Every path in Nature is a winding path.

“Only man-made ideas are forced, pushed, pressed into the ‘right’ way to do things. Nature finds her undeniable certainty expressing in whatever way is appropriate in the moment — without prediction, without rigidity, and most importantly with curving, flowing Grace.  Next time you walk in the woods, notice the natural pathways everywhere, ever beckoning your surrender to What IS.” ~Dr. Sue Morter

photo by Lynda Davis

Tags: graceful living, gratitude

A few journal wanderings because my BLOG is feeling lonely…

I greeted 2011 in a state of grace, ringing in the new within the sacred space I know as my HeartGate home.  Today, I turn to my calendar and am astonished to see that it’s February already. What happened to the Promise I made myself to write more regularly this year?

Truth is, I’m so used to entering a new year with a flood of enthusiasm and inspiration that I’ve been in quite a bit of judgment toward myself. My body is moving VERY slowly.  I can’t seem to focus on anything for long.  And I don’t really want to DO anything!  Recently, I’ve started to realize what is going on.  Integration.

So much is happening so fast these days that our bodies & minds need space to
B R E A T H E.  We ESP’s (extra sensitive persons) may need a little extra support. Who made up that we’re supposed to launch into the New Year with zest and all kinds of plans & possibilities anyway? I just want to cuddle up by the fire, drink hot cocoa, and read a good book! (And winter in Boise is especially COLD this year, so sitting by the WARM fire makes me happy!)

***
Early this morning, I finished “Traveling with Pomegranates” by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Taylor Kidd.  It inspired me to start writing again.  It also opened a sort of longing in me: to travel, to connect deeply with my daughter and my mother, to be free.

I’ve been thinking of freedom a lot lately. My mother gave me freedom to be myself, and now I must choose to free the limitations of my mind.  My daughter seems free, but are we ever really free of the self-imposed or society-imposed limitations?

Maybe I still care too much what others think of me.  Another change of focus is upon me, and I am afraid it will appear I’m a drifter, but why does it matter?  I am a creative inspiration, and so I will flow with what comes before me.

***
I have a friend who talks about the Ultimate Freedom to wake up each morning and see what shows up to see to.  No goals. No plans. Free to choose in each moment. Perhaps this is what is being called for more & more, as we touch the impermanence of life and remember why we are really here: to dance with God.

Now that I’m writing again, my heart feels lighter.  It’s like a dam is slowly opening and the inspiration is starting to trickle in.  I’m not making any other Promises (or resolutions) but to just keep showing up, as real as I can, in this moment and the next and the next.

And to go on some GREAT Adventures this year!  I’ll share more about that soon!

Happy Now Moment.  ~Sor’a

A Happy Now Moment

My grandson helped fill up his room with balloons … we had lots of magical moments together laughing & playing this month!

Tags: authenticity, balance, simplicity

It’s International Peace Day today, and I’m celebrating the inner peace that has come from a summer sabbatical.  I thought I’d be writing during this time ‘off’ but the words simply didn’t wish to flow.  My writing has felt rather like a dry river these past few months as I’ve been simplifying my inner & outer world.  But I’m feeling something beginning to bubble inside, and it’s time to put my fingers on the keyboard to see what will come.

Nothing.

Will the flow of Inspiration ever come again?

Silence.

Here I am.  Who am I?

I am a peaceful stream of radiant light, and I shine forth simply in everything I do.  When the words are not here, here I still am, flowing as this silent peace~full stream.

I am reminded of a quote from my teacher, Elle Re: “You must be willing to be empty, to be full.”

Daisy, by D.Franks

Let me be like this humble flower, bowing to the moment.  In this peace, may I lose myself and become the flower to everyone I meet.  The true path to world peace.

Peace be within you, always.  ~Sor’a

Tags: International Peace Day, peaceful being

…first return to Bare Ground

June 6, 2010.  A few weeks ago, this bare patch of ground was filled with weeds up to my thighs.  Today we’re preparing to plant some seeds.  Tomorrow we’ll water, and with a little bit of conscious gardening over the next few months will harvest an abundance of nourishing food from this little patch of bare soil.

Yes, the weeds will return…and if we don’t keep them cleared almost daily, they may even choke out the new seedlings.  So we’ll patiently pull and till the soil while waiting for the new seeds to take root, to grow into strong plants, and finally to bear fruit (& vegis)!

This spring I’ve been pulling a lot of weeds from my inner garden too.  My year started with such a flood of creative inspiration and readiness to plant myself fully in service.  Then all of a sudden I was drowning in too much…too fast…a whirlpool that took me down down down into a dark hole that I couldn’t seem to escape.

So I did what any good swimmer is trained to do: I surrendered to the flow.

(3 week flow break…it’s now June 25!)
It’s not easy to admit, or even to find a way back into a post that is partly written, but here I am to finish by simply revealing that Returning to Bare Ground is not a simple thing. While I was in the middle of it all…stuck in the mud…it wasn’t so pretty (it may seem like I’m mixing metaphors, but mud IS a mixture of both dirt & water!  Now that I’ve cleared the most distracting weeds,  I’m quite sure that I’m being returned to the Bare Ground of Simple Being for a reason. (Turns out my hormones & thyroid were causing a significant part of the muckiness, but even when physically triggered, the mental-emotional clearing always feels good…once it’s done)

So…I’m taking a “Simplification Sabbatical” this summer! I’ve decided to give myself over to this deep yearning to simplify, to nourish myself & my significant relationships, to spend time listening to God, to allow all actions to blossom from a place of enthusiasm and clarity.  It will have a few guidelines, a few possibilities, and mostly open space to RENEW & RE-CREATE.  I may (or may not) write as I go, and at the moment I’m leaning toward writing.  It seems many of us are being pulled to simplify, and perhaps sharing my journey might help someone else gain perspective.

And now I’m going to close this post that has taken longer than anything I’ve ever written.  But then our garden took longer to plant this year than ever before too!

P.S. In spite of several family emergencies and a bunch of rainstorms, the garden is finally planted.  It’s great to see those seeds turning into vibrant plants.  I’m sure some of the seeds God is planting in this new bare ground in ME will be sprouting soon.  Stay tuned for one of those to blossom forth this next month in celebration of my coming birthday!

Tags: balance, simple abundance

No matter how much I try to stay simple through the holidays, the flurry of doing still manages to overcome my peace of being, and I often transition from one year to the next with some level of exhaustion.  So I’ve learned to allow this time to be a gentle reminder and reconnection to where I am in my life, as well as guidance for how I might choose to realign to bring even more joy/love/peace/fulfillment to myself and others.

This year, my body gave me a cold to keep me from launching too quickly into the new.  I listened to the nudge and decided to clear my office and redesign my work flow to create beauty & efficiency where I spend most of my time.  And (once again) in the releasing, I reconnected to what is most essential.

Like many, I’m not one to create grand new resolutions for a whole year.  I believe we’re being trained to live more in the present moment, to follow the flow of what comes before us, to set our sails and then keep course-correcting as we go.  Still, a new year does bring new energy, and every transition is a good time to check inside to see what might need to be adjusted on the outside.

So, here are my ‘new moment’ resolutions as I commit to being fully alive and more in service than ever before this coming year.  I also enjoy choosing a theme or two to guide me as I connect with the energy of the new.  This year, my themes are: to laugh often, to love much, and to live in a current of YES!

Here are a few of the ways I’d like to BE as I flow merrily down this stream of my life.  I’m calling these my moment-to-moment BEsolutions!

BE present for everyone I meet, especially those I often take for granted because I see them every day.

BE aware of how I serve in the smallest ways (a smile, a helping hand, a whisper of inspiration, an intuition-guided phone call) … even as I focus on the big projects & ideas & dreams that are sure to flow through me, as they always do. 

BE bold in loving, giving, radiating the inspiration that flows through me.

BE so filled with gratitude for the good in my life that I overflow with the JOY that is a natural part of who I am.

BE at PEACE, resolving to trust inner guidance to show me each next step.

BE willing to listen & integrate the external signals as I set my course, re-choosing every moment that which will honor my devotion to God and living in connection with the Light of my soul.

BE a part of the Solution in all I choose to DO.

I look forward to playing with you this coming year as we reach for the stars & ground in the joy of simple being.
~Sor’a

Tags: balance, joyful being, new year resolutions, simplicity

I just returned from a 2-week spiritual retreat and was ready to write about “Great Fullness” … and wonder of wonders (synchronicity of synchronicity), I found this wonderful website challenge, 30 days of Thanks.  So, rather than an article this month, I’m jumping in.  You can join through your own blog, on Facebook or some other version of social media, or even by commenting on other blog entries as you read them.  Let’s see how much gratitude we can S-H-I-N-E into the world this month and next!

DAY 1: I’ve begun thinking of gratefulness as Great Fullness, and this is how I feel when I am truly thankful: so overcome with appreciation for life that I simply overflow…a steady stream of giving & receiving, merging into an ocean of abundant being.

Today, I give thanks for the simple moments that shimmer around me as I reconnect with my family & friends after diving deep into the great ocean of God.  Being held in the loving arms of a husband who adores me enough to support my need for alOne time … being greeted with a hug & neck massage from a son who is becoming such a dear friend … laughing & crying over a movie that reminds me how important it is to make time for the man I’ve chosen to share my life with.  These simple moments are what make a life.  I give great thanks for the fullness of mine.

Day 2: Today is my cherished “gramma day” and I am so very thankful for the blessing of being a gramma.  I am in love with it all, even changing diapers…well, maybe not the squishy ones.  :-)  Today we’ve already been to the park, jumped on the bed, ate pancakes & turkey bacon, drummed, danced, and now my little guy is taking a nap while I give thanks for the wonder of childhood.  When he wakes up, we’re headed to the zoo.  I don’t know who’s having more fun!

Day 3: Thankful for a FULL DAY of NO COMPUTER!!!  And I’m proud of myself for not being obsessive about logging on to post my third day of the ‘30 Days of Thanks’ game.  Speaking of games, yesterday was filled with thankful moments with my hubbie, our 2 grown children, and our growing-up-fast grandson.  We played Uno, laughed together, enjoyed a delicious dinner created totally by my guy.  Now THAT’s Gratitude!  (Thank you, Garet)

Tags: gratitude, simplicity, thankfulness