Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘Beauty’

Renewing Creativity

Contemplate rhythm
Renew creativity
Establish practice

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Patterns of nature
Reminders of importance
Seek repetition

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Frisky animals
Reminders of  neediness
Practice playfulness

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Elegant creatures
Constant reminders to seek
Beauty in our lives

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Stillness in nature
Wonderful reminder, yes,
To find perfect rest

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Rest is an essential part of renewing creativity.
In “The Book of Creation,” J. Philip Newell wrote,

“The extent to which we are divorced from the complementary
rhythms of restfulness and creativity is the extent to which
we are cut off from patterns of well-being
within ourselves and our relationships.”

J Philip Newell went on to explain,

“If we fail to establish regular practices of stillness and rest, our creativity will be either exhausted or shallow. Our countenance,  instead of reflecting a vitality of fresh, creative energy that is sustained by the restorative depths of stillness, will be listless or frenetic.”

Are you sometimes feeling listless or frenetic? 

J Philip Newell concludes,
“Creativity without rest,
and productivity without renewal,
leads to exhaustion of our inner resources.”


Want to renew your creativity?

  • Contemplate rhythms of nature
  • Practice repetition
  • Be playful
  • Seek beauty
  • Find rest
  • Count your blessings

 

Remember the Elements of Creativity

According to Christine Valters Paintner in her book, The Artist’s Rule,
“Creativity is an essential and life-giving practice that (in order to flourish) requires:

  • Spaciousness
  • Attention, and
  • Intention”

 

What will you do today to increase your creativity?

How will you give yourself
the spaciousness
to call attention
to your blessings, and
to your intention
to write your next blog
more creatively?

 

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Plan ahead… Give it a rest… Think about it…

 

 … and write a comment below, will you?

 

It helps me to know I’m not “blowin’ in the wind!”

 

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 

 

 

Why Rise Early?

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I miss the sunrise
If I rise a little late
Begin in beauty

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Shortest Day

Tomorrow is December 21, 2018

Winter Solstice

It’s the longest cold night of the year.

All the stars are a’peepin’

And folks are a’keepin’

Their lights on o’er here.

It’s the Winter Solstice tonight.

All the folks are surprised by

The moon as it shines by

At 4:00 pm clear.

It’s the shortest day of the year.

It’s the Winter Solstice, my dear.

Carnations and Pine

Carnations are red

Pine boughs are a vivid green

Spelling Christmas cheer

Live Well, Live Wisely

LIVE WELL, LIVE WISELY

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

There’s something to be said for staying hungry!

But, is that foolishness? Is it living well? Living wisely?

Well, it depends upon what you are hungry FOR!

To live wisely and well, I find I must remain hungry for soul food!

 

abundance agriculture bananas batch

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 

Yes, the kind of soul food you find in the healthy section of a grocery store helps, but that’s not all!

 

It’s not the kind of soul food you find deep fried …

fried meat on top of white plate

Photo by Chan Walrus on Pexels.com

 

The soul food for which I hunger is found in the soul-finder, the heart stimulant, the words of Scripture.

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Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

 

My go-to Bible is The Message, by Eugene H. Peterson. This brilliant theologian recently died (like within the month)… what a loss! His translated words of the Bible speak to me. I hunger for the messages translated into everyday English – helping me learn ways to live well, and live wisely. Here is a perfect example:

James 3:13-18

“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live; not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom – it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”

 

Live well. Live Wisely.

I ask myself:

Is your life an open book?
Can anyone open the pages and take a look?
Are there hidden pockets tucked inside?
Times you’ve cheated, fudged, or lied?

Is there mean-spirited ambition
Hidden in the corners of your heart?
Do you claw your way to the top
Instead of helping others get a start?

Do you ever boast and boost yourself,
Trying to look smarter than you are?
Are you hot one day and cold the next,
Playing the golf of life well over par?

Do you sow discontent or seeds of envy
By flaunting talents, putting others down?
Or are you humble, discreet and honest?
Do you cause a smile instead of a frown?

Living well includes treating yourself
With honor and true respect,
Giving others the credit they deserve, and
Sharing with love more than they expect.

Do you see a neighbor in dire need?
Do you step up to lend a hand?
Part of living wisely and living well
Is finding the gold nuggets in the sand.

Search for beauty among the ugly.
Look beyond the outer shell.
Share your heart and soul with abandon…
Then you’ll know you’re living well.

 

Are you living well and wisely?

Haiku

Spider Painting

Painting faces can

Be fun if you have talent.

If not, forget it!

The Skeleton

The Skeleton 

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Some call it dead

This skeleton

Of a tree

But I call it

Beautiful

It’s mighty and alive

To me

Remember Why

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Remember why you came

To this beautiful verdant state;

It wasn’t to change its beauty.

Remember, before it’s too late.

 

 

Remember why you came

To this place full of rivers and streams;

It wasn’t to pollute its waters, or to

Drown all its fishermen’s dreams.

 

 

Remember why you came

To a place where the antelope roam;

It wasn’t to hunt and to kill them.

They’re precious; so leave them alone!

 

 

Remember why you came

To a land free of chaos and clutter;

It wasn’t to leave your footprint,

Nor to complain, rant, and mutter.

 

 

Remember why you came

To a small, rural town in this state;

It wasn’t to make it a city,  so please

Stop telling others it’s so great!!

New Favorite Poet

Check this out … I just discovered this wonderful blog

via Forget Her…

Montana Beauty


Traveling from the Madison

To the Gallatin Valley

The scenery so gorgeous

I have to pinch myself

To make sure it’s real.
Snow on May the 10th?

After welcoming the spring

Makes me question reality.

But hearing the robins sing,

I know it’s real!