Sweet, Summer, Sabbath Peace

This weekend may be the first since I started my reading sabbatical that I’m really living the life that’s planned… reading, writing, swimming, summer foods. Not too much more.

It’s such an overwhelming privilege to have this time to just fill up. I fill up with interesting books. I fill up with strength. I fill up with silence. I fill up with summer fruits and veggies.

It’s amazing. It’s necessary, because I’m pretty depleted by the end of the year, but that doesn’t make it less amazing.

I don’t really have time to read during the year, not things of substance — and often I don’t have the brain space to absorb anything that’s not directly related to what’s going on that minute.

I love my job. But I love new ideas as well. I love the people I work with… but it takes me a while to settle into taking in rather than giving out mode… So… oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

And today. Sorta grey and cloudy. I’d better get my swim in early. I’d better pile a cucumber on some bread. Isn’t life grand? Well, my life is grand. I hope yours is

Sweet Summer Sabbath Peace to you, my friends. I wish you long conversations with friends and quiet times with yourself. And a leisurely swim, or whatever does it for you… Peace. Fill up, so you can give out.

And enjoy dawn in Lewisburg!

A Land of Peace

It’s astonishing how beautiful this country is. It’s vast and so varied in its landscape.

There is so much land that is undeveloped, huge tracts of beauty, each unlike the next. Did you know there are hills that look like fern leaves with their crevasses and greenery? I’d never noticed before.

All that beauty. All that bounty. And so much hate that roils.

I kept thinking, we owe the land more than this. We owe Love to this Beauty and we owe it to one another.

Can we take a Sabbath from the divisiveness? Can we dedicate some time to really hearing those on the margins? We could try a day, and if it works, contemplate a week of Understanding…

It’s a lot. It’s hot. Just try it for a day. Be your best self. Be a welcoming presence. Be the Peace and Understanding this world needs. Because this land is your land. This is your country.

Sunrise, Sabbath, Summer Peace… ah…

Before I start, I have to acknowledge the passing of the extraordinary Elie Wiesel. I am so grateful for what he taught us, his insistence on truth and his grace in the face of human frailty. We were so lucky for his presence among us.

This is one of those posts where I’ll have a hard time keeping the day straight. There was Peace on Saturday and there will be Peace on Sunday. It was Saturday that I was knee deep in the Susquehanna sending 30 paddlers off for a day on the river: The inaugural paddle of our riverkeeper, 22 miles of the Susquehanna on a perfect day in July.

We have one! This is a thing!! She’s in there fighting for our River who cannot fight for herself. The paddlers are all passionate about her mission.

So they had a lovely day, saw some things to be corrected, remembered just how beautiful this river is AND how vital to our lives. I could burble on a long time.

However, today is also going to be a great day. We start off with a hymn sing in an 1800 chapel. It’s got wonderful accoustics and my community loves to sing. Harmony! hurrah. It’s good for the soul.

There is no yard sale today! hurrah, hurrah… Which sounds like I’m not grateful for it, the good it does, the community it builds, and the money it raises, I am, but I’m tired.

So I’ll spend a little time turfing out my house and prepping salad for tomorrow’s yard sale and then… i’ll open the books for my summer sabbatical. and smile! I’ll sit on the porch and read. Maybe I’ll swim.

I’ll remember this Sabbath and keep it holy, that’s for sure. I hope you find something wonderful to do. If your weather is like our weather, it’s going to be a great day! Peace of the summer, Peace of the river, be with you, be with the whole world.

The Moving Sun, A Summer Sabbath, The Moving Peace

It took me halfway through the year to remember how much the sun travels not simply across the sky, but North and South. Now it’s true, I don’t have a window on the Bay the way I used to.

But I’ve listed the times of the Sun’s rising and setting every day for half a year, being fascinated by the times, and yet, have not watched the sun rise. So, how interested am I really?

But as always Deb Slade helps me to see. That’s what we do, isn’t it, help one another to see and understand?

It’s a lovely day in my little valley. There will be church and swimming and gathering with folk from the Synagogue for Israeli dancing. And then, a surprise visit from an old, old friend. What could be sweeter!

I hope you find Peace in your day. Peace in the rhythm of your life. Peace in the rhythm of this world…

Enjoy the time of the light… Enjoy the Peace you can make in the time of the light!

Soft Sabbath Lines of Peace

Today’s picture is so peaceful.

And the line is inviting.

Cross over! There’s more to this world than you are currently seeing.

Here in our little valley at least, today is going to be a wonderful day, filled with sunshine and beauty. For me, it will be filled with family. Sarrah is home!!! and her little boys too! It’s exactly what a Summer Sabbath should be in my book: First my community and worship and then every last living member of my birth family. Many others will be celebrating with their families, I wish you all joy. And for those of you whose families are far away or weren’t what you might have wanted them to be, then glom onto a good family, or spend the day in Peace — because you deserve it!

Explore the Peace. Expand the Peace. Life is so much bigger and sweeter than we know. So is Peace. I’m going to go loll around in the bath for a few moments and savor what’s coming! You enjoy your day! Peace!

Peaceful Ghosts of Summers Past

I like all the seasons. I’m excited to see each day unfold and wonder what it will offer. I’m sort of an everyday nerd… gee, what’s the world like today?

But I never realize until the joy seeps in that I’m excited about summer in a totally different way. Well, there’s swimming. But I think it’s also when my family came into their own. There was tennis for many of them. There was the pool. There were picnics. There were family and family/friend traditions like strawberry shortcake festivals. There were those plates of sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob… There was sitting on the porch reading or just hanging out watching the fireflies…

Summer. it’s pretty grand.

So this is when my ghosts arrive in a big old van stuffed with towels and suits and coconut scented sunn screen to bless me with memories and make my heart yearn. I was so blessed and every once in a while I’m lonely for them. But I’m so lucky because there are others to go to the pool with. Others to have picnics. There is life. and it’s grand.

It’s Sunday. I have a family picnic, and before that a family meet up with other family, and before that there’s church and that beloved community. This is Summer Sabbath Peace at Ann’s house. I hope there’s Peace at your house too.

Prayers for the families of the people wounded and killed in Orlando. Sadly, there’s no Peace there today.

Early Sabbath Morning Peace

Up early this morning, not quite early enough to see the coming of the light… since sunlight was a bit subdued.

But the Sun is rising about as early as it will rise all year. Only four more minutes to add to the day from the morning side… (a few more than that for the evenings).

Quiet golden dawns are an invitation to reflection… Sabbath is an invitation to reflection. I keep wondering about, poking at the notion that I might start Sabbath at sundown Friday along with so many of my friends and enjoy it all the way through Sunday sundown. I would want to live deliberately during that time; to be present and conscious…

Maybe that can be a goal for my time away this summer… slow, peaceful days — with some fun in the sun with my favorite folk tossed in.

It’s early, here, but I have a bit of sermon to polish and tuck into my ipad. Wishing you a lovely day, hot and humid as it is…

Taking in Knowledge, Sabbath, Peace

I learned so much at the Slave Museum. It is stuff that will work itself into my brain and into my life. I know , or understand, despite how profound and enormous the knowledge, that it will take a while, perhaps even a long while, to assimilate.

And while I’m assimilating, the world goes on, both changing and unchanging.

Today is the Sabbath. It’s a good day to breathe in change and breathe in Peace.

(And perhaps go swimming in the town pool because it’s open!!!! )

Wishing you all a lovely day… and here in the midst of Memorial Day Weekend, a chance to remember all who died in our many wars. Even as we’re sad and grateful, let us commit our hearts to Peace.

Sabbath and Refueling for the Peace Journey

If we did nothing else for our Sabbath but refuel — whatever that means to us — that would be a good thing.

My hope today is to restore some hope. It’s been a tough time for Pollyannas recently. Life is a challenge, and some of it is downright ugly. What is with people we wonder and can we reach them?

Well, not every day. Sometimes you just need to deal with whatever’s in front of you and breathe in some much needed Peace?

Can’t see it? Stop and look around. Beauty everywhere. Landscape. Friendship. Quiet. Gatherings. Find what you need. Breathe it in. Experience it.

Prepare for Peace. For you and for the world around you.

Dawn, Sabbath, Peace

Sigh. I was up. but I couldn’t make it out of the house. Too many exercises to do with the PT. And although my Sabbath is perhaps a good day to do this… it’s also my busiest work day, so there are lists to be gotten through before I walk out the door. Do I have this and this and this?

I’ve gotten so far away from early mornings. I confess, I think fb is the culprit. it would be good to go away from it for a while. maybe this summer I’ll let myself escape.

But if beauty is on offer, why not enjoy it?

We need to fill up so we can give to Peace. And Dawn is always a delightful reminder that Peace is possible.

Wishing you all a day of reflection and joy.

Sacred Village

Building a World of Peace, Village by Sacred Village.

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