It is the last day of July and I’m surprised by how green we still are. I found these contrasting light and shadows on campus and love the vibrant green. Have a wonderful day!
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Grateful for the Lessons
My grandson and his mother lived with me up until he was about two. I would take him to the playground at the nearby school to play on the swing. He was just beginning to walk so it was a good time to practice that skill. Not sure he saw it as practice but more of a way to discover the world. We constantly stopped. He would squat to check out things many of us never see: the ants streaming across the sidewalk, a dandelion, a caterpillar. I had to get down on my knees to see what I was missing. I loved this place he was in: the wonder, awe, watching, observing. Without realizing it he was teaching me to look, observe and experience the moment. Grateful for the lessons from my grandson.
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“Truly transformed people organically change the world, while fundamentally unchanged people can only conform to the system and wholeheartedly cheer it on.” Richard Rohr
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Hot
We have been hot here in Colorado, reaching 103 yesterday. It’s going to be cooler, somewhere around 95 today but Saturday will only reach 70 with a chance of rain. Below is an exert from my journal, a prayer if you will, from June 3 2108.
“It’s quiet here on my porch. Enjoyable. May I stay present, aware of all that’s around me. May I have calm and serenity. I do not like conflict in my life, whether that is internal or external. May I trust more and have courage to take actions in my life. Grateful for the quiet.”
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Acceptance and Gratitude
There are days when my inner peace is troubled or just not there. It can be due to the political environment and struggles of our world, a troubled relationship in my life, my weight, a task I really do not want to do, traffic, road construction, money (the lack of it). I could go on but I’m sure you have your own list. Sometimes I find myself thinking I’d have more peace if I did more walking, got more rest, spent more time in prayer and mediation, more solitude, more…. a lack of something? Then at some moment of clarity I stop and laugh at myself. More is not my answer, although this culture wants to convince me it is. I’ve come to realize it’s not the wants that bring peace and serenity but it’s the acceptance and gratitude of what I already have. And, maybe having less will allow more peace, letting go of something(s).
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Getting Warmer
Our days are getting warm as we move into summer. The sun is rising earlier and setting later. It’s a good time of the summer for me. I enjoy sitting in my Adirondack chair on my porch both mornings and evenings to journal or read whole listening to the robins.
Yesterday morning about 7:30 am I saw the above scene on my walk across campus. I loved it due to the lighting. It was all about the beginning of a new day. The back lighting of the sprinklers and the man’s shilouette were my attention getters. Enjoy your day!
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Blossoms, Shadows and Snow?
I took this image earlier in the week on campus at one of the courtyards. Loved the patterns and muted colors. Hope you do also.
I listened to a man excitedly attempt to explain new scientific evidence of God and the creation of the universe. I accept his enthusiasm and desire to explain what he now knows, but…. he quickly lost my attention. There are some who have found their Spirit of the Universe, Great Creator, Higher Power or whatever and each is different. And, there are those who are not even interested in knowing or looking.
I’m personally drawn to mystery. Mystery is what keeps me seeking, listening, reading, writing, asking questions but not necessarily expecting to find “the” answer.