Words from the Heart

 - Oasis -  (c) 2019 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas The rippling melody of water trickling into the pond immediately triggers a Pavlovian response. Cares and worries seem to melt off my shoulders. The birds sing harmony to the pond's fluid notes.  The sun is bright, but still not hot as it has just peaked the green fringe of North Sugarloaf. I kneel before the garden, like a disciple before an altar. A zephyr gently moves the hair from my eyes, as a bend to clean winter's waste from around the verdant seedlings that are now appearing. In this Sacred Space, my mind focuses on those I have promised to pray for over the past weeks. I picture each person like the tiny shoots sprouting before me, whole and full of life. I dig my hands deep into the mulch asking for forgiveness for the times I didn't want to get my hands dirty. I stake and secure stems too weak to stand against wind and rain as I offer prayers of gratitude for that which supports me and all those I love....

Catbird at the suet feeder outside my window I love learning about nature. For last several years, our garden has been the home to a catbird family. I had been told that local farmers consider them a nuisance because they love to eat blueberries and raspberries. I must say, I took little notice of them...until now. This year, we put up suet. I found one that had fruit in it and thought it would be a treat. (The package said it would draw songbirds!) Early one morning in April I spied the catbird with his  distinctive  chestnut colored patch under his tail. He and his mate love the suet!  This surprised me, so I did some research.  Catbirds are actually quite amazing. They winter in the tropics amongst Mayan ruins and in Florida as well as the Caribbean. No wonder they like fruit! They are also quite talented singers. Early in the morning, when I leave for work, they are singing. They mimic other birds and, of course, make cats sounds. Since our green b...

 Visions of spring are everywhere!  From the blue skies with their puff white clouds...   the sun rising over the Enchanted cottage...   Momma Cardinal protecting her nesting spot... To hyacinths blooming profusely in the garden and   the new Robin's nest in the pines! To celebrate, here is my final poem of the Poem-a-Day Challenge . Bury the Winter   With spade and rake, I work like grave diggers of old, opening wounds in the garden, packing them with gauzy roots and pills of seed. Then, with surgeon’s skill, I close each lesion, dressing the area with fresh mulch. Standing back, I take pride in my handiwork, knowing with warmth and sustenance, my patient will recover.   © 2015 Linda M. Rhinehart Neas

JOY!  JOYFUL! JOYOUS!   This is the word I chose to focus on during this coming year.  For me, 2014 is the year of JOY!   So how am I going to find joy in the mundane, everyday moments of life?  How will I find it when pain, frustration and anxiety rear their ugly heads?  How will I find it when the world appears to be filled with so much terror, fear and hate? My teachers would all say, "Look within."  But, I add, "Look out, around, in between, under and over!" Joy can be found in the silences of a Sunday sunrise and in the giant's clap of thunder.  Joy lingers just outside the window on any given day!  See it in the birds at the feeder, in the snow melting like liquid crystal and in the plants morphing through the seasons. Joy appears to me in the eyes of my grandchildren.  Joy speaks to me on the lips of my loved ones.  Joy sings to me in the songs my Roger writes. Here are some examples via a little photo diary....

One of the preparations from ordination has been to spend time in meditation.  I will admit, I have a difficult time with the traditional, sit-on-the-cushion-empty-your-mind form of this spiritual art.  For me, meditating while doing something, such as walking a labyrinth or gardening, is far more effective. As I was gardening yesterday, I suddenly realized that many of our flowers/plants have been given common names that are linked to the Sacred.  In my garden alone, I have Jacob's Ladder, Moses in the Cradle, Solomon's Seal, Marigolds, Monk's Hood, Rose of Sharon, Lily of the Valley, and Star of Bethlehem to name a few.  Marigolds - named after Mary, the mother of Jesus. But, also a sacred plant to the Hindus, where it is called Genda, possibly named after the Gonda people, who have a myth about the origin of the flower. The Marigold's genus name, Tagetes, comes from the Etruscan god of wisdom, Tages .   The thought came to me that perhaps we named...