Writing During Hard Times

My passion for writing is what drives me without a doubt! However, writing during a time of seperation in my marriage is difficult to say the least. In order to concentrate on ideas and subject~matter one has really be a one~track~minded person, so getting that accomplished is a celebration for me! 

Really, difficulties in my marriage have changed my perspective in several areas of my character and my self~image. Certainly, it takes both people to build a solid foundation for any marriage and in the same vain it takes both to tear one down! The change in my character have been positive and encouraging, focused mainly on how I view myself at this present time. It's much more secure and I have gained a confidence in my ability to write and do whatever it takes to make it happen. The encouraging part has come from the support of my pastor and friends at church along with some uplifting conversations with others that I don't get to talk to that much! I'm very grateful for all of that.

As for the situations that have made my 17year marriage take a down~turn have to be put at my feet because it's my responsibility to be the leader and provider for my family! There is no doubt that any restoration at all is going to have to be , primarily, my deal! My wife is the only one who knows how she feels toward me now. I have no clue and, really, it's not on me but on her! All I can and should do is be a gentleman and try my best to be the guy she fell in love with over 17 years ago.

As for the writing, I am having fun learning, reading, researching and getting ideas for projects and which publications are looking for my type of writing. I mainly stay within the poetry/short story genre and that's what is the most exciting for me. Lots of ideas swirling around in my head and also some emotional stuff that I need to get out on paper which serves as some therapy. It's all coming together and I'm excited about the future for both writing and in my marriage! No matter what the results are, I am trusting God with it all!

A right attitude and mind~set are the springboard from which I can jump into both challenges and prevail in each one! Working on any project requires consistency and determination and without one or the other anyone can make a start on something but most probably never finish it. It's much more important to finish strong than to start strong!

As for the future of my writing, it's really just beginning and prayers from my friends and family are vital for any success! Also for my wife and I in our marriage so that's exactly what I'm asking for from my readers here on the blog. I give my thanks and gratitude to each one of you and ask that God blesses you all.


Jeff pendleton
11/29/16

A Digital Future?

I for one love to hold a physical, real book within my hands and snuggling upon my lap. That's just me, though. Actually, it's not just me, it's other's as well! I was reminded of this preference of mine during a therapy session yesterday, on the day they call, "black Friday". I have wondered why the day after the Thanksgiving holiday is dubbed as `black`Friday? It has little to nothing to do with color but it paints a subliminal
message of darkness and selfish gain! Not ingredients which lead us into the most celebrated and covetous day of the entire year...Christmas! Sadly, this holiday has become all about being first in line, first in decorating~prize of our neighborhood and care d it card bills which usually get maxed~out by Spring time!

I don't like the dark connotation that has slithered it's way into this special day of giving like a black snake in the grass! It was never intended to be labeled as the most competitive time of the year but as a time of being thankful for the greatest gift of all time, Jesus Christ the LORD! No, I am not naive but I am well~aware of message given by major corporations and even small stores as to the intended goal on the day after our Thanksgiving meals and family time together! It's about profit and greed! There are no two ways about it and it's not hidden from us at all. In fact, it is paraded as the best day to get the best deals of the official shopping~season! 

Doesn't it seem somewhat strange to us that one day after we
Have enjoyed our families and wonderful, well~prepared meals that hour's later we change into a self~centered, rude and on some occasions even dangerous all because it is our goal to get the "deal of the holiday" during this time? It causes me to pause and wonder...Have we gone mad, as a society? The answer may be surprising to most.

An entire generation can remember what the Christmas holiday brought with it. My generation remembers the joy of decorating trees, houses and whole towns with such beautiful lighting and slowing down from the hustle and bustle of every day life while smiling and being kinder to those around us than we have most of the year! The season of jingle bells, horse~drawn carriage rides, a cold but enjoyable time outside, playing touch football in the backyard. Most of all and most importantly, the true reason for Christmas....the birth of the Christ. The redeemed of mankind! Wooooooooooo! That's what fires me up over everything else.

It is my hope and prayer that, as a society, we can return to that kind of celebration, gift~giving, thankful and worshipful attitude once again before it becomes too late and the at which is called, "black Friday" and now "cyber Monday" expands into an entire year of nothing but greed, hurt and unhappiness! If we do not turn, this kind of atmosphere and treatment of Christmas awaits us in the near~future! 

May we rise together as one generation who remembers the truth of Christmas and spreads that joyful attitude to the present and future generation to come. 


Jeff pendleton
11/26/16

Is This A Real Change?

Coming in January we will swear~in a brand new President for America! While many conservatives and Christians are ecstatic over the victory by Final Trump, there are a host of other's who are disgruntled, unhappy, hateful in their responses to the final announcement and just plain mean! They are spewing out some of the worst comments ever over the selection of 2016' One can almost feel the heat from their awful fiery indignation from our tv and computer screens. Wow!

This was a tense and close fight in the first few hours but Mr.Trump pulled away gradually toward the closing of several late polls and vital states to win. It was agonizing for some and shocking for others! It may very well have been the most important and significant elections (selections?) in our nation's long history!

Whether you for Clinton or Trump is really not what makes this election of 2016 so vital. It's what comes next that will truly tell where our nation is headed. On a good path or a darker, more deceptive one. Though I want to believe in my heart that the final say on this presidential battle is one that will lift the spirit's of many Americans and create new and 're~newed allies with those who have looked at the U.S. with disgust and disrespect, I also am keeping watch over the events to come. What I refer to is such statements Mr.Trump has made about being Israel's true ally once again and stand strong in his position of defending Jerusalem as the capital of the nation, that he will help lift up the so~called `middle class` of this country and he will end the corruption of the federal and local governments nation~wide. If these promises be true and genuine then I say, "more power to you, .President"!

Trump is anything but a politician! He is most certainly a bluesman first and foremost! He knows how to build businesses and make them grow. He will bring that same attitude the the White House, hopefully because, though he appears   tough, rugged, loud~mouthed `know~it~all`, and has many godly people around him at the present time, he must still keep to hid word if his tenure as President will execute true change in the nation!

Far and above all, he must have faith in God! His self~efforts will fail, as they do for each one of us who attempts to do things `our way` and leave God out of it.
He has accepted the personal prayers of folks around him and his appearance looks to be a definitive characteristic of who Final Trump really is. But let's just remember one thing first. He is human and he will , no doubt , make many mistakes along the way and , perhaps , decisions which will rub even his constituents the wrong way, so he needs the help and wisdom of "God fearing" men and women beside him!

There is much wrong with America today, as we all know, but there also can be much made right and corrected under good leadership! Barring any evil shenanigans of those who devise evil plots, this President will help bring the old America I grew up in and mix it with a revolution of folks determined to abide by the constitution and laws of our land to "let our light shine in this dark world" and have the faith in God above to bless us once again!

This is my hope and prayer but I must say also that we should all, that is Christians, keep our eyes wide open to a massive deception which is very possible! As a popular saying goes....."I'm just sayin". Remember that only through repentance and a true turning to The LORD will this country see  and better days. It is absolutely up to us first because God's judgement begins at home not out there. Be blessed folks!


Jeff Pendleton
11/9/16

Choosing Unity, Not Division

I was never very good with math problems throughout school! Oh, I could do the basics pretty well....adding, subtracting, multiplication and division, but after that point, I was lost. Like a ship without it's compass or even a lighthouse on some shore to guide it, I was in dire straits when the dreaded algebra came along and interrupted my young life....yuk! My sweet wife was the very same, as I am sure many other students of our era were as well! We got along fine with the basics but the toughest was trying to learn something that, on paper, did not look right and made no sense!

Life can  the very same for each of us when we are divided in our relation~
ships with each other. We get our feathers ruffled at the least little problem or challenge that puts us out of our "comfort zone". We don't particularly like change as a whole and most certainly not in an area we are comfortable in!
However, that's exactly what life is about. Changing and growing. Getting pushed or gently nudged out of our "comfort zones". Like a warm blanket we have held onto for decades, we get used to things and situations that keep us at ease, not challenged!

In Spiritual situations, we often come face to face with areas of change and growing in our relationships with other's in church and most often with the leadership in churches. Being approached by someone of a leadership role in a church to ask us to, perhaps, take over a Sunday school class or become a deacon or usher can be a shock to our `normal` thing of just sitting on a
nice, warm pew or seat and letting the choir and the Pastor do all the work.
It's like that old enemy called algebra has returned to haunt us. Oh, man!
 
In whatever vocation, business or relationship we happen to be in, I am willing to bet that we all would much rather be a part of a United organization than a divided one. Being a member of a local church should be no different. In many ways a church has to be ran with many of the same principles as any business, without becoming seen as a typical business. There is certainly a fine line here that should not be crossed! A church is considered a `house of worship` and not a business organization! Sadly, many churches are accused of being nothing more than `money~hungry religious`crooks and preacher's are placed at the front of this accusation. 

It is because of division that many families and even businesses fall apart! If there is no unity nothing which was designed to stand or stay together can prosper! In the family unit(ed) the parents are appointed as the overseers or caretakers of the family. The children, of course, play a big role as well. As a whole, when everyone does their part to help in family matters, one often sees a happy and tranquil unit. It's the very same in a church or business. Unity keeps things and people together where division tears things and people apart!

Now is the time for all of, as a nation, to come together in unity and put an end to the orchestrated division which those behind the scenes, the hidden elite, have perpetrated for more than a century! America must heed the same slogan that is a `backdrop` for a free people of any nation or community..."United we stand, divided we fall". 

It's absolutely up to each individual who cares about righteousness and obeying the law of the land in order for unity to prevail! To do otherwise will bring destruction upon us in a very quick and dire ending! 

Let us put the other person's needs first and ours will also then be met.


Jeff pendleton
11/5/16

Choosing Unity, Not Division

I was never very good with math problems throughout school! Oh, I could do the basics pretty well....adding, subtracting, multiplication and division, but after that point, I was lost. Like a ship without it's compass or even a lighthouse on some shore to guide it, I was in dire straits when the dreaded algebra came along and interrupted my young life....yuk! My sweet wife was the very same, as I am sure many other students of our era were as well! We got along fine with the basics but the toughest was trying to learn something that, on paper, did not look right and made no sense!

Life can  the very same for each of us when we are divided in our relation~
ships with each other. We get our feathers ruffled at the least little problem or challenge that puts us out of our "comfort zone". We don't particularly like change as a whole and most certainly not in an area we are comfortable in!
However, that's exactly what life is about. Changing and growing. Getting pushed or gently nudged out of our "comfort zones". Like a warm blanket we have held onto for decades, we get used to things and situations that keep us at ease, not challenged!

In Spiritual situations, we often come face to face with areas of change and growing in our relationships with other's in church and most often with the leadership in churches. Being approached by someone of a leadership role in a church to ask us to, perhaps, take over a Sunday school class or become a deacon or usher can be a shock to our `normal` thing of just sitting on a
nice, warm pew or seat and letting the choir and the Pastor do all the work.
It's like that old enemy called algebra has returned to haunt us. Oh, man!
 
In whatever vocation, business or relationship we happen to be in, I am willing to bet that we all would much rather be a part of a United organization than a divided one. Being a member of a local church should be no different. In many ways a church has to be ran with many of the same principles as any business, without becoming seen as a typical business. There is certainly a fine line here that should not be crossed! A church is considered a `house of worship` and not a business organization! Sadly, many churches are accused of being nothing more than `money~hungry religious`crooks and preacher's are placed at the front of this accusation. 

It is because of division that many families and even businesses fall apart! If there is no unity nothing which was designed to stand or stay together can prosper! In the family unit(ed) the parents are appointed as the overseers or caretakers of the family. The children, of course, play a big role as well. As a whole, when everyone does their part to help in family matters, one often sees a happy and tranquil unit. It's the very same in a church or business. Unity keeps things and people together where division tears things and people apart!

Now is the time for all of, as a nation, to come together in unity and put an end to the orchestrated division which those behind the scenes, the hidden elite, have perpetrated for more than a century! America must heed the same slogan that is a `backdrop` for a free people of any nation or community..."United we stand, divided we fall". 

It's absolutely up to each individual who cares about righteousness and obeying the law of the land in order for unity to prevail! To do otherwise will bring destruction upon us in a very quick and dire ending! 

Let us put the other person's needs first and ours will also then be met.


Jeff pendleton
11/5/16