Mad With Joy

“People from a planet without flowers

would think we must be mad with joy the whole time

to have such things about us.”

– Iris Murdoch, A Fairly Honorable Defeat –

 

Celebrate flowers; be mad with joy. Nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week – on a carpet of moss:

 

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For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

The Breeze of Grace

“The breeze of grace is always blowing on you,

but you have to unfurl your sails.”

– Sri Ramakrishna –

 

May we unfurl our sails to grace this week as we nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week –at the harbor in Yokohama, Japan:

Shadow of the Week – a reflection on a rainy sidewalk in Yokohama:

If you’d like to see more of my photos from Japan, please follow me on my Facebook author page https://www.facebook.com/karynhenleyauthor.

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For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

 

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

A Fountain of Gladness

“How truly is a kind heart a fountain of gladness,

making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.”

Washington Irving

 

Be kind, nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Today’s pictures are from Japan, where I spent the past week. If you’d like to see more of my photos from Japan, please follow me on my Facebook author page, where I’ll be posting a picture or two each day for the next few weeks.

Nature of the week – flowers at the harbor in Yokohama, Japan:

Shadow of the Week – a reflection on a rainy sidewalk in Yokohama:

 

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each week, simply sign up on the right.

For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

 

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

 

Simple and Real

 

Four Simple Guidelines to Live By

“Be good, keep your feet dry, your eyes open, your heart at peace.”

– Thomas Merton –

Nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week:

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For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

 

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

Laughing in the Colors of Spring

“Earth laughs in flowers.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson –

Wishing you earth’s laughter this week!

Nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week:

 

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each week, simply sign up on the right.

For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

 

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

Simple and Real

 

“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.”

– Laura Ingalls Wilder –

Nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week – fragrant nanohana blossoms in Japan (canola flower in English):

Shadow of the Week – tree shadow at dawn on rice paper doors where I stayed in Japan last week :

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For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

 

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

Colors of the Spirit

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.”

– Emerson, “Nature” –

The word nature comes from the Latin nasci, which means “to be born.” Leaves are peeking out and stretching, buds are opening – must be the earth’s birthday. Enjoy!

Nurture peace, cultivate loving-kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week – a redbud blossoming all along its branches:

This week, a double shadow:

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For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

 

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

Joy, Resting

“Peace is joy at rest and joy is peace on its feet.”

– Anne Lamott –

 

May your peace find its feet. Nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week – our weekend snow:

Shadow of the Week:

 

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For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

 

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

What Have You Missed Until Today?

What Have You Missed Until Today?

“The eye is the best of artists.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Nature” –

In their book Living the Questions, David Felton and Jeff Procter-Murphy say that poet William Carlos Williams “used to carry a notepad around with him in which he listed ‘Things I noticed today that I’ve missed until today.'” With your eye as the artist, notice something beautiful today that you’ve missed until now.

Nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week – paperbark:

Shadow of the Week:

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For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here. karynhenley.com

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

What is Our Task? Any Small, Calm Thing

“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely.” – poet Clarissa Pinkola Estes

 

Nurture peace, cultivate loving kindness, and carry the calm.

Nature of the week:

Shadow of the Week:

 

If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each week, simply sign up on the right.

For my posts on life, faith, and the mystery we call God, link here.

 

Text and photos © 2017 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.

A Winged Heart