witnessing beauty and blessing.

our pastor's last sunday with our church is today. i've been filled with emotion and grief. she is amazing, and she will be so good for the church she's moving to as their pastor. she believes in long term pastorates, serving grace for 23+ years. we'll miss her.

yet we won't be lost.

yesterday we had a benefit concert for the soon-to-be-new-to-us organ. our church and the church our pastor is moving to choirs sang together. we sang. they sang. voices joined together in unison, with a common purpose, celebrating the same soul.

the presence of this pastor in our life has been deeply healing for me. for us. there are so many stories of conflict from previous churches. we've found healing with her. what i have come to realize, too, is that we've found healing with each other.

sharing. accepting. receiving.

knowing that we are blessed by her. we bless her. we are blessed by her church-to-be. we bless them.

amazing. i've never heard of two baptist churches who come together and share with one another in such a beautiful way. the experience was moving. the experience will usher moments of healing.

as i sat there, with this sweetpea in my belly rocking about with the music, i thought to myself that the table is set to go and visit their church. to know that door will always be open. anytime. there is no end to relationship here, just the type of relationship.

today i will celebrate. i will grieve. i will know and be known. she will know and be known. she is loved. she is blessed. she is blessing.

{{this}} moment :: adding a touch of simple beauty near.

adding a touch of simple beauty near.  this little bit of love sits near as i work on book keeping this morning.  with ice water + my decaf coffee near, i'm ready to roll!  i just needed something lovely to have beside me.  i spotted the photo from a collection given to me that was donated to our church.  i don't know anyone in the photo, yet it appeals to me so deeply.  can you feel it?  and that handwriting.  hullo.  love. it.  

may there be touches of simple beauty in your space.  in your day.  may you draw in a deep breath, taking them in.  pausing long enough to notice and give thanks.  xo. 

a beautiful, beautiful story of nature and spirituality.

so thankful today to jim for sharing this.  thank you, jim!

beauty. life. abundance. a video shared.

there is such beauty in this video.  such purity.  such love.

i watch it again.  tears come.  and again.  tears still there.

the tears of knowing.

tears that say :: ((truth.))

there is joy.  there is presence.  there is life.  and simplicity. and abundance.

((if there was ever a prayer for my life, i believe this is the visual.))

i am thankful for soulsisters. casey who introduced me to this video and nikole who reminded me through her recent post to watch it again.  ((thank you, wonderful women!))

xo.

how do you receive Maia's goodness this fine ((or otherwise)) day? 

believing in goodness.

believing in goodness.

listening to each encounter.  

looking at the world and appreciating the beauty that surrounds.  

taking seriously the faces of others met along the way.  

sharing stories.  

speaking truth.  

attempting to be present to those i am called.

being present to those i call near.  

welcoming wisdom.

celebrating our tribes.

witnessing wonderful women.

loving my self.

believing in goodness. 

looking up. 

looking around.  

giving thanks. 

xo.

reverberations: beautifully different: day 8

December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

dear me. i've given this reflection thought and i hope to return to it through images. my "different" is much the "same" as with others. i have chosen a path that is creative. i've set to create home made meals for my family, using whole foods. i've set aside much of my time and energy to listen to sacred stories of grief and loss. i have set aside time for the sacred space of creativity. as such, i make room to create space that is safe. space for lighting candles. space for tears. space for stories. space for creativity. i aim to bring light to what is beautiful and creative in each of us.

in these spaces, in these moments beauty is created. the beauty that surrounds us makes us beautiful. the space that holds beauty makes us beautiful. there's space within me, within my being for beauty to surround me and to recognize it through mindfulness, awareness, and centering presence. there's space to sit still, to wonder, to create. there's space for vulnerability, for belief, for love.

so, what makes me different is not so different, but it is beautiful. i see the beauty reflected in the wonderful souls that surround me. i'm very lucky because i practice (a lot) ways of seeing the beauty through being present in {this} moment, whatever {this} moment is.