March Musings 2: Connection

The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention...A loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-intentioned words.                            -Rachel Naomi Remen

I chose the word listen as my one word a couple of years ago. It served me well but I must admit that I need to revisit this word often. Doraine Bennett, today's host of Spiritual Journey first Thursday, chose the word connection. I pause to savor a simple practice of reflection on these words, plus Leigh Anne Eck's OLW, rise and my 2017 OLW, joy.

I connect to the stillness of midday quiet.

As one heart searching for balance,

I visualize meandering down an uneven trail,

listening to the silence of hushed pathways.

Wisdom echoes through the stillness.
Stories rise from undisturbed corners.
Speechless sounds are muffled as

I savor the time to reflect alone. 

The mind recognizes the breath from within,
filling the the room with a spirit of peace.
©CVarsalona, 2017 

Yesterday, I opened the door to new journeys for the month of March: Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Story Challenge and the season of Lent. The Lenten journey asks us to listen, to connect with those whose hearts need mending, and to share the spirit of energetic giving. If I can stitch a quilt of comfort to share each day, then perhaps the road to making connections with life, faith, and others may not be as uneven as I think. 

Joy is the reward.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

You can visit Spiritual Journey first Thursday at Doraine Bennett's site. 

This post is the second in a series titled March Musings for Two Writing Teachers' March Slice of Life Challenge. 

Spiritual Journey Thursday - LISTEN to My Heart

If you LISTEN in stillness, your ears will allow you to hear what silence is saying. The voice sometimes arrives as a warm calling in the darkness, brightening your surrounding space. At times, you may not understand the words that appear in the corners of your mind. Other times, you may not hear for your heart is blocked. When you are on the edge, the voice calls you back in, opening the passageway to possibility. All you need to do is LISTEN.

From the voice of experience, I write, for I have been in every situation described above. Those life lessons have led me down twists and turns to the place called now where I am committed to LISTEN intently each day. Discarding old ways and making way for new ones will happen if I just LISTEN. With faith and positivity at the center, hope in my heart, and possibilities on the horizon, I know that I can change the direction of my journey. 

So tonight, I turn to Proverbs 2: 2-5 for wisdom:

Let your ears listen to wisdom.
Apply your heart to understanding.
Call out for the ability to be wise.
Cry out for understanding.
Look for it as you would look for silver.
Search for it as you would search for hidden treasure.
Then, you will understand how to have respect for the Lord.
You will find out how to know God.

While visiting friends last weekend, I noticed a striking painting and stopped to admire the detail and the radiance emanating from the face of Jesus. It seemed odd that the photo never captured my heart before. Perhaps, it did not because now is the right timing for old ways of observation to make way for new possibilities. As I continued staring at the painting, my friend, Judi, told me that the painting was the work of Beth Seigard, a skillful national artist, living in Auburn, Washington. Because the painting is so memorable and it exudes warmth, it proudly graces this blog site as an invitation to Pause-Observe-Listen to your heart. 

I did pause to take a closer look at the painting before capturing it digitally.  When I returned home, I reflected and continued to read various texts that allowed me to ponder the immensity of the word LISTEN. Finally, a voice broke through the stillness, spoke to me, and allowed this poem to evolve.

I wait, listening

in stillness for His entrance

to light the darkness.

Silently, He comes

breathing in calmness and warmth

for a restless me.

"Listen intently.

Open your heart. Truly hear

My message of love."

I am the Light in the Darkness!

Take a moment to listen to Still Listening by Steve Curtis Chapman. His song honors the Lord who knows all our hopes and all our fears.

After listening to this soothing song, turn your attention to Holly Mueller's Spiritual Journey site where she and our faithful community of bloggers look forward to Thursdays. At this site we allow the reader insight into our spiritual journeys with hopes that you will join us and listen to our hearts. 

We listen; 

search for wisdom; 
focus on the road ahead;
let our voices fly inside out;
turn our attention to positive thinking;
reach for bright, new beginnings;
look to the Divine Light;
dive deeply into life;
stretch our limits;
enrich our lives
as a 
community of believers. 

Below you will find the focus for the January and February Spiritual Journey blogs. I took the liberty of allowing each of my fellow bloggers' OLW to rest gently in a poem for I am listening to their words so they can shed light on mine.

I thank Holly for featuring my OLW, LISTEN, for my fellow bloggers to offer their perspectives and I look forward to reading all of their texts.

JANUARY 22nd: Michelle Haseltine's OLW, FLY

JANUARY 29th: Leigh Anne Eck's OLW, TURN

FEBRUARY 5th: Margaret Simon's OLW, REACH

FEBRUARY 12th: Justin Stygles's OLW, LOOK

FEBRUARY 19th: Greg Armamentos's OLW, DIVE (Dwell, Ignite, Venture, Embody)

FEBRUARY 26th: Ramona Behnke's OLW, STRETCH