Washington State Capital as viewed from Port Plaza Park, Olympia, WA USA
“Which is the first of all the commandments?”
Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ~ Mark 12: 28-31
Olympic Mountains as viewed from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, WA, USA
Contemplate the mystery of Christ….
An Admirer of beauty,
The Source of all beauty.
Born of a woman,
Creator of all women.
A Craftsman by trade,
The Craftsman in being.
A Man of pure self-giving love,
The Source of pure self-giving love.
All Glory be to the one God, father, son and Holy Spirit, for Creation is the common work of the Holy Trinity. Amen
Additional meditations on Christ, through which all things were created, are available in the scriptures at John 1:1-5, Colossians 1:15-20, Hebrews 1: 1-14 and 1 John 1:1-4.
Sunset, Nehalem Bay Beach State Park, OR, USA
“How difficult it is, at every level, to defuse conflicts!... Jesus knows that on our own we are not able to cultivate peace, that we need help, that we need a gift… This peace is the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit of Jesus… It is He, the Holy Spirit, who disarms the heart and fills it with serenity. It is He, the Holy Spirit, who loosens rigidity and extinguishes the temptations to attack others. It is He, the Holy Spirit, who reminds us that there are brothers and sisters beside us, not obstacles or adversaries. It is He, the Holy Spirit, who gives us the strength to forgive, to begin again, to set out anew because we cannot do this with our own strength. And it is with Him, with the Holy Spirit, that we become men and women of peace.” ~ Pope Francis
Dard-eyed Junco Chicks
Watching these Dark-eyed Junco chicks grow under their mother’s watchful eye was a real pleasure. It made me reflect on my childhood and these words of Jesus regarding our needed disposition toward God.
As a child I was fortunate as I had very loving parents. I was convinced of the total and unconditional love of both mom and dad. I had complete and total faith that mom and dad would provide all I needed, perhaps not all I wanted, but definitely all I needed. A child’s faith may be limitless but as we grow older, and the experiences of life don’t always seem to go our way, we often become skeptical and loose that childlike trust. We begin to worry.
Our heavenly Father, desires us to have childlike trust in him, knowing that he will provide all that we need, perhaps not all that we desire, but all that we need (see Matthew 6:25-34).
A series of pictures of these Dark-eyed Juncos growing up is available on our website at Nature Education Briefs — A Nature Walk with God.
Killdeer brooding over eggs, Olympia, WA
Happy Mother’s Day!
Let us take time this week to reflect on the beauty of motherhood by reflecting on the words of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the mother of God.
And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” ~ Luke 1:46
Sunrise, Salida, CO USA
The Son of God has risen,
let us be agents of his love,
let us show others his Mercy!
Truly, the LORD is waiting to be gracious to you,
truly, he shall rise to show you mercy ~ Isaiah 30:18
If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. ~ Matthew 6:14
Hutton’s Vireo, Woodward Bay Conservation Area, WA USA
Sunrise, Pueblo West, CO USA
Good Friday Prayer: Lord, give us the eyes of faith to see your love even in the darkness. Amen
Smokey haze over Lake Cushman, WA USA
Jesus walked through the valley for us 2000 years ago, and he accompanies us as we walk through the valley today.
Mt. Baker and New Dungeness Light House as seen from Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, Sequim, WA USA
“he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” ~ Luke 15:20
Let us never grow weary of returning to the arms of our heavenly father.
Roseate Spoonbill, High Island Nature Preserve, Texas USA
Jesus said,
“love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” ~ Matthew 5:44-45
“So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” ~ Matthew 5:48
Jesus asks much of his disciples but, through the power of the Holy Spirit that burns within the Christian to change the heart, we can accomplish great things.
Short-billed Dowitchers, Pacific Coast, WA USA
The greatest act of solidarity was God becoming man, Jesus Christ. As we approach Easter may we live as one through our acts of prayer, fasting and charity. We at A Nature Walk with God are praying for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world.
Great Blue Heron, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Olympia, WA USA
Contemplative prayer is “to find the place in you where you are here and now being created by God.” ~ Thomas Merton
Greater Yellow Legs, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Olympia, WA USA
“God does not rely only on our talents, but also on our redeemed weakness… The Lord does not take away all our weaknesses, but helps us to walk on with our weaknesses, taking us by the hand. He takes our weaknesses by the hand and places himself by our side.” ~ Pope Francis
Western Red Cedar growing from a nurse tree stump, Burfoot Park, Boston Harbor, WA USA
Persevere, for the Lord God who humbled himself; to be born in a manger, live as a laborer and die on a cross, knows about the twists and turns of life and will be with you always (see Matthew 28:20).
Great Egret and Chick, High Island, TX USA
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:17
Happy New Year!
Bluffs of Pueblo West, Colorado USA with mosaic from Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Lourdes, France
“He was created of a mother whom he created.
He was carried by hands that he formed.
He cried in the manger in wordless infancy. He, the Word, without who all human eloquence is mute.”
St. Augustine, 354 AD – 430 AD
American Robin, Pueblo West, Colorado USA
Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” ~ John 8:12
