I know, it is way too early to see a post from me, but apparently I only get four hours of sleep for today. How is it you are too exhausted to sleep? Anyway, I guess I will share what I am grateful for today. Nature. In all its forms, Gods second book provides peace and empowerment for me. I love flowing water, the clearer and colder the better. It makes your skin tingle and cools you when July and August get too big for their britches. My favorites are The Deschutes, Oneonta, Silver Falls, Lostine, Arlington, Pamelia, John Day and Wahkeena. To be by them, ford them, float them, swim in them remains a must for me. All ecosystems provide something that inspires and renews me, but the one that I gravitate to most is the one closest to home, temperate rain forest. The Northwest damp, mossy, dark woods layered first with needle strewn floor, ferns, then vine maple, towered over by Douglas fir. The smell, the dampness, a gentle rain and droplets falling off the ends of sword fern and bleeding heart. Varieties of greens in open places, lichens hanging down from old, moss covered limbs. Nurse logs sprouting hemlock and huckleberry, mushrooms peeking out from under logs and the quiet only disturbed by a wren or thrushes twits and tweets. Heaven. I am grateful for creativity and believe as my mother did that the desire to create comes from being made in our Creators image. My parents provided opportunity to learn a wide variety of creative oprions, teaching us skills such as woodcarving, ceramics and potters wheel, photography, sewing and drawing. We had purposes for being creative. We made our Christmas gifts to give to family and still do. We entered a float in the Jr. Rose Parade and created fair booths. Creating is something I must do, make time for in order to be fully present in my life. My entire, extended family feels the same. To write a poem or story extends my soul to a fourth dimension. I thank my 8th grade teacher and my high school teacher for having us write a weekly essay. That gave me five years of practice. And now writing allows me to be creative for myself and has been integral in my becoming who I am as a person. I also get to be creative at work. Just check out my teaching teams gnome pictures And finally, I am grateful for my belief in the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ and God. I had parents that pushed me to decide and know for myself what I believe. To not wear my belief, but be and live what I believe. It has been an incredible journey. I can relive my baptism at the age of twelve and know my faith and belief then, though strong, was that of a young, naive girl. I have trusted, questioned and fought this belief. And now it is not a matter of feeling but of knowing, that for me, God is real and my breath and life depend on Him. I have felt Christs hand holding mine. The Holy Spirit has filled my soul. And God has held me in His arms when I wasnt able to go on. They have walked beside the still waters with me and through the valley of death. I respect and admire anyones belief system, whether in the universe, or a specific religious idea. But I hope that each person has wrestled with their belief, for themselves and contemplates something bigger than themselves. Thank you Vanessa Reed for having me do this exercise. It has made this week special and brought me much joy.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 13:30:35 +0000
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