I look forward to Thursdays when I can publish thoughts on my spiritual journey and hear the thoughts of others on a weekly basis. It has become a space for an encouraging and fortifying community to come together. We welcome anyone who would like to join us!
We have been writing about each other's One Little Words. Please join us! If you have a One Little Word this year and would like to explore the spiritual aspect of it, let me know, and I will add you to the schedule! Today's OLW is Doraine Bennett 's word, SHINE.
It's also Day 24 of the March Slice of Life Story Challenge, and I'm writing a goodbye letter to our house in a series of memories since we will be moving in April. I haven't been able to post every day during the challenge this year because I have limited access to the Internet this week. I will do my best to comment on bloggers who link up today, but it may be next week. I apologize!
I did a cross stitch years ago of the Irish blessing, and it's hung in all three of our houses, near a door so that it could be a blessing to our family and friends as they departed. Unfortunately, it's packed away for the move, so I couldn't take a picture of it. This image will have to do. I've always loved the Irish blessing, especially the "May the sun SHINE warm upon your face" line.
I think about all the places the sun shines on our home. It streams through the kitchen window in the morning, cheering us on as we come down for breakfast. In the summer, when I have coffee and breakfast outside, it creeps up over the trees in the east, drying the dew. It shines full upon our deck in the afternoon, warming chilly fall afternoons. If you're lucky, you will see it set toward the front of our house, settling into the treeline in the west, turning the sky into streams of pink, lavender, and yellow. The photo for the Spiritual Journey Thursday meme (above), was taken by the creek bed on a cold winter's day, the sun filtering through the bare branches.
I wonder how I will follow the sun at our new home? I know it rises over the lake, so that will be beautiful; I haven't been there that early to see it yet. What windows will it stream into? What will the sunsets look like? Where will I sit throughout the day to enjoy it? I may not know exactly how will shine, but I know God will be holding us in the palm of his hand there, just like he did in this home, and his blessings will shine on.
January 14: Carol Varsalona - BELIEVE
January 21: Margaret Simon - PRESENT
January 28: Michelle Haseltine - SELAH
February 4: Justin Stygles - (Blind) FAITH
February 11: Leigh Ann Eck - INTENT
February 18: Irene Latham - DELIGHT
February 25: Violet Nesdoly - MINDFULNESS
March 3: Julieanne Harmatz - ADMIRE
March 10: Holly Mueller - WAIT
March 17: Linda Kulp - SIMPLIFY
March 24: Doraine Bennett - SHINE
March 31: Donna Smith - BOLD
March 17: Linda Kulp - SIMPLIFY
March 24: Doraine Bennett - SHINE
March 31: Donna Smith - BOLD
I was worried because you haven't posted in a few days. Are you on Spring Break? We don't consider the path of the sun when choosing a home, do we? I've been in my home now long enough to know where the places of shine are. I like that you are confident about this move. All my best.
ReplyDeleteAnother beautiful, comforting post! I love that Irish blessing, too! What a perfect departing gift you've provided for those who've left your home. It's a wonderful thread that the cross stitch has blessed you with, too, connecting all your dwelling places. I look forward to learning how the sun shines on your new home, confident that the Son radiating His Light through you will brighten your new neighborhood. God bless you during the Holy Week and Easter.
ReplyDeleteI hope you find lovely places to sit in the sunshine at your new home. When I was in college, my class' year ascot was the Irish. Someone had put the Irish blessing to music. It's still a tune that often floats through my mind.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely way to remember a home, by all the ways the sun shines in. I bet you are going to love that sun coming up over the lake. Good luck as you continue all that must be done to get there!
ReplyDeleteHolly, it is amazing how the word shine affects us all in different ways. Its streaming ways greet us in the morning and acknowledges the close of day. It offers us different perspectives as it streams down. Your house has been cradled by the sun and so may your new abode be filled with the light of the sun each and every day because we know that it radiates from a Divine Source.
ReplyDeleteIt will be strange and exciting to discover all the new ways to satisfy the old patterns!
ReplyDeleteI love this reflection about all the places the sun shines in your home. We haven't had much sunshine this week. But as I passed our sunny landing in a short NW appearance of shine, I couldn't help but smile thinking of how much Hadley (our cat) loved to bask in the "shine" there.
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