gather the kindling

retreat altar . midwest inner excavation retreat, may 2011

Close your eyes
Gather all the kindling
About your heart
To create one spark.
That is all you need
To nourish the flame
That will cleanse the dark
Of its weight of festered fear.

from "For Courage" by John O'Donohue (from To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings)

let there just be... {an invitation}

 

in this moment

right now

give yourself permission

to take a breath in

and feel the space 

around your heart

open

and as you exhale

all the stuff

you are carrying today

slips off your shoulders

for this moment

let there

just be

love

love 

love

toward all of it.

 

a view from port townsend . march 25, 2010

remember,

breathe in

and out

and 

lean in

toward all you know,

lean in

toward all of it.

take a moment. remember.

we watched "sunday morning" this morning.

the opinion piece by martha gillis is something we all should watch...even though it is hard to sit in the quiet and listen to this woman's words, i believe, this is something we all need to see. something we all need to remember.

the words are found here.
you can scroll down and click on the video in the left column of that page (or click here).

blessings and peace,
liz

this day.

this morning, i almost forgot me for a bit

life is full in this moment....which can be oh so very beautiful...

but also an invitation for overwhelm

and a current project had me in a full-on stop. start. stop. what is going on? start. stop.

so i took myself outside

and found yellow + wishes

and remembered

simple things (on this day)

a pause at metropolitan market . july 8, 2009

christina has invited another day of "the simple things." i am bit late to the party, but i do so want to play along...especially because this was a day when i needed the reminder to gather the simple things close to me, to breathe them in, and to know that this is the good stuff that makes up this life.

we must remind ourselves of the simple goodness that makes up this journey.

my list...

happy skirts . tiny turner sings "better be good to me" into my ear and i dance in my seat at the cafe . the opportunity to make someone smile . the leaf atop my vanilla soy latte . momentum, when it chooses to visit . my husband's one day growth of beard . the visit to the dentist today that resulted in the words i have never heard before "you have no cavities" (took 33 years) . a friend who nods in understanding . a friend who holds the space for me . striped socks . owning that this is me . possibility that is each day . when someone says "yes" . that quilt, yes, that one . when the planted seed begins to stretch . the rhythm of each breath .

(thank you christina. this has really been the perfect bookend to this day.)

(and you reading this, you should go check out the links to all souls playing along today. go on...take a few minutes and read a few...then make your own list.)

.in this moment.

photo by jon

in this moment
find your breath

find the rhythm
inhale
notice how your body moves
exhale
notice how your mind settles

inhale

exhale

seek the space around your heart

inhale

exhale

inhale

exhale

inhale
begin to allow peace to fill this space

exhale
let this peace settle over you

inhale

exhale

inhale
breathe in this peace

exhale
begin to send peace
to someone
who needs this peace
in this moment

inhale

exhale

inhale

exhale

inhale
breathe this peace in

exhale
let it settle over you

inhale
feel this space around your heart

exhale
rest inside this peace within you

namaste

this day.

forest exploring, olympic peninsula . april, 2009

give yourself permission
to let this moment
this moment
right now
be just for you

find your breath

notice your next inhale...
then the exhale that follows

let your mind rest
inside the movement
of your breath
in your body

find the rhythm of this movement

inhale
chest opens
exhale
shoulders relax
inhale
heart opens
exhale
feel the space inside you

when you are ready
to return
to what is to happen next
know this:

you have all the tools you need for this day
and the next
and the next

namaste.