Daring Plunge

"The only way of full knowledge lies in the act of love; 

this act transcends thought, it transcends words. 

It is the daring into the experience of union. 

To love somebody is not just a strong feeling--

it is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise."

 ~ Erich Fromm

The Art of Loving 

I am honored to be guest hosting #SpiritChat this morning with the very wonderful @AjmaniK.  What a celebration he and the community he has built are... 

Our topic? Celebration Awakenings...

The Heart

"It is the heart which experiences God and not the reason."

 ~ Blaise Pascal

Morning Asheville colors are a bold smear. The shy sun seems to be giggling behind the clouds. And the fog, a cauldron of bubbles moves into the cove.

And quite appropriately, from @Maven_7 on Twitter, a morning song...

Beatles, ♪♫ ♪♫ Good Day Sunshine♪♫ ♪♫

You Are You

"Accept everything about yourself—
I mean everything. 
You are you and that is the beginning and the end— 
no apologies, no regrets."

~ Clark Moustakas

Contentment

"A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment."

~American Proverb

Love's Gifts

"Love's gifts cannot be given, it waits to be accepted."

~ Rabindranath Tagore

Simple Fact

"The simple fact of yourself...there it is. 
 A very simple fact, the only thing you have. 
 Keep it as clear as you can."

~ Georgia O’Keeffe

Ajar

"The soul should always stand ajar. 

Ready to welcome the ecstatic experience."

~ Emily Dickinson

5:19 am

Grief

"The only cure for grief is action." 

 ~ George Henry Lewis

Beloved

Brand new day. If you look closely enough at this Twitter photo, there is a sliver of the moon dancing in the swirling clouds.

Then I took a gentle walk outside, just to see...

Waiting for the sun this morning in the front garden, I added the treasures I collected this trip along the shell pathway.

I thought I would have enough time to finish and catch the sunrise from the back deck. The sun had other plans.

The sunrise shot below is taken sitting on the ground, looking up.

"And did you get what 

you wanted from this life, even so? 

I did. 

And what did you want? 

To call myself beloved, to feel myself 

beloved on the earth."

~ Raymond Carver

Friends

My friend Beverly has returned to Honolulu and I am waiting for the sunrise, thinking about all the good things I have and planning my work day. I am amazed how green everything is in the cove and the birds are singing in full chorus, as if they, too, can't wait for the sun to crest the ridge.

The clarity from here to Asheville is amazing. The beauty here truly is miraculous.

It is a new day, full of possibilities.

"Friends are not only together 

when they are side-by-side, 

even one who is far away... 

is still in our thoughts." 

~ Ludwig Van Beethoven

Determination

"I ran and ran and ran every day, 
and I acquired this sense of determination, 
this sense of spirit 
that I would never, never give up, 
no matter what else happened."

~ Wilma Rudolph

Solution

"The only solution is love." 

~ Dorothy Day

Magic

"We ourselves cannot put any magic spells on this world. 

The world is its own magic."

 ~ Shunryu Suzuki

Excursion

 Chilly walk, watching the sun rise. Beautiful solitude. Planning my day.

 Thoughts, suspended. Hurt on hold. Only beauty and love exist in this perfect moment...

"The excursion is the same 

when you go looking for your sorrow 

as when you go looking for your joy." 

~ Eudora Welty

Beautiful

 Happy Birthday, Rodney...

“He smelled the garden, 

the yellow shield of light smote his eyes, 

and he whispered, "Life is so beautiful."

...

Yes, he thought, if I can die saying, 

"Life is so beautiful," 

then nothing else is important.” 

~ Mario Puzo, The Godfather

Live

"Live strong and live with passion." 

~Tony Robbins

Sometimes the day gets away from me and I forget to post my sunrise. It is either still in my camera, or ready to go, but I have gone on to another project, thinking I have already posted to this blog.

Here is yesterday's sunrise. It was so beautiful and I think I shot 100 photos with both my cameras. I also was chopping vegetables for turkey stew as I watched the light shine through my kitchen. The colors and clouds were spectacular and really flavored the stew deliciously. 

I never get tired of this morning miracle. Do you?

Each Friend

"Each friend represents a world in us, 

a world possibly not born until they arrive, 

and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

~ Anais Nin

Susi and Bev are meeting in Seattle today. Tell me again why I did not join them?

Care for Somebody

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, 

you will have succeeded."

 ~ Maya Angelou

Sun Within

“There is a Sun within every person.” 

~ Jalaluddin Rumi

Every person does shine; h/t to @Santha_G for sharing that quote.

Victories

"There are victories of the soul and spirit. 

Sometimes, even if you lose, you win."

~ Elie Wiesel