I had to let you know

Halo, My Friend, Halo

I've grown fond of seeing myself and others with Halos, although in this particular instance there is a nimbus reflected above Mary. These nimbus's are typical of much religious iconography and depict the aura of deity surrounding a person on this earth.

There is a saying above the hallway at the entrance of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa: "The Risen Christ has just entered here". Another wall saying at the St. Benedictine Abbey near Mt. Angel, Or. says: "All guests are to be received as Christ". (part of Chapter 53. The Rule of St. Benedict) Both of these sentiments implore us to find in each other the deity and wonder of God as creator in every individual.

Living in Mt. Angel left an indelible mark. A small & fun, but telling little sign may be that I always seem to place a handwritten halo over a person's name on an outgoing letter. It's such a small thing but something I like to do. O to you.

All Heart and Hope

I've been learning so much about the power of my imagination for my own peacefulness, contentment and joy. I'm reminded again of my friend Lauren and what she shared with me one day about the truly profound, and seemingly often overlooked, lyrics of "The Rainbow Connection." Thank you Lauren.

Have you ever really listened to these words? I hadn't until she pointed out the absolutely stunning beauty with her clarity.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
or- so we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.


Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see? Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.


All of us under its spell,
We know that it's probably magic...


... Have you been half asleep? And have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name... Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?The voice might be one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
It's something that I'm s'posed to be...
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers, and me.


I can't believe how faith coupled with imagination creates a breeding ground for miracles and coincidental magic all the time. It really is some phenomenom I'm experiencing. It's first in the imagination....Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it,
And look what it's done so far.
What would have happened if the rainbow concept had never been thoughtof, expressed...never having the notion of looking ahead with hope and expectancy? Can you imagine that?

Make a Spiritual Gift

And, here's another beautiful gift that arrives without expectation or motive. It's simply a gift of kindness. This lovely gift made it's way into my little hands from a new friend from Kansas, Christina Jackson. I know for a fact this woman is facing some challenges in her life but realizes that joy and love are for those that live life and share their bounty. She is a woman of faith being challenged to receive more in the guise of something less savory.

You'll be seeing more of this gift soon. Her precious "Courageous Prince" mixed media included in it gave me goosebumps (and if you look really close. . .)

Have a happy day.

Daniel sent a beautiful word of encouragement

Daniel North...
Isn't his work beautiful? He was moved to share this with me, and I was moved to recieve it. Showing one another you care, it's my favorite thing to do.

The Loving Cup

Cathedral of Dreams

I'm so grateful for having been given the imagination to perceive new outlooks. Thank God, grace has it's way with us and mercy steps in to save us from our own perceptions and limitations of life and dreams.

It's becoming a practice, whenever I get a little rush of worry or fear throughout my day, I immediately replace it with faith and trust and hope. I'm learning to refuse to judge myself, I just let the emotion move through me like a little breeze needing to blow. It seems I'm only able to do this when I have time and space around me. Then I'm more able to remind myself the realities of my faith, being consistent. In being more consistent a faithstyle habit is forming. A peace I've never known is becoming a supporting reference in my life.

Thank you to Laurie Cleveland for the beautiful gift of this loving cup. She practices leaving fear behind and walking in faith also.

Through the fine lens of Love and Care

Have you ever gotten a gift and when you looked inside it was sortof disappointing, not really something you'd expected? We all probably have at one time or another. A friend likes to tell a funny story about when he was a kid. Each year a birthday card would arrive with a check from an aunt. One year, however, he opened the card and there was only the card. And, much to his own chagrin now, he announced loudly- hey! where's my check!!??? He tossed the card aside, without reading, and walks away sulking. In his comical retelling he feigns opening the card, looking inside. In a state of shock he shakes the card and blows in the envelope, hoping against hope a check will magically appear. We have laughed over this story more than once, the humor so evident in the ridiculousness of his response. And, yet, there is a built-in expectation response at play here.

I thought of this story yesterday and it made me think about how each day opens up. I think about my life's choices and turns made that have brought me here. I think about my own living in a state of frequent disappointment and how that brought about low grade depression for too long as result. The things we are conditioned to expect as children shade our expectations so effectively and too often barely allows us to see what's actually in front of us.

So, yesterday, when I finally found my gardening apron with my clippers there were some old gloves in there as well. And, all I could think of was, "Oh great. These vinyl gloves are crumbling and disintegrating. What a mess! & I don't want to deal with this around all this wet paint...all I want to do it clip back the flowers so I can continue painting this side of the house." But, it wasn't crumbling gloves. Inside the apron were old flower deadheads that had broken into tiny bits of flyaway.

In fact, those gloves were just what I needed at that moment but I'd been so fixated on my need for finding the clippers and staying on course with painting that the old gloves were automatically seen as the annoyance. So, what did I need the clippers for? Trimming back a small rosebush . . .