Who Am I?

 

Source: Poetry for the Soul on Facebook

Hollow Coves - Blessings (Official Music Video)

 

Blessings 

Sunlight fell and reminded me that life can be so gracious sometimes
And I felt like everything around me was connected somehow
Mm

At night I hear the rhythm of the ocean as it breaks on the shore
And I think about all the things that I am grateful for

And they say, hold on to the ones you love
Keep 'em close to you
And they say, hold on to this time we have
And let the light shine through

Sometimes I get a little bit emotional when I see love unfold
Two hearts bound by reflections of the memories they'll forever hold

And they say, hold on to the ones you love
Keep 'em close to you
And they say, hold on to this time we have
And let the light shine through

There are blessings all around you
Open up your eyes
Feel the sunlight fall upon you
Let it free your mind
There are blessings all around you
Take a step outside
Let your heart shine in a new light
See it come alive

And they say, hold on to the ones you love
Keep 'em close to you
And they say, hold on to this time we have
And let the light shine through

Zach Williams - "Face to Face" Rescue Story Tour Live Session

 

Face To Face
by  Zach Williams 

Album: Rescue Story 

---

Verse 1
Oh, I'm a traveler far from home
I get lost but I press on
There's a mansion in streets of gold
Where I belong

Verse 2
Yes, there's a day coming soon
Where the old will be made new
And Heaven's glory shines like the morning
Before our eyes

Chorus
When we all see Jesus
When we all see Jesus
No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain
When we all see Jesus face to face

Verse 3
Then we will sing with angel voices
There will be a great rejoicing
Holy holy, worthy worthy
Is the Lamb, oh

Chorus
When we all see Jesus
Yes, when we all see Jesus
No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain
When we all see Jesus face to face
Yeah, when we all see Jesus face to face

They are like earth angels.

 

In the end, we hold onto the memories of those who crossed our paths and left soft marks on our hearts. These special people often came during our darkest times, bringing warmth and comfort when we needed it most.

Their kind actions might have lasted just a moment, yet they offered us small gifts that linger long after, a smile, a gentle word, or a helping hand.

Each of these simple gestures spoke volumes; they whispered, "I care," "I remember," and "I am here for you." We find joy in remembering the kind smiles of strangers, as their sweet words wrap around us like a warm blanket.

They are like earth angels who touch our lives in tiny but powerful ways.

Even though they might have moved on, the love they shared stays with us, creating a treasure trove of precious memories that brighten our future days, as we recall the feeling of 'being seen' ...

~ C.E. Coombes

Artwork ~ Nom Kinnear King

Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - Our Shangri-La (Real Live Roadrunning | Official Live Video)

 

Do not trust

 

Do not trust how you see yourself

when you are sad.

Just as a mirror that is covered in fog

will eventually clear,

trust that when tears no longer cloud your vision,

you will see yourself clearly once again.

And so you need not see yourself

through the lens of who you once were

or what you presently feel about yourself

but who you are becoming,

for you are never defined

by what happened to you yesterday

as it is not your mistakes that define you

but how you choose to grow from them.

And the person you most wish to be,

that defines who you are becoming,

and the person you are outside of any story:

the actor behind the temporary character that you are playing in life:

that is your true reflection.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Artwork by Elaine Bayley Illustrations

Source: Tahlia Hunter on Facebook

Somewhere Along The Way - Eddie Dalton

 

Somewhere along the way, I came to realize that life is hard. Not always in dramatic, earth-shattering ways, but in the quiet, ordinary moments that make up our days. Plans unravel. People disappoint us. Our bodies age. We lose things we thought we'd always have and face challenges we never expected to encounter.

It seems every day carries both sunshine and shadows. One moment can bring laughter, a kind word, or an unexpected blessing, while the next may bring worry, frustration, or heartache. Life rarely stays in one place for long. Just when we think we have everything figured out, a new twist appears in the road.

Yet I've also learned that the hardships are only part of the story. The ups and downs, the victories and setbacks, the joys and sorrows are what make living such an adventure. We discover strengths we didn't know we possessed. We learn patience, resilience, and gratitude. We find ourselves appreciating simple things—a bird singing outside the window, a phone call from a friend, the comfort of a familiar place—in ways we never would have if life were always easy.

The older I get, the more I understand that happiness isn't found in a perfect life free of problems. It's found in learning to navigate the imperfect one we've been given. It comes from embracing the journey, trusting that difficult seasons will pass, and recognizing that even on the hardest days there is usually something beautiful waiting to be noticed.

Life is hard, yes. But it is also rich, surprising, and meaningful. And perhaps that is what makes it such a remarkable adventure—the fact that we never truly know what tomorrow will bring, only that we will meet it one day at a time.

~ I can't take credit for writing this beautiful essay. I entered two or three sentences in to ai and asked it to elaborate. I think this is beautiful and it says exactly how I feel.

Welcome to our circus

 

Welcome to our circus

It pulls in quite the crowd

For it charges no admission

And says all welcomed and allowed

We hope that you’ll enjoy it here

But one thing if I may

Once here we’ll tell you what to feel

And think and do and say

We’ll tell you when to smile

And we’ll tell you when to cry

We’ll tell you what is best for you

And try to tell you why

But what’s best for the tiger

Isn’t what’s best for the clown

And the tightrope walker’s main concern

Is falling to the ground

For some it’s no big deal

And for some it’s life and death

But we all are playing Ringmaster

And thinking we know best

And if you dare to disagree

And if you speak your mind

We’ll attack behind our curtain

Whilst on stage we roar #bekind

We’ll tell you that you’re wrong

Although we’ll never hear your point

For we’re far too busy listening

To our own self-righteous voice

So welcome to our circus

Where you’re criticised for free

But whoops, did I say circus?

I meant society

*****

Becky Hemsley 2020

Artwork by Evelyn Edmeades

This poem is from Talking to the Wild

Source: Becky Hemsley Poetry on Facebook

Living A Simpler Life

 

Living A Simpler Life

The simpler your life,

the happier you will be.

Not because life becomes easier,

but because less stands between you

and the miracle of being alive.

When the mind is free of clutter,

the heart remembers its own rhythm.

When there is space in the day,

peace has somewhere to rest.

We spend years gathering things,

until our days grow crowded

and our souls grow tired.

Then one morning we discover

that peace was never lost.

It was waiting beneath the weight

of all we carried.

To live simply is not to live less.

It is to return to what matters.

And perhaps happiness is simply arriving fully where you are,

carrying only what is needed,

and finding that what remains

is simply enough.

~ 'Living A Simpler Life' by Spirit of a Hippie

~Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Faithful Grace

Restore The Broken - Face To Face (Zach Williams Cover)

 

Face To Face

by Zach Williams

Album: Rescue Story

Chorus

When we all see Jesus

When we all see Jesus

No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain

When we all see Jesus face to face

Verse 1

Oh, I'm a traveler far from home

I get lost but I press on

There's a mansion in streets of gold

Where I belong

Verse 2

Yes, there's a day coming soon

Where the old will be made new

And Heaven's glory shines like the morning

Before our eyes

Chorus

When we all see Jesus

When we all see Jesus

No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain

When we all see Jesus face to face

Verse 3

Then we will sing with angel voices

There will be a great rejoicing

Holy holy, worthy worthy

Is the Lamb, oh

Chorus

When we all see Jesus

Yes, when we all see Jesus

No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain

When we all see Jesus face to face

Yeah, when we all see Jesus face to face

I'm at peace.

Source: Stephanie Bennett-Henry on Facebook

ai artwork by me

 

They Ground You

 

The Right People Don't Drain You; They Ground You

The right people don't drain you; they ground you.

They show up like shade on a warm afternoon, like rain falling softly on thirsty earth.

With them, you do not have to perform the exhausting ritual of proving your worth.

You do not have to polish your wounds, translate your silences, or carry your heart as evidence for your existence.

You are allowed to simply be.

And in that permission, something sacred happens.

The breath deepens.

The shoulders soften.

The mind loosens its grip on all the things it was never meant to carry alone.

The right people are not those who demand your energy to keep themselves warm.

They are those who sit beside your fire without asking you to burn brighter.

They do not pull you away from yourself.

They return you to yourself.

Again and again.

Like roots finding water.

Like a river remembering the shape of its own bed.

Like a bird, after a long season of wandering, recognizing the way home.

Their presence is not loud, but life-giving.

Not consuming, but nourishing.

Not a constant taking, but a gentle exchange where both souls leave with more than they brought.

And perhaps that is how you know.

Not by the intensity.

Not by the drama.

Not by how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice.

But by the peace.

By the quiet settling of your spirit.

By the way your heart stops bracing for impact.

By the way you leave their presence not smaller,

not emptied,

not exhausted,

but rooted.

Steady.

Whole.

More yourself than before.

And in a world that often mistakes chaos for connection,

that kind of grounding is its own form of love.

~ 'The Right People Don't Drain You; They Ground You' by Spirit of a Hippie

Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Michelle Johnson

Source: Spirit of a Hippie on Facebook

Imagine a world...

Imagine a world where every action springs from a place of genuine kindness.

When faced with negativity, instead of mirroring it, pause and let your heart guide you.

Think about how you cherish being treated with respect and understanding.

This feeling becomes your internal guide, your moral compass, always pointing you toward empathy and integrity.

Your actions, driven by this compass, become your signature. They reveal your true character to the world, showcasing your values and beliefs.

If you desire kindness and respect from others, then offer those gifts freely.

Choose to act with honesty and compassion, letting your heart lead the way. Because ultimately, acting from the heart creates a ripple effect, inspiring others to do the same, building a world where kindness thrives and negativity diminishes.

C.E. Coombes

Image via Pinterest

Source: Bring Side on Facebook

Kaz Hawkins - Sail On (Orchestral Version)

 

“Dust in the Wind” Celtic Echo (Irish Folk Version)

 

No one teaches moms how to become moms of adults.

 

When our children are young, motherhood comes with a certain kind of clarity.

There are lunches to pack, rides to give, problems to solve, homework to help with, and a thousand little ways we know where we're needed. We may not always feel confident, but most of the time we know what our job is.

Then our children grow up.

And at some point, often without anyone warning us, the relationship starts asking something different of us.

We still love them just as deeply. We still care just as much. But the way we express that love often has to change.

The hard part is that nobody really teaches mothers how to make that transition.

One day you realize the role you've known for years doesn't fit quite the same way anymore. Yet there's no roadmap for what comes next. You're left trying to figure out when to offer help, when to hold back, what to say, what to keep to yourself, and how to stay connected while also making room for your own life.

It's an uncomfortable place to be because you're standing between two versions of the relationship. The old one no longer fits, and the new one is still taking shape.

Many mothers assume that uncertainty means they're doing something wrong.

I don't think that's true.

I think it's often what growth looks like. Two people learning how to relate to each other in a completely new season of life.

If this resonates, it's exactly the kind of thing I write about in Moments for Moms. Honest conversations about the parts of motherhood that don't get talked about nearly enough.

Source: Pam Tronson Coaching on Facebook

The Dogwood Tree

 

The Dogwood Tree

by Anonymous

When Christ was on earth, the dogwood grew

To a towering size with a lovely hue.

Its branches were strong and interwoven

And for Christ's cross its timbers were chosen

Being distressed at the use of the wood

Christ made a promise which still holds good:

"Not ever again shall the dogwood grow

To be large enough for a tree, and so

Slender and twisted it shall always be

With cross-shaped blossoms for all to see.

The petals shall have bloodstains marked brown

And in the blossom's center a thorny crown.

All who see it will think of Me,

Nailed to a cross from a dogwood tree.

Protected and cherished this tree shall be

A reflection to all of My agony.

The TRUTH is...

 

"The TRUTH is, that all of the 'STUFF' here on earth we work so hard to buy and accumulate ... does not mean a thing.

At the end of the day ... people will be cleaning out our 'STUFF', going through our 'STUFF', figuring out what to do with all of our 'STUFF'...

This 'STUFF' we've accumulated in our life.

The only thing of VALUE that remains, are the MEMORIES and what we deposit into others.

May we all learn to spend less time accumulating 'STUFF' and spend way more time making MEMORIES.

~ ECSaayli

Source: Bring Side on Facebook

Ella Langley - Loving Life Again

 

Native American Flute Music | Healing Your Mind | The Soul and Heart Of Mother Earth

 

Tribal Light Flute ~ Native American Spirit Flute

 

Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good ~ Don Williams

 

Lord, I hope this day is good
I'm feelin' empty and misunderstood
I should be thankful, Lord, I know I should
But Lord, I hope this day is good

Lord, have You forgotten me?
I've been prayin' to You faithfully
I'm not sayin' I'm a righteous man
But Lord, I hope You understand

I don't need fortune and I don't need fame
Send down the thunder, Lord, send down the rain
But when You're plannin' just how it will be
Plan a good day for me

Lord, I hope this day is good
I'm feelin' empty and misunderstood
I should be thankful, Lord, I know I should
But Lord, I hope this day is good

You've been the King since the dawn of time
All that I'm asking is a little less crime
It might be hard for the devil to do
But it would be easy for You

Lord, I hope this day is good
I'm feelin' empty and misunderstood
I should be thankful, Lord, I know I should
But Lord, I hope this day is good

The Power of Music

 

David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul. 

1 Samuel 16:23

On November 21, 1915, the hope of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his twenty-seven crew members sank, along with their ship Endurance, into the darkness below the Antarctic ice. They were stranded thousands of miles from home. Later, the crew shared several things that aided their survival, including a banjo. Embarking on their brutal trek, Leonard Hussey (the expedition’s meteorologist) was the only person allowed more than two pounds of personal gear. He was allowed to bring his twelve-pound Windsor banjo. “It’s vital mental medicine,” Shackleton told Hussey, “and we shall need it.” The crew’s journals explained the power of Hussey’s music. “The banjo does . . . supply brain food,” wrote one sailor. Another reflected on “Hussey’s indispensable banjo.” 

The Bible presents music as one of God’s immense gifts, a way His healing and comfort enter the human heart. In the tragic story of King Saul, we hear how (due to his disobedience) he was oppressed by an “evil spirit” (1 Samuel 16:14). And what did Saul’s attendants believe the king needed to provide relief? Music. So they found young David with his harp: “David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him” (v. 23).

Music offers more than mere entertainment. It can bring joy, renew hope, and comfort weary souls. It’s truly one of God’s powerful gifts.

By Winn Collier

Our Daily Bread email June 3, 2026

ai art by me

Memories become fragile things.

There’s a strange kind of sadness that comes with realizing a family tradition has quietly disappeared… and no one even noticed when it happened.

No official ending.

No announcement.

Just… silence where something meaningful used to live.

Maybe it was holiday recipes made from memory instead of cookbooks.

Sunday dinners packed too tight around one table.

Handwritten cards.

Family reunions.

Christmas ornaments passed down for years.

A certain prayer before meals.

A camping trip everyone used to look forward to.

Little things.

But somehow… those little things were holding entire generations together.

And I think what makes this topic emotional is that traditions were never really about the activity itself.

They were about belonging.

About identity.

Connection.

Familiarity.

They gave people a feeling of:

“This is who we are.”

But life changed.

Schedules got busier.

Families spread farther apart.

Technology replaced conversations.

And newer generations often inherited memories… without inheriting the meaning behind them.

And honestly?

Sometimes traditions disappear for understandable reasons.

Some families are healing from painful histories.

Some customs no longer fit the lives people live now.

Some things needed to evolve.

But I also think there’s a quiet grief in watching meaningful traditions fade simply because no one slowed down long enough to carry them forward.

Because once the people who held those traditions are gone…

Sometimes the traditions go with them.

And that realization hits differently as you get older.

You start noticing:

“Oh… nobody makes this recipe anymore.”

“We stopped gathering like we used to.”

“The kids never experienced that part of family life.”

And suddenly memories become fragile things.

Family therapists often talk about traditions as emotional anchors—shared experiences that help create stability, identity, and connection across generations.

Not perfection.

Just continuity.

A reminder that we belong to something bigger than ourselves.

And maybe traditions don’t have to stay exactly the same to still matter.

Maybe some are meant to evolve.

Maybe the real goal isn’t preserving every detail perfectly…

Maybe it’s protecting the feeling behind them.

The togetherness.

The storytelling.

The pause in a busy life where people simply showed up for each other.

Because in the end, most traditions weren’t remembered for being extravagant.

They were remembered because someone cared enough to keep repeating them.

Source: DēLádÿ Gėõrgę on Facebook 

Life becomes beautiful when you learn to let go.

  

Life becomes beautiful when you learn to let go.

Not because you stop caring about the people you love, the dreams that inspire you, or the future you hope to create.

But because you stop carrying the weight of things that were never meant to live in your heart.

Life feels lighter when you no longer worry about the opinions of strangers.

When you stop seeking approval from people who do not truly know your story.

When you stop comparing your journey to the carefully edited moments others choose to share with the world.

You begin to realize that much of the pressure you carried was only an illusion.

The moment you stop trying to fit into every crowd, you start finding the souls who genuinely understand you.

The moment you stop chasing perfection, you begin to appreciate the beauty of growth.

The moment you stop giving power to every opinion, rumor, and passing drama, you finally hear the quiet wisdom of your own heart.

And suddenly, life becomes an adventure once again.

You laugh more freely.

You smile more sincerely.

You embrace opportunities more courageously.

You speak your truth with kindness.

You express yourself without fear.

You follow the paths that call to your spirit.

You become the person you were always meant to be.

Because you are no longer living as a performance for others.

The truth is, every person is carrying their own hopes, fears, and dreams. Most are far too busy navigating their own lives to spend much time judging yours.

So stop waiting for permission to live.

Dance if your heart feels the music.

Travel if your soul longs to explore.

Build what you dream of building.

Capture the moments that move you.

Start the conversation.

Take the chance.

Follow the dream that keeps calling your name.

Life is precious.

One day, many of the worries that feel so heavy today will fade like footprints washed away by the tide.

The embarrassment.

The criticism.

The judgment.

The endless opinions.

All of it will pass.

But the sunset you stopped to admire,

the friend you called,

the kindness you shared,

the places you explored,

the memories you created—

those will remain in the story of your life.

So cherish the present moment.

Love deeply.

Move freely.

Explore curiously.

Create fearlessly.

Because life becomes truly extraordinary when you stop holding on to everything that does not genuinely matter, and start embracing everything that does.

Source: Remember. on Facebook