselves and their families, me, I’m looking for signs that pertain to me.

Ephesians 4:14 (KJV) "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"

I’m finding them in hope. Hope in each new day I wake and see another day. Hope in finding pleasure that each week of food shopping has everything there to sustain me. I look for natural healing remedies and I have hope that they’ll surface and they have been. I will take legal and illegal measures to heal and if they come to my door, what am I supposed to do, turn the opportunity away? I take everything God sends my way as a sign of my full healing, so when F2k came along, to me, it was a sign to continue my healing journey via words. 

My story is about Faith, a happy-go-lucky blonde out in the cool autumn temps climbing her happy tree to rest on a limb so as to watch the world below go on while she escapes the turmoil. She hears a commotion and to her surprise from the world inside the Immune System below the gangs of the village are at war with one another. The SeaCells and the BloodCells are busy destroying all that was created. Faith sits up and takes notice, a wake-up call so to speak.... 

I’m not saying much more because my story unravels in a pretty methodic way exhibiting an illness that is taking over a body and the miraculous healing that eventually takes place for all of the world to see. What will be the cure that saves her life?

Let me just say, if you think a miraculous healing takes place in the blink of an eye, you’re pretty naïve in understanding the way the Lord works. When Sara cried out to God for a child, was she instantly pregnant? If I remember correctly, she had to wait years and when she felt defeated in her plea, she became pregnant. But then again we have the bleeding woman who touched Jesus' robe and the bleeding stopped, immediately!

Sometimes we need to wait on the Lord, for in His timing, and our patience, we receive the blessed event. I don’t go looking for healing I allow it to fall into my lap, see it for what it is and become blessed by receiving the healing taking place. I give all glory to God because alone, I can do nothing. F2K has been a blessing and a healing point in my life. The course keeps me on course to where it is I’m supposed to be and do what I’m supposed to do at a precise timing in the Lord’s plan. Yeah, I’m weird and get all of that from one little writing course. 

Praise be to God!

John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Doctor Appointment: Take Two

out my front door before the meltdown

Luke 1:30 “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”

Doctor Appt.: Take Two

Well, I’ve been in kind of a funk this week, not a negative hate-the-world kind of funk an ‘oh well, deep sigh’ kind of funk. It kind of has had my days in a cloud and I can attest to the fact that this morning, the heavy veiled visible fog has my mood affecting my outside physical world.

You see, I was really looking forward to a much-needed Doctor’s appointment on Monday. I slept a good nine hours on Sunday evening so I was raring and ready to go come Monday morning to go and see the doctor.

I can also attest to the FACT of God’s timing never being OUR timing. We make plans and expect them to go off without a hitch because for some odd reason the majority of folks feel like they are in control of their own lives. I imagine in non-Christian households when plans don’t go their way, they chalk it up to coincidence or just bad timing. Whatever the case may be, I’m on the God Plan so…I sort of expected Monday to turn out the exact way it did.

Let me start by saying hubby had a scheduled eye doctor appointment and that is the reason I made Monday’s breast check-up appointment for myself. He was off of work, and I was ready in every way to see what path the Lord had set for me with the much-needed exam but it was not meant to be.

The winter weather advisories started streaming in well in advance of the storm. I made an appointment on the 11th I believe and on the 12th, four full days before my scheduled appointment, the murmurs were rippling through the airwaves “Ice Storm Jupiter could wreak havoc on motorists come Monday.” 

Great, another named storm ruining my plans. Weathermen have been totally wrong before so here goes optimistic Joni, holding on to hope and wishing to breathe the storm AWAY! Didn’t happen. My plans are not His plans. Instead, I woke to evidence of Jupiter (the storm) playing mental anguish with my mind. 

On Sunday, (yes Sunday) my husband’s doctor had canceled his Monday visit to our area; the doctor and all of his assistants come in from Omaha, heard the severe storm reports and canceled. They called on Sunday to inform us!

I have to admit, I was holding out hope for my visit but one look out the door basically shattered any hopes of making it into town. This was my view of the storm that day:

“The petrified tree branches are creaking with the slightest breath of wind. Weakened limbs snap and fall missing the electric wires and the beloved truck. Littered is the lawn with limbs gone by. The darkened sky speaks to my heavy heart and the tears from the clouds erupt into ice pellets that are attacking everything in its path. Blessed be His name, the Protector of all.” ~ Joni’s thoughts

More had fallen after this pic was taken

The ice storm was mesmerizing, to say the least, and opening the doors to the tomb outside awaited me. The ice had clung to the road like a wet napkin, the branches small and large were breaking in the slightest wisp of wind, and the silence of no human life was eerie. I felt I was opening the door on a graveyard where the dead were resting but the icy atmosphere was tapping out a Morse code telling me to beware, stay home, and be safe.

The call came shortly before noon that the office was going to remain closed as the treacherous roadways were impassable. I had read story after story of 18-wheelers toppling, and one caught fire after it slid into a ditch and tipped over on the highways out there. I was safe, I was inside and didn’t have to break my neck and already pained back. God protected me! 

The next day came and my mind was blinded by the sunshine and hugged by a new day, a new chance to reschedule my much-needed appointment. 

My thoughts on the 17th were something like this: “Like an ocean of diamonds, the trees are lit by the sunshine’s glare. Ice is meeting the warmth in a creaking display of sound. Ringing out through the trees are resounding sounds of hail beating a tin roof echoing with the lightest wisp of wind. Will the weighted ice give way and topple more limbs or will a subtle melt leave intact the beauty of the days brightness?” Joni is a darned good writer! I wax poetic OFTEN.

I called the doctor’s office and started to get anxious when the day I wanted wasn’t available and after a good cry and a shower I listened to what God had whispered in my ear, “Just call and take what they have!” and so I did, making hubby’s work schedule work around ME. Tuesday the 24th! Yes! It’s going to happen! The positive influx of emotions filled me once again!

And so here is where I am today, I checked the weather and lo and behold, guess what Tuesday looks like? Snow and ice, AGAIN! After the big meltdown from ol’ Jupiter with the teasing of spring-like temps (yes the upper forties is spring-like after our lovely 28 below zero windchills left us bitter.) (pun intended)

So here I am (and shouldn’t be) questioning what God is up to now! With a lighthearted spirit, I walk hand in hand with God knowing full well He will carry me through this juncture of my journey. 

The journey to continue…

Mark 6:8 “And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:”