An online journal sharing my interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Keep doing the things that make you feel something. Keep doing the things you’re in love with. And if you don’t know what those are just yet, step out into the world, and find them. Because everything is waiting for you.
Victoria Erickson, Edge of Wonder
I like her use of the word “things” as plural rather than singular. It suggests that we step out into the world to uncover things we weren’t aware we loved, or better yet things that loved us. I’m off to coffee shop.
God makes the pictures, I just take ’em.
Ed H. Urqhardt
With an almost cloudless sky on Friday evening I wanted to try for a blue sky sunset taken from the eastern plains. I drove to Cobb State Wildlife Area. I watched and photographed a lovely sunset but the sky was not the blue I wanted due to a prescribed burn near Red Feather Lakes. On my way home I stopped and took this image to show the fire. You can see the smoke rising from the mountains on the right side of the image. Even though it was a small fire it filled the sky with its ugly gray/brown color. Yet, I cannot be disappointed because I was given this image, just as it is. Or, as the quote says, I just take ’em.
A contemplative practice is any act, habitually entered into with your whole heart, as a way of awakening, deepening, and sustaining a contemplative experience of the inherent holiness of the present moment.
James Finley
His quote opens up a lot of possibilities in living a spiritual journey but also apply to photography. I have a daily contemplative practice of prayer and meditation. When I skip them, cut them short, my day is off. I miss things, out of sorts, quick to anger, restless, wandering in my thoughts, judgemental and more. My daily contemplative practice keeps me centered in living life, what I call the present moment.
In my photography his definition of a contemplative practice does two things for me. One is that I gain experience in my craft, where practice helps me become more adept at using my gear. Secondly, it provides me the opportunity to be in the present moment where I’m able to see the dragonfly, or the baby cottontail hiding under a bush, or hear the chickadee sing, or notice the light beam striking a rose or the orange sunset beaming light over the Front Range. I believe a contemplative practice allows me to receive the gifts of nature for my photography as well as in my spiritual journey. I like being in the holiness of the present moment. Now coffee!
Humor has bailed me out of more tight situations than I can think of. If you go with your instincts and keep your humor, creativity follows. With luck, success comes, too.
Jimmy Buffett
I know it’s not Key West but for me a mountain lake with sailboats comes close. I’m off to meet Eric for coffee and conversation. Enjoy your Saturday!
I, who live by words, am wordless when
Madeleine L’Engle, “Words”
I try my words in prayer. All language turns
To silence. Prayer will take my words and then
Reveal their emptiness. The stilled voice learns
To hold its peace, to listen with the heart
To silence that is joy, is adoration.
The self is shattered, all words torn apart
In this strange patterned time of contemplation
That, in time, breaks time, breaks words, breaks me,
And then, in silence, leaves me healed and mended.
I leave, returned to language, for I see
Through words, even when all words are ended.
I, who live by words, am wordless when
I turn me to the Word to pray. Amen.
Those prayers of my youth for help have evolved over time to become more about gratitude, listening and staying present. I like that. Prayer has become much more than the words I say and more about the words I hear, yet are unheard. I like that. I can also say the same thing with my journaling, blogging and my photography. Each is becoming what it is meant to be. I like that. My friend shared this poem with me. I found it to resonate with me so I wanted to share it with you. This is last night’s sunset along Overland Trail. Directly behind me is a pond with a wonderful chorus of croaking frogs. I like that. Moments like this have become prayer to me, no need for my words. Well, maybe “Thanks.”
rising early I journey to this sacred place
mws
where darkness and silence will soon depart
and night surrenders to the light of day
gray clouds have settled atop the foothills
a holy mist anoints me as I watch in awe
the unique waves moving from shore to shore
I’m not into the 4th of July celebrations as in the past.They have lost their allure for me. However, that is not true for me with twilight hours and clouds. Our weather forecast calls for possible thunderstorms later today which will put a damper on some peoples plans. Since we were expecting overcast skies I drove east to find the open vistas and take in the beauty of the early morning clouds, their patterns, and their colors. A touch of pink was offered for a short period of time so I stopped the car and accepted the above image.
Driving home a few minutes later, 11 minutes to be precise, I noticed these clouds in the west and again stopped the car to accept the image. I have been invited to my youngest granddaughters for a BBQ later this afternoon. Hope you enjoy your holiday and be safe!!!
I’ll end with a prayer that we become known as a nation of peace rather than as a destructive military power (repeatedly proving that peace has never come through violence), consumerism, greed, wealth, corruption, racism, and inflated pride.