Beautiful breezes on this first day of September

I am sitting outside on the deck enjoying these incredible breezes this mid-morning. It was 63 degrees when I first came this morning for coffee time with Cliff. I decided I needed some more fresh air, so I cam back outside.

I'm reading Parker Palmer's The Active Life: A Spirituality of Work, Creativity, and Caring in preparation for the next and final cohort for our Spiritual Direction program. I am finding the information on contemplation and action insightful. 

I am reading about contemplative action and active contemplation, being fully alive, how action is risky, etc. I am only up to page 30 so far, so I don't have lots to share yet. Parker Palmer has influenced my life since my teaching days at Bryan College when I attended a language seminar at then Lee College where he led our workshop and shared from his book The Courage to Teach. That changed how I taught. I have read other books of his throughout the years and followed him on Facebook.

I can see, hear, and feel the effects of the wind as the breeze blows through the trees rustling the leaves and the wind chimes. Somehow, there is peace and calm in this experience. I watch leaves fall in a dance-like state to the ground, joining the other leaves that have been there for about a week now. There is one tree that turned red early, at the end of August (28th) and dropped some of its beautiful leaves on the grass. Brown and green leaves are joining those leaves. 

It isn't really possible to capture the breeze in a photo, so I won't try. It's not something we can see, only the effects of it. We can hear it, we can feel it, we can see the leaves and branches move. 

I wonder what in my life can not be seen right now. What is not visible, yet still offers movement and/or sound? Something for reflection and contemplation. Just because it isn't seen, doesn't mean it isn't there. 

Today, with its clear blue sky and great breezes, is looking to be a great hammock time day. I think I will make some time for that later. To be under the tree canopy and to hear and see the leaves blowing above me will be a good time. We will see.

My energy level is fairly low, so I may not be able to put up the hammock today.  For now, the deck and the breezes is good enough. Good enough. Sometimes we can rest in the 'good enough', be content with what we have and are experiencing.... or we can learn to be.

These are my reflections for this morning.

Peace on this first day of September, 

Rev. Debra