Gardening with Mr. Robin

We had an incredibly hot stretch of weather for May in Wisconsin. I spent the day outside, gardening in the shade. The heat was way too intense to work in the sunshine. Luckily, my shady garden bed needed lots of work, and that included lots of watering. Our cold well water felt wonderful on my bare feet and arms, and kept the ground around me cool while the sun shone down outside of my shady zone.

When I came around the corner of the house, I found a robin sitting under my little patio table. He sat there in the shade of the umbrella and looked at me. So I began to speak to him, and I got his full attention. Then I started to sing to him. I tried to make myself sound somewhat bird-like, with repetitions of high scales like vocal warm ups. When I hit the highest note, he stretched his neck, lifting his head up higher off of his shoulders, all the while looking right at me. I don’t know if that was good or bad in bird body language, but I definitely had his attention.

Earlier that day, I had potted up some plants and watered them by the patio table. Mr. Robin must have found that spot in the shade of the umbrella to be nice and cool on such a hot day. We visited for a while, and I enjoyed our interaction, but I decided I needed to continue with my work. I kept an eye on the little guy, who hung around in the damp garden areas where I had recently worked. As I planted my way around the bed, I watered, probably more than I needed to, as the cold water felt so good as I shared in the spray. At one point, I gave my little buddy a shower, too! I let him feel the very edge of the hose spray, where it is the softest, and he enjoyed a cold little shower on a very hot day!

After a while, my little friend hopped on over and hung out under the shade of my magnolia tree while I worked. He didn’t seem afraid, and I continued to talk with him. I worked for some time, taking many breaks due to the heat – one advantage of landscaping for myself instead of for employment! Mr. Robin was always nearby, within 8 to 10 feet of me, watching me work and catching any tiny insects that crawled out of the newly wetted soil.

Lunchtime came, and I went inside, leaving the heat of the day for respite in the air conditioning. After a couple of hours, I returned to my work, and to my surprise, Mr. Robin was still hanging around!

I worked for another few hours, and my little feathered friend stuck around. I could walk near him, within 6 feet or so, on my way to another part of the yard, and he never hopped away or showed any fear. He never tried to fly away, and I began to wonder if he was all right. During one of my breaks, I researched robins on my phone and found out that the brighter colored birds are the males. That’s why I call him Mr. Robin!

At one point, I saw he had gotten a big worm from the dry ground by the maple tree. He held it up for me to see, and he seemed quite proud. I thought perhaps once he ingested it, he would probably he heading back to the nest to share with his babies. But still he hung around the lilac bush, happily hopping about in the shade.

After another in-house break, I ventured out with my kitty on her harness to let her play for a while. I immediately saw that the robin was still over by the lilac bush, and quickly picked up Bella and put her back inside.

Sometime during the evening, Mr. Robin flew home. I let Bella out to play, and thought about the story that I would get to tell of a unique day where two species coexisted for an afternoon. Our acquaintance lasted about 6 hours, and it seemed unbelievable at the time, and seems so now in the telling. But it happened, and I thoroughly enjoyed my day in the shade in Mr. Robin.

At the end of a long day, or anytime, really... this is a favorite place of mine to relax. 

Beauty is there for us to find when we search for it. And within the beauty of Nature, there is hope to find. 

Seeking Renewal

Vernon Marsh on a Springtime Morning

As I sit by the Vernon marsh soaking up the morning sun, a soft haze covers the marsh as remnants of this morning's fog remain.

I hear all the familiar birds and waterfowl, and my spirit is calmed.

I come here for this.


We need to deliberately seek peace for the renewal of our spirit.

Our chaotic lives leave little time for the peace our spirit needs. We need to learn how to nourish ourselves in body and spirit.

Just as our bodies need calories and vitamins to thrive, so does our spirit need to be fed.

We must seek ways of spiritual nourishment in order to feed our spirit. This may be as simple as finding time to be still. It may seem difficult to find time for a spiritual practice, but without feeding our spirit, we are running on 'empty'.

Nourishing practices of prayer, meditation, and yoga allow our focus to turn inward, while freeing tension and stress from the body.

This, in turn, allows the spiritual 'body' to rejuvenate. Oftentimes, as we actively release tension from our bodies, we free our minds to seek higher thoughts.

In other words, we let go of the ways of the world and open our hearts and minds to the healing the spirit provides.

Sometimes this practice will result in a great revelation -- that "ah-HA!" moment. The nudging the spirit was trying to use to get our attention had been blocked by busyness and tension, and can now find its way into our conscious mind.

Burr Oak at Waterville Prairie

 
When we open our hearts and minds in a spiritual practice, we are free to receive messages our physical body has been trying to tell us, too.

And when we open ourselves to just 'being', we are free to receive messages from the Holy Spirit who whispers to our soul.

That still, small voice cannot be heard above the distractions of this world.


So, take time to be still. Quiet the mind, rest the body, and open your heart to seeking renewal.

This can be as simple as finding a quiet place, away from the demands of life and and our endless to-do lists.

Late Autumn Blooms at Retzer Nature Ctr.

I like to escape into nature, where I find peace and a purpose far beyond the busyness of our human lives. Here, the simple purpose is life, and living. And I celebrate that!

Wherever you go to seek quiet and peace, even if it's in your closet (trust me, there have been times when that's the only place I could find). Try to make seeking peace a practice. Here are some simple steps to guide you.

When you rest and meditate, pray that God's white light will surround you and protect you. Bask in the feeling of comfort and love. Breathe deeply, and gently, to connect with your inner self. Connect with your breath, consciously breathing out the stress.

Use this time to pray for healing, allowing yourself the honor of praying for yourself.

Pray for others who have great need, and in your earnestness, seek the comfort and counsel of the One who can guide us through the difficult and often tumultuous waters of this life.

Give thanks for the life and breath we breathe, for this moment of peace, and for the beauty in the world. It's there, if we take the time to look.

My first tulip!

A bird's song, an opening flower; the smile of a friend. New life all around us. Celebrate with joy, and you will be fulfilled, and ready to face whatever life brings your way.

Giving Thanks

I am thankful for:

My relationship with God

which brings me comfort,

peace, and unending love

My family 

who love me unconditionally

Nature

With songs in the trees,

music in rushing water,

and the awe-inspiring

 beauty of flowers

My girlfriends

Who share our lives

in long heart-talks, laughter

and the precious gift of time

Music

Which fills my life

with the melody of love

My kitties

who know just when 

we need to cuddle

Life

and the beauty

in every breath

You

who come to read my thoughts

and look for encouragement,

and share in this life with me

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you know many blessings

and know

that you are beloved

I would love for you to share what you are thankful for. Please leave a comment below. You may post anonymously if you prefer.

Growing Through the Seasons

Frost had been predicted. I went into my garden to gather the last of summer’s bounty. As I plucked unripe tomatoes and loaded them into the cradle of my arm, I wondered once again, why did I not remember to bring a bowl or a basket with me to the garden?

When the final harvest was completed, I surveyed the garden plot and decided that a fall clean up was necessary. So I began by pulling out the tomato cages and stakes that had been anchored deeply into the earth to support the growing vines.

Then I pulled out the plants, rooted firmly in the soil. Some had roots spreading out horizontally where they had reached out for nourishment from their surroundings. All had flourished, some more than others, and each root pattern was different.

It got me to thinking how our lives are like those plants. In our early summer gardens, we sow seeds or transplant seedlings with care, envisioning a bountiful life and a fruitful harvest in the season ahead.

We can begin anew in our own lives during any season.

Each day is an opportunity to grow in a new way; to start again and to envision the life in which we will prosper.

As summer stretches her long days into warm nights, we watch our gardens grow. We make certain they are watered faithfully, so that the plants can receive their nutrients from the soil. Roots reach out underground to sustain the rapid growth of the plant; and as the plant grows, it reaches to the sky seeking sunlight to nurture its growing abundance.

Are we so very different?

Our feet are firmly planted in this life, and our faith can nurture our growth, but we must reach out to sustain that growth. Our roots are where we are planted, our families and our communities. We can keep pretty much to ourselves, and maintain our lives just as they are.

Photo Courtesy Ed & Bunny Cooke

Or, we can reach out to others nearby and share in their lives, too, intertwining our “roots” with shared experiences and personal growth. We can nurture each other by sharing our faith journey and helping each other to navigate this challenging life, day by day.

Where do you reach out for personal growth? Like the plants reaching for the sunshine, we need to reach out to the unknown to try new challenges and new adventures. We will be sustained by the foundation of our roots, our families and our familiar lives. But we will be challenged to find new footing as we grow, to sustain a broader base of interest.

Plants need sunlight, water and soil to grow.

People need faith, hope, and love to grow.  

The One who makes all life possible is the One we need to turn to every day to sustain our growth, and indeed, sometimes to simply make it through each day.

All of nature is one, and we are a part of the whole. God created nature to work in harmony with itself, enduring through the ebb and flow of life; through vibrant, new growth, sustained life, and finally decomposition of the plant material that will feed the soil and future generations.

So must we be ready for the give and take of life; opportunities for new growth and times when we must cast away that which no longer serves us. We must sustain a willingness to explore new ideas to offer our minds new avenues of growth, and we must share our knowledge with those who are younger to encourage a new generation of thinkers and caretakers of this planet.

To strengthen our spirit, we need daily contact with our Source. Through prayer, meditation, and conversation with our Creator, we connect with the source of our energy and maintain our ability to grow. God is our sunlight.

When we turn our faces to be warmed by His presence, His peace fills us and becomes our provision. It is the sustenance we need. Like plants that maintain life through sunlight and photosynthesis, we are nurtured through our connection with God.

We can feed our spirit by connecting with the power and peace of the One who is loving, patient and forgiving. We need not fear the unknown when reaching out in new directions. God will always be there to strengthen and nurture us when we seek His guidance.

Photo Courtesy Ed & Bunny Cooke

It’s nearly as simple as turning our faces to the sun. Only instead we need to turn our hearts to God, seeking Him throughout the day, and thank Him for the beauty that surrounds us in the people and places He leads us to.  Gratitude is our fertilizer.

When we build our foundation on fertile soil, we will grow. By offering thanks for all things that touch our spirit and make us happy, we live a life of gratitude that nurtures our spirit. And this is a fertile foundation for continued growth in our lives.

We are sustained by our communities of love and faith as our foundation, and we are nurtured in growth by the love of our gracious God. In this way, providing all of the ingredients for a prosperous life, we can joyously live and grow through any season of our lives. 

Where I Get Inspired

Nature is a balm. When I step into the woods, I feel my countenance relax as peace spreads throughout my being.  The bright green canopy overhead lifts my spirits, and the path laid out before me beckons me to wander awhile.

Wild geraniums line the path

On a recent spring day, I headed into the woods for exercise and respite from my burdened thoughts. I felt my troubles fall behind me with each step further into the woods. The darting birds and busy squirrels barely noticed me as they pursued gathering their lunch, and even they seemed light-hearted at the hope of springtime.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

The early spring woodland holds treasures in plant life that fade quickly and can go entirely unnoticed if one is not aware. On this particular hike, I saw so much beauty in the details of the wildflowers, I returned with my camera to capture these images of their springtime blooms.

Spring foliage is the brightest green of the growing season, and being surrounded with this bright energy fills me with delight and indeed energizes me. Soon the canopy will become more broad, changing into the deeper greens of midsummer, and I will find respite here from the heat of a hot summer’s day.

Trillium

But the spring green seems to shout out its joy of new life as I wander, and the feeling is infectious. I feed on the energy of new life all around me, and the sense of joy in new life rejuvenates my spirit.

I think God has given us Nature for this very purpose. The world man has created is so busy and harsh, with concrete and steel and glass. We design sharp right angles and symmetry, when nature’s edges are soft and free form. We may become accustomed to the cacophony of vehicles roaring by and flying overhead, but our spirits seek peace and quiet if we are to commune with our Maker. It is in the quiet that we are restored.

Spring is quickly growing into the long, hot days of summer. We become accustomed to seeing green all around us, and we settle into a rhythm that hums with the energy of a hot summer’s day. This beauty was birthed in the newness of spring; this life-giving energy growing from the roots to the treetops, and spreading out to form the peaceful canopy into which we might gaze and feel our spirits renewed.


We should take our cue from nature, and slow down to breathe in the life-giving energy of the natural world. Nature doesn't hurry or rush. Everything grows in its season, and we have the privilege of sharing in this beauty. 

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. " 

Ecclesiastes 3:1(NLT)

When Hope is Scarce

There are days when my spirit soars, free from worry, like a bird on an updraft column of air, reaching a pinnacle of height and effortlessly soaring over all of creation. Then, like the bird, I have to come back down to earth.

Gravity is a force to be reckoned with, but so is despair.

Why is it that I can be so full of the Spirit and feel complete peace within my life one day, and wake the next day to a feeling of hopelessness hanging on my spirit like a heavy blanket weighing me down?

Where do we find hope when hope seems lost? How can we restore our peace when hope is scarce?

Certainly we can’t live on the highest peaks of euphoria all the time, but neither do we want to wallow in the valley of despair.

How do you restore balance in your life?

I know there is joy that restores my spirit when I sing praises to my Lord. My thoughts shift to God and pull me out of my troubles, and I am reminded of His great Love. Yet I don’t always remember that just to lift my voice and sing will be restorative to my spirit. And sometimes I don’t feel like singing through my sadness. But when I sing, I am instantly transformed back to a child of God, loved by my Heavenly Father, and free from worries and cares.

There is a certainty that a walk in nature will make me smile, as I feel oneness with all living things of the natural world. Perhaps it is because the focus moves out of myself and into the world that I am restored. I walk along, one foot in front of the next, and the pattern becomes a soothing rhythm. 

The glorious wonders of nature surround me, and I feel connected to heaven and earth. Soon I realize I am smiling, and there is a song in my heart once again.

For me, these methods help to restore my inner peace. If I can’t get outside, and I am feeling more introspective, I might turn to meditation for its restorative properties. Instrumental music playing softly helps to tune out the rest of the world, and a mantra of “I am well” or “I am healed” calms my spirit and allows a change of inner perspective.

Prayer and meditation are excellent methods of connecting with our inner selves and with God. Through prayer, we can share our troubles with God, and release them. Through meditation, our hope and wellness can be restored. 

As a young woman of twenty years of age, I saw mountains for the first time. It was through this natural beauty that God first whispered to my heart, and I began to believe in a higher power that ordered this natural world.

I’ve always been drawn to the words of the psalmist who wrote, “I lift my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 (NIV)

There is power in knowing God is in the strength of the mountains, and peace in feeling His presence in the order of the natural world. Restoring our spirit and finding hope when it seems scarce is as easy as turning our thoughts to God and laying our burdens at His feet.

Releasing our pain and our worries to the One who knows all, sees all, and is Infinite, lifts our burdens revealing our pure inner self which only seeks peace and knows hope is the pathway to finding that peace.

The Winds of Change

Amazingly powerful gusts of wind blow across our hilltop, drying up the melting snow and changing the landscape from solid white to barren brown in less than a day. The winds brought warm temperatures along on their gusts; so warm we opened up the doors and let the breezes blow in, which is very refreshing after a long season of being shut-up tight with furnace-blown heat.

As winds of change blow through our lives, we can find new direction in the way we look at our situations. If we are open to change, we can find ourselves with a new perspective and a more positive outlook.

We can get stuck-in-a-rut in our thinking, and sometimes it takes a refreshing breeze to open our minds to a different point of view. It may be an event that causes us to review where our lives are going, or perhaps the words of a friend spark a thought that encourages us to consider different possibilities.

When we allow God into our lives as a constant companion and friend, we invite His work in shaping our views of how to live. He gently blows an idea across our mind, and we can choose to latch onto it and ride along the breeze.

When we engage our subconscious mind with the possibility and hope of change, we open our thought processes to allow us to get out of the rut of our regular thinking. Through honoring God in the surrender of our fears and control of the details of our lives, we open our hearts to hear His voice of wisdom and guidance.

Change is never easy, but it is always good. These winds of change that blow through our lives give us direction. They save us from the patterns of our thinking that cause us to feel stuck and unable to change.  

Though it may seem difficult to escape these life-long thought patterns, opening our hearts and minds to the possibilities of change allows refreshingly new insight.  Actively engaging in a desire for change is the first step to initiating transformation in your life.

It may begin quite subtly, but when we look back in the direction of where the wind came from, we begin to see the change that has begun in us. Our path has shifted slightly, and our thinking along with it. We can view the same situation through a different perspective. And most likely, this will provide a more positive point of view.

Stay open to change, and let nature be your guide. Nothing in nature ever stays the same. It is in a constant state of growth and development and change. Nature even recycles. What was once living matter continues its usefulness to help begin new life.

Everything we have experienced in life is useful, and can be used to encourage new growth and perspective as we move forward in our lives. Don’t be afraid of change. It can be the pathway to a better understanding of yourself and your place in this world.

Seeking Inner Peace

We live in a world of whim. What we think we desperately need to get us through the day will change in a matter of minutes. The things we desire to purchase will bring us only momentary satisfaction.

What we really need is inner peace, and that can be hard to find. I wish it were as simple as a shopping trip to a nearby store. But it’s not. It takes work. It takes focusing our thoughts away from our troubles and putting our eyes on the One who can truly offer us peace.

 

The pathway to finding peace is different for each one of us. There are many meditative arts that calm the mind and soothe the spirit. From my own experience, I find yoga to be very relaxing and invigorating. My focus is on my breath, breathing in and out, being conscious of how my body responds to that breath, the rise and fall of the abdomen, the fresh oxygen coursing through my bloodstream. Just breathe. There, now don’t you feel better already?

Walks in nature make me feel lighthearted. No matter how cold it is, I find myself walking along with a silly smile on my face. All is forgotten except for the next step, one foot placed in front of the next, watching, observing, and enjoying my surroundings.

Perhaps what both of these activities have in common is concentration. During yoga, while I focus on form and balance, the emphasis is on my breath. No outside thoughts are allowed to interfere. It’s just me and my body, and the concentration of energy within myself.

When I am hiking in nature, the world of buildings and roads is left far behind. My focus is on the natural world and the beauty to be found in all seasons. When I am in nature, my alertness to my surroundings focuses my concentration. I am observant of the surface on which I walk as well as the nearby terrain and surroundings landscape. Perhaps this focus takes my mind off of everyday problems, because I seldom worry when I am out in nature. And if a concern comes to mind for someone, I simply pray and give that concern to the powers of the universe.

Each of us needs to find our source of peace and contentment. We need to shut off the video screens of our electronics and reconnect with the natural world outside of and within ourselves. The true inner peace we seek begins with knowing ourselves intimately, and learning to trust our judgment in the choices we make.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27

Nature's Perfect Peace

If you have come searching for hope, I welcome you to my blog. Within these pages we will share our thoughts and our hearts as we embrace the lives we live in this imperfect world.

Life has not always given me sunshine and flowers. Well, they were probably always there but I haven’t always looked for them. I have lived seasons of darkness and despair, but no longer do I dwell there. I choose now to live with hope, to search for peace, and definitely take time to stop and smell the flowers!

Nature is the balm that soothes my troubled spirit. When I walk in nature, I feel immeasurable joy. All that I need to know is the next step, rhythmically placing one foot in the front of the other. Soon tension falls off my shoulders and I feel a song begin to grow in my heart.

The sights, sounds and smells in a woodland forest or a meadow ignite all of the senses. Walking through a garden is a delight. We see the myriad colors, touch velvet petals and smell the fragrances of leaves and flowers. These are medicine to combat our hectic lives. It must be intentional. Our fast-paced world doesn’t slow down for us to breathe. We must make the time. It is critical for our health and peace of mind.

Even a walk through your neighborhood can restore a more natural rhythm to your life. This time of year, you can walk just about anywhere and crunch your way through fallen leaves. Somehow that never gets old. The change of seasons is earth’s natural rhythm, and we would do well to recognize the consistency of the natural world. Though there are slight variations, we can count on daylight and darkness, and the steady forward march of the seasons.

Nature doesn’t hurry, so take your time. Be intentional. And remember to breathe.