Contemplative Haven

Well, call me a diehard, but our turkey is real and I’ll be up all night making the pumpkin pies!

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Happy Thanksgiving weekend, my fellow Canadians!

One of the best days of my life.     ♥

When I was little I used to climb to the top of the bay tree beside our house to hide from everyone and be with my God.  His beautiful creation still provides peace and solitude, but I know now that He Himself is my hiding place, and most especially His Sacred Heart.

Just look what ukok has done for us! Among the many artistic offerings on her site, she has recently created free downloadable/printable prayer cards of the Holy Father’s monthly intentions.

Also, if you go to her special page for Free Prayer Cards and Bookmarks you will find a lovely selection of themes, including the Blessed Virgin and the Divine Mercy.

Thank you, ukok! Your creativity and generosity are much appreciated!

From Julia Cameron’s, Blessings.  Prayers and Declarations for a Heartful Life:

I Accept My Blessings As They Unfold Within Me

I am blossoming in Spirit’s time.  Knowing this, I turn to my inner flowering securely. Within the environment of my own heart, I enjoy the sunlight of safety, the warmth of harmony, the strength of right companions. Focused on the reality that Spirit is my constant companion, I remember to be comforted by the continuity of my blessings. Grounded in the safety of divine presence, I am able to breathe deeply, pause in my striving, and notice the unfolding of one gift into another. My life is evolutionary and revolutionary. My attitude of openness, expectation, and observation yields me a sense of abundance.

[Artwork: Mustard Field, Franck Innocent, 1964]

[From: The Circle of Life. The Heart's Journey Through the Seasons, by Joyce Rupp & Macrina Wiederkehr, pg. 29]

Learn to be attentive in this new season of your life, and I will continue to teach you.  I want to share my beauty with you now that you are growing older.  Beauty is the heart’s balm.  Each day I anoint you with the beauty and energy of my spring soul.

Each day I drink in the joy of being such a lovely season.  I know I have the power to lift people’s spirits.  You, too, have this power.  Honor the miracle of your life.  Sink your roots deeper into your inner garden and grow strong with healing power.  Discover the good medicine of your being.  Cherish your potential to be a healing presence in people’s lives.

The Gentle Healer, on YouTube.

After reading the post that Abbot Joseph (of “Word Incarnate” in my sidebar) wrote in remembrance of the one-year anniversary of Laura’s death, Todd Agnew’s version of this classic hymn came immediately to mind, for many reasons:

Hallelujah!  Tears of sorrow, tears of joy.  Laura, please pray for us. 

Sorry fellas, but this one’s for the women. 

Well, okay; you can listen too, I suppose.

But just to warn you, it’s touchy-feely.  It’s only about 60 seconds, but that might be 60 seconds too much for you. 

Being There, with Sue Monk Kidd.

[Edited to add: If the link doesn't open for you, here is Sue Monk Kidd to your heart's content!]

Today is my two-year blogging anniversary at Contemplative Haven.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford a party this year.  Oh, we had a grand time at my sixth-month anniversary, didn’t we? (I held it at six months because I didn’t know if I’d last a year…)  Brother Lesser, who had left many excited comments on previous posts in anticipation of the party never showed up until the next morning; Pia (forget me not), whom we were all expecting, had to deal with a very serious emergency with her son – he had a soccer eye-injury, which we didn’t find out about until the next day; Owen crawled in late, exhausted from teaching RCIA; and I had to physically go and get Kathryn Therese, who had a great time once she found out there actually was a party.  Just to let you know, if you read the old comments (which looks like one big comment, because I had to cut-and-paste them from the old blog), Honora is actually Carol, and ccheryl is actually teresa_anawim.

To all of my “old” friends, as well as to so many new ones I’ve had the pleasure of meeting since then, thank you for making this such a worthwhile experience; and I would just like to say: