Traveling offers treasures that enrich our lives and stays with us even after the trip is over. I have often said vacations come in three parts: the first third of the fun is the planning, imagining, creating all the arrangements. I love that preparing and dreaming about an upcoming vacation. Afterall I am a planner! The second part is of course, going on the vacation: enjoying the present and discovering surprises and the unexpected. Being in the moment. Savoring the time. But often the best part is the grand finale: the final third: coming home: ahhh, the comfort of home, and then the enjoyment of the memories that no one can take away. That someday you will look back and say I am sure glad we took that trip. No regrets! Where did we go this time and what treasures can I share? Here are a few tidbits: The Trip My hubby and I took quite the adventure this time: a 32-day Viking cruise from LA around Hawaii and French Polynesia and back to LA. Yes 32 days. Yes, lots of … [Read more...]
A Traveler’s Thanks
Gracious Lord,Thank you for the joy of traveling. For the honor of seeing your creation. The joy of being alive in your world. Of experiencing the ocean breezes and the mist on my face. Standing on the deck losing count of all the variation of shades of blues in the waters before us. The loving companionship of my hubby. The deliciousness of the food, both familiar and unfamiliar. Meeting friends from around the world. Breathing in new cultures and learning histories that impact us all. Deepening understanding of varying ways of living. Watching wildlife leap for joy in the air and sea. Waiting for the clouds to pass at night to catch glimpses of the Southern Cross and Orion in your great universe across the heavens. So often, Lord, I felt blessed and thanked you for this time away to see your vast creation. The wonder of your amazing world. And now grateful for returning home and the comfort of routine, family, and beauty even in my … [Read more...]
Bon Voyage
Bon Voyage. Do you know the meaning of this word? Bon voyage is French for good journey. Have a good time! Waving good-bye. Get the hint that I am going on vacation? Yes, I am. My hubby and I love to travel, and I usually blog ahead and schedule the posts to pop up and you never ever notice I am gone, BUT this time I decided to take a break for the rest of the month. For this trip I didn’t blog ahead. I gave myself some grace and space and time away. A retreat from writing to recharge the creative juices. Well not quite as I am taking my notebook with me on the trip. One never know when the muse will show up, right? I will report in after we get back in early December and I will tell you all about this trip. So for now I am wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving - I am grateful for all of you! I will be back soon. See you all in a few! Bon Voyage! … [Read more...]
Advent Anticipation
Advent already? I know you are thinking - it is too soon and you are right. I am early this year with writing about the Advent season. Advent doesn’t begin until December 1st, but you see I am going to be traveling lots in November (more about that here on the blog next week) so I need to be organized and thinking ahead about what all needs to be done as soon as I return after our trip. And Advent and Christmas will be facing me squarely in the face once I am home. You will think I am crazy, but I have already purchased several “white elephant” gifts for early Christmas parties to take for the gift exchanges. I dug through the dusty bags in the basement and found the greeting cards I got last year on sale to send this year and brought them upstairs to have on the dining room table, ready to go once we get home. I hope to print the mailing labels before we leave. No, I won’t decorate before we leave. I am not that crazy! Ha! But I was tempted… Today I found my … [Read more...]
Adult Friendships
Are you lonely? I have to admit as an adult, sometimes I long for the close friendships I experienced in high school where we giggled through long phone conversations and dreamed of the future. We shared deep discussions and possibilities. We invented ideas of what to wear and how to do our hair. We spent time together. We were real together. There was a closeness that doesn’t exist today in friendships. We do have adult friends now. Some are traveling buddies. Several are “let’s try this new restaurant with” types. In fact, looking at my October calendar I have had several morning coffee dates with good friends to share catch-up-with-each-other-moments and perhaps a few deep meaningful ones too. Yet I find it so difficult making new friends as an adult. Not just because I am lean more towards being an introvert, I think our culture makes it difficult too. I read this article recently: “Is making friends as an adult really hard, or is it just me?” The article shares: “research … [Read more...]
What Is Wonderful about the Number 1800?
1800? What is so wonderful about that number you ask? But anyway, why do I bring 1800 up today? Today marks Healthy Spirituality’s 1800’s post! I can’t even imagine I have written 1800 articles here since February 2009. So time to pause and say thank you, dear friends for reading and sticking with me. Praying and commenting. Adding to the conversation. Over the years there is close to 11,000 comments! The most popular categories continue to be quotes, seasonal inspiration, spiritual practices (especially prayer), hymn stories, and oddly enough a grouping called wisdom stories, especially about inspirational historical people. What would you add to this list as your favorite? Often, I share my own spiritual lessons and struggles – those are hard to put into a category. Guess I would call them life. As I grow older and am asked more and more if I am going to ever retire, I wonder if and when to drop writing on a blog. Blogging has been a place to express my … [Read more...]
Word of the Year Fun
Sometimes I am just too serious! I decided to play. I love words and words are great toys to play with. So I took my word of the year – WELL – tossed it into the air, let it land, kerplop! right into a big pot of other words. I reached into the mystery stew and grabbed out some new words all containing my word of the year to see what I would discover. Ready to see what I found? Farewell – Not a big surprise here. Of course this is used to express goodbye. May we bid you a fare-well upon your leaving. Welly – now this one is new. Also spelled wellie. Is abbreviated for Wellington boot. But also can be slang for energy, concentration and commitment. Maybe I could use this one with intention with my word of the year. I could give my word, well, some welly, in the last months of the year. Wellspring – The source. Usually the water source of a well and refers to something of an abundant supply. One expression of wellspring I like and will use with my word of the year … [Read more...]
Four Somethings – Autumn Edition
Each season welcomes a time to reflect on what we are learning, becoming, and where God is inviting us into as we are being shaped in this wonderful gift of life. I love pausing occasionally, taking a deep breath, and doing the spiritual practice of remembering, reviewing, and savoring life’s lessons and sacred moments in our lives. I gather these tidbits of wisdom into what I call my Four Somethings: Something Wise Henri Nouwen explains clearly why writing helps me/us express our deepest desire/emotions. This is why I find writing in my journal so helpful. He says it so well: “Writing is a process in which we discover what lives in us. The writing itself reveals to us what is alive in us. The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of which we were not aware before we started to write. To write is to embark on a journey whose final destination we do not know. Thus, writing requires a real act of trust. We have to say to ourselves: … [Read more...]