That’s what Sunday is for – a day of rest. When was the last time you took a day to rejuvenate? To reactivate yourself and to treat yourself with love?
We find it hard to slow down sometimes. We push through and keep going until we’ve nothing left for ourselves. We get mired into the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s and our minds have no time to find peace, nor our bodies to be still.
Always there is something to do, more to accomplish, responsibilities to attend to and yet, when do we take time for ourselves to simply be? To breathe, to notice the beauty in the air around us, to take in the majesty of nature’s wonder?
Please today, even if it is only for a few precious moments, gift yourself that time. Stand outside with your feet firmly planted on the earth, look up to the sky and be grateful for this moment in time. Meditate for a few precious moments with gratitude in your heart.
If you can’t stand outside, then be still and go within yourself. Find a quiet spot for a few moments and close your eyes. Imagine you are in the midst of a beautiful rainbow of love. Hold your heart tenderly as you gaze around in awe of the beauty you see in your mind’s eye. Give thanks for your solemn place in this world.
Especially on Sundays, I feel the urge to rejuvenate, even if it’s only for a few stolen minutes from the business of life. For me, it is a need which if I have to, I schedule into my day. It is like breathing for me. A few tender moments in which I allow my body and mind to go still. I concentrate on my breathing and mindfully embrace the moments of silence. I become aware of the body which houses my soul, my heart and my mind. I encourage all of the parts of me to unite in peaceful communion with God. Sometimes I pray. Sometimes I just talk to God and to myself. But always, I silently give thanks for this day, for this life, for the potential to inspire others and to be of service. I ask for forgiveness. I ask for help with my Divine Purpose. I acknowledge the good that comes to me and I reframe the bad into lessons that grow my soul stronger.
Just before the eclipse was to begin, the cats remained awake, ears perked up, listening and watching the unseen. I watched as their breath was steady, but ever so slightly quickened. I wonder how they react to such a phenomena? The quiet is amazing outside. Stillness except for the whir of a car on our country road. It’s as if we are all holding our breath for the big reveal – the darkness of the moon’s passing over the sun on a summer’s day. In quiet anticipation, I await as I assume so many on our planet do at this moment. Await the experience, even though I am not in the direct line of view where I live. It is the experience of being outside with the world as darkness falls for a few precious moments and life is reset.
From inside our home, I see nothing different outside as I check my watch. I still see the sunlight dappled on the ground, peeking through the leaves of the trees. I know I have to look for the crescent-shaped shadows when it’s time. I only hope I can get a photo or two to show you. The eclipse is slated to begin at 1:20pm in my area, to peak at 2:45pm and to end at 4pm. It is only 1pm and my limbs feel heavy suddenly. Is it my imagination or is it a real feeling from the Universe? Did you have any reactions as the eclipse time grew nearer? I would love to hear how you spent the eclipse time? I didn’t get glasses so I won’t be looking directly into the sun as I value my eyesight.
The winds have picked up. I can see the leaves dancing on the limbs of the trees outside my window. It feels like the anticipation before Christmas morning. The sky grows dimmer. It’s now 1:18pm. It is silent except for the whispering of the wind through the trees. Even the farmer across the street has stopped his tractor in the corn fields. Outside it’s beginning to look like the darkening of the skies before a summer thunderstorm. I’m not sure why I’m so riled up about the eclipse. It feels like a giant present to the Universe for me to witness. You know, like when you’ve bought the perfect gift for a loved one and they are about to open it and you just know they’re going to be so surprised and love it?
I watch a car stop across the street. A teenage boy gets out, puts on his solar eclipse glasses and looks up to the sky. Since I don’t have glasses, I wonder what he sees if anything yet? Is it too early to see a change?
Meanwhile, at the same time in Los Angeles, a friend sent this photo:
A friend in Los Angeles just sent this photo of the crescent-shaped shadows on concrete. Cool!
No need to wear sunglasses now. Skies are darkening overhead slowly, but steadily. I await hungrily in anticipation. Do you?
2pm Cats meowing relentlessly. Do they feel it? Do you? Do your pets? What was their reactions, if any? Outside the light is fading. No sunshine to see. No shadows on the ground. Willow tree gently sways in the gentle breeze. No birds are chirping. No movement from any animals either. Are they resting? Do they think evening is here already?
Clouds have darkened the sky. Only a sliver of blue remains and the sun is covered by dark clouds.
Suddenly three geese burst forth honking on their way across the sky.
And then all grows eerily quiet.
Until the clouds part for the briefest of moments and voila! I capture the eclipse!
And then again, two seconds later!
I guess my Universal gift was that I was able to photograph the eclipse because of the cloud cover. However, I am dismayed that I never got a shot of the crescent-shaped shadows on the ground though. Thank goodness my friend sent me a photo earlier in the day which I shared here.
It may have been the big reveal that wasn’t such a big reveal, but as you read through my two posts about my experiences, perhaps you’ll share yours.
What’s the big reveal to me?
I think it’s the unity in experience that counts.
Each person’s experience is one’s own,
even when it’s as universal as seeing an eclipse in the sky
I thought that yesterday’s post about my 3 encounters with the honeybee might interest you as to what I found the message to be for me. Perhaps you’ve had a visit from a honeybee as well, so I thought I’d share what I found from here.
When the honey-bee spirit animal appears to you, it’s calling your attention to your everyday miracles. Just look at your honey-bee totem which is so small yet able to achieve so much.
The honey-bee symbolism is also of community and teamwork. Use your talents to help humanity and make your personal contributions to change the world for the better.
Add your voice to the collective consciousness. Raise the vibrations of the world you live in.
Wow! Who knew the honeybee was such a powerful totem? And as I begin my next chapter into uncharted territory, I am grateful to that sweet little honeybee’s message. I love our community of bloggers and the friendships we have made. I am hoping now that we are transitioning into our new home, I can begin again to write, to read, to comment and to grow our community.
Please join me in raising the vibrations of the beautiful world we live in! It’s time to spread our wings, band together and fly like the darling honeybee!
I have always been a beach girl. Growing up, we went to the beach daily and honestly, I love the beach no matter the season nor the weather. There is something magical about the power of the sea which calms my tender soul and I am ever grateful for her.
Perhaps being a Pisces, it’s innate in me, that love of the sea. Two fish swimming is the sign for Pisces which is the last of the astrological signs in the zodiac. Creativity and passion for writing have always been dear to me, for as you know, I love to connect through writing (hence the blog!).
Summer is upon us, with the start of Memorial Day weekend here in the States. My beloved beach will be overcrowded now with tourists and beach goers and gone will be the gentle solitude which has soothed my soul frequently.
I am reminded of the quieter times that I enjoyed my solitude at the beach. Sky and sea met on the horizon seamlessly, blue on blue. The warm sand beneath my toes beckoning me as the sun warmed my soul. Scattered shells and bits of sea glass treasures polka dot the sand. The gentle sound of waves lapping the shoreline like a lullaby just for me. When I was immersed in the sea, she rocked me, enveloped me, like a mother with a toddler at bedtime. Gulls flew overhead, calling to friends. Pipers scampered at the edge where the sand and the water met, tiptoeing quickly in the surf. At night, the moon reflected on the dark, mysterious water full of unseen animals who swam quietly by. Still the waves’ melodious song called to me and I answered, my heart full of peace.
There is so much peace and love at the beach when we commune with her. Do you feel the same way? Does the sea beckon to you too?
I saw the flower today on Cee’s Photography and it reminded me of the bush I have in my yard. The other day I noticed how it looks a little like a Christmas tree to me, so here it is. I hope you enjoy my offering!
I visit with my two loved ones who have Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia every month. We take a ride in the car each time and enjoy the scenery. Within minutes of our getting into the car and buckling them up into seat belts, we begin our drive to wherever we are going and the same conversation always ensues. One talks about the trees, the other one notices the clouds. What makes such an impression on me is that the incessant repetitive conversations about these two beauties of nature never fails and is always welcomed by all in the car. It is simply being present in that moment to remark on the beauty in nature. Granted, the conversations about the trees and clouds continues in a loop, over and over while we are riding in the car, but I choose to see it as a blessing.
For being in the present moment and observing the beauty which surrounds us in a happy way is the key to life. Being with my loved ones who live in a memory care facility gives me the powerful lesson of presence. Sure, I can get bogged down by the repetitiveness of the conversation, feel badly that they only have clouds and trees to notice and feel sad for how their minds have changed. And I do. I won’t lie, because as a daughter/niece/carer it can break my heart to be so far away and to see the changes as their minds slowly succumb to the disease. But there’s a lesson here that we can all share…there’s a Present of Presence ~ a peaceful, loving, nurturing moment that we can gratefully choose every single moment of our lives.
Because being happy in the moment is a gift that we don’t always give ourselves or others and I think it’s about time we did. So on this Sunday, take a few minutes to look at the clouds/sky and the trees. Breathe in the beautiful air that Mother Nature swirls around us. Notice the gratitude of being alive. Lay down your worries and fears for a few moments and shine your heartlight for all to see.
This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24.
This morning, the video below came to me via a friend and I had to pass it along to you. It’s 17 minutes long and well-worth watching as the story line spans so many different lives, healings and wraps the art of kindness into a magical forest. Fairies, forest and gnomes all rejoice!
For it’s December First ~ Repeat after me…Rabbit Rabbit ~ Today begins the magic, snow on our blogs, a festive spirit in the air ~ Here’s to hoping we continue it throughout the year! Love to you all!
summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.
~ Stanley Horowitz
The gems of fall are scattered all over my yard. It’s a beautiful mosaic which is painted by Mother Nature, with a little help from her friends, the trees, the leaves, the wind and the animals who rustle through the leaves, foraging for food to put away for winter.
I love all of the seasons, but for some reason Autumn is making me so happy this year. It’s in the rich tones of the fall colors that intrigue me and have me lamenting that I missed taking so many photos of the changing foliage.
If you have any lovely scenery, please feel free to comment below with your link! I’d love to see your photos!
I came across this small bird just sitting in the grass in my backyard the other day. I actually walked past him within less than a foot and he never moved. I didn’t even see him on my first pass by, but noticed him when I walked back. He sat there for about 20 minutes as I crouched near him, speaking soothing words to him. He moved his head, back and forth and luckily I caught his photo as the sun dappled on the grass around him.
I wondered if he were hurt and if that was why he was just sitting there. After taking the photo, I sat nearby, observing him. After about 20 minutes, he simply hopped away and then flew as if he had planned for us to have this little visit. He never uttered a peep, but simply cocked his head in wonderment as I spoke to him. I wondered what he was thinking. Did he judge me for not noticing him in the grass when I walked by him? Or did he wait for me to notice him so that I could be present with one of God’s creatures? To me, whatever it was, it was a gift of nature for which I am grateful.
Many times I have had encounters with wildlife in my yard and in my life. Birds quite frankly, are not a favorite of mine. I had a hawk fly into my car and settle himself on the ledge of the passenger window IN THE CAR years ago. That is a true story, unbelievable to recount except in person because the intensity of my fears gets lost in writing the story. But the gist was that the hawk was chasing a sparrow who somehow flew into my car as I was putting something on the passenger front seat floor and the hawk came in right behind him. The sparrow ended up in the back of my jeep (unbeknownst to me) as I was completely unaware except that as I closed the door, I felt something brush my arm. It’s amazing to me that I was so lost in my own thoughts that day that I was completely detached from what was happening right where I was! As I walked around the car, opened the driver’s side and slid into the seat in order to go home, I was stunned to see a full-sized hawk on my passenger side, holding tight to the ledge, his back to me, looking out the window. I am not a bird lover in the least and I fear them, so imagine my fright! I jumped out of the car immediately upon seeing the hawk and started screaming in the parking lot of the local hardware store (on New Year’s Eve day). A man drove up next to me and I immediately ran to him stuttering that there was a bbbbiiiirrrdddd in my car and I needed his help! He looked at me as if I had lost my mind completely.
The man calmly walked over to my car and opened the passenger front door. The hawk stayed where he was. The man tried to get the hawk to move, but the hawk stayed there, even though the door was now open and he could easily fly away. After a few minutes, the man gently touched the hawk’s talons and he finally flew away. My gratitude and relief was palpable.
The stranger patted my shoulder kindly and told me I could now go home. I’m sure that when he went home to tell his family of the hawk in the lady’s jeep, they thought it was an incredible story. But assured that the hawk was now not my co-pilot, I got back in my car, turned the ignition and one of my favorite holiday songs, Pachelbel Canon in D came on the radio. As I listened to the soothing sounds, I took a deep breath and relaxed.
But not for long.
For as I put the car in reverse, looked behind me and began to back up, the little sparrow must have been startled and flew from the back to the front of my car, alighting on my head, his claws getting stuck in my hair which I had twisted up into a clip on the top of my head. Immediately I screamed, threw the car into park and jumped out of the car. I was jumping up and down, screaming now without any way to stop. Thank goodness there were no other cars moving around the parking lot that day.
Because of the frenzy of my carrying on, a few men came out of the store. I kept stuttering, There’s a bbbiiiirrrd in my car! There was a hawk (hiccup) and now he’s gone but there was a bird in my hair!!! The men looked at me, distraught blonde, over the edge in fear and anxiety and they laughed among themselves. Just as I had each of them go to a door of my jeep, the original man came out of the store and took his spot by the trunk. They opened all the doors of my jeep, checked inside and after a few minutes, deemed it bird free. I am ever grateful for the kindness of strangers.
Again, I got back into the driver’s seat, blubbering, hyperventilating and incredulous as to what had just happened. As I wiped my eyes, nose and face with a tissue, I took another deep breath to calm myself and calling a friend, I drove home slowly, birdless with an incredible tale for ages to come.
Has anything ever happened to you like this? Please share as I’d love to hear your stories!
Sky-filled with angelic clouds was how I was greeted the other morning. Luckily before the winds moved the clouds too far, I was able to get a photo of what I deem a sky filled with angels, just waiting for me to notice them.
What do you think? Do the cloud formations look like angels to you? Or is it just me? Can you see the angels gliding through the sky with your imagination? Do you even believe in angels?
I do believe in angels and in spiritual encounters. I myself, have dreamed that I died and went to Heaven and told you about it in a previous blog post here. So for me, it was a natural assumption that these were angelic clouds reminding me of the peace in my life, the blessings that are mine by Divine Right and the fact that I am grateful every single day to be here with you.
Lately I’ve been having dreams that include my Dad (who’s passed) and a few others who have passed as well. I am thinking that perhaps their presence in my dreams is actually them visiting me, to give me a message that they are still with me. But then again, maybe it’s simply my mind processing new information or going back to kind memories. The funny thing is that all those who have passed, when they are in my dreams, they are not how I remembered them at the end. Instead, in my dreams, they are vibrant, young and happy. How wonderful is that!
Have you ever had any angelic experiences? Please share as I love to read them! I hope and pray you have a lovely, peaceful Sunday ~ that you find gratitude in the smallest of blessings in your life and that you cherish and love those around you for kindness and a loving heart expand the heartlight of the Universe which we are all a part of today.
The ocean stirs the heart, 
Misifusa's Blog 