July

Spirit Garden Reflections

The Sweetness of Summer

The most beautiful flowers begin as just a bud, and before the bud, a seed.

-Kathy Roy

Welcome to the Reflection for July!

All around us, the sweetness of summer is revealing itself through the blossoming flowers, the songs of birds, and the green grasses.  From the smallest of things, like a seed planted in the earth, a flourishing world emerges.  During this time of living through a pandemic, my husband and I have been marvelling at these everyday miracles occurring in our midst.  For some reason, there seem to be more birds in our neighbourhood this year and their songs seem to be louder than we remember hearing before.  We have a sparrow nesting in a tree in our backyard and it sings for most of the day.

It is these small, ordinary things that we have often taken for granted, that the pandemic has made many of us much more aware of this year.  Perhaps it is because so much of our ordinary rhythms have been turned upside down from the effects of living with Covid19 that our eyes become opened to the extraordinary gifts that are present in our midst.

This month’s reflection is all about finding the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary.  In times of upheaval, it can become even more important to be present to the generosity of creation unfolding in our midst.  I hope that listening to this month’s reflection will touch your heart and help you seek out the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary moments of your day.

With love and blessings,
Kathy

​Nonviolence means avoiding injury to anything on earth,
in thought, word, or deed.

-Gandhi

The Sweetness of Summer

The audio file below offers a short reflection on the Sweetness of Summer.  The audio is followed by a handout with some questions that are intended to help you journal your own thoughts and experiences around this theme.

Please print these out before you listen to the audio file. You are invited to pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee and take about 20 minutes to listen to the reflection and then answer the questions.  May this be a nourishing and replenishing time of some soul tending.

Reflection Questions

Please click on the button below to download the reflection questions to go along with the reflection on the Sweetness of Summer.

A Song to Close Your Reflection

You may wish to close your reflection by spending some time with this beautiful meditative video that captures the expansive generosity and diversity of creation.  It offers up to 3 hours of cinematography and relaxing music that you may wish to play when you feel the need.

leaves

Spirit Garden Moments

Spirit Garden Moments offer a short pause in your day and an opportunity for reflection.  Below is a Spirit Garden Moment that offers an invitation to be replenished by spending time in nature during the sweetness of summer.  Enjoy!

Time in Nature

ocean and trees

Sometimes, the simple things of life seem so simplistic that we overlook their power for transformation.  Many times this month, I have been reminded not to confuse simple things with simplistic things.

In a world that is growing more and more complex every day, it is necessary for me to go outdoors for walks and to reconnect to the simple things that have deep meaning, like meandering walks in nature.

When I am walking in nature, I usually make it a point to stop and sit somewhere – on a rock at the beach or on a tree stump.  As I sit, nature entices me to open my senses so I can take in more beauty.  In these moments of sitting and simply being, I experience such a deep and fulfilling satisfaction and love for life.

Sitting still in nature is one of the most sacred actions that I can do.  For me, it is an act of worship to notice the sun, to notice the smells and to notice the trees and the earth beneath my feet.  Something happens in this time of simply noticing, my heart expands and I feel a deep sense of belonging.

I do not walk in nature as if I were running a race, I take my walks in nature to have encounters with her beauty and her grace.  I walk to connect.  Each step I take I can feel my vitality returning and my cheeks begin to glow.  These are restorative walks for me, they are not calorie burning exercises.  They are a different kind of exercise, they are an exercise in connecting and becoming invigorated with the source of Life.

In these days of physical distancing, may you find a sense of connection when you spend time with nature.  Even if it is to just look at a picture, or open a window to feel a breeze.  May these simple acts nourish your soul.

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

-Khalil Gibran

In Closing

As this month unfolds, may you have moments of tapping into the sweetness of summer.  May the scent of blossoms fill your senses and may you know you are held by something so much greater than what you can see.  When you catch of glimpse of the Kingdom shimmering in the midst of your every day activities, may you savour it and welcome the gift of replenishment.

With blossoming blessings,
Kathy

leaves
Kathy by the Ocean

Connect & Share

Please share any comments about this Reflection in the comments below. Make sure to check out what others are posting and encourage each other!

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *