My online journal where I share my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
… the dawn is by its very nature, a peaceful, mysterious and contemplative time of day – a time when one naturally pauses and looks with awe at the eastern sky. It is a time of new life, new beginning, and therefore important to the spiritual life: for the spiritual life is nothing else but a perpetual interior renewal.
Thomas Merton, The Inner Experience
“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty ‘yes’ to your adventure.”
Joseph Campbell
I like his suggestion that “being who you are” is a privilege. Because for me, I was never truly happy with my life when trying to be who or what society suggested I be. Life is becoming more of an adventure each day, even at this age, as I say “yes” in becoming me. It is a privilege! Hope everyone stays cool and safe today.
What is the duty of humans? If gifts and responsibilities are one, then asking “What is our responsibility?” is the same as asking “What is our gift?” It is said that only humans have the capacity for gratitude. This is among our gifts.
Robin Wall Kimmerer
Sometime during the night flashes of lightning and thunder filled my room and raindrops tapped against my window. Not sure I slept very well after that. As I lay there I realized how few sunrises I see this time of the year. Daylight savings now has the sun rising a bit too early for this older body. I was unable to return to the land of dreams and deciding not to fight it, I threw the covers off about 4:03 am and began the day.
When I arrived at Pineridge Natural Area it was a warm 68 degrees according to my car’s dashboard. A refreshing and gentle breeze caressed my face as I sat on the bench to journal. A few light clouds hovered just above the eastern horizon offering a mix of pink and silver that eventually gave way to an orange sunrise. Darker clouds rose above the mountains in the west, hinting of possible rain later today. A baby cottontail nibbles on leaves near me and Magpies chatter endlessly. After a while I took the camera for a walk, looking with the child’s eye. Before leaving, I rubbed sagebrush between my fingers, wanting to carry its scent with me into the day. I felt a rush of gratitude flow through me. I then headed for the coffee shop, hoping to share this gratitude with others. It’s been a good but early start to this day. Hope you have a great Monday!
The difference between confusion and ‘don’t know’ is that confusion can only see one way out and that way is blocked, while ‘don’t know’ is open to miracles and insights.
Joyce Rupp
The years of my life spent in confusion were often based on the presumption that I knew and if I didn’t know, I could quickly find out or fake it. Today I am willing to admit there are many more things I don’t know than I know, or think I think I know. So much more enjoyable to ask questions and be open to miracles and insights. Know what I mean?
Clouds are one of Nature’s most beautiful mediums for creating art, and it never ceases. I also believe they are one of the ways Nature speaks to us. There was nothing spectacular about the clouds this morning. Yet, they touched my soul. And, so I found myself smiling after morning time with a few clouds in the eastern sky. Enjoy your Friday!
Despite what dictionaries would have us believe, this world is still mostly undefined.
John Koenig
The wind blows from the west, it’s cold penetrating my windbreaker. A small flotilla of pelicans drifts along the reservoir’s shore. I watch the sun quietly rise above the horizon announcing the new day’s arrival. There’s a serenity over the meadow, wrapping itself around me. I hear the song of one lone meadowlark and a couple of chattering magpies who are not lost for words. Yet, I am lost for words in this experience. Expressing how nature affects us seems impossible. Truth be it’s more about the gift of experiencing it, rather than words. Yet, the poet puts words to paper in their attempt to define what they experience and see. The artist also puts brush to canvas in their attempt using visual words. Makes me wonder if the meadowlarks and magpies are just as lost for words but simply doing the best they can. Maybe it’s all about the attempts by poets, artists, magpies and dictionaries to define what can’t be defined.
When we arrive on earth, we are provided with no map for our life journey. Only gradually, as our identity forms and we get an inkling of who we are, do possibilities begin to emerge that call us. It is one of the weightiest decisions: to decide what to do with our life. The challenge is to find a way of life that will be in harmony with our gifts and needs.
John O’Donohue
Today’s life journey started with prayer and meditation then moved on to include time at Pineridge Natural Area. The stunning clouds had a softness to them where I wanted to reach out and touch them. There was also a hint of pink in them when I first arrived. The quiet over the meadow was only broken when the blackbirds would sing along the shallows of the reservoir. I was given a special gift as a break in the clouds allowed the sun to send a ray of sunlight upon the earth. I have a crockpot of cabbage and sausage cooking, enjoyed a mocha latte and a barista smile! Who knows, maybe a nap later. Enjoy your day’s journey!
“I pray to the birds because they remind me of what I love rather than what I fear. And at the end of my prayers, they teach me how to listen.”
Terry Tempest Williams
I listened to it raining during the night so I was surprised to see an almost clear sky this morning. Since I woke early I made my way to Pineridge Natural Area to enjoy the beginning of a new day, bringing my camera just in case. Listening to the choir of meadowlarks and robins this morning lifted my spirits, setting the tone for the day. Listening seems to be a theme for me this morning, so I better listen. I stopped at Starry Night later and enjoyed a mocha latte made by Hannah. I listened as she excitedly shared about the blossoms on the tree outside her bedroom window, even showing me photos. And, I listen as they play In My Life by the Beatles. Hope you have a wonderful day!