Teachers and other adults too will tell you a lot of things you may argue with eventually – you may well have your own different ideas, and perhaps better ones. But about the importance of learning to write and read, easily and fluently, you will never argue. Such wonderful people will speak to you – to YOU – from the pages. Such adventures you will have through their telling, that you would never otherwise have! And all because the words on the page are not a puzzle but a door to many worlds. To write is delight, to read is to plant the seed of endless excitement. I promise you.
Mary Oliver
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Keeping my eyes open
Each day offers moments enticing me to keep my eyes
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open and aware of the world around me.
No matter how familiar the world may appear to my senses
may these brief moments surprise me as never before.
Oh, to see the sacredness, simplicity, and beauty
of shadows spreading across on my bedroom wall. -
After the Last Note
I leave the chaos to enter the sanctuary of nature,
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aware this spiritual life is about our experiences.
I listen as the meadowlark sings from their heart,
the wind carrying their notes to all who will listen.
I learn, after the last note fades into the past,
to stay present, just as the meadowlark,
listening to the gift of silence.I saw two extraordinary events yesterday afternoon at Pineridge Natural Area. While scanning the area with my binoculars I watched a large raptor, which I believe was a Golden Eagle, flying straight at me with a prairie dog in their talons. Golden Eagles are common in the area but this was my first sighting of one. Later, while journaling on the bench about the eagle there was an increase of chatter among the magpies just below me. I looked up from writing and see a bobcat. This was the first one I’ve seen in this area even though there are several in the area. I took no photos, just memories that remain in the present! Enjoy your weekend!
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The Holiness of the Moment
“We forget that the path to God is bound up with our life in the world. Evidence of our spiritual mastery lies in our ever-deepening, continuously expanding humanity. The trick is to be as fully present as possible to the holiness of each moment.”
Mirabai StarrI walk by this wall each morning on the way to and from one of my favorite coffee shops. I admittedly often pass, giving it only a mindless quick glance. At other times I can be more present, walking in my shoes rather than wandering aimlessly in my head. This morning I noticed! As it’s an east facing wall these shadows dance on the brick wall as the sun rises above the houses until mid day. Not only do these shadows create art on the wall, and a photo opportunity, they share with me the time of season. Soon to be filled with leaves these shadows will look differently. I’m hoping my noticing is a sign of being more present to life, expanding my humanity. So I accepted the holiness of the moment and sharing it with you.
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The Bridge of Words
Once a child has learned to read alone, and can pick up a book without illustrations, he must become a creator, imagining the setting of the story, visualizing the characters, seeing facial expressions, hearing the inflection of voices. The author and the reader ‘know’ each other; they meet on the bridge of words.
Madeleine L’Engleo -
The face…
“The face always reveals the soul; it is where the divinity of the inner life finds an echo and image. When you behold someone’s face, you are gazing into that person’s life.”
John O’Donohue -
Everything is a Gift
“Everything is a gift. The degree to which we are awake to this truth is a measure of our gratefullness, and gratefullness is a measure of our aliveness.”
Brother David Steindl-RastIt is cold this morning, requiring me to scrape frost off the windshield. But blue skies and sunshine. Enjoy the gift of this wonderful day!