Nature often presents us with a loving gift. This week, we will enjoy the warmth of springlike weather. While entering our community the scene below was so inviting that I had to stop and capture the late winter scene. I hope you experience something similar. Springlike days are an amazing opportunity to pause and reflect on life. Does your park bench, front porch, or patio await you? Take advantage of the gift nature bestows this week in Northern Virginia. Next week, there will be huge dips in temperatures just when I thought winter would wave goodbye.
It's August already. July slipped by under a halo of heat and tissues. I flip-flopped between feeling healthy enough and ready to enjoy summer's charms to wondering if I would ever stop being attacked by allergens in the air. It's been three weeks of allergy meds, inhalers, and not feeling right but Sunday starts a week of breathing in sea air and tossing worries into the Atlantic Ocean. I can imagine the breathing view of Cape May's painted ladiesproudly facing the beach. We already missed a well-planned anniversary weekend trip to the Chesapeake shore in Virginia so I am eager to find tranquility at the Jersey Shore next week.
A while ago, my long-distance teacher/writer friend, Terje Akke, shared a photo of Estonia. Her picture provided a few moments of evolving peace. I've kept the photo of the beach scene waiting for the right moment for a small poem to appear. I dedicate this image poem to Terje with the hopes she has found time to just be this summer.
Another month has passed as I try to be still, quiet, and grateful for life. I desire to color my world in colors that sparkle with joy and appreciation. Thanks to this month's Spiritual Journey Thursday's host Bob Hamera, aka arejha, for the prompt "think about the colors you project to others, colors that act as a guiding light".
My one word for 2023 is "be". I wrote this line about my one word, Be is a guiding spirit. It follows that my word should interact with colors that affect me emotionally. Below, I tinted my "digital inspiration" with blues to signify calmness, something I highly desire.
Before the night is over, I reflect on my proposed action for "be": Prepare daily for change, renewal, and peace. Colors can help me bring a sense of serenity to my being and others. Through research, I found a Guiding Light Color Scheme with a beautiful palette of five colors. They are B'Dazzled Blue, Sea Serpent, Pale Robin Egg Blue, Papaya Whip, and Cinnamon Satin. I shall ponder how these colors can lift my spirits during the winter months.
I listen to Colour My World by Chicago for the umpteenth time today, to find words to soothe the soul.
There are so many colors to discover in this world. It is my hope to find the colors that will brighten the sky and bring joy, not only to me but to others.
Today is another monthly segment of Spiritual Thursday Journey, Chris Margocs is the host and proposed to our writing group that we reflect on "those who passed and left something behind in our hearts in preparation for the upcoming holidays of All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day". She added, "as a person of Celtic heritage, the idea of thinning of the veil between here and hereafter on these days intrigues me". She further noted, "as a resident of a state that celebrates Hispanic culture, Dia de lost Muertos informs me as well".While I did not know about the idea of thinning of the veil, I researched the topic and this led me to an understanding of the days leading up to the end of October and the beginning of the November holidays.
Thinking back on my childhood and my fear of the thought of death, I wanted to create a poem that brings a different slant to that word. I cherish fond memories of dear family members and close friends who passed on. Their hearts are linked to mine and hope you feel the same way.
Lately, life is full of storms, both physical and emotional ones that cause anxiety, fear, and damage. These "storms" can come out of nowhere or they can be predicted. This month, Chris Margocs, the host of Spiritual Journey Thursday, offers the topic, Be Still, for us to ponder. Her thoughts are succinctly provided at Horizon 51. Margaret Simon, the coordinator of Spiritual Journey Thursday, kindly created a link-up for the community at her blog post, Presence.
Credit: Photo by Max Larochelle on Unsplash
Last night, the sky opened with quick bolts of lightning and thunderous sounds. The rains pelted down but I did not hear or see the commotion. Only my husband did. I was surprised when I awoke to the news and yet, I felt relieved that I could sleep through the commotion. After all, there have been many downpours that stormed through my life these past months and I was spared a night of interrupted sleep. Perhaps, I am learning to quiet the storms that rage through faith. The following scripture verse is one that found me on my route to finding peace.
Then, they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper. (Psalm 107:28-30)
This evening, I spent over an hour listening to different meditations on stillness and presence that I found on YouTube. Some involved yoga breathing practices that provided a gentle entrance into centering my thoughts. Being still when I am used to activity is a welcome change. If interested, you can visit the Daily Calm: 10 Minute Mindfulness Meditation, Be Present. Click on the image below.
It is essential to find stillness and be present to block out the horrific happenings in the world and pray for peace. Finding stillness to just be is my Spiritual Journey Thursday goal for this month. I send positive vibes out to all the Spiritual Journey Thursday writers and those inclined to seek ways to be in the moment.
Each month, I join the Spiritual Journey Thursday community of writers to ponder a theme that deepens my journey. Karen Eastlund, host this month proposed an interesting topic, "consider what we bind ourselves to in our spiritual journeys". I pondered what it means to bind unto myself. Perhaps, the real question for me is "What must I do to unbind myself?
I know that it is essential to let go of stressors. Although I am trying to do so, this is a critical stumbling block. So what do I bind myself to in the pursuit of well-being? The following quote by author Nikki Rowe holds some truth for me. "Solitude is where I place my chaos to rest and awaken my inner peace." This and stannzas 3 & 4 of the Celtic Daily Prayer, Aidan's Readings Karen Eastlund sent influenced my following poem.
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 beingpresent 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.
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
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.
Winter dresses in muted blue tones on this day of peace. A crispclean chill cuts across the park, awakening January animals to perform for wandering visitors. Time stands still in in this bubble of stilled beauty. World turbulence, COVID updatings, and sounds of swiftling passing cars do not disturb the tranquil setting. It is in this quiet place that our soul whispers and finds stillness to withstand the strife of the outside world.
During my midday winter walk, I soak in the peaceful feeling nature presents. Watching life moving slowly, slows down the pace. Water sparkles; I watch diamond-studded shapes bounce in the water. A dog frolics, sprinting across the expansive grounds while a squirrel poses for a picture or two. The crispclean air fills the park. Conversations take on a different tone. Tranquility moves from nature to a space within the heart.
Please listen to a song, O Day of Peace, befitting of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Josh Garrels's soothing song delivers a reflective close to a day honoring a man of peace.
November graciously enters autumn with a bit of October's vibrance until winds of change toss leaves about. Days grow shorter. Earth becomes quieter and tree branches expose their limbs gracefully against a darkening sky. Within this unembellished world, many turn their eyes away not seeing the beauty that lies within nature's arms.
November holds mysteries heard in whispering winds or in piles of crunchable leaves if we listen. Do you see the beauty beyond the chilled breath of sweatherweather afternoons before the onset of dusk? Step into my digital artwork to discover November peace.
One chilled, windy day last week, I walked through my neighborhood feeling a reverent silence for the stillness of the approaching night. I captured this scene and subsequently digitized it and wrote a cherita, "a linked poetry form of one-, two-, and three-line stanzas that tells a story. A cherita depends on conciseness and suggestion for its effect."
It is my hope that you will honor the slowed-down pace of November in gratitude for its blessings, even when it is difficult to see through the darkening clouds and storms of life.
Each month, I set aside time to meditate with Spiritual Journey Thursday friends. We engage in reflective moments to reach a level of spiritual awareness through blogging. Our host, Margaret Simon, has asked us to meditate on the following Enneathought of the Day.
"Consider the Holy Ideas today: No matter what type you are, in Holy Love, our sense of separateness dissolves, and we know ourselves as arising from the brilliant light of Divine Love that creates and sustains the universe."
When I meditate, I try to stay mindfully in the moment but that is difficult. As a measure of self-love, I feel that I need to engage in this practice more than I do to lower internal stress. During Sunday Mass last week, I listened intently to the sermon to find meaning in the words. I wanted to take away a feeling of peace that would permeate my day and last during the week. The homily and the above quote have encouraged me to reflect deeply and bring peace and love to daily life.
After Tuesday night's first Presidential Debate 2020, the following small poem is appropriate.
Love is needed in this world, not criticism and disrespect as shown during the debate.
The above poem is a new poem type for me introduced by a fellow poet, Jone MacCulloch. An Arun is a fifteen-line poem in three sets of five lines. Each set of five lines follows the same syllable structure: starting with one syllable and increasing by one (1/2/3/4/5 — 3x).
With hope for a better world may separateness dissolve and people around the world arise with the brilliant light of Divine Love that creates and sustains the universe."
Please step into the peaceful scene below and reflect on how to approach this beautiful day.
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