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Visual Meditation: The Sun

-Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts

(photos taken at Golden Gardens in Seattle)

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Martha Van Vactor

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read one for Martha Van Vactor’s reflection That Night. That night as predicted, there was the beautiful huge, very larger-than-life moon lighting up the night

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September 2, 2026

6 Responses

  3. steadily and with all the honesty our language can barely hope to express ms. oliver invites the joining of our self-centered orbit to a greater one … leading ever so simply yet deftly to ten breathtaking, mirror reflecting words …

    “or have you too
    gone crazy
    for power,
    for things?”

    this is why i love mary oliver! again and again, hers is a voice innocent and profoundly wise.

    thank you for sharing how you see, christine. what you see and how you see it is beautiful. so very beautiful!

  4. Thank you for posting this poem by Mary Oliver and your beautiful photos. Such wonderful inspirations.

    Mary explains it so well….” and have you ever felt for anything such wild love “.

  5. Oh, Chrstine. What a wonderful beginning to my day. Fantastic poems…stunning pictures.
    You and Mary both ROCK!