May
Spring is no respecter of age and can begin in us when we are twenty or eighty. We may worry about the presumption of beginning “out of season.” Am I too old? Would not the adventure and the risk be better left to younger persons? That is not the point. Our business at any age can be spring. It is ours only to assess the love and presence of God, and to let ourselves go into the “ever widening circles,” as the poet Rilke once described his life. We do not have to see the end, the final circle. Rilke said, “I may not ever complete the last one, but I give myself to it.” Perhaps a lifetime is for coming to the place where we freely give ourselves at any age, time or place in acts of courage and trust. Spring is more than the greening of the maple, the red-winged blackbird. It is a deep momentum that moves the world toward the fulfillment of the Benevolent Promise we hear every spring at the edge of a once and winter pond as it wakes in warmth and song to another beginning.
… from the Daybook Spring 1998, All the Days of My Life, Marv and Nancy Hiles, Iona Center — Chosen and read by Nancy L.
Mother Earth
Mother Earth , Queen of heaven,
we celebrate with your many names.
Within the earth that is your body,
the waters of your living womb,
the air that is your sacred breath,
and the fire that is your radiant spirit
life is born, grows, dies and is reborn.
Instill in us an awareness of
the cycles and rhythms of nature.
As seeds sprout in the spring,
so should the inspiration of new ideas.
From summer’s fiery heat we shall
harness positive energy and
celebrate the abundance around us.
When the days grow short in the fall
we will listen to the wise intuitive inner voice
and honor our feelings.
During winter’s cold days and long nights
we will acknowledge our bodies’ wisdom
and healing power of dreams.
The moons celestial light and sacred dark
keep us in balance as our bodies cycle in harmony.
We will dance around the tree of life,
listening to your leaves whisper words of wisdom,
and celebrate your abundant beauty.
Judy Coates Perez — Chosen and read by Bonnie L.
A wonderful meditation while walking the labyrinth. Praying for our country, our world. The peace that comes from being in this wonderful space reminds me when I may want to forgo it, that I need to listen again to that still small voice that guides us to our better selves.
Photo and reflection by Jill W.
This photo captured the peace and healing that beckoned me to stop and sit and listen to the birds and the sound of the wind in the trees.
The richness and grace of nature so abundant this morning and we are a part of it.
Photos and reflections by Bonnie L.
I was overwhelmed today with feelings of joy and gratitude… breathing in the beauty of it all and smiling at the posing cardinal and baby alligator sunning herself. This wonder, in addition to that which I had encountered in a recent trip to Italy, filled me with tremendous gratitude…
Gratitude abounds,
new life, amazing beauty,
blessed beyond belief.
Photos, reflection and haiku by Nancy L.
walkinginwonderhcfm 