life is a garden,
not a road
we enter and exit
through the same gate
wandering,
where we go matters less
than what we notice
-Bokonon, The Lost Book
There are ways, but the Way is uncharted!
-Tao Te Ching
** For the season of Advent I am posting a reflection each Sunday on a theme from the lectionary readings and then during the week offering a poem each day to highlight that theme — see this past Sunday here **
** Visit this week’s Poetry Party on the theme of Illumination **
For Trust in Abundance*Spirit of Generous Abundance,remind us there is always more than enough—enough food, enough love, enough time, enough resources.Help us to see how our disconnected patterns of livingamplify our scarcity.Bring us into the joy and challenge of communitywhere bread divided multiplies, where laughter
Christine Valters Paintner had a conversation on Creativity, Chronic Illness, and Contemplation with Mike Petrow on his podcast The Healer with a Thousand Faces (also available through audio podcast channels). Joins us in Lent 2027 for the retreat The Wisdom of Our Wounds: Chronic Illness
I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to our Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jaqui Eicher’s reflection and poem. After reading Christine Valters Paintner’s poem, “St. Gall and the Bear,” I responded in writing to the prompt:
5 Responses
Such a feast you’re setting out for us with this series of posts. I very much like the simplicity of this one.
wowwowwow.
A garden. Just the words my heart was longing to hear today. Thank you.
Thanks lucy and Lisa! :-)
That is a beautiful poem! Thanks, it really touched me so.
“where we go matters less
than what we notice”
so very true!! thanks for giving us the gift of learning to notice more!!! :-) xoxo