A place where my thoughts, words and feelings converge…
Author: charlotteannrobinson.com
I enjoy reading, writing and searching for truths. I am active in my church and like participating in small groups learning and developing new ideas and skills in becoming the person God created me to be. God has blessed me with so much and my desire is to share my thoughts and words with you in hopes they comfort and inspire you.
Below is a poem I wrote a few years ago, God is always Good!
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.” ~Selah —Psalm 46:1-3—
“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.” —Proverbs 18:10—
“…and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” —Nehemiah 8:10b—-
Heart and Soul
Cold and scared, where will I find refuge
Bleeding within myself, beaten, battered and bruised
Will I see the Light, will I ever feel again
My chest aches from the burdens I’ve placed upon myself, as if I’m carrying the world
My tears offer no release, I’m chained twisted and torn
I want to scream but who will hear my cries
God are you there, I need to know-am I worthy
I’ve never been this lost before, where is home
I feel so full of emptiness, why does my heart ache
My heart is a battlefield covered in darkness,
Will my sorrows continue, what more will come
I am an infant crying that cannot be comforted, nothing to soothe my cries
I am the tree on a lonely plain, no shelter-no leaves
I’m the single blade of grass, stubborn and growing on a concrete yard
How did I get here , who am I, why does it matter
When did I know, what purpose do I have
Talk to me, I am searching, is that my purpose
Crawling and scratching, where am I going
Is it possible to be true to you and to me, simultaneously
“Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” —Proverbs 23:18—
Until next time…🌻🙏🏻💛
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! May God’s Blessings be abundant to you today! Amen.
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
Life can be very confusing and overwhelming at times. It has seemed to be extra crazy, at least to me these past several months. Life as I knew it ceased to be since COVID-19. I find myself more uneasy with regard to my daily life and the activities I enjoy. I am easily frustrated by the behaviors of others when I suppose, I should be concerned with my own. I try to follow the rules and do my part for my own health and safety as well as others around me. I don’t know what the future holds, the truth is God is the only one who does. As I was thinking of this post and examining my feeling and emotions, all of a sudden the answer was clear. God. God is always the answer! He holds the entire universe in His hand. But more than that, He holds me! He holds YOU as well. Why is it that when things are tough, difficult and seemingly out of control…we think we can fix it(?). God never intended for any of us to do life alone. No matter the question, God is the answer. Take time to talk with God today, He is always available.
God tells us, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” —Genesis 1:1
The Apostle John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” —John 1:1-5
Jesus tells us, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” —Revelation 22:13
Until next time…🔆💛🌻🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! May God’s Blessings be abundant to you today! Amen.
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
I wanted to share with you how my Sunday morning started out…
I open my front door to go to work and I found a package had been delivered. I was pleasantly surprised! A friend had told me that I would be receiving a gift from her for my birthday! As soon as I got into my car I opened the box and found a beautiful DEMDACO Willow Tree figure called, “Thank you.” I am so blessed!
My friend, Margaret sent this beautiful figure to me! I will treasure it. I have been reminiscing about when and where we met, when our friendship began and all the great memories we have shared over the years. Margaret is a beautiful woman inside and out, she has a wonderful husband and three amazing children. Margaret, may God continue to bless you and your family and our friendship.
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO START MY BIRTHDAY WEEK! 🎂🎈🎉🎁🧁🍾🌻💚
I also decided to “try” to write a poem for my friend to express my feelings. I hope you like it.
Birth of a Friendship
It began in the fall of 1982…
I began something totally new.
In unfamiliar surroundings
I navigated around new things.
It is true that acts of kindness
Multiply the love within us.
Give when given the chance
Always plan in advance.
Darkness has no place
When light is in the space.
Trusting in God’s plan
Joy abides in your lifespan.
Margaret, thank you for your friendship through the years. I am blessed to call you “friend!”
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11
“Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.”
Proverbs 18:24
“Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.”
Until next time…🌻💛🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
Lord Jesus, Thank you for giving me such a vibrant community of friends to do life with. I praise you for the people you have blessed me with, the ones who have come alongside me to love, encourage, support, and uplift me through all the twists and turns of life. I’m so grateful that I do not have to go through life alone, but that you have shown me examples of your love through my dear friends.
I pray that you would be present in my friendships, that you would be drawing us together in deeper community with one another toward greater unity with you. I pray that you would help heal any places of brokenness or discord in my friendships, and that you would restore any friendships that have fallen apart.
Like your Word says in Colossians 3:12-13, may I clothe myself in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. May I be patient with my friends, and may I forgive freely like you have forgiven me. May I shine your light in my friendships, giving glory to you through all that I do, say, and think. Thank you for my friends, Jesus. Thank you for the ways they build me up and remind me of your goodness and faithfulness. In your name I pray, Amen.
I have much to be thankful for this week, this day and yes, even this year! Each new day is a blessing from God, we can choose to be thankful or otherwise. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic I am thankful for life. Being a Christian, a follower of Jesus does not mean I’ll never have bad days or difficult circumstances in my life, but I am guaranteed to never be alone through anything and so are YOU!
—Psalm 23:4—
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.” (NRSV)
—John 14:27—
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (ESV)
—Romans 8:35-39—
“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NRSV)
This past Tuesday, I was able to meet with my church friends/sister in Christ (Esther’s Circle) for our monthly group meeting. It was a beautiful evening as we met in the memorial garden located at our church. We abided by the rules of social distancing and we wore face masks. It was wonderful to be seen and gather together again. We decided our next group study would be a book by Bob Goff titled, “Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People.” Looking forward you sharing some of our conversations in future blog posts. My heart was full as I left the church that night.
Thursday, I had dinner with a friend. We finally were able to exchange Christmas gifts. Yes, we celebrated “Christmas in July!” We met at a nice restaurant that followed social distancing rules and masks were worn entering and existing the restaurant. We had a lovely meal and a great conversation. COVID-19 may have slowed our celebration but in no way stopped it or ruined it.
Thank you, Christy! Merry Christmas 🎄🎁
Also, this week I was blessed to be able to share stories using this platform and on Tuesday, July 21st, I celebrated 7 years with WordPress! Also just this month I took a leap of faith and used advertising on Facebook to boost a few of my blog post. I found it to be user friendly and was able to share my words with others on social media, I am also on twitter as well. In many ways I’m still learning “the ropes” using social media to share my thoughts, feelings and emotions. Slow and steady, it’s not a bad thing. I strive to be authentic with my audience and share insights regarding my life and my faith. I pray that God is revealed to the reader and I trust the Holy Spirit to deliver the messages people need to hear. I’m the vessel/clay, God is the potter. Being able to write just for the sake of writing is a dream come true. I am truly thankful for all the people who have encouraged me to write, that have taken the time to read my words and to follow my page. I read every comment and seek to share peace and love.
Until next time…🌻💛🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
Today is a special day, 7 years ago I registered this page on WordPress.com! I remember being quiet nervous about starting this new adventure. It was a very faithful friend who introduced me to this platform and encouraged me to pursue my passion of writing. She has continued to encourage me and our friendship has grown and deepened through the years. My viewership has increased since the inception of this space. I’m thankful to friends and family that have been with me from the very beginning. Social media has helped to share me words through Facebook and Twitter. My church family has also embraced me to love, support and encouragement as well.
~John 15:4-5~
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.”
~Deuteronomy 31:8~
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Until next time…🌻💛🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Find JOY! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
Do you ever just take time for yourself? With all the chaos that seems to drive our way of life since COVID-19’s worldwide invasion, then add to that the everyday things that push and pull us in different directions, makes it nearly impossible to find time for yourself. I want to encourage you to find the time, at the very least five minutes to be alone with your thoughts, your dreams, your [whatever] as long as it is something that bring you JOY.
The world never sleeps, it’s a 24/7/365 merry-go-round that rarely slows and never stops. It’s tempting to try and keep up but we are incapable of doing so. You are the most qualified person to determine what brings you JOY, find it and visit it often.
Just tonight I was tired and restless after work, I just wanted/needed to relax. I have a handful of movies I like to watch simply because they bring me joy. Tonight I watched, “The African Queen” its a movie from 1951 starring Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. I like the simplicity of the movie and the limited number of actors, and the plot of two opposites individuals finding love in the strangest of situations. Alas, I’m a romantic at heart. Some of the other things I enjoy doing is reading, listening to audiobooks, going for leisurely drives in the country. I also dabble is arts/crafts and of course, writing. I so appreciate the opportunity to share my writing with others and equally enjoy reading what others write. I appreciate music and painting as well. I have two other “go to” movies that brings me joy, “Anna and the King” and “The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.”
With all these things, there remains the single greatest joy of my life — knowing that I am a child of God. God loves me not for anything I did or can do. He loves me and He created me, molded me and gave me purpose.
—Romans 15:13—
“May the God of hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
—John 16:24—
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your JOY may be complete.”
—Proverbs 17:22—
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Until next time…🌻💛🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Find JOY! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
I took the photo above a few years ago, it reminded me of my childhood spanning well into my adult life. I started playing softball when I was 5 years old. I continued playing for more than three decades. I even remember writing in my high school newsletter that I wanted to become a professional softball player. Funny because I don’t think that was even a thing back then. My mom was my biggest fan, she rarely missed a game during all those years. I met a lot of interesting and talented people and traveled throughout my home state playing in tournaments. I had the opportunity to play on many different teams and to play a variety of positions. To say I loved them game would be an understatement. I learned how to work together as a unified group and to trust others simply by being a part of a team. I am saddened that all those friendships and experiences are tucked away in my past. Life happens, people move, people change and life goes on. The memories are happy ones and I’m thankful for all of them.
My life today is far removed from where it once was and I’ve had a few detours along the way. I look forward to what God has in store for me, my destination is Heaven, I look forward to the beauty of the journey and the roads I will travel along the way. As the years go by I tend to place my experiences on the more positive side of life “lessons learned” and reject the side of “regrets.” Regrets sound so negative, I do not regret my life. I am choosing to celebrate my experiences that provided both, growth and maturity, (in most cases)!
—Philippians 3:13-14—
“Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
—Isaiah 43:18-19—
“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Until next time…🌻💛🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
Today, I want to share with you and pay tribute to two writers that have inspired and comforted me in life and especially in times of loss.
Clive Staples Lewis
• November 29, 1898 — November 22, 1963
In 2012, after my mom passed away I started reading more of C. S. Lewis’ work beyond the Narnia Series. I read “A Grief Observed” and I connected to his writings in an unexpected way. My experience was of a “Shared Grief” the story was relatable beyond the shared sense of grieving a loved one. His words were reassuring and real although they had been written years before. He wrote the book following the death of his beloved wife, Joy Davidman in 1960. The book was first published in 1961 under the pseudonym N.W. Clerk, as Lewis wished to avoid identification as the author. I would highly recommend reading, “A Grief Observed” to anyone who has experienced loss.
Quotes from “A Grief Observed”:
“We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, ‘Blessed are they that mourn,’ and I accept it. I’ve got nothing that I hadn’t bargained for. Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not imagination.”
“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alfred Lord Tennyson
• August 6, 1809 — October 6, 1892
In regards to Alfred Lord Tennyson, I have often used a quote from one of his poems written during 1833-1850. I was unaware that the quote was written by Tennyson and the story behind the poem. The first time I remember using the quote was in the late 1980’s. At the time, I was young and my heart had been broken for the very first time by someone I loved and trusted. Oh the pains of first love and before I really knew what that really meant. The loss I experienced opened up many wounds and opportunities, the most positive was a pathway of expressing myself through words. I began to write down my thoughts, feelings and emotions that ultimately lead me to this space on WordPress. The quote and subsequent altar where I placed my grieving heart is…
I am thankful for hearts that heal and a God that loves me unconditionally. I still believe in the wise words that Tennyson wrote so many years ago, to fully know the depth and power of what love really is, one must also experience the pain of losing such a love. The same is true in life, the knowledge of right and wrong can be difficult to grasp without experiences. I have chosen difficult roads during my life mostly due to my stubbornness and fears, the consequences are natural cause and effect. I have loved and lost a few times and I’m still hoping for a “happily ever after” someday if it’s God’s will. Live and learn!
Below is a brief excerpt from “one of the greatest poems of the 19th century.”
In Memoriam A.H.H.
I envy not in any moods The captive void of noble rage, The linnet born within the cage, That never knew the summer woods:
I envy not the beast that takes His license in the field of time, Unfetter’d by the sense of crime, To whom a conscience never wakes;
Nor, what may count itself as blest, The heart that never plighted troth But stagnates in the weeds of sloth; Nor any want-begotten rest.
I hold it true, whate’er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; ‘Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all.
—Alfred Lord Tennyson
The original title of the poem was “The Way of the Soul”, it is an account of Tennyson’s thoughts and emotions as he grieves over the death of a close friend, Arthur Henry Hallam, who died suddenly of a cerebral hemorrhage in Vienna in 1833 at the age of 22. The poem contains some of Tennyson’s most accomplished lyrical work, and is an unusually sustained exercise in lyric verse. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest poems of the 19th century.
Until next time…🌻💛🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
Whether you are close or far away, no matter if we have met face to face…
God has laid upon my heart to share words of encouragement to you at this precise moment. I believe in the power and purpose of God, He is the great healer! I heard the song below and I felt the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart and conscious to share it with you.
Wishing and praying you feel the free love of Jesus. You are loved!
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”
—John 15:12—
Until next time…🌻💛🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
Today I would like to just say “thank you” to every person who supports this blog space and if this is the very first post you have viewed, I say welcome and I hope you return. Writing is a part of me, sometimes the words flow faster than I can write them. At other times it’s difficult to find the words to express my thoughts and emotions. My faith in God inspires me to share my thoughts, feelings and emotions. I am blessed with many supportive people in my life.
I would like to dedicate today’s post to two individuals who have encouraged and supported me from the very beginning of this journey.
The first person is a woman that has taught me many things but the most significant is “Trust the Plan.” She is a gentle, courageous, humble, wise and strong woman who loves Jesus and shares that love with everyone she encounters. The world is a better place because of her spirit. I am blessed to call her my dear friend. Her life/anchor bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6.
The second person is a man I have come to respect, trust and rely upon both professionally and personally. He is a great friend, a good listener and an all around super nice guy. We can talk about pretty much anything, we routinely discuss politics, religion, sports, weather, world issues, ethics, social media, and whatever is trending in the news. He also inspires me and supports my writing. His favorite book of the Bible is John, especially John 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (KJV)
What about you? Do you have someone in your life you are thankful for? Please don’t delay in telling them, send a text, write a letter…whatever it takes! Life is short, make it meaningful 💙🔆
“Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
—James 4:14—
Until next time…🌻💛🙏🏻
Be good to yourself! Be kind to one another! Share LOVE! Please practice healthy social distancing along with good health and hygiene habits! 😷 May God Bless You in a special way today. Amen. 🙏🏻❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍🤎💗🔆🌻
~Peace~ ειρήνη~Charlotte 🌻🙏🏻☀️
ειρήνη– “Peace” in Greek, reference listed the below.
DISCOVER 
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