Month: January 2021

tangan kanan melambai tegak
menyandang tas di samping
buku-buku dalam dekapan
tangan kiri berperan
menghadap ke selatan
di perempatan
dalam balutan pakaian seragam
seperti melangkah penuh keyakinan
songsong masa depan
kami penerus perjuangan

I will make no attempts at tomfoolery or to convince you as to the veracity of something which I am not — a poet.  Truth is, I am a shallow well when it comes to the art of poetry, much as I’d wish it to be different.  I’ve tried my hand, as they say, but what I’ve produced is so disjointed and tone deaf I can’t make a case for it.  So I will stick to what I know and leave the poetry to the experts, one of them being my fellow writer and blogging friend, Geoff LePard.

Geoff is a lawyer, like me, and a writer, like me, but unlike me, he has a way with a sonnet, a limerick, a free verse, even a haiku — a gift he inherited from his father — and which he continues with a renewed vigor now that he’s…

This year I joined the Board of the Global Water Alliance in Philadelphia and have gotten to see first hand just how extensive a reach the GWA has.  So many of our GWA partners are writers, educators, academics, and leaders in their fields in addition to being Water Warriors and Chantal Victoria Bright is all of these.

A first generation Liberian-American, she knows the woes associated with a lack of access to clean water, especially as it impacts young girls, and has written this delightful book — Janjay — to shine a light on the problem because only light can eliminate the darkest parts of us. Chantal has dedicated Janjay to “all the little girls around the world who travel long distances just to provide clean water for their families.”

With Janjay, Victoria Bright is “teaching Children through literature about environmental health risks associated with drinking water access in developing…

Happy Sunday, blogger family!  This week we’re going to hear from my fabulous friend and First-Rate Fantasy Writer, Jean Lee whose book, Fallen Princeborn: Chosen — currently available for pre-order — will be live in TWO DAYS!

If you are like me, after reading just a few pages of Jean’s work, you will quickly realize: she’s a writer’s writer!   And it doesn’t stop there.  Weekly, Jean distributes great writing advice like some give out Halloween candy.  I’m going to let her tell you all about it.

Take it away, Jean!

Hellooooo, you wonderful creatives and lovers of the Earth! Fantasy author Jean Lee here. Pam invited me to stop by and say hello, and so here I am to talk about turning nature’s blessings into villains. I hope you’re ready to consider and chat—I’m excited to see what you have to say!

We’re all familiar with “traditional” forms of Nature…

“David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.’” 2 Samuel‬ ‭12:22‬

Although he was called a man after God’s own heart, David was far from the stellar example of spiritual or political leadership that any of us would aspire to. His statements above, come as a result of a scandal he caused that would rival any political or religious scandal today. David had an affair with a married woman who got pregnant. He murdered her husband to try to cover up his actions. When confronted by a prophet of God, David was informed that the baby would get sick eventually die. God keeps his word. When the baby became sick David went into a state of mourning. He fasted. He prayed. He wept. He begged God for mercy, grace and forgiveness…

“And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” Revelation‬ ‭21:6‬

“It is finished.” Those words bring a variety of emotions. If you’ve been working on a project it brings the satisfaction of victory over all the frustrations it took to get to the point where all your efforts see a great result. Sometimes, the phrase “It is finished” can bring pain and anguish, such as when a relationship ends, a career suddenly is taken from you or a loved one passes away. But when Jesus says “It is finished”, it says completeness. All the sorrows you’ve endured? Relief! All the fear and anxiety you harbor? Comfort! The pain of broken relationships? Healed! The frustration of addiction? Release! You’re anger over unfair treatment? Satisfied!…