Eden Not Eden

I am not saying the Redwoods Abbey garden is Eden.
But I’m not NOT saying that, either.
Creatures cooperate — they pollinate.
There is a tree of knowledge. I find wisdom by simply observing it, though it does bear delicious, tempting fruit.
The garden feeds the small community that resides on the premises.
It brings joy to the eye and heart.
Possible Eden is not without its troubles.
But once I comprehend the grand design in each and every part of The Garden, I am happier for entering 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.

Entangled

Lately, my life seems all tangled up.
When I solve one problem, another pops up.
I feel like I’m stuck in a dark hole,
and my usual ways of extricating myself from this place aren’t working.
If I simply change my perception, will my outlook change?
I’d like to think I can do this: walk through darkness into The Light
and find myself in a place where my view might still be a bit askew,
but opens up enough for me to no longer feel trapped and helpless.

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.

Part Of

I get off balance quite easily,
and feel like I’m on a tenuous tightrope,
ready to be swept away by the next wave of anxiety.
Thoughts become distorted
and I forget about my Rock — God —
who oversees everything
with a watchful eye,
who centers me
and reminds me who I am:
part of everything;
part of The Creator, The Great I Am.

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 End?

I came across a rock at the beginning of my walk engraved with the words:
my life
your death
the narrow stream between us
flows away
The anniversary of my father’s death was just around the bend.
Complex feelings.
I thought of all those I’ve known who have passed before me
and have touched my life.
I walked down a series of steps
and eventually came to a bench.
I sat down and contemplated the rock’s poem.
I was at the end of the trail.
But was I, really?
I knew there had to be more.
I turned and found a different path with a different bench
and a different ending.
I wondered: was the stream flowing away or toward?
Perhaps it depended upon which bench I chose to sit.

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.

Tranquility Amidst Stress

Tranquility can be hard to come by when I’m stressed.
This week was a doozy.
Big storms.
No electricity for days, and then finally a text from the electric company saying it would be fixed by 6 p.m.
At 6:05 p.m. that estimate was changed to five days later at 10 p.m.!
Fortunately, they were able to fix it much sooner.
Large, medium and small trees fell in the yard, not to mention cracked limbs and smaller branches.
I prayed during the storm, asking angels to “direct” the inevitable downed trees away from structures, and every tree fell in a different direction — north, south, east and west — missing buildings and fences, some by an inch or two.
Even a small portion of our road collapsed.
Then last evening our dog, Remy, got skunked inside his enclosure, which required immediate attention, messy baths and now our entire house smells like a skunk.
Even so, the thoughts of angels watching, flowers blooming and plants growing still comfort me.

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.

Ever Forward

God continuously uses flawed people to go beyond their comfort zones to accomplish a particular purpose.
There are many characters in the Bible who overcame their fears to do what God asked of them.
Moses had a speech impediment and didn’t want to lead a mass of people through the desert.
Jonah was so obstinately resistant to God’s call it took being swallowed by a whale to change his mind.
Jeremiah absolutely did not want to be a prophet and ranted a bit to God about it, wishing he’d never been born.
But everyone eventually gave in and their surrender was an important part of God’s unfolding story.
I’m no Moses, Jonah or Jeremiah
but I overcome fears on a regular basis to follow where I believe God is leading me.
I imagine that anyone who looks to God for guidance
finds themselves in this same position,
over and over again.
Each of us is part of God’s amazing story
and we need only to play our unique part to keep the plot moving ever forward.

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.

Plans

Do you ever make plans,
look forward to something —
perhaps a mini vacation or retreat or event —
but then something completely out of your control thwarts those plans?
I believe this happens to almost everyone.
The disappointment felt is a given.
However, the more I wallow
the more it feels unfair
and the downward spiral continues.
But if I give my sadness a limit
and accept reality with an “oh, well,”
I can move on to glean nuggets of insight from my current situation.
Perhaps I will learn something new that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Perhaps…

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.

Sowing and Reaping

I’ve been writing this blog weekly for nearly nine years.
Yet last week I simply forgot to write it.
On New Year’s Eve I was at Quaker meeting and the query was: If one reaps what they sow, am I planting the crop I want to harvest?
Of course, I wanted the answer to be: yes!
But as I searched my heart, I realized I’ve planted a formal garden and a haphazard garden.
The formal garden is this blog (it was that moment I realized Friday had passed, blogless), the books I write and my artwork.
The haphazard garden — the one that sprouts up from refuse I’ve tossed into the soil — is a bit truer to my everyday life.
As much as I’ve tried to rid myself of anger and fear,
I know I am occasionally sowing it.
And then comes the reaping.
I don’t want to contribute to the teetering of our falling world.
So I will continue to consciously sow creativity, love, joy, peace, truth-seeking and kindness, and hope the angry, fearful seeds — with enough Light — eventually transform into worthy plants.

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.

In Whose Footsteps Do You Walk?

Most of us look up to someone.
Perhaps someone well known —
even a star.
Though I try to look directly towards God for inspiration
I also look to others.
I have had several spiritual mentors over the years,
including nature.
I have been set on fire many times by reading the words of saints and spiritual teachers from all walks of life.
And I’ve wondered how to fit my feet into the footprints of Jesus. I have asked the question: What would Jesus do?
Jesus frequently responds: What would Love do?
Often, I don’t know. I’ve always thought I would understand Love’s answer quite easily, that Love is so obvious all decisions would be simple. Not so — but I will keep guessing as each day dawns anew.

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 Secret

Psst. Over here. Let me tell you a secret.
It may startle you.
You are loved.
Not necessarily in a romantic way —
which often leaves damages —
but in an utterly open, unconditional, fully embracing way.
A love that ensures you belong.
That you’ve always belonged,
and will continue to belong — for all eternity.

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.