Saturday, November 17, 2007

Dearly Beloved,

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. My heart is filled with gratitude for the gifts of the mountain.

Sweet respite
Solitude, serenity, tranquility
Beauty all around
Joy, greatly
Truth, your truth that sets the soul free
Little crosses to bear
Challenges to meet
Living water
A path to follow
Grace-filled moments
A song to sing
Praises and thanksgiving
Prayer inside the heart
Astonishing night skies
Stillness
Food to nourish the body and the soul
Mother Teresa
Ancient wisdom from the Toltec tradition
Ketari Tekawitha and Sister Ketari
Walks that always led to you
Sweet sounds of bells tolling
The psalms
John Dat, a Vietnamese monk
Noelle, a 21 year old sculptor and student exploring sacred sites across America for a year
Cold, crisp nights
Cracked-open heart
Courage
4:00 a.m. vigils
Nightly water blessings
Daily prayers from the monks
Oranges in the afternoon
My hiding place
Your dwelling place
The desert and mountains
Absence of sound
Gregorian chants
Whispers in the wind
Desert secrets
My glorious companion, silence

You are most Blessed,
Great God.
What can I say
in the face of my joy?
Gratitude wells up
within me,
but it feels
so inadequate a response
to all you have offered.
Most Gracious One,
my love for you grows
and my desire
to love others
grows with it.
How can love for you
be separated from
a love for others?
My souls sings
the song of praise.

Love always, Andrea