Category: Life

Adventure, Life, Writing

Do You Really Think You Are In Control?

Mark Wayne
Lyrics from the song ‘There Was a Life’ from the TSO album Night Castle

As we face tightening restrictions due to COVID-19 all over the world, the US and the state in which I live, the lyric above got me to thinking about how much we really have no control over. We spend so much time and energy trying to control things in our lives. We schedule and plan out our tightly controlled days and when it does not go according to plan, what then?

So much is happening outside of our control:

  • There are waves crashing on beaches that no sees.
  • There are flowers blooming on high mountain tops of snow.
  • There are packs of wolves running across ridge lines in forests unseen.
  • There are trees bending from the force of the winds and weather.
  • There is birth, life and death happening all around us.

What is happening around you for which you have no control? #WickedQuestions

For the sake of our own sanity and mental health, we must learn to detach from that over which we have no control. To trust in a good outcome, to hope in a better tomorrow, and a better future for those who come behind us.

#JustBelieve #HopeLives

Life, Writing

#NaNoWriMo 2020 – Halfway Point

Mark Wayne

This year I am participating in #NaNoWriMo which stands for National Novel Writing Month for the third year in a row and fourth time overall. 👊

You can view my profile here and hit me up if you are participating and want to be buddies. 😉

NaNoWriMo is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.

The goal is to write 50k, or more, words in 30 days.

I am well on my way so far. This year has in some aspects been harder. The past two years I wrote books two and three of a series, The Chronicles of Faith . This year I am writing a completely different standalone story. It is a lot of fun but very different!

It is challenging and motivating to get a ‘shitty’ first draft down on paper. And something I never believed I would or could do until I did it.

So what challenge are you willing to undertake?

#LiveYourDreams

Go live your dreams! #Motivation #Encouragement #YouGotThis #YouMatter

Adventure, Life, Writing

A Wicked Question…

Mark Wayne
Yes or No?

Are you proud of yourself? #JustAsking

A simple, fascinating, and thought-provoking question I was recently asked during my conversation with Ronit @RonitPlank while recording an episode for her podcast And Then Everything Changed.

It really got me to thinking. An interesting question that is so easy to quickly fire off a yes or a no with little thought to why. It is so easy to respond with just a gut reaction to the question.

  • If we say YES, what are we proud of? Is it those moments, those events, those things we did or did not do? Who we have become or not become despite our circumstances?
  • And if we say NO, why are we not proud of ourselves? Did we fail when we expected to succeed, did we cause harm intentionally or not? Did we fail someone else or go back on a promise?

All deep questions that require some soul-searching. When asked I answered in the affirmative. I am proud of myself for persevering and overcoming so much in my journey through life. I have done the best I could with what I had and who I was at the time. And I will continue to do just that.

What about you? Give yourself some grace, life is hard. The choices are hard and we are all doing the best we can.

#GraceChangesPeople

God, Life, Writing

“Soon, Very Soon,” Are You Willing to Wait?

Mark Wayne

God is working in our waiting. Sometimes that feels hard to believe. ~Amy Orr-Ewing #quote #faith #trust

I know I am in the midst of my own waiting and wondering if answers will come soon to questions I have. Just to list a few things:

  • As of the writing of this post I am waiting for edits on my memoir manuscript – Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry, when will those be returned?
  • Wondering will I be able to find editors, that I can afford, to review my novel trilogy – The Chronicles of Faith?
  • Can I write another novel during NaNoWriMo with so many ideas running through my head and other commitments?
  • And then there is the pandemic and the election here in America, what now?
  • Our families financial situation, will it get better or worse?
  • My daughter just turned 16, what am I to make of that? 😁

We can only control ourselves, our responses and not others. So I will try my best to rest in the unknown and trust, knowing that God’s promises are to come soon. What about you?

He will soon fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips will shout with joy. ~ Job 8:21 ISV

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. ~ 2 Peter 3:8 NASB

And behold, I am coming quickly. ~ Revelation 22:7 NASB #Promise #Truth #Faith #WarriorPoet

Adventure, Life, Writing

Inspiration and Motivation: Where do you find it?

Mark Wayne

Do we stumble upon inspiration and motivation it or does it find us?

Inspiration exists, but it has to find us working. ~Pablo Picasso #Quote #MondayMotivation #MondayInspiration

Does inspiration and motivation start in the heart or the head?

Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated. ~Lou Holtz #Quote #MondayMotivation #MondayInspiration

For me my inspiration and motivation comes from so many different places and at different times. Sometimes I search for it and sometimes it does seem to find me. 😉

Do you have a muse that inspires and encourages you?

Please share your thoughts, I would love to hear them and remember…

2 Quick Additional Notes:

  • Today is my daughter’s 16th birthday and she is one of my greatest inspirations!
  • Today is also day 2 of NaNoWriMo my 3rd year in a row, are you participating?
Adventure, God, Life

“Are you frightened?”

Mark Wayne
“Are you frightened? Not nearly frightened enough, I know what hunts you.”

Are you? Am I?

And should we be?

If so, are we frightened enough?

Do we believe that evil does hunt us?

Do we believe that the evil can be defeated?

Do we believe that evil does hunt us? Do we believe that the evil can be defeated? (Yes or No? You must choose a side.) #WickedQuestions #GoodvsEvil

Halloween seems an innocent time of fun, candy and make believe, but is it? There is an evil that lurks behind the masquerade of scary good times. For the evil has cloaked the darkness in light so our eyes are blinded to the true intent. For in the shadows evil plays out its sinister plots to bind the hearts of men and we are oblivious to the reality.

I pray for each soul that believes this day is only innocent fun.
I pray for all on this day, All Hollows Eve, where evil walks among us unknown.

I pray for all safety from the plans of those who reside only in darkness.

I pray that our eyes will be opened to the fact that dragons do exist.

I pray that we pick up the sword of the spirit and defeat the dragons in the name of Jesus Christ.

“Are you frightened? Not nearly frightened enough, I know what hunts you.” #LOTR #Aragorn #Dragons #Warriors

Life, Poetry

Will You Remember Me?

Mark Wayne
1476326012295

“I wanna know, will you remember me when forever comes and goes?” #Promises

This little poem, if you want to call it that, in question form was written and posted back on October 25, 2016 right here on this site. It is now four years later and the question still lingers although I think we all deep down inside know the answer.

We have all made promises to do this or that. Promises we swore we would keep forever.

“In the end forever comes and goes.” #Promises

As time marches on we are often left alone, holding onto the empty promises. Promises made by others and those we made ourselves. Or perhaps we broke our own promises with our own hands.

Either way, I believe the question can still remain and it often haunts each of us.

“Will you remember me?” #Promises

I believe the answer is YES!

The impact we make on others, whether good or bad, will be long remembered. There is never a neutral encounter, make your impact a positive one! And when they remember you, it brings smile to their face and a joy within their heart. ❤