BEAUTY

12 favorite beauties from 2024 

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All photos infused with Spirit and a tiny bit of PhotoShop

WISDOM
On Dec 5 at 10:44am, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern California. I happened to be on retreat north of Ft. Bragg, not too far from the epicenter when the three tectonic plates that meet beneath the ocean twitched. A new friend and I were meandering around the property, appreciating mother nature’s stunning beauty with all our senses; the crisp, clear, blue sky and tantalizing ocean views, the silence so deep that you hear the crow’s wings, swish-swish-swish, as they fly past you just above your head. Massive redwoods, some with burnt out trunks so cavernous that you can crawl in and disappear, invited us to do just that since they were too big to stretch our arms around for a hug.

Just as we walked down the trail toward the central hall, the limbs of the apple trees in front of us began to wave as if they were happily dancing. Tall redwoods swayed from their roots, birds fell silent, and the ground beneath our feet began to move like waves. Stopping in our tracks, my companion looked at me wide-eyed and said, “What is going on?” Equally wide-eyed, and with great excitement I exclaimed, “We’re having an earthquake, Yippee!”  Leave it to this nature girl to find an earthquake thrilling. But we were on sacred ground, outdoors, and not in a tall glass building. With sea-legs we stumbled to the main house where others in our group were sitting on the deck, equally shaken and wide-eyed. Checking in that everyone was safe, we all began scrolling on our phones for information while the after shocks continued to tremble for several minutes.

The retreat center sits at an elevation of 1,000 feet, on a promontory right on the coast with views of the ocean in two directions. The property is rustic and hearty, beautifully wild, quiet, solitary, and rock solid. So when the mountain you’re on becomes like water beneath your feet, how can you not be in awe and wonder at the aliveness and grandeur of this planet we call home. And then each night after prayers, standing in the meadow surrounded by redwood sentinels, looking up at the vast field of darkness –the Milky Way twinkling with her overabundance of sky flowers— the sacred connection is palpable, as above, so below. The existence of humans and all living creatures, made of stardust, is miraculous. We are such tiny specs on this 4.5 billion year-old living, breathing planet, spinning in and around an even older solar system, ion the edge of a galaxy spinning among multitudinous galaxies and universes, that will all be here far beyond the time humankind makes our exit. So, I say dance! Dance in awe and wonder when receiving the gifts of trembling beauty and grace granted us by Mother Nature and the cosmos.

ALCHEMY
As 2024 comes to a close I’m thinking a lot about shifting our individual and collective energy from fear and despair, to hope and trust, that will carry us through and transform the potential chaos of the coming year(s). In Krista Tippett’s final “On Being” post of the year she writes, “…cleave to what brings you joy and move forward without being consumed by bitterness. This is spiritual discipline. Yet part of that discipline, too, is to know our need of others to help carry and hold this intention on the days when it is too much to ask of ourselves.”  When spiritual discipline shifts from mindful duty to heart-felt devotion it transforms from an individual to a collective practice. Knowing that we need others to help carry us and that we need to help carry others, requires vulnerability, humility, and belonging, recognizing the interconnectedness of all things.

What brings me joy is receiving the many expressions of beauty our world offers, and sharing that with others. I am grateful for this calling. Admittedly, some days are darker than others and the beauty is less obvious, which makes me all the more humbled and grateful for the shoulders I stand on, and cry on.

Let go of what is not important. Be with people you love, find joy in simplicity and ask for help if you need it. Wishing you a beauty-filled holiday season.

Holiday Image

Light in the Forest

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Peace, love and blessings,

Rev. Lisa
Spiritual Companion/Guide
End-of-Life Doula
Interfaith Chaplain/Minister
Contemplative Photographer
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Photography is my love language. Teaching people to see Beauty-as-Medicine is my ministry. – Rev. Lisa