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Abiding Hope & Love - Connie Arnold
Abiding Hope & Love
Connie Arnold
ISBN: 9781604742329
PublishAmerica
Reviewed By Wendy Paulson
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
The times in which we live present us with daunting challenges at every turn: increased crime, a souring economy, the looming specters of job loss, foreclosure, and repossession - no matter which form they take, the difficulties that surround us only seem to get worse every day. In light of such adversity, finding the silver linings to the omnipresent clouds of despair can be quite an arduous task.
So, when a poetic collection such as Abiding Hope & Love comes along - whether you’re a poetry lover or not - you will serve yourself well to embrace the jewels of light and wisdom contained therein. Skillfully penned by Connie Arnold, Abiding Hope & Love presents the reader with a host of different of topics, ranging from nature to children to music to the Bible, but all centered on the healing, inspiring effects that hope lends to any difficult circumstance. In so doing, Arnold provides the reader with a spiritual blueprint for introducing healing into his/her own life through the simple act of shifting focus from the negative to the positive.
Consider, for example, this passage from "Signs of Hope":
"If life seems to overwhelm you
Till you feel you cannot cope,
Just stop and look around you,
Discover the signs of hope.
No matter what circumstances
May occur in your life's course,
Your heart will be filled with peace
When God is your hope's source."
and this passage from "Stars":
"God exists or else he doesn't,
There is no in between,
And with faith we can accept
Even what cannot be seen.
God's love beams much brighter
Than the strongest star we see,
To give hope and safe guidance
To lost souls like you and me."
In both pieces, Arnold presents the reader with compelling reasons for acknowledging the various sources of hope available to them, no matter how insignificant they may seem.
Arnold also effectively displays the benefits of selfless giving, the very practice of which contributes greatly to elevating one’s personal mood and state of mind. For example, this passage from "When You Give Love":
"When you give love, you give peace of mind
And comfort another to whom you are kind.
When love is what you freely are giving,
What you receive makes life more worth living."
and this passage from "The Gift of Love":
"Love is more a matter
Of the heart than of the mind,
It's giving of yourself,
Being thoughtful and also kind.
It brings a special lightness
And brightens up each day,
And makes life more worth living
When you give love away."
perfectly highlight all the advantages of selfless giving that await us all - if we only have the courage required to make the sacrifice.
Abiding Hope & Love is a well-crafted, thoroughly insightful volume sure to inspire even the gloomiest of souls. Uplifting and encouraging, the various pieces that compose the collection are consummately comforting and reassuring, displayed most saliently in the eponymous title poem that leads off the book:
"When the winds of fear and hatred
Rage and roar along their course,
Through prayer their strength is weakened,
As faith subdues their force.
There's a safe, secure retreat,
A place down deep inside,
The center of life's storms,
Where hope and love abide."
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Connie Arnold (Abiding Hope & Love)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Connie. We're looking forward to learning more about your collection.
With its primary theme of hope in the face of difficulty, your book is especially timely in this day and age. Is the current economic and spiritual climate of the world what inspired you to craft a poetic collection with a specific focus on light and positivity?
Connie Arnold: The spiritual climate certainly had an impact. There is so much pain, sorrow, fear and suffering in the world, and people are trying to find peace and happiness but not sure where to turn. The source of hope and love in my life is the inspiration for wanting to share with others the way to experience true peace and joy in their own lives.
AR: In the book, you skillfully link hope and inspiration together with such topics as children, personal relationships, and nature. Was it difficult for you to make those special connections for the readers?
CA: No, it was rather easy for me because these are things that are very special to me and provide much inspiration. I have close, loving relationships with my family and friends. My three grandsons, aged 5 and younger, have been a great source of inspiration for the poems about children! Living in North Carolina with its variety, natural beauty and lovely seasons has a definite positive effect on my creativity. Spring especially to me is a season of hope.
AR: What specific advice would you give to someone currently struggling to find the brighter side of life?
CA: Look for the beauty in the world. Be open to receiving the love offered to you and ways you can show love to others. Take time for prayer and meditation to more fully experience the peace and joy that flows to you.
AR: What kinds of reactions have you gotten to the book thus far?
CA: Some of the comments that have been made about Abiding Hope & Love are that the poems renew the soul, give a fresh look on life, are gentle reminders of the Lord’s everlasting mercy and grace, offer encouragement through the difficulties of life, a glimmer of hope in dark times, and are verses you can sing in your heart.
AR: Who have been some of your chief writing influences?
CA: My parents, although they passed away before much of my poetry had been written, were great influences in teaching me what is important in life and in developing the positive attitude and joy that my writing reflects. Many poets, especially Helen Steiner Rice, Robert Frost and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, have influenced my poetry writing. A desire to inspire in my children and grandchildren hope, joy and peace regardless of what they may face in life has influenced what I write as well. The chief influence in writing and all things, of course, is God.
AR: What inspires you to keep going?
CA: Faith is what inspires me most, knowing that whatever happens, I am loved and have an ever present source of comfort and peace. Feeling that what I do and write makes a difference to someone is also very inspiring.
AR: Please share more with us about your other book, Beautiful Moments Of Joy And Peace.
CA: Moving away from family and friends to North Carolina when my husband got a new job here was a big adjustment. The pain, fatigue, weakness and other problems of lupus were a constant challenge, and I began looking for positive things in life. Living in this area of the country, beauty was not hard to find! I began writing poems filled with this beauty and expressing the joy and peace that can be found in life, discovering in writing a sense of healing that I wanted to share with others. Over several years I accumulated quite a collection, and the title Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace seemed to fit perfectly with the theme of the poems!
AR: How has your publishing experience been thus far with PublishAmerica?
CA: PublishAmerica was easy to work with in getting my books published, and they provided beautiful covers for both books. It has been a good way for me as an unknown writer of inspirational poetry to have what I have been inspired to write available to others. I have met so many wonderful people as a result, who have greatly touched my life as I hope my poetry has touched theirs!
AR: How can people learn more about Abiding Hope & Love, including how to purchase a copy for themselves?
CA: My website, www.freewebs.com/conniearnold provides information about Abiding Hope & Love, including excerpts, reviews and purchase links. It is available from Amazon with the Look Inside feature.
AR: How can our readers contact you directly, in case they have any further questions or concerns?
CA: Readers are welcome to contact me through my website or email me at beautifulmomentsofjoyandpeace@yahoo.com and it would be a delight to hear from you or answer any questions.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
CA: I really appreciate this opportunity to share a little about Abiding Hope & Love and thank each of you who are reading this. It is my hope that you will experience hope and love in your life and be filled with joy and peace!
AR: Thanks again, Connie, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
CA: Thank you!
Connie Arnold
ISBN: 9781604742329
PublishAmerica
Reviewed By Wendy Paulson
Official Apex Reviews Rating:
The times in which we live present us with daunting challenges at every turn: increased crime, a souring economy, the looming specters of job loss, foreclosure, and repossession - no matter which form they take, the difficulties that surround us only seem to get worse every day. In light of such adversity, finding the silver linings to the omnipresent clouds of despair can be quite an arduous task.
So, when a poetic collection such as Abiding Hope & Love comes along - whether you’re a poetry lover or not - you will serve yourself well to embrace the jewels of light and wisdom contained therein. Skillfully penned by Connie Arnold, Abiding Hope & Love presents the reader with a host of different of topics, ranging from nature to children to music to the Bible, but all centered on the healing, inspiring effects that hope lends to any difficult circumstance. In so doing, Arnold provides the reader with a spiritual blueprint for introducing healing into his/her own life through the simple act of shifting focus from the negative to the positive.
Consider, for example, this passage from "Signs of Hope":
"If life seems to overwhelm you
Till you feel you cannot cope,
Just stop and look around you,
Discover the signs of hope.
No matter what circumstances
May occur in your life's course,
Your heart will be filled with peace
When God is your hope's source."
and this passage from "Stars":
"God exists or else he doesn't,
There is no in between,
And with faith we can accept
Even what cannot be seen.
God's love beams much brighter
Than the strongest star we see,
To give hope and safe guidance
To lost souls like you and me."
In both pieces, Arnold presents the reader with compelling reasons for acknowledging the various sources of hope available to them, no matter how insignificant they may seem.
Arnold also effectively displays the benefits of selfless giving, the very practice of which contributes greatly to elevating one’s personal mood and state of mind. For example, this passage from "When You Give Love":
"When you give love, you give peace of mind
And comfort another to whom you are kind.
When love is what you freely are giving,
What you receive makes life more worth living."
and this passage from "The Gift of Love":
"Love is more a matter
Of the heart than of the mind,
It's giving of yourself,
Being thoughtful and also kind.
It brings a special lightness
And brightens up each day,
And makes life more worth living
When you give love away."
perfectly highlight all the advantages of selfless giving that await us all - if we only have the courage required to make the sacrifice.
Abiding Hope & Love is a well-crafted, thoroughly insightful volume sure to inspire even the gloomiest of souls. Uplifting and encouraging, the various pieces that compose the collection are consummately comforting and reassuring, displayed most saliently in the eponymous title poem that leads off the book:
"When the winds of fear and hatred
Rage and roar along their course,
Through prayer their strength is weakened,
As faith subdues their force.
There's a safe, secure retreat,
A place down deep inside,
The center of life's storms,
Where hope and love abide."
Click Here To Learn More About Abiding Hope & Love
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Connie Arnold (Abiding Hope & Love)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Connie. We're looking forward to learning more about your collection.
With its primary theme of hope in the face of difficulty, your book is especially timely in this day and age. Is the current economic and spiritual climate of the world what inspired you to craft a poetic collection with a specific focus on light and positivity?
Connie Arnold: The spiritual climate certainly had an impact. There is so much pain, sorrow, fear and suffering in the world, and people are trying to find peace and happiness but not sure where to turn. The source of hope and love in my life is the inspiration for wanting to share with others the way to experience true peace and joy in their own lives.
AR: In the book, you skillfully link hope and inspiration together with such topics as children, personal relationships, and nature. Was it difficult for you to make those special connections for the readers?
CA: No, it was rather easy for me because these are things that are very special to me and provide much inspiration. I have close, loving relationships with my family and friends. My three grandsons, aged 5 and younger, have been a great source of inspiration for the poems about children! Living in North Carolina with its variety, natural beauty and lovely seasons has a definite positive effect on my creativity. Spring especially to me is a season of hope.
AR: What specific advice would you give to someone currently struggling to find the brighter side of life?
CA: Look for the beauty in the world. Be open to receiving the love offered to you and ways you can show love to others. Take time for prayer and meditation to more fully experience the peace and joy that flows to you.
AR: What kinds of reactions have you gotten to the book thus far?
CA: Some of the comments that have been made about Abiding Hope & Love are that the poems renew the soul, give a fresh look on life, are gentle reminders of the Lord’s everlasting mercy and grace, offer encouragement through the difficulties of life, a glimmer of hope in dark times, and are verses you can sing in your heart.
AR: Who have been some of your chief writing influences?
CA: My parents, although they passed away before much of my poetry had been written, were great influences in teaching me what is important in life and in developing the positive attitude and joy that my writing reflects. Many poets, especially Helen Steiner Rice, Robert Frost and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, have influenced my poetry writing. A desire to inspire in my children and grandchildren hope, joy and peace regardless of what they may face in life has influenced what I write as well. The chief influence in writing and all things, of course, is God.
AR: What inspires you to keep going?
CA: Faith is what inspires me most, knowing that whatever happens, I am loved and have an ever present source of comfort and peace. Feeling that what I do and write makes a difference to someone is also very inspiring.
AR: Please share more with us about your other book, Beautiful Moments Of Joy And Peace.
CA: Moving away from family and friends to North Carolina when my husband got a new job here was a big adjustment. The pain, fatigue, weakness and other problems of lupus were a constant challenge, and I began looking for positive things in life. Living in this area of the country, beauty was not hard to find! I began writing poems filled with this beauty and expressing the joy and peace that can be found in life, discovering in writing a sense of healing that I wanted to share with others. Over several years I accumulated quite a collection, and the title Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace seemed to fit perfectly with the theme of the poems!
AR: How has your publishing experience been thus far with PublishAmerica?
CA: PublishAmerica was easy to work with in getting my books published, and they provided beautiful covers for both books. It has been a good way for me as an unknown writer of inspirational poetry to have what I have been inspired to write available to others. I have met so many wonderful people as a result, who have greatly touched my life as I hope my poetry has touched theirs!
AR: How can people learn more about Abiding Hope & Love, including how to purchase a copy for themselves?
CA: My website, www.freewebs.com/conniearnold provides information about Abiding Hope & Love, including excerpts, reviews and purchase links. It is available from Amazon with the Look Inside feature.
AR: How can our readers contact you directly, in case they have any further questions or concerns?
CA: Readers are welcome to contact me through my website or email me at beautifulmomentsofjoyandpeace@yahoo.com and it would be a delight to hear from you or answer any questions.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
CA: I really appreciate this opportunity to share a little about Abiding Hope & Love and thank each of you who are reading this. It is my hope that you will experience hope and love in your life and be filled with joy and peace!
AR: Thanks again, Connie, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
CA: Thank you!