Aspire to live a quiet life, to mind your own affairs and to work with your hands." 1 Thessalonians 4:11 Something about the verse in Thessalonians has pulled me in over the years and made me curious. This idea of a quiet life. What could that mean? It isn't an idea our society promotes. We … Continue reading simple
standing & seeking
"I have learned things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light, things that have saved my life over and over again so that there is only one logical conclusion. I need darkness as much as I need light." ― Barbara Brown Taylor, Learning to Walk in the Dark Most of us could … Continue reading standing & seeking
things take time
It's never too late to be who you might have been. George Elliot I am not sure how long ago it was, perhaps six years, maybe five, I wrote on the chalkboard in my kitchen 'Things Take Time.' It felt like a nice sentiment and something I could learn from, feeling as if I was … Continue reading things take time
mud & mess
I walked out of a muddy situation over two years ago. The life I had tried to build and create began to crumble. I'll be honest; it never held well. From the beginning, it had faults and cracks that weren't suitable for building on. I ignored them and tried to press on. I felt the … Continue reading mud & mess
coming in
“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul” ― John Muir We went to Maine to find our souls again. For the past two years, this life has been filled with incomparable joys, destressing pains, and countless shifts and changes for us and the world collectively. We needed time away … Continue reading coming in
walking back to me
I write, I delete, I try again. Again and again and again. I can't get the words to come today. The thoughts and feelings swirl in my mind. They have been for days now. Getting it to come out how I want is proving to be hard work. I scroll through past blogs and wonder … Continue reading walking back to me
becoming a student
In the winter of 2013, my character, Becca, came to me with her story of loss and confusion. I had too many big ideas, not well hashed out characters, a bad setting, and a plot that didn't exactly fit together. None of it mattered. I felt the urge to write in a way I hadn't … Continue reading becoming a student
living the drama
When I blogged on Friday, I sat in my favorite cafe, drinking a delicious coffee, eating wonderful pastries. The weather outside felt spring-like, warm, sunny, full of life. There were people out, milling around the small town, going in and out of shops. My partner sat across the table from me, reading, journaling, making me … Continue reading living the drama
pictures, characters, names
Yesterday, I shared my struggle with my fiction writing over the last two years. This draining of creative energy, falling apart of my personal life, rebuilding a new life. There have been months of ebb and flow, a tearing away of the old. I dismantled how I had lived my life; I inspected the pieces, … Continue reading pictures, characters, names
coming back after two years
I'm edging close to two years since my last post on this blog, A.R. Stanley's Musings. That feels almost unbelievable to me. If I'm honest, when I looked up the last date, I thought it had been close to 1 year, then I remembered it is 2021. We've made it past 2020, which means it … Continue reading coming back after two years