I have always thought of courage
as the willingness
to let the deepest longing of my soul grow larger
than any fear that might arise.
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Living bravely and beautifully
One life on this earth is all that we get,
whether it is enough or not enough,
and the obvious conclusion would seem to be
that at the very least we are fools
if we do not live it as fully and bravely and beautifully as we can.
Frederick Buechner, born 1926, American author and theologian
Keeping a place for music
We should not try to tame our hearts or become too focused on the to-do lists of our days:
Wild sings the bird of the heart
in the forests of our lives.
Mary Oliver
Little moments of wonder in a day
Even brief, five minute, encounters – if we have eyes to see – can contain a lifetime, and make a day special
Unexpected wonders happen,
not on schedule, or when you expect or want them to happen,
but if you keep hanging around, they do happen.
Wendell Berry
The need for sanctuary
Sanctuary is wherever I find safe space to regain my bearings, reclaim my soul, heal my wounds, and return to the world as a wounded healer. It’s not merely about finding shelter from the storm: it’s about spiritual survival. Today, seeking sanctuary is no more optional for me than church attendance was as a child.
Sometimes I find it in churches, monasteries, and other sites designated as sacred.
But more often I find it in places sacred to my soul: in the natural world, in the company of a trustworthy friend, in solitary or shared silence, in the ambience of a good poem or good music.
Parker Palmer, Seeking Sanctuary in our own Sacred Places
Sunday Quote: Acceptance: this is how it is
The earth always accepts what the sky throws down.
African Proverb
