My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
It feels like we are living in a time of apocalypse,
Steven Charleston, We Survived the End of the World: Lessons from Native America on Apocalypse and Hope
an age when everything we take for granted is starting to collapse around us.
It feels like the end of the world.…
This situation is nothing new for me as a Native American.
My ancestors already lived through an apocalypse.…
Native American culture in North America has been through the collapse of civilization
and lived to tell the tale.
Sometimes on the spiritual path
Steven Charleston, Spirit Wheel
It is more fun to walk beside a seeker than a true believer.
I have no quarrel with those who are certain they know
Exactly where they are going on the path of faith
But often their questions are few and their stories familiar.
It is when you listen to the seeker’s vision
That things can come alive.
Questions and doubts, longings and hopes
Experiences both difficult and transcendent:
It sounds very honest to me.
And very human.
If you are a seeker, I will be proud to walk beside you
Discovering life as we go.
It was such a beautiful day yesterday that I made a trip to Pineridge Natural Area for a bit of quiet and to soak up the sun. I wanted and needed both. This morning is just as lovely with blue skies and sunshine. The Canada Geese are filling the airwaves as they migrate to their winter spots. After my quiet time and a bowl of Irish Oats with blueberries and pecans, I met Eric for coffee and conversation. I saw one eagle and half a dozen hawks on my drive over there and back. Undoubtedly they were seeking a meal. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Let me embrace each dawn as gift.
Steven Charleston, Spirit Wheel
Let me walk the hours of day unafraid
With grace and faith unbounded.
Let evening find me close to those I love
Warming my soul by the fires of their laughter.
Let me sleep believing tomorrow will be a blessing.
We had our first snowfall last night. I awoke to a heavy fog and mist this morning. There was a dusting of snow on rooftops and frost on windshields. I agree each morning is a blessing whether a brilliant sunrise or fog and mist. And, my walk through today will include lunch with my oldest daughter, Christine, reading a new book and journaling time. Seems to be that kind of day. Happy Halloween!
Let me honor you today with the respect you deserve.
Steven Charleston
Let me acknowledge you as a person
Who has worth and value.
Our world would be diminished without you.
Our journey would seem longer.
You bless us with your presence.
You make a difference in our lives.
We need you.
There are many who would stand to say this with me.
You are loved.
I know you well enough to understand
That you do not expect
Or even want to hear this kind of praise.
But I believe the spirit intends every human heart
To hear a simple truth: you are a light others can see.
Today would have been my mothers 93rd birthday. I miss your light!
It may be a product of getting older
Steven Charleston, Spirit Wheel
But sometimes I want to stop time.
I want to make the sunsets last just a little longer.
I want the quiet mornings to go on and on
The laughter at the dinner table
To stretch out into a whole evening
The beauty of the clouds as they race
Across the valley to never end.
It is not that I want to freeze reality, just slow it down.
I want life to move as slowly as I do.
For I have learned that life moves far too fast as it is.
It is a joy that endures but briefly
Made of moments that pass as quickly as hummingbirds.
Let me linger in the love I feel.
Let me see the light for as long as I can.
I stopped on my ride this evening because these daisies caught my eye. However, I was not the only one interested in the daisies as this bee busily flitted from flower to flower. So busy in fact, I never got a good infocus shot. Oh well. I watched and lingered and loved the moment.
Faith does not begin in what we imagine
Steven Charleston
But in what we experience.
I am not able to explain my faith. I could try, but any words would fall short. However, experience has brought me to believe the sun will rise and set each day, even after I’ve taken my last breath. And, I believe the seed of these experiences change and transform me. Because somehow, when I returned to my car after watching a sunrise or sunset I believe I am a different man. I would try and explain that, but any words would fall short. And, it happens a lot.
It was unusually quiet this morning at Pineridge. Seemed like everyone slept in late. Almost no one at the natural area and no traffic sounds from the city. A few magpies and blackbirds along the shore were excitedly chatting about the colors in this mornings sunrise. It was a peaceful and silent time to me. I was loving and being loved by the reflections in the water.
Just as the sun broke the horizon, a light breeze out of the northwest sent small waves across Dixon Reservoir. Yet, the water still offers it’s reflection. I stood in awe and wonder as a lone pelican gracefully and silently flew over the water. How do they do that? Nature is amazing. After allowing nature to fill me with love and refreshing my soul I headed home. I had my prayer and meditation time, put on a crockpot of 16 bean soup, then rode the bicycle to meet Jeff for coffee and conversation.
“Love is the inheritance of mystery that we leave to the universe—the proof that consciousness is more than chemicals and fire, but rather a song that sings the why and how of all creation. Love sings it now and will sing it until the end of time.”
Steven Charleston