Nurturing Our Summer Souls

Tonight and Thursday, I welcome all to Spiritual Journey Thursday. Our writing community gathers together this month to celebrate summer. As your host, I offer the prompt, Nurturing Our Summer Souls, for you to ponder. Please see below the digital art I designed with photos and artwork from Jan Annino, Donna Smith, Fran Haley, and myself. The poster shares different settings that open our hearts and expand our minds to new possibilities. 

Join me as I breath in summer air and imagine all the opportunities to relax, meditate, and free ourselves from the restrictive boundaries of our pandemic lives. With the recent opening of the summer season, there are more opportunities to travel and enjoy local and surrounding areas than before. New thoughts, new sights with family and friends lead to a refreshed attitude toward life. 

Photos by Devin Hartnett

Local sights inspire me to embrace nature and engage in self-care measures that encourage the growth and development of a positive mindset. Do you agree? I nurture my heart, mind, and body when relaxed. I see the world through a different lens when sitting quietly and gazing into the quiet beauty of nature that is before me. How does nature affect your view of life?

There are many what ifs on nurturing our summer souls. Time is always an issue but being present in the moment allows me to find inner peace without the burden of pressing to-do lists. Watching clouds billow like powder puffs gently stroking the sky inspires me to see life differently. I know that I need to slow down, find a resting place, and just BE!

This summer, we may all desire to break free of what restricts us. A walking trail lets us find new ways to enjoy ordinary elements of nature. Take out your smart phone, photograph what you see, and share the results.

Reeds sway in summer's breeze

influencing

my 

summer

thoughts,

influencing

my

journey

onward.

Influencing

reeds sway in summer's breeze.

©CV, 2021

In this simple skinny poem, a truth is revealed. "Let the earth heal us, and devote ourselves to healing the earth." -the Seven Whispers-Listening to the Voice of the Spirit by Christina Baldwin

This summer is such a turnaround time for me. I ponder the nurturing process of self-care hoping that quiet contemplation leads to self-renewal. My one word, begin, guides the way here in my new local. I plan on breaking the ties that bind me to freely explore new horizons. "For God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control." -2Timothy 1:7

©CV, 2021, Regency at Creekside, VA

new hope, new beginning

with each rising sunbreath-

life at the crossroad

©CV, 2021

I would be remiss if I did not mention my little granddaughters with their smiles and loving hugs that nurture my summer soul. Faith, family, friends, and nature fill my heart with love and peace. May your summer souls be nurtured in any way you choose and bring you peace. 

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Members of the Spiritual Journey Thursday community, please add your links below, For new friends who join in, you can also add your links or place your thoughts, photos, or remarks in the comment section below. I look forward to reading your posts or your artistic expressions on how each of you are nurturing your soul this summer. May we all find inspiration and peace in our lives.