Cynthia A. English

  • Home
  • A Little About Me
  • Passions
  • Blog
    • Passages of Life
    • Homeless in America
    • Spiritual Things
    • Poetry
 

Test Blog

Filter - All
Poetry
Homeless in America
Passages of Life
Spiritual Things
  • By Popular Demand...From The Voices In My Head
    By Popular Demand...From The Voices In My Head
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I have no illusions of grandeur. This is a blog, not a cure for cancer. For those who know me, I suppose it was inevitable that I would start a...
  • Welcome To Chicago, The City That Changed Me
    Welcome To Chicago, The City That Changed Me
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    The summer I turned 23 was a turning point in my life. I grew up in a small town in central Michigan. Small as in two stop lights. College took...
  • Homeless in America: Albert in D.C.
    Homeless in America: Albert in D.C.
    Blog, Homeless in America
    anemptytextlline
    Recently I was in Washington, D.C. on business. I left my hotel one morning in a bit of a hurry. Instead of eating breakfast in a restaurant, I grabbed...
  • “Drive-By Christianity” is Hurting the Cause of Christ
    “Drive-By Christianity” is Hurting the Cause of Christ
    Blog, Spiritual Things
    anemptytextlline
    We’ve all seen them. Billboards on the side of the highway with messages from God. Sometimes they are funny, but most of the time they just make me mad....
  • On Ferguson: You Might Be A Racist
    On Ferguson: You Might Be A Racist
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I wasn't going to say anything. After all, what does a white, suburban woman have to contribute to the discussion on race in America? Probably not much. I know...
  • Learning to Live in the Quiet
    Learning to Live in the Quiet
    Blog, Spiritual Things
    anemptytextlline
    I think I've forgotten how to live in the quiet. Silence is such a rarity in my life that when I experience an elusive moment of quiet I often feel...
  • Four Things Every New Parent Should Know
    Four Things Every New Parent Should Know
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I have a lot going for me as a parent. I have a strong partner in parenting. I have the support of friends and family who also have young...
  • Homeless in America: Patrick in Chicago
    Homeless in America: Patrick in Chicago
    Blog, Homeless in America
    anemptytextlline
    A twenty-something man sits on the ground next to a bus stop reading a worn, paperback book. His skin is pale and his hair a light shade of brown,...
  • Four Easy Ways To Save Money Right Now
    Four Easy Ways To Save Money Right Now
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    If you’re like me, this is the time of year to plan your budget for 2015 and get stressed out in general about money. Here are a few suggestions...
  • Christians Need To Be More Than Believers
    Christians Need To Be More Than Believers
    Blog, Spiritual Things
    anemptytextlline
    Earlier this year I had the privilege of speaking to a group of women from my church about what it means to be a Christian. Spoiler alert! It is...
  • This Is The Year I Was Brave
    This Is The Year I Was Brave
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    It was about a year ago, while home on maternity leave, that I stumbled upon the Facebook page of a little girl in California who is fighting cancer. Her...
  • The Poet
    The Poet
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    Tense from fatigue and frustration, The poet’s hand tightens around his favorite pen Outside the blustery winter storm prevents any hope Of a double espresso Or another conversation with the pretty barista He thinks...
  • Shadows
    Shadows
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    Who lives in this place? This habitat of waste Eyes closed, I turn away So that it might not be Who lives in this place? This corridor of discarded lives Head down, I pretend not...
  • This Is A Year For Adventure (Just Say Yes)
    This Is A Year For Adventure (Just Say Yes)
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    Last year I read a book that opened my eyes to a simple and beautiful way to live. The book "Love Does" by Bob Goff challenges readers to get...
  • The Idea For Which I Am Willing To Live And Die
    The Idea For Which I Am Willing To Live...
    Blog, Spiritual Things
    anemptytextlline
    "What matters is to find a purpose, to see what it really is that God wills that I shall do; the crucial thing is to find a truth which...
  • A More Thoughtful Approach To Food
    A More Thoughtful Approach To Food
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    Eighty days ago today I made a big change in my life. I joined a group of more than seven million Americans and billions around the world. I became...
  • Homeless in America: It's Not What You Think
    Homeless in America: It's Not What You Think
    Blog, Homeless in America
    anemptytextlline
    If humanity shared food and water as it does words and opinions, no one would go hungry or thirsty. -R.J. Chance Recently I walked through a homeless shelter where hundreds...
  • Dear Sisters, I Am With You
    Dear Sisters, I Am With You
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    This morning I learned about a social media movement dubbed #DearSisters from Malaya. (Yes, that Malaya.) The purpose of the movement is to have people from around the world...
  • We Cannot Tame the Tide: A Reflection
    We Cannot Tame the Tide: A Reflection
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    The sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats.” –Ernest Hemingway Recently, my work brought me to a seaside resort in...
  • Remembering My Friend Who Changed The World
    Remembering My Friend Who Changed The World
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    Today was the funeral for my friend and mentor for the last eight years. I'll be honest...I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready when I got the email last week...
  • Father’s Day: What Could Have Been
    Father’s Day: What Could Have Been
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    Father’s Day always brings mixed emotions for me. While I honor the important role fathers can play in a child’s life and I see my husband thrive as “dad”,...
  • Birthdays and Other Blessings
    Birthdays and Other Blessings
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    It’s been a difficult month. Hell, it’s been a difficult year. There’s a lot of bad news out there. This post is not about that. Not today. I consider...
  • Sunday Morning Coming Down: Why I’m Terrified To Go To Church (But Go Anyway)
    Sunday Morning Coming Down: Why I’m Terrified To Go...
    Blog, Spiritual Things
    anemptytextlline
    I woke up this morning feeling uneasy. Sunday mornings always make me a little uneasy, but after Friday’s SCOTUS ruling (and the ensuing social media demonstrations for or against...
  • View From The Top: A Reflection From 30,000 Feet
    View From The Top: A Reflection From 30,000 Feet
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I did a lot of people watching at the airport today. In many ways, an airport can paint quite the portrait of American life. There are people from many...
  • Lunch at Bartertown - Grand Rapids
    Lunch at Bartertown - Grand Rapids
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I sit cross-legged atop a bar stool looking out across the street. Dog Story Theater advertises “Comedy Mondays: Barefoot in the Park.” A church steeple towers over the small...
  • This is Church: Part 1
    This is Church: Part 1
    Blog, Spiritual Things
    anemptytextlline
    The smell of varnish permeates the old theater as a small group of believers shuffle in for worship. Hushed conversations and the sound of a baby crying fill the...
  • Finding Time In My Life To Live
    Finding Time In My Life To Live
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    It’s 9:45pm on a Friday night and everyone in my house is sleeping. Not a creature is stirring except my 17-pound tabby cats, Max and Sammy, who I hear...
  • What If We All Did Our Homework?
    What If We All Did Our Homework?
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    Critical thinking means making reasoned judgments that are logical and well thought out. It is a way of thinking in which you don't simply accept all arguments and conclusions...
  • In Search of Superhero Underwear
    In Search of Superhero Underwear
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    Earlier this year my six-year-old daughter and I attended an event at her elementary school. Students and parents wandered around the gym perusing tables covered with various knickknacks, books,...
  • The Piano
    The Piano
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I don't play piano, but last night I did. In the basement of an old Masonic temple where my church's youth group meets, there is a dusty piano. It...
  • A Letter to my 18-year-old Self
    A Letter to my 18-year-old Self
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    Dear Cindy, Don’t be afraid, but this is you, I mean me, I mean us – 15 years in the future. You might be surprised to learn a few things...
  • On Violence and Diversity: A Reflection
    On Violence and Diversity: A Reflection
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I can't sleep. My heart is too heavy. Too many people have died in my lifetime because of violence - whether it is due to mental illness, drugs, bullying,...
  • Namaste: Lessons from Nepal
    Namaste: Lessons from Nepal
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    Last month I traveled 27 hours on three different flights to get from Omaha, Nebraska to Kathmandu, Nepal. My work gave me the opportunity to travel to any of...
  • I Took A Walk With God Today
    I Took A Walk With God Today
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    I took a walk with God today Down the paths And through the fields Laid out before me I had no agenda or time limit We just walked And talked And I wondered...
  • Summer Love
    Summer Love
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    The narrow dirt path cuts its way thru the dense overgrowth Winding thru an insurgency of weeds all competing for turf She walks placidly on what remains of the path Destined for...
  • We All Have Demons
    We All Have Demons
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    We all have demons For some it’s self-loathing, so deep, so shaming they dare not speak it For others it’s debilitating grief or anxiety or depression or all of the above;...
  • The Fog of Zeal
    The Fog of Zeal
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    Most souls these days Exist in delirium A fog of zeal So sure of our own perspectives Right is right And everything else is wrong God must laugh Or cry At our arrogance We see what we want...
  • Stranger on a Train
    Stranger on a Train
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    In the stillness of a Saturday afternoon, I ponder What became of the stranger briefly shown Reality stopped upon our eyes meeting And I’ve never felt more known A single moment fleeting Breath held,...
  • The Lord Has Given, The Lord Has Taken
    The Lord Has Given, The Lord Has Taken
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    2018 has been marked by heavy losses and gains – The loss of my first home The gain of a dream home The loss of proximity to people I’ve done life with...
  • SPEAK, Even If Your Voice Shakes
    SPEAK, Even If Your Voice Shakes
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I’ve never picked a word for the year before. Maybe it is knowing that my late, dear friend Becky did this. (Her word for 2018 was “abide”– and now...
  • To The Man Who Has My Heart
    To The Man Who Has My Heart
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    To The Man Who Has My Heart (On the occasion of your 40th birthday) by Cynthia English To the man who has my heart Who long ago – or was it only yesterday Took...
  • Even in the midst of all this
    Even in the midst of all this
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    Even in the midst of all this Life goes on Hearts beat Seeds are planted and buds are starting to show Flowers bloom Bringing desperately needed color into the world Babies are born Eggs hatch Tadpoles emerge...
  • One Sunday in London
    One Sunday in London
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    I hurried down the rain-soaked streets of London, wearing absolutely the wrong shoes for it and pulling along my overstuffed suitcase with the broken handle. It was 7:30am on...
  • Lake Michigan
    Lake Michigan
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    I dream of a house on a lake With trees and peace close byThe waves cutting across the lovely deep blueOf Lake Michigan I hear leaves rustling in trees overheadAs I...
  • Blind Loyalty is Idolatry
    Blind Loyalty is Idolatry
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    There is security in zealotry. It feels good to belong and feel like you're on the right side of something, a scrappy minority fighting for good against evil. When...
  • Why I Don’t Unfriend People Over Political Ideology
    Why I Don’t Unfriend People Over Political Ideology
    Blog, Passages of Life
    anemptytextlline
    It took an insurrection for some, but I’ve seen clear lines drawn in the sand on social media – culling of friend lists and declarations for people to unfriend...
  • Blue Lotus
    Blue Lotus
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    The following is a spec script I wrote in 2015 for a screenwriting class. This script is best positioned during the first half of Season 1 of Blindspot, a...
  • God is a Mother
    God is a Mother
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    God is a mother I’ve seen her in the park Nursing babies while pushing another on a swing I’ve seen her in the grocery store Trying to stretch a dollar to feed her...
  • Willows
    Willows
    Blog, Poetry
    anemptytextlline
    I will sit with you in the sad, hard place Serving as a witness to your pain I will sit with you as the clouds roll in And shelter you with my...
  • Subscribe to my blog


     

Recent Posts

Willows

Willows

March 28th, 2021

I will sit with you in the sad, hard place Serving as a witness to your pain I will sit with y[...]
God is a Mother

God is a Mother

March 9th, 2021

God is a mother I’ve seen her in the park Nursing babies while pushing another on a swing I’v[...]
Blue Lotus

Blue Lotus

February 7th, 2021

The following is a spec script I wrote in 2015 for a screenwriting class. This script is best po[...]
Why I Don’t Unfriend People Over Political Ideology

Why I Don’t Unfriend People Over Political Ideology

January 17th, 2021

It took an insurrection for some, but I’ve seen clear lines drawn in the sand on social media – cull[...]
Blind Loyalty is Idolatry

Blind Loyalty is Idolatry

January 8th, 2021

There is security in zealotry. It feels good to belong and feel like you're on the right side of s[...]

Copyright © 2021| Cynthia A. English
All rights reserved
Log in

Menu Title
  • Home
  • A Little About Me
  • Passions
  • Blog
    ▼
    • Passages of Life
    • Homeless in America
    • Spiritual Things
    • Poetry