Every October writers are invited to join the write31days challenge. Most choose a theme to focus on for the month and post daily on their blogs. I’ve participated in this a few times. It’s a challenging exercise.
I wasn’t going to participate this year until….
A friend was putting a twist on it. She decided to post a photo to go with a word prompt on Instagram for the month. That sparked my creativity. Photography is something that helps me explore the unforced rhythms of grace.
I thought I’d expand on that by sharing my Instagram posts for the week in Saturday blog posts for the month.
It’s interesting to put a visual expression to words. They’re sometimes abstract in thought and other times intimately personal. Choosing an image to go with the word forces me to dig deeper and look at the word from new perspectives. This is particularly a good practice when creativity feels absent.
What I see may not be what you envision which makes the process more interesting. I’d enjoy you sharing your thoughts in the comment section. What do you see? What doe these words and/or photos say to you? Let’s explore together.
Day 1 | Story
“Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls.” Melody Beattie
Day 2 | Afraid
“We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all.” Eleanor Roosevelt
Day 3 | Believe
This beautiful beach in Haiti was a harsh contrast to the garbage in the canals of Port au Prince. It was more reflective of the joyful hearts found in the people there because in the midst of their hard lives they believe in Jesus and have his joy.
“We believe in God And we all need Jesus
‘Cause life is hard
And it might not get easier
But don’t be afraid
To know who you are
Don’t be afraid to show it
If you believe in God
If you say you need Jesus
He’ll be where you are
And he never will leave you” – Amy Grant
Day 4 | Why
“We all face storms in life. Some are more difficult than others, but we all go through trials and tribulation. That’s why we have the gift of faith.” Joyce Meyer
Jesus: 3 “This is the truth: unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 The Voice
Day 5 | Share
Share a laugh
Share a hug
Share a coke a song a smile
Share a tear
Share love
“We are not cisterns made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing.” Billy Graham
Day 6 | Belong
My family circa 1970. We have so few pics of us together. This one always makes me laugh seeing daddy trying to suck his belly in.
“A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong.” Brene Brown
All photographs were taken by me or property of mine, not for reuse without permission.
Living In Graceland 
What a cool idea! You’ve got such a gift with that lens of yours, friend …
Thank you, Linda. 🙂
Your daddy makes me laugh too. There is a lovely short story book by Alexander McCall Smith titled Second Developments. Each story is inspired by a vintage post card. Stories need to be told, shared, and made part of traditions from generation to generation. We are all part of a common history. We are humanity happening.
That book sounds intriguing, Arlene. We’re a family of story-tellers and daddy was one of the best. I just hope we continue that tradition adding new stories along the way. Yes, we are humanity happening. (love that)