Amani na Mapenzi: Love & Peace

Besides working a full-time job, publishing two new books and in the final stages of finishing my first novel, for more than two years now I have published an email subscription newsletter titled The Village Griot. Actually, the newsletter was established in 1998 as a bi-monthly print publication with a customizable masthead targeted to churches and faith-based organizations. After about three years, the print newsletter was put to rest. My daughter, who lives on the west coast, kept asking me to send copies of back issues to share with her friends, and when the those were exhausted she begged me to resurrect it again. At the time I believed The Griot -as we affectionately called it- had lived out its usefulness. However, in 2008 the email version was born and very well received by the subscribers.

The Village Griot is about to take a leap of faith into a higher phase of technology. April 2010 marks the debut of the first issue of a new electronic magazine (eZine).

With this media The Village Griot will appear online in a format that allows the reader to flip through the pages just as though they are holding the magazine in their hands while utilizing the latest advances in notebooks, hand held and mobile devices. The eZine will have more articles, book reviews, stories, poetry, features, events, puzzles (crossword, word find, or hidden word), and from time to time audio and video content right on the page. Advertisement will be kept to a minimum.

The Village Griot eZine is published quarterly as follows:

• January/February/March
• April/May/June (Debut Issue)
• July/August/September
• October/November/December

You are welcome to visit www.thevillagegriot.com where you can view the test sample, and encourage your friends to do the same. If you are on Facebook you can also click a button to Become a Fan.

The eZine will be available to readers who are not Facebook users via email subscription with a link to the new publication format or simply by visiting www.thevillagegriot.com. The debut issue scheduled for April promises to be exciting and very interesting with lots to read.

Instructions for browsing the eZine will be available on the screen. Here are some of the features:

• View the eZine in full screen
• Flip the pages and zoom in on articles
• Click through the links to take you to other sites or send an email
• Print individual pages for easier reading

Contributing writers are needed. If you have the gift of writing and love to share, your talent is welcomed. Make sure you are subscribed for both The Village Griot and as a Contributing Writer. Following the debut, each issue is theme based and contributors will receive the upcoming theme six weeks before the deadline.

Mission:

As an electronic magazine, The Village Griot gives new and seasoned authors (published and unpublished), poets, essayists, bloggers, storytellers, artists and entertainers a platform to test their writing, share ideas, skills, techniques and technologies while enhancing both talent and work. Spiritually, we seek to uplift and edify through love, peace and respect for the community. The Guidelines for Contributing Writers which includes submission deadlines is provided online via the web site.

Email Sharon Moore Stenhouse with your name, writing genre and a short bio. In an effort to maintain the spiritual integrity of The Village Griot, I(we) reserve the right to reject a request to contribute.

© 2010 -All Rights Reserved

March 1st, 2010 | Tags: Poetry | Category: Articles, Faith Walk | Leave a comment

Throughout the years there have been many entering into my world, for reasons and in season their presence in my life had meaning.

In times of happiness, in times of pain it is the special friends, you know the ones through time remain truest to the end.

Counted on my fingers, perhaps on just one hand, the comfort you give the compassion that lingers, quite comforting, giving me reason to believe.

Distinctive social qualities unique in who you are, sharing common threads, gleaming light and laughter always with a listening ear.

Whenever you were needed or when you needed me, dreams encouraged, inspired thoughts, never stifled by ambitions; just intuition consistently displayed.

Never wanting to forget days and nights together doing what friends do, with memorable images forever etched inside my head reminding me of good times, all that we shared.

Content in your own presence, never getting in the way, judging has no residence, nor superfluous compliments, instead looking at the essence to build character day to day.

Special friends you know who you are reflected when in moments of needed advice, I look back and review conversations over time where instead of being nice, you told me what I needed to hear.

You’ve brought me flowers sometimes real, often a metaphor, a little push to do much more. You’ve pulled my head out of sand to stand up when I was wronged, aiding me to become strong.

You’ve given yourself when others wouldn’t, at times when you knew you shouldn’t, always wanting nothing in return, best I could do was say thanks, move forward and hope one day I’ll do the same for you.

That time is hear I hold you near you already know who you are, my special friends I want you to know you will always be dear in my heart. ♥

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© 2007  Sharon Moore Stenhouse -All Rights Reserved-

Stenhouse, Sharon Moore. Amani na Mapenzi: Love & Peace-The Poetic Writings of a’Kihoro. Baltimore: Lulu, 2007

February 15th, 2010 | Tags: Poetry | Category: Poetry | Leave a comment

My mother had a saying “If it weren’t for common sense, there would be no sense at all.” She would further expand on on the fact that all the education –book learning is what those born before 1950 called it, in the world cannot compensate for a lack of common sense. Today I call it educated ignorance.

Most, if not all of the drama and trauma we have in our lives is self-inflicted. We tend to plunge head on into situations that if we stopped and thought for a moment, would have different outcomes. Remember the definition of insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result.

Are some problems really worth solving? Do we bend and twist our perceptions to make problems? Are some situations best when left alone? Here is an old tried and true method to determine the answer.

Common sense tells us to move on when solving the problem or improving the situation takes more than…

Five minutes

Five hours

Five days

Five weeks

Five months or

Five years

What is common sense? Many scholars, theologians, psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, teachers, and even parents have tried to define the term. Let’s just say common sense is paying attention to the obvious.

Mark 4:37-39 “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

Do you suppose Jesus gave very much thought to this situation? It probably took longer to awaken out of his sleep than to foster his own common sense solution. In this situation, he showed his caring by calming the storm. Suppose instead Jesus started questioning the whys and what for, or had to make sure everything was to his liking before offering his rebuke.

Matthew 8:24-26 adds a little more flavor to the mix. “And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm?”

Do you get it?  In other words, depending on the scope of the problem or situation, insanity kicks in if any of the timetables of five have passed and nothing is resolved.  Move on and try something different, or let it be. Sometimes tabling a problem is not a solution because the resolution dies on the table.

So next time you or someone ponders a perceived problem, or believe there is a need to improve a situation…ask; “is common sense in use?”

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© 2010  Sharon Moore Stenhouse -All Rights Reserved-

February 14th, 2010 | Tags: Faith | Category: Faith Walk | Leave a comment

Stained glass windows artfully depict

Biblical scenes glowing in sun lit color

Illuminating the line of votive flames

Flickering their golden dances of prayer

While kneelers wait for Him whose will

Carries loved ones holding on…

Some already gone

To the peace of their eternal home

Shadows across the sanctuary waltz

Quiet no longer hushed

Distant voices grow into chatter

Breaking the silence

One by one, in twos and threes

They come filling empty pews

Eyes glancing, heads nodding

Acknowledging one’s presence for now

Turning as they reverently bow

Hands crossing head to heart

Shoulder to shoulder

Preparing the minds of some

For silent whispers

Offering thanksgiving

In search of atonement

Brought forth in supplication

From murmurs faint and low

As organ pipes cry in agony, breathe

Ancient dirges, processional hymns

Songs to escort the ritual entry

Sunday morning has begun ♥

© 2008 – Sharon Moore Stenhouse – All Rights Reserved

Stenhouse, Sharon Moore. Amani na Mapenzi: Love & Peace Volume Two-The Poetry and Essays of a’Kihoro. Baltimore: Lulu, 2009

February 13th, 2010 | Tags: Faith, Poetry, Prayer | Category: Articles, Poetry | Leave a comment

Love is love.
Or is it God
Is it with God
Can it exist without God?

Self love is love.
Or is it God
Is it with God
Can it exist without God?

Being in love is love.
Or is it God
Is it with God
Can it exist without God?

Making love is love.
Or is it God
Is it with God
Can it exist without God?

When I think about love in its truest form; I think of God. He loves us so much he gives us the gifts of Agape love, being in love and making love. To be in love is human…to make love is human…to be human is to be in the image of God. To make love I must be in love; to be in love I must love myself. Every fiber of my being every hour of my day, is needed to make love

Making love is when I care about your well being more than I do my own; it is when your happiness makes me happy, your sadness makes me sad, your desires give me desire and your presence brings me joy.

It is being with you anywhere, anyplace, anytime to take in the majesty of  God in you, the hours spent together in solitude, the harmony of feeling like we are important to one another in that moment.

Making love is bonding while delving into the intellect of each other, learning each other’s likes and dislikes; and to understand through respect without wanting to make you change.

Love is consideration your needs, your wants, your haves, your not haves, the personal necessities of your daily life, and missing you when you’re not around.

Making love is being able to say I’m sorry, making amends, knowing what is important and what is not, forgiving and learning to forget.

It is sweet discretion in public when no one knows but us, yet everyone around us feels our love.

Making love is looking into your eyes to see your soul; looking into your eyes from across a room; looking into your eyes to see the tears; looking into your eyes to feel the fears, with compassion as I see the compassion in you.

Love is the touch that calms; the touch that warms; the touch that caresses; the touch that holds, and that feathered touch heating the blood while raising the hairs at the base of your neck, creating a tingle in the tips of your fingers and toes, causing you to shiver as you become, engorged with an erection of anticipation.

And, when the time is right we’ll look into each eyes in the throws of passion as we become one, making love in the beauty of the exploration of each other’s bodies…blending, exploring every inch of each other, with gentle intensity and erotic care…nurturing the love built over time together into an explosion of ecstasy that completes us. ♥

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© 2006  Sharon Moore Stenhouse -All Rights Reserved-
Stenhouse, Sharon Moore. Amani na Mapenzi: Love & Peace-The Poetic Writings of a’Kihoro. Baltimore: Lulu, 2007

February 13th, 2010 | Tags: Love, Poetry, Prayer | Category: Poetry, Prayer | Comments (1)