Already noticing the warmth of this mid – October day,
And the light cool, almost crisp breeze underneath the warmth of the sun.
Walking to my car,
Focusing on thoughts of the work day ahead,
I notice in my mind’s eye
A young girl, maybe five or six.
Facing me, with straight, almost chin length brown hair, parted in the middle with bangs;
Deep brown eyes, sparkling, alive!
Cheeks rosy, her smile broad, showing large, slightly crooked teeth.
She turns away
Spreading her arms, running this way and that.
She appears to embrace the day with joy and exuberance.
She turns and calls come run with me!
Let’s play!!
I feel her pleasure, excitement, and invitation to this moment.
I smile, then laugh, and say
Go ahead and run, enjoy, and I will follow behind you.
I see myself, sans briefcase and purse,
Arms stretching out; running this way and that
Following my younger self
Relishing the promise, and playfulness
Of this breathtaking day.
By KATHLEEN HEPPELL a Selah Companion part of theSelah Community
From the Editor
Debora Buerk, Editor
If you enjoy reading the Here & Now blog, then I invite you to write for it. I’m accepting submissions now for blogs through the end of the year. In particular, I’m interested in blogs about gratitude, Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and New Year, as well as fall content through Thanksgiving. I welcome any form of contemplative posts such as poetry, reflections, original art, and original photography. If you’re interested or need more information, leave me a message in the comments. I hope to hear from you.
If you enjoy reading the Here & Now blog, you can subscribe to receive each new post through email. You’ll find the form on this page. Or, you follow Here & Now through your RSS on WordPress.com.
Pause, Encounter, Grow with the Here & Now blog, DEBORA BUERK Editor, Here & Now blog a Selah Companion part of the Selah community
God is the generosity of wildflower Fields dotted with blooms Of every imaginable color
God is the majestic Mt. Adams A towering presence Light glistening off snow-capped peaks Evergreens sheltering His creatures
God is the ocean tide responding to the distant moon Waves rolling forward, building, cresting again and again Chilling and tickling my toes with retreating foam A vehicle for surfers and swimmers, A dinner vessel for seagulls
God is in the ruby-throated hummingbird Feathers shimmering emerald in the sunlight Colorful, busy, seeking the nectar of His creations Resting on the butterfly sculpture, Peering in living room window, igniting joy
God is in the cawing black crows, Squawking, stomping on our skylight Littering the roof with clam shells Recent signs that God was Here and here and here.
God is the gift of a double beauty rose Fuscia tipped white rose scented With a lingering sweet aroma Reminding me God beckons More than one of my senses
Is God in my Yorkie? Looking in my eyes with adoration? Yes, God’s here, also. Although I’m not convinced God wants his tummy rubbed
God is the blue sky, the green trees, The soft brown pine needles littering the forest
God is the hot fudge, warm caramel Crunchy toasted pecans Sweet pillows of whipped cream Inviting me to savor all He offers
God is all the seen and unseen Calling out from flowers, waves, birds, Trees, mountains, pets, even desserts.
Through all of creation God invites me To the joy and awe of being loved.
He draws me closer in each manifestation Trusting me to sense His Presence In whatever way I can, Day after day.
By DEBBIE TRIPP A Selah Companion part of the Selah community
Photo by REV. ANDREW LARSEN a Selah Companion part of the Selah community
From the Editor
If you enjoy reading the Here & Now blog, then I invite you to write for it. I’m accepting submissions now for blogs through the end of the year. In particular, I’m interested in blogs about gratitude, Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and New Year, as well as fall content through Thanksgiving. I welcome any form of contemplative posts such as poetry, reflections, original art, and original photography. Interested or need more info, leave me a message in the comments. I hope to hear from you.
If you enjoy reading the Here & Now blog, you can subscribe to receive each new post through email. You’ll find the form on this page. Or, you can view the blog from your RSS feed on WordPress.com.
Pause, Encounter, Grow with the Here & Now blog, By DEBORA BUERK Editor, Here & Now blog a Selah Companion part of the Selah Community
https://selahcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Best-1-of-1-17-scaled.jpg17072560Selah Centerhttps://selahcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SELAH_FINAL.pngSelah Center2022-10-11 06:25:002023-02-10 15:51:40Where Do I See God?
Editor’s note: While Lectio Divina is a method of praying with scripture, Visio Divina (Latin for “divine seeing”) is a method for praying with images or other media. For a “how-to” on Lectio Divina visit SelahCenter.org. Debora Buerk, editor
Upcoming Events
Going Deeper
Two-part Workshop September 24, 2022: Session One October 22, 2022: Session Two 9:00am-12:30pm (PST) Hybrid – In Person in the Edmonds area and Online
Learn more at SelahCenter.org under the Events tab.
Kairos Morning
Come together online each week, the community of Kairos provides a unique contemplative experience with a spiritual practice and breakout group that shares the time through silence, art, music, and teaching. Kairos opens up space to encounter the Spirit, one another, and oneself through God’s inviting presence.
https://selahcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_1523-1.jpg15362049Selah Centerhttps://selahcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SELAH_FINAL.pngSelah Center2022-09-21 18:36:492022-09-21 18:36:51Visio Divina in the Southwest
Delight in the Lord and he will give you the desire of your heart.
Psalm 37:4
My grandchildren are absolutely delightful! A hot fudge sundae, minus the calories, is delightful. When my house is totally clean, I find that delightful. And when God isn’t making me work on my stuff, I’m delighted to be conversing on an upbeat and positive level. I “delight in the Lord” but not enough.
For about a million years I truly believed the desire of my heart was to have a man in my life. I’ve prayed, sacrificed, begged, pleaded, bargained, threw away all my Jimi Hendrix albums because someone convinced me they might be cursed, tithed, fasted, asked the saints for intercessions, asked people to pray for me. You name it and I’ve done it. Anything anyone suggested, I’ve done. Now rushing toward sixty too quickly, I finally know a man in my life is not the deepest desire of my heart.
My heart’s desire is to be all that God created me to be! That means discovering my talents and using them for good. It means healing the wounds that keep me from being whole. It means listening to God’s whispers and being delighted that I’m being spoken to.
Had I been truly in tune with my heart’s desire, and had known the future, I would have spent that energy praying for my grandson Bryan, who is afflicted with severe ADHD and struggles so much in school and tries so hard but his talents are overlooked. I would have spent more time feeling delight in God after being tested for leukemia, Colby’s results were negative and Garhett’s heart was healthy with no holes. I would have begged and pleaded that my step-niece, Ryann could have died a natural death, that she and her baby would have lived a long life. That her family would have never had to experience unthinkable pain and suffering and prayed against the evil that slithered into our family and tried to crush our spirits.
On the path of pain, when I forgot to delight, God didn’t forget me. Instead, God delighted in me and my family and sent extraordinary healing, grace, and hope. May we continue to delight in God and give thanks for all of our blessings and remember our true heart’s desire is our sacred relationship with God. How delightful!
I had an appointment at a downtown office, parked the car and was crossing the street when something caught my attention: A woman was leading a llama down the street. This is not a regular occurrence where I live, so of course I paused to look. Okay, I stared.
Here was a llama, with its shimmering, well-groomed coat, shiny halter with ornamental lead, tall and stately with a rather regal, clip-clopping along.
Strangely enough, it seemed like everything in this particular moment belonged. And there I stood, smiling at serendipity. When I entered my intended appointment, I inquired if anyone had noticed the lady leading the llama right outside their office window. They had not noticed, and with the tilting folders, an army of sticky notes, and the humming machinery, I understood.
How easy it is to miss such scenes when regular life piles in around us. How often, I too, miss these unsuspecting slivers of life tucked into simple street crossings. And yet, seeing that llama that day, I realized that every moment holds a potential surprise. Every moment echoes from Love and begs my heart to wonder about something more. To move with attentive openness to unfolding life. To be alert to slivers of mystery that make me smile at llamas—and keep wondering,
About John Kiemele
John Kiemele is a wellbeing educator and spiritual director who currently companions individuals, teaches various seminars and lifestyle classes, leads contemplative retreats and serves as Program Director at Rolling Ridge Retreat Center. Focusing on contemplative soul care, John gratefully walks alongside individuals, small groups, classrooms, and congregations. Recognizing how intentional pausing and listening unlocks life, John strives to engage the whole person – body, mind, soul – in the lifelong process of living well. John received his Ph.D. in education/spirituality from Talbot School of Theology, with post-doctoral emphases in Spiritual Direction, Mindful Self-Compassion, the Enneagram Spectrum, and Wellness Coaching.
https://selahcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/pierre-borthiry-ftF9k0ynr4Q-unsplash-scaled.jpg25601707Debora Buerkhttps://selahcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SELAH_FINAL.pngDebora Buerk2022-07-25 06:00:002022-07-01 08:50:42You Might Have Stared, Too
It never starts alone really At least that’s the story I’ve heard This magic — this alchemy of Listening — being listened to Of opening and stretching. It is a weaving — you the First listener — the warp The strong threads tied to My loom across the back beam. It is your ability to hold The tension that gives me The notion that I can open Up a little more. The warp tension is strong Up and down, back and forth This listening creates the Dance — the weaver’s dance. And soon it is time to think About the weft. What texture? What colors? How much space Between my words and your words? What tone? What value? How Wide should we stripe our cloth today?
https://selahcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/aditya-wardhana-2Tnr1FMHy2g-unsplash-scaled.jpg17072560Debora Buerkhttps://selahcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/SELAH_FINAL.pngDebora Buerk2022-07-11 06:00:002022-07-01 06:51:50Listen to the Weaver
Written by: Lynne Benson, Kathy Bentall, Wendy Bryant, Tom Cashman,
