Unicorns and Butterflies (in haiku)

Try some unicorn!

Increase your daily levels

Of hearts and sparkles.

A caterpillar-

Fantastic, but butterflies,

Metamorpahstic!

The Boss Loves You!

I went to dinner tonight at my best friends' sushi bar and when the bill came it was nearly a full comp. 

The description for the goodwill read, "The Boss Loves You." 

It made me think:

If the "Boss" loves you, then everyone loves you. 

There's no greater love than that of the boss.

He gives purpose, knows how well you're doing your job and is the judge at the end of it all. 

 Point: Do a good job.

Make the boss happy. 

Amen.

Courageous

Just FINALLY watched the movie, " Courageous ,"  and am still drying the tears from my cheeks.

Without telling the whole story, I want to post a copy of the "Resolution" that the fathers in this movie pledged to their families in a ceremony setting.  

The words are moving, inspirational, reassuring, and tremendously positive! 

I hope that if you are a father and you are reading this, you will consider this resolution for yourself and your family. 

Imagine the blessings it will bring to your home life.  

Think about it.

In love,

Ms. Panda

California vibe - in Haiku

Energy is smooth :) 

Flowing like the ocean breeze

Through swaying palm trees.

Amazing to breathe

The cool, crisp, fresh mountain air

Coming from the east

Driving down the coast

The road humming underneath

Beaches passing by.


The vibes in Cali

Come from many different things

Most from within me ;)

Prayer Works!

"To be disappointed in someone is to have belief in someone. People are human. They are not perfect. Sinners sin. Pray for them," Pastor Miles from the Rock Church in San Diego. Don't waste time worrying about situations and people. Worry is a pack of ravenous wolves - scary and negative. Belief is freedom and liberation from worry. God has a plan and everything is part of that plan. He loves us so much and just wants a relationship with us - one where we are completely humble and servant. He wants our trust to be in Him, not in man. Whatever problem we are facing, talk to Him. PRAY. He will answer. And you will feel better with all that negative energy and weight lifted from your life. Trust God. Judging and preaching to someone isn't the answer. Just love them and treat them equally. Don't judge. That's for Him to do. If you love someone who is hurting themselves or you, pray for God to fill their heart and heal their pain. Pray that God will answer your call and show His love and He will.

Blogathon Haiku Day 2012

Today is Day 21 of the Word Count Blogathon and the theme is HAIKU!

This style of poem, which you can learn about here, is composed of 17 sound units

divided into three parts - one with 5 units, one with 7 units and another with 5 units.

Here is one I wrote in Calligraphy for my pen pal:

Here are some I wrote today while I waited an hour at the DMV:

I love my haikus

They roll off my mind like wheels

Spinning in control

Poetry is life

A writer's means to speak it

A reader's glimpse in

Visual headlines

Written thoughtfully to see

What I am feeling

Haiku anywhere

Sitting in the DMV

Waiting to be called

It's 5-7-5

All it takes to come alive

In the haiku world

Spinning, twirling free

The sun shining down on me

Day after eclipse

The moon blocked her face

We poked holes through paper plates

The same as sixth grade

What a day it was!

I wrote a meaningful blog

And changed perceptions!

Today is a new day!

Full of opportunity

And love in my heart

Thanks for being here,

For reading the poems I write -

An eclipse of mind.

xOx,

Ms. Panda

Some of my favorite haiku posts from the past:

Numbers and weekdays

Mix so nicely in my mind

Imagine, Twosday.

Spiritual toys...
Play with them every day
and watch your light grow.

I see the word "love"

On the phone pole in the street

Just as you call me

She finds prince charming
Only exists in her books
But keeps believing

A moment to think
Of a thing called love, in ink
How shall I write it?

Karma maniacs

Cashin' in and styled out

On universe gifts

Aren't you curious
To know and live God's purpose?
It's why you are here.

Relax and enjoy
Trust that he has brought you here
To show you the way

My Favorite ALL-TIME Haiku:

Honest to a fault
I wear my heart on my sleeve
Like a truth tattoo

Homeless and Heartbroken

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Psalm 147:3

Before I even knew her name, my heart broke for the homeless girl holding the sign that read:

"Sober, Homeless, Hungry, Down on Luck."

I only had a butterscotch flavored Dum Dum lollipop to give her, but Amanda was very greatful.

She stood by my back window of my car as my dogs barked, but then licked her face. 

She remarked, "This is true therapy."

She mentioned she had a dog, who was back at her tent.

I asked, "Where are you staying?"

She told me, "The foothills of Presidio," which is ironically close to the Spanish Mission that was built as a safe haven for weary travelers during the early settlement of California.  Each mission stood approximately a day's hike away from the next.

She added, "I just left the river 'cause I got a black eye from someone who wanted the $10 I made out here one day."

I asked, "What do you need?"

She said, "A sleeping bag.  I just left my husband two days ago at the river.  He was smoking crystal meth."

I told her that I was on the way to my church's thrift store, just around the corner and would see if I could find one for her.

She thanked me and the light turned green signaling my departure.

When I entered the warehouse for the Rock Thrift Store, I knew exactly where to go, as I volunteered there last Monday.  There's a bin in the back that is full of items intended just for homeless and I bet you can guess what was sitting right on top. 

I not only found a sleeping bag, but also a soft comforter, a cozy jacket and even an air mattress. 

I would definitely say, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Or better yet, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." -Matthew 7:7

The thrift store employees knew that God had put this on my heart and didn't charge me for the items, when normally you would need a voucher. 

So I bagged them up and took them to her.  As we stood there on the corner, she told me her story, which you can read some of it here.  She used to have a cat named Angel that would sit on her shoulder, but he got hit by a car and she couldn't get afford to get him out of the shelter, for they wouldn't release him unless he went straight to a surgeon and Amanda didn't have the $2,000 to pay the specialist.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she talked about it. 

She now keeps the company of a dog named, Hades, and says that people often ask her, "How can you be homeless and have a pet?"

Her answer is simple.

"Imagine you lose everything and are living in the middle of the woods in a tent.  Could you stand to be alone?"

I also used to wonder how people could be homeless and care for themselves and an animal also.  I used to think that they were just using the pet to invoke sympathy from passers by.

Now I get it.  This is the reason they are alive. 

Without the love of the pet, they would be all alone, and worse, feeling loveless.

Amanda describes pan handling, “It’s like being an animal in a zoo, standing out here with people pointing and staring,” she says. “It’s the most humbling thing a person can experience.”

I gave Amanda my phone number and told her to call me if she ever needed to just talk.

I really hope she reaches out, because as the writer mentioned in the article, Amanda has an "air of decency about her" and I know that God has a plan for her.  She already has a very powerful testimony to share. I just hope that my role in it isn't done yet.

Here is the type of life Amanda is living.

If you see one of these "tent cities" pop up by you,

chances are there is an "Amanda" out there who needs you, too.

And I pray that it breaks your heart, just as it did mine, so that you won't just feel bad,

you will actually DO SOMETHING!

xOx,

Ms. Panda

On Working

Nothing worth anything comes very easily.

Work is one of those things.

Like, really though, who do you know has a job that they love and just fell into it easily and effortlessly?

Not very many people, I am sure.

I just worked a ten hour day and when I came home, took a long, hot bath.

When I got out of the bath, I fell asleep easier than a baby on a car ride.

Like the water in the tub, I was drained!

The LAST thing I wanted to do was wake up and write my daily blog, 

but somehow, in an act of fate, I had left my interior light on in my car and my roommate noticed.  

He woke me mid-slumber to shut it off and now that I am awake, 

I figured it a supreme opportunity to get this written.

I'm sure we've all been here before - 

So tired we crashed out with our bedroom light still on...

Cranky and sleepy like a little toddler, but we don't have that excuse any more...

Awoken abruptly by an outside force, when we surely could have slept for a day straight.

Yeah, that was me just a few minutes ago.  

And now that I am up and had to sit in front of the computer searching for a topic to blog about, 

nothing felt more natural.

So I looked up these quotes on work and I hope you enjoy: 

“You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true. You may have to work for it, however.”

-Richard David Bach, writer

“Start by doing what's necessary, then what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

-Saint Francis Assisi 

“Nobody's a natural. You work hard to get good and then work to get better. It's hard to stay on top.”

-Paul Coffey

“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Accordingly a genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework.”

-Thomas Edison

“If there is no wind, row.”

Latin proverb

GOOOOOD NIGHT!

Imagery

The wire thread through the middle of each precious jade piece. The different shades of green stacked one by one until the strand's length reached desired lengths and the tiny gold beads that separated each stone created a shine like the sun. The wire was tied off and clamped by metal so that the ends my be affixed to the coveted charm. A single cut of leather, fashioned in the shape of love and threaded by Cupid's arrow symbolized the meeting of all this brilliant loving energy. The stones continuously heal their owner and the adornment releases love to all eyes that it meets, granting not just the bearer fulfillment, but also the witnesses who adore it. "Shot Through the Heart" by love and affection, these precious gifts come from heaven above and serve for the greater good on earth. Gleaming like the parts in all their beauty, the gift bearer and receiver bask in the fruits of the spirit - always and forever.

Proverbs 17: 8 

"Receiving a gift is like getting a rare gemstone;

any way you look at it, you see beauty refracted."

10 things I have learned from blogging

Well, I am half way through the month long challenge of blogging every day!!!  YIPPIE!!!
It's been a challenge for me this year, as I feel way busier now than I was last May when I first completed the challenge.

However, as I learned in my favorite blog post by the Blogathon coach, Michelle Rafter, it is better to have a short and sweet 250-350 word post, with bullet points for user friendliness.

So, I am taking her advice.  It's important to listen to your coach.  You will always improve.

So without further ado, here are 10 things I have learned from the Blogathon.

1) Links to other posts in your blog are important!  They keep readers hanging out longer on your blog.

2) Images can drive a ton of traffic to your blog.  Use them ALWAYS!!!  WE live in a browsing culture and  a strong image can be the deciding factor whether someone is going to stop and read, or cruise right by.

3) Find your niche and stick to it. I definitely struggle with this one.  It's hard to be a creative writer and do this.  Discipline is the key.

4) There are a LOT of writers out there.  If you visit other people's blogs and leave comments, then they will do the same.  I guarantee it!

5) You can schedule your posts to go live in the future, which really helps if you need to go on vacation, or take a few days off in a row.

6) Writing at the last minute is not good.   Setting a schedule is important and following through with it is not easy, but nothing that comes easy is worth much anyway.  Try hard to stay focused on posting at the same time every day.

7) Posting at the same time every day will increase your hits. Readers can count on you to publish consistently and that alone can establish accountability with an audience.

8) Look at your most popular posts and determine what makes them so popular.  Then write more like them.  And make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

9) Be more conversational.  It's way more fun and exciting to read a post that feels like the writer wrote it with you (the reader) in mind.  Posts that sound preachy will be left to the sleeping congregation.  Write with more PIZZOW!

10) Creativity is a gift. Even though it's not always appropriate, telling your story and interpretation of things can help a reader relate to the subject at hand, and moreso to you.  Build a relationship with the reader.   Compassion goes far.

He's Calling!!!

There is a saying,

 “Faith is knowing there is an ocean when you can only see the stream.”

If we just release it all to God, and trust in Him,

there is no reason to worry

no reason to fear

no darkness

He is the light and He is calling!

Will you answer?

I did.

And since then I have been called again and again -
and just like a good friend -
our relationship is getting stronger and stronger!

I am not only called to write about my relationship with God,
but also to make music and worship Him,
AND
I do it all for HIM. 

I trust that if I do it all with Him in mind,
with Him in total control,
it will all work out
for His greater plan.

So I wrote a verse thinking of my many callings:

HE'S CALLING

Me: Ring! Ring! He's calling!
It's the Lord! It's the Lord!

Jesus: Answer me, please...

Me: Sing! Sing! It's my calling!
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

Jesus: Sing from your knees...

Me: King! King! He's almighty!
He is Lord! He is Lord!

Jesus: I love you more...

Me: Bling! Bling! Hit the lottery!
I have scored! I have won!

Jesus:  Child, it's only just begun!

Me: Blink! Blink! I cannot see!
My heart shines! Shines His light!

Jesus: See, now you're free!!!

Me: Think! Think! Now I'm free!
Tell them all! Share His love!

Jesus: Let's meet in heaven above!

Me: Drink! Drink! His blood shed for me!
Eat! Eat! My testimony!

Jesus: I am the three...

The Father, The Son, Holy Spirit inside

Me: Call me home after the ride

Show me love when I walk through the door,
On earth as it is in heaven FOREVERMORE!

Jesus: AMEN!

A Moral True North

In this video, Henry Rollins uses the phrase, "moral compass," and I immediately tuned into it.  

I read the phrase in a recommendation for my event planning skills on LinkedIn, which reads, 

"She is a very hard worker, a great communicator and has a profound moral compass."

According to Dictionary.com, a moral compass is anything which serves to guide a person's decisions based on morals or virtues.

On Moralcompass.com, a group of men compiled a list of those virtues:

Integrity

Responsibility

Compassion

Forgiveness

and continue that if you embody these traits, then whatever organization you serve will have:

Purpose 

Trust 

Camaraderie

They even offer a Self Assessment if you so wish to try.

I found some great images of what am moral compass would look like:

There have even been studies that have found a part of the brain that is the moral compass,

and then decided to play with magnets and try to offset the good judgments of the participants in the study.

In that same study, they also mention a "God spot," which I have also heard about, but when I went to research it, many studies have debunked the theory.  

However, on the subject of the moral compass, let's get one thing straight: 

There is good and bad, 

an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, 

the voice of reason, or the voice of desire. 

A moral compass measures  how we choose to interpret and act on our own personal situations.

We are the only ones who ever know what we truly felt, 

and equally the only ones who have to live with our choices.  

Look at the moral compass as a gift - 

choose to use it wisely and it will continually direct you to a true moral north.  

Happy Trails!

Good morning, or Great morning?

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. (Mark 1:35 KJV) 

 It's no coincidence that I woke up at 5:30am on my own today.

It was God challenging me to get out of bed and spend some time with Him before my busy day begins. For a few weeks at The Rock church in Point Loma - San Diego - our pastor, Miles, has been encouraging us to rise up an hour before our actual day begins and pray.

I've actually woken up most days since that call to action - either on my own, or with the help of Annie (my labradoodle) pawing at my face. But what's interesting is that it's ALWAYS one hour before my alarm clock goes off!

So, in a "God incident" (there are no coincidences) I woke up at 5:30am today when my alarm wasn't set until 6:30. Ha! I didn't rise and shine at that moment however. I did consider it ;) so I half way slept and half way dreamed for another hour until my alarm did buzz. I got up, fed te dogs, let them out and then say down for my morning prayer moment. When I opened the You Version bible app on my iPhone, today's devotional - was the scripture listed above!

This life is not a test, but an opportunity to learn and grow each and every day! Even if you are not on the Christian path like I am, you still have goals and dreams, right?

I am pretty certain if you seek those things out in the light of what is true and right in your heart and spirit, you will succeed! And I am also pretty sure that He will reveal himself to you also - as long as your eyes are not clouded with the ego of pride and selfishness - or by despiriting things like drugs and malicious desires.

Today, I learned that He is here, encouraging me to spend more time getting to know Him and less time "sleeping. in" I hope that you also "wake" early and find your calling!

Happy Morning Mother's Day!

Cheers to the blessings of our families and the joy of babies and children in the world!

Amen!

Poetry Wordle

This wordle comes from the poetry I write during my silent moments of prayer. 

You can read some those poems here.

It's interesting to see which words appear the largest, 

for they are the ones that repeat the most.

In my poems - it's ALL about TODAY, LOVE and LIGHT.

Yes.

Happy Mother's Day!

xOx,

Ms. Panda

flowers in your hair

Proverbs 1: 8-9: 

"Pay close attention to what your father tells you; 

Never forget what you learned at your mother's knee. 

Wear their counsel like flowers in your hair, 

Like rings on your fingers."

***

He is with me!

I know-

And it's easy for me to show!

The more I learn and grow

The more I can see and teach!

May my work be full of reach!

May my heart bring me to my knees.

Wearing His love like flowers in my hair,

That is how they will know He is there.

***

Second Corinthians says,

 “Though our outward bodies are wasting away,

our inward bodies are being renewed day by day.”

***

Dear God, 

Commit me to your teachings, a life together, the common meals and the prayers.

Amen.

***

He said to me through poetry,

"You will be needed more and more

Your strength and courage is what I called you for

Go and share my love with them

Go spread my light as your sister's friend."

***

Hebrews 10: 24-25:

Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out,

not avoiding worshiping together as some do, 

but spurring each other on,

especially as we see the big Day approaching...

***

If you would like me to send you a personal poem of strength and encouragement, send an email with your request and address to:

amanda.steinhaus@gmail.com.

xOx,

Ms. Panda

Hello DJ Ms. Panda!

After joining the Rock Church and getting "right" with God, the music that I had been listening to on the radio didn't have the same effect on me.  The beats and the tempos were still great, but the lyrics felt "empty."

I tried to get into Christian music and some songs got me pumped, because they were the same ones that we were singing in worship on Sunday mornings, and the same ones that could bring me to tears.

However, I started to feel a calling bubbling up inside of me - one to start making electronic Christian music.  I envisioned myself with two turntables and a microphone - beat matching and scratching downtown at 2am when all the clubs let out on a Friday night - inviting all the party people to come chill in my music space and come back down to earth, allowing me to minister to them with musical prayer.

I just needed one thing - to learn how to DJ and match up all those beats, create those mixes and write the meaningful prayers aka lyrics.

So I began seeking - and we all know what happens when we seek - we find.

It just so happened that my church, The Rock, offers a  DJ Ministry and I hopped on board just in time for the first class.  I recruited a couple of girlfriends and carpooled down to the awesome event space called the 1825 Ministry located at 705 16th St, San Diego, CA.  

Look at all the beautiful people who showed up that night!

Here I am learning to scratch and play with the cross fader...

That's DJ Ketchup next to me! He is pretty awesome for offering up his DJ equipment to amateurs like myself to come and stumble all over.  However, he said it best that first night,

"Once I turned my equipment over to God,
I received more blessings than I ever did when I was hoarding it all to myself."

Amen DJ Ketchup!  Thank you for feeding that calling :)  Now, it's feeding mine!  AWESOME!

Here is a video of me scratching on that first night. 

I had so much fun!  It's hard not to smile when you are learning how to do something fun!

***

Tonight was the second session and we worked more on timing. Here I am scratching on REAL records.  

SO FUN!!!!

 I just wish I had a set of turntables at home so I could just spend hours on end perfecting my craft.  For now, I will just have to stalk Guitar Centers and go to these types of workshops, but once it gets to the point where I can start making my own mixes - watch out Christian music - you are about to be changed forever :)

DJ MS. PANDA is set free!

xOx,
Ms. Panda

The Love Story of Alicante

 During the 11th century, the Moors ruled over a thriving port city on the Mediterranean Sea. 

Rich in history, this city was the ultimate prize to victors of numerous wars.  

In the time of our story, a fair Moorish King ruled the land and lived high above its port in the Castillo de Santa Barbara, this breathtaking castle...

   

The King lived in the castle with his beautiful daughter, Cantana, who was his pride and joy.  Cantana was a free spirit, full of joy and love.  She was as lovely and soft as a rose, yet her amazing spirit and open heart made her beauty shine brighter than any star in the universe  Unlike other princesses, Cantana appreciated her servants and treated them as equals.  She especially loved attending festivals in the city, for it was then  that she was able to live freely among the many colorful people of her father's kingdom.

On the summer solstice, Cantana begged her father to grant her permission to celebrate the most important festival of the year, the Bonfires of Saint John.  For weeks the villagers built elaborate parade floats in all of the city's streets - all for one purpose - to burn as bright, big fires in honor of Saint John.  The King, knowing his daughter's lust for life, agreed to let Cantana attend the festival, but only if she promised one thing - to stay in the company of his guards at all times - for the King would never forgive himself if anything happened to his beautiful daughter.

Cantana, thrilled by her father's approval, decorated herself in silks of all colors and pinned her hair with the most fragrant flowers from the castle's garden.  The guardsmen accompanied her down the mountain, but had a hard time keeping up as Cantana skipped ahead for delight in her thoughts of the celebration that awaited her.  Fires, fireworks and friends from all walks of life smiled as Cantana arrived to the street party.    

She danced and laughed and talked with many cheerful people through the night.

On the sandy beach, where the pyrotechnics lit fireworks, Cantana sat and rested awhile to take in the show and admire her home - the Castle - as it rested quietly atop the mountain above the city.

Just then, a beggar from the streets approached Cantana.  As her guardsmen began to stop him, Cantana said not to worry and invited the man over.  He introduced himself as Ali, and confessed that he had been following her since her first appearance at the festival hours before.  

He said, 

"Everything about you is unique. 

From the top of your head 

to the tip of your toes.  

No one else can walk how you walk, 

or laugh like you laugh, 

or dance how you dance, 

smile how you smile, 

or shine like you shine.  

You're one of a kind.  

You are amazing to me."

Cantana admired Ali for his bravery.  Even though he was a beggar, she saw him as her equal.

She knew that his heart was pure and immediately felt a strong explosion in her heart. 

Cantana was going to save him from his life on the streets.

She grabbed Ali's hand and danced around him singing,

""All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small, 

All things wise and wonderful-

The Lord God made them all.

Come with me, Ali!

I will love you just as He made you -

To my heart you are true.

You are amazing to me, too!"

And while the guards were watching the fireworks display, Cantana and Ali slipped away to dance and sing and laugh and smile the night away.  

The next morning, Cantana arrived back at her father's castle and declared her love to the King.

"Father, my King, 

as you are aware, 

the love in my heart knows not class, 

and I want to be married to my heart's true love.

He is Ali."

The King became very upset, for Cantana had broken her promise to stay with the guardsmen all night.

In his anger, he forbid Cantana to marry Ali and told her to make him leave immediately!

The hearts of both lovers broke together at that same moment.  

Their knees became weak and tears poured from their eyes as they fell to the ground.

Overcome with sadness, the light that once shined in Cantana's heart went out.

Overcome by despair,

she looked one last time into Ali's eyes and said, 

"If I cannot be with you, 

my true love,

I do not wish to live."

Ali replied, 

"If I cannot be with you, 

my true love,

my life is also over." 

So the two star-crossed lovers joined hands tightly, 

ran quickly from the King and the guards

and jumped from the castle walls and far down into the salty sea below. 

The King immediately felt remorse for his hasty response to his daughter's plea, 

and overcome by his sadness he kneeled at the castle wall and cried for weeks. 

His tears slowly eroded the mountain into the shape of a Moor's face.

To this day you can see what the trail of the King's tears created.

  

The name of the city - Alicante - forever echoes the sad love story of Ali and Cantana.

THE END