God speaks out of the inner-most being of the mystics while they are silent.
Al-Junayd
Silent Reflections
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Reeds and reflections at sunrise – 2004 -
Like the waters of this pond…
When we surround ourselves with people who are committed to understanding and loving, we’re nourished by their presence and our own seeds of understanding and love are watered. When we surround ourselves with people who gossip, complain, and are constantly critical, we absorb their toxins.
from Silence by Thich Nhat HanhIt is hard to imagine we are halfway through the month of August. For sure time moves much faster on this downhill side of life. I have had a quiet day, surrounded by the presence of nature. It has been calm like the waters of this pond. I hope you experienced a similar calm, also!!
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Sunset
Only through responsible choice can you choose consciously to cultivate and nourish the needs of your soul, to challenge and release the wants of your personality. This is the choice of clarity and wisdom, the choice of conscious transformation. It is the choice of the higher-frequency energy currents of love, forgiveness and compassion. It is the choice to follow the voice of your higher self, your soul. It is the decision to open yourself to the guidance and assistance of Love. It is the path that leads consciously to authentic power.
Gary Zukav -
and began to listen…
Reflections at Prospect Ponds I found I had less and less to say,
Soren Kierkegaard
until finally, I became silent,
and began to listen.
I discovered in the silence,
the voice of God. -
Awe…
Sunset at Prospect Ponds Without some sense of awe, there is little basis for meaning.
Ann W. Young -
True Silence
True silence is calm being. True silence is appreciating the moment for the moment. Every breath a connection to my life force, my essence. It is the grandest music I have ever heard.
Richard WagameseIt’s been a hot day! I met Eric for coffee this morning and saw this vista near Prospect ponds on the way home. I had to stop because of the one puffy cloud. And, meadowlarks were singing when I got out of the car. I drove to Cheyenne for a BBQ at my granddaughters home. Her husband has just returned from a year’s deployment so we wanted to celebrate that he’s back safely. I ate way too much food, enjoyed the family time and was grateful for the water misters.
My MacBook Air M4 arrived on Thursday at about 1:00 pm. I began the transfer a half hour later. When it first began it said it had just over 34 hours remaining. Then 5 minutes later said 37 hours. The reality was more like 2 1/2 hours. All went smoothly and everything seems to work fine. I can see a major speed difference with this laptop in Lightroom. Probably will make me a better photographer in editing. Nah! Well, maybe.
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It was time to go…
Silence is somehow at the very foundation of all reality.
Richard RohrI was restless yesterday afternoon so I grabbed my camera gear and headed to Prospect Ponds. The wind has been blowing all day so I bundled up, but knowing I would not stay long. I’m too old to endure too much cold. I was pleased to find plenty of silence and very few people (smarter than me?). I met up with a couple of the park rangers and asked if they could shut off the wind. They laughed and told me they already did but it was going to take a few minutes for it to take effect. Wasn’t what I wanted to hear but I admired their quick response and humor. As I took this image of the ice patterns on the pond I realized how cold I was getting. It was time to go. Enjoy your Sunday and stay warm!!
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The Spiritual Life
Dark Ominous Clouds at Riverbend Ponds “The spiritual life, in other words, is not achieved by denying one part of life for the sake of another. The spiritual life is achieved only by listening to all of life and learning to respond to each of its dimensions wholly and with integrity.”
Joan D. ChittisterLife is all about change. For me it’s been those transformations from within, rather than my effort to be different, that really alter my life. I can only speak for myself but these transformations are from a life rooted with quiet prayer, meditation, solitude, detachment and a renewed connection with all of creation. My prayers are no longer pleading for help but ones of gratitude and questioning, mostly without words. Meditation teaches me to stay present and awake. Each of these has lead me to what I understand is a contemplative life. I enjoy the new eyes and voice I have. I seem to see all of creation with a new pair of glasses. My voice now includes writing, both prose and poetry. The only church I attend is in nature, which has no walls, places such as the Riverbend Ponds along Prospect Road. I like this spiritual life.
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My Companion
Morning moon over Prospect Ponds Natural Area The camera became my companion.
Edward WestonThere are times when I can be calm much like the water of this pond and at other times, well not so much. The challenges of living life can act like a fierce wind that creates internal waves. I’ve discovered tools to return to the calm and one of them is time in the silence of nature with a camera, taking deep breaths.
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… be amazed
“Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement, to get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed…”
Abraham J. Heschel
