Poems of Praise and Pain: Encouragement for Believers

By Heidi Kinney

Encouragement for Believers

 

In Poems of Praise and Pain, author and poet Heidi Kinney explores the depths of grief, motherhood, mental health, and faith through her beautiful, relatable, and thought-provoking poetry. Through her captivating words, she offers readers a sense of hope and encouragement, reminding them they're not alone in their struggles.

 

As a mother and widow, Kinney writes with raw honesty, vulnerability, and a deep understanding of the challenges that many believers face. In this powerful and inspiring collection, she includes a personal reflection with each poem, giving readers a unique poetry experience.

 

Whether you're looking for support, healing, or motivation in your journey of faith, Poems of Praise and Pain is a must-read. With its timeless poetry, you'll want to return to it again and again.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heidi Kinney
• Release date: Jan 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985781656

Heidi Kinney

Heidi Kinney is a writer from Massachusetts. Although always passionate about her writing, she kept it as a personal hobby and began her professional life as a secondary mathematics teacher. Years later, she moved closer to her passion when she transitioned to the world of publishing as an editor for an educational publishing company. After the birth of her first son, she entered the freelance publishing realm, where she remained until the birth of her second son. Just a few months later, her world crumbled as she experienced the devastating loss of her husband to a malignant brain tumor. In the years that followed, she fought anxiety and depression as she lovingly raised her two boys. Writing aided in her healing and gradually rekindled her love of sharing thoughts, experiences, and lessons through words. Today, she uses her writing to inspire others to live happier and healthier lives. Follow at: www.facebook.com/HKinneyWriter and www.instagram.com/HKinneyWriter

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www.heidikinney.com

Copyright © 2022 Heidi Kinney.

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means or methods, current or future, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without prior written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. The author assumes no responsibility or liability on behalf of the consumer of this material. This book is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice on any issue, including but not limited to physical, psychological, or spiritual. For permission requests, contact [e-mail]. Cover design by GetCovers.

ISBN 979-8-9857816-5-6

CONTENTS

Introduction

Praise and Pain

Stepping Forward

Dark Cloud

The Serpent

When the Sadness Comes

Trust

Birds and Trees

A Single Choice

Glorious Morning

Indecision

Some Days Up, Some Days Down

Show Me Your Sunshine

Broken

Alone in the Pew

So, I Pretend

Singing with the Lord

Small Victories

Nighttime

Madness

Tomorrow

Crazy Christian

Like a Lion

Wake Me Up

Pebble

Strength

Comfy in the Corner

Politics

Bereaved

Grief

Bedtime

Obstinate

It’s Your Choice

Instinct

Adjectives of the Day

Cobwebs

Hide and Seek

The Journey

In Solitude

Would You Love Me

Sing Praises

Sanctuary

Tied

Capabilities

Beautifully Broken

Another Way

Happy Place

Have You Forgotten

The Tiny Voice

Share

Moments

Butterfly

A New Season

Introduction

While rummaging through a box filled with mementos from my childhood, I found a poem I wrote for a school assignment. Scrawled in red pen across the page is a note from my teacher: Well done, as usual.

It’s interesting to read the comment because it reminds me of my earlier self. I don’t recall much from school, but I do remember that I took poetry seriously. I loved to read it, and I did my best to write it. In fact, I would write poems for anyone who showed an interest. Playing with words was one of my favorite pastimes. It still is!

Many times, words jump up and demand notice. They spin and frolic inside my head with such merriment and determination that I am compelled to write them down. Often, these words dance their way into a poem. Other times, they remain on scraps of paper, waiting patiently for me to remember why I wrote them in the first place.

Some poems in this collection began as scribbled words on bits of paper. This book features both recent and older poems. Some were written during the years described in my memoir, Looking Back and Running Forward.

Poetry speaks to each of us differently. That’s one reason it’s so special. We read and interpret it through our own unique perspective.

Sometimes poetry doesn’t speak to us at all. We wonder what the poet was thinking. Why was the poem written? With each poem in this book, I included a personal message that offers something to ponder, a glimpse into my mind as I reflect on each poem. Read