What Will The Future Bring?

So a new year is on the horizon

People timidly wonder “what’s in store?”

After three years of stress and upheaval

Many feel that they just can’t take much more

Financial anxieties multiply

Increasing tension, depression and strife

Our hopes and wishes for a better world

Where all abide in the true joy of life

Do you sense that this world is divided?

Do you lie awake thinking “what is next?”

Controversial issues and decisions

Leave both leaders and their peoples perplexed

If they’re not aware at present, they’ll learn

That in the court of history they’ve been tried

The verdict is they need replacing for

Lasting solutions they cannot provide

They paint themselves heroes and saviours

When they are in fear of losing power

They claim their rulership upholds freedom

At the same time they destroy and devour

As the world falters, will you recognize?

That red flag of security and peace

Stand still, keep your senses as you await

The war that brings all other wars to cease

Then a chance for all creation to rest

Healing on a scale ne’er before seen

Restoration and true education

True peace and security this will mean

When our King loves us like a kind father

Can you imagine how safe you will feel?

A future better than any we dream

We all have the chance to live life for real!

Our Palace In The Clouds

I am a caring person. I care about many people. I care about this planet and all of it’s creatures. But I do not care for the opinions of those who think success is determined by our bank balance, material possessions, job title, or any other secular measure of worth.

I scorn the system which is so riddled with corruption and injustice. Do I regret that I did not devote myself to learning it’s ways? Not at all. I am free of it’s shackles, for I have sought a better way.

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Our castle cannot be invaded or destroyed. It is not prone to damage or ruination. Our castle is impregnable, it can never be stolen away. Our castle is the fortress of our heart – the place where all of our precious treasured memories and experiences are safely stored. It is impossible to calculate our wealth, our riches. We take out a gem of a memory and share it, allowing it to sparkle and shine in the daylight, and we do so to inspire.

There are things of far far more value than anything the commercial world tries to tempt you with. Do not allow your life choices and life style to be dictated to you by greedy merchants.

I Want Every Morning

I try to be a contented sort of person, one who counts her blessings and stays grateful. However, I sometimes hate having to share you. I love waking up next to you on Sunday and Monday mornings. I am so excited when you come early and stay with my on Friday night as well. But I want more.

Perhaps I am greedy, but I want you to be there every morning and to be there every night when I close my eyes. I love your messages – they lift my heart – but a text is not as warm as a hug and not as tingling as a kiss.

I am so proud of you and all you do. I think the world of you – truly. When I said “Yes”, what I meant was that I want to share everyday with you. I know that will not always be possible, but I hope to have many many more days and nights with you than we currently do.

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The Epic Journey Of Love

Last night I had some peace and quiet to myself after work and I am so glad. I needed a chance to relax. I wondered what to do with my time, knowing I needed it to be non-work related. So after crossing off the list:

• cleaning the bathroom
• completing a training course for work
• sorting out my storage room (which is chaotic right now)

…and some other non-relaxing tasks, I decided that I was too tired to read and instead I would peruse the television channels in search of something worthwhile.

My heart leapt when I saw a word that means so much to me – “Persuasion“. I have lost track of how many times I have read the book or watched a dramatisation of this brilliant Jane Austen novel. But I needed to watch it again. I needed to watch it because I love Anne Elliott dearly.

What a journey – what an incredible journey!! I know exactly what happens, and yet every time I read or watch “Persuasion” I go on exactly the same journey again. Those stabs of pain – how they pierce. The highs and lows of love, the aches and elations of love, the hopes, the disappointments, the bravery, the humiliation, the longing, the grief and the jubilant celebration when finally love conquers all obstacles and you just know that now that these two compelling characters have finally bridged the chasm and connected – it will be a less manic journey from now on.

What a journey love is. Not so sure about “happily ever after”, but I would say that once you finally overcome the rollercoaster of emotions that lead you to saying “Yes, I will be your wife” – well it is less manic ever after.

There are still challenges, some very tough challenges, but you navigate them with that awareness and understanding of love. It does not send you reeling like a pendulum. You seem to be able to maintain a direction, a momentum, and even if challenges feel like a storm, somehow it is a more secure feeling because of the purpose and fulfilment that love has brought to you.

I will never tire of the epic journey of love. It moves me everytime – the story of Anne Elliott moves me. The story of my fictional character Annabelle Riley moves me. The story of Jack and me – it moves me. What an epic journey – one that takes an average person and makes them a hero, and adventurer, a conqueror.

I Propose A New Bank Holiday

It is one of those weird oddities – why is Boxing Day called “Boxing Day”? Yes, we sort of know why, but it is a bit if a rubbish explanation – isn’t it? Well…I have a proposal and I think you may agree it is a great idea….

Why don’t we add on an additional bank holiday after the other two…and call the day after Boxing Day…wait for it…”Washing Day”? Oh my goodness – I really need an extra day off before going back to work to get through a mountain of laundry.

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Bridget Jones To The Rescue!

I have had so many messages from friends who seem to be stranded on their own this year – due to work commitments or due to travel disruption. So between us, Jack and I are responding to those we know are a not very happy to be on their own (some seem undeniably happy to be able to rest).

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Without doubt, the one person who totally captures how loopy it can make you to be on your own at a time of year you are confronted with images of perfect family scenes is BRIDGET JONES!!! I never ever tire of seeing this clip.

I Need Excitement Oh I Need It Bad

Jim Adams aka Newepicauthor, the creator of A Unique Title For Me, is hosting SONG-LYRIC-SUNDAY and this week he has chosen the theme: PUNK SONGS

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When I was a littl’n’ I think I was scared of Punk. They all looked sort of angry and a bit snotty. But there is one song that won me over to being willing to listen to songs in a genre that made me uneasy.

The man who introduced me to this song may also have introduced you to it. Radio One DJ John Peel declared this was his favourite track – and for that reason I think he is a man of great taste.

This is The Undertones with the infamous “Teenage Kicks” – turn it up turn it up!!

Are teenage dreams so hard to beat
Everytime she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

I'm gonna call her on the telephone
Have her over cos I'm all alone
I need excitement oh I need it bad
And it's the best, I've ever had

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

Are teenage dreams so hard to beat
Everytime she walks down the street
Another girl in the neighbourhood
Wish she was mine, she looks so good

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

I'm gonna call her on the telephone
Have her over cos I'm all alone
I need excitement oh I need it bad
And it's the best, I've ever had

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

I wanna hold her wanna hold her tight
Get teenage kicks right through the night

Written by: John Joseph O'Neill

I Want To Get Away

I have a yearning for some peace and quiet all of a sudden. I think that is because this time of the year is so dreadful. People who are depressed, instances of violence within families, often effecting children, suicides – I am always so relieved when spring comes and the general awfulness of this season begins to lift.

I cannot share any details with you really, but there is so much that saddens me about people who are clearly not coping with the financial stress they are under, and I think this is sometimes magnified by other issues, and this has contributed to some horrendous incidents.

I feel as if I need a break – just to empty my head of all the people I have come into contact with who are in tragic situations. I have never known such a dark and gloomy December. I think it is especially hard because I am so happy and have so much to look forward to. It makes me feel for other people who in desperate situations even more. I just need a day or two to escape all of the sadness around me though. It is too much.

I don’t have any comment to make on the reasons some nurses and ambulance workers are not happy at the moment. But I will say this – remember that some NHS workers are exposed to some of the most heartbreaking scenarios you can imagine – and have to work throughout the holidays to provide access to urgent medical care 24/7.

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Why Annabelle Dreads Christmas

When I was first writing Annabelle’s story and getting to know her, I knew that the adult as made up of all sorts of childhood experiences (perhaps I am stating the obvious!), moments that impacted her, crushing disappointments, stabs of shame and embarrassment, periods of isolation and loneliness.

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It has been fascinating to explore more of Annabelle’s childhood in my recent writing. You might remember that Annabelle’s Christmas at the age of fourteen were featured in two recent parts of her story:

NOTHING MERRY ABOUT IT

AN UNEXPECTED WELCOME

Fast-forward ten years, and Annabelle is completely alone during the holidays after her recent break-up with Dean. Two years later, Christmas marks the loss of her daughter to meningitis. Then another two years later…and we arrive very close to the end of the first Annabelle novel “We Hide What We Hate About Ourselves” and we find Annabelle travelling to New York and putting huge effort into preparing personal cards and gifts for all of her family…but nothing seems to have changed.

I knew when I started writing that my character was not going to have a fairy-tale storyline or a magical blessed existence. I did want there to be hope in her story, but also a lot of real challenges, and a lot of growing.

Christmas is a painful stressful time for many people, and for my character Annabelle, there is no exception. For her, it has been one of the loneliest darkest times of year.

There is one Christmas towards the end of Book Three that is less dark, less lonely…but it comes of course just over eleven months after one of the most horrific challenges Annabelle faces. At her weakest, she learns so much more about the word “family”.

The Longest Night

Almost eighty years ago, two sweethearts walked down the aisle together and said “I do”. I was told when I was growing up that my Grandfather opted for their wedding to be on the shortest day of the year, because that meant their wedding night would be the longest night of the year. Hmm hmm.

It suddenly struck me the other day…it seems to strange to be planning our wedding and for none of my grandparents to be there. I have such vivid memories of them and they had such a big influence on me. But they are fast asleep, waiting for the end of this corrupt system, before they can wake up to an earth and human family in good health.

I wonder what they would think of Jack!!

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