Wow! Sometimes you go deep…this one really resonates! Love the comparisons of bird/plane… swim/fish…and how our brains and bodies work. God’s greatest creations are not just humans.. we learn so much from nature and wildlife. The early civilizations were amazing genius’s. Thanks for this, thanks for always bringing to back to God and all his blessings. 😊
Dear Joan! thank you so much for reading and commenting! We are amazing and the earth is something to behold for sure! I am so glad you enjoyed thinking about all of this. We are truly blessed and I am so thankful for your friendship! I can see your sweet palms as I type! I hope you have a good Easter. Sending you much love. oxox
On my journey to the present, there was a moment that made me completely reject everything humanity has achieved. Since we've been taught everything, but not how to appreciate life as a miracle. Today I try to look at things the way they are and the more I can let go of judgement, the more the magic happens. I enjoyed reading, thank you! 🙏😊
I can relate to this, especially when we are hurting badly. It's so much easier to reject all that is good. I didn't want to enjoy anything I loved. Would rather just disappear. Self punishment. And here I was, apparently so beautifully, uniquely made and I wanted to throw it all away. Coming through it I realize that we are all so inherently broken, perfectly imperfect, and just trying to get somewhere on the journey. If we work on ourselves, and let go of what is not our story (the people and things we have zero control over), I believe now with all my heart our own story will continue to be written and our purpose more clear.
I am beyond grateful for this platform and I'm so glad you are here too. It's been a birthday weekend in our family so I look forward to looking through your Substack this week! Thank you for taking the time to read this and I'm really grateful for your comment. deb ox
Hey Deborah. I sense the path we share :) It's an enormous relief when sight gets clearer and realization takes place. It is so obvious and simple, and yet so difficult to master. I always compare living in this present moment with playing poker. It takes 5 minutes to understand but a lifetime to master. What helped me very much is to look at our baggage we carry along which shapes our psychological-self. A self, made of experiences, unconsciously processed as we grew up. Along with the thought:" Who have we been on the day of our birth? When we haven't made any experiences yet", made it so obvious, and since then I've come to meet myself on a totally different level. As a former project manager, I started my writing journey 1 year ago, and now since nearly 1 month on Substack. I'm so grateful, as I couldn't imagine a place like this that seems so authentic compared to whatever I came across. Thank you for your kind words and motivation to keep on reading my sharings. It means a lot to me since I sense the truth behind, more than just creating as much connections as possible to grow our newsletters :) I'm enjoying your essays. They deeply resonate. I wish a happy belated birthday to whoever celebrated his / her existence in your family. May the light keep on shining over all of you! 🍀🙏😊❤️
Oh goodness this made me smile so big! I am so grateful you felt filled up by my deep thoughts! Thank you for taking the time to read this and I'm so glad you're here :) deb oxox
Such a beautiful article, Deborah. A lovely way to start the day, Palm Sunday 💙🙏🌿
And for your husband… the Romans developed a concrete able to repair cracks by itself, and able to set under water. We haven’t been able to better that.
Thank you for this! I am so glad you liked it :) I wanted to write my love of Creation and was feeling it deeply. I know Easter (and of course Palm Sunday today) is upon us and perhaps God knew we had a big day today with a family birthday so He sat me down yesterday morning before it became grandchild excitement-ville this afternoon!
The Romans were incredible builders as seen all over Europe to this day! They sure used the resources laid before them well and developed probably the most used building material ever. What would we do without concrete?
I live in India and I usually take an evening walk to watch these peacocks that stay close to my house. I've watched them grow and mate and have little babies haha... Thanks for writing this beautiful piece, brought back a lot of memories from last summer <3
Oh what I would give to see a baby peacock in person! I love baby everything! How beautiful to have them so close to your home. The peacocks I photographed are living inside "freely" in an arboretum and they fly all through the foothill neighborhoods and walk around. Ironically, when researching, this is what I found "in California, the peacocks may be descendants of those imported from India in the 1870s by rancher Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin." Ironic!!!
Thank you so much for reading this and for your kind comment. I'm so glad it brought beautiful memories. I should add a little gallery of images from the arboretum. They love to mate call on the main building roof at exactly 5 p.m., closing time, and gather at the end of the day in a certain garden, when they know all the people will be gone :) Monkeys!
Thank you so much Joseph! This made my day too (your comment!). I was feeling so much gratitude today and completely amazed at how good God is. Have a beautiful Sunday!
Beautifully said. I love the quote from the brain surgeon, that’s pretty cool. I did a science course with one of my kids (last year? It all blends, haha) and the point of it was to show how God had created each animal perfectly for its purpose; and then more broadly each serves a purpose on earth, in the food chain, etc. Likewise with people—perfectly formed for life and living on this planet, with the bonus of being given the divine spark.
Also, female birds prefer a colorful mate, haha. I can’t criticize, my husband will tell you I prefer a colorful everything.
Thank you for this lovely, thoughtful post about the miracle of being. Gorgeous photos as always!
Thank you so much for reading this Jenn, while you're not feeling well! When I was sick I really appreciated the fact I could read and write when I felt strong. I was able to catchup a little (although there's no such thing as catching up, but for a moment! ha ha!) I absolutely love your science course. The greatest aspect of teaching is to be able to include the miracles around us as such, to provoke that imagination, mystery and thought and to include science based facts as well.
Ha ha! we are so shallow! just kidding! We do love colorful things and people!
I was really feeling gratitude today and went a bit deep. Thank you for commenting again! I love to hear from you. Get well. oxox
To be honest, it has not really hit me yet! It’s moving through my children one at a time like a slow moving super cell. I’m sure I’m next, but maybe I’ll escape! As you’ve highlighted so well , the body is miraculous ☺️.
I love pretty things. It’s shallow. I will waste valuable storage space just to display something pretty where I can see it. But I think God intended for us to find things beautiful 😁
I can feel the gratitude radiating in your words, I love it, and I also love that God gave you reason to be grateful today ❤️
I have (apparently) a large chunk of Sicilian heritage, so check ✔️ on the oregano (and garlic!) love, haha. You’ll be glad to know there’s supposedly a bit of English in the mix as well.
Oh Jenn I pray this thing going around will bypass you 🙏🏻 I started taking Oil of Oregano after my sickness. Hope it helps! It's a natural antibiotic. I take a great multi and also Magnesium "Oxide"- which has really helped with headaches (Mag-Ox 400), and Trader Joes C-Complex. You probably have a regimen too!
I love beautiful things too, especially vintage. It's not shallow as much as it probably holds some meaning to us.
Thank you for feeling my writing. It means so much. oxox
"MudMan!" That's the best! Sounds like something my John would do! Clay is incredible! Often referred to "in the Potter's hands" as He molds us. What would we do without clay? So you're in Michigan? Such a beautiful state! Our retired neighbors have a little family cabin on a small lake in Michigan and I can't remember the name. He drives straight across country from California every few months to work on it. A dream since childhood.
Thank you so much for reading this with a good cappuccino! I can visualize that and I feel so honored! I have several shots of the peacocks and hens! They are absolutely stunning. I love ducks and their vibrant green, blue velvetly feathers. There is a retirement home near my mom's with a big pond full of them and we walk through there hoping to see the babies in the Spring. It never disappoints :) Sending you my love. oxox
Happy Easter Jenni! This sounds so incredible! The Great Lakes are definitely a reminder of God's greatness and how mighty nature is. I imagine the cold seasons and then the appreciation of the late Spring and Summer :) I've been married to my guy since '85, so we're close in those marriage numbers! Our 39th coming up 4/20. I've been saving for a used trailer for our 40th so we can finally get back to camping! One never knows how close we'll get to The Great Lakes! Sending you and your family much love! ox
One of my mum's favorite comments/sayings all those many years ago was "proud as a peacock". Never quite related to it until I read this just now.
Wow! Sometimes you go deep…this one really resonates! Love the comparisons of bird/plane… swim/fish…and how our brains and bodies work. God’s greatest creations are not just humans.. we learn so much from nature and wildlife. The early civilizations were amazing genius’s. Thanks for this, thanks for always bringing to back to God and all his blessings. 😊
Dear Joan! thank you so much for reading and commenting! We are amazing and the earth is something to behold for sure! I am so glad you enjoyed thinking about all of this. We are truly blessed and I am so thankful for your friendship! I can see your sweet palms as I type! I hope you have a good Easter. Sending you much love. oxox
On my journey to the present, there was a moment that made me completely reject everything humanity has achieved. Since we've been taught everything, but not how to appreciate life as a miracle. Today I try to look at things the way they are and the more I can let go of judgement, the more the magic happens. I enjoyed reading, thank you! 🙏😊
Hi Patrick,
I can relate to this, especially when we are hurting badly. It's so much easier to reject all that is good. I didn't want to enjoy anything I loved. Would rather just disappear. Self punishment. And here I was, apparently so beautifully, uniquely made and I wanted to throw it all away. Coming through it I realize that we are all so inherently broken, perfectly imperfect, and just trying to get somewhere on the journey. If we work on ourselves, and let go of what is not our story (the people and things we have zero control over), I believe now with all my heart our own story will continue to be written and our purpose more clear.
I am beyond grateful for this platform and I'm so glad you are here too. It's been a birthday weekend in our family so I look forward to looking through your Substack this week! Thank you for taking the time to read this and I'm really grateful for your comment. deb ox
Hey Deborah. I sense the path we share :) It's an enormous relief when sight gets clearer and realization takes place. It is so obvious and simple, and yet so difficult to master. I always compare living in this present moment with playing poker. It takes 5 minutes to understand but a lifetime to master. What helped me very much is to look at our baggage we carry along which shapes our psychological-self. A self, made of experiences, unconsciously processed as we grew up. Along with the thought:" Who have we been on the day of our birth? When we haven't made any experiences yet", made it so obvious, and since then I've come to meet myself on a totally different level. As a former project manager, I started my writing journey 1 year ago, and now since nearly 1 month on Substack. I'm so grateful, as I couldn't imagine a place like this that seems so authentic compared to whatever I came across. Thank you for your kind words and motivation to keep on reading my sharings. It means a lot to me since I sense the truth behind, more than just creating as much connections as possible to grow our newsletters :) I'm enjoying your essays. They deeply resonate. I wish a happy belated birthday to whoever celebrated his / her existence in your family. May the light keep on shining over all of you! 🍀🙏😊❤️
I woke up to this, and my day had already started flying. Now I had a purpose to fulfill today. Thank you, Deborah.
Tawhid!
Oh goodness this made me smile so big! I am so grateful you felt filled up by my deep thoughts! Thank you for taking the time to read this and I'm so glad you're here :) deb oxox
Same here. Thanks again for sharing
Such a beautiful article, Deborah. A lovely way to start the day, Palm Sunday 💙🙏🌿
And for your husband… the Romans developed a concrete able to repair cracks by itself, and able to set under water. We haven’t been able to better that.
Dear Joyce,
Thank you for this! I am so glad you liked it :) I wanted to write my love of Creation and was feeling it deeply. I know Easter (and of course Palm Sunday today) is upon us and perhaps God knew we had a big day today with a family birthday so He sat me down yesterday morning before it became grandchild excitement-ville this afternoon!
The Romans were incredible builders as seen all over Europe to this day! They sure used the resources laid before them well and developed probably the most used building material ever. What would we do without concrete?
Have a good week ahead friend! oxoxox
I live in India and I usually take an evening walk to watch these peacocks that stay close to my house. I've watched them grow and mate and have little babies haha... Thanks for writing this beautiful piece, brought back a lot of memories from last summer <3
Siddhesh,
Oh what I would give to see a baby peacock in person! I love baby everything! How beautiful to have them so close to your home. The peacocks I photographed are living inside "freely" in an arboretum and they fly all through the foothill neighborhoods and walk around. Ironically, when researching, this is what I found "in California, the peacocks may be descendants of those imported from India in the 1870s by rancher Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin." Ironic!!!
Thank you so much for reading this and for your kind comment. I'm so glad it brought beautiful memories. I should add a little gallery of images from the arboretum. They love to mate call on the main building roof at exactly 5 p.m., closing time, and gather at the end of the day in a certain garden, when they know all the people will be gone :) Monkeys!
Glad you're here! deb ox
Lovely article thank you! Like the passing scent of roses it has made my day a little bit better.
Thank you so much Joseph! This made my day too (your comment!). I was feeling so much gratitude today and completely amazed at how good God is. Have a beautiful Sunday!
Beautifully said. I love the quote from the brain surgeon, that’s pretty cool. I did a science course with one of my kids (last year? It all blends, haha) and the point of it was to show how God had created each animal perfectly for its purpose; and then more broadly each serves a purpose on earth, in the food chain, etc. Likewise with people—perfectly formed for life and living on this planet, with the bonus of being given the divine spark.
Also, female birds prefer a colorful mate, haha. I can’t criticize, my husband will tell you I prefer a colorful everything.
Thank you for this lovely, thoughtful post about the miracle of being. Gorgeous photos as always!
Thank you so much for reading this Jenn, while you're not feeling well! When I was sick I really appreciated the fact I could read and write when I felt strong. I was able to catchup a little (although there's no such thing as catching up, but for a moment! ha ha!) I absolutely love your science course. The greatest aspect of teaching is to be able to include the miracles around us as such, to provoke that imagination, mystery and thought and to include science based facts as well.
Ha ha! we are so shallow! just kidding! We do love colorful things and people!
I was really feeling gratitude today and went a bit deep. Thank you for commenting again! I love to hear from you. Get well. oxox
To be honest, it has not really hit me yet! It’s moving through my children one at a time like a slow moving super cell. I’m sure I’m next, but maybe I’ll escape! As you’ve highlighted so well , the body is miraculous ☺️.
I love pretty things. It’s shallow. I will waste valuable storage space just to display something pretty where I can see it. But I think God intended for us to find things beautiful 😁
I can feel the gratitude radiating in your words, I love it, and I also love that God gave you reason to be grateful today ❤️
And yes, boo to the side effects, natural is the way to go.
I have (apparently) a large chunk of Sicilian heritage, so check ✔️ on the oregano (and garlic!) love, haha. You’ll be glad to know there’s supposedly a bit of English in the mix as well.
Oh Jenn I pray this thing going around will bypass you 🙏🏻 I started taking Oil of Oregano after my sickness. Hope it helps! It's a natural antibiotic. I take a great multi and also Magnesium "Oxide"- which has really helped with headaches (Mag-Ox 400), and Trader Joes C-Complex. You probably have a regimen too!
I love beautiful things too, especially vintage. It's not shallow as much as it probably holds some meaning to us.
Thank you for feeling my writing. It means so much. oxox
I’ll have to check out oil of oregano. Thanks for the tip! Keep making beautiful posts ☺️❤️
I'll try anything natural that might build me up with no side effects (other than becoming more Italian everyday 🤔😅, which I don't mind)
Keep making yours too 🩵
Oh Jenni!
"MudMan!" That's the best! Sounds like something my John would do! Clay is incredible! Often referred to "in the Potter's hands" as He molds us. What would we do without clay? So you're in Michigan? Such a beautiful state! Our retired neighbors have a little family cabin on a small lake in Michigan and I can't remember the name. He drives straight across country from California every few months to work on it. A dream since childhood.
Thank you so much for reading this with a good cappuccino! I can visualize that and I feel so honored! I have several shots of the peacocks and hens! They are absolutely stunning. I love ducks and their vibrant green, blue velvetly feathers. There is a retirement home near my mom's with a big pond full of them and we walk through there hoping to see the babies in the Spring. It never disappoints :) Sending you my love. oxox
Happy Easter Jenni! This sounds so incredible! The Great Lakes are definitely a reminder of God's greatness and how mighty nature is. I imagine the cold seasons and then the appreciation of the late Spring and Summer :) I've been married to my guy since '85, so we're close in those marriage numbers! Our 39th coming up 4/20. I've been saving for a used trailer for our 40th so we can finally get back to camping! One never knows how close we'll get to The Great Lakes! Sending you and your family much love! ox