Beauty
Beauty has so many ways of presenting itself in the world. Sometimes beauty springs upon us and we have to catch our breath; like seeing rainbow "sun dogs" around the sun on a cold day or being present at the birth of an animal or a child. For some of us, young and old souls, beauty just accompanies us on our life's journey and we embrace it as a way of being.
Lily photo, thanks to David Liedl.
I see beauty as a thin place, a place where the veil temporarily rises and we glimpse something of the Eternal.
To learn and explore beauty for yourself, look at this lovely water lily flower photo and take in its beauty, its message, its simplicity.
See beauty everywhere.
It will transform the way you live.
An illustration of Beauty:
My concept of beauty as a thin place stimulated me to make an art book of the twenty "thin places of beauty" in my life. I will list them for you here along with a few of my photos in the book.
*The beauty of fore-giveness; forgiving someone before they forgive you.
*The beauty of mystery; deep connections with other living things, flowers, pets, wild things and each other.
*The beauty of the storm; storms challenge the edges worn harsh with time and soften the soul.
*The beauty of self-worth; present yourself as though you were a gift.
Present yourself as though you were a gift.
*The beauty of our differences; color and texture in people enhance life.
*The beauty of humility; seeing humor in ourselves and in simple truths.
*The beauty of fire; to kindle, to nourish, to transform. The Holy puts within us a spark of the divine; how close are you willing to come to the fire?
*The beauty of humility; seeing humor in ourselves and in simple truths.
*The beauty of fire; to kindle, to nourish, to transform. The Holy puts within us a spark of the divine; how close are you willing to come to the fire?
The Beauty of Fire: To kindle, to cleanse, to nourish, to transform.
*The beauty of relinquishing; letting go of what we cling to begets joy.
*The beauty of simplicity; to have less is to find more.
*The beauty of poetry in motion; the double play in baseball!!
*The beauty of ultimate shining moments; arrivals of babies and departures of loved ones.
*The beauty of our shadows; seeing the sun emerge from the shadows of our healing souls.
*The beauty of paradox; you have to stay close to the Center if you want to live on the edge.
*The beauty of simplicity; to have less is to find more.
*The beauty of poetry in motion; the double play in baseball!!
*The beauty of ultimate shining moments; arrivals of babies and departures of loved ones.
*The beauty of our shadows; seeing the sun emerge from the shadows of our healing souls.
*The beauty of paradox; you have to stay close to the Center if you want to live on the edge.
You have to stay close to the Center if you want to live on the edge.
*The beauty of silence; solitude restores our souls.
*The beauty of fearless giving; generosity is contagious.
*The beauty of restrictions; restrictions have a way of focusing our attention. "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin
*The beauty of embracing; we embrace fear to find courage, we embrace each other to find ourselves, we embrace doubt to find God.
*The beauty of transcendence; we hear music, we feel music, we become music.
*The beauty of of holy intimacy; live as if you really are God's beloved.
*The beauty of fearless giving; generosity is contagious.
*The beauty of restrictions; restrictions have a way of focusing our attention. "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin
*The beauty of embracing; we embrace fear to find courage, we embrace each other to find ourselves, we embrace doubt to find God.
*The beauty of transcendence; we hear music, we feel music, we become music.
*The beauty of of holy intimacy; live as if you really are God's beloved.
Live as if you really are God's Beloved.
To experience beauty, life in the present;
Here is a poem that expresses living in the present:
I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly God was speaking. "My name is 'I Am.'" I waited. God continued, "When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not 'I was.' When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not 'I will be.' When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is 'I Am.'"
Helen Mellicost
Poem: When I look at all of this beauty. Janet Hagberg
When I Look at all of this Beauty
You bask in all of this beauty
The scent of early daffodils
The quiet of new fallen snow
The sound of baby birds chirping
with mouths wide open to love
The embrace of a lost son
returning home to heal
The moan of recognition that your
worst flaws are a holy gift in disguise
Look listen touch smell God says
When you bask in all this beauty
Does it remind you of me
When I look at all this beauty
I think of nothing but you
©Janet O. Hagberg, 2006
Here is a poem that expresses living in the present:
I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly God was speaking. "My name is 'I Am.'" I waited. God continued, "When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not 'I was.' When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not 'I will be.' When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is 'I Am.'"
Helen Mellicost
Poem: When I look at all of this beauty. Janet Hagberg
When I Look at all of this Beauty
You bask in all of this beauty
The scent of early daffodils
The quiet of new fallen snow
The sound of baby birds chirping
with mouths wide open to love
The embrace of a lost son
returning home to heal
The moan of recognition that your
worst flaws are a holy gift in disguise
Look listen touch smell God says
When you bask in all this beauty
Does it remind you of me
When I look at all this beauty
I think of nothing but you
©Janet O. Hagberg, 2006
Act on Beauty:
1: What is one of the places in life where you feel God the most? Go there and then take a photo.
2: Stop when a beautiful thing happens. Be grateful. Remember!
3: Pay beauty forward each week.
Link: gallery of beautiful photos
Resource: Beauty, a book by John O'Donohue
1: What is one of the places in life where you feel God the most? Go there and then take a photo.
2: Stop when a beautiful thing happens. Be grateful. Remember!
3: Pay beauty forward each week.
Link: gallery of beautiful photos
Resource: Beauty, a book by John O'Donohue