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Being true to ourselves… creating for us, not them, not for celebrity! This holds so much to consider, make us think and grasp where we go from here. Your photos say so much too, dear friend… How gifted you are… a trifecta! 😅 gifted writer, artist and music connisuier! Well done! Thank you as always for brightening my day with much to learn and savor 😍 much love and blessings, sweet Deb! ❤️😘🤗

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Yes! to create from love and not celebrity! To reach from within, what "we" are wired for. To project our heart with all its honesty into our work and words. And to respect others for that as well. To "sense" when it's not genuine or is "created" to move us toward a nefarious agenda or cause that might not be our own life's cause.

Thank you friend, for your generous compliment and such a kind and thoughtful response. Sending you much love always. ox

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This is a beautifully written piece and the photographs were wonderful to look at. Performing music, in those moments when you're truly lost in it and passionately feeling it as it courses through you, can instantly transport you to another place. A place of pure euphoria. You can see it on the faces of all those musicians. It's a very powerful thing... 😎

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Thank you so much Chris for reading it! I know it's long. It's amazing to be in the zone and photograph musicians. I think my face gets stuck with a permanent smile! They go straight to heaven it seems! Staying true to yourself, creating from within and from the beauty and inspiration around us is so important. We have to shower that continually over those who wish to control and change minds for what art and music appreciation truly is. I love your writing because it's unique! Don't stop! oxox

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Absolutely. I think when you love doing something, that passion always shows in the work you produce, and it's such a beautiful thing to see. Thanks for reading my stories, too. I'm glad you've been enjoying them... 😎

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Chris, I can't agree more and that, in turn, is the most fulfilling way to leave the earth.

I hope you're having a good week! Our dogs (and us) just survived the hell fire of 4th of July fireworks in L.A. County 🤪😩💣💥. We woke up to big environmental warnings on our weather app. Hummmmm 🤔

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Yes, the 4th of July fireworks are always very spectacular, but they can definitely be alarming for pets. They can cause a lot of air pollution as well! Hope you had a good time celebrating with family and friends, though. And hope you have a great weekend, too... 😎

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Thank you Chris! It was a good weekend and we had family over for dinner, marking two weeks since surgery - so going very well! I hope you had a good weekend too! Thank you for supporting my writing too! ox

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That sounds lovely. And I'm glad to hear the recovery is going well. Have a great week... 😎

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Jul 3Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt, Alexander Semenyuk

Well written. Cause for more discernment, as if we could ever do enough!

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Thank you so much Clement! and right? it's difficult to keep up! I am learning that our educational institutions are pushing the most hideous "in the name of art," all coming from nefarious actors in government. Far worse than I thought. But history proves it's not shocking!

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Jul 3Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt

Go Deb GO! I LOVE watching people pursue their passion. Yo Yo Ma is pure musical genius - the video looks like something Kimberly Warner would have put together! Thanks for sharing!

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ha ha! Thank you Bob! It was so cool to “not” be satisfied with what I was finding when searching that classical Bach piece to match my words. Seemed all I could find was 5 to 20 favorite Bach pieces on a single video. I kept saying out loud, “I just need this one song!” It’s on my playlist? why not a video! It took a few googling pages to see this one with Yo Yo Ma - I loved it initially for the cityscape and then saw how the video was literally expressing what I was talking about! God is good like that! and yes, Kimberly would probably do even better! ox

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Jul 3Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt

Wonderful, Deb. Yes to creating your passion, to you taking the stunning photos as the moments revealed themselves, to all who create something for the love of creation. Beautifully said ❤️

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Thank you Jenn! Yesss to being you! To projecting love, passion, and whatever comes from within as we paint, draw, sketch, photograph, write. Our natural emotions play a huge part in our creativity. oxox

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Well said ❤️

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Jul 2Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt

Deborah this was such a heart, mind and spirit expanding journey. Thank you so much for putting all of this out there, what a gift! Absolutely stunning piece.❤️‍🔥🙏

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Oh Dear Niki, this just made my day! I know it's a tough subject, but it is something I have stood on for a long, long time. I know it's hard to stay true to yourself and balance that with earning a living, but in the end my point is to be aware of how easy it is to get swept up into a wave of control, where you lose pieces of yourself. Pieces that are God given gifts! It's hard for many to "see or feel." Sending you so much love and thank you for taking the time to read this and bless me with such a beautiful, kind comment. Stay passionate! ox

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Jul 2Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt, Alexander Semenyuk

What a thoughtful and thought-eliciting piece.

Thank you.

Your photographs are delightful.

I particularly appreciate this question:

Is it me or them?

It is a question I wrestle with often. I believe the answer is both, but I am the only one whose actions I can direct.

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Thank you so much for reading and for this kind comment. I do believe at times that “it is both” too, yet I feel the imbalance of leadership and that’s when I retreat to remind myself that I am free in God to stand on truth, make wise decisions for myself, and to stand on my purpose to create and not have it trodden on for the purpose of power and control. As long as we are good stewards, follow basic rules laid out for “our good,” rather than the chaos we are seeing - that is part of “the both.” ox

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Jul 2Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt

I'm so grateful that you contributed to Alexander's Lighthouse publication so that I could find your voice.

I look forward to receiving letters from The Family We Keep.

:)

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Oh gosh, I just saw you subscribed! Thank you so very much! I never started writing to gain an audience. I began writing my way out of grief and God has turned it into something with a purpose. I’ve said if one person doesn’t feel alone in grief or in their struggles, or just relates to anything I am saying then that is an incredible blessing and I am doing the right thing by being here. Thank you again. ox

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Jul 3Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt

Same… I had no idea the journey I was embarking on when I started writing and sharing my stories. 🙏🏻

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Jul 3·edited Jul 3Author

It’s very exciting to know that you can start something like writing and then look back and see a whole journey of wonder and release. It’s been such a positive experience. We will leave something behind for our family that really means a lot to our hearts. I look forward to reading your work. I am slow! It’s an amazing place here! I could stay for days! ox

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Jul 3Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt

I love your enthusiasm! I am reminded of when I started a challenge called 100 Naked Words back in 2016.

It brings me lots of joy to look back… and to read some of those early pieces!

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deletedJul 2Liked by Deborah T. Hewitt, Alexander Semenyuk
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Thank you :)

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