Author Archives: brontebrown2

Rhonda Bronte Brown is a National Board-Certified Teacher and retired teacher/counselor whose work has appeared in Better Than Starbucks, The Trouvaille Review, Meat for Tea, The Orchards Poetry Journal and The Best Haiku 2025 international anthology and several online journals. She holds both a BS and a Master’s degree and writes children’s literature and poetry exploring nature, SEL, and STEM.

Brokenness: Where does it begin?

Photo by Bruno Pires on Pexels.com

The blame for the girl wielding a knife attempting to kill another girl doesn’t begin with the officer taking her life. It started long before she ended up in a foster home full of defiance, anger, and a disregard for life. For her, it began at home.

Long, long before God created the church or established Israel as a nation, before cities, God established the family as the basic unit of society. Parenting is one of the most demanding and most rewarding jobs ever. It is where we teach the love of self and others. It begins at home.

No parent is perfect, and even when you think you’re doing your best, things still go wrong. Missing subtle signs of depression, bullying at school, a child’s desire to be liked, willingness to sacrifice their (or your) values to succeed but then realized it costs them their soul. Parental conversation, church, counselors were still no help. It’s still the parent’s responsibility. It was mine.

Today we live in a world that flaunts Christian values as outdated, ridiculous, and even judgmental of others. The plumb line of Truth for the world has moved gradually in the seventies to drastically today. Raising a child amid that change can leave one blinded. Hind-sight has that glorious 20-20 vision.

Moving away from God’s design for the family, away from the families’ umbrella of protection, using the world’s plumb line for truth is the path to brokenness. There are many ways that brokenness enters our life and will whether or not we’re Christian. Healing comes by trusting God to mend our brokenness.

Familiarity with the gospel

Familiarity with the gospel often keeps us from seeing the Glory of God. Sometimes we search for things that tickle our ears instead of trusting God’s Word. If we don’t dig our roots deep, then we are caught off guard by subtle deceptions.

Colossians 2:9 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world rather than according to Christ.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Voddie Bachman, the black-white divide is not a real divide that God established. God’s Word will take care of the false divide that men create. Tenants of Critical Race Theory: First, that racism is everywhere. White people are incapable of righteous action (convergence theory), Antifa liberalism rejects objectivity or enlightens knowledge, and knowledge is socially constructed. They say listen to them, not God. Listen to their stories and not the truth.

But facts are relevant to truth.

The Bible is sufficient for everyone, -red and yellow, black and white. Feelings are not the arborator of truth. God’s Word is the plumb-line for Truth. I have many brothers and sisters in Christ of many colors, and ethnic backgrounds, from around the world.

People need to be delivered from sin not liberation theology. Marxism is a death trap.

Permission to Love Your Soul like the Soil Loves the Tree.

Photo by RL Brown, Edinburgh, Scotland

How many times have you started your day like you were already behind? Your list of things to do is long, necessary, and mundane. You pulled into the driveway on auto-drive and didn’t pick up the milk. In the Bible, there is a reference to people being like grasshoppers. The grasshopper never looks up.

Maybe today, you take a long way home and slow down, knowing your destination will always be there. Raising a family is for the long haul, but you are here right now. Give yourself permission to enjoy the ride, take time to look at your moments, and write them down.

Love your soul like the soil loves the tree and gives it all the space it needs. (That is not my metaphor. It is by Dovan Beck; my niece, Chloe, sent it to me through FB) I’m borrowing his metaphor with a different application.

Colossians 2:6 speaks of being rooted in faith, growing in knowledge, and overflowing with gratitude- one faith, one hope, one Lord.

Colossians 2:6: Having been firmly rooted, and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude.

God’s Word is the soil where we root our faith. The soil (God’s Word) loves the tree (me) and gives the tree (you and me) all the space it needs to grow. Give yourself permission to look up and take the rest your soul needs.

4 responses to “Permission to Love Your Soul like the Soil Loves the Tree.”

  1. Anita Ojeda Avatar
    Anita Ojeda

    What a beautiful reminder to live in the moment and to give thanks always! So glad you’re my neighbor today at FMF!

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. Deirdre Young Avatar
    Deirdre Young

    The second reminder to me that my soul needs the word daily. Thank you for reminding me. Deirdre FMF #1

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. Andrew Budek-Schmeisser Avatar
    Andrew Budek-Schmeisser

    Sometimes it’s a matter of allowing ourselves to BE loved…

    God asks that He may love my soul
    as the soil doth love the tree,
    to give me space that makes me whole
    within His family.
    But sometimes I can’t give that grace
    to the God of all creation,
    and turn from His tear-stained face
    in silent protestation,
    for I think I know me best;
    I know what I have done,
    and will not at His behest
    (nor that of His son)
    leave my dank and squalid hide,
    my self-abnegating pride.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. FMF Post August | brontebrown2 Avatar
    FMF Post August | brontebrown2

    […] Permission to Love Your Soul like the Soil Loves the Tree. […]

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Pressure

Photo by RL Brown, Niagara Falls

I Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

I have learned life consequences can take you beyond your emotional ability to handle, especially if it involves family and their decisions that cost so much. Grief and sadness are natural and break the heart in two. Tears well up, and loss overwhelms and hopes dashed. These emotions are overwhelming and indisputable, know that. But also know that God’s heart for you is real.

God intends me to place my faith in His Word and not in the caboose of my emotions. The engine is God’s Word, and my faith is like coal that I put in the engine. Faith in God’s Word is putting your trust in Him, not your feelings.

I said to a friend one day, if I were writing the Bible, I would leave out a bunch of David’s sins or wiping out nations, but then I would not have seen the depth of David’s torment, his hurt —his return to God and a relationship restored.

Now that is a wow! God loved David and He loves me too, even when I doubt.

In Romans 5 describes a sequence of growth. Tribulations brings about perseverance, and perseverance, proven character and proven character, hope: and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hears through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Pollinizers and their Pollinators

By RL Brown (WC-199) Nonfiction/ Trochaic Tetrameter

https://giphy.com/gifs/brontebrown2-bLsK0m104RZ01LV0oq

GIF/ Designed in GIPHY.com / excerpt from RasulRaumaVideo

Bumblebees, Honeybees and Wasp
Tiny things that run the world,     	
busy beats, their wings unfurled. 	 
Bumblebees love anther(pollen) threads		
blooming hues of blues and reds. 
Golden pearls spread all about, 
gathered by a little scout.
 
Pollinizers-Flower Power 
Flower bouquets spread their scent, 
whiffs and swirls at spring’s advent. 
Orchard bees seek apple trees
guided by a fragrant breeze. 
Bees create a honey treat-          	
with lavender so pure and sweet. 

The Butterfly
Dainty things that run the world,    	
silent beats, their wings unfurled.   	
Butterflies from all around
follow scents that hug the ground.
Dancing-feet atop a bloom, 	
search for nectar to consume. 
 
Pollinizers-Array of Colors
Flower clusters, vivid hues
Yellows, reds but no blues,
Flower seeds secure their worth,
stretch their roots in fertile earth.
Coneflowers and scattered seeds,
are best paired with butterfly weeds.          

 
The Hummingbird
Swiftest things that run the world,
Hums and beats, their wings unfurled.
Hummingbirds need constant fuel.
Brillant blooms attract this jewel.
Forward, backward, upside down.
These dashing fliers zip around. 
 
The Beauty of Pollinizers 
Golden flowers brilliant blooms 
Entice birds with shiny plumes.
Blazing Star to Geranium,
Coral Bells to Delphinium.
Flower meadows, patchwork plots,
Scattered seeds in local lots. 

-let's sprinkle seeds in local lots.



11 responses to “Pollinizers and their Pollinators”

  1. ofmariaantonia Avatar
    ofmariaantonia

    Hooray for pollinizers! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. brontebrown2 Avatar
      brontebrown2

      See the revised version of Pollinizers and their Pollinators- written as a Nonfiction/ in Trochaic Tetrameter

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. katiefischerwrites Avatar
    katiefischerwrites

    I love how you describe all the flowers so beautifully. It’s a pleasure to read.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. brontebrown2 Avatar
      brontebrown2

      Thank you

      Like

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      1. brontebrown2 Avatar
        brontebrown2

        See the revised version of Pollinizers and their Pollinators- written as a Nonfiction/ in Trochaic Tetrameter

        Like

  3. Colleen Owen Murphy Avatar
    Colleen Owen Murphy

    So much information shared in well-crafted verse. Great job!

    Like

    Reply
    1. brontebrown2 Avatar
      brontebrown2

      Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
    2. brontebrown2 Avatar
      brontebrown2

      See the revised version of Pollinizers and their Pollinators- written as a Nonfiction/ in Trochaic Tetrameter

      Like

      Reply
  4. ciaraoneal Avatar
    ciaraoneal

    Beautiful images and great information. Great job!

    Like

    Reply
    1. brontebrown2 Avatar
      brontebrown2

      See the revised version of Pollinizers and their Pollinators- written as a Nonfiction/ in Trochaic Tetrameter

      Like

      Reply
  5. brontebrown2 Avatar
    brontebrown2

    See the revised version of Pollinizers and their Pollinators- written as a Nonfiction/ in Trochaic Tetrameter

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Picture Books for Today

Today’s picture book market is very different from when I was a child. The book market is more selective. There exits an underlying pc culture. Very few publishers like in the past take direct submissions from new authors. So now you have written a children’s book, but does it cut the mustard (meet current standards)? 

The first step is to compare your book to what’s currently written. Go to your library and read. Read in your genre, then read books out of your genre. But read current books. Water is Water by Miranda Paul is a perfect example of a nonfiction narrative that varies vastly from the expository/factual nature of picture books in the past. Books like I Talk Like a River explore the world of a stutter and address personal issues that kids face beyond friendship or bullying. So, read and find your mentor texts. 

The second step is to know your craft before sending the query letter. Editors and agents get so many manuscripts that if they are not near perfect, they toss them. It’s like a resume filled with grammatical errors or false information. Research your agent, editor, or publishers. Make sure they are open to submissions in your genre. 

The third step is to use the tools at hand. Microsoft Word has a review function that reads your work out loud. Use Grammarly or one such program to edited your work. Don’t pay someone like I did to take the extra space from behind the period when you can do it yourself. Crtl A copies, and Crtl H brings up a dialog box to make edits all at once. 

Lastly, participate in a good critique group. Not an online, never see your face type but a Zoom group. It makes people accountable for what they say and why. A picture book must allow the reader to see for themselves what you are trying to say, not telling them what you think. For young readers, you are helping to develop their imagination. A mind free to think will imagine, reason, and then decide to act. (My synopsis line from a CS Lewis study with Hillsdale college.)

I will end by saying I had made every newbie mistake in the book by sending my manuscript out before it was ready. Take your time, learn the process, research, get your work ready, then submit. 

SAVOR Each Season /fmf

Picture by RL Brown

I savor each season.

I savor the changing season from melting snow to flowers peeking through the warming ground, a splash in the pool on a hot summer day, the colors of autumn and a harvest moon, and the stillness of winter.

I savor the changing season of life. Reaching eighteen took an eternity, and yet, the rest of my life seems like a blink of the eye. I savor the moments with my husband, the busyness of raising my children, and the pleasure of being a grandparent.


I savor my church, lessons learn, friends made, and lives touch. I savor giving back and volunteering for my community. I savor the lives I’ve touched as a teacher.

I savor God’s Word that is it forever true and is a plumb line for this world.

Life has seasons, each to be savored for the blessings they bring.

Autumn Breeze by RLBrown

Snuggled in a blanket, 
thick socks warm my toes. 
Hot latte melts my insides. 
Fall breeze tickles my nose. 
Achoo

Hay bales decorate storefronts 
with scarecrows and pumpkins. 
Overalls adorn with autumn hues, 
there sit two country bumpkins.
 Achoo-ACHOO!

It’s a crisp autumn day, 
lacking yesterday's heat. 
Local parade opens fair season,
Now is time for a delicious treat.  
ACHOO - Achoo- ACH...

A visit to the pumpkin patch 
on a sunny afternoon, 
thick with particulates 
no one is immune.
Achoo, Achoo, and ACHOO!

The Harvest Moon engulfs the sky, 
with reddish orange glow.
Cinnamon spice perfumes the air.
“Caw ,” cries a very scary crow.
Achoo, ACHOO 

Slow down and take the time
to make a pot of savory stew.
Breathe in and enjoy the season
even with a sneeze or two.
Achoo

Autumn Breeze by RL Brown October 2020

Snuggled in a blanket, thick socks warm my toes, a hot latte melts my insides, and a fall breeze tickles my nose. Achoo!
Hay bales decorate storefronts with scarecrows and pumpkins, adorn with autumn hues. It’s a typically crisp autumn day, lacking the humidity and heat of yesterday. ACHOO – Achoo.
A visit to the pumpkin patch on a sunny afternoon, thick with particulates and allergens visibly floating in the air. Achoo, Achoo, and ACHOO!
The Harvest Moon fills the evening sky, the horizon allowing only the yellow, orange, and red hues to filter through – Achoo, ACHOO!
The smell of cinnamon and spices and a warm pot of stew remind me of fall and winter coming soon. Achoo!
The Harvest Moon disappears for another year as the fall wind blows the dust away and brings winter’s crisp, clean air. Time to slow down, look around, and breathe in this fall season, even with a sneeze or two.

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One response to “Autumn Breeze by RLBrown”

  1. Sept and Oct: Fall Poems, Stories and Haikus | brontebrown2 Avatar
    Sept and Oct: Fall Poems, Stories and Haikus | brontebrown2

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Beyond Hurt! by RLBrown

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Beyond Hurt- lies hope
Photo by R. Brown Moss Mtn.

Hope hurts! So, how does one live beyond the hurt and maintain hope?
Hurtful words dash across the heart. Dreams unrealized by the busy cares of the day lie in waste. When children refuse to talk to their parents, hope for restoration dims when the years roll into another. When the future seems clouded by nefarious purposes, we pray for a turn of events. Sadness and regret fill a life once lived. Hope lost in the darkness cries of despair. We cry.
Yet, we still hope. Why?
Hope lies beyond our regrets and missed opportunities. Hope restores the heart and clears the way for renewed dreams. Hope rests on the foundational Truth of Christ Jesus. When love seems lost, and we’ve lost our way, hope shines a light. It dispels the darkness of despair. The heart responds. Hope carries the vital healing power of frankincense and myrrh. Its soothing components restore our faith and love.
Hope heals!
This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up! http://fiveminutefriday.com/linkup/

Freedom Lost in ignorance by RL Brown

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Photo by R. Brown
Niagara Falls

Stupid is now an offensive word, but impugn, denigrate, or besmirch a political opponent with expletives, and they praise you for your lack of articulate skills. When stirred by hate-filled rhetoric, acrimony becomes a course for action by parroting the hegemony media. The ensuing incompetence best describes those so full of discord that they seethe and bathe in malice until reasonable or contemplated thought perishes. The result is not free speech but a distilled compilation of whiny, immature thinkers who do not possess an original opinion. (Yes, this is a negative first paragraph).

Critical thinking is essential to free speech, and losing the ability to form an opinion based on facts is the loss of free speech. Our Founding Fathers truly understood the concept of freedom of speech. It comes with a depth of knowledge and personal responsibility to ponder your words, weigh them, and speak for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Equality doesn’t mean equal, nor does it mean taking what others have earned. The pursuit of happiness does not mean life is fair. It isn’t.
My point is to step over or away from those people and pursue your dream(s). Freedom means the right to be responsible for yourself, your words, and your actions. Know and understand what freedom of speech means, learn your history, and grasp the value of the Electoral College for the individual voter. Discover the truth, weigh your words, and then speak.


meaningless deceptions 
by the hegemony media
parroting the same song

redundant talking points
nailed to your brain
dulls the mind--

Leaves one screaming, 
"You can't handle the TRUTH."
Yet, truth is easier to swallow 
than a quagmire of lies. 
Hegemony media parrots the same song