Shall We Dance on the Spiritual Journey?

As I celebrate the wonders of Spring with my upcoming Springsations Gallery, I ponder the beauty of nature and the strength of its Divine Creator. Each month, the Spiritual Journey writers join together to write on a topic suggested by the host. This month, Chris Margocs introduces us to a fascinating subject: Shall We Dance? Since my childhood, I have always been a lover of dance. I remember dancing across my living room while listening to Broadway musicals. My love for dancing continued into adulthood.

"The Dance of all the arts is the one that most influences the soul."- Plato

Nature also influences my soul as it moves in a flow from season to season. Leaves find their rhythm even in springtime when the wind stirs in the woods. Raindrops dance and glisten on the sidewalk as a sunshower tip-toes in for a quick step. Some flowers let their petals fall gracefully onto dark chocolate beds and evening sunsets layer the sky with rich layers of color or soft muted shades. 

🌞

When a photo of a friend's trip to Cuba appeared on FaceBook, I appreciated the beauty of an eventide sunset. A majestic painted sky brushed with fiery golds, and reds danced among the clouds. I immediately wrote to Justin Stygles and asked if I could showcase his glamorous sunset at my Springsations Gallery Padlet and Springsations Gallery of Artistic Expressions. After many poetic drafts, I share the image poem of two joyous eventide happenings.

🌞

Shall we watch in awe as a brilliant sun sets

praising nature for its glorious moments?

Shall we dance a high-energy salsa

filling our souls with contentment?

Stillness and energy

share the sky.

Bliss!

🌞

Nature Nurtures Our Souls

Below you will see different movements of Earth's nature dance.

You can take a quick journey from land to sea.

Enjoy!

🌞

Whether you find stillness in nature or energetic joy, be mindful that all things were made by the Divine. We need to honor Earth and protect it as we dance with hope and journey onward. 

🌞

Whenever there is stillness there is the still small voice, God's speaking from the whirlwind, nature's old song, and dance ... - Author: Annie Dillard

🌞

I now travel to two sites where writing is honored.

Spiritual Journey Thursday at Chris Margocs blog, Horizon 51

Poetry Friday at the wonderful and caring Linda Baie's blog, TeacherDance

Linda speaks about kindness as a vital part of our world.

Let's all find and spread kindness in all we do.

created by L. Baie, 2023

🌞

Please see the new additions to Springsations Gallery Padlet here.

Walk by Faith

Life is not predictable. At various times the journey becomes a rocky one. Uncertainty about which direction to take leads to an unsure footing. It takes resiliency, positivity, and perseverance to step lightly through an uneven path. 

We walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

More than walking by faith we must live by faith with as much positivity as possible. Believing, staying in the present, pausing and reflecting are needed on the journey called life.  

What is this faith that leads me on? It is:

• Trust, belief, and confidence in the power of God
• An undeniable spirit that guides and allows me to follow my path in life wherever it leads 
• An unqualified commitment to a plan that may not be mine

What can faith do for me as a traveler on the road of life? It will:

• help me see possibilities in the darkest sky
• negate the word impossible
• override the human emotion of doubt 
• provide the gift of believing
• lead the way 

Benefits of believing and being led by faith:

For fourteen long days, I have waited to hear the results of a catscan to determine if there were any signs of the reoccurrence of lymphoma diagnosed in 2003. While my oncologist felt that the exam in October did not show evidence of the disease, his fellow thought there was "something" that she felt. Understanding that doubt is a powerful emotion, I have tried to override the feeling and to rely on faith to carry me through the waiting period. Sleepless nights and unwanted thoughts have thrown some more rocks on my path, creating an unbalance. Last night the long wait was over. My oncologist's office returned my call and placed the report in my Memorial Sloan Kettering virtual account. My silent prayers were answered. While not understanding the entire report (medical terms are not only difficult to pronounce but troublesome to understand), I did read one line that allowed me to pause, reflect, and praise God for His miracle of life: Since June 16, 2009, no evidence of recurrent or metastatic disease. 

(Subsequently, a dear friend and brilliant radiologist who has followed my medical journey since the first catscan shed light on all of the medical terms in the report. This provided an extra layer of comfort.)

I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. Selah 

Psalm 3:4

You can read the lyrics to the song, Walk By Faith, here.

As a faithful witness, I have decided to share this news with the supportive community of Spiritual Journey Thursday led by Holly Mueller. Being human with a range of emotions, I need to keep the focus on positivity and possibilities with faith as my foundation and guide. 

How serendipitous that news of the continued miracle of life was provided the night before my Spiritual Journey Thursday post went live! Or was this the Divine plan all along? 

Please visit Holly Mueller's site to read how The Spiritual Journey Thursday community is exploring Justin Stygles' one word, faith, this week. While Justin does not have a blog he is on Twitter, @JustinStygles. For those who are struggling with a troubling issue, I hope that faith guides you through your difficult period, like it did for me. Peace!