• horizons,  landscape,  mountains,  Plants,  poems,  poetry,  sunsets,  trees

    I like that…

    July 12, 2023

    I, who live by words, am wordless when
    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.

    Madeleine L’Engle, “Words”

    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.”

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  • Arapaho Bend Natural Area,  clouds,  landscape,  natural areas,  Pineridge Natural Area,  reflections,  sunrises

    The morning begins…

    May 18, 2023
    Predawn at Pineridge Natural Area

    … as I unintentionally wake at 3:54 am. Wide awake I decide to get up. I made a trip to the bathroom and then settled into my prayer and meditation time. Ate a quick bowl of cereal, made a chai latte and headed out the door in anticipation of this day’s offering. The sun was not up yet but soon would be. I wanted to be at Pineridge Natural Area for pre-dawn light and sunrise.

    Sunrise at Pineridge Natural Area

    Nature has so much to offer us this time of the day with its creative beauty, the silence, the solitude and witnessing the miracle of a new day. When we allow it, it touches the soul. Clouds presented warm pink and orange colors to entice the eyes. Meadowlarks and robins greeted me with beautiful songs of love. One meadowlark who seemed very excited, sang to me the whole time. I watched a Great Blue Heron wading along the shore who was soon joined by four more. I assume all were in anticipation of breakfast.

    Sunrise and light fog at Rolland Moore Park

    From there I headed east towards Arapaho Bend Natural Area in search of possible images of fog and morning light. This is an area that sits along the low lying land of the Poudre River, usually rich with fog. But, as I drove by Rolland Moore Park I could see the sun bursting through trees, casting light across the wet grass and its rays lighting up the fog. Distracted now, I quickly pulled into the parking lot and grabbed my camera and tripod. Again, I was given a lovely gift of golden light, shadows, and the sparkling wet grass. Grateful I was there!

    Sunrise and reflection at Arapaho Bend Natural Area

    By the time I arrived at Arapaho Bend Natural Area the sun had burned off most of the fog. Since the wind blew yesterday the skies this morning were clear and bright. A group of pelicans and Canada Geese were kind enough to share this sanctuary with me. I stood along the shores of the pond, which are reclaimed gravel pits, and let everything soak in, taking in deep breaths. What I experience in these early mornings may seem strange to some but it is my life. I am filled with gratitude! I then moved on with my day in anticipation of the possible gifts yet to come. And one of those gifts is the coffee shop for a mocha latte.1And when I got there (Starry Night) they had just made their chocolate chip/chai scones. They do not make them very often so I had to have one. Hope you enjoyed a peek at my morning images. Have an Awesome day!

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  • clouds,  consumer,  landscape,  quotes,  storm clouds

    It’s Something We Experience

    April 25, 2023
    This was the scene this morning over Dixon Reservoir at Pineridge Natural area. Meadowlarks, magpies and robins excitedly sang as this new day began.

    “… silence is one of the great victims of modern culture.”

    John O’Donohue, Anam Cara

    I mention silence quite often on this blog because it’s become an integral part of my life. So it isn’t surprising that the above quote has inspired me to write a few words on what it means to say silence is a victim of modern culture.

    I’ve come to believe silence does not mean the absence of sounds or words. I’ve experienced silence in a church and in an open meadow that’s filled with the songs of birds, and even in the chaos of a busy coffee shop. For those who know only the world of sounds or words, silence can seem like an emptiness, uncomfortable, fearful and try to avoid it at any cost. More than one of my spiritual guides suggests that sounds and words have their source in silence. And when I allow myself to be open minded, I have to wonder if silence is something we carry within us, a gift we all are given at our very conception, begging us to embrace it. Maybe it’s something we experience in the ground of our very being. I’ve learned from my practice in quiet prayer, meditation and journaling, that I can have the capacity to detach from a chattering, talkative mind and embrace silence. It’s  in these times I find the expansiveness of silence to be inexhaustibly rich. And, I therefore want more.

    So, I’ve enjoyed contemplating this question that John O’Donohue asks because I know individuals who do not like silence. I will continue to ponder his statement because I’ve also wondered if silence has become a victim that’s been drowned out by a culture obsessed with man made noise, out of control busyness, consumerism and almost total separation from nature? Or, have we turned away from or forgotten the silence already within us? If either of those, or both, are true then we can easily reclaim our silence.

    I apologize if my ramblings do not make sense but I’m going to push the publish button and send it out there. If you have thoughts to share please offer them and give us that insight. Hope you had a great day!

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  • prayer,  quotes,  Thomas Merton

    the gift of silence, … and solitude

    March 14, 2023
    A quiet cloudless predawn sky at Dixon Reservoir

    When I am liberated by silence,
    when I am no longer involved in the
    measurement of life,
    but in the living of it,

    I can discover a form of prayer in which
    there is effectively, no distraction.

    My whole life becomes a prayer.
    My whole silence is full of prayer.

    The world of silence in which I am immersed
    contributes to my prayer.
    Let me seek, then, the gift of silence, … and solitude,
    where everything I touch is turned into prayer:

    where the sky is my prayer,
    the birds are my prayer,
    the wind in the trees is my prayer,
    for God is all in all.

    Thomas Merton

    Someone introduced me to the above prayer/poem by Thomas Merton this past Saturday. This prayer resonates with me because both silence and prayer have become a major part of my adult life. I am never the same after standing in the silence and solitude before a predawn sky over Dixon Reservoir. I’ve come to believe it is in the silence and solitude I’m more apt to hear the prayers within me that do transform me. And in that transformation I’ve come to ponder the question, What would our world be like if more people listened in the silence and solitude of prayer? Plus, silence and solitude are great teachers at listening. I’d venture to say the world needs more listeners than talkers.

    I began writing this post on Sunday afternoon and will schedule its posting for 7:00 am today, which is when they start my surgery. I’ll let you know how that all turns out later.

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  • gratitude,  Plants

    Sunday….

    January 22, 2023
    Rabbitbrush

    “The simplest spiritual discipline is some degree of solitude and silence. To be with our own thoughts and feelings is probably the most courageous act most of us will ever do.”

    …and the sun has been shining most of the day. However, when I left the condo this morning for my chai latte a massive cloud bank sat along the easter horizon hiding the sun. It finally broke above the cloud bank about 8:00 am and immediately began to warm and brighten our day. People were out enjoying this beautiful day. Parking lots to the natural areas were full this afternoon. Now the long late afternoon shadows have faded into the coming darkness as the sun sets and the feeling of cold surrounds me. I’m in for the night to read and post these simple words. Hope you had a good weekend and pray you have a good week.

    Saw a bumper sticker today that I liked and it made me smile. It’s a bit different than its cousin by one word. It says, “Make America Grateful Again.” I’m not so sure either grateful or great are the best words but I would like to have our country be known as grateful rather than great.

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