Susan Dayley's Blog, page 49

New Blog Menu

Welcome to my new blog with a new focus. First, I'm keeping it simple. Mondays will be "Principles to Teach Children"  (more on that below); Wednesdays I will include excerpts from my latest draft manuscript–feedback would be greatly appreciated; and Fridays I will post book reviews of publisehd books by new authors and posts related [...:]

A Way With Words

I recently read a scripture as part of a caption to a painting. The scripture went: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
"And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again" (Mark 10:33-34).

Read straight forward it had power. But when read as a poem, watch how t...

A Way With Words

I am going to lighten my week by some light hearted writing tasks. Once a week I will post the task and I'd love it if anyone would join me.

This week was triggered by a scripture I read as part of a caption to a painting. The scripture went: "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:
"And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit...

"It's just emotion that's taken me over..."

I recently read, "Memories endure when associated with emotionally intense events." It started me thinking about the variety of emotions such as anger, hurt, love, anticipation and trust and how they shape memories. So I experimented with writing about those moments without explicitly telling how I felt.

1. Walking home from the grade school bus stop, seven blocks later, I would turn west to face the setting sun for half a block before the final stretch down the alley. In January the setting s...

sugar and spice

Life went on hold in a good way last week when my granddaughter was born three weeks before the anticipated date. Kennady Suzanna is beautiful (and I'm not just saying this because I'm her grandmamma). I am not one to hold other people's babies and ooh and aah over them just to be polite--but something happens when I am holding Kennady and I am unable to stop staring at her. Also, I'm finding that becoming a grandmamma I'm not embarrassed about many of the inconsequential blunders of life any...

Not one of the Nine

My family, when preparing to take a trip to grandma's, despite carefully prepared lists, and advance preparation, often would be in a frenzy in the last minutes of getting out the door, making sure each person had those things that they absolutely could not live without for two days. Last minute dashes for a favorite pillow, book, or bathroom trip often had us getting away ten to twenty minutes later than the desired time. Because of this, it became a habit that the prayer for a 'safe trip' w...

Advice from the past.

I was enjoying a bit of Styx and thinking which is it--the worse of times or the best of times? I think it's what we do with it. Regarding choices, I wondered, "What might Hezekiah say to us today?" So here's my take on Hezekiah:

"Although the treasuries are broke and kingdoms are failing—do not fear. Do not forsake the Lord God. You must do all you can to prepare. Strengthen the walls about your cities and be careful with whom you form alliances. Strengthen your armies, and lay up in store su...

Remembering

Remembering can be a powerful concept when it is honored with reverence. Numerous scriptures exhort people to "remember." Holidays are formed around the idea of remembering, whether it is the birth or resurrection of our Savior, the sacrifice of Pilgrims or Patriots, the men who gave their lives in service to their country, or more intimately our own ancestors whose sacrifices are shining lights for us and our children.

In the Old Testament, the Lord established feasts and standards that woul...

The Grass Withereth

With the story of King Hezekiah finished, I find myself in a state between sending out queries and beginning research for my next project. But sometimes I stop to reread the story again. Is it because I'm the author of this writing of his story that I became so attached to Hezekiah? Perhaps I like his story because despite the mistakes he made, he was still a great king. "And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the Lord his God" (...

Allowing Happiness

Happiness can be elusive. There is a mistaken thought that happiness can be had from an event, a place, or the touch of another person. Yet after these moments are gone, rather than creating lasting moments to treassure, too often the fleeting pleasure is gone also, because other emotions get in the way. Happiness isn't so much something new we create, as what comes when we let go of emotions that are hindering it. Guilt, remorse or resentment for past choices, worry about the future, and dis...