What's On My Heart and In My Spirit!

Prompt for August's Spiritual Journey:

What is on your heart and in your spirit?

Linda Mitchell, the host of August's Spiritual Journey Thursday, invited the Spiritual Journey community to reflect upon what we felt today. Since my life is still unpredictable, I will start with what happens in my real world. I often need to juggle my thoughts based on issues, challenges, or appointments. Let's start with the:

Evening Disturbance & Morning Thoughts

 

While reading this morning, I discovered a light on the virtual path. I would like to say that I tossed grief aside, but in reality, grief never goes away. With my one word, "restore," on my side, the Bible verse below confirms that my broken heart and spirit will be restored in my spiritual journey.

DailyVerses.Net

_____________________________________________________________

What's On My Heart and In My Spirit!

On sunkissed days

I breathe in summer air, 

Pause, then listen to the call

Of my grieving heart and spirit.

I breathe in summer air and 

Clear what's causing confusion within.

My grieving heart and spirit

Accept the challenge to let go of fear and doubt.

Clear what's causing confusion within.

Divine Truth will restore my life in every part,

Accept the challenge to let go of fear and doubt.

With this, I shall walk a renewed path.

Divine Truth will restore me in every part.

Calmness will bring a crown of peace.

With this, I shall walk a renewed path,

On sunkissed days

©CVarsalona, 2026, Pantoum

Photos at Adler Hospice Center, A Place of Peace

_____________________________________________________________

 

evening light glows

layered in peace

tranquility speaks

©CVarsalona, 2026, haiku and photo

SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

POETRY FRIDAY

Off to the Beach

Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town is our host from Uganda where she teaches. She shares a cheerful poem, For the Bird Singing Before Dawn by Kim Stafford.

My timing is off these days, so excuse my late entrance.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Springtime DigiPoetry Brings Perpetual Astonishment

Beneath a sky of vivid blue and softened clouds, springtime opens its blooms. With "perpetual astonishment" (Ellis Peters), I watch nature's colors burst open in my garden.  

This vivid photo shares some of nature's brilliant creations. With the addition of poetry and a digital device, FotoJet, Spring sends a message of the beauty of her season. You can find more digital elegance captured in poetic verses at my padlet gallery, "Spring Seeds Grace April," which became my 2026 National Poetry Month project. 

A variety of poet friends, photographers, and artists collaborated with me throughout April and into May. But this collaboration did not start recently. It began in 2014, as I openly invited others to join me in designing galleries of artistic expressions with seasonal themes. On April 21, 2017, I wrote a blogpost, "Digipoetry is..." to explain my  loves: poetry, artwork, digital artwork and literacy. For this year's gallery, I started with a padlet, a place to create a living, digital gallery via a slideshow. I added in the theme of spring seeds gracing early spring in April, and thought "as spring flowers bloom, digital blossoms, and settings shall grow." 

"Spring adds a new life and new beauty to all that is." (Jessica Harrelson) So enjoy the various spring settings and let peace live in your space. Below is another image poem created when digipoetry touched my heart.

It may be late for my Poetry Friday blog but I watched the different formations of a Spring day. The day opened with beautiful weather, moved on to heated temperatures, and now it offers a gray sky, bold noises cracking, and a deep downpour. Whether your space is inside or outside, remember that your mind can blossom just like the blooms so be creative and let your imagination stir. 

Now, I am ready to enter the Poetry Friday Roundup hosted by Linda Mitchell who is celebrating the end of school. Even thought it rained a while ago, the sky is shedding light down on Earth, so celebrating life and children as Linda suggests brings a sense of calm to this spring day. You can find quotes about children and a beautiful piece of artwork to inspire you to blend art, imagery, with word weaving to create a springtime poem. My Padlet Gallery is open if anyone would like to share an image poem, ekphrastic poem, photo, art piece, or music, I would be delighted. 

Digital art by CVarsalona

The Art of Summering 2025 Sneak Peak

Welcome  to  the  Art of Summering 2025  

Mini-Gallery of Artistic Expressions

Summer passes and one remembers its exuberance.-Yoko Ono 

Summer dazzles in different ways:

captures the wonders of nature

soothes our senses and our souls

offers starlite moments

understands the art

of summering:

enjoy life

relax

"be"

©CVarsalona, 2025, nonet

🌞

In my invitation to write alongside me, I explained what the Art of Summering  means. Summering is a state of mind that brings feelings of joy and relaxation. It revolves around the best of summertime and the ability to savor those feelings year-round (adapted from AI thoughts).

🌞

Mary Lee Hahn offers the sweltering edition of the

Art of Summering 2025 Mini-Gallery of Artistic Expressions.

🌞

Janet Claire Fagal shares the beauty of Maine in summertime.

*Excuse the typos," They will be fixed.

Thank you to Linda Mitchell for her offering also. I am not ready to share her work just yet but stay tuned.

🌞

As one enjoys the art of summering, reflect on how you spent your summer days. I would love to share your work in my mini-gallery. Thank you to all the poets, artists, photographers, and teachers who enjoy the arts.

🌞

Below is my digital artwork created after enjoying a beautiful summer day relaxing in my chaise lounge. I was stunned and amazed when I looked up at the sun and saw a cloud that appeared as a heart. For me this was a sign that my loved one was sending me a heartnote from heaven.

🌞

Thank you to Linda Baie for hosting Poetry Friday today. Please read her illuminating blog post that offers connects Charles Dickens with these hard times we are in. Also, you will find other poetic goodness from the Poetry Friday writers.

Barefoot At the Beach

On my family's journey to celebrate my husband's life, I was touched by the beauty of nature, longed for the ocean dancing beyond the beach, and felt a feeling of family togetherness. Looking back on life, I realized that sunshine and the beach were an important part of my marriage. We gathered there with family and friends, listened to concerts, and walked barefoot in the sand. My daughter's wedding took place in a beautiful church, St. Mary of the Isles, a block away from the ocean, so it made sense that one way to honor my husband was to be near the Atlantic Ocean. 

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet

and the winds long to play with your hair."  

- Kahlil Gibran (one of our favorite authors)

 

Barefoot At the Beach

standing still on the edge of the shore

I watch children bobbing in and out

like the dolphins in the far distance

flood currents splash to shore

in a rhythmic pattern

sand castles whoosh away and

footprints in the sand dissolve as

the ebb and flow of waves arrive

hidden in my soul, grief lies waiting

for the ocean to wash away sorrow

and the sun to dry the tears

barefoot we stand honoring

the husband, father, and grandfather

who loved us all

©CV, September 2025

Reflective Memory

I walk barefoot

as many others do

along the shore of wet sand.

I listen to cool, lapping waters

create a solemn, sacred moment.

Mindfully, I pause.

My mind and body calm down.

Anxiety lessons, knowing that

healing will be a slow,

God-blessed process

during the journey of life.

©CV, September 2025

This month, the Spiritual Journey group of writers under the leadership of Linda Mitchell is writing to a singular word, barefoot. The prompt is simple and timely for me since my family has been lovers of the ocean, shore, and sand for decades. To honor my husband's life, my small family traveled to three beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean: Cape May, the South Shore of Long Island, and Coney Island. The journey was filled with multiple therapeutic moments.

I borrowed the beautiful logo for Poetry Friday from Margaret Simon, host of the Poetry Friday Roundup. The picture brings me to another slow-down, calming moment or two. Margaret offers a love poem to silence that is lovely enough for several reads.

Cookies With Santa

The spirit of Santa always always lives in our hearts, even when we outgrow childhood.  He is more than just a story. He is the spirit of the season who lives at the North Pole (I actually visited Santa's Workshop years ago when my children were young). Santa offers wonder-filled feelings of kindness and gives, receives joy, and brings magic to December days. 

I am proud to be a member of the Activities Committee in my community. For the second year, we offer an afternoon for grandchildren to visit with Santa, Mrs. Claus, their elves, and our Music Man. Bakers are busy in their kitchens creating delicious cookies for Santa's visitors. Baking elves are ready to bag the cookies for the children and other elves create a Santa wonderland. I am preparing for the event.

Children will enjoy the decor, have fun listening to holiday music, and listen to a Christmas or winter book read aloud. The highlight of the day will be Santa Claus but Mrs. Claus will have fun also. She arrives with a basketful of gifts for each child and the community veterans has a Toys for Tots box available for children who are not fortunate enough to have a new toy at the holidays. 

I am late in writing this post but am now ready to join Poetry Friday with my friend librarian and poet, Linda Mitchell. Linda stated that "one of the best things about about poetry, for me, is play." Check out what Linda means at her blog. She gave me an idea for a poem so I traveled to Kenn Nesbitt's Poetry 4 Kids blog. There I found a funny poem, Cookies for Santa. It inspired me to write a poem for our Cookies With Santa's event tomorrow. I had fun playing with rhyme and word choice and will have the poem will be at the reading elves' tables.

Santa's coming to town

In a suit of red

Waiting for children

Mrs. Claus, elves, and Music Man

Will happily join the plan.

Families will come in holiday-style

Just to see the Big Guy smile.

Adults will stand in line

Wondering if all will be fine?

Who will sit on Santa's lap?

Some may tug on his beard or hat?

Others may simply run away,

Cry, or say hip-hip hurray!

Storytime, cookies, and music will

Bring Santa a pre-Christmas thrill.

May all your photo ops recall

A glorious December day

With Santa's crew

Chatting in an old-fashioned way.

So Merry Christmas to all

And to all a good night!

   Playfully written by CVarsalona, 2024

My World, Your World, Our World

Wake up world. It's the last day of October. Excitement is in the air!  Meteorologists announce good weather news. Today is a sunny, 83-degree day. What a boost to living Nature provides!

For the past few days, I pondered how to connect the beauty of Autumn with Linda Mitchell's Spiritual Journey challenge, My World, Your World, Our World. I ended up jumping around many topics. The words I wrote did not find a straight path to the topic but then again, neither do the different ways we look at life. For the moment, my world is messy. There are assorted stacks of paperwork, multiple phone call messages, and medicine bottles from another respiratory infection found in between my autumn decorations. Each night, the news shares topics of immediate concern from across the globe. Our world is suffering. I decided to pause again to find words that would bring positivity. Below is a draft of a poem that I have changed many times. Comments are always encouraged.

I step into my world

breathe in Autumn's fresh air

soak in the sun's radiance

watch trees sway back and forth

as I awaken to Autumn's spices

I pause, open my heart to a new moment

the spirit of the season invites me

to be present, be thankful, be in love

with our beautiful world

-our only world-

More voices need to be raised against

destruction, hate, and divisiveness

my world, your world,

meld into our world

 let us find peace as

brilliant sunsets close

each night on a

spiritual journey 

©CVarsalona, 2024 draft

Thank you to our Spiritual Journey community for tackling different topics monthly with wisdom and inspiration. I look forward to reading friends' blog posts at Linda Mitchell's site.

Turn and Reflect In August

The last day of the month of July turned into a forty-seventh-anniversary celebration even after weeks of a lingering cough. While we could not travel to a pre-determined destination site in Virginia, I made the most of the anniversary weekend by turning my attention to family and spiritual thoughts. 

Yesterday, Linda Mitchell, this month's host of Spiritual Journey Thursday, shared her topic for the SJT community. She offered a single word, TURNING, for us to reflect upon this month. 

During COVID I missed attending church in person. While the virtual experience provided an opportunity for my family to bond together, I missed the community mingling, friends gathering, and the spiritual presence of the Lord. Lately, we have attended Mass in several churches. Upon entering the church, I felt once again the power of a spiritual place filled with peace. This past Sunday of our anniversary weekend, we traveled to a beautiful church where my two grandchildren were baptized. Unbeknown to me, my daughter planned on attending with her newborn baby girl. I was so surprised to see them joining us in our pew. With a smile, I held the baby in my arms and prayed with a thankful heart for family and the peace surrounding us. When I turned to all during the sign of peace, I knew that I was in a sacred place.

Upon reminiscing about the baby in church with the family, the Byrds song, Turn! Turn! Turn!, popped into my mind. It is one of my favorite songs with such beautiful lines as an opener.

To everything, turn, turn, turn.

There is a season turn, turn, turn

And a time to every purpose under Heaven. 

It is my turn to pause and reflect. Thoughts become a vivid whirlwind. I feel a calmness. I turn away from circumstances and problems that do not provide solace and peace. I accept the open-door invitation to rest and be. I look forward to the family vacation in Cape May, New Jersey at the shore. I honor the spaces that bring joy and contentment to me. In the silence of the night, I turn to read an article, The Spirit of a Place by Bahram Akradi (ExperienceLife.com). I take a pen in hand and list in order words and phrases from the article that inspires me. From this exercise, a found poem evolves. Its words speak to me; I refine thoughts that will become a turning point this summer, bringing me to peace.  

The spirit of a place

Welcomes a necessary shift in life,

Allows us to reflect on time, and 

Recognize the value of place.

The spirit of a place adds

Meaning and value to 

the process of nurturing our lives.

We can discover who we are

and feel the energy in each space

That has a soul. 

Be still; Identify those places.

Be present in the quietude.

Choose sacred places;

Find possibilities.

Become the best version

of self.

©CVarsalona, 2023 

I sit and ponder a Bible scripture, "Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor dressed like one of these." -Luke 12:27  Wildflowers stand tall in nature's meadows and pathways. They bask in the beauty of their sacred place while turning toward the sun, soaking in its brilliance. I find peace in this thought knowing that turning heavenward brings a measure of serenity. The spirit of places like nature's landscapes, insides of homes, and churches connect me to concepts such as warmth, love, and tranquility. These places lift me up and inspire me. I choose to find possibilities in life in the spirit of a place. Join me to find your best version of yourself in a sacred place of joy. If inclined, share a photo or image poem of your favorite summer place that brings you contentment. 

Now I join Linda Mitchel and the Spiritual Journey Thursday Community here.

Spiritual Journey Thursday

Photo by Linda Mitchell

IN ADDITION:

Today is a double dose of inspiration and poetic goodness.

I also join the Poetry Friday Roundup hosted by teacher, author, poet, and embroiderer, Mary Lee Hahn. Below is an inspiring sample of her work.

POETRY FRIDAY

******

POETRY POSTCARD

Sent from Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Little does Marcie know that this card cheered me up since I have been under the weather for 2 1/2 weeks now.