Now You See It, Now You Don't

[The Stage is on Fire] is a page-turner in which, much like life, there are no easy answers and yet each step of the journey yields insight and hope. This work of heart must not be missed!

Melanie Faith

Creative Writing Teacher, Essayist & Poet.

Katie Steedly’s first-person piece [The Unspeakable Gift] is a riveting retelling of her participation in a National Institutes of Health study that aided her quest to come to grips with her life of living with a rare genetic disorder. Her writing is superb.

The Society of Professional Journalists

In recognition of receiving the Dateline Award for the Washingtonian Magazine essay, The Unspeakable Gift.

I thank you … It is the authenticity of your “class notes”; and it is the delicacy and skill with which you present the nuances of classroom life and the actuality of your students’ and fellow teachers’ lives.

Maxine Greene

Philosopher and Education Scholar

Enter your email here to receive Weekly Wide-Awake

back

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

God leads me to still waters that restore my spirit. – Psalm 23

I was introduced to the Psalms as a child in church choir. I started singing in church at the age of 5. I wore a white robe with a big red bow and sang with a passion that I have rarely known ever since. Many of the Psalms were the foundation of the songs we would sing. They became light for my soul that I would not want to hide and a rudder for my still small boat on rough waters. They were my mantras before I ever knew what a mantra was. They were harmony in a world of dissonance. I still draw upon the Psalms. I look to them when I need to remember I am not alone, that love is ever powerful, and that my light must shine. They are bigger than one book or religion – they connect. They are a bridge from despair to hope. They remind me that God is love.

My favorite Psalms

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Stillness can be a struggle. Noise, loud and engulfing, can separate us from our selves and others. I seek stillness. I am talking about the kind of stillness that is about peace not paralysis, breath not panic, presence not past our future. I am talking about the kind of stillness you see in unique people that know how to listen and act in thoughtful ways.

This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Every day is a gift. We need to remember that. Not in the, “High performance people all have a morning routine that starts at 4:30” kind of way, but rather in a reverent, joyful, and beautiful way that embraces fresh starts, possibilities, and forgiveness. Viewing each day as a blessing, moves us in the direction of making it so. When dark days come, trusting the gift of each day creates light.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Some days we need guidance. This Psalm encourages me to look outside myself, ask for help. and reach out. We can find guidance in scripture, but I also believe we can find guidance in the wisdom of trusted others. We can find guidance outside in nature. We can see our way more clearly when we look outside ourselves.

https://kitt.global/july-13-now-you-see-it-now-you-dont-mark-nepo-the-book-of-awakening/