Tiffany Joy

Poetry Readings

by tiffanyPoetry, recorded November 26, 2019November 5, 2019No Comments

I, Tiffany Joy, have started a new YouTube project. You must all be absolutely shocked! I do always feel like I’m starting new projects. This one is part of my efforts to promote what I’ve already written, by recording readings of my work. I’ve started by recording my poetry readings.

Most of the poems are from my book Growing Poems. I am starting to mix in my newer poetry that I published here.

I figured that I would share my favorites with those who either have stumbled on my site or frequent it more that Youtube. I’ll also be sharing this on my social media accounts, so I guess the post will just be spreading the word more.

Now onto the Poetry Readings

The first is one of my newer poems, but the first reading. It is called, “To Those Who Struggle.” For personal reasons, I needed to share this first. After all I always meant to have it as a reading.

Poems and Memories is a poem I wrote right after I realized what I was going to be calling my first poetry book. It reflects the idea of poems growing and being part of me.

Lady Isabella is again from my poetry book and is about my dog. I wrote it as her life was ending and it has always been a hard one for me to read. However, I do love it.

The last poem is Power. It is also from my poetry book. It is a 3 stanza poem that I wrote in college about a relationship.

There is a complete playlist of all my poetry readings, including older ones, on YouTube.

Note: This is the entire playlist.

I hope you enjoyed my poetry readings, as much as I enjoyed making them. Feel free to give me any feedback you have. All is welcomed.

Gum On The Cross

by tiffanyGod Shows Up November 19, 2019November 5, 2019No Comments

I don’t remember too many lessons about God from when I was a kid. Honestly, I believe the majority of lessons I hear in church fall away from my conscious memory. When I was a kid the ratio was even higher. This is because most services were spent in the back of a catholic church where me and my sister would help each other not pay attention.

One Sunday I did go to a children’s church program. It was at my step-dad’s church, so I was at least 8 years old. The kids would go downstairs, into the basement of the church, while the adults learned in the main sanctuary.

As the lesson start all the kids were given gum. We were told to chew it up and then put our gum on the cross.

Now I didn’t know much about Christianity, the cross, or church, but I knew the basics. Putting gum on the central symbol of Christianity seemed disrespectful.

My gum was chewed up, covered in my spit, and gross. That was part of the pastor’s point. Our sin is gross.

The part about putting it on the cross was showing us we can give our grossness to God. Jesus dies on the cross and rose again, so that we can know a relationship with Him.

Through out my life I forgot many lessons, feel away from God, and didn’t believe in Him. However, I never forgot the lesson of the gum on the cross.

This is a post in the series God Shows Up. Follow the link to read more.

Slow Down Sunshine (A Poem)

by tiffanyPoetry November 13, 2019June 4, 2020No Comments

She said slow down sunshine
you have all your life to live.
Slow down sunshine
you have all your love to give,
so slow down sunshine
let your mind be inactive.
Simply slow down sunshine.

This is a journey not a race,
there is no medal to win;
no champion to face.
You can do all you want
in time you will see.
Enjoy what you have now
before it becomes a memory.
All you need to do is slow down.

She said slow down sunshine
you have all your life to live.
Slow down sunshine
you have all your love to give,
so slow down sunshine
let your mind be inactive.

This is another poem that started it’s journey as a song.

I do have more poems on my site and poetry readings on YouTube.

Church

by tiffanyGod Shows Up, Life October 27, 2019October 10, 2019No Comments

Intro

Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, just like going to a rock concert doesn’t make you a musician. Still church is an important aspect of the Christian life. Finding your church home and being part of a community helps you grow spiritually and can strengthen your relationship with God. A church family also can support you and give godly advice.

The Story

I’m not sure which one of my 4 close friends found Elevation or suggested it first, but we all went one Sunday evening. After attending only a few times, we were invited to come early for dinner. I was uncertain about going. I thought we would be out of place and not belong, but the gang went.

We soon would start to go to ‘after hours’ and spend more time with the church people we had just met. I then started helping out, along we the others. We became part of the family of Elevation.

As we grew spiritually Elevation felt more like family. We were home when we were around Elevation’s people.

For a few years I did move away and had to find a new church. It was hard feeling alone in my journey and not among my church family. In a way that grew my faith and moved me along my spiritual journey. It showed me how to follow God alone and what truly blocks me from following Him closely.

Once I moved back to the area it felt as though I filled a new void and fit into the family again. Sometimes I even forget that there was a time I wasn’t seeing the Elevation family weekly.

Yes, we can be weird and easily distracted. We are not perfect, but we love God and follow Him. The Elevation family helps those in need and loves all. We do our best with what God gave us and work towards being closer to Him. Our church helps each one of us do that.

For more information on my amazing church you can check out our website.

For more information about how God has shown up in my life you can check out the other posts in this series.

Seasonal (A Poem)

by tiffanyPoetry October 9, 2019June 4, 2020No Comments


 I don't want a seasonal type of lover
 one whose love will change and fall.
 No, I don't want a seasonal type of lover.
 I want nothing or I want it all,
 so jump into my river.
 I'll take you to the ocean of me.
 
 
 I don't want a seasonal type of lover
 one whose love will change and fall.
 I want someone who will stay
 a love whose love will be strong,
 so come behind my mask
 and watch my wall crumble down.
 
 
 I don't want a seasonal type of lover  
 one who's love will change and fall.

This was originally written as a song and in the future it may become one again. For now I hope you enjoy it as a poem.

I do have more poems on my site and poetry readings on YouTube.

Christian Camp – God Shows Up

by tiffanyGod Shows Up September 24, 2019February 12, 2020No Comments

When I was about 10 years old I went to a Christian camp named Camp Brea and . It was a standard camp experience. We camped in cabins, there was a lake, and it was in the middle of a forest. Trees surround the majority of the camp with the exception of the lake and a long building with dirt parking spaces. There was also a chapel among the trees.

One day towards the end of camp I was in the chapel, a service must have just finished. I was alone with one adult camp counselor. She and I sat on a bench and talked about Jesus. She asked me a few questions about faith and accepting Jesus. At the time everything made sense and Jesus seemed present. She guided me through a standard prayer and then we signed a paper that I could bring home with me. It was a confession of my faith; a sign that I decided to accept Jesus into my heart.

The paper was lost, along with the memory of what happened. I returned to my life and didn’t think anything else of that summer camp. It wasn’t until I was telling my testimony, after becoming a Christian that I even remembered that there once was a paper and the memory existed.

Looking back on my life

I see where God did intervene on my behalf. I could have gone down darker paths or have horrible accidents. There was a time when I was far from him, making wrong decisions, and living a life focused on fun. It was because of those wrong decisions and impurity that I was led to California where I eventually found God again and gave my heart fully and truly to Jesus.

In the end He was with me, even if I didn’t know it. Even when my life didn’t reflect Him, He was in the background waiting.

Blessed Are ( A Poem)

by tiffanyPoetry September 11, 2019January 3, 2020No Comments

Blessed are the broken

for they get to be fix.

Blessed are the outcasts

for they’ll learn true love.

Blessed are the reformed hurtful

they’ll know forgiveness.

Blessed are those with a surrendered and dirty heart

they are in the Lord’s arms.

Blessed are those with clean hearts

the Lord will call them home.

Blessed are those who bless others

they will shine the Lord’s love.

Blessed are those who forgiveness

they will share the Lord’s compassion.

Blessed are you

for you are beautifully alive.

I do regularly publish poems on my site and post poetry readings on YouTube.

Mentally Healthy Bagel

by tiffanyHealthy Bagel, Life September 5, 2019September 22, 2019No Comments

I have primarily talked about physical health and my journey with weight loss. However, that is not actually the main focus of this journey. Instead of working towards a physical health goal, like weight loss. I have been trying to be mindful of the reasons behind my habits and my mindset that caused me to not be my physical best. Basically I am working on the inside out this time.

Your mind is where every action or inaction stems from, so you should pay attention and take care of it. Why am I eating what I eating? It is because some part of my brain said, “Yes, tuna fish is what you want to eat right now.” It could have very easy decided that I actually should go to the store and buy a large thing of ice-cream, but it didn’t. Looking at the reason behind your actions or inaction can teach you so much about yourself.

Once I fully grasped the concept that every action or inaction comes from my brain, I realized that I can control and change my mind. I didn’t have to stay stuck with the same thought patterns or reactions. This is really when I started my health journey.

Why I think Dieting fails

Yes, I had tried dieting before and living a healthier lifestyle many times. I would typically fail, because I was just doing what I thought I should be doing and not looking at the reasons. The reasons didn’t resonate deep enough for me to keep with it and what I truly wanted to change was not actually being changed.

Most of the time the reasons we want to change our outward appearance has more to do with how we see ourselves and inner minds. That is why I never saw lasting change. I wasn’t changing the foundation or inner life, so my outside appearance was only always temporary.

Let me rephrase that for you:

If you don’t change the inside your outside appearance will only be temporary.

A few months ago

I realized the need to change my inner life and thought pattern a few months or maybe even a year ago, so I started my deep dive. That is when I started “Healthy Bagel.” I wrote the first blog post, but didn’t publish it and then backed away. Something was holding me back. I realize now I didn’t really want to do the deep dive into my mind. However, that was the only way real change would happen.

When I finally did look honestly at myself I realized the real reasons why I wanted to get ‘healthy.’ I use quotes, because I have no chronic illness, I’m hardly ever sick, and can be pretty active.

Here is what I realized about my reasons for being physically fit

My BMI (Body Mass Index) defined my health in my mind and I used the BMI system as a way to keep my confidence down.
My desire is to be more attractive
I want to feel better about my physical body.
Mainstream society’s weight limits and attitudes dictated my own.
If I was a smaller size it would be easier to find a bra.
Finally, I want to prove to myself I can be as fit as I want.

To put it simply I want to feel good about my body and increase my confidence.

How am I using my reasons to get healthier?

First I am looking at the beliefs behind the reasons. Why do I equate BMI with health? Why am I not feel great about my physical body? Why do I want to prove that I can be more physically fit? Why is my confidence tied to my physical appearance?

Some of beliefs are influenced by the society and culture I am a part of; others are more personal. I’m still explore which ones are which and how to overcome the limiting beliefs.

I do know that being physically active is a good thing and I do feel better when I’m taking care of myself, so that won’t change. I want to be the best version of me and currently that involves taking a journey towards being the healthiest I can be.

For more on my health journey check out the previous blog posts.

main UnZipped Surrealism painting art write up

Unzipped (Art Write-Up)

by tiffanyVisual art August 30, 2019August 28, 2019No Comments

Title: Unzipped
Size: 14 x 11
Medium: Acrylic paint on Canvas
Finished Date: Early 2017
Summary: Unzipped is my first surrealism painting came when rains came after a long drought. The change in weather gave new life to the land and showed me that life can be renewed even after a long rest and struggle.

Write Up

Inspired by surrealism I painted an image that came to be while driving home after a rain storm.

California was is a drought and before the rains came everything looked dead and dry. We then had heavy rain fro at least two weeks. It seemed like the days the rains stopped nature came back to life. Everything was green and colorful again.

It was as though the sky unzipped and brought life back.

In this painting I captured the wonderful feeling that the rain brought. It was as though we were transported to a different land.

Over half the painting has blues and greens with touches of red, yellow and a bit of brown. The other half, where the rain has not reached, is filled with gray and tan. There is no life vegetation where there is no rain.

The could that is being unzipped also takes up a large portion of the dry section. It gives a hope that the rain is coming, but also shows that more focus is on the rain when there isn’t any.

This painting is split, but should give you hope. Rain will come when it is needed and breath new life into the same land, so even if things seem gloomy, dark, and dead keep the hope alive. Life can be renewed.

More information

This painting it is for sale on eBay.

I have a section on this site if you would like to explore more of my visual art.

Not Lost (A Poem)

by tiffanymy creative self, Poetry August 21, 2019January 3, 2020No Comments

I am not lost
Yet I will journey on.
My path leads into the depths,
into the forest of understandings;
Like a tree rooted in family
but growing towards the sky with each passing experience.
A bird who has freedom to fly
still returns to her nest.

I walk on, learning more of me,
seeing different sides.
I am a diamond with a multitude of facets,
a puzzle I’m piecing together.
I am not lost,
yet I still journey on.

I do regularly publish poems on my site and post poetry readings on YouTube.