I slammed the brakes. Slowly down enough, I turned onto the side road to get another look. What a beautiful sight! The field on the south side of the road erupted in vibrant yellow mustard. Maybe God splashed some sunshine on earth in a new way. Or maybe he has a craving for butter as he created an abundance of this shade all over our county. The pasture glowed in bright canary yellows. Interesting enough, this wasn't a preplanned, carefully cultivated field of flowers. No, the field overflowed with weeds. Weeds are nature's graffiti. J.L.W. Brooks Since I was seeing so many pockets of this weed in these fields, undulating like seas of yellow, I did some research. Most websites referred to a plant called the cressleaf groundsel. It has been spreading throughout the Midwest for the past 20 years, especially in no-till farming and in a wet spring. We certainly have had a cool wet spring in Ohio. Weeds – yes. Beautiful – yes! As one grows older one should grow more … [Read more...]
Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day Dorothy Day has been my companion for more than 10 years now. I always learn something from her. Her social justice beliefs and how she lived every day following the Sermon on the Mount yanks me from my comfort zone and makes me question if I do enough, speak up enough, give enough. She inspires me to seek God and follow him in deeper ways. For May's Tending the Holy Thursday theme where I delve into a topic or a person of faith for several weeks, we are going to look at Dorothy Day. Today I will share some of her background, next week will be rich with her wonderful, challenging quotes to consider, then the last week we can discuss what her life means to us today. I created a free Reflection Guide for you to download by just clicking the button at the end of this post. I think this guide would be great to copy and keep in your journal for further contemplation. It has several quotes divided by topics, followed by a writing/reflection prompts and questions with … [Read more...]
Monthly Musings – What I Learned in April
Monthly Musings Each month I pause and take a look back at what I am discovering, learning, and exploring in life – I call these my monthly musings. Living a reflective life is a spiritual practice that adds depth and gratitude to our lives. Often our busy schedules make it difficult to keep a daily journal, but we can find the time to take notes of the some of the highlights, lessons, and joys by waking up and paying attention. I record these on the pages of my Monthly Musing Journal. You can use anything, scrapes of papers, a journal or a calendar. Copies of my Monthly Musing Journal are available on amazon and are a convenient way to keep track of the little things in life we often miss. What I Learned in April Lessons Learned The series I wrote in April on discernment struck a chord with many readers and deepened my awareness of discernment, not just a tool for a major life decisions, but a way of life to live each day. What a blessing we have to have so many … [Read more...]
Discernment – Lessons Learned
Discernment Discernment has been the theme for April's Tending the Holy Thursday posts. I find it fun and insightful to dig into a topic with more depth. This week I am sharing some lessons I have learned and pondered while studying discernment. May this topic help you through those difficult transitions and just plain daily choices. The first week we began with defining and exploring discernment, second week I shared tips and how-to's, and last week's post of quotes and resources. You may want to read or review them as you need. Discernment – Lessons Learned. Discernment is more than decision-making. Yes, we use discernment at times of major life transitions and crossroads, but this practice also enhances our daily living. Living a discerning life is " hearing a deeper sound beneath the noise of ordinary life and seeing through appearances to the interconnectedness of all things, to gain a vision of how things hand together in our lives and in the world." Henri … [Read more...]
Spiritual Spring Cleaning
Spiritual Spring Cleaning Have you started your spring cleaning yet? Warmer weather here in Ohio invites me to scrub, scour, and sort. I love having the windows open for the fresh air, but then notice the smudges and spots from winter on the glass. I emptied cupboards, reorganized shelves, and even washed the outside windows. The silver tea service I inherited from my mother is buffed and polished. The house is beginning to shine. That is not all. I even have a dental appointment this week to get my teeth cleaned. Sparkling though and though, right? Yesterday I tackled the first batch of weeds in the flower gardens. Looks like we have lost two of my rose bushes this year. But then again, that means some fun time shopping in the garden section where I am sure I will find more than just roses. Spiritual Spring Cleaning Inside the house work. Outside the house work. Then I felt God say to me quietly – how about inside your heart? What inside – inside of you – needs … [Read more...]
Spring Optimism
I'm an optimist. In spring my enthusiastic sunniness beams brighter than usual. Spring is my favorite time of year. Until it snows in April. Yep, last weekend while we had only a dusting on the grass, one county about an hour east of my house accumulated 10 inches of heavy white winter. And just a second ago, my cell phone chirped a weather alert for below freezing temperatures tonight. If I remember right, Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow, so predicting quite strongly there would be an early spring. So much for that rat being right. In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. Mark Twain Spring where are you? Yet I have hope. The rotation of the seasons shows me God's faithfulness and his oversight – spring will come, then summer, fall, winter, spring and so on. He is the creator, has the control, and also the authority over all things. Each day reminds me of this comforting cycle of rest and renewal – sun up, sun … [Read more...]
March Madness or Oops, It’s My Monthly Musings
What are Monthly Musings? At the beginning of each month, I share lessons I learned from the previous month. I call these my Monthly Musings (I have a free cheat sheet if you want to help with this practice you (see end of this post) and/or a printed book, Monthly Musings Journal, available on Amazon if you are interested). These are ways to incorporate the spiritual practice of reflection into your life and often I see God's touch and presence more in this rearview mirror look-back on life. I have been working on a book proposal about the value of the spiritual practice of remembering and living a reflective life. Doing this column each month has grounded me in this practice and helped me capture those fleeting moments of joy, learning, and life. March Madness or My Monthly Musings What did I learn/observe in March? Lessons Learned: I have been pondering Jesus as a carpenter. I wonder what he made. How the sawdust felt to him? Did he ever miss his mark and hit his … [Read more...]
Celtic Christianity – Anamchara
Celtic Christianity – Anamchara Anamchara is a phrase in Celtic Christianity meaning soul friend. This month on Tending the Holy Thursday we have explored several great Irish people of faith – St.Gobnait, St Brigid, and St Patrick – all have become our soul friends – our anamchara. Celtic Christianity overflows with intriguing concepts – so many I had trouble deciding one to share today. For example, ever hear of peregrinatio? It is the seeking, questing, adventure, wondering, and exile we all experience on the journey of life. The continuous never ending transformation in the rhythm of our daily living and daily dyings where we slowly are shaped by God. But anamchara kept calling to me as this week's focus. What is Anamchara? Irish writer and poet John O'Donohue defines this idea best: In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul-love; the old Gaelic term for this is anam cara. … [Read more...]