A photo received

There is a picture of a heart I took two weeks ago and posted that has continued to be in my mind.  It's not odd for me to take pictures of heart-shaped items.  If you read my blogposts, you know I've been doing it for a while, that I learned about the book "See A Heart, Share A Heart", and that I hashtag most every heart with #seeaheartshareaheart.

But this heart is different.

I was walking along the Riverwalk off Amnicola Highway where I often stop for a quick walk so I can go down to the river to pray.  I call it the "bug" section because it has several cool bug playground areas for kids.  [I learned that others call it the "Bug Park" too. That's fun!  So, it's now official.  The "Bug Park" at Riverpoint.  Check out this link for more information.]

I went down to the river.  I prayed.  It was on my way back, that out of the corner of my eye, this heart, at the bottom of this tree trunk caught my attention.  I got off the concrete path and walked over to it to look more closely and took a picture.  The picture I took that day made it look like the heart was deep and layered.

April 24, 2018 at Riverwalk

That day was a difficult day for me.  It was the day I learned that my hip surgery was being postponed because my A1C (blood sugar level) was .2 elevated above what the surgeon would allow.  All the planning and preparation that had taken place for months was erased and put on hold.  The pain had increasingly been rising, as had the A1C over the past 6 months.

My heart was heavy and I needed to clear my heart, mind, and soul.  Thus the walk.

That heart was a photo received that day. It was a gift of unexpected grace to me that brought peace and healing.

In Christine Valters Painter's Eyes of the Heart, she writes about received photos: ""Receiving photos" with the heart is an experience of grace and revelation, an encounter with the sacred." (19)

That is exactly what I experienced that day.

My heart knew what I needed and found it.  Christine writes earlier on the same page: "When we engage photography as a contemplative practice, we are creating art from a heart-centered place." (19)

This Sunday, I went back down to the river to pray, after having already walked and prayed the labyrinth in Fort Oglethorpe.  I needed some exercise plus I wanted to go see the heart on the tree again.

This time I was intentionally looking for it from the path.  I wondered if I would remember which clearing and which tree.  I did.  It was tiny from the path.  How did that catch my eye previously when I was going the opposite direction?  I walked over, took another picture, observed its beauty.  Then I stepped back and took a picture in context.

May 6, 2018

For me, that heart is a sacred heart.  Akin to the heart I found on the day of my Ordination interview back in the fall.  I found a heart that day in the root of a tree between lunch and my interview.

Sometimes the hearts I find simply cause me to smile or encourage me.  At other times they seem to have a more meaningful or deeper purpose.  Regardless, I am grateful for hearts.  I am grateful for walks.  I am grateful for photography and for the opportunity to learn to see with eyes of the heart.

A few more thoughts from Christine: "God's presence is always before us.  The invitation is to shift our vision from seeing the obvious and expected with our physical eyes to beholding the sacred within any given moment with the eyes of our hearts." (16)

"When you cultivate the art of beholding, you nurture your capacity to see the world with the eyes of your heart." (16)

One Scripture reference to behold that fits here-- Psalm 119:18-- "Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law."

Seeing with the eyes of the heart.  May that continue to grow as I continue my journey of living, loving, and leading like Jesus.

Blessings on your journey,

Debra

Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant

A post about food?!?  Yes.  I know.  This is different from my normal posts.  Consider this a resting spot on the journey.  If you're on a hiking trail like me, find a comfortable log or a rock to sit on and relax.

As I drove from my little area of town (Hixson) into Chattanooga on Amnicola Highway, a new restaurant caught my attention last week.  Today, I had the opportunity and pleasure of stopping in and having lunch (or what was actually "brunch" because they let me in around 10:30am).

First of all, let me say that they have done an EXCELLENT job of renovating this building!  They are in the former Blue Orleans building at 3208 Amnicola Highway.  The former tenants let this building run down after Mike and Cherita Adams opened up the downtown Blue Orleans location.  I know this because my husband and I ate dinner there on October 15, 2010 and were eye-witnesses to stained ceiling tiles, some of which were hanging down in places.  The floors had issues too.  We wondered how they were staying open.  It was after that dinner date that we learned about the real Blue Orleans, and that Mike and Cherita had no connections any longer to that location.

Anyway, the Dos Amigos crew has fixed this place up!  The floors are newly tiled as are the ceilings.  There is Mexican art on the walls.

The booths and tables and some of the light fixtures are the same, but the flow is more open.   The bathroom is freshly renovated as well.  It isn't fancy, but it is clean and inviting.  Another very small detail that brought a smile to my face was their choice in napkin holders.  Instead of plain white or plain green, they have a very colorful one with chili peppers, a sombrero, and maracas that says: "muchas gracias".  Very cool!

it's a little blurry, but you get the idea

Then, there is the food.  Chips and salsa are always indicators for me.  If a restaurant doesn't pass the 'chips and salsa' test, it is likely the rest of the food won't be too good either.  The chips were fresh, crispy, and warm.  The salsa was fresh, tasty, and just enough "kick" for my taste buds.  (Most people like their salsa hotter than I do.)

chips and salsa

Being pleased with the chips and salsa, I was looking forward to my chicken chimichanga.  I was not disappointed.  The chicken was shredded with sauteed onions and peppers.  The outside of the chimichanga was covered in the Mexican white cheese, as the menu calls it "gooey cheese".  A side of refried beans (frijoles) and some guacamole on a bed of shredded lettuce with chopped tomatoes and sour cream filled the plate.  It was delicious.

chicken chimichanga

Having some room left and wanting to hang out and speak more Spanish :), I ordered dessert.  I decided to try their flan.  I don't often have flan out, but decided to today.  I wasn't disappointed.

flan

Besides delicious food, I enjoyed conversing with the workers.  I met several very nice folks.  Though they spoke English, they were gracious to allow me to speak Spanish.  Some speak English better than others, but in fairness, English is one of the more difficult foreign languages for people to learn. 

I recommend Dos Amigos Mexican Restaurant.  Of course, if you're not a local reader, this has no meaning to you whatsoever.  Maybe you'll enjoy the pictures I took.

The restaurant's address is 3208 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37406.  For more information or for a pick-up order, you can call 423-495-1802.

While there, I did learn two things having to do with the spiritual journey: 

1) several of the workers attend a local Spanish evangelical church

flyer for upcoming speaker at the church "Eagles' Nest" (nido de águilas)

2) the local fm radio station 101.9 (La Buena) has Christian contemporary music in Spanish during certain hours on Saturdays and Sundays (http://www.quebuena1019.com/)

Today, part of my journey included Spanish, my heart language.  It was definitely a joy to be able to speak with folks from the latino culture in their native language.  (And second language for one Guatemalan young man.)

May your journey include encounters with good food, good fellowship, and other cultures!

~Debra