January 13, 2026

You’ve heard of “doomscrolling”–reading depressing or distressing news story after news story. Well, I decided to invest some time in something different, and I call it Bloomscrolling. Images are from Pixabay and the music is called “Grace” from Clipchamp. For your enjoyment and relaxation.

January 5, 2026

First Responder

We admire “first responders”—their courage, strength, dedication. But are they really first? Let me propose that God is the first and most important responder. The first, the last, and the always-with-us responder.

He is everywhere at once, the Alpha and Omega, the ultimate Responder. And not only is He the true first Responder, He also created the world. Not just ready to respond, but initiating the intricacies, beauty, and mysteries of life.

I still admire the other responders, thank God for them, and pray that God will protect and help them. But I think many of them would agree that they can respond because He does first.

December 3, 2025

We’ve been looking at difficult kinds of losses. Are there “good” losses? Yes, it could be those few extra pounds, but are there other losses we can count as positive?

What about losing a bad attitude? Losing a resentment sounds good. Or the burden of debt. Weight of guilt. Or even regrets. You get the idea.

Did you ever go through a painful loss and later were thankful for it? What are some losses you’ve experienced that were good—or that turned out to be good in the long run?

What is something you could stand to lose?

November 25, 2025

Loss. How do we respond to loss? How do we cope? I just read about a teen, a young man, who reportedly committed suicide after becoming a victim of “sextortion.”

Sextortion, as you may know, is a type of blackmail, using compromising photos of a person to threaten, demand money, or harm their reputation.

Many young people have been lured into sending revealing pictures of themselves. And when someone shares those pictures with other people–or threatens to share them–it’s a crisis.

What has been lost? Privacy, a sense of safety, trust in whoever they sent the photos to. There might be fear of losing respect. And embarrassment is a painful sting.

But loss does not have to lead to greater loss. It will take some time, lots of courage, forgiving oneself, and realizing that they are not alone. Help is available. Learn more at:

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

https://www.ncmec.org/theissues/sextortion

Don’t let a mistake lead to more loss. Your future–yes, your future–is worth saving.

November 20, 2025

We’ve been talking about loss–people lost at sea or in the mountains, kids running away or being abducted–but sometimes loss is less obvious.

Loss of confidence, loss of joy, even loss of hope. We can’t see it, but the pain is as real as a death, a concussion, or a broken bone. Pain can grow and swell and threaten to overwhelm.

It’s important to know that God always sees, and He can always help. Even when the pain is invisible.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm147:3).

November 7, 2025

You know those teens I mentioned in my last post—who seem to keep disappearing day after day? 15-year-old girl missing since, 14-year-old boy missing from, 17-year-old last seen…

I share their pictures, say a prayer, and wonder why they’re missing. Kidnapped, ran away, got lost, what? I’ve always had a soft spot for teens. So challenging, so vulnerable, so “invincible,” so young. No matter how bad it gets, don’t run away.

If you knew your child was planning to leave tomorrow, what would you say to them?

A resource: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)

_____________________

October 31, 2025

Something about the lost, the missing, tugs at me. It could be a woman lost in snowy mountains, a man gone missing in the desert, someone rescued after three weeks alone on a raft. Could be one of the way-too-many teens who have disappeared—and who seem to keep disappearing day after day.

It’s been 15 years since Ed Rosenthal (poet, commercial real estate broker) got lost in Joshua Tree National Park and, thankfully, lived to tell of it. Earlier that same year, William Ewasko became lost in Joshua Tree. They just found his remains in 2022. So, you see it could go either way.

What would you do if you were lost in the desert?

If you’d like to make a donation to Joshua Tree National Park Search & Rescue, you can send a check to the address below. Thanks!

Joshua Tree National Park Search & Rescue

74485 National Park Drive
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597

________________________

October 14, 2025

Greetings! On this website I want to share the beauty and power of poetry, its inspirations and expressions. To share my poetry and increase awareness of other writers.

To encourage you in your writing and reading journey through inspiration, resources, addressing the challenges and joys when we discover poetry in our lives. Where? Poetry is where you find it. I hope you’ll join me!

• Home
• About
• Published works
• Thoughts / blog