Ik ben klaar met angst

Fear. It has a grip that can tear you to pieces if you let it. Sometimes I wonder if there is anything more dangerous than fear. It wrecks things. Stops dreams that only require a risk or two. If it weren't for fear think how much more we would experience!
But there just isn't an instant cure for that cold, cruel terror...It has to be fought against, overcome. And it is hard to fight. I've always been a scaredy cat, ever since I was a child. I look at birds, lightning bugs, and horses and feel such jealousy! To see their spirit of freedom, careless beauty, no restraints...I wish I had that. I wish I were brave.
What holds us back? It seems to me that we feel just as much pain in hiding as we might feel by taking that leap into the unknown. Nothing good comes easy, that I do know. And if, to reach that good, there is struggle, hardship, and some pain along the way...well then bring it. "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again" (Proverbs 24:16).

Life isn't easy,
not a dream, but reality
that calls you to stand
when you think you can't.
Life deals a cruel blow,
when you're already low,
and Heart urges you to rise and win!
When you do, Life knocks you down again.
But the opposition endured a little longer
will only make your soul grow stronger.
As character holds through the fire each time,
your heart will emerge as silver refined.
So get up again, don't give up now or ever
the fight will be honored when we reach Forever.

Mountains and Yellow Jackets

I make discoveries every day! I spent a week in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee and realized that there is a bitterness more acute than almost anything I've known about being on top of a mountain and not having the devine ability to fly! Standing at the highest point in Tennessee was glorious, other than the fact that I was stuck on the ground in that spot. One can look around and see the fantastic magnificence of the view and love it, but still have the thought that "this is only one perspective..."
When I returned from my fabulous vacation, I made more discoveries. Apparently I have a sadistic side when it comes to wasps, bees, and yellow jackets. I caught a yellow jacket in my room one day and set it free, since I didn't have time to deal with it. Well a few days later I found another yellow jacket in my room (possibly the one I had set free before...?) and so I caught this one with a glass and a saucer like before, only this time he was not getting set free. He had intruded upon my privacy for the last time! So I decided to poison the yellow jacket (now named Stan) for his trespassing.
But don't think that I have not learned anything from my encounter with Stan the yellow jacket. He, along with my vacation in the mountains, has inspired me to write a short story about a little boy journeying to the top of a mountain to set free his captive butterfly. The story just sort of hit me one night, and it is really coming along nicely! I mainly wanted to emphasize the trapping of an innocent, flying creature and also present a redemptive journey through unbelievable trials with a spirit of perseverance. Did I ever say how much I love a good story? :) I think this one is going to be a real gem. I'm not sure yet how long it will be, but I'm at about 3 pages right now. Isn't it funny how we glean inspiration? Mountains and yellow jackets...who could have figured?