Holiday hiking at Big Soddy Creek Gulf

                                      

Yesterday we experienced some temperatures in the 50s (Fahrenheit), so I took advantage of that and spent some time in the woods. Since yesterday was the 4th day of Christmas, I guess you could say it was "holiday hiking". More appropriately, it was "holy hiking". Hiking is a holy thing for me, as it allows me time with the Creator.

I went to Big Soddy Creek Gulf, a "go-to" for me. Though I didn't take Cliff (our dog) with me this time, I had promised him I would take him for a walk, so I got home in time to take him for a short walk before sunset at the Greenway Farms.

Due to the recent cold weather, there was still plenty of ice in the creek and on the rocks. It was great to see the icicles and the frozen water in the creek. Even portions of the waterfall were frozen.

I crossed the creek and went left for a while, going to the coke oven on the right. Then I turned around and went back and kept going past the creek crossing up the hill. I haven't been up that way in ages-- since we hiked down it from another location. I knew from that hike and from a friend's recent post that there were waterfalls and swimming holes along the creek. I wanted to see some of those yesterday.

I hiked up and found a good spot that I could get to, where the trail went to the left on up the hill. It was a gorgeous spot and would be great in the spring and summer too. Evidently this has been a spot for many over the years because a carving on a tree was dated "1954" and the path wasn't hard to find.

I noticed a flat and circular rock and picked it up. Upon inspection, I saw a heart indention on it. :) That was cool. 

There were people out hiking, walking, running, and fishing, but it wasn't too crowded. There were people by themselves, in family groups, as couples, with their dogs, and with kids in strollers.

Well, it was crowded enough that I needed to park in the overflow parking when I arrived, but there was still plenty of parking there.

It was a pleasant time in the woods, in nature, in creation. Listening to the water, seeing the ice, seeing decorations on a tree (well there were 4 decorations in all). Sitting on rocks, looking up at the clear blue sky, and enjoying the fresh air. 

It is always good for my heart, mind, body, and soul to spend time in and among the trees, near water, walking or hiking. It is nature therapy, creation therapy for me. It is a spiritual practice for me. I didn't take my hammock this trip, but there are some great hammock places to hang out. That can be for another day.

If you are so inclined to enjoy the outdoors, I hope you will get out there somehow, someway and do it! If you're not able to for whatever reason, I offer my photos below to get outdoors via photography.

May your journey be adventurous, 

Rev. Deb

Here are my photos from yesterday's adventure at Big Soddy Creek Gulf:

Advent 4-- savoring God's love

As I continue to work my way through Whitney R. Simpson's fully human, fully divine, I have arrived at week 4, "Savor God's Love". Through my spiritual direction program and spiritual supervision, I have learned to savor things in the moment. Yet, somehow, I've not thought to "savor God's love". That's still a foreign/unknown concept for/to me. "Rest" in God's love. Maybe. "Receive" God's love. Possibly. But, to "savor" God's love?!?! As I look at what "savor" means in this sense, I found this definition in an article. It means "intentionally focusing your attention on the positive aspects of an experience". 

That takes on a whole different engagement and communication level. Hmmm. Yet, isn't that what a relationship with the Divine is about? A deeper relationship. So, savoring God's love is a natural step in a deeper dive, a deeper engagement, a deeper communication.

As I have most weeks, I've stayed mostly with the breath prayer during the week. I don't have an explanation. That's simply where I am this year. The Psalm at the beginning of the chapter also spoke to me.

And yesterday, in my memories, this quote by bell hooks on love came up:

"Love heals. When we are wounded in the place where we would know love, it is difficult to imagine that love really has the power to change everything. No matter what has happened in our past, when we open our hearts to love we can live as if born again, not forgetting the past but seeing it in a new way, letting it live inside us in a new way. We go forward with the fresh insight that the past can no longer hurt us. Or if our past was one in which we were loved, we know that no matter the occasional presence of suffering in our lives we will return always to remembered calm and bliss. Mindful remembering lets us put the broken bits and pieces of our hearts together again. This is the way healing begins."

-bell hooks

I have read that quote over several times since it came up yesterday. I put it here so I can read it again and again. I will read it slowly, lectio divina style, to see what speaks to me. I invite you to do the same.

The Psalm from the beginning of the chapter was Psalm 143:8 (CEB)-- "Tell me all about your faithful love come morning time, because I trust you. Show me the way I should go, because I offer my life up to you."

I stepped outside the other morning and the morning sky got my attention. I put the verse to a photo.

Here is the breath prayer for this chapter: God, I savor your love. My practice has been to put the breath prayers with a photo and also translate them into Spanish. The Spanish is: Dios, saboreo tu amor.

Here are the photos for this week:

As we near the end of Advent, I rest in what I am able to do and be for this time, for this season. What I am focusing on is attempting to be present (to the best of my capacity), in the here and now, to myself and to others.

May peace, hope, joy, and love make their way into your breathing and life!

Rev. Deb

Advent 2-- getting some peace in the woods

Today is Advent 2, the beginning of Week 2 of Advent. As I read material this morning from Fully Human, Fully Divine, I felt compelled to head into the woods. I haven't been in the woods for any hammock, water, or rock time in a while, so that is exactly what I did. I took off to a favorite spot of mine down at North Chickamauga Creek Gorge. 

As I pulled in, I could see the water flowing over the rocks. That was a welcomed sight after all the drought we have had for months.

I began to set up my hammock in its usual place. 

I noticed two kayakers coming down the creek. Ah, I guess it WAS high enough for some water fun, albeit COLD! I watched them for a bit before I finished hanging my hammock. 

I spent time in the hammock and then went to explore the rocks. There are some wonderful rocks at the creek. Big ones for sitting and climbing. I went down to the familiar ones. As I was playing around, I saw some words on a rock. Hmmmm. I don't ever remember that. I got closer to see what it said: "Praise God's name for all he does for you."

That's kinda cool. Here in creation, where I am close to the Creator, I find a reminder to praise God for all God does for me. As I moved around, I noticed an angel on a rock. Another hmmmm. I made my way over to that rock and found the words "God loves you" underneath the angel.

Another good reminder. The One who created me and knows me best loves me. That's a reminder that I can use every now and again.

I played around some more on the rocks, watching the waters flow and listening to the sounds. It is peaceful for me, that deafening sound of roaring water flowing.

I made my way back up to the hammock to spend some "still" time, some "be" time. As I did so, I also spent time with this week's breath prayer: Spirit, fill me with peace. 

It turns out that getting into the woods, being near the water-- hearing it and watching it, playing on the rocks, and being in the hammock, was just what this soul needed for some peace.

Being in creation was my time with God today. Though it wasn't in community, somehow the Spirit knew that what I needed most was to be in creation and to soak in the Spirit's Presence in some silence and solitude.

I invite you to listen to one or both of the videos of the flowing waters. Breathe in deeply and exhale deeply as you watch and listen.

I also invite you to pray this week's breath prayer, either in English or Spanish. It's found on page 70 of the book I mentioned above (and you can check out the other blogpost for more information).

English: Spirit, fill me with peace.

Spanish: Espíritu, lléname con paz.

(I created both of these below, using my photo. Enjoy!)

Lastly, I invite you to enjoy some of the other photos I took from today's adventure.

May the deep peace of the running waters and the deep peace that passes understanding meet you wherever you are on your journey!

Rev. Deb

Leaning into the season of Advent with fully human, fully divine

It's the first Sunday of Advent and I have chosen to use the devotional fully human, fully divine by Whitney R. Simpson this year as my advent guide. 

I couldn't have made a better choice for where I am this year.

I used the Advent Poem for Bamboo Encounter yesterday and just in the preparation time, it spoke to me. Based on the poem, I decided to offer the spiritual practice of breath prayer at Bamboo Encounter and the breath prayer that came to me as an example from the poem.

(Bamboo Encounter is a once a month outdoor worship service that meets outside in creation as we listen to the Creator. You can click on the link above in the first mention of it to learn more.)

Here is the Advent Poem that Whitney wrote. It's in the beginning of her book:

We wait.
We notice.
We sense.
We remember.
We anticipate.
With our whole selves, we seek hope, peace, joy, and love.
They are within our reach, yet we often rush past
         and miss them.
Will we choose to slow down and embody these gifts,
         like the wise ones?
Yes. Indeed! We are wise ones.
Help us get ready; open us up, Lord.
Give us the willingness to pause and prepare to receive
         your gift this season.
Let us embody what we discover as we await the divine.
Let us savor your hope, peace, joy, and love
         more fully this season.

Here is the breath prayer that came out of the poem for me and what I shared yesterday at Bamboo Encounter:

A breath prayer is a short prayer that fits in with your breathing in and breathing out. It can be something that captured your attention from your readings or anything on your heart/mind/soul. You can use a name that you most identify with in the moment, whether that is Creator, Great Spirit, God, Divine Mystery, etc.

If I were to have a breath prayer from today’s readings, it might be this: ‘Open me up Creator to savor all things more fully this season.’  As I breathe in, I pray “Open me up Creator” and as I breathe out I pray “to savor all things more fully this season.” 

--------------------

I was able to jump into the book last night, reading the introduction, preparing for Christmas, embodiment as Presence, and contemplative practices to explore. I still have two more short chapters to go before I begin Advent 1 readings on "Slow Down and Hope".

I mentioned that I couldn't have made a better choice for a devotional this year for where I am. Though I cannot fully explain that remark, I think it has to do with how the first pages have resonated with my heart, mind, and soul. 

From the quotes at the beginning of each chapter (so far-- Howard Thurman, Charlie Brown, Thomas Merton, Claudia Mair Burney) to the content, I have felt the expansion in me as I "drank" from these waters. 

My senses are engaged from the very beginning as Whitney offers in the introduction insight into how we can feel, see, smell, taste, and hear Christmas coming. Words such as "savor" resonate deeply, likely because of the spiritual direction program I've been in these past two years and how I'm learning to savor things and invite others to savor as well. 

Hearing the coming of Christmas in the 'stillness of the earth' resonated within me as Whitney wrote: "If you take a step outside in the middle of that dark night and simply pause, you'll hear it in the silence, the anticipation, the waiting, the feeling like the entire earth is taking a deep breath, slowly inhaling and exhaling, standing on the edge of whatever comes next. It reminds you to listen." (10)

Whitney brings herself, her gifts and graces, and her experiences to this devotional. Though it has been years since I have seen Whitney in person (we met at a SoulFEAST at Lake Junaluska one year), I have kept in touch with her and followed her because she offers much to the world. I'm glad I have kept up with her so that I learned about this Advent devotional.

As I journey into Advent this year, practicing breath prayer, mindfulness, lectio divina, visio divina, meditation, contemplation, and presence, I hope to share what I learn and experience along the way.

If you haven't decided on an Advent devotional yet or if you have space for another one, I invite you to check out this one by Whitney. There's even a Wednesday online component from The Upper Room that you can join. I don't know if my schedule will allow me to do that yet or not. I haven't checked out my calendar yet for that.

Here's to savoring these next four weeks, to opening up to all that Creator has to offer, as I (hopefully) listen attentively and turn my attention and focus toward hopeful expectation to the One who is coming.

Peace on your Advent journey, 

Rev. Deb