Showing posts with label Mental Illness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mental Illness. Show all posts

Monday, June 10, 2013

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 152

Journal entry:

Journal 6-9-20130001

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The following poem is in answer to the prompt at Our Lost Jungle which is “wicked”. I am not quite sure I got it right, but I made a valiant attempt…

Oddly Whimsical

It is a wicked
Truth that I am different,
Especially strange,
But it does not bother me…
I am accustomed to it.

People may wonder
How it is I am become
This way that I am,
But it is difficult to
Make any explanation.

Life has been so much
A puzzle of highs and lows,
Which have somewhat shaped
Me into the person who
Lives in this world nowadays.

I may not fit an
Ordinary description
Of who they would like
Me to be, but I am who
God exactly chose I be.

Considering what
I have survived, it is quite
A miraculous
Blessing I continue in
Achieving so many things.

It is a wicked
Truth that I am different,
Especially strange,
But all of us are chosen
To be uniquely deranged.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, June 9, 2013

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I am grateful:

1.   I have wonderful tools with which to express my creativity.
2.   God gifted me with extraordinary imagination.
3.   I am blessed to live in a time when there is freedom of expression.
4.   I have opportunities to do things I enjoy.
5.   I am loved.

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My Sunday was very peaceful. I hope you had a great day. Now while you have a chance, engage your creativity and produce something to enliven the world. Your gifts are plentiful and you must only make an attempt to accomplish wonderful things. I know you can do it, because I do.

As a prompt, write about how you break the ordinary mold through your personal expression of uniqueness. Maybe you have a talent that is very rare, or you have done something most people only dream of doing. Whatever makes you different, write a poem, story, or journal entry about it and leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for reading this blog. I hope you will find your way back regularly, but you might also like to subscribe to Chronicles by email. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, I would appreciate you leaving a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 67

Journal entry:

Journal 3-16-20130001

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It Is A Miracle

My mind is broken,
Yet I still think…
My heart is broken,
Yet I still feel…
My body is broken,
Yet I still stand…
My spirit is broken,
Yet I am healed…

By the power of Jesus
My life continues:
Sane within my insanity,
Loving despite my hurts,
Upright despite my infirmity,
Saved despite my many
And terrible wrongs,
By His grace and mercy.

I can still think
Because He clarifies my mind…
I can still feel
Because He works in my emotions…
I can still stand
Because He works in my weakness…
I can claim healing
Because I am forgiven by His blood…

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, March 16, 2013

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I am grateful:

1.   I had Oreo cookies for breakfast with a glass of cold milk.
2.   I had my Droid with me and was able to call Mom to help her set the thermostat on air conditioning so she would not get too hot.
3.   My friend, Jana, and I met for lunch at Wendy’s.
4.   I had enough money for lunch and we had some uplifting conversation.
5.   I talked to my best friend, Reba, this evening and am seeing her tomorrow after church.

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The weather today was gorgeous and I thoroughly enjoyed my Saturday. I hope your day was filled with blessings as well. If you have a few moments to spare, or can make the time, engage yourself in creative work. It will enrich your life and calm you mind. Make your work a prayer or meditation and let it flow from your heart. Your talent will bless the others who are influenced by your imagination.

As a prompt, write about some of the things you take for granted from an attitude of gratitude. You might be surprised at how much is good in your life. If you create a poem, story, or journal entry, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

I almost did not write tonight, because I have so many other things I should be getting done. I had nothing about which to write. No inspiration graced me, but I managed to create something. I truly appreciate your taking the time to read my blog. I hope you will return often, but you might also want to enter your email address above so that you receive future updates from Chronicles. I hope something here has touched you. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism to share, please leave me a comment. I am in need of your opinions on whether this blog is effective.

Always,
Jo Ann

 

 

 

 

Friday, March 15, 2013

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 65

Journal entry:

Journal 3-14-20130001

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Earnest Plea

Lord help…
Send someone who
Can minister to those
Who are so greatly in need of
Love, tenderness, understanding, and care.
Lord let me do something to help
Show me a way where there
Is not a way,
Lord help…

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, March 14, 2013

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I am grateful:

1.   I have a home.
2.   My Mom cares for me.
3.   I have medicine to help maintain my clarity of mind.
4.   I take my medicine daily.
5.   I have my Social Security Disability, Medicare, and Medicaid to help me survive.

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This was another busy Thursday. I hope your day did not run you ragged. I have taken time to work creatively and I encourage you to do the same. I did not think I had anything to share because I was so overwhelmed by what I experienced today, but I found words. You can find words too, just make an effort.

As a prompt, write about your experience of a social problem. If you have a solution, include that in your poem, story, or journal entry. Should you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I apologize for getting it posted late. I hope you will return and read more, but you might also want to subscribe to Chronicles for future updates by email. Sign up above. If you have thoughts, suggestions, or criticism, please leave a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Creativity Project Year Two-Day 57

Journal entry:

Journal 3-6-20130001

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Thoughts

I am wondering
Why no one ever mentioned
That there possibly
Could be detrimental side
Effects to my prescriptions.

I thought these drugs were
Kinder, gentler than those of
Past generations,
I was hopeful that they were
Safer for my long term use.

If the disease does
Not get me through suicide,
I guess the meds will
Through their slow destruction of
My body’s physical health.

I am not going
To let it constantly haunt
Me with its looming
Inevitable ending,
I surrender to God’s hands.

I have been letting
Him carry me the longest
Time and now is not
The point to lose faith in God’s
Ability to preserve.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, March 6, 2013

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I am grateful:

1.   My appointment was in the afternoon.
2.   Mom went with me.
3.   My Droid was not broken, just turned off and there was operator error.
4.   I liked Debbie, the new nurse practitioner.
5.   I do not have to go back for six months.

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I had a pleasant Wednesday. I did not have to wait as long as usual for my appointment. I hope your day went equally well. Turn your mind to doing something creative now. The present moment can be best used instead of procrastinating. Your imagination simply awaits exercise.

As a prompt, take something that happened today and turn it into a lament or a celebration. Even small things can be used to inflame your creative fire. Write a poem, story, or journal entry, then leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you will return often, but you might also wish to subscribe to Chronicles to receive email updates. Just enter your address in the space above. I would appreciate your comments should you have something to share with me.

Always,
Jo Ann

Friday, December 21, 2012

365 Creativity Project-Day 347

Journal entry:

Journal 12-21-20120001

Discrimination

They want
To track us in
A database, each one
Who is mentally ill, as if
We were criminals who should have no rights.
Is it not enough suffering
Isolation and the
Punishment of
Illness?

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, December 21, 2012

Photographs:

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I am grateful:

1.   Jeremy and Jayden came by for a few minutes this afternoon.
2.   I found my way to town down unfamiliar roads.
3.   The Rolling Stones 50 was still on the table at Sam’s Club, so I was able to get my copy.
4.   Mom’s medicine was available today.
5.   I remembered one of my dreams when I woke up.

I hope you have had a wonderful Friday. I am somewhat disappointed, but there were some very good moments today. Working creatively makes me feel my effort is worthwhile and I believe you will find it so if you engage your imagination. Do something you can share with the world.

As a prompt, write about a type of discrimination you have witnessed or experienced. This should give you plenty of material for a poem, story, or journal entry. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

Thank you so much for taking time to read my blog. I am very interested in your thoughts, suggestions, or criticism, so please leave a comment. If you enjoyed your visit here, perhaps you would like to subscribe to Chronicles.

Always,
Jo Ann

Saturday, August 04, 2012

365 Creativity Project-Day 208

Journal entry:

Journal 8-4-20120001

Completely Responsible

I do not pretend
To be perfect, but I seem
More adept at things
Than some others who think they
Are more competent than me.

I must organize
A variety of tasks
And handle them well
Or things fall apart for us
In a very short order.

I am always on
Call for an emergency
Arising any
Moment, daytime or nighttime,
I can fix every problem.

I never believed
The responsibility
Should be given me,
But I perform very well
Under some intense pressures.

I must overcome
All my disability
In circumstances
Where I need total control
Or everything collapses.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, August 4, 2012

Photographs:

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I am grateful:

1.   I woke up early this morning.
2.   Mom went with me today.
3.   We made it safely over I-20 and 285 in the rain.
4.   The pizza I ordered was very good.
5.   My doctor did make it to the office even though he looked exhausted.

I hope your Saturday was more pleasurable than mine. I had a great deal of difficulty doing my journal entry and poem this evening because I was very upset over my experience at Wal-Mart. My nerves would not settle, but I managed to do this project anyway. You can do something creative if you set your mind to it.

My prompt for you is to write about a situation that did not go exactly as planned. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

I thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. If you have a comment or suggestion I would be honored to read it.

Always,
Jo Ann

Monday, July 23, 2012

365 Creativity Project-Day 196

Journal entry:

Journal 7-23-20120001

I used the words from the prompt on Three Word Wednesday in the following poem. The words were feel, shade, and tangle. If you need a bit of inspiration, you might find it at that site, so go visit.

Prosperity

I feel the world with
Me a bit too much at times,
But I would never
Give up my sweet connection
To the onward flow of life.

I live in the shade
Of those who passed through tangle
Of life’s diverse paths
Before my own present time;
I respect their great struggles.

While I am living
I want to be so involved
I know everything
Going on in and around
Me, without any skimping.

I want to succeed
In such a wonderful way
Others will find some
Encouragement for their lives
In my active example.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, July 23, 2012

Photographs:

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I am grateful:

1.   I have read 23 books and one full book draft this year.
2.   I slept extremely well.
3.   We had no appointments or errands to run.
4.   Mom enjoyed the supper I cooked.
5.   Tonight is the 1000th RAW and I am finishing this in time to watch it.

Monday, Monday, what a challenging day that begins the working week for most. I hope yours went well. Grab your imagination and create something now. You have the talent to accomplish whatever you turn your will upon.

As a prompt today write about something that may not be quite what it seems. This should give you fertile material for stories, poems, or journal entries. It should not be too hard to depict in visual art if that is where your gifts lie. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments so that we may enjoy your creation.

I hope your visit here has been pleasant. If you like, leave a comment expressing your thoughts.

Always,
Jo Ann

Monday, July 16, 2012

365 Creativity Project-Day 189

Journal entry:

Journal 7-16-20120001

I assure you the story is true. It goes to show how far I have come from those days of complete mental incapacitation. I am very thankful that I have adequate medical coverage at present, without it I would probably not have medication to keep me functional. I am very fortunate.

Puzzling It Out

Picking up the parts
Of life scattered all about,
Keeping the pieces
For times when there is a need,
Not knowing what is required.

You have to live like
Everything matters without
Worrying over
What may eventually
Happen to you in your life.

Holding on tightly,
Never fully letting go,
Because time remains
For making the very best
Of every given moment.

You collect the hours,
Adding them up into days,
Creating meaning
In each fast passing moment,
Making your own destiny.

Life is wonderful,
A sweet dream of happiness
You can claim as true
Expecting such great success
To bring you blessings always.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, July 16, 2012

Photographs:

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Oak…

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Oak…

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Roses…

I am grateful:

1.   Laura woke me this morning with a call asking for information about my condition.
2.   A friend of mine called who I had not heard from in some time.
3.   We drove to the country store to pick up some tomatoes.
4.   I managed to complete our Bible reading even though I really did not want to do it.
5.   The afternoon thunderstorm did not last long.

I hope you have had a productive Monday. Please take a few moments now to do something creative. I know you can write or make a beautiful contribution to your day.

As a prompt today, write about something embarrassing that happened to you, which you now consider funny. I am sure you have a situation like this, I think everyone does. I recounted one of mine, so your turn. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work so others can share in your creation.

I am so glad you stopped by my blog today. I hope the experience was pleasant, if you feel inclined, leave a comment letting me know your thoughts.

Always,
Jo Ann

Monday, July 09, 2012

365 Creativity Project-Day 182

Journal entry:

Journal 7-9-20120001

Quite Powerful

Crafting an answer
To the question of who you
Are to now become
Is the most rewarding work
Your soul does in this lifetime.

Yesterday, today,
Tomorrow are placed within
Your trembling fingers
For you to grasp and then hold
Up for intense inspection.

You can move beyond
All your past limitations
Accomplishing things
Of which you have only dreamed
In your imagination.

You are a creature
Endowed with divinity
Placed in you from birth,
A joint creator with God
Making the best of all gifts.

Nothing can keep you
From expressing your ideas
And manifesting
Your own creativity
In worldly reality.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, July 9, 2012

Photographs:

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It is so hot and dry, this drop of water suspended on a fig branch seems refreshing…

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Sometimes, I wish I were free to splash in the puddles like a child, but that would not be proper…

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Droplets caught on the cedar…

I am grateful:

1.   I caught up on some much needed sleep.
2.   Mom is resting after feeling poorly earlier.
3.   Imagination is free.
4.   Each person is creatively gifted.
5.   Once we master language we can communicate with all the world.

Monday again… the week holds so many possibilities and opportunities. Use your creativity to make something new, something unique, which could only be produced by you. This moment is your time to share the gift of your imagination. Do not procrastinate, now is your perfect time.

If you need a prompt today, write about someone or something you love, or have loved in the past. Paint us a picture of your passion in words, or if you are a visual artist just paint or share a photograph. If you are experiencing the loss of a great love you could write of the feelings you are having. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work so that we can see what you created.

Thank you for sharing your day with me. I hope something here touched you. Please feel free to leave a comment. I love your feedback.

Always,
Jo Ann