Inspired By.

Source: photographic-energy.tumblr.com via Bethany on Pinterest

It's one of those weeks where I can't believe it's Thursday already. And the weekend is jam-packed with a 3-day work event and helping my best friend move into a new apartment - I know, that plan sounds impossible, and a little crazy. It is. But believe me, I'll make it all fit... I hope? That being said, no new hyper-inspiring 500 word blog posts about my under-served creative process have been cooked up for you, dear readers, and no "dropping everything to read" for me. For that, I apologize to you and myself and I promise to do better next week. So, while I'm off and running for a busy weekend, I hope you are able to drop everything and read a good book. But first, read the links below for some inspiration and a couple of good laughs.

Sometimes, putting your foot in your mouth can be a good thing.

Being a good writer isn't good enough; welcome to the frustrated writer's syndrome.

Dear Single Men, A piece of advice: Date a Girl Who Reads.

A Southern Girl's Guide to Apologizing.

"In the eyes of young, cool New York, I had unwittingly shaved 10 years off my age by not shaving." - A funny, well written story about an accidental beard.

Did you find any good reads this week? Leave a link or a title for me to catch up on later. Have a good weekend, friends.

Poem: A Prayer for the Balance.

I asked to know real Grace.
It is my namesake
and I have a feeling I need it.
Instead,
I fight.
I break things.
I break.

So I ask,
God, what can this mean?

Is it a name,
or a thing that lives and breathes?
Does it pardon me, or teach me that I’ve been wrong?

On Sunday mornings,
I believe that there is more to it than a church pew.

On other days, I am caught.

Between hospital beds
and the place where harsh words are said,
in that precarious, miraculous balance
between life 

and death,

I then feel it sustaining me.

book·ish : Book Keeping Collection.

Created by British jewelry and textile designer Betty Pepper, these works of art in her Book Keeping Collection are a beautiful reminder: never judge a book by its cover, but by what you find within it.

Source: shannoneileenblog.typepad.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Source: shannoneileenblog.typepad.com via Bethany on Pinterest

book·ish/ˈbo͝okiSH/Adjective

1. (of a person or way of life) Devoted to reading and studying rather than worldly interests.

2. (of language or writing) Literary in style or allusion.

3. (of art and all manner of lovely things) devoted to the written word as a form of art and as a way of seeing the world.

4. (of SheWritesandRights.blogspot.com) anything of the aforementioned characteristics as they are found on the interwebs and reposted by Bethany, because bookish and writerly things always give reason for amusement.

Inspired By.

Source: futureesq.blogspot.com via Bethany on Pinterest

I tear myself away from reading this book to bring you a few inspirational posts from around the interwebs. I’ve been on vacation [glorious vacation!] visiting family in Michigan, celebrating my mom’s birthday, and catching up on rest, relaxation and writing. I've worked up some new ideas for the blog, and I implemented a new poetry section here this week.

The following posts, like this time away, have been a breath of fresh air to me this week.

Insecurity kills. "You are worth far more then what you do, so don’t flood the internet with you rantings of what you wish you were."

What to do when your blog growth plateaus. Guest blogger Adam McLane shares some great tips on keeping up the pace when you begin to feel stagnant. My favorite tip: Read a book.

Sometimes I need this reminder: travel young. It's important. I know this, because I've done it. But sometimes in my nostalgia for good memories, I forget that my hunger to see new places isn't a misguided need for escape, but rather a yearning for new opportunities to grow. Travel is a necessary discipline.

The best kind of friendship is encouraging, loving and brutally honest. I'm thankful for the friends in my life who share this with me, because like Jon Acuff shared this week, it's the kind that will help you get better.

Writing a blog: is it about truth, or traffic? It's easy to get the two confused.

And from Enuma Okoro: For the love of God, Write.

And in case you missed them, my new poem and a stunning word portrait.

And finally, I'm seeing this movie tonight for the second time in a week... Yes, it's that good.


Have a good weekend, friends.

Poem : The Zest.

My fist tight,
I learn to squeeze the lemon
with the same might and firmness that life requires of me.
Whether working with my hands,
fingers sticky with pith and juice,
or working with my head,
thoughts bursting forward toward mind-bending possibilities,
I demand fruit,
flavor,
all that it can give me.
So that when I sit down to rest,
I find the spread delicious,
my self satisfied and spent.