Observing Transitions and Admissions

July 25, 2021 / law2374 / Leave a comment

Nature continues to amaze us with the variety of trees, plants, flowers, and sights in the skies. Whether we are outside walking, doing yard work, or conducting some other activity, nature is right there with us, leading the way with unspoken encouraging words through the landscape around us. Seeing how the flowers and trees have grown since early spring is a reminder of how much change goes on in the world on a daily basis. These transitions take us along with them, often without us even noticing. By going along for the ride, we ourselves are transformed, often times earning or simply finding ourselves in a different state than we were prior. Summer is historically a time of such transitions with many youngsters learning and growing in ways away from those of formal education. Oftentimes, these learnings are rites of passage so to speak, or admissions to new realms in life. We thought we’d share some observations we made on this subject in this week’s post.

“If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never.” –Soren Kierkegaard

Theme of the Week: Changes Seen and Unseen

Our theme of the week started on my Sunday morning run before church. I noticed the skies were darker longer, which meant I had to start out a little later than planned. The later start would put me on a very tight schedule to make it to church for 7:30 AM mass. I was well aware of this fact as I started out, and even contemplated going fewer miles to have enough time to get to church.

About three miles into my run, the eight-year-old in me got a little rebellious and convinced the adult in me to go with the original plan to run my normal route and let the chips fall where they may regarding getting to mass on time. The clearing skies, sunrise, singing birds, and wildflowers coming into bloom around me were so inviting, so peaceful, so amazingly wonderful to the mind, heart, and soul. I was convinced it was God’s way of confirming the eight-year-old’s plan. What other explanation could there be?

As I ran, thoughts about what I saw came to mind. There was so much in nature that I could write about or take pictures of to share with others. And the really cool part about all this is it is free save for our time to notice it. Now this thought really got me excited. What in life these days is truly free? Yet nature is right there in front of us 24/7/365. No subscription or annual fees. No wires, special devices, or equipment required. No gimmicks, sales tax, or hidden charges. There it is, plain and simple (yet to intricate and profound on some levels), right there to have and to hold with us. Wow.

Long story short, I stayed out for eight miles, had a wonderful run, became inspired and energized, and made it to church just as the opening hymn started. Worse things have happened in life.

There was a time, however, when I would have never taken the “risk” of being “late” for anything, never stopped long enough to notice what lies beneath the surface, or never analyzed the lesson to be had. What changed in or with me to allow me the experience I had that morning?

Well, for starters, I learned through experience that many of the things we fear in life are self-inflicted misconceptions that lead us to getting lost. While some of our fears may be well-founded at given points in life, they typically do not last forever. Something along the way leads us to a different perspective, time zone, or zip code, placing distance between us and the fear. This happens naturally, through living life. Yes, living life, really living it—the good, bad, beautiful, ugly, easy, hard, and everything in between—is part of nature.

In addition, if we have any inclination of faith whatsoever in our lives, we come around to letting it lead us. Letting faith lead us is not easy. It requires giving up control, giving in to the concepts of a different plan, and maybe even stepping out of our comfort zone. Faith takes care of faith regardless of the circumstances. Whether your name is Paul and you are in prison for believing in Jesus, or your name is Lisa and you are seemingly stuck in the darkness of depression with no obvious way out, faith will lead you where you need to be. The key to remember is faith takes its own route in its own time frame, just like God takes His own way in His time to reveal Himself to us.

What does faith have to do with nature and vice versa? Well, like faith, nature operates how it does the way it does on its own time. Faith often uses nature to facilitate and illustrate what it is trying to teach. Nature often leads us to questions that allow us to see faith at work. Nature is the tangible element that allows us to see, taste, touch, and hear the intangible elements of faith.

“Growing up in Christ is surely the most difficult, courageous, exhilarating, and eternally important work any of us will ever do.” –Susan Lenzkes

Lesson of the Week: Questioning Always Are We

My run that morning, along with how mass unfolded that day and other events in the week lead us to our lesson of the week. Obviously, my run made me ask many questions that day. During mass, the priest’s homily was about prayer and how it impacts our lives. The priest relayed a story about a woman whose grandfather offered her the experience of praying with him. This led in turn to a life altering experience for the woman, as well as a treasured memory that made her question her path in life. Many questions led the woman further on her faith journey, and she came to realize the power of prayer each day.

After mass, the new youth minister of the parish talked about plans for the youth program. He asked the congregation a number of questions about what we can do for the youth of the parish. While listening to him speak, I began to wonder if we are asking the right question or questions when it comes to helping youngsters. We as society keep asking what we more we can do for our young minds, hearts, and souls. Perhaps we should be asking what we can do with these youngsters. How many times in life has an experience with a person led you to a better way or mindset? Have you ever done an activity with a teacher, friend, parent, or some other individual that proved to be a treasured experience forming character and perspective beyond any measureable value? Perhaps the best thing we can do for others (be they young, old, or somewhere in between) is to be with them. Be present in any given moment, regardless of circumstances, sharing whatever emotion, news, or information with them. Perhaps allowing them to experience life as it is with all its ups and downs is the best gift we can offer, for if we allow them to experience life, we allow them also to experience God first hand, in person, in the here and now.

“Christ is with us and the warmth is contagious.” –Joni Eareckson Tada

Verse of the Week: James 1:17

Throughout our daily readings this week, we came upon a favorite verse several times. This verse reminds me very much of the teachings of my late Uncle Jim. Uncle Jim was as down-to-earth, common sense, here you go as they come. Always helping anyone in need, never really complaining (though sometimes emphasizing certain things in a factual manner), he was to me a modern day Jesus and St. James. He was an influential person in the lives of many, and most definitely influential in a very positive way in my life.

This verse ties the gifts of nature and life together and asks us to truly experience life with God:

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.” –James 1:17

The verse also reminds me of the many things Uncle Jim did with me. Things like showing me what nature had to offer, playing baseball in the yard, riding bikes, climbing trees, eating cookies while telling stories at the kitchen table, and even cutting grass (him on the riding mower and me push mowing as a youngster). Though his sudden death at a young age made me wish I had done more with him, it also led me to cherish the things we did do together.

Though Uncle Jim was a faithful and spiritual person, he did not go to Sunday mass, but instead took walks in the woods to be alone with God and his thoughts. I suppose my Sunday morning runs at times are similar to Uncle Jim’s walks and talks with God. The connection is the togetherness with another in nature’s time and place.

“If you, too, will learn to wait upon God, to get alone with Him , and remain silent so that you can hear His voice when He is ready to speak to you, what a difference it will make In your life.” – Kay Arthur

Treats of the Week: Transitions in Nature Seen

Our treats of the week came through seeing several changes in nature. The shifting of the sun’s location in the skies above allows us for easier viewing of the sunrise and sunset at our house. Though we love summer’s long days and short nights, we often have to hike a bit to see the extents of the sun’s travel in the skies in June and early July. This week we noted we do not have to hike as far, which is most helpful given we are trying to show our new companion Lena her boundaries. Watching her grow in trust and faith in us has been a wonderful experience in God’s grace. It has also reinforced the importance of being with her to help her understand what she is seeing or experiencing.

Also this week, we saw a great number of deer in the fields and woods. The male deer are sporting antlers coated in thick velvet. The antlers are growing with time, and each male deer depending on age has a different rack formation. We found one buck with antlers shaped like a heart over his head. In all my years of watching this natural wonder, I had never seen such a formation before.

I also found some interesting formations in the Queen Anne’s Lace in bloom. Closer inspection of the blooms revealed some very tiny insects navigating along the flower petals. We have to do some more research to properly identify the insects, and doing this research together will help us learn and grow in several ways.

Additionally, I saw some bees on a teasel that piqued my interest. Each year for several years now, I’ve managed to get a good picture of a bee or bees clinging to a teasel head. I had been disappointed until tonight when the bees offered me the perfect opportunity to get a picture. Perhaps the waiting and searching I had to do this year is related to climate or pattern changes in the bees and where the teasels grow. While the answers to my questions remain unknown for certain, the experience with the teasels and the bees is still one for which I am grateful.

“Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be achieved.” –Proverbs 16:3

May our activities in and with nature lead us to our true callings in life. May the detours taken along the way be not viewed so much as roadblocks, but rather transitions to rites of passage or admission to lives rich in things money cannot buy.

Transitions

Buck in the pines, antlers shaped like a heart,

Bugle flowers on the trumpet vine cascading over the trellis arch,

Dove on the wire and woodpecker in the tree,

Beetle on the Queen Anne’s Lace climbing higher in the breeze,

Full moon above the valley below

All a sign of God’s love with His grace in tow

Calling forward the missions in life

Through the transitions of time.

Sun in the skies to the east and the west.

Water running in lines after the rains’ great quench,

Berries on the bushes and tomatoes on the plants,

All part of nature’s goods we may or may not understand,

Teasel and lily and burr thistle, too,

All standing like easels as the light comes through

Calling each one to its mission in life

Through the transitions of time.

July in the breeze, summer upon the air,

Hazy mornings beneath the skies great flares,

Morning mists that fade as the dewdrops glow,

Each one kissed by the rays of the sun’s show

As morning melts into noon

In the glory of the Lord through and through,

Calling us toward our missions to find

Through the transitions of time.

-Lisa A. Wisniewski

A Note of Thanks

Our thanks this week is for God’s grace and nature’s ways, both of which have led us to where we are today. We thank our readers for sticking with us through several transitions as we grow and explore life itself. Thanks also to our church community for offering us things to think about each week.

Lisa, Leo, and Lena

Observing Nature’s Building

July 23, 2021 / law2374 / Leave a comment

Note: This post was to appear July 16, 2021, but did not due to extenuating circumstances beyond our control. We appreciate our readers’ patience and understanding as we navigate through technical and life adjustments in order to get back to a normal posting schedule.

July is one of those months where if you don’t pay attention, you may just find yourself a little lost, not recognizing what is around you. We say this because we are now into summertime, the days are starting to get noticeably shorter, a number of the trees and plants are transitioning into different life stages, and life is starting to shift towards more familiar territory after the pandemic. There is a lot of building going on in nature, and we’ve found observing this building to be quite therapeutic, as well as educational this past week. We thought we’d share some of what we observed and learned in this week’s post.

“It’s not about reaching the top of a mountain. It’s about having some impact along the way.” Alison Levine

Theme of the Week: Building Are We

Our theme of the week came on my Sunday morning run. While running, I noted the natural changes along my running route. Many of the spring flowers have gone to seed or are no longer present in the landscape. The geese once prominent in the skies above have moved more north. A number of birds have hatched their young, fluttering about with whimsical grace. Trees once sparse with leaves are bursting with vibrant leaves in a variety of green shades.

All these things happened through time and nature’s efforts. All these things happen without being told. All these things help keep life going every single day, whether we realize them or not. All these things are part of God’s glory.

Running through the miles, I contemplated how there was a time in my life when I dreaded the month of July for it was a reminder of many very negative experiences I never wish to relive or for anyone else to experience. Yes, this is a strong statement based on an even stronger determination to overcome life circumstances. It is also a testimony to how faith can lead a person one step at a time to a better place, be it physical, mental, or otherwise. This determination and faith journey started over thirty years ago and has been a construction project of building character ever since.

Why is this important and what does it have to do with anything in life? Well, as humans, we are part of nature whether we realize it or not. As such, we live and grow and come to be who we are through time. We are seeds sown with the hope we mature and bear fruit. We are one with nature and this oneness can be a pathway to freedom if we let it. This freedom comes through a process, and all processes are building blocks to other aspects or inputs in life. This life is a gift, and this gift is meant to share.

“Mondays are a great day to focus on what we get to do, instead of what we have to do. Life is a gift, not an obligation.” –Jon Gordon

Song of the Week: Working All Are We

The thoughts as I ran brought a favorite song to mind. I first heard this song sung by Patty Loveless. The significance in sharing this is many of Patty’s songs helped lead me out of the darkness of depression into the light of life. This particular song is also a hymn, sung by many people through many generations in a variety of genres. It speaks of the process of building, and how this process humbles us along the way.

Working on a Building

If I was a sinner, I tell you what I’d do
I’d quit my sinning and I’d work on a building too
I’m working on a building, I’m working on a building
I’m working on a building for my Lord, for my Lord
It’s a Holy Ghost building, it’s a Holy Ghost building
It’s a Holy Ghost building for my Lord, for my Lord

If I was a drunkard, I tell you what I’d do
I’d quit my drinking and I’d work on a building too
I’m working on a building, I’m working on a building
I’m working on a building for my Lord, for my Lord
It’s a Holy Ghost building, it’s a Holy Ghost building
It’s a Holy Ghost building for my Lord, for my Lord

If I was a preacher, I tell you what I’d do
I’d keep on preaching and I’d work on a building too
I’m working on a building, I’m working on a building
I’m working on a building for my Lord, for my Lord
It’s a Holy Ghost building, it’s a Holy Ghost building
It’s a Holy Ghost building for my Lord, for my Lord

To me, the song uses the sinner, drunkard, and preacher as metaphors for different stages of life. We are all sinners of some sort, innocent at times, yet still finding our way into doing wrong be it on our own or with the help of others. Though we may not all be drunkards in the known sense of the word, we all become “addicted” to something, someone, or some place at some point in our lives. This addiction leads us astray for a time, but also leads us to “rock bottom” forcing us to find a better way. We all have the potential to be preachers, sharing our stories while helping others along the way.

“There is no ‘right time’; there is just time and what you choose to do with it.” –Mel Robbins

Lesson of the Week: It’s All a Gift, You See

Our theme of the week led us to our lesson of the week as we came to realize that something is always under construction in nature and life. This construction leads to physical changes as well as shifts in perspective. The sights in nature that triggered these thoughts include a growing “teasel town” (my name for a field that now supports a large number of teasels and other wildflowers) and “butterfly mecca” (also my naming for a field that is now supporting butterfly weed and milk weed) about a mile from where we live.

I go through this area when I bike, and the terrain and what it has to offer has changed over the years. The land is still undeveloped for the most part, consisting of farms, fields, and woods. Though storms have altered the tree lines and canopies, the integrity of the wooded portion remains strong. The fields have flipped back and forth several times from crops to fallow spaces. The farms have been broken down into smaller plots over the years with a few of the plots now supporting houses or structures.

The fact nature is taking over these spaces with the variety of wildflowers is encouraging. Too often in areas like ours, open space turns into a dumping ground or a housing development. This forces the wild creatures inhabiting the land to migrate, which leads to other issues like chronic wasting disease in deer, overpopulation of an area, and destruction of gardens and landscaped spaces. All of these issues build up over time, some unnoticed, others ignored, still others met with a refusal to acknowledge and/or accept.

Why is nature taking over and does it matter? Most likely, nature’s cycle is the answer. Like many instances in science, life, and history, the cycle of the process involved is dictated by weather, environments, and circumstances. Simply put, it is due to inputs and outputs. What comes in determines what goes out. Often, what goes in comes out in a different form. The difference is due to the processes or experiences encountered along the way.

Relationships in life are much the same. When we put in the time and effort required to build them, we get out love, peace, respect, and understanding. Granted, we may have to put in different amounts and combinations of these things in order to get anything in return. The bigger question we suppose is should we expect something in return? If life is a gift and we are all living in that gift, then what more do we really need?

“The Divine Presence occupies the here and now. If you are not aware of this—become so!” –Brother Lawrence (17^th century French Carmelite monk)

Treat of the Week: Summer Building “Weeds”

Our treat of the week came in the sight of the first goldenrod in bloom. The bright yellow flowers offered a great mental lift given the many storms and clouds moving through our area this week. It has rained or stormed every day, making for some tough decisions and compromises in order to get all the necessary tasks completed. While contemplating the best course of action to take one night, I spotted the goldenrod and immediately felt as if it was a ray of sunshine, a guiding light of sorts among the increasingly cloudy and darkening skies.

Goldenrod is often considered a less-than-desirable weed, however, it is a wildflower with the Latin name of Solidago. Species native to our area include tall goldenrod, gray goldenrod, and seaside goldenrod. The difference between these species lies in the leaf and flower formations. Talll goldenrod has spatula shaped leaves alternating position along the tall stem. The flower heads are golden in arching spikes that form a pyramid. Gray goldenrod has spatula shaped leaves covered in hairs along the hairy stem with two leaves at the base. The flowers are only 1/8” in diameter and more yellow than gold in color. Seaside goldenrod has lance shaped fleshy leaves without hairs. The flowers are yellow and form dense clusters like fingers.

Also this week, the teasels that have been growing put out their first blooms. One of the neat things about teasels is their flowers can form all along, in rings, at the top, or at the bottom of the egg-shaped heads. Teasels were used in the textile industry for centuries to help raise the nap of cloth. Once cultivated in Europe, it is believed teasels came to North America by accident, most likely as seeds mixed in with a shipment of goods. The seeds then were deposited and germinated, allowing for the establishment of this natural wonder on a different continent.

Like many flowers of summer, goldenrod and teasels are tall in stature. Perhaps this is due to the amount of daylight, allowing for intense growth to meet the heights of eight to ten feet. It may also be due to the space allowed, for many goldenrods and teasels grow in fields mixed in with a variety of grasses, weeds, and other plants competing for nutrients and space to grow. The more densely planted, the greater the potential for the plants to “bolt” to tall heights. Rain also plays a role, with the rain water allowing for increased and continued growth with warm temperatures.

Regardless of why the goldenrod or teasels grow tall, they both offer a lesson in building. Both plant structures use the tall stem as the base with leaves to help support the flower plumes. Dense and deep root systems help support the tall stems and feed the leaves and flower blooms. The tall stems have the potential to become wood-like, enabling the plants to survive winds and rains of summer storms.

Like the goldenrods and teasels, we humans have our own support systems the build us up and allow us to continue growing. These support systems may have variations like the leaves of the goldenrod and come in different formations like the flowers of the teasels. No matter the form, the function remains vital to our development.

“A small mind cannot see great things because the two are on two different frequencies or channels, as it were. The big mind can know big things, but we must change channels. Like will know like.” –Richard Rohr

Question of the Week: Building What Are We?

Our observations and readings for the week led us ask, “So what are we building really?”

Well, for starters we do have an actual building project going on at our house, attempting to renovate the side porch. It has been a drawn out project due to weather and life circumstances, which has led to some frustrations. However, it has also been one of those projects that on the surface may be viewed as tedious, but when broken down a bit becomes a great exercise in creativity. (Or in other words, one big problem with a lot of different solutions to explore). For us, what started out as redoing the porch has turned into redoing the porch, moving the hose bib, changing how the electric lines run to the outside lights and the switches that control them, fixing a drain, and redoing the landscaping. Yep, all that for a porch. Welcome to our world.

During the physical building part of the project, we’ve gotten lots of exercise. Between climbing ladders, moving and cutting boards, carrying tools and supplies, and hauling away debris, we’ve gotten our share of steps in each day. There is also a mental exercise aspect, figuring out how much lumber, trying to make use of scrap lumber, determining positioning of features, and working through logistics. On top of all this, we’ve had a good spiritual workout, praying all goes well, no one gets hurt, and the resources to support the project are adequate. (Of course, we’ve also had a few, “Good Lord, what next?” and “Oh, heavens,” thrown in for good measure).

If we step back just a bit, we can also see this project is helping us build strength, character, stamina, perspective, and the list goes on and on and on. This aspect of the project (and any project in life really) is the natural aspect, occurring whether we realize it or not, helping us help ourselves without us knowing, and creating art through science and vice versa, all the while leading us forward (or in some cases backward with unforeseen issues that ultimately lead us forward, but not until we’ve changed our attitude, perspective, approach, and thought process).

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” –Henry David Thoreau

May we learn to see our lives and ourselves as works in progress. May each step we take along the way help us build better structures within our minds, hearts, and souls, and may we come to see the many wonderful examples of living life through nature’s building.

Nature’s Building

Rivers and seas for the foundation

The earth and the trees for the walls creation

The skies above for a roof

Withstanding the test of time going through

The weather that comes

Bringing together each one

Of the elements in nature’s building so fine

Creating a home for each of us in life.

Flowers and trees decorate

The inner sanctuaries of each day

Each a room with space to grow

Each a bloom with colors that glow

Lifting the spirit, heart, and mind

To clear the path to the light

In the torch of the sun

Creating a porch on the front

Of nature’s building so fine

Calling us home at night.

Squirrels and crickets and birds of the air

Curl in the thickets and sing songs to repair

The damages done in the storms

That come and then are no more,

Swept out to sea

To set us free,

Free to create

With the wild weeds of the landscape

Part of nature’s building so fine

Leading us through the art and science of life.

-Lisa A. Wisniewski

A Note of Thanks

Our thanks this week go out to our new canine companion, Lena, who has offered to take over some of our late friend Sadie’s duties in contributing to our posts. Lena is from Texas and is eager to share her perspectives (or should we say paw-spectives) in life. We have decided to restructure our inputs a bit to allow for less hierarchy and more creative, thoughtful, informative content. We will keep the format for now, though some weeks may not contain the same sections as others. Leo’s title has changed from junior editor to contributor/editor. Lena will be our researcher/investigator, replacing Sadie’s editor-in-chief function. Lisa will be our writer/editor/researcher. Our focus will remain rooted in one of our favorite quotes:

“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.” –Joseph Pulitzer

We thank our readers and viewers for sticking with us through these changes, and we thank God for allowing us to do what we do each day.

Observing Summer Settling In

July 9, 2021 / law2374 / Leave a comment

Summer has settled into our area with warmer temperatures, higher humidity levels, some of nature’s best offerings, and much to ponder or consider. Though we have lost some daylight minutes since the summer solstice on June 20^th, sunrise at 5:58 AM and sunset at 8:53 PM provide us with just under fifteen hours of daylight to explore nature and life. Our adventures this week led us to a number of discoveries, a few reminders, and some special moments. We had do make a number of trade-offs and alterations along the way in both activities and thought process, and thought we’d share some of what we saw and learned in this week’s post.

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

Theme of the Week: Setting in as Life Comes to Be

Our theme of the week is more of a culmination of observations, leading us to recognize summer’s best offerings and harsher realities. The contrast between the two may be great on the surface, but if we break things down a bit, we find a common thread of life itself.

One of our first observations was that of the many flowers coming into bloom to join other flowers that have been blooming for weeks. Seeing the chicory join the daisies, wood sorrel, and clover blooms made us wonder about how nature accepts each offering it has. By this we mean how nature’s elements combine to form other elements and lessons in life.

The blooming wild flowers do not appear to grumble about sharing the space in the fields or fret about who is moving in next. The flowers bloom and drop their seeds in time, allowing for another generation of flowers to appear the coming year.

Another observation was how the deer have transformed their coats from drab brown or gray to rusty reddish brown. The color change is nature’s way of helping the deer adjust to the change in seasons and acts as camouflage for survival. Drab brown or gray coats are composed of two layers of fur. The under layer acts as an insulator while the outer layer provides camouflage. The rusty red coats of summer are much thinner, allowing for cooling of the body when temperatures are warmer. The changes in coat color are related to hormonal changes as the deer mature.

Like the wildflowers of the fields, the deer seem just fine with the color change as they graze and move about in their daily activities. While many fawns are only starting to move about and still have their white spots on their coats, they are also setting in, becoming more aware of their surroundings, and starting to understand what they need to do in order to survive. A number of the male deer have separated into bachelor groups already, hanging out in the fields in groups of two or more in the early morning and later evening hours. The does are still needed by the fawns, so they are doing their motherly duties each day, some more anxious than others of their young and all the possible mischief the fawns can get into.

Clover, Orange Hawk Weed, and Gill-Over-the-Ground

These examples in nature illustrate how life and time move us along despite what may change around us. They also offer considerations regarding relationships. All are connected to each other and each one is its own entity, yet part of a larger whole. The larger whole is connected to life itself. Life itself is connected in and through God’s love.

“The only moment that has any effect or revolution for us is when we acknowledge God’s active presence in our lives and the power of unconditional love.” –Richard Rohr

Lesson of the Week: Where Stand We?

Our lesson of the week also snuck up on us as we started new routines to help us adjust to recent life changes. None of these life changes were in our control, and we acknowledge this fact was hard for us to accept at first, but after some time, lots of praying, and insight from nature, we’ve reached the point we are now. Is this our final resting place on these subjects? No, not by a long shot, but it is where we are now, where God has deemed us to be, and where we can learn many more lessons.

Are these lessons easy? No, not at all. Many of these lessons are hard, even the ones we’ve had before. However, these lessons are part of life, regardless of age, gender, or whatever category you want to try to organize whatever is being contemplated into.

The bigger question of these lessons is where are we with them? Are we ignoring them, exploring them, running from or toward them, trying to understand them, wishing we did not have to understand them, or some combination of all the former? Does it matter where we are with these lessons? Well, maybe, depending on the lesson and the potential impact (be it positive or negative) the lesson could have upon us.

Perhaps the biggest point of these lessons came to us through a verse used repeatedly in our morning reflection and other readings. The verse offers a lesson in hope, faith, trust, and love, all of which if we really break down any learning in life, are the roots to growth.

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” –Jeremiah 29:11

Question of the Week: Accepting or Settling and the Difference Between

Our theme and lesson of the week got us to contemplating the difference between accepting and settling for or with one’s life and circumstances. Is there a difference? Yes, there is. Accepting requires a bit of faith, compassion, perspective, and insight to help us see or reach a common ground. Setting typically entails these elements as well, but with the outcome of giving up something, be it tangible or intangible.

Is accepting better than settling or vice versa? There most likely is no right or wrong answer to this question, and the answer may very well depend on the circumstances or details of the subject matter. Do we necessarily need to know the difference between accepting and settling? Well, it can be helpful to know whether you are required or expected to give up something in life, but sometimes not knowing is a blessing in disguise, for if you don’t know what is expected, you may also not realize what is missing once you give it up.

Regardless of whether we are accepting or settling, there is also an element of gratitude to consider. Having gratitude makes both accepting and settling possible and plausible, though on the surface the conditions of the circumstances may point a different direction. It is what lies beneath the surface that one must face head on. What lies beneath entails the truth, and what entails the truth invites one to freedom. In freedom, one can find many things, the greatest of which is love. Love in turn feeds the roots of gratitude that nourish hope, which in turn leads one through the circle of life.

“Optimism is really rooted in gratitude. Optimism is sustainable when you keep coming back to gratitude, and what follows from that is acceptance.” –Michael J. Fox

Song of the Week: Settling All Matters That Come To Be

Our song of the week has been in our heads since Sunday. We’ve heard this song on the radio many times in the past week and it fits where we are in our adjusting, accepting, and settling of life’s circumstances. Admittedly, we were first drawn to the music, then the lyrics. When we took the time to really let both sink in, we had a bit of a eureka moment, realizing that we are not alone in our struggles to accept, understand, and move on in and with life.

Settling Down

Should I give up sunsets for marigold mornings?
Should I look for rainbows or wait for the rain?
Is happiness on the highway? Or is it parked in the driveway?
Should I lean on you, babe? Or should you lean on me?

Am I looking for comfort? Am I looking for an escape?
Am I looking for you? Am I looking the other way?

I’m a wild child and a homing pigeon
Caravan and an empty kitchen
Bare feet on the tile with my head up in the clouds
One heart going both directions
One love and a couple of questions
Am I settling up or settling down?
Am I settling up or settling down?

I could plant a pretty garden or just send myself flowers
Be a jet-set Friday or a Sunday hometown girl
I could stay a little lonely or let you get to know me
Yeah, I could love a picket fence if it wrapped around the world

I’m a wild child and a homing pigeon
Caravan and an empty kitchen
Bare feet on the tile with my head up in the clouds
I’m one heart going both directions
One love and a couple of questions
Am I settling up or settling down?

(Written by Natalie Hemby, Luke Dick, and Miranda Lambert; Performed by Miranda Lambert)

Sound of the Week: Locusts in the Trees

While riding my bike on Tuesday (July 6^th), I heard a familiar sound. The breeze was very warm and the sun was going down. The sound broke the silence around me as I pedaled along, but the interruption took me back to childhood, acting as a reminder of one of summer’s rites of passage. The sound was that of the locust calling from high above in the treetops. While it was not necessarily loud, it was amplified and in harmony with a number of locusts calling at one time.

The locusts make this sound by rubbing together different body parts. The body parts rubbed together depend on the locust species. The locusts heard at night, also known as slant-faced grasshoppers, rub spikes located on the hind legs with their front wings to make a buzzing or whee-whee-whee sound. Locusts heard in the daytime, also known as band-winged grasshoppers, make snapping or cracking sounds (known as crepitation), with their wings as they fly. In both cases, the process of making the sound is known as stridulation.

The rubbing of the body parts creates a vibration, which has a wave length and an associated sound wave. The sound waves travel through the air at different frequencies, which may be audible or inaudible to the human ear.

As an interesting side note, crepitation, stridulation, and vibration all end in the suffix –ation, which means action or process or something connected with an action or process. For many people, hearing the locusts calling sets off a connection between the sound and the time of year (summer). In essence, the sound is an indication (another –ation word) summer has arrived.

One other note on this topic is historically, the night time locusts started calling in late August, a sure reminder to many a youngster that summer was winding down and school would start once again. In recent years, the locusts have started calling in our area in early or mid-July. The reason for the shift is not clear, though we suspect it is partly to do with weather conditions and environmental changes. Perhaps the why of the shift is not as significant as the actual shift. What caused it may remain a mystery, but the truth that it happened cannot be denied.

“Leave the broken, irreversible past in God’s hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.” –Oswald Chambers

May life’s circumstances lead us in and through the circles of relationships we need. May these circles in turn help us to learn the art of accepting life for what it is, and may we find the courage to accept through summer settling in.

Summer Settling In

Sun on the rise

In the hazy run of the morning skies,

Red and all ablaze

Ready for what comes ahead in the day,

As the mist fades and the birds sing

While the list of God’s creations bring

Gifts in disguise

Through and in time

In the hints of summer settling in

Beneath the wonder of heaven.

Little flowers in the fields

Sitting atop tall towers of stems that yield

Only to the sun’s light

As the days run along in life

And the bunnies hop along

While the running spots on the fawns

Mature and then fade

As they learn to explore in the does’ wake

Through summer settling in

The fruits that have been.

Berries on the vine growing

In colors cherry red and crimson flowing,

Teasel town on the rise

Along with the morning glory down on the vine,

Milkweed and butterfly weed too

Send their colors streaming through

The green grasses

In the seas of the landscape captured

In the midst of summer settling in

As part of the gifts God has given.

-Lisa A. Wisniewski

A Note of Thanks

Thanks to our friend Loretta for explaining the difference between accepting and settling to us years ago. Thanks also to artists like Miranda Lambert who have the artistic grace to confront life’s questions and present them to others in a creative form. Special thanks to friends Julie and Gabe for their insight to some recent questions we asked, and their willingness to share their life experiences.

-Lisa and Leo

Observing What Comes Next

July 3, 2021 / law2374 / Leave a comment

What comes next can be a daily question for many of us in life. Sometimes, we may be so busy worrying about what comes next that we miss what comes now, or in the present. Other times, we are so stuck in the past that we miss what comes next and/or what comes now. This week was one of those weeks where we wondered what comes next, but found some ways to be grateful and thankful for what comes now. While many questions remain, along with much uncertainty, we can be assured that each day granted to us is a gift from heaven above.

“Wherever we want to go in life, we must start right where we are.” –Rev. Teresa Burton

Theme of the Week: What Comes Next Indeed

Our theme of the week started on my Sunday morning run. I was contemplating how much longer I should try to share my running experiences with others, whether others really enjoyed the words and the pictures or simply scrolled through the pictures each week, and if what I shared really mattered. I kind of started doing this whole sharing exercise out of compassion since many people I knew and cared about were isolated and unable to be out and about in the world.

At some point along the way, all the sharing and observations helped me become a deeper thinker and better writer (albeit still an amateur in many regards). All this sharing was my way of helping serve others, which was a goal I had set for myself. But it was also a challenge to grow and overcome some nasty residual ghosts of the past. Was I succeeding, fooling myself into thinking I was winning a war that really does not exist, simply filling time, or something else?

As these and other questions entered my mind, I looked around and made some mental notes of the birds, flowers, trees, and sounds. Who else does this? Does it matter who else does this or what they notice or how or if they share it? Does it make a difference? Does it need to make a difference? What difference does it make whether or not it makes a difference?

All these questions came running along with me through the miles, but for some reason, I was not afraid of the questions, whether or not I had or knew the answers, or even what may be deemed the answers themselves. Why was I not afraid? No idea, but something tells me faith and life experience had something to do with this lack of fear.

Did this lack of fear mean I knew what to do next with what may or may not be my calling or ministry or simply my insanity? Nope. Not by a long shot to all the former. I have no idea what comes next with my writing or life or even my feelings. The really profound aspect of this is not knowing means I am free to explore, and exploring means I am free to know and learn (or not know and still learn).

“He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.” -Aristotle

Lesson of the Week: All a Gift You See

As I kept on running and wondering, what I saw before me made me realize that all of life– every seed, sprout, droplet, leaf, bud, stone, rock, tree, bush, field, valley, pond, you name it—is a gift. We do absolutely nothing to deserve or not deserve it. We simply are and life simply is. What complicates matters is our thoughts and perceptions (or in some cases what we think are our thoughts and perceptions based on what we think others think or know).

So if this is all a gift, what do I do with it? Share it, embrace it, enjoy it, relish it, do something else with it? How does one know what to do with it? Oh, that question sparked a thought!

We know what to do based on what we have, and what we have is based on the here and now. So what next and what we do with our gift (or gifts) can be determined by what now. Oh, gosh, this is getting deep into philosophy, which I have no training whatsoever.

But one does not necessarily need training of any kind to learn from nature. All one has to do is observe nature and the lessons come through the sights and sounds, which are in the here and now. So what now is right before us in nature. All we have to do is pay attention. Is that asking very much?

On most days, probably not. Perhaps on some days it is a bit of a stretch to find time amongst other activities. But is time meant to be found, or is time right there with us all along? Well, that question reality throws a monkey wrench into a lot of things. Time is, was, and always will be. Granted, time may not be the same for every person, place, or thing. However, one cannot argue it does exist, for if time did not exist, nor would life (or love, or faith, or hope, or choice, or fill in the blank with whatever fits).

To add a little more to this existing paradox (as if we really need another question to answer): do we have to see the gift to know it is a gift? The eight-year-old in me says no, we don’t have to see the gift, but rather experience the gift. By this I mean live with it. Live with what comes now, for living with what comes now entails living in what comes now and living in what comes now gives us the encouragement, strength, and knowledge to live through what comes next.

“Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius.” –Edward Gibbon

Question of the week: What’s That Smell Mean?

One would think all those questions on that one run would have been enough to last the entire week, but, oh, no, not for this eight-year-old! On another adventure on my bike this week, a strong, pungent odor filled the warm air. Phew! What is that smell?

A quick flipping of the pages in my memory gave me the answer, along with a turn of my head. There to my right was one of the few remaining chestnut trees in our area. The trees once graced a number of yards in the neighborhood, along with many of the back roads. After a major blight in the early 1900’s, the chestnut tree slowly disappeared. The smell, however, is one that remains with a person for a lifetime.

So what makes the chestnut tree smell the way it does? The answer lies in the catkins that produce a sticky pollen. While both male and female catkins exist, only the male catkins produce the smelly flowers and pollen. The catkins emerge in late June and early July, which tend to be warmer times of year. The intense heat of the past week in our area only made the smell stronger. Heat is a catalyst, which means it helps to stir up or excite chemical reactions.

This is an example of how what now answers what next. The heat now combined with the emerging of the catkins and the pollen creates the what next of the pungent odor filling the air.

Like the catkins on the chestnut trees, we too have our times in life to bloom and grow. We also have catalysts like faith, hope, and love to help push us forward. However, the forward may at times feel like a backward motion, or instead of a sweet smelling aroma, have more of an odor to it.

“It is never a straight line, but always three steps forward and two backward—and the backward creates much of the knowledge and impetus for the forward.” –Richard Rohr

Sight of the Week: Milkweed!

On another bike ride this week, I spotted a pink blossom hidden among some weeds. Could it be…Oh, yes it is!

Closer examination (which entailed lying my bike down on the ground and running through a bit of a maze through the neighbor’s trees while praying no one would ask me what I was doing) confirmed what I spotted was native milkweed. Like the butterfly weed we wrote about last week, native milkweed is a prized gem in our area, for it feeds the Monarch butterflies. Both the milkweed and the Monarchs have undergone major population declines across the United States in the past decade. Finding either of them in recent years proved difficult at best.

Last year, we found a number of patches of milkweed and spotted Monarchs fluttering in the fields. We are hopeful that the trend continues. Recent articles about scientific studies indicate both milkweed and Monarch populations making progress toward a comeback. The articles cite a number of reasons for the population increase, including the restrictions on using pesticides, logging and nature reserve legislation, public awareness and participation in development programs.

It is our hope that what we are seeing now in nature helps us to fully appreciate and be grateful for what comes next for these species.

“Life’s the movie. God’s the director.” –Matthew McConaughey

Song of the Week: If Only…

Our song of the week only came to us the other day, but has been playing in our minds ever since. We’ve been asking many what next questions while experiencing the what now of life. This song does not ask any questions, but rather offers a number of scenarios to ponder. As we’ve illustrated above, pondering is not just a way to pass time, but also a passage in and through life’s toughest times.

If You Came Back From Heaven

I wouldn’t know what to say
I wouldn’t know what to do
If you came back from Heaven
And I could look at you
Would I fumble for the words
Would I be a little shy
Would I bust right out with laughter
Or break right down and cry
Oh, if you came back from Heaven
Would it be like it was then
Could we just pick up where we left off
And try it all again
Oh, if you came back from Heaven
It would freeze me in my tracks
And I hope God knows, if He let you go
I’d never send you back
Do your kisses feel the same
Do you still have the same touch
And will you whisper softly
‘Cause you’ve missed me so much
Have you heard all my prayers
When I laid down at night
And did you feel my body
When I held your pillow tight
Oh, if you came back from Heaven
Would it be like it was then
Could we just pick up where we left off
And try it all again
Oh, if you came back from Heaven
It would freeze me in my tracks
And I hope God knows, if He let you go
I’d never send you back
And if, God forbid,
You leave this earth
Again while I sleep
I hope He knows, if you go
You’ll be bringing me
Oh, if you came back from Heaven
Would it be like it was then
Could we just pick up where we left off
And try it all again
Oh, if you came back from Heaven
It would freeze me in my tracks
And I hope God knows, if He let you go
I’d never send you back
I hope God knows, if He let you go
I’d never send you back

(Written by Lorrie Morgan and Richard Landis, Performed by Lorrie Morgan)

May the ponderings and wanderings we have regarding life lead us to fully discovering all life and we have to offer. May our discoveries lead us to a sense of freedom, and may this freedom be part of our strength through what comes next.

What Comes Next

What comes next in forever’s arms

Is what mends and heals the broken heart

For what once was cannot forever be

That is why life bears, bends, and breaks the reed.

Morning dove upon the wire

Waiting for the sun to expire

Sits and sings

From the breath that brings

What comes next from the skies

As the sun sets and the moon begins to rise.

What comes next in tomorrow’s wake

Forms from the context of today

Whose here and now

Steer us about

And lead the way

Past the grief of yesterday.

Sunset in the distance ever so fine

Confirms our existence in and through life,

Every ray holding hope

With the faith we come to know

Through what comes next in the by and by

Through love sent in God’s time.

Lisa A. Wisniewski

A Note of Thanks

Our thanks this week goes out to three pillars who led us in and through many a what comes next in life. These three share special moments related to July 2^nd. First, my late Uncle Jim, who taught me about nature and all it can offer us if we allow it. Uncle Jim’s birthday is July 2^nd, and he would have been 73 this year. Second, our faithful friend, Nikki, who also led me to the many gifts of nature. Nikki passed away July 2, 2009 at the age of eleven. Last but certainly not least, our dear friend, Sadie, who taught us to be positive through the what now of life. Like Uncle Jim, Sadie’s birthday is July 2^nd, and she would have been 13 years old this year. The emotions we have toward these three pillars were the reason for this week’s song of the week. May they all know how much they are still loved here on earth and how how often we wish they could come back from heaven.

Lisa and Leo

Natural Deltas

Exploring nature's changes by Lisa A. Wisniewski

Month: July 2021

Observing Transitions and Admissions

Observing Nature’s Building

Observing Summer Settling In

Observing What Comes Next