Jan Krause Greene's Blog, page 4
February 16, 2014
Praying
I love this poem. Thanks to Ivon for posting it on his blog. Such a simple thought – “it doesn’t have to be the blue iris.” I think understanding that is key to a joyful life.
Originally posted on Teacher as Transformer:
Mary Oliver
writes in uncomplicated ways. It is not simple, but there are elements of simplicity linked to complexity. Her poem
Praying
is an example of this simplexity. Praying is an entreaty or asks for something and suggests creating space for responses. There is a simplicity in the way prayer unfolds. It happens anywhere, anytime, and with few words. The complex part is being quiet and discerning the answers. This requires quiet spaces that we have to craft out of the busyness of modern lives and days.
It doesn’t have to be
the blue iris, it could be
weeds in a vacant lot, or a few
small stones; just
pay attention, then patch
February 14, 2014
Happy Valentine’s Day!
For you, my dear readers, some pictures to make you feel the love in the universe!
Sending you wishes of peace, joy and love today!
February 12, 2014
Introducing Renee Novelle
Dear Readers,
Some of the fun of having a blog is getting a chance to introduce and promote other authors. So without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to Renee Novelle. She is a woman with many talents -author, journalist, screenwriter and blogger. Not only that, she is amazingly prolific.
I asked her how she manages to get so many books out so quickly. Her answer:
I made a deal with the devil… Lol, no just kidding. I’m very focused when I write. And I think all my years in journalism provided a great lesson in writing tight prose on a tight deadline. It also helps that I have a short attention span. After two months or so I get bored and need to move on to the next story. I prefer to have a book completed before that happens or it may sit on my computer unfinished for years!
True to her word, she has a brand new book coming out this week. The Boyfriend List is a light, New Adult romance about friendship, trust, and learning to let go in order to embrace what real love can offer.
Here’s a little Q&A with Renee:
Me: Is there a message you’re trying to get across the readers? What’s the one thing you want readers to think when they have finished your book
Renee: Providing entertainment is my primary goal for my readers. But after that, I would love for them to put down the book and look a life a little differently. Be a little happier, think a little deeper, question a little more. That’s the beauty in a book that you can’t necessarily find in all other art forms.
Me: When did you know you wanted to write a book?
Renee: I’ve always loved writing, but it wasn’t until I was about 11 or 12 that I felt the need to write a full-length book. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with the idea.
I can’t resist commenting! Obsessed for sure. In 2013, she released 3 books! Calculated, Driven and Reflections. I’m impressed. Very!
Me: Where’s your favorite place to write?
Renee: I write in my office most frequently, or as I’ve termed it, my writing cave. There I’m surrounded by my personal inspiration and things that have meaning to me, and it really gets my creative juices flowing.
Me: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Renee: Practice all the time! Write everything, at every opportunity. Jot down your ideas and hone your skill until it shines. I don’t think there’s any such thing as being the “perfect” writer, it’s all kind of a beautiful learning process, but always strive to make each work better than the last. And grow a thick skin because readers have lots of opinions.
Me: What’s one thing about the writing process that you think every writer should know?
Renee: That promotion takes WAY more work than I ever thought. But it’s a very necessary part, and can be really enjoyable once you start making contacts and developing relationships.
Again, I can’t resist. Promotion does take tons of work. It was the biggest surprise for me as a new author….and developing relationships with other authors and bloggers is the pleasant reward for all the hard work of promotion.
Me: What’s your favorite part about the writing process?
Renee: I actually really enjoy the editing process. Writing that outline and skeleton draft can be brutal. But then cleaning it up, adding the detail, making the characters really come alive, that’s absolutely heaven.
Here are some ways to buy her brand new, hot-off-the-press book!
Amazon – The Boyfriend List
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I8N3NO6
Barnes & Noble – The Boyfriend List
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boyfriend-list-renee-novelle/1118356382?ean=2940045602204
Smashwords – The Boyfriend List
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/401976
You can connect with Renee here. I am sure she would love to hear from you.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ReneeNovelle
Twitter – https://twitter.com/RS_Novelle
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/RSNovelle
February 10, 2014
This I Know is True…
Just a gentle reminder….
February 4, 2014
Dangling their feet off the edge of the world.
“They came to sit & dangle their feet off the edge of the world & after awhile they forgot everything but the good & true things they would do someday. ”
Brian Andreas, StoryPeople
I have this picture and quote by Brian Andreas on the table that is reserved for newborn pictures of my grandchildren. I think it has the perfect sentiment. I love each one of these precious humans so very much! Each so unique and with so much potential to do good in the world.
Let’s do all we can to ensure a bright future for them and for all of the children in the world. Their future is in our hands, all of our hands, just as the future of the generations to come after them in is their hands.
The connection between generations is more than just a continuation of families. It is a sacred trust that is passed from one generation to the next and the next, even to those generations far removed from our own.
It is a trust that we serve and honor by doing our best to live now, while we are on this earth, in a way that ensures future generations will have access to the resources we have now. It is a way of living that ensures the wonder and beauty of the natural world will still exist for them.
It is a way of living that says, “I did my best to be a good steward of the environment because I want the very best for you, my grandchild, and you, my great grandchild, and you my, great great grandchild, and all those children who are born into a future far removed from my own lifetime.”
It is a way of living, that says, “I have lived fully with love, a love that extends not just to those who live now; not just to those who will be descended from me, but to all those who dwell on this planet now and in the future.”
It is our sacred trust and it is reaffirmed for us every time we look into the eyes of a newborn child.
It is a trust born of life itself.
I Call Myself Earth Girl, my first novel, is available in bookstores, online retailers, as an ebook in all formats.
Order from Amazon.com
http://amzn.to/19uhw1p
Order from Barnes and Nobles http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-call-myself-earth-girl-jan-krause-greene/1115388792?ean=9781782790495
January 29, 2014
A funny thing happened on the way to this morning
Woman writing – Edouard Manet, sketch
This week I was a guest blogger on B.C. Brown’s Books site. Her home page says “Because weird is good….”
Not sure what that says about me, but I am open to all interpretations!
Here are a few excerpts, but please go to B.C’s page and read the whole thing. Even better, please leave a comment there to show your appreciation to B.C. for sharing her blog.
Excerpts (don’t look for continuity…these are just sentences picked out of the actual blog.
A funny thing happened to me last night. Funny as in strange or unexpected. Not “funny ha-ha” as my dad used to say.
So, there I was working hard at not thinking. The only problem is that when I work hard at something – no matter what it is, even relaxing – I end up wide awake. Last night was no different, except that I was wide awake and really angry.
I could literally feel the anger in my forehead….
I was filled with anger and I hated myself for it. Not because I am such a good and kind person and I knew the anger was mostly about feeling sorry for myself. Equally, not because some of the anger was justified and righteous and I was mad at myself for not expressing it to those who deserved to hear it.
And then something shifted. I decided to think about love. Not romantic love, but the other, bigger, broader kind of love – love of life, love of nature, love of the universe.
Yes, I do have a sort of love affair with the universe – all that space with stars and planets and energy and possibility that somehow brings people and ideas together and fuses their energy into something new.
Within minutes, I had a feeling that I have not had since my book was picked up by a publisher more than a year ago. I felt peace. Most particularly, I felt peace about the book and its potential readers…the people who would appreciate it would somehow find it. The message that I hope to spread would be heard by those who will respond to it.
It doesn’t have to be a bestseller… It can simply exist. I can let it go out into the world without me. I can focus on the next thing I write, instead of trying so hard to promote this one book. I can let it do its own thing.
In a way that I can’t really explain, a sleepless, angry night brought me insight and peace of mind. Sure, I hope people want to read my book. But I no longer need them to.
http://www.bcbrownbooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/guest-post-jan-krause-greene-i-call.html
Funny thing is I had no idea what I would write about when B.C. offered me a guest blog spot. I didn’t think it would be about not worrying about how well my book does. I thought I would write some lofty words on what it means to be a writer. Yet, I ended up writing about not needing my book to sell.
Ironically, at the very same time that I was writing about not worrying about how the book does, I was also getting a lesson in how to promote it. B.C. provided me with a really simple, obvious, straightforward, no-gimmicks method. I can’t believe I had overlooked it. She included a description of the book and she posted the buy links! And, guess what, sales picked up again! Genius.
So from now on, I will post them at the end of my blog too. Only makes sense, right? If someone, clicks on a link and buys the book, fantastic. If no one, does, that is not quite fantastic, but it is no longer something to lose sleep over!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/19uhw1p
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-call-myself-earth-girl-jan-krause-greene/1115388792?ean=9781782790495
January 20, 2014
Martin Luther King’s network of mutuality
There are so many reasons to honor the memory and the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. My blog will be one of many to praise his courage, his compassion and his gift to move people with his words…a gift that most bloggers would love to have.
I was 16 in 1964 and I was deeply moved by King’s message of non-violent resistance. His cause was just. His words were eloquent and inspirational, moving those who agreed with him, and often those who did not.
I wish that we had such an inspiring voice for the cause of peace, disarmament and nonviolence today, and I truly believe that we need someone whose words can move both hearts and minds to speak to the impending environmental crisis that we, as a global community, are facing.
It is a crisis that we still don’t really see, just as we didn’t really see the stark face of racism in our country until it was broadcast on the national nightly news. Those who suffered the effects of racism were all too aware of it. It was a fact of life that they could not escape. But, it was easy for the majority of Americans to live in denial of the reality of racial injustice.
Dr. King made us see it and, more importantly, he made us care. He spoke to our consciences at the same time that he spoke to our hearts and minds. He appealed to our better angels; to our sense of justice; to our ideals as Americans.
It is true that he was reviled by many who felt that he was asking too much of us – hated and feared by those who felt American society would not survive if it made the changes for which he marched and protested. He was called a communist, an agitator, a trouble-maker and worse by some. Yet, he prevailed and so did his message.
At the heart of that message was love. A special kind of love- love combined with the courage to do what was right. No matter how hard it was. He said, “I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”
I want to hear these same words spoken about the environment. It seems that the vast majority of people still do not realize how serious the impending environmental crisis will be, unless we take serious action now. People, for some reason, are not moved by scientific evidence.
So, I think the environmental movement needs a voice of love. A voice that reminds us that it is our duty and our privilege to save what we love. A voice that reminds us of the power of working for change with love in our hearts.
I know that I sound hopelessly idealistic, unrealistic, naive and foolish to many who read this. But those same words were applied to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s.
Dr. King said that he refused to “accept the idea that man is mere flotsom and jetsom in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events, which surround him.” I agree with him. We don’t have to watch helplessly as decisions are made that further endanger a sustainable future. We don’t have to mindlessly use water, fuel, and electricity as if they are limitless. We have influence and we must learn to use it.
Dr. King said, “On some positions, Cowardice asks the question, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks the question, “Is it politic?” And Vanity comes along and asks the question, “Is it popular?” But Conscience asks the question “Is it right?” And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must do it because Conscience tells him it is right.” He was talking about war and I totally agree with him.
But I also believe that many politicians and leaders are cowardly about the environment. They don’t want to ask the public to make changes in the way we live, because they don’t want to lose votes. They don’t want to make necessary environmental regulations for businesses because they might lose contributions. I don’t really blame them for feeling this way. After all, look at what happened to Jimmy Carter when he advised people to wear sweaters instead of turning up their thermostats!
But, if we had a voice like Dr. King, we would not give in to cowardice, politics or vanity. We would listen to our consciences telling us that we owe future generations a sustainable future. And, if a “sustainable future” sounds too abstract, the voice of the environmental leader would help us to realize that our children and grandchildren are part of that future. Will they have access to clean water? Not unless we make sure they do now. If that sounds far-fetched, check out the drought in California.
Maybe the words of Dr. King that most directly apply to the environment are found in this quote: “It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly.” This is so true when it comes to the environment. The way we live; the choices we make; what we use and what we conserve – all of it affects everyone, now and in the future.
Fifty years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act our nation – the whole world, actually – faces an enormous challenge. We can act with courage, with love for our families, with love for humanity, with love for the earth that nurtures us. I hope we find the voice that inspires us to do so.
January 15, 2014
The Author Exploitation Business
Reblogged from David Gaughran:
Writing is a glamorous occupation - at least from the outside. Popular depictions of our profession tend to leave out all the other stuff that comes with the territory: carpal tunnel syndrome, liver failure, penury, and madness.
Okay, okay, I jest. I love being a writer. Sharing stories with the world and getting paid for it is bloody brilliant. It's a dream job, and like any profession with a horde of neophytes seeking to break in, there are plenty of sharks waiting to chew them to bits.
I came across this today and although I do not have personal experience with any of the publishers mentioned, I thought I would reblog for the sake of my fellow bloggers who are thinking of using one of these Indie publishers. Let's take care of each other with info whenever we can!
January 12, 2014
The fire of love
“The day will come when, after harnessing space, the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, we shall have discovered fire.” Teilhard de Chardin, 1936
I love this quote because it speaks to the amazing potential of love to totally revolutionize the way we live. But, only if we harness the energies of love with the same fervor and dedication that we have devoted to harnessing the resources of the natural world.
It is so interesting to me that Teilhard predicts we will finally understand the power of love after we have learned to harness space, wind, tides and gravitation. So much of the 20th century was devoted to figuring out how to “conquer space.” Why is it that we use such a militaristic term to describe our desire to explore our solar system? As if we could, somehow, control or contain the vast universe of which we are such a tiny part.
So what does it mean to harness space, the winds, the tides, even gravity? I think that Teilhard, in 1936, meant “harnessing” in the sense of learning about and understanding these things in order to use them in a way that protects the earth.
He viewed gaining knowledge as a step in our quest to understand our relationship to divinity. As a scientist, he sought to understand the natural world and as a priest, he sought to understand our relationship to God. He believed in the continuing evolution of the natural world and the continuing evolution of the human capacity for understanding.
Most importantly, to me at least, he believed that the natural world and the spiritual world are intricately connected. To grow in reverence for one is to grow in reverence for the other. He meant, I think, that the natural world is a manifestation of God’s all-encompassing love. The more we understand the mysteries of nature, the better able we will be to understand the mystery of divine love.
Now, in the early 21st century, we have come to a tipping point of enormous consequence. The natural world faces all sorts of threats caused by our misunderstanding of our relationship to it. We are in danger of depleting our natural resources, as well as eliminating species in both the plant and animal world.
Due to our unrelenting search for sources of energy that come from the earth and our unsustainable agricultural practices, we are in danger of losing the capacity to harness the most incredible and powerful source of energy in the universe – love.
Was Teilhard suggesting in 1936 that when we come to understand space, wind, gravitation and tides, we would learn to how to use them for energy production without damaging the natural world? And was he also suggesting that only when we finally learn to produce energy without harming the natural world, will we be ready to understand the true power of love?
What a mind-blowing concept that is!
We tend to think of love as something that exists for us and in us, despite how we live on the earth. But maybe, the love that we experience is just a tiny fraction of the love that is waiting for us when we learn to live in harmony with the earth. Maybe, there is a love so powerful and energetic that we can’t even imagine it and, maybe, it is accessible, not in some after-life state of being, but here and now… vibrant and living within the natural world, waiting to be discovered and released.
Maybe, we who are living now at this period of environmental peril are the ones who will discover how to truly harness space, wind, tides and gravitation with reverence for the natural world and gratitude for all it provides. Maybe we are the explorers who will discover and unleash the incredible power of love that has surrounded humanity for all of its existence.
Maybe, just maybe, you and I were chosen to be emissaries of that divine love.
~~~~~~
Personal note about my discovery of Teilhard when I was a student at Boston College.
Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) was a Jesuit priest and a scientist. He fell out of favor with the Vatican due to the nature of some of his writings…writings which are now taught in theology and philosophy classes in many Catholic universities.
I came upon this quote at the beginning of the first chapter of the now-classic, Chicken Soup for the Soul. The first chapter is about love. Reading this quote brought me back to my days at Boston College in the 1960s when the Vatican still considered his work to be erroneous, if not heretical. Like many other students, I read his writings with great interest. I was particularly struck by Hymn of the Universe.
Although, I had not really thought about him in quite some time, I believe that his writings have had an influence on how I think about the earth, the cosmos and our place in both. Finding his quote as I was thumbing through Jack Canfield’s book was a revelation to me. There it was so succinct and elegant – a quote that expresses what I feel and believe.
I wanted to find the date of the quote so I googled him and came upon the American Teilhard Association. Its objectives are:
A future worthy of the planet Earth in the full splendor of its evolutionary emergence.
A future worthy of the human community as a high expression and a mode of fulfillment of the earth’s evolutionary process.
A future worthy of the generations that will succeed us.
I might have to join this organization. I think I would find kindred spirits there. I embrace their objectives and explore some of them in my novel I Call Myself Earth Girl and its sequel which I am writing now.
http://teilharddechardin.org/index.php/our-mission
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin
January 2, 2014
A New Year’s Dream
I had a dream of a hill with many trees – trees of every shape and size, with leaves of every color, and some with no leaves at all.
A voice in the dream told me that each of the trees had been planted by a different person and that each person watered and cared for their own tree. Each person, in fact, truly loved their own special tree. The trees were so well cared for that they grew to be large and magnificent to behold.
But in order for any tree to remain healthy, all of the trees had to be healthy. Eventually, there were times when someone was unable to care for his or her tree and it failed to thrive. As one tree became weak, other trees would also succumb.
The people who lovingly planted their trees were desperate to save them. They concentrated more and more on the health of their very special trees, hoping to save them from the fate of the weak and dying trees.
No matter how hard they tried to preserve the health of their own tree, they met with failure. More and more trees were dying.
Until …..
….. until, someone walked away from her own tree and started caring for all the trees on the hill. Gradually, as she lovingly watered each tree, even the trees that were furthest away grew healthy again.
From that day on, all of the tree planters, worked together to care for all of the trees. The trees grew to enormous size. People who could see this hill from a distance were amazed by the vibrant colors. Some even thought they saw the whole hill glowing.
Gradually, the hill of trees became known for its healing properties. People made pilgrimages to this amazing forest to be bask in its essence. They were filled with peace of mind and heart just by being there. No special prayer or ritual was necessary to make the healing occur.
When I woke up from this dream, it made so much sense to me. It was so simple, but to me it is about so many things. Not just our connection to nature and our connection to each other; not just how the welfare of society as a whole is close related to the welfare of each individual, but also, about the peace that emanates from a place where loving care is giving freely.
Dreams are usually hard to put into words that make sense when we are awake. But this dream was so clear to me. It was a great way to start the new year.
