true success is finding the joy and miracle of each moment
“What day is it?”
It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.
life: acoustic & amplified
poetry, quotes & thoughts about life
Archive for the category “art”
His eye is on the Sparrow and I know He watches me – Civilla D. Martin
A Bird’s Song
Small bird on a
thin branch
sings,
not asking
anyone, not
copying.
Such a short
little song,
so slender,
of no great
meaning,
yet so
true, so easily
winding through
the air,
as the air
will let it,
inviting your heart
somewhere
wonderful.
Isn’t that
all your life
needs
to be?
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
Things that matter most!
Last week I opened my lunch box and Chris had slipped a little stone in it. When I asked him why, he responded he wanted me to ‘be reminded that he loves me and wants me in his life. I have a home with him.’ Home has a huge meaning for me at this time in my life after years of wandering it is such a blessing to have a home. The stone is beside my keyboard and I find myself picking it up and being reminded several times a day of where I am in this journey, praying for this man, for this gift of our relationship, for the home we will build, breathing thanks. It is a very good feeling and makes me smile a lot. It gives me hope and strengthens me! 🙂 I am very blessed!
The people of God have always built monuments of stones as reminders of God’s grace and deliverance. In the Bible you find the people of God stacking stones in various places as they go.
We forget things so easily – let’s start living, and remembering, with intention, something as small as a pebble can have a great impact in our lives! These are the things that matter most!
Intention Set in Stone Prayer Stone Stacks
Add a stone blessed with a prayer to a mound and your intentions merge with those who have left stones before you.
Stone has played a role in spirituality from the very moment humanity externalized its sacred vision. Humans gave form to their devotion by scratching images of their deities into rock faces, carving holy statuary, and building stone shrines. The earliest of these were nothing more than simple piles of rocks that honored sacred places, revelations, people, and events. Following in the footsteps of this ancient tradition provides us with a simple and beautiful way to externalize our own spirituality. In your travels, you may have encountered on the sides of roads, trails, or pathways stacks of stones that look like random sculpture. Add a stone blessed with a prayer to such a mound, and your intentions merge with those who have left stones before you, empowering you all.
Associating a prayer with a particular stone alters the substance of both, and the formation of a prayer mound can balance and intensify the energy of a site. The mere act of choosing a stone can inspire mindfulness, as we lose ourselves in the moment seeking a pebble that speaks to our souls. And placing a prayer stone on a towering cairn is a meditation in patience—slowness and stillness allow us to find our stone’s center of gravity so the delicate ceremonial structure before us remains intact. Be cautious, however, when you feel guided to place a prayer rock upon stone mounds you see intermittently alongside well-worn but unmarked hiking paths. Hikers often use small cairns as guide markers to ensure that those who follow in their footsteps will not lose the trail. When in doubt, begin a new prayer pile slightly further away from the path itself and consider adding a relic of some kind to help others understand its purpose.
When you mindfully place a prayer by beginning a stone heap or adding to an existing mound, your thoughts and intentions are left in the care of fate itself. The cairn of which your prayer was one part may be unintentionally knocked down or destroyed by Mother Nature’s own hand. Try not to let this weigh heavily upon your spirit. The potent energy of your prayer was released by this destruction, ensuring that the purpose underlying that prayer will spread outward in the direction of the furthest reaches of the universe.
www.dailyom.com
enjoy all the miracles of life!
Dazzle and Glow
by Kathy Galloway/Love Burning Deep
Did the sun ever shine so brightly again?
Was there ever again a day of such distinction?
Did the light and shadow ever compliment each other quite so gracefully?
On that day, I remember, I ate chicken soup,
and rode a tractor throught the fields of heaven to certify sheep.
On that day, I put my head down on my arms and wept,
and a friend told me he loved me.
On that day, I hugged another friend in the glory-hole beneath the stairs.
On that day, I thought I would die of feeling,
But lived to wash the coffee cups at midnight.
On that day, we ran like children to the door
and tood and sighed like children at the northern lights,
painting the dark sky with a wash of silver.
On that day, mystery and mundanity embraced, and
caught me in their arms for ever more.
What a blessing of a day!
The benediction of the dazzle of water in a ditch,
and the glow of love, light, and night.
Used with Permission
One of my favorite words: passion
To have passion, to have a dream, to have a purpose in life. And there are three components to 
that purpose, one is to find out who you really are, to discover God, the second is to serve other human beings, because we are here to do that and the third is to express your unique talents and when you are expressing your unique talents you lose track of time. – Deepak Chopra
Songs from the Valley Newsletter on Passion http://songsfromthevalley.com/jan-11-4-2-passion.pdf featuring one of my favorite artists, Bonita Williams Goldberg!!!! http://bonitawilliamsgoldberg.com/
Solitude
The Voice in the Garden of Solitude
Solitude is the garden for our hearts, which yearn for love. It is the place where our aloneness can bear fruit. It is the home for our restless bodies and anxious minds. Solitude, whether it is connected with a physical space or not, is essential for our spiritual lives. It is not an easy place to be, since we are so insecure and fearful that we are easily distracted by whatever promises immediate satisfaction. Solitude is not immediately satisfying, because in solitude we meet our demons, our addictions, our feelings of lust and anger, and our immense need for recognition and approval. But if we do not run away, we will meet there also the One who says, “Do not be afraid. I am with you, and I will guide you through the valley of darkness.”
Let’s keep returning to our solitude.
– Henri Nouwen
http://www.henrinouwen.org/
Read the full ‘Alone’ Newsletter at http://songsfromthevalley.com/September-09-2.18-Alone.pdf
Check out William Perrelli’s photography at http://unusualphotos.shutterfly.com/
Read…it’s good for you
I have always loved to read. I didn’t grow up with tv, or video games, our entertainment was board games and reading. Reading has always been a big part of my life and I have found it helpful in so many ways.
I recently read a book by Kate Braestrup, a Chaplain in Maine, called Beginner’s Grace, about prayer. It helped me a lot. I am hoping to be able to share some of her words and thoughts with you, but I have not found a way to get hold of her for permission to use it yet. If you are struggling with the mystery of prayer this book can give you some new thoughts to incorporate into your living. Good Stuff!!!!
Prayer changes….everything…
The past couple of months I have been doing a lot of thinking, reading, learning and coming to new understanding
about prayer. For the next few days I will be posting some of the things I am learning.
For many years I tried to ‘pray’ in fancy ways and words. ‘Dear Lord, Thank you for your bountiful blessing…etc, etc…blah..blah…blah. I never felt like God had answered the phone. I was just leaving a voicemail. It was a little frustrating. Then my life exploded into millions of tiny fragments. For many years as I sought grace and healing my prayers were guttural. There were no words for me. There was no music for me. It was a path of such pain that the suffering was silent. There was no way to express it. Over and over my soul would cry to God, ‘help me…help me…help me…give me your strength for this moment…help me…help me…to love you and give you thanks right here in the middle of my circumstances.’ I would read Psalm chapter 37 and Matthew chapter 5-7 and cling to them.
And God has done what He promised. He gave me strength for each moment, grace for the journey, hope for my future, miracles in extravagant abundance and peace and healing as I accepted and absorbed this amazing gift of life I have been given, joy overflowing and I have been blessed me in so many ways I know I will never run out of ideas to share about the grace that has come my way.
That doesn’t mean I, or everything in my life is perfect, or will ever be, while I am on this earth. That’s not even the point. A few months ago I went for a walk. My spirit was troubled and I needed to talk to God. Nature is my best place to communicate with my creator. I never fail to connect with God in the beauty of this world that has been so lavishly decorated! As I sat on a bench and started to talk to God something interesting happened…I really wanted to complain about what was happening to me – ha, yet as I began, the amazing glory of God, the maker of heaven and earth began to come into my focus, and I realized that I had nothing but thanks and praise to give and my heart and the words changed. I realized that God already knew my problem and is taking care of it..already…and I gave thanks in a whole new understanding. I sat on the bench and wrote the following song lyrics:
I’ve come to talk to you again
Oh won’t you hear another story
My whole world is at its end
When suddenly I see your glory
Cause I don’t need to ever fear
I’ve seen your miracles and wonders
So I will rest. You’ll dry my tears
Then I’ll fall asleep while my heart ponders
Your love, Your love
Is more than I could ever hope
Your love, Your love
I want the world to know
Cause everybody ought to know
I’ve come to listen once again
Oh let me hear you in this silence
Your grace will fill me to the brim
Shine your light right in the violence
Your light, Your light
Pours though my soul into the night
Your light, Your light
Help me and guard my heart
Cause everybody needs Your light
All I can do is give you thanks
All I can do is praise your name
All I can do is sing you a love song
Every day and all night long
life: acoustic & amplified 