Soul Expression

I’ve had the pleasure of interacting with these people and have seen their selfless efforts in adding quality to the lives of others. So I salute them, and if there is anyone you know who falls in this category, acknowledge them today!

Pastor Michael Morgan of Shiloh Church in Manasquan, New Jersey

Bishop & Pastor Allens of Way of Life Ministries, Lakeland Florida

Ms. Lorna Fernandes Tampa, Florida

Mrs. Joyce Appiah Bklyn, New York

Mrs. Edith Tracy, Tampa Florida

The Late Avis Bennett, formerly of Plant City Florida

Happy Martin Lurther King’s Day

For me, Martin Luther King’s day gives cause for reflection and acknowledgment of countless people who honor his ideals through their tireless efforts of helping others who are vulnerable or at a disadvantage. These past two years have tested everyone’s active involvement in life. We have felt the weight of constant changes from the mundane to the sublime due to the worldwide pandemic. If that wasn’t difficult enough, a mark social and economic shift have further compounded the situation. However, countless people’s resilience and kindness in their valiant efforts also should be recognized. Some have extended themselves to others, making a life-changing difference for those in need. However, recognition of them too often is treated as a footnote during public recognition. Therefore, on this commemoration of Martin Luther King’s birthday, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the essence of the man in the context of who I believed he was; simply a man who read his Bible and tried to emulate the principles of a Godly man. As such, not only do I honor and celebrate him. I also use this platform to acknowledge people I know personally and see firsthand their input in the lives of others. See above.

One needs a source to resort to within this constant threat of wearing a toe tag due to COVID or other social ills. And for me, it’s my faith and belief in God. It has brought me across countries, States, cities and has been the driving force in my life. However, this constant threat of becoming infected is unsettling. I recently was reminded of that reality after a doctor’s visit when they called informing me that I had come in contact with someone with COVID. Thank God I wasn’t infected.

Nevertheless, this new norm forced us to rethink all daily activities in ways we never before. However, as we reassess and reflect while looking forward to staying engaged with life on its most basic level, we must continue with some sense of normalcy. Again, through the power of expressed emotions, poetry, and storytelling, for me is where I found solace. I pray for you that there is an outlet to find comfort and an escape.

This day offers a fresh start for each of us. Yesterday is gone, and there holds our history. However, today afforded us a clean slate to create new memories for tomorrow, and it’s up to us to make those memories memorable. Let us celebrate our lives with Love, starting with that of ourselves. Marjorie Delores

For him, there is no other; no other compares to you

One of a kind, a masterpiece, his masterpiece

Mercy and grace applaud at just the thought of you

A God that needs nothing loves you,

The maker of the universe is pleased by you,

Enamored by you, in Love with you

From now to the eve of eternity, He celebrates you,

Let this knowledge wash over you, changing you forever;

You are a sweet fragrance in his nostrils

Oh, you are loved,

He speaks to the parts of you that no one else can hear,

Parts untouched by distress, failings, secret parts,

Private parts that scream your humanity;

Your real charity, your capacity to love, your ability to be great,

 He speaks to the part of you that is wonderful, and you know it too,

To your renewal, restoring that part of you deserve to be replenished,

Touched by a love so complete, erasing the scars of life;

Making you complete—allowing Love to seep easily from a broken vessel,

Replaced by a restoration, which altogether forms the catchment of Love

 So, your imperfection perfected by His divine Love,

And what perceived as cracks become whole,

Opportunities anew in the sacred place of your soul,

Placed where Love shines through,

And for him, there is no other love, just you, only you!

                                                            By

                                                   Astoria Nickerson

A-C-T  has triggered a new mindset towards moving into my best life yet. I endeavor each week to strive for a deeper meaning to all I give my time. Time is destiny, and it’s within that reality, and how fleeting time is, I have entered this new realm of thinking. One dictated by a spiritual awakening which keeps me grounded. Receiving a mandate through the promise of purpose burns deep within, a step at a time it all it takes, and may I be led to a path that promises become revealed and goal be the difference achieved. This is the essence of my new year’s resolution.

Acknowledge and Aspire for meaningful growth to become my best.

Chose wisely, and may those choices reflect The goodness of Christ, starting

with self.

To Treasure those and what gives substance advancing the quality of life. I acknowledge, aspire, and have chosen Christ and treasure life. May efforts to initiate effective outcomes be like confetti covering all sharing in this magical experience, and our exchanges empower us. Yes, life is good, despite its challenges.

Be in awe of who God says you are, chosen, wonderfully made, protected, and provided for, made in the image of His love. Your Blessings are just a glimpse of who God is in you!

The Winter Years of Life is on sale in audible, iTunes, and Amazon. Get your copy today!

Soul Expression welcomes Mr. Seayon Lyttle to this platform. His poetry gives a fresh perspective, and may his voice echo wherever familiarity is found through his work.

 What is a real man?

 It will take some men a lifetime to understand this concept or meaning,

 A real man is a person who stands on his own,

 He can think for himself.

 A real man can accept his wrongs and face them;

 A true man will understand and face his fears,

But it takes a real man to love his family and kids,

 To cherish his mother and the woman in his life.

 It takes a real man to walk with the Lord and to have faith,

 Even when it looks like there’s no hope, or ending to his sorrow.

It takes a real man to consider,

 His hurts, his fear, his age, and sometimes his rage,

I considered myself a man,

 But to be honest, I am still learning while gaining knowledge

 And understanding, who I truly am, as a man, but I know I’ll get there.

  A true man is someone that provides for his family,

 But it takes a real man to know when he needs help the most and asks for it,

Like a poem rhymes,

 The real man’s quality comes from the inside,

 His feelings, his thoughts, and his faults.

 As a child, I had a dad, but not a father

My dad did the best he could with what he had,

 But it takes a true man to teach a boy how to be a real man.

Seayon Lyttle

The continuation and conclusion of A Chance to Thrive Over Neglect.

Although those two dynamics may be opposite in the spectrum of life and more likely seem at odds with each other, they serve as a reminder that the result can be devastating whenever these two mingle (Neglect and loss). What matters, most relationships usually suffer in the end. In relationships, the beginnings are always sweet, aesthetically pleasing, and intellectually stimulating. However, as time progresses, the spark starts to fade, and the Neglect turns to loss, which leads to an undesirable state.

I continued watering the plants that seemed dead, ensuring they had adequate sunlight with other plant food, hoping to see their beauty again. This routine went on for weeks but still no sign of life. However, I refused to throw them out, remembering the joy they once brought me. I believed they would bloom again; therefore, I kept on trying. Finally, it was one afternoon after arriving home tired, literally throwing myself on the sofa; while glancing across the room, I noticed something white between the twigs. At first, I thought something was wrong with my peripheral vision, rubbing my eyes as I leaned forward. Now glaring at the plants, the white fluff became more transparent and was the size of a golf ball. I dragged myself across the room for a closer look, and I lost it! 

Tears rolled down my cheeks, releasing the anxiety and hurt bottled up for much too long. Now, in the celebration of the profound mystery and love just unveiled through these plants, my hopes renewed. With God, all things are possible, reaffirmed by granting me the desires of my heart in bringing the plants back to life. It’s then within the dynamics of the unknown — some of which are not for us to understand quickly, that life’s beauty and purpose to realize, and the bonus received becomes the heart getting what it needs, in the framework of God’s mystery, revealed in His own time. Plenty of ideas is far too complicated for the human mind to fathom, which are insignificant at first and show their importance in due time.

Stumbling back to the sofa, somewhat dazed with feelings frozen by the harshness of time within realizing God’s love, this became my emotional release for my growth and empowerment. Like these plants, some of us often feel forgotten, given up on by those who failed to recognize the potential of lives when nurtured and given a chance to thrive; their possibilities are without limits. This experience strengthened my faith, reminding me never to lose faith in what is truly essential and possible, even in those dried areas of life. 

As I seek a deeper understanding of who I am and my purpose for being, God is my root through my faith, and His blessings are my leaves. And like so many of His flowers, I’m now in bloom, and those gifts given from mother’s womb by Him shall add to the canvas of my life. The best lessons learned in life are those from the least expected, and once the knowledge is processed and embraced, the benefits are the most significant rewards that exceed the mind’s expectations.

Thanks for visiting. I pray on reading this, there’ll be a renewed sense of the fragility of life and how easily and unintentionally a life can be overlooked. Yet, an awareness breathes renewal and acceptance, which can enlighten and become the gateway to making that needed difference. What are your thoughts?

This short story will be in two parts over the next two days.

It was Christmas time, and I had just relocated to Orange County, Florida. I visited a large outdoor shopping area and was immediately drawn in by its festivities. The pleasant faces filled the spaces, and children’s laughter punctuated the hustle and bustle while vendors were busy making their displays. It enriched my senses. Not wanting to be a frivolous spender, I decided to be financially responsible and not get carried away with my surroundings. 

Let’s just call it the hypnotic effects of the season; I sashayed into a nursery nearby. Upon immediately entering, I was struck by the splendor of colors of red, lavender, orange, green, yellow, and an array of flowers that left me spellbound and intoxicated by their fragrance. I knew I was in trouble, and without thinking, I became immersed in the overwhelming experience. I couldn’t help feeling like this was a harmony between God and nature. “The magnificence of nature’s parade,” I whispered, after repositioning my stare from the faces of strangers looking at me with a smile to the poinsettias and mums. The mums were milky-white and housed in green harvest pots, which stood two feet tall. From afar, the formation of the mums resembled a gigantic flower, each petal embracing the next as if to say, “we’re equal by design, kissed by nature, but created by love!” Their lush green leaves cushioned the flowers above them, whose petals overlapped, creating a sharp contrast with a glossy, intense green. 

I placed one on either side of the glass sliding doors on arriving home. However, as time went by, I forgot to water them. It was not long after the petals that once stood with a welcoming gesture were now laying around their pots on the floor like scattered confetti while their earth-brown leaves spread amongst them crumbled. Their life source soon became a cluster of dried twigs projecting in mid-air like old antennas, brown as the soil they seemed buried. Looking at them, I reflected on their former beauty, and my stomach turned. I became shaken to the core. It was in that moment an awakening that occurred reminiscent of relationships, loss through Neglect. Continue…

As I sit here and think to myself

How I was strong for folks when I was weak for me,

 I loved when I didn’t even know how to love myself,

How I was there for others when I for myself I was lost…

 But I forgave you to forgive myself…

This word called Love, it is a word that some use in vain;

  Used casually, only to satisfy one’s selfish gain but cause pain,

 Love is when two hearts beat as one,

 Like the Love that a mother feels for her child,

 When she first lay her eyes on her newborn.

That rush that goes through her body, that selfless Love,

 You have to start by loving yourself to love someone else,

 The Love that the father above shows us, which His mercies give,

 One that even changes our speech from expletives to one of praise

When it comes from the heart, words are more powerful than thousands of

men,

Through God’s honest words, and it’s where I am being taught the

meaning of Love,

This leads me to love myself; before I can love anyone else,

Loving me, loving you

Seayon Lyttle

 .

Mr. Seayon Lyttle’s poem comes from a place where one feels the need to be heard, and I celebrate him and hope he is heard through his highlight expression, “Loving me, loving you” that’s featured here.

As I sit here and think to myself,

How I was strong for folks,

When I was weak myself,

 I loved when I didn’t love myself,

How I was there when I was lost myself.

 But I forgave you because I had to forgive myself.

This word call love,

Is it a word that most use in vain?

  Used for the wrong reason, only…

 To satisfy our own selfish ways and gain.

 Love is when two hearts beat as one.

 It is the same love a mother feels,

 When she first lay her eyes on her newborn.

It is that rush that goes through her body.

 Love is self-love.

 But in order to love someone else,

 You have to start by loving yourself.

 The love that the father above shows us,

 The mercy He gives us,

 Should make us stop using this four-letter word,

Until we know the true content,

 Until we know the true meaning,

 Because this four-letter word is more powerful than 10,000 men,

 When it comes from the heart.

To be honest,

 I am still learning what true love is,

 But I know that I have to learn to love myself,

 Before I can ever love you,

 Loving me, loving you.

By

Seayon Lyttle

 .