My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
among the salsify
ms
return to a sacred place
morning sunrise
Awoke early so arrived at Pineridge Natural Area just after 5:00 am. It was already 69 degrees and hardly any breeze. Quiet all around me. A stillness. I walked down the trail from my bench to where there are several salsify plants and patiently waited with them for this morning’s sunrise. I take deep breaths, grateful for life. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
“We had no churches, no religious organizations, no Sabbath day, no holidays, and yet we worshiped. Sometimes the whole tribe would assemble and sing and pray; sometimes a smaller number, perhaps only two or three.”
Geronimo
Took this on my walk at Pineridge Natural Area this past weekend. Like how the plant, and I do not know what it is, was backlit just for me. If you look closely you’ll notice a dragonfly caught in mid-flight to the left of center and a few other insects which are all backlit. Gonna be another hot day with temperatures in the mid 90’s. Stay cool!
in stillness and silence
ms
colors begin to appear
predawn mystery
I sit in the upper parking lot at Pineridge Natural Area for this morning’s sunrise. Below me the city slowly stirs awake. Here, in this natural area, nature has already begun stirring as chattering magpies sit atop cottonwood tree branches. The geese and ducks make small waves across the reservoir. The wind is still. In the cold I listen to the silence and experience a calming that I will carry into my day. This is becoming an integral part of my morning prayer and meditation. A few years ago I couldn’t imagine spending mornings like this. Now, living in the present is how I choose to begin my day. For each new dawn offers the mystery of this day’s events that only we can live and experience in the present moment.
Some of you know I’m living in recovery from alcoholism. If not, you do now. I read a question today that caused me to reflect on my life now that I have a bit of time in recovery. The question was, “What are the important things in my recovery?” Here’s a short list from journaling this morning.
This morning was quite windy. When I stepped outside about 7:00 am, I needed to pause and listen to the wind blowing through the trees. I smiled as the wind blew leaves from branches, enjoying their rustling dance across the ground. I took a deep breath, filled with hope and excitement, because the wind was a metaphor for the winds of change blowing in our world.
This morning we had a comfortable 42 degrees with overcast skies that offer a feeling of dreariness. That feeling matched my mood. In my journaling this morning I wrote that I wanted to run away and not face the muck and mire of life as it is. But I have no idea where away is which makes it impossible to go there. I find it difficult to live in a place of unknowing but I’m getting used to that. In my past I would numb myself with alcohol but hard learned lessons taught me that was not how to face life. Deep down inside of me is a knowing that running away is not the answer but rather hold onto some hope, facing the day with all the tools, knowledge and trust I have. I accomplish nothing by wanting to live in the future, or worse yet, my imagination. My life is only lived here, now, in the present. So, after prayer and meditation, I decided to grab my camera and see how nature is handling the day. I pray for this country as we are in a place of transformation and hopefully healing. There’s no need to run away.
the news…
ms
the airways are a buzz
the news is spreading
we now know who won
a prayer…
of thanks to all who voted
for those who feel they lost
for the healing that now begins
words from a deep reservoir
ms
fill pages in a blank journal
a daily practice
I have been making it a practice to open my journal after my prayer and meditation time to write from that deep reservoir. I find my days seem to move along smoother when I practice this prior to reading email or any type of social media. The journaling in this quiet time seems to nurture a rich spirituality, a solid foundation for the day, and set my attitude in a good direction for the day.
“It is no surprise that in our loss of connection with Nature, we have forgotten how to pray. We even believe that we do not need to pray.”
John O’Donohue
Joan and I met for a walk/talk session at Pineridge Natural Area this morning. We took the shorter route around the reservoir which is not quite 3 miles. They were predicting a beautiful day after yesterday’s overcast skies and rain, so a lot of people were out to enjoy it. After our walk we ate brunch on the patio of a new restaurant called the Chicken Coop, which serves American Mexican breakfast and lunches. We will need to go back and try other things on the menu and definitely include another walk.
Time in nature is time in prayer.