“Joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.”
– William Blake, “To Autumn” –
Look for joy. Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.
Nature of the week:
Shadow of the Week:
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Text and photos © 2020 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.
“He who bends to himself a Joy
Doth the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the Joy as it flies
Lives in Eternity’s sunrise.”
– William Blake –
Blake’s poem seemed perfect for this delightful link. If you have five minutes or so, treat yourself to the sound of butterflies taking flight.
Nurture peace. Cultivate kindness. Carry the calm.
Nature of the week:
Shadow of the Week – early morning, my bedroom ceiling:
If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.
Text and photos © 2019 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.
“Every day opens and closes like a flower,
noiseless, effortless.
Divine peace glows on all the majestic landscape,
like the silent enthusiastic joy
that sometimes transfigures a noble human face.”
– John Muir –
“Silent enthusiastic joy.” That’s what I often see in Thursday night art class at Art and Soul. Music plays softly in the background as my friends and I work independently but side by side, each of us creating art that comes from our souls and nourishes our souls. It’s then that I often see in my friends’ faces a “silent enthusiastic joy.”
But I picture other faces as well – my dad and sisters laughing uproariously in enthusiastic joy – delightfully not silent. Then there are my friends in the church choir as we listen to our director in silent, enthusiastic joy – which transforms into the joy of song. Whose faces do you picture when you think of enthusiastic joy – silent or not?
Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “Earth laughs in flowers.” In our part of the world, nature is now in bloom. As each day opens and closes like a flower, I wish you the divine peace that comes with earth’s joy and laughter. Happy Spring!
Nurture peace, cultivate kindness, and carry the calm.
Nature of the week – peach blossoms:
Shadow of the Week – stems in a back-porch pot:
If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, simply sign up on the right.
Text and photos © 2019 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.
“The blossoms of earth wither and fade
the blossoms of the heart, what a joy!”
Happy February!
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 Sunday, simply sign up on the right.
For my posts on life and the wonder of it all, link here.
Text and photos © 2018 Karyn Henley. All rights reserved.
“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:
If you want me to send these thoughts to your email each Sunday, 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.
“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:
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.