A Weekend Called WOW
WOW. That is the word that continues to echo in my heart after this weekend.
I went into it not knowing what to expect, but what unfolded was beyond anything I could have imagined. To see Can I Just Write now housed within the Georgia Library PINES system, the Public Information Network for Electronic Services, is absolutely humbling.
Preparing to Return Home
Just like Ezra at the river Ahava, this entire weekend became my own sacred pause. Before moving forward, there was preparation, spiritual, emotional, and mental. I did not rush the process. I prayed, aligned, and allowed the Heavenly Father to move before I did.
PINES connects 300 libraries and service outlets across 51 library systems in 149 counties, creating a borderless library for the entire state. Knowing that my book now joins a shared collection of 11 million books and materials accessible free to anyone with a library card feels like divine expansion, proof that obedience bears fruit in unseen places.
Separation Is Not Rejection, It Is Correction
In many ways, this homecoming reminded me that distance does not mean disconnection. Standing in the very place my grandfather helped reestablish and reaffirm reminded me that sometimes the Heavenly Father removes us from what is familiar to refine what is within. The time away was not abandonment but awakening.
Preparation Must Precede the Return
The book discussion itself was another wow moment. We planned for ten attendees, but every seat was filled, and even overflow could not contain the response. That overflow was not just physical; it was spiritual. The people were ready, and so was I. Like Ezra, I realized you cannot rush restoration; it happens in the Heavenly Father’s timing, not ours.
Recognizing What Has Changed
Returning home after so many years, everything looked familiar yet new. The streets, the faces, the energy, it all carried history and evolution. That is when I understood that preparation shapes perception. When your heart is ready, change no longer intimidates you; it invites you to appreciate how much growth has taken place.
Acknowledgment, Admittance, and Accountability
Speaking at my grandfather’s church, worshiping with my family, and reflecting with my younger brother Tramell reminded me of the importance of acknowledgment. We cannot heal what we refuse to name. My dad, Tony Brown, assisting with altar call, my mom driving from Atlanta, and friends from Creative Impressions showing up in support all reminded me that returning home is not just physical presence, it is emotional honesty and spiritual accountability.
Preparation Leads to Discipline, Discipline Leads to Submission, Submission Leads to Restoration, Restoration Leads to Worship
Worship was powerful. Tramell’s song filled the room, and I could feel generations of love rising. It was as if every trial and tear had prepared this exact moment of worship. That is the order of divine renewal. Preparation positioned me for discipline, discipline strengthened submission, submission made room for restoration, and restoration led to worship.
All of this capped the fifteenth week of Can I Just Write in the Top 100 Motivational and Inspirational Poetry category. This journey continues to affirm that pain can be repurposed into purpose, and that what once weighed us down can become an extension of freedom.
This weekend reinforced something I have been reflecting on deeply, that preparation to return home requires openness. Sometimes we set expectations for what we think will happen, but when we surrender to divine timing, the Heavenly Father has a way of exceeding them all.
So yes, wow is the word, because this weekend was not just beautiful, it was necessary.
Next Steps: Get Involved and Support the Journey
If you haven’t had the chance to view the powerful video for Blue & Blue, I encourage you to watch it now. Directed by Joel Russell of JRuss Films, LLC, the video beautifully captures the essence of the poem and the powerful message it conveys. Also, catch up on our CBS 17 Feature as well. See below to purchase your copy of the book, learn more about the initiative behind it, or to simply support our organization. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Your involvement truly makes all the difference.
Love Is A Parable- an initiative and movement that later became an organization within itself. Love is A Parable is a DBA and subsidiary of Altar and Dwelling Place, Inc. We are a charitable and educational 501c3 organization, that provides character, social, and leadership development to those who have an aspiration toward unity, love, and kindness through a reflective thinking approach and sacred-box theory that involves value-based education.
J. Dwayne Garnett, BSRT, MHA, QP
Chief Executive Officer
Love Is A Parable
Available for Empowerment Speaking Engagements, Consultations, Uncovering Sessions, and Instruction.
Find out more about J by clicking HERE!