• Art/Design,  spirituality

    Waiting to be played

    April 12, 2009

     

    Waiting to be Played
    Waiting to be Played

    Easter morning. The sun has risen and Christians all over the world are celebrating. Many will be singing songs of thanksgiving and praise. In this image I have included the risen sun and a guitar as symbols in that belief.  Happy Easter!

    During this same time the Jewish Holiday of Passover is being celebrated with the most important day being the Seder meal. They are celebrating the flight of the Jewish people from slavery as told in the Bible’s Book of Exodus. Whatever you are celebrating I hope you have a wonderful day.

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  • quotes,  spirituality

    Being Present on the Path

    March 31, 2009

     

    Path
    On the Path

    “We may have entered the spiritual path. But nothing will change inwardly unless we change the tendency to cherish and protect ego. Outwardly, we may seem to be a more spiritual person intent on a genuine spiritual path. But if we want our path to feel safe and secure, everything will stay the same.” It’s Up to You page 72 by Dzigar Kongtrul

    I did a bit of photoshop to this image something I do very little of.

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  • Candid Portraits,  spirituality

    The Breakfast Meeting

    March 15, 2009

     

    The Breakfast Meeting
    The Breakfast Meeting

    I’ve heard it said that breakfast is one of our most important meals of the day and if it includes a business meeting that may be even truer. Mentors have shown me how quiet meditation in the morning will be the most important meeting of my day. When I miss that meeting or fail to be awake for it, my choices and thoughts throughout the day do not have as positive effect on the world around me. Hope you had a good meeting this morning.

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  • spirituality

    Being Mindful

    February 4, 2009

     

    Deep Thoughts
    Deep Thoughts

    “Feelings, whether of compassion or irritation, should be welcomed, recognized, and treated on an absolutely equal basis; because both are ourselves. The tangerine I am eating is me. The mustard greens I am planting are me. I plant with all my heart and mind. I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath. Nothing should be treated more carefully than anything else. In mindfulness, compassion, irritation, mustard green plant, and teapot are all sacred.” — Thich Nhat Hanh (The Miracle of Mindfulness)

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  • Self-portraits,  spirituality

    Looking Inward

    November 26, 2008
    Looking Inward

    I believe a spiritual journey is a journey within ourselves, taking a look at what lies within. Somewhere within us is a bright light. While walking along my path I have found some things that help me.

    I journal as a way of discovery and a way to slow down. Prayer and meditation has become a way to commune with my Higher Power. It has taken effort and a of lot trust along this path but the journey is worth it. Each day we see a bit more about ourselves, finding peace and happiness. Each step allows us to see a brighter light illuminating everything around us.

    Light is the key to photography. It illuminates our subjects bringing out details and colors. As we look out a window our faces will be lit by the incoming light. The closer we draw to the window’s light the more details we will be able to see in the shadows. Conversely, the farther away we are from the window the less details we will see in the shadows. So, the closer we come to the light the brighter everything around us becomes. Looking inward will make our world around us brighter.

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  • quotes,  spirituality,  writing/reading

    Our Inner Life

    November 11, 2008

    The Inner Life

    It is useless to try to make peace with ourselves by being pleased with everything we have done. In order to settle down in the quiet of our own being we must learn to be detached from the results of our own activity. We must withdraw ourselves, to some extent, from effects that are beyond our control and be content with the good will and the work that are the quiet expression of our inner life. We must be content to live without watching ourselves live, to work without any instantaneous satisfaction, and to exist without any special recognition.

    New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
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  • spirituality,  writing/reading

    I've Lost Some of My Fear

    November 9, 2008
    2008-06-23-103933dsc_7593
    Blurred Vision

    “Fear always got me down. It made me an introvert, an ingrown person. When fear was replaced with faith, I got well. Have I lost some of my fear?”

    I am thankful for the day the blurry vision of myself was replaced with a clearer vision. As I’ve grown in years I’ve realized how fear had dominated my life. I wanted to have the courage I saw in others, yet I could not tell you what courage was. With the help of friends and accepting my inability to control the world around me I’ve learned about faith and this word called courage. With this clearer vision, and the vision of people I trust, I can better see some of the fears that have dominated my life. Once we see these fears our next step is to put into practice the definition of courage, “When fear was replaced with faith.” When we live life with trust in a higher power, whether that is God, or Allah or Buddha or whatever, our fears fade away. When I live each day with the desire to live the will of God, better choices are made and pages of life can be clearly seen.

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