Come and Play

All we ever have is this moment. Why not play? :) 

Welcome Home

 

Tulip across the street from home

Communion

This flower, with an exquisite and

delicate heart tucked inside its folds, 

looks like a an upside down wine glass 

to me, which reminded me of beautiful

words by a jazz musician and friend, 

Bill Carter, set in his song,

"Welcome Home."

The table is set,

the bread smells delicious. 

The wine is poured out

for the world.

And I know that I can’t

ever outrun such mercy...

God says right here, welcome home.

God says right now, welcome home." 

 Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Point of Infinity

I wrote this song a couple of years ago. Each time I listen to it, it settles me into peace. So today I decided to add heart photography and created a little video. We are all infinite, but here in this finite and very dense dimension, it is often a struggle to remember the truth of who we are. I hope this helps you remember, too. :)  Love from my infinite heart to yours - you are beautiful!

Let me be still and clear

A transparency for your light and love

That my heart would be the point

Through which your infinity moves - 

Infinite harmony, infinite grace,

Infinite power, infinite wisdom, infinite love.

Alleluia.

Constant

Rocks in surf, Cape Disappointment, Washington

Love is a constant in our lives, no matter our experience of the moment.  Waves of emotion, challenge or crisis may wash over us, but Love holds steady and strong, an ever-present anchor and support. These rocks just offshore from the north head lighthouse on Cape Disappointment (the longest continuously functioning lighthouse on the west coast), were 

buried over and over by pounding surf.  But they kept showing up. Just as the strength of Love keeps showing up, no matter our circumstance. We can trust the constant support of Love that is within and around us. It is always there.

Heart Walk

                

These hearts all found me on a couple of heart walks I took on campus this week. Heart walks are one of my favorite things to do, but really they feel more like one of my favorite ways to be - open and in constant discovery, where the entire world seems brand new in every moment. This week someone challenged me to live every moment as if I were an angel or alien who had just plopped into this physical body and everything, every single experience or sensation was brand new, for the first time. Let's just say it's been a very fun and interesting week! Two things I noticed: incredible presence in the moment, and a feeling of being saturated in play. Want to try it? :)

The pictures are: 1. decaying foliage, 2.back of duck in the Mill stream, 3. pussy willows at the end of a long stalk next to the Rogers building, 4. lattice and wire fencing reflected in the Mill stream along the Matthews parking lot, and 5. bark of an unknown variety of tree on the 12th street edge of the memorial garden.

In Love Together

 Mushroom cluster, post office parking lot median

 

More mushroom love today! (see "Surprise" on October 4 :)

Love exists perfectly all on its own. It is the very energy of creation in every dimension that was, is, and ever will be. Here on the earthly plane, Love often takes shape in the company of each other. Together these cute little mushrooms reveal the universal shape of love (and how fun that at least one of them is a heart all by itself!). When we are in communion with one another, we give form and substance to this Love. It is a complete circle, so we can't help but receive as much as we give when in its true flow. Be in Love with each other today.

Masked

 

Arkansas riverbed pebbles, Buena Vista, CO

More fun with river sprites. In this one I see a masked woman wearing a halter next to a large cream heart. The heart is almost a mirrored transformation of her. Maybe it's what she'll see when she takes the mask off? Oh, honey. Let's say yes. May as well see the love that is you. It's right there all the time...

King of Hearts

Lion, Masai Mara, Kenya

Majestic, powerful and peaceful, this lion rested on a rise of land in a perfect pose. His beauty was breathtaking. And then, like finding a crown jewel, I noticed that when he turned just so, the darker part of the mane on his chest formed a heart. Amazing! He embodies the perfection of creation by simply being what he was created to be, without commentary, criticism, praise, or regret. He simply Is. Love Is.

This picture and text appears in volume 1 of my heart books, "Love From the Heart." Shoot me an email if you're interested! christine_w_elder@comcast.net

Getting the Bird's Eye View

View of the Hoover Dam from the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, 

border of Nevada and Arizona

On a recent trip to Las Vegas, we took a morning to drive to the Hoover Dam. I took these photos from the recently constructed footbridge that spans the canyon where the water exits the dam. I saw the heart in the top photo from a distance. Can you see it in each of the other photos? It's funny - it looks like a Vegas dancing girl to me. 

I'm reminded how different things are when we pull back and get a greater perspective. My mom once told me about a guided meditation where the speaker asked them to bring to mind a person or situation that was really difficult. Then they were led to imagine they were a bird gradually flying higher and higher above the earth, and to notice the change on their perspective on that situation as they gained distance and space. 

Sometimes I forget that I am infinite, that we are all infiinite, and I realize I've been living from a confined and limited perspective based in particular belief systems that buy into "not enough," "pain," or "struggle." When I can float back and up a bit and see the truth, I feel a deep settling inside. Remembering what I know. What a beautiful life task.

I Spy - Autumn

A little seasonal heart hunting.

Gifts from the Heart

 

If you'd like to give a gift from the heart this year, please consider sharing one of my books.  You or someone you love can enjoy 30 pages of beautiful heart photos and inspirational, heart-opening text.

Each volume has it's own flavor. Healing Hearts offers encouragement and support, with examples like the entries "Forgiveness," "Mud Love," and "YES!" Wisdom of the Heart has deeper, more thought-provoking reflections like "Refuge," "Inside/Outside," and "Pain, Beauty, Peace," while Love from the Heart has more generally uplifting and inspirational texts such as "Forever Loved," "A Little is a Lot," and "Lovedrops." The majority of the selections in the books have not appeared (yet!) on the blog.

Each 9x12 glossy, hard-cover book (color photos with white text set on classic black) is custom ordered for $25.99 plus $6.95 shipping and handling (for up to 5 books, please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery). If you are interested, please send me an email at christine_w_elder@comcast.net. I accept payment through Paypal or pre-payment by cash or personal check.

Happy heart-giving to you!