writer, author, poet, artist, reader
~~ by tkbrown
I am in the process of remaking my website and transitioning it from tkbrownwriter.wordpress.com to tkbrown.org which will ultimately be my author website. I ask your patience during this time as I upgrade and learn how to do all of the transitioning. Thank You so very much for helping me arrive at this new milestone in my progress.
Have a Great Day!
3 October 2020 — As we all probably know by now, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were diagnosed as having Coronavirus early yesterday morning. He has now admitted himself to Walter Reed Medical Center for treatment and monitoring. Now, several of his chief support staff and friends have tested positive for the virus. My prayers are with President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice-President Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, and all close associates–those who have tested positive for Covid-19 and those who have not. My prayers are also with Democratic Presidential Nominee and Former Vice-President, Joe Biden and his wife Jill. I ask that all who believe in the power of prayer and faith join me in prayer for these and for our country.
The myriad reactions in the press to the virus finally reaching the White House has left me slack-jawed! I cannot believe the amount of negativity surrounding this development. When we focus so strongly on what is wrong, are we not increasing the likelihood of further testing by the powers that be? I pray our country can move past the negativity shown across the nation in recent months. If we want healing, our focus must move to those things that are right with an intentional movement to build upon them.
Every family goes through times when it seems everything goes wrong. Right now, our nation is in one of those times. When your family is surrounded by unpleasantness, do you contribute to it by ranting, raving, and assaulting one another? Or do you try to heal the problems . Every person in this nation has a right to his or her beliefs from one side of the political spectrum to the other. I respect this right in others even when I strongly disagree with the belief itself. I do not try to force anyone to believe as I believe or to act as I act. Right now, there is a strong push for everyone to move to the left. Be careful what you wish for! You just might get it!
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by tkbrown
October arrived late this year, it seems; So too, have school, sports teams, and myriad gleams quite often seen 'midst colorful backdrops-- this year, road-trips limited to short hops taken close to home in a one-day glint. Rise up early, bleary-eyed, just a hint of sunlight beyond distant shoulder-- flatland does not provide much bold color-- the beauty of such is ne'er beholden', bright yellows, reds, crimsons, orange, and brown when early nips from visits by Jack Frost paint the scenery sought each fall by most. Those early nights when temperature dips give a foliage scene--brightly colored tips-- where untold leaves spout-off with sassy quips.
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30 September 2020 — Two very potent Singer-Songwriters in the United States Country-Pop Genre of the 1970s have died: Mac Davis and Helen Reddy. I graduated high school in May 1972 and married in June 1972. I am a country girl through and through with a bit of pop, Rock ‘n Roll, Jazz, Rhythm ‘n Blues, Hard Rock and even Heavy Metal; I guess the biggest influence on me as a person has come from Christian Hymns. I grew up in the country, and like Barbara Mandrell — “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” With all of this musical influence in my life, how could I help but write poetry and song lyrics too?
The influence of Helen Reddy’s song, “I Am Woman,” cannot be ignored. I think she stirred a tiny bit of rebellion in me. Her song made me realize I was strong and could survive whatever came along! I remember cooking and cleaning while singing this song when my children were young. She was among the first women to write and sing about the strength women possess.
Mac Davis’ “Lord It’s Hard to Be Humble,” was a song I heard at least several times a week. He wrote at least two of my favorites recorded by Elvis Presley: “In the Ghetto,” and “A Little Less Conversation.” He wrote for many of the top names in Country Music; so, many of his tunes were among those I sang regularly at home.
For the two of them to have died on the same day is a bit uncanny, and it touches my heart. I have always loved to sing. I grew up with sisters and a mother who all loved to sing; so, we turned on the radio, and we sang. I love the oldies. I love the songs my Mama loved. I love the songs my Daddy loved. I love the songs my siblings loved, and I love the songs my children and grand children love and have loved. So, the deaths of two of my favorite Singer-Songwriters creates a bit of nostalgia for me. I guess I am getting old, huh???
Thank You all for putting up with my memories today! Blessings!!!
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26 September 2020 — As I mentioned in my previous post, depression associated with grieving is a normal reaction to loss. There are myriad possibilities as to what the loss may be, and one will be dealt with a bit differently from another. If addressed proactively as the grieving process progresses, oftentimes serious depression can be avoided. However, if one does begin finding it difficult to engage normal daily living activities, it may be necessary to schedule a few days to work on specific areas of concern. This can be accomplished alone or with the help of a person who has already proven to be a trustworthy support person in the grieving process.
Depression slows one down during the grieving to aid the introspective work necessary to move past it and into some level of acceptance. Taking some time for inner exploration will speed the path to recovery. There are ways to address the depression on your own, without any outside help if these activities are begun before recognizable impairment develops.
One way to move into and through depressive thoughts is to journal. Set aside a time each day to record thoughts in a composition notebook. Sitting in a quiet place, away from any possible interruptions, begin writing–whatever you are thinking at the time. If what you write does not make sense, this is ok.
The purpose of this portion of the journaling activity is to see the organization of your thoughts. Try not to miss any words — stream of thought is important. Write quickly; slow transcription of thought to paper can cause thoughts to wander due to distraction which causes inaccurate reflection. Recording of thoughts should continue for five to ten minutes. Set a timer or an alarm so concerns about the time do not interrupt the flow of thought.
When time has elapsed, take five minutes to free your mind. Then, read over what has been written. Try to note any patterns or specific lines of thought. Note topics and related concerns on a clean sheet of paper. Then take fifteen minutes to write about worries–concerns noted since your last journaling exercise. Elaborate a bit on each. Discuss specific thoughts noted to be interrupting normal activity.
Now, list some enjoyable activities. Hobbies of a creative nature are often helpful in overcome disruptive depression. If drawing or painting are enjoyable options, express feelings in the art. Draw or paint feelings onto paper or canvas. There are no right or wrong approaches. Just draw, sketch, or paint using charcoal, coloring pencils, pastels, or paints as mediums.
Other creative activities to consider include writing (i.e., poetry or prose), needlecrafts such as sewing, quilting, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, cross-stitch. Cooking, (i.e., making breads–rolls, loaf breads, even cookies) anything that allows complete distraction from the loss. These activities will assist the process of moving through the depression to beginning life again after the loss. Acceptance involves learning to live with the loss. Fill time, previously engaged by the loss, with activities and people you enjoy.
As enjoyable activities continue, begin taking ten or fifteen minutes of daily journaling time to discuss the previous day’s activities. Describe your perceptions of the creative activities and endeavors being pursued. Write anything coming to mind. The goal is to slowly notice movement back into a normal activity level.
The loss will always be a part of the person you become. As you remember positive aspects previously brought to life by the loss, begin to focus on ways related memories are transitioning into strengths and creating the “you of tomorrow.” Proactive approaches, such as journaling and conscious activation of hobbies can be very helpful to resuming normal daily living.
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25 September 2020 — A few days ago, I discussed the reality of grieving not only individually but also as a society. Depression is an important part of grieving because how you cope with your depression determines the extent to which you and those around you are impacted by all stages of loss and grieving. Depression slows you down and requires that you face the loss. Denial, anger, and bargaining typically precede depression, but in societal grief there may be no way to predict how society, or individuals, will progress through the stages. So, we must develop compassion and tolerance for the suffering.
However, we must also draw a line to stop the violence and mayhem assault on others–it is not a part of grieving. Creating more grief does not resolve your own suffering or that of anyone else. It causes post-traumatic-stress disorder for all victims. Do not kid yourself! Those inflicting the harm are not the sufferers. There should be swift legal action and reparations against all who cause harm to another person or to another person’s property.
When the coronavirus hit, individuals began grieving the loss of family and friends. Those losses were not a long time in coming. Some had only a day or two of illness in the family member or friend before death caused a forever separation. Loved ones in the hospital were unable to see family and friends face to face due to the contagious aspect of the pandemic and self-quarantining required by our expert health officials. Some were able to talk on the phone with a loved one, but many could not arrange this contact due to the loved one being too ill to talk. As if these atrocities were not enough, the loved on died without being able to get a hug or hear the words “I Love You!” in a face to face visit. Some were even unable to arrange a funeral due to the virus. No technological contact can ever replace the healing power of face to face care and love.
Those who did have loved ones who survived were still not able to see them due to “stay at home” restrictions on society. The loved one may have continued to suffer problems from the illness after recovery. He or she may still be suffering. The long term impact of having the coronavirus is still being learned. How does one help a loved one when it is not possible to be there in person. The problems associated with the illness and or loss of a loved one only scrape the tip of the iceberg in dealing with losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Many have lost jobs because of the contagion causing too much illness in the workplace and decisions to close in an attempt to prevent the spread. Some were fortunate enough to be able to transfer work responsibilities to home via online portals. This provided some relief from the stressors involved, but not for all. Job losses presented the problem of not enough money for food, housing, utilities, clothing for growing children (some can grow several sizes in two to three months). The food assistance, rental protection, work position furloughs, extra unemployment compensation, student loan deferrals, and other forms of assistance provided by the federal government helped keep many from falling through the holes in the sidewalk. Others, who had no benefit of unemployment may have been buying a home instead of renting. How was this to be managed? So many question with no answers because no one can predict how long this will continue.
Add to these, the fact that a lack of immune response safety means visiting family members and friends has been largely rendered impossible unless you live close to them. Even in this situation, it must be limited in duration and frequency due to the risk of passing the virus to each other. Social distancing and face masks are another adjustment when in groups. Thrust into these restrictions without warning, without a plan for addressing the contagion or the ramification it presented–because nothing like this has ever happened before–having to keep children home from school, daycare, sports, church and visiting friends have all taken a major toll on everyone.
Shopping for groceries, cleaning and hygiene supplies, personal care products, and other essentials became a major challenge. Frequency of shopping excursions had to be greatly reduced and when in the stores many products were sold out. Production plants had been closed due to too many afflicted by the virus.
Only essential services were allowed to remain in service unless the work could be done 100% online. Some of these situations are historical firsts. They, in some ways, resemble when the Black Plague ravaged Europe, when the flu of 1918 ravaged the world, and when the Great Depression of the 1930s oppressed people everywhere. How does society go on? We have gone on here in America, and we have–so far–survived one day at a time, thanks to our Presidential Administration in Washington D.C. and to our Representatives and Senators both State and National. Even with all of the loss, and grieving, the world is surviving. This will be recorded in history books as a time of recovery even as the virile pandemic ravaged the world. The problems we are facing are normal for the extent of loss and grieving in the world. Everyone, every town, every state, every nation is suffering continuing loss and grieving. What is normal? What is not? When will it all end?
Depression is common amidst society throughout the world at present–with everyone suffering for the same or similar reasons. There are some who suffer chronic depression who should be monitored by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a counselor. This is due to the need for some to take antidepressants and to be monitored for problems needing special support–especially during this time of great loss. Those not needing professional assistance to wade through the daily muck are also suffering depression to some degree due to loss and grieving. No one is immune–no one will make it through this pandemic without being personally impacted in some way. This is called reactional depression. It is normal depression which occurs during times of major adjustment to loss. It is a part of the grieving process. No, it is not considered the “first stage” of grieving, but I would suggest there are some who become depressed on the first day of grieving–whatever the loss. Some work through other stages first, but with everyone in the world affected by this loss and grieving process, the stages of grief are going to vary greatly, and some will be working on more than one stage at a time. The overlap will vary but it will be there.
There is a tendency to minimize suffering associated with grief because the suffering is not seen. People go on with life unless they are overwhelmed by the losses. The same applies to societal losses and grieving. It is minimized. How soon did we see people breaking the call to self-quarantine and limit group gatherings to less than ten persons. Some were gathering in larger groups the first week even though each gathering caused spikes in the local number of people who contracted the virus.
We have death and dying all around us, and some said during the first week: “We have to move on!” “We will not be imprisoned in our own homes!” “We will not be told what we can and cannot do!” No concern existed for the safety and lives of others involved. So, the deaths and losses mounted–one upon the other. I would suggest the levels of depression in many individuals–while a natural response to the situation–are phenomenal. Thus, I have decided to discuss depression. This will require several posts to address concerns and to make suggestions for coping with loss and grieving–your own, or that of someone you love and /or care about. If you have need for coverage of some specific area of grieving and loss, and do not see it covered in the next several posts, please place a request in the comment section with a ping-back to your blog so I can address it.
Blessings to all during this time of great oppression!
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Since we are also looking at the grieving process midst all the suffering from so many different sources, I decided to share with you today this poem. I penned it 4 November 2018, but it covers many concerns in our societal grieving process. It seems, we see a few days of reprieve, and then it starts all over again. As I mentioned a few mornings ago, society addresses the same concerns as individuals, it is just multiplied many times over because individuals, families, communities, regions, economies, countries, and the world are all grieving at the same time. So, I deemed it appropriate to share it this morning because so much grief can make everything and everyplace seem like a Barren Shore.
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I see your suffering, understand that your pain is deep as the ocean and wide as the universe, that it holds your soul captive midst the struggles of life. It stifles your heart song, makes even small inclines steep; the best of days stretch forth -- an unending curse cast with punishing missive, stuffed with ripples of strife. Making weakness seem strong, the waves that powerfully creep in from some deep untimely soulful immerse as nauseous retchings that grieve wounds like a sharp-edged knife. If my understanding can lessen the depth of your pain, gladly will I cover the highest sharpest peak -- my body a shield to ward off such murk from the moor. Such inept grappling I offer as shelter from rain, saturating clefts of hiding, when dark hours sneak to sharpen and hone the shard hacking your inner core. Still, it's an offering of my heart, to lessen the stain wrought by the effort to be strong when weak due to loss that leaves one marred, scarred -- on a barren shore.
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1 Corinthians 3:1, 2 (NKJV)
23 September 2020 — While working on posts for the “Greek Words for ‘love’ in the New Testament” series, I have thought much on my Biblical studies through the years. During my younger years, I studied mostly by verse and by topic. When I needed spiritual strengthening, I would search out scriptures on a particular topic and study it. The scripture was indeed food for my soul.
I grew up in a rural area, so our church family was small. When I was fourteen, I began teaching the Sunday night Children’s Class. There were five children in the class, ages five to twelve. We could not afford the purchase cost of lesson materials, so I started with the four Gospels, and we would take a few verses each week. I would write out the lesson sheets for each child.
The lessons consisted of scripture, copied word for word, with blanks to be filled in. During class, we would read the lesson scripture and fill in the blanks. The youngest could not write, but his siblings helped him fill in the blanks on his sheets. I knew from when I was younger, he could remember what we talked about, especially with two siblings who probably talked with mom and dad about what had been studied. During the two years I taught the class, we digested many morsels as they began being introduced to solid spiritual food.
As I have pondered the purpose for my reminiscing, I realized, the study of Greek words for “love” began in my teen years. The minister taught the teen / adult class. We did much the same as I did with the children, except we did not have fill-in-the-blank sheets. We studied directly from the scripture–a few verses a night. It was during my teen years, in these classes where I learned to study more in depth. The minister spoke of the Greek words for “love” occasionally during these classes, as he did for other words when he thought we could benefit from the learning.
I awoke this morning with understanding of why I had been pondering my younger days. I was being shown, during my teen years, how to study as a mature Christian. In order to do this, we begin as babes in Christ needing the “sincere milk of the word,” referenced by Peter in 1 Peter 2:2:
The King James Version (KJV) of the New Testament uses the wording, “sincere milk . . .,” whereas, the New King James Version (NKJV) has changed “sincere” to “pure.” Personally, I prefer the “sincere milk . . .” for this thought process. Just as I fed my babies “milk” in their early days in order to aid their healthy growth — especially bone and teeth growth needing much calcium, we as new Christians need the “milk” of the scriptures to form a firm foundation for our Spiritual growth. As we grow, we are introduced to the more mature instruction so we can develop strength in other areas as we also continue consuming the “milk” to aid continued strengthening of the foundation.
As I pondered this, I realized my attention was being brought to the “solid food” aspect of scriptural study. When I prepare an especially savory meal for physical nutrition, I savor every morsel. This savoring is part of the spiritual growth process too. It is necessary, at times, to take a scripture word by word to learn the true meaning behind the original Greek text in the New Testament. It is necessary to chew it slowly, try to discern which spices were added during preparation. What were the other solid foods added to the dish? Our spiritual study must be taken just as slowly at times.
I said all of the above to say this: The series on Greek words used for “love” in the New Testament is a word by word type of study. We are taking each word as a single morsel of solid food and savoring each flavor (meaning) in order to absorb the most nutrition (understanding) from the food. By learning the various words used in the original Greek text, we are sorting through the flavors of Greek nutrition in order to truly understand what the English version says when it only uses one word, “love,” in its translation.
It was necessary for me to step back and explain this before progressing any further with the Greek words for “love” study in order for you, the readers, to understand the importance of knowing the original Greek term. Just as a chef must know exactly which flavors are needed to achieve a certain flavor, it is necessary for us to know what words added to the flavor of the original text. This is what is meant by the apostle Paul’s reference to “solid food” in 1 Corinthians.
I hope this little aside helps you to understand the “why” behind the “what” of what we are doing with this study. This is my prayer! Blessings to all!
22 September 2020 — Yesterday, I summarized the six Ancient Greek words for “love”. In reviewing available information for those words, I found a number of variations for them which I want to research some more so I can cover them with usable and understandable information.
I was excited to learn some of you will be looking forward to these posts. Various reasons for the anticipation were given. I have also learned some other topics of interest from others with specific interests. I want to take this opportunity to say, “Thank You”, for letting me know the posts will be of help to you. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me this. Please feel free to let me know, any time, when you have a certain topic of interest and I will try to address it in more depth if that is your preference. Again, Thank You, for keeping me informed of your interests.
Today, we will look at the English definitions for “love”. In the English language, “love” represents all forms of the word. It also represents both the noun and the verb usage. There are myriad other words in the English Language to describe more adeptly the type of love one is referencing, but the word “love” suffices in most cases. All of this information is gleaned from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love#. The full citation is located at the bottom of this post.
After I have covered the English “love” and the Greek words to cover the various forms of “love”, I will look briefuly look at words of “love” utilized in other languages. With discussion of the Greek words, I will post Bible Verses as examples of each form found there to help you understand the usage. All forms are not utilized in the Bible; some essayists coverage of the topic vary in the number of forms said to be used in the Bible. I will search those differences and the reasons given for the differences. Hopefully, this will clarify the usages for you.
Along with, but a separate portion of the Greek word coverage, I will also give the Hebrew words for “love” and examples of usage in the Old Testament. The Old Testament was written in the Ancient Hebrew language. Hopefully, this information will help clear up some questions as well.
If you have questions not answered in my posts, put them in the comments with a ping-back to your site and I will answer them at the end of each section (i.e., English, Greek, Hebrew, etc.) — all at one time.
Without further ado, here are the Merriam-Webster definitions for both the noun and verb forms of the word, “love”. There are some interesting tidbits at the bottom which I also found on the Merriam-Webster post.
1 — love (noun)
2 — love (noun)
3 — love (noun)
4 — love (noun)
5 — love (noun)
6 — love (noun)
7 — love (noun)
8 — love (noun)
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1 — love (transitive verb) — also: loved, loving
2 — love (intransitive verb)
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Noun (From the English Language Learners Definition of “love”)
Verb (From the English Language Learners Definition of “love”)
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Noun — before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at: 1.
Verb — before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive verb: 1.
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Middle English, from Old English lufu
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Source:
Eds. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. (Last Update: 2020 copyright). “love.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. (Accessed 22 September 2020). https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love.
Thanks to all of you who faithfully stop by to read my posts, I now have 200 Followers. Each of you are special to me more than you can possibly know. You have shown me that my work is supported by a group of very special people. I could never have done this alone. Amazing!!! Simply Amazing!!!
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Special Thanks to potterheadaanya for the Special gif above!
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by tkbrown 
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