Beauty in LIFE Through WINTER

Beauty in LIFE through WINTER!

It’s time for our mind, body, and spirit to slow down and ALLOW the peace within us to shine! YES, SHINE that light from within into the gray skies of winter. Our light is ever present ~ we do not have to search for it! The sky is gray, snow is falling, and BEHIND those clouds exist the brilliant sun forever shinning in its glory. We were created with God’s light of joy right inside of us, making our bodies powerful beyond measure.

There is a blue jay at my feeder in the picture. Click on the picture and somehow the LIGHT seems to move into the photo…I did not create that effect. Somehow I needed to take notice of it for the light to be there. Just like in my life! I need to take notice of the light! Winter has finally come knocking on our doors…are we ready to open it up and enjoy it?

The WHITE of winter models the light that is always present for us. While so much of wildlife is dormant this time of year, birds are SUCH a blessing. I have been in joy with three beautiful white swans swimming and eating right outside my window for six days now. They bring me such peace to watch.

The three of them remind me of how God is with me, present in one form or another every moment of my life. God is EVERYWHERE and always with us. The swans fly with such grace and beauty from one end of the lake to another ~ the three of them, two adults and one young gossling flaunting his few remaining gray feathers. They flew right in front of me as I sat writing about the joy brought in winter. I am always in gratitude for swans spending time at our house! The words I say to myself during these gray days really makes a difference in how I feel on any given day.

I had both a male and a female cardinal come flying in on my feeder, but I was not able to catch their beauty with my camera. As I “searched” for  a beautiful picture the red simply jumped out at me in contrast to the white snow reminding me of the JOY contained in the spinning vortex of energy in my first chakra. It sent me looking for the lovely other colors that sit on my porch in flower form or in the bountiful foods I place on my table for eating! Matching the emotions carried within those colors helps the winter blahs become the winter ahhh’s!

A very good friend living near by us brought an essay to me that had been part of the NY Times in December. He knew it would mean a lot to me to read these beautiful words written by Dr. Mary Pipher, a clinical psychologist and writer that lives in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is the author recently of “A Life in Light: Meditations in Impermanence.”

I was SO impressed by the title: Finding Light in Winter 

I loved her writing and the words seemed to simply be written for those of us that know and understand that LIGHT is a concept we can embrace lifting our lives to know that we ARE the Light of God.

“I am in the last decades of life and sometimes I feel that my country and our species are also nearing end times. The despair I feel about the world would ruin me if I did not know how to find light. Whatever is happening in the world, whatever is happening in our personal lives, we can find light. This time of year , we must look for it. I am for sunrise and outside for sunset. I watch the moon rise and traverse the sky. I light candles early in the evening and sit by the fire to read. And I walk outside under the blue-silver sky of the Nebraska winter. If there is snow, it sparkles sometimes like a blanket of diamonds, other times reflecting the orange and lavender glow of a winter sunset.” ~ Dr. Mary Pipher

She goes on to talk about how the rituals of spiritual life can illuminate our days. She loves the sun salutations, morning prayers, meditation and readings from Thich Nhat Hanh. Those words  capture my attention because I too love all of the teaching of Thich Nhat Hanh! But, she also makes it clear that EACH and every one of us has our own LIGHT into our own existence through consciousness.

She makes reference to the “light” of memory. We find the light in our memories of past loved ones and those still with us as well.

“No matter how dark the days, we can find light in our own hearts, and we can be one another’s light. We can beam light out to everyone we meet. We can let others know we are present for them, that we will try to understand. We cannot stop all destruction, but we can light candles for one another.”  ~ Dr. Mary Pipher

Love and LIGHT for all of you to enjoy WINTER and capture the joy and love of life as you move into life that is uniquely you!