Mattie Stepanek, Poet and Peacemaker

Tonight I watched Friday’s Oprah show with Jeni Stepanek, the mother of young Mattie J.T. Stepanek, poet, author, and peacemaker. Mattie died in June 2004, not long before his 14th birthday. Again seeing Mattie brought me tears but also smiles. I have always had a place in my heart for that kid with that warm smile and the twinkle in his eyes. I’ve always been so moved and inspired by the wisdom and love he possessed. If you do not know Mattie’s story, please visit his website and read about him. He came into life with such hardship and he lived with pain and yet he set that aside and lived with joy and hope, and dedicated his life to love and peace.

I have all of Mattie’s Heartsongs poetry books, and his book, Just Peace, A Message of Hope by Mattie J.T. Stepanek, with Jimmy Carter, Edited by Jennifer Smith Stepanek.

I also have Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs, written by Mattie’s mother, Jeni, and with a Foreword by Maya Angelou. This memoir gives readers intimate details about Mattie’s earliest years through his final days of life.

I believe former President Jimmy Carter said it best at the memorial for Mattie when he said, “since I left the White House, my wife and I have been to more than 120 nations. And we have known kings and queens, and we’ve known presidents and prime ministers, but the most extraordinary person whom I have ever known in my life is Mattie Stepanek.”

Although Jeni has the same disease her four children had, she is carrying on Mattie’s cause of peace in our world.

As Jeni’s book says, Mattie was a Messenger. He was an angel and while here on earth he deeply touched many of us. And I’m sure he is now carrying on his inspiration from the Other Side.

One of his last comments:

“Choose to inhale, don't breathe simply to exist." -Mattie J.T. Stepanek (1990-2004), Poet and Peacemaker

Read my review of Mattie’s book, Just Peace.

~Linda

Soul Expressions, Poetry Collection Don and Linda Pendleton

Poetry Collection Linda Pendleton and Don Pendleton is now in Kindle, and in coming months will be in print.

Poetry, A Bridge Between the Physical and Spiritual Worlds.

Poetry is the language of feelings and intuition. As such, it structures the feelings and intuitions of the inner world in a form that can be apprehended by the outer world. Since it uses the mental matrices of emotion, feeling, and intuition, it does not have to conform to any idea of linear logic, which can be the antithesis of spiritual knowingness.

Within this Poetry Collection by Linda and Don Pendleton, you will discover a variety of themes, Life, Love, Family, Angels, and a variety of styles such as rhyme, free verse, narrative, and a few humorous or limerick styles. For the most part, the poems are expressions of ideas, of emotions, without much thought to a specific style or form. Also included are a number of poems inspired and given to Linda by Don after his death.

Don Pendleton (1927-1995) was creator of The Executioner: Mack Bolan Series of action/adventure novels; Joe Copp Private Eye Thrillers; Ashton Ford, Psychic Detective Series; and other novels. He wrote poetry and metaphysical essays for many years. He also wrote nonfiction.

Linda Pendleton has written fiction and nonfiction. Together, Don and Linda wrote the nonfiction books, To Dance With Angels; Whispers From the Soul, the Divine Dance of Consciousness; and the novel, Roulette: The Search for the Sunrise Killer. Linda's novels include Corn Silk Days, Iowa, 1862; Shattered Lens: Catherine Winter, Private Investigator; and The Dawning, a Novel of Mystery and Suspense.

Linda dedicates this book to her family and to young "Heartsongs" poet, Mattie J. T. Stepanek.

Cover design by Judy Bullard

Mattie Stepanek Peacemaker Award

"Peace IS Possible, if we choose to make it something that matters, and if we seek to balance all basic needs of all people in all spaces of our world." -- Mattie J.T. Stepanek (1990-2004) poet, peacemaker, philosopher.

The Mattie Stepanek Peacemaker Award, 2010.

Peace For Our World, Mattie Stepanek

Young poet, philosopher and peacemaker, Mattie J.T. Stepanek (1990-2004) wrote this poem following 9-11-2001. Even today his words have such strength, meaning, and inspiration, for living peacefully and with respect for all others. It is reminder for today's attitudes about acceptance, diversity, equality, and events of bullying (cyber and otherwise), hate crimes, as well as terrorists acts.

Mattie was a wise and beautiful soul, so far beyond his years. He published his inspirational poetry and essays and you will find them in his HEARTSONGS series of books, and in JUST PEACE: A Message of Love, cowritten with former President Jimmy Carter. His mother, Jeni Stepanek's book, MESSENGER: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs, (Forword by Dr. Maya Angelou) is now available in paperback, and also Kindle.



For Our World


We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment.
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment.
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment.
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice.
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment.
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.

September 11, 2001
© Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek
Used with permission from Hope Through Heartsongs, Hyperion, 2002


Read my review of JUST PEACE: A Message of Love.

~Linda

Peace and Nature Quotations

Photos Copyright, Linda Pendleton

Messenger: Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs, New Book

“I believe that peace becomes possible when we choose to make peace an attitude and a habit. I believe that the reality of peace begins within each of us….”
~Mattie J. T. Stepanek, (1990-2004), Just Peace, A Message of Hope



I received an email this morning from Jeni Stepanek, mother of Mattie J.T. Stepanek, announcing her new book to be released Monday, November 2, with her appearance on the Good Morning America show. Her book, Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs, is not a book by Mattie, but the first book ABOUT Mattie's life, written by the person who knew him best, his mother, Jeni, who shared him with all of us. Mattie was a young poet, philosopher, and peace maker, who lived a short life but while here he gave us the wisdom, the vision, the poetry and essays, from a brilliant, yet young, mind who knew about love, peace and joy, despite his struggle with a terminal neuromuscular disease.

Mattie left this world days before his 14th birthday, but not only did he leave us with his books of poetry, but with memories of his beautiful smile, his wisdom of an old soul, his humor, his love, and his belief that peace was possible.

I will never forget Mattie, will never forget his smile and the sparkle in his eyes. For those of you who do not know about Mattie, please read my review of his Heartsongs books, including the last one he wrote with former President Jimmy Carter, Just Peace, A Message of Hope.

Jeni’s book is now available at Amazon. The Foreword is by Maya Angelou. If you want to know more about an angel, visit Mattie’s website.

“Peace is possible. It can begin simply, over a game of chess and a cup of tea.” ~Mattie J. T. Stepanek, (1990-2004)

This video song, a tribute to Mattie, He Was Just Like Me, was written and recorded by his young friend, Madison Cross. Madison is the daughter of singer, songwriter, Christopher Cross.





~Linda