Trust Issues

There were three main things I needed to accomplish on my daily To Do list.

The other ten could be pushed around a bit.

I had so much anxiety about these tasks that I brought them to God during my devotional time.

I even began to cry.

The problem was, all three involved someone else’s help to complete.

Not only did I have to relinquish control,

I had to ask for help (so incredibly difficult for me),

and then depend on others.

God was literally telling me everything would work out —

I was writing down the conversation!

Afterwards, I went into a state of meditation,

but within twenty minutes I got so worked up I had to stop and reread what I had just written, to prove to myself God had actually said not to worry — this day had already been worked out.

As the day progressed, each task was fulfilled.

I was in a state of elated disbelief, which begged the question:

What will it take for me to truly trust?

Photos © Sondra Sula.

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions.

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you.

Sorrow and Joy

Sorrow and Joy can hold hands
and skip across a bridge
of troubled waters.
Joy can soothe Sorrow’s tears
by simply being present.
Joy doesn’t need to shout to be understood,
nor wave about in a frenzy,
although she could.
Joy is patient with Sorrow
and lets Sorrow have all the time she needs.

Photos and poem © Sondra Sula.

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions.

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you.

Joy Cometh in the Mourning

Mourning.

Mourning is universal, spanning cultures, even species.

Humans are not alone in their mourning of the dead.

But we also mourn other losses:

relationships,

physical health,

not reaching goals we expected of ourselves…the list goes on.

The good news is that mourning can coexist with joy,

beauty

and a sense of peace.

Photos © Sondra Sula.

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions.

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you.

Love Locks

Lock it in! 

But can you really ever lock in love? 

Love is shared. 

Even when you’re loving yourself, you are sharing one part of yourself with another part of yourself. 

God loves with abandon. 

God doesn’t keep track of wrongs the way we do. 

Everything is already known: 

past, 

present 

and future. 

Yet God still loves us like mad. 

Declaring to the world that your love is “locked in” is sweet. 

But what’s even sweeter is unlocking the love inside of each other. 

Why not try it? 

Photos © Sondra Sula. 

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. 

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you. 

Heeding the Still, Small Voice

Do you ever put off something you want to do because of fear? I do. 

I’ve wanted to walk in the Gualala River during dry season for years, but have never done it for fear of sliding down the steep embankment and not being able to climb back up. 

I was recently walking down by that river and a little internal voice told me today was the day and prayed I wouldn’t get hurt. 

I found a walking stick which helped me navigate the precipitous slope; however, I did slide down the last ten feet, thankfully without injury. 

I felt so blessed to see the striking white stones, clear water and colorful floating leaves. I even saw eight baby common merganser ducklings behind their mother swim just a few feet from me. 

The only people on the river besides me were a young couple with an infant. I assumed they had found a better trail, but when asked, they told me they had slid down too, clutching their baby. 

On my return I prayed, “If there’s another easier way to get back up, please show me, Lord.” 

But I ended up at the same exact trail. I had a lot of trouble trying to climb back up until a little internal voice suggested I move to the left. There I found a connecting trail with a black rope that was difficult to see against the dark brown soil. It was connected to a tree higher up the bank which enabled me to easily climb back up without incident. 

What did I learn? 

The internal still, small voice is occasionally The Divine nudging us to overcome our fears and truly trust Spirit.

Photos © Sondra Sula. 

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. 

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you. 

The Place Called Life

There is a big difference between who I am and who I want to be. 

I like to think of myself as serene and 

spiritually awakened and 

living in the moment. 

But the reality is that I’m often anxious. 

I forget to call on God for help in difficult situations. 

I can obsess about future events that may never happen. 

However, I never stop trying to be a better person 

because it is important to me 

to grow and evolve — 

even though God accepts me as I am right this minute. 

There is a strange and wonderful balance 

between accepting myself as I am 

and striving to improve that same “I am.” 

I suppose that place is called: Life. 

Photos © Sondra Sula. 

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. 

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you. 

The Questions

Who are you? 

Where are you going? 

Where have you been? 

Who have you loved? 

Who will you love? 

Photos © Sondra Sula. 

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. 

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you. 

Taking a Mini Break

Do you ever need to take a mini break? 

I do. 

When I am overwhelmed 

or anxious 

or angry 

or incredibly busy — 

that’s exactly when I need a mini break to reconnect with God. 

It can be as simple as looking out the window at a cloud 

or closing my eyes for a few moments in prayer.

Seeking The Presence in distress will likely calm me. At least it’s worth a try.

Photos © Sondra Sula. 

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. 

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you. 

Bossing God Around

I’ve been reading the story of Jesus’s first miracle — changing water into wine — at the wedding in Cana. 

I’ve never thought of Mary as an overbearing, bossy mother, but in this situation, she is. 

Most depictions of Mary are of a teenage girl pulling back timidly from Gabriel’s annunciation, or of her glowing face as she holds the baby Jesus. Even when she cradles the adult Jesus, dead in her lap, she appears youthful and demure. 

But by the time Jesus began his ministry, she was middle-aged, her husband had died years before and she had her hands full taking care of the Son of God. 

When she told Jesus at the wedding: “Do something! The wine is gone and there’s plenty of celebrating left to go,”

Jesus replied, “I’m not ready. Don’t push me.”

But she overruled him, telling the servants to follow Jesus’s instructions, even though he hadn’t planned on giving any — and he obeyed her. 

I realized Mary was bossing God around! And I thought: how often do I do that? Tell God what to do and how to do it as I pray for various outcomes? Don’t I trust God to know what’s best for everyone involved?

This speaks to the humanity of Mary, Jesus and all of us: to follow or question, to push back or go forward. 

We will eventually know what to do in each situation: either our inner voice will tell us, or someone we know and trust will push us into the right decision.

Either way, we’re in good company.

Photos © Sondra Sula. 

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. 

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you. 

Nature Speaks

Cactus Flower: Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, there may be an even more amazing surprise in store for you.

Striped Succulent: Be bold!

Leafhopper: Take a rest in beauty; it has a calming effect.

Camellia Grove: Both light and shadow shape you into who you are.

Tree Houseleek: Together we can build a world in which everyone blossoms.

Agave: I’m only thorny on the outside for protection; inside I’m vulnerable.

White Camellias: Perspective changes from above.

Garden Path: Take the path that is calling you.

Ground Camellias: Stay strong even after you’ve fallen.

Pink Camellia: Reach out your arms to embrace each new day.

Tiny Camellias: You don’t have to be big to be powerful.

Narrow-Leaved Succulent: When you center yourself, everything works together.

Photos © Sondra Sula. 

Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. 

If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyond by Sondra Sula, might just be the book for you.