Sharing a brief post in honor of Thanksgiving. Thanks to everyone for reading or viewing our posts each week.
-Lisa,Leo, and Lena
Observing Thanksgiving 2021
Month: November 2021
Observing November’s Awakening
November in our area can be a rather dreary, drab, draining month. With cooler temperatures, grayer skies, and many of the deciduous trees shedding their leaves in the high winds, there are admittedly days when one wonders where all the life of the fall season went. However, as the years have taught us, there is a beauty in this part of November that has the potential to call the inner soul back to life, to an awakening of sorts. This awakening can be easy to miss or dismiss, so we thought we would share some ways to be more responsive to nature’s and the season’s ways in this week’s post.
“If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing.” –Gail Sheehy
Theme of the Week: More Than One Way to See
Our theme of the week started Sunday morning. During mass, Deacon Gary told a short story about a woman who wanted to live to be 100 years old. She prayed to God and God said He would grant her wish. The woman started thinking more about her prayers and the fact she did not want to look 100 years old, so she made some lifestyle changes, going to the gym and having some cosmetic procedures. She worked so diligently at her goal that she appeared transformed into a much younger woman. One day after leaving the gym, she was in a tragic accident and when she got to heaven asked God why He had not followed through with granting her prayer. He looked closely and replied, “I did not recognize you.”
There are a number of lessons to be gleaned from this little story. One could take the perspective of being careful what you wish and pray for. Another could be not to lose sight of the goal or intention. Still another could center around perspective and how one sees himself of herself in the world along with how the world in turn sees the person. All of these lessons tie in to the variety of ways to see life and ourselves in this life.
The lesson continued in my run after church. Admittedly, I really enjoy running outdoors no matter what the weather is like, but enjoy it most when the skies are clearing and the sun is shining. This week when I started out, the sky was still really overcast and gray, much to my dismay. I so much wanted to run in the sun and feel a sense of being alive and awake instead of sleepy and dormant like the landscape appeared around me.
However, as the miles and minutes ticked away and the sights of nature appeared before my eyes, I noticed a change in my thought process. While I scoured the skies and landscape for the brightest colors and most potentially inspiring moments, I also got a little lost in the here and now of the gray skies, which brought me to a phrase that I had toyed with two days prior and had hoped to develop into a writing of some sort. Sadly, I had forgotten the phrase and was frustrated with not being able to develop the writing when desired. When the phrase popped back into my mind, I jumped on the opportunity to follow through with developing the idea. So, there in the dismal gray, I found the words I had thought only the sun could bring back to mind. Talk about a gift from heaven!
The experience reminded me of Deacon Gary’s story and how we as humans are very much alike when it comes to the basics of life. We all have a way to see, but our ways may differ. These ways do not make us wrong or right, but rather get us to where we need to be in time.
“If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self.” –Napoleon Hill
Lesson of the Week: Rise From Thy Sleep
Our lesson of the week came to us as we started our days very early so I could make it to work on time for the opening shift. With the cooler days and less daylight, some starts for us were a little rough. However, each day we did our best to get moving and find inspiration to keep on going in the dark before the dawn. On one day in particular, we woke up early before the alarm and went outside. To our surprise, the temperature had risen over night. The clear skies had given way to the clouds, which had kept the warmth of the day on the surface of the earth. Though we could not see the stars through the clouds, we could see a halo of the moon, shining from afar.
The moments felt somewhat magical, as if nature had whispered to us to rise up and come greet the dawn in a different way. We had expected to be hit with the cool air, but instead felt the warm breeze, almost like a summer morning. What a gift to feel the warmth and listen to the whisper through the trees with only us and God present in the moment. The experience really did wake us up to the possibilities of the day before us. It was also a reminder of how nature can take the routine of life and turn it into a memorable experience. How often do we fail to see this during any day or season of life?
Sadly, the warmth of the morning quickly dissipated and by the next day we were back to bundling up and feeling the chill of fall to our core. The whipping winds quickly stripped the remaining leaves from the branches of the trees, creating a mosaic of color upon the ground and some work for us to do in the yard. Rain soon followed, making the task of raking leaves a bit of a challenge, but we persevered nonetheless. The challenge was a bit welcome to us, for we felt as if we needed to do something to keep us from slipping into the dismal gray around us.
Admittedly, I struggle more than Leo and Lena with the darkness and gray skies. Lately I have had to rely on them to cheer me up a bit, and they are just fine with this arrangement, making sure to distract me with chases through the house and all kinds of crazy antics that make me wonder why I even bother to clean. Nothing like a bunch of fresh muddy paw prints all over the house to make the evening fly by. Thanks, “kids”!
“Reject your sense of injury and the injury itself disappears.” –Marcus Aurelius
Song of the Week: Rise Above Please
Our song of the week we kind of stumbled upon while searching for some music on the Internet. The song was a huge hit in 1992 for Mary Chapin Carpenter, and we feel was well ahead of its time. The lyrics remind us to keep trying and dig deeper within to rise to our potential. Like many of Carpenter’s songs, the music and lyrics speak to the heart and soul within, coaxing the inner self to waken to the opportunity of the here and now.
The Hard Way
Show a little inspiration, show a little spark
And show that things that drew me to you and stole my heart
And tell me something I don’t know instead of everything I do
And look at me as if I mean something to you
Our hearts are beating while we sleep, but while we’re wide awake
You know the world won’t stop, and actions speak louder
Listen to your heart, and what your heart might say
Everything we got, we got the hard way
Show a little passion, baby, show a little style
And show the knack for knowing when and the gift for knowing how
And have a little trust in us when fear obscures the path
You know we got this far, darling, not by luck, but by never turning back
Some will call on destiny, but I just call on faith
That the world won’t stop, and actions speak louder
Listen to your heart, to what your heart might say
Everything we got, we got the hard way
Caught up in our little lives, there’s not a lot left over
I see what’s missing in your eyes; you’re searching for that field of clover
So show a little inspiration, show a little spark
Show the world a little light when you show it your heart
We’ve got two lives, one we’re given and the other one we make
And the world won’t stop, and actions speak louder
Listen to your heart, and your heart might say
Everything we got, we got the hard (everything we got, we got the hard way)
Everything we got, we got the hard way
(Because the world won’t stop) hang on, baby…
(Written and Performed by Mary Chapin Carpenter)
Treat of the Week: Back With the Breeze
Our treat of the week came with the sight of ducks on the neighbor’s pond. The ducks had disappeared over the summer, unlike years before when they could be seen year round. The sight was most welcome to me as I biked one evening. The next few mornings, I saw the ducks again when running. My curiosity had me questioning if maybe I had simply missed seeing the ducks due to a change in running and biking schedules.
All indications I could find by the pond and in going back through notes and pictures led me to no real answers. It is possible the ducks moved farther north during the summer months and returned to the pond as a fall refuge. It is also possible that the original group of ducks went to another location for safety and this group is a different group all together. It is also possible that the ducks have been in the area all along, just not at this particular pond. The exercise and experience in asking and researching my question made me want to be more aware and awake to my surroundings in the future. How does one do this in such a seemingly busy world these days?
Well, I am not sure the best way, or if one way works for every person, but I think a taking a moment or two every day to simply be in the moment is a good place to start, allowing the heart, mind, and soul to really awaken. Maybe morning is best for some people, maybe evening is better for others, and maybe midday is the only time others may have. Whatever the time of day or night, just be open to what is before, around, and within you. November offers some additional darkness and silent times at early daybreak and early evening to do so. Perhaps this is one of the gems I have discovered in the dismal part of the month—in the roughness of it all lie the diamonds of nature’s ways and myriad of opportunities to develop the mind, body, heart, and soul into a stronger being. (Which is not to say I suddenly am a fan of November, but that I am learning to live with it as best I can and accept it as part of life).
“By surrendering to whatever is unfolding and by accepting what is, by giving up on the outcome and allowing life to flow the way it’s meant to, by stepping out of your own way and letting the natural order take the lead, you not only get a break from the exhaustion of having to control everything, but you also get to experience life, instead of what you think life owes you.” –Holly Whitaker
Words of the Week: Awakening the Inner Sea
Our words of the week from our Daily Word devotional are inspiration, healing, prayer, protection, and zest. If we find or can offer inspiration, we have the potential to encounter healing. This healing may in turn help deepen our faith, opening us up to the power of prayer. Prayer itself can be a protection of sorts from the seemingly evil ways of the world around us, or it can offer protection as a refuge for how we feel or when we need to listen to God for guidance. The combination of inspiration, healing, prayer, and protection can help us feel the zest of and in life if we open ourselves up to the findings of each moment in every day.
Opening our inner selves can be painful emotionally, and we found the following method of meditation that we thought we would share. While we are not experts at this method by any means, we do think the process has value.
The RAIN Method of Meditation (From Tara Brach)
Recognize what is happening.
Allow whatever you are feeling to be present without trying to judge, fix, or ignore it. Simply let it be.
Investigate where emotions live inside you and ask what is needed right now.
Nurture feelings and send whatever message might most offer healing. It may be necessary to imagine the message coming from someone you trust and love, such as God, a friend, relative, or pet.
After the RAIN, take a few moments to recognize what has (or maybe has not) unfolded. Notice any shifts in feeling, perspective, or vision from when you started to the awareness afterward. Do not be discouraged if it takes some time to notice any shifts from when starting to ending.
“We cannot heal what we do not first acknowledge.” –Richard Rohr
May we come to find time in life to heal the mind, heart, body, and soul. May this healing lead us to a sense of peace, and may this peace lead to a great awakening.
Awakening
Awaken, oh, my soul
Allowing what comes to be to take hold,
Take hold and let go,
Let go from days of old in the shadows,
Allowing the light to enter in,
Enter in to the time given
In the silence of the morn,
The quiet just before
The setting sun,
Or the letting of noon’s run.
Awaken, oh, my soul,
Taken to unfold
In the breeze that blows
Blows free and grows
In the rising waves and moving clouds,
Moving today around and about
So that the morrow will come,
Will come without borrowed abandon,
To set free, oh so free
The being within thee.
Awaken, oh, my soul,
Break within the cold,
Within the breeze that comes to pass,
Comes to pass before thee and what one has,
Offering up, up, up life itself,
Life itself as it comes to help,
To help find the way
From the inner shell to the great escape,
Of peace to be found
In the meaning of what comes around.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Our thanks this week goes out to our buddy, Leo, who is celebrating five years with us this week. Leo came to me on November 19, 2016 after the passing of canine friend, Luke. Leo has been very accepting of our crazy household and a trusting companion through dear canine friend Sadie’s passing in June this year. He was most gracious to welcoming Lena into hour home and has taught her many new things, including some things we wish he had not. Leo’s giving nature and openness to all life has to offer has helped awaken me to life’s many blessings. Thanks, buddy, for being you!
Lisa, Leo, and Lena
Observing November’s Twilight
Our adventures this week had us out and about at all hours of the day and into the night. Given this is the first week after turning the clocks back, we had to adjust our activities a bit to get things done before sunset around 5:10 PM. We know from past experiences that actual darkness does not occur until about half an hour after sunset on any given day, and we used this knowledge to push our boundaries a bit farther. Doing so made us feel more alive and in tune with nature. Though some days we wished we had a better plan, we were reminded that the best plans in life are not ours to formulate, but rather accept as they unfold. We thought we’d share some things we learned in our adventures in this week’s post.
“Man is born to live, not to prepare for life.” –Boris Pasternak
Theme of the Week: Twilight’s Reach
Our theme of the week came to us through nature. We had a bit of a different schedule, so I had to wait until after coming home from work each day to run and bike. This meant having only about two hours to cram as many miles as possible into a great experience, which is what all my runs and bike rides end up being as long as I am open to nature around me. While running Sunday night, I noted the moon and the planet Venus in the sky.
As the miles and minutes passed, the shapes of these heavenly orbs became clearer against the darkening sky. To the west, the setting sun offered up an array of colors before disappearing completely from sight. After sunset, the light of the sun still offered a halo effect upon the horizon. The night was clear, so the colors appeared to linger without any clouds to blur the light rays. After this light faded, the crisp, clear indigo of evening moved in. The air was still, making the experience almost surreal, as if the darkness of the night was washing in a holy sea of waves.
Returning home, a temperature difference was noticeable. The warmth of the sunny day quickly faded into the cool evening air. The chill was not paralyzing, but rather invigorating, and we worked outside in the yard with the lights on until after 8:00 PM. Given we had been up at 4:00 AM, one would think we would be tired by now, but no, we felt rather energetic and kept on going.
As we completed each task, the events of the day ran through my mind, and I wondered if this is why twilight exists—to allow for inner and outer reflection with a fresh perspective. Each day that followed was much the same with the moon and Venus and later in the evening the stars coming into view. While it would have been easier to work outside in natural light rather than with the flood lights on, something about seeing the heavenly bodies positioned just so in the navy blue sky above made things feel more orderly, as if each thing in life had a place and a time to be seen, heard, or experienced.
One of our readings this week summarized what we found in twilight’s reach, and we thought we’d share an excerpt of this reading as one of our quotes:
“If we can truly love this, whatever this is, it becomes the gateway to everything. How we love one thing is finally how we love everything. We have to find our capacity to see, to love, to accept, to forgive, and to delight in one thing. If we can’t delight in one lizard or one leaf, we are not going to light in God. Howe we see is how we see. How we do anything is how we do everything.” –Richard Rohr
Lesson of the Week: Twilight’s Different Beams
Our lesson of the week is one of a more scientific one about twilight, the time of day when there is light but the sun is below the horizon. We have shared part of this information in a prior post, so it may appear familiar.
The angles of the sun’s rays change after sunset. The sun’s elevation in relation to the horizon help define each twilight phase. Civil twilight occurs just after sunset. It is considered a golden hour of soft light. When the center of the sun is six degrees below the horizon, civil dusk occurs. The next phase known as nautical twilight begins as the planets become visible, the horizon is discernable, and the amount of stars seen allows sailors to navigate. At nautical twilight, the sun is twelve degrees below the horizon.
The next phase, astronomical twilight, begins when the atmosphere scatters and refracts a limited amount of sunlight. Astronomical twilight ends when the sun is eighteen degrees below the horizon. The time after is known as astronomical dusk. When no indirect sunlight is visible in the sky, astronomical nighttime begins.
We were fortunate this week to be outside viewing the twilight through all its phases. The additional blessing of clear skies helped wash away some of the more negative aspects and experiences of the day’s prior hours. This sense of cleansing was in addition to the “leaving it all behind” in my running and biking miles, so the way we figured it, we had undergone a mental and spiritual cleansing in record time, which is never a bad thing.
The clearer state of mind allowed me to really enjoy time with Leo and Lena. Then again, we enjoy all our minutes together, even the ones that make me wonder why I even try to clean the house each week. Leo and Lena have the gift of canine wisdom, which is spiritual reverence at its core. After all, dog is God spelled backward, and dogs always know when and where to interject themselves into our lives. The how and why may appear questionable to us humans, but in time, we learn the reasons.
“Fortitude is the marshal of thought, the armor of the will, and the fort of reason.” –Francis Bacon
Song of the Week: Unbroken Streaks
The cycle of our days and nights this week, along with the phases of twilight brought to mind an old song that always lifts my spirit. The earlier darkness along with a history of depression does affect me this time of year, so I try to look for ways to stay positive. One of my coping mechanisms besides exercise is music, and this song has seen many people through the years through many difficulties.
Will the Circle Be Unbroken
I was standing by the window
On one cold and cloudy day
When I saw the hearse come rolling
For to carry my mother away
Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky
I said to the undertaker
Undertaker please drive slow
For this lady you are carrying
Lord I hate to see her go
Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky
Oh, I followed close behind her
Tried to hold up and be brave
But I could not hide my sorrow
When they laid her in the grave
Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
In the sky Lord, in the sky
I went back home, the home was lonesome
Since my mother, she was gone
All my brothers and sisters crying
What a home so sad and alone
Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye
There’s a better home awaiting
(Written by A.P. Carter)
Words of the Week: Twilight Tree
One of our morning readings each day is taken from a publication called Daily Word. Our words this week corresponded to some degree with a sense of the phases of twilight, a twilight tree so to speak, so we thought we’d share them. The words this week are divine order, joy, life, balance, honor, and guidance. Divine order is present every day in life. We may or may not see it. It is like the first phase of twilight, civil twilight, when the sun goes down but light is still visible. Divine order leads the way to other phases and wisdom in life.
Joy is often tied to bright colors. In our opinion, the next phase of twilight, civil dusk, is the most colorful, when the bold of the navy blue heavens halos the mix of the last sun’s light rays. Life is what we experience, and each day in life leads to the next. Life enlightens us, making things clearer in time. Life is like the nautical twilight when the planets are visible.
Balance is something we strive for in many aspects of life, and nautical dusk is the balance between nautical and astronomical twilight. Honor often entails an aspect of respect or reflection, and astronomical twilight offers many opportunities to sit in the stillness and be thankful for the time behind and in front of us. Guidance is always needed at some point in our lives. The astronomical nighttime is when many people pray, asking for guidance through the night into the next day.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” –John F. Kennedy
Question of the Week: Why Let the Darkness Lead
Our question of the week comes from a different aspect of twilight and several somewhat negative experiences with others this week. We will skip the details of the experiences and simply say we encountered some very dark and negative attitudes, which disturbed us. It is very easy in the world today to feel a sense of loss, which can have an effect upon our perspective in life. Placing blame or using one’s position or status as an excuse for actions seem to be the go-to exercises of society.
We question why individuals and society allow this darkness to lead them and their lives, which in turn darkens the lives of others, creating a twilight of clouded skies without any sense of hope. Why not look for the light? Why not work to find a sense of peace by opening the mind, heart, and soul to the opportunities offered to us through nature and God’s grace each day? Why not live each day in and through the reality of true experiences instead of dying in a fantasy world created by the darkness?
“Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you?” –Fanny Brice
May we come to find the treasures of twilight in our lives. May the darkness in our twilights be viewed in a positive light, and may we come to see the stellar offerings of November’s twilights as the gifts that they are in life.
Twilight
Twilight
Within the skies
In the stellar atmosphere
Linking the far and the near
In time’s expanse
Given by God’s hands
Helping us to find our way
Through another day.
Twilght
Woven from heaven’s lines
In life’s story of one and all,
Lessons to find in the light’s call,
Intertwined with nature’s ways
Granted by God’s grace
Having an effect seen and unseen
To be discovered in time’s seas.
Twilight
Whispering to the soul inside
Influencing the mind left open
Looking for hope in
Interactions and relationships
Given as gifts
Harkening to the heart
Through nature’s art.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Our thanks this week goes out to the positive influences in our life. These influences include family, friends, and coworkers, as well as the musicians, songwriters, and singers of our favorite songs. Thanks to all of you for helping us find our way out of the dark of the darkness to the light of twilight.
-Lisa, Leo, and Lena
Observing Veterans Day 2021
Taking a moment to thank and remember the many veterans across the world who have sacrificed much for others over the years.
-Lisa, Leo, and Lena
Veterans Day 2021
We honor and remember when this time of year comes around
The sacrifices made splendor upon this earthly ground
Be they long ago and far away
Or in the last day or so in creation’s space,
Somewhere, somehow
A gift beyond compare came about,
Allowing a spirit to be set free
In a moment of destiny.
In the break of day by the light of dawn,
In the night’s escape of the shadows above the pond,
In the sun’s light or the moon’s beams
Given was a life, taken was a dream,
Offered was love, returned was pain,
Through the waters that run churning the waves
In time’s seas near and far
Beneath the heaven’s stars.
We offer our thanks and gratitude
To all who gave to see us through
The conflicts and the wars
Across the continents and upon the shores,
In the mountains, jungles, deserts, and plains
So that the foundations of freedom could remain
Beneath the heavens, across the lands and seas
Supporting the extents of humanity.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
Observing the All of Fall
Our adventures this week took us from the reflective morning quiet to strenuous physical and mental exertion at all times of the day. As we navigated through the challenges of each day, we noticed nature and the weather augmenting our experiences with clear and cloudy skies, wildlife to admire, and foliage to remind us of ongoing changes. With sunrise around 7:54 AM and sunset close to 6:14 PM, we had far less daylight to do our activities, which is always a challenge to accept as nature takes us through yet another year. These challenges ask us to often reconsider or reevaluate priorities, and we have come to view the season of fall as one of reflection in our household. This reflection time has proven most helpful in developing better perspective in life. Despite all the darkness literally and figuratively around us this time of year, we have learned to seek and see the light. We thought we would share some of the things we learned and saw on our adventures in this week’s post.
“Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” –Saint Augustine of Hippo
Theme of the Week: All That We Need
Our theme of the week got started in a homily given by Deacon Gary in church Sunday morning. His topic centered around the word all, a tiny word with much potential. He took this word from the readings regarding the greatest commandments and how we are asked to give our all to loving God and serving others. Deacon Gary chose three icons to augment his point—the cross and how it depicts Jesus offering His all for us all; a mirror, which offers a reflection of ourselves and others upon which we have the choice to look at the surface or beyond the surface to within; and a boot to illustrate how we must all work at what we do in life to get not only through life, but also give all we have to serve God and others.
The homily took a deeper meaning as I reflected upon it while running later that morning. I really should have done other tasks given I had to work later that day, but instead chose to clear my head and spend more time with God in nature. The experience was enlightening despite gray, cloudy skies and a rather dreary landscape. As I ran and thought more about nature, the time of year, what challenges were ahead for the day and the week, I realized that these things are all necessary to help direct us in life and that nature offers all it has to us each day. If we are willing to offer it back not necessarily all we have, but rather some of what we have in our time, we can find comfort, inspiration, peace, hope, and other elements necessary to get us from point A to point B every single day.
Often, it takes some courage or inner faith that we cannot see or may not even believe we possess to give our all to all we do. Giving all means being tested in some way, and may even entail sacrifices we feel are more than we can offer. However, if we use some discretion, have a little faith, and take the cues nature gives us to help us through the challenge of life, we can find the path to where we need to be.
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” –C.S. Lewis
Lesson of the Week: What We All Seek
Our lesson of the week came in reflecting upon what we saw in the skies, in nature, and in interactions with others. The experiences we had reminded us that what we all seek in life can be boiled down to basics. Things like love and hope, time and energy, wisdom and perspective all come at different seasons and with varied experiences and levels of comfort (or in some cases discomfort). All we need is the experience. All we are asked to have the experience is to offer our time, be it a moment, an hour, a day, etc.
Though what we all seek can be narrowed down, it often takes a wider perspective to realize the commonalities between us and others. As humans in today’s world, we are pressured to be extraordinary in some way, but even extraordinary contains the ordinary and actually is built from the little pieces of ordinary to create an above and beyond result. Often what we do can be viewed as small, but if we do it consistently or as a group or with the sense of giving and not expecting anything in return, what we offer (and in some cases accept) has the potential to grow exponentially into something much larger. This growth may not be seen immediately, but the truth is it does happen and often happens at just the right time for the affected parties. The mystery of how this all comes about lies in the powers of faith.
Faith is formed through relationships. These relationships may be with God Himself, nature, family, friends, and others we come to know in life. Fall offers us a stretch of days to remember these relationships, especially the relationships of those who may have passed from this life and are now watching over us in heaven.
Halloween’s history is based on such remembrances. Originally known as All Hallows Eve, the now commercialized holiday’s origin is one of a spiritual or religious nature. This concept of All Hallows Eve tied to All Saints’ Day, November 1st, the day offered in remembrance of the saints who gave their all to help others find the all in faith in salvation. In addition to the saints, there are other souls who may not have been deemed saints but still offered all they had in life. These souls are remembered on All Souls’ Day, November 2nd.
As a child (and an adult) Halloween was not a favorite holiday. However, the concepts of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day appealed to me, probably because it meant a special trip to church for what is known in the Catholic community as a Holy Day of Obligation. This concept of a holy day means giving some extra time to reflect and pray, which is never a bad idea. As a young girl, the masses offered in church were often not as ornate as a regular service, but rather stripped down with acapella songs and no homily. Many of the singing parts of the mass were simply read aloud by the congregation. This is probably not how every church celebrated such masses, but it was how our little rural community did the service. Oddly, the stripping down of the mass appeared more holy to my family and me. We felt a deeper connection to and with God.
These simple masses are an example of offering all without all the fuss. The beauty in this is the honesty in the offering. Back then, our church did not have the luxury of an organist or cantor at every mass, so we the congregation came together as one to sing with what he had to offer. There is something beautiful in hearing each voice singing (be it on or off key) the words to familiar and favorite hymns. Looking back, I think the greatest lesson in these experiences (at least for me) was that all does not need to be ornate, showy, or extravagant. All can be as simple as another little but powerful word, try.
“Don’t worry about skills you don’t have. Don’t covet strengths others do have. Just extract your uniqueness.” – From Max Lucado’s Cure For the Common Life and Grace for a Moment Volume II
Song of the Week: Don’t Fail to See
Our song of the week is an old favorite that illustrates the all factor of relationships and how we have the power to uplift and let down each other. This song was one of Keith Whitley’s most popular hits, one that helped propel him to stardom but also allowed him to appear humble and human.
Don’t Close Your Eyes
I know you loved him, a long time ago
Even now in my arms, you still want him I know
But darling this time, your memories die
When you hold me tonight, don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes, let it be me
Don’t pretend it’s him, in some fantasy
Darling just once, let yesterday go
And you’ll find more love than you’ll ever know
Just hold me tight, when you love me tonight
And don’t close your eyes
Maybe I’ve, been a fool, holding on all this time
Lying here in your arms, knowing he’s in your mind
But I keep hoping someday, that you’ll see the light
Let it be tonight and don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes, let it be me
Don’t pretend it’s him, in some fantasy
Darling just once, let yesterday go
And you’ll find more love than you’ll ever know
Just hold me tight, when you love me tonight
And don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes, let it be me
Don’t pretend it’s him, in some fantasy
Darling just once, let yesterday go
And you’ll find more love than you’ll ever know
Just hold me tight, when you love me tonight
And don’t close your eyes
Just hold me tight, when you love me tonight
And don’t close your eyes
(Written by Bob McDill; performed by Keith Whitley)
The song asks us to reconsider our viewpoints of life situations. Though we may have plans and dreams and specific ways we hope or wish our lives to unfold, we must also be open to alterations of our plans. In our household, we call such alterations Plan G, or God’s Plan, and we have found His plans to be so much greater and better suited to and for us than the ones we have devised over the years. This is not to say we are always open to these alterations, but rather have learned over time to accept them more freely.
“Love looks like letting go a little bit.” –Lisa Leonard
Treat of the Week: Seeing Colorful Leaves Finally
Our treat of the week came in viewing the changing colors of the leaves at their peak just before rain moved in and forced many leaves to fall. We also had the first significant frost of the season on November 4th. Seeing the frost was another reminder of the all of nature.
Frost is made up of ice crystals which are formed when water freezes. As the air temperature cools, the frost forms and appears to fall upon anything it touches. As the air temperature rises and the sun’s rays hit the frost, the ice crystals melt to become the liquid form of water. As the water drips and runs from its solid to liquid state, the air molecules pick up pieces of the water molecules, causing the water to evaporate and turn into back into its gaseous, or vapor state. When the vapor cools, the process starts all over again. The fall season offers the opportunity to see water in all its states of matter, solid, liquid, and gas or vapor.
Frost also has the potential to make plants and foliage go dormant or possibly die. It is not so much the frost that kills the plants, but rather the prismatic factor of frost’s ice molecules amplifying the sun’s light to form heat and “burn” plants and foliage. Though frost does insulate roots from nutrients and moisture, it takes the combined heat of the sun to make plants and leaves change color or appear dead.
In addition to the frost, the lack of sunlight limits the amount of activity going on inside the plants and foliage this time of year. The transformation from active to inactive chemical processes inside the plants and leaves is what makes the green disappear and other colors like red, orange, yellow, gold, and rust appear. As the leaves turn color, their stems weaken, which in turn allows them to fall to the ground.
The change in color can only occur through the changing amounts of moisture and sun. So, in order to have a colorful fall, we must accept the cooler air temperatures and fewer hours of daylight. All the color comes through less heat and light. This is a natural example of achieving all with less.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” –Leonardo da Vinci
Experience of the Week: Running Peak
Our greatest experiences this week came after several ten mile runs. Prior to this week, I had not run more than 8 miles at a time on a regular basis. However, some life events happened that gave me the urge to try to run more. One event was actually an effort to help a friend. I felt the need to pray for this person more, and lately praying has been hard to do at other times of day. For some reason, I feel I am able to listen better to God when I am running, and I’ve come to find the listening part of prayer to be more helpful than any words I offer.
As nature and fate would have it, a chance conversation with a person I’ve known most of my life led to a shared perspective on prayer. The person shared his experience of running for extended periods and how it made him feel so much closer to God. The conversation was eye opening on several levels for me.
The extra running miles also helped open my perspective on the relationships I have with Leo and Lena. After running each day, I come home to greet and spend time with them. The experience has led to better behavior from all parties involved. So, in some regards, getting lost in the all of fall in nature has led us to find the limits and boundaries of each all we have to give.
“Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.” –Danny Thomas
May we allow nature’s seasons to lead us through life. May we learn to accept the pace nature offers upon the journey and come to see the all of fall along the way.
All of Fall
Hallowed Eves and souls remembered
As the leaves on the trees fall from the branches members,
Frosty morns with diamonds on the grass
In the dawn before the days come to pass,
Chipmunks, squirrels, turkey and deer
Graze and run in the fields beneath the skies clear
Before the sun sinks low in the west
All aglow in orange, crimson, and red,
As part of nature’s call to be
In the all of fall’s beauty.
Shorter days and longer nights
As the sun runs and fades with time,
Verdant grasses between plowed plots
Rising from the seeds in the compost’s knots,
Hither and yon the clouds float
Tethered upon the winds’ blow
Rising up tall with the season’s dreams
In the all of fall’s peaks.
Frosted silhouettes of spring and summer life
Stand across from and among the green, green pines,
Sassafras with one, two, and three lobed leaves
Above the clumps of grass drooped with seeds,
Whispered are the songs throughout nature’s realm
Above the misty ponds and frost that melts
Casting the call to be
In the all of fall’s majesty.
-Lisa A. Wisniewski
A Note of Thanks
Our thanks this week go out to our late canine friend, Nikki, whose birthday is November 6th. Nikki was my rock through a number of life struggles, managing to open my eyes to the prospects of life through nature and taking time to stop once in a while to appreciate all life has to offer. Though she is no longer visible to me here on earth, I sense her presence in life on many occasions, and thank her for her continued support and guidance along with the other angels in heaven.
We also want to thank Dr. Berger, who guided me through a significant surgery in the fall of 2018. Dr. Berger’s efforts, combined with a lot of faith, allowed me to rediscover parts of life I had been missing due to some severe internal health issues. Things could have gone a very different direction had Dr. Berger not offered her time and skills to properly diagnose and perform the needed surgery. It was during recovery of this surgery that I was forced to look inward and assess life more than in years prior, and in doing so realized all I had to be grateful and thankful for in addition to all the potential yet to be tapped within me to help others find their way in life.
-Lisa, Leo, and Lena
Natural Deltas 