"GOD UNBOUNDED NET UNFURLED" BY NINA NAOMI

 

Faith is the water that buoys the soul. 

Rising, rocking

Heart-held, fear-felled. 

 

Faith is the thing with wings 

That lifts me from the mud and sets me loose. 

That lets us fly. 

No more this, no more that,

Just God unbounded net unfurled. 

 

Faith is the memory of all we believe.

All we trust. 

For you, for us.  

Our lovers perhaps, ourselves, our God.  

Faith makes a nest for love. 

 

Faith can be borrowed when all is ruined,

Until your own returns.  

Faith can sleep and then awaken like a moth.   

It will take hold of you, gently, and say in your ear 

"I am here.  I am here."  

 

 

THE SENSUAL LIFE

 

A Favorite Cedar Tree

Not sensual as in sexy but as in Open Your Senses.  Let your senses respond to all that's around you:  tasting, touching, seeing, hearing, smelling and, that greatest of sensual pleasures, your emotional response.  That leaning toward that leads to an indwelling of total presence.  A withness and a thereness.    As you write (or think or remember), be there again. Luxuriate.  Then maybe seek out the experience, repeat the things make your life full.  You might start with the words "I Love . . . " and go from there.  Mine range from the mundane to the life affirming.  

I LOVE . . .

the smell under the cedar trees.  Pruning the dead lower branches is a fragrance-paradise.  Clipping for winter bouquets brings memories indoors weeks before Christmas.  Keep or find a few low branches for perching after a long walk.  Under any tree is a great place to hang out, but here under a cedar the smell is sweetest.  Cedar is calming.

the way the neighborhood geese sound. They squawk their pass-by every morning and evening, keeping the flock organized; no camouflage for them.  Daytimes they waddle from pond to grass and back again, oblivious to the traffic jam of a car or two or the honk of a horn.  Such centered creatures.  We could all learn a lesson there.  

the smell of lotion on my skin.  Almond with lavender, or vanilla. What's your favorite? The soothing feel of hands stroking body.  A way of appreciating all our bodies do for us.  Freshly clean, squeaky wet hair.  Skin nourished, not tight or itchy.  This can be a true sensual experience that lasts all day. 

the way love makes all the difference.  (Now, in your own mind, elaborate. 💗)  Every sense awakened, contributing. The way nothing brings us into the moment like love.  The way love makes us brave, confident, compassionate.  The way God made us fit like puzzle pieces. 

the feeling that comes after a sincere compliment, by stranger or friend, given or received, an allover feeling.  

that if I listen to my intuition I know what's true.  That silencing my intuition when it tries to alert me to danger is a mistake.  Our intuitions are on our side. When I have wondered why I am fearful, why things seem off, my intuition has never been wrong.  I need to let it take the reins.

a hug.  A night of hugging.  Not a perfunctory hug, but bodies aligned.  Close your eyes and indulge the other senses 

when the rain cools the summer heat and brightens the trees.  The vivid green after a shower.  The tree frogs after a thunderstorm passes. When we rejoice in something as simple as rain. 

everything about a snowy day.  Here in the Piedmont we relish snow, the beauty, the softness, the slower pace, its miraculous appearance in the morning as daylight spreads.  

the feeling of disappearing into a natural sleep.  The meandering of thoughts further and further apart, the letting go, the sinking into stillness.  In sleep we heal, we're renewed, we lengthen our lives. Sleep is a gift.

Emily Dickinson's poems.  Now there's a revelry of senses. 

Where do your senses take you?  I bet our soul's innermost desires can be found if we follow our senses.  

 

 

 

THE VACCINE HONEYMOON

Mast Farm Inn

Many of us are in the post-vaccine honeymoon phase.  You know, loving everything about leaving the house safely. Part of that phase for me is planning outings close by. So often we neglect the near for the far.  I'm done with that.  I'm done taking my home, my neighborhood, my state for granted.  That's my promise for a better, simpler life.  

For last weekend I planned an anniversary break in the mountains, just 3 hours from home. I chose the picturesque mountain community of Valle Crucis in the high country of northwestern North Carolina, having no idea just how perfect it would be. We stayed at the Mast Farm Inn, one of several charming B & Bs in the area.  Of course most Southerners are familiar with a Mast General Store or two.  There are ten in all.  They span North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. But the original is in Valle Crucis with an old Esso Gas pump in front.  A sighting is a chance to browse.  

Candy Barrels, Mast General Store

 

As part of our adventure we drove up (and down) 9 miles of scenic hairpin turns to an even steeper gravel road leading to a small parking area and a hike to the Elk River Falls, just outside the town of Banner Elk.  The noise from a 65 foot drop of water is just plain mesmerizing.  You know that.  There were people dangerously eyeing the precipice at the top, swimming in pools at the bottom, fishing in the river beyond, taking photos and sunning on rocks. Dogs abounded.  

There is something so happy about friends and strangers enjoying the day in the freshest of air side-by-side without masks or isolation yet following the CDC guidelines. I lay back  on a boulder--eyes closed, my face to the sun--and listened.  Shouts, laughter, some still moments and, holding it all together, the thunderous falls.  My husband mentioned how trail walkers always greet one another with a comment on something--the day, their dog, the slipperiness of the trail. "Isn't it a great day to be out?" People reach out a hand, at least to someone my age they do.

Everything we do now, to me seems new.  I hope the excitement lasts. I plan to make the most of it.  What's near you to enjoy?  With thanksgiving for the simple things, 

                                           Nina Naomi

  

 

 

 

LIFT YOUR SPIRIT WITH THE SUN

Photo by Ellieelien

Sometimes we awake with unbidden thoughts.  Something that can't be undone, the very definition of the past.  Our waking minds can do that, fasten on a memory we can never account for; the unanswered "Why?"  One of those life-before and life-after events.  They're almost never good.  If big events are good they become part of the welcome continuity of our lives.  If bad, they become intrusive thoughts.  If this never happens to you, rejoice and be glad.

But if it does, here are some better ways to start the day (I speak from experience).  First, remember that thoughts come and go; they never stay.  Lie there and your mind will veer off somewhere else:  the birds outside, the dog who needs attention, a child stirring, that first sip of tea or coffee . . . .  Whether an unwanted thought is circling or not, I often awake with my husband's arm around me.  His comforting arm reminds me of the goodness of our life.  If someone is in bed with you, move closer.  Feel their body warmth.  

But alone is good too.  Burrow into the sheets.  Stretch.  Listen for the sounds of the morning.  Being on our own can be emotionally peaceful.  I have a friend whose single life is way more adventurous than mine.  Hard to admit, but when my children were at a difficult age I used to fantasize about what a life (or day) with no strings must be like.  

If you wake in darkness, guess the time.  Listen for rain.  Check the clock and decide.  Rise or turn over? If it's time to rise, maybe begin the day with a lovely splash of water on your face, and some cream to sooth your skin.  I start the kettle and let out the dog. If I grab my phone I turn to my meditation app, not the news.  Or my prayer journal.  Sit by a window with your drink and watch the daylight spread.  Are you up too early and must plan for a nap or an early night?  

If there's time to write, then nothing better.  I keep little prompts.  One might be, what in the past year have you discovered you can't do without?  I can't do without morning tea, reading in bed at night, a sanctuary bath, working outdoors, bare feet, wild flowers, feeling loved . . . .  It's a way to start the day thinking of the simple things that make us feel blessed.  Or this one, more unexpected:  what are your favorite messes?  Mine are the house after company leaves; a rumpled bed after a good night's sleep; a field too high because the daisies are in bloom; my craft table; the Christmas decorations spread out waiting to adorn the tree.  More blessings disguised as simple things.  

So what do you do to begin your day with kindness to yourself?  To lift your heart and spirit with the sun?   I bet you've thought of ways just right for you. 

By Emma Rose Tait

"NO ONE SHOULD CRY ALONE," THREE POEMS BY NINA NAOMI

A wounded heart can still sing. 

Though she may sing of sadness and pain,

She can also sing of passion and love.

A wounded heart can still sing.

Though she may sing of sorrow and loss,

She can also sing of sweetness and joy.

Love her, console her, offer her your own listening heart.  

No one should cry alone.

 

Later doesn't matter.

Later isn't now.

Night will come as it does.

But now, now is pure, 

Present like a child.   

Never thinking it will be tired. 

 

I saw the clouds gather

Gray on the horizon.

Lines move east to west

Heavy with rain. 

Come in, come in.

Don't wait for the storm. 

 

 

 

  

RECOGNIZING HAPPINESS

People often say, "It's the little things that count."  I bet you've found that's actually true.  As she turns your granddaughter says, "I love you Grandma."  Your husband brings you a cup of tea in the morning.  A friend texts you on your birthday.  You see a chipmunk beneath your bird feeder. A wildflower in the woods catches you by surprise.  You remember something that makes you smile.  These little things bring big rewards:  you're loved, you have a friend, you're enchanted by nature.  

People don't often say, "I'll take a mediocre life."  But that's actually not a bad thought.  What if I accept my ordinary body and make peace with it?  What if my gardening, my housekeeping, my dancing are all mediocre but I enjoy them?  What if I've never converted a soul that I know of but my faith is strong and soothes me when I have difficult thoughts? What if my marriage is not a fairy-tale romance but has survived times I never thought I would have to face, alone or together?   We could each of us accept our limitations and those of others and live a beautiful life. That would be enough, wouldn't it? 

People also don't often say, "What I choose to do is not essential to the world, but is essential to me."  But that's a fine thought.  What I chose to do when I was working full time could have been done by someone else.  Now that I have retired it is.  But it gave me purpose and provided for my household.  It made the lives of my clients better.  Because each of us counts, it is enough if how we spend our time is essential only to us.  If it is essential to me that I walk in the woods today, that is enough. I like this idea.  I like that we are enough.  

Finally, people do often think that happiness--or fulfillment or satisfaction, you name it--is just around the corner.  You know:  the next job, the next house, when you're married (or when you're divorced), when you have children, or the children are grown . . . .  You fill in the blank.  British psychologist Robert Holden (b.1965) calls this "destination addiction."  I call it always waiting.  But whatever we call it, if we're always thinking that happiness is somewhere else, then it will never be where we are.  I'd like to make this a poster:  

🌺

If Happiness Always Lies Ahead,

Then It Is Never Where We Are.  

🌺 

I do love thoughts like these.  Little things in themselves, they take my mind somewhere good.  What gave rise to these thoughts today is this:  When I awoke I spotted a chipmunk foraging in my courtyard.  I watched it the whole time it was there.  Seeing the chipmunk brought instant happiness to my very ordinary life.

What small thing pleased you today?  What nice way to spend your time is essential to you?                                      

                                                           Nina Naomi

 

 

 

HEALTHY ATTITUDES ( "LET GO OF SOMETHING HEAVY")

  

This is something I read:

Let go of something heavy.  Whatever your mountain is . . . fear, worry, doubt, or shame, it is far too weighty and wearing on your spirit . . . it is time to put it down.  Unburden yourself and imagine the wings that will unfold once [you are] free.  It is time to untether yourself and fly.  by Elle Harris at bellagrace@stampington.com

I've been carrying something too heavy this week.  I'm trying to let it go.  We all have mountains, another word for trouble.  Many times our mountains aren't tangible; they're emotions.  For me this week it's sadness.  In other posts (Healthy Attitudes, Part XIV) I've written about how mental illness affects a family.  It's a disease that hurts others.  It's a disease that can make its sufferers want to hurt others.  An unkind mystery to be sure.  Something I need--again--to turn over to God.  

In the same issue of Bella Grace where I saw the quote by Elle Harris, I found a writing prompt about a very different emotion than sadness--its opposite in fact: happiness.   Just a simple prompt:  "What does happiness look like?"  "What does happiness feel like?" And, "What does happiness sound like?"  I answered right off the bat.  

Happiness looks like my oldest grandson's smile.  It looks like my granddaughter walking in the door.  It looks like a clean house, a view of the ocean, and the trees out my bedroom window.  Happiness feels like my husband's arms around me, soft clothing, the love our daughter-in-law radiates, and when God is near.  Happiness sounds like the voice of my younger grandson when he picks up the phone (melodic, measured, pleased).  It sounds like my husband and me laughing.  It sounds like my teakettle, soaring music (Puccini, Andrea Bocelli, John Denver), and the whir of the overhead fan while we sleep.  There's so much more. 

These thoughts helped me let go of the feeling I was carrying.  Why should I spend (waste) my time (my life) with a burden both too heavy and unsolvable, at least by me?  

If you are holding on to fear, sadness, shame or whatever is crushing your spirit, it may be time to set it down. We may have to set it down more than once, but I bet we get better at doing that. 

A healthy attitude is not to let someone else's life (or death) ruin your life.  If they are kind they would not want that. It dishonors them. If they are not kind, you don't deserve that. It dishonors you.   

                                              In peace, Nina Naomi