Casting Crowns

Sometimes we fall and we lose what we thought was so dear and soon we have to find our way back to a place where we are comfortable.  Sometimes we find that what we lost wasn’t so great and we shrug it off and we rise above it and we find something so much better.

(About the Photo:  Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the wife of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland and she is who the city of Charlotte, NC was named for.   This statue that appears outside Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) appears to have her casting away her crown symbolically as the city itself once cast away its ties to Great Britain in the American War of Independence. )

Good Life: A Photographic Glimpse at 2010

This is a view of my world from my eyes through just a few of my favourite photos from 2010.

Wordless Wonder

Part of the Wordless Wednesday!

The Return

The second time in my life I ventured into the city that at many points in history was the capitol of 25% of the planet, including what would become Mississippi. I walked among its beautiful streets, mingled with its inhabitants… and forgot about everything that would be waiting for me when I returned. I allowed myself to get lost, and to forget the sins of the past.



You see I went to London for a second chance, a chance to erase some of the feelings from long ago. I needed it for me, and the catharsis that I received from being there was a perfect experience. It allowed me to shed the cloud that followed me and to move on… to something new.

Fresh Eyes

There are many times in our lives that are wonderful and yet tainted by so many things. Sadly we do not get a chance to do things over, we simply have to move on and know that things happen for a reason. What we forget is that we can do things anew, nothing stops us from taking a fresh look at something or dipping our feet back in the same ocean… things change.

Tower Bridge stands in London, it stands as a symbol for many in the UK, and the world. For me it is one of these places, and I know that someday I will get a chance to make new memories, and remove the taint that exists for me…. To see it with new eyes.

Rolling Back the Rivers of Time....

Time rolls like a river, and we are all floating along for the ride. We do not know where we are going, and at times we want to stop and visit destinations past. However the current is too strong, and it just carries us forward, all we have to remember the past are our memories. Memories are the most precious gifts that we are given, and we need to cherish them for all time. It is our only way to roll back the river of time… The River Avon in Stratford-Upon-Avon is one of the world’s most beautiful rivers. It has seen the rise and fall of empires and the birth and death of some of the world’s greatest people.

Solidarity

Sometimes in the face of adversity, you have to stand strong… ready to take what ever life throws at you by the horns, sometimes it puts up a fight this just makes victory sweeter. This bull stands guard over the shoppers at the Bull Ring in Birmingham, UK. Permanently standing as a reminder of British solidarity in times of abundance and strife, he is a wonderful symbol for the people of the great country.

Anniversary

One year ago to the day I embarked on a journey unlike any in my past. One year ago I traveled further than any member of my immediate family in one trip. One year ago my life changed. One year ago…. For the next two weeks my life will be marked by anniversaries that changed my life. I will go at it alone, for the one that was special, has chosen to go their own way. Why this was a decision that caused me pain, now I am left with memories…. The memories of a trip that made me a different person, and I am better for it. I will forever remember the feelings I had when I did what many said was impossible, and a bit crazy. I crossed an ocean to be with someone I cared for, someone I will always care for… but was not meant for me in this life. However I am forever linked with the beautiful country of many of my ancestors, the United Kingdom forever holds a place on my heart… specifically my adopted hometown of Birmingham, seen here from atop Dudley castle.

Coat of Arms

Heraldry is a tradition passed down for many generations in many different cultures, the most well known being the Traditions of the British Isles. That very tradition has passed into American Culture as well, and I have always been fascinated with Heraldic tradition. I have many times in the past been mesmerized with the Family Crest associated with my family… however I know enough to know that the crest is presented to a person and can pass from male heir to heir… but that in most cases does not represent an entire family.

Using my limited artistic ability, and my fascination, I have designed a personal Coat of Arms for myself. Though it is not as elaborate as most, it does contain elements that fully represent me. The Crest is that of a moon going through phases, symbolising that throughout life, we do indeed transform. The Mantle is that of the Magnolia, my favourite flower, and a symbol of my home. The Motto is Latin for “By wisdom and courage.” Within the shield itself you have the two flags representing heritage, the union jack and the American flag. You have three blue stars representing the three stages in human life (Male: Warrior, Father, and Sage… Female: Maiden, Mother, and Crone.) The stars also represent the Heavens divided from earth by a red chevron, chosen because it is my favourite colour. You then have three symbols chosen specifically by me… an Ankh representing everlasting life… a frog representing my animal totem and once again transformation… and the Eye of Horus symbolising protection and power.

I believe that while tradition is important, it is also just as important to be yourself and to represent yourself in unique ways. While I am not by any means an artist, I tried to accomplish my own sense of individuality… I feel I was successful, and whilst it is not perfect… it does represent me.

The Path

I remember when I first saw this path laid out before me, everything was new and amazing. It was my first trip to a place that was outside the realm of what was normal for me, a trip to another country. Since then my path has become as fuzzy as this photo… I’m not sure what lies before me now, but I do know what lies behind me, an amazing series of circumstance that makes me who I am… who could ask for more?

I Don't

I don’t know where I am going…
So I follow you.
I don’t trust my words…
So I let you speak.
I don’t trust my feelings…
So I seek your guidance.
I don’t trust my rhythm…
So I let you lead.
I don’t know why it’s dark…
So I let you be my light.
I don’t know how to go on…
So I let you carry me.
I don’t know how to understand…
So I let you teach.
I don’t know who to trust…
So I turn to you.
I don’t know who to love…
So I love you.
I don’t know who to thank…
So I thank you.

Photo: Brighton, UK March 2009 at night from the palace pier.

...

Randomly when you least expect it you find something that makes you breathless. I don’t know why this happens, but it does happen. Three years ago I lost a friend in a car accident, I had to go to her myspace today for something… it had defaulted to the original… I found this http://www.gabawordsjots.blogspot.com/ it would have been hidden behind the background she used to have. I am in a bit of shock at this discovery, a glimpse at a friend that I cared for. I know that death is not an ending, and I know she still lives in each and very life she touched, I caught a glimpse of her tonight.

The Fool

Many times through our lives we start anew, at these times we are naive and many consider us foolish. The fact is that in these instances, we are brave and facing uncertainty, and we may even consider ourselves foolish. When we forge ahead and make our own path and everyone looks at what we have done in shock, at that exact moment we realize that playing the fool is not as bad as it seems.

Never be afraid to take the path unbeaten, go against the grain… this is your life, make the most of it, there is no shame in that.

(About the Photo: One of the many Shakespeare memorials in Stratford-Upon-Avon)

Lucky

When I was a child the world was so big and untouchable, and now as I grow older I have done more than I ever imagined I ever would… I have become someone that I never dreamed I would have become. I am overcoming the obstacles that have stood in my way most of my life, and I see that you can really touch the world. And I have just begun.

I am so very lucky to have such a diverse group of friends that help me grow and achieve my full potential. I could never be who I am without these people, and I know that. I am also very lucky to have a love in my life that compares to none, and I know that we will continue to grow and our relationship will conquer all that comes our way.

I never imagined as a child the things that I would have the chance to do, or the people that would touch my life, or allow me to touch theirs. I never imagined... and now I realize as every day passes how lucky I really am, to be me.


(About the Photos: Ice over Canada, the United Kingdom from the air.)

Dreams

Dreams are the things we cling to, we hold onto them for dear life hoping with all our being that we will not watch them shatter around us into the dust of a trillion stars. We never imagine that they will come true, but we relish the hope that they provide, and yet when the impossible becomes a reality… we are stunned. And then the dream becomes a building block, stronger than diamonds.

My oldest and seeming to me impossible dream: become a world traveler, leave my continent behind and see another. This dream has become a reality, and now the world has opened her arms and shown me that I can visit the places in my dreams.

Breathless

I’ve never met anyone that made me feel the way that you do,
These feelings have surprised me and made me realize.
The world has opened her arms and shown me something new,
Something that was already right in front of my eyes.
My heart has never loved quite like this,
It has never fully belonged to anyone until you.
The time that we are forced apart,
It is you that my heart does miss.
I feel we are counted among the few,
The lucky ones that are joined by the heart.
That is if not by our hands, or a kiss.

Sometimes love makes us cross bridges we never knew we were able to cross, sometimes it can drain oceans… and bridge hearts. It is one of the things that we never can fully understand, sometimes we think we have it… and then we are proven terribly wrong, or shown what it really is, usually when we least expect it.