Monday, February 16, 2009

abundance...

For Christmas, my mom gave me a book of affirmations called The Art of Abundance, a Simple Guide to Discovering Life's Treasures, by Candy Paull. I've just now had time to start reading it and found three wonderful quotes right away that spoke to me. They have a common theme not just about abundance, but about where it is truly found...

One of the hardest lessons we have to learn in this life, and one that many persons never learn, is to see the divine, the celestial, the pure, in the common, the near at hand- to see that heaven lies above us here in this world. ~ John Burroughs

One of the most important -and neglected- elements in the beginnings of the interior life is the ability to respond to reality, to see the value and the beauty in ordinary things, to come alive to the splendor that is all around us in the creatures of God. ~ Thomas Merton

In those vernal seasons of the year when the air is calm and pleasant, it were an injury and sullenness against nature not to go out and see her riches, and partake in her rejoicing with heaven and earth. ~ Milton







Abundance, for me, means enjoying the goings-on in our very front yard. That this Spring-like weather is tricking my daffodils into blooming is only part of it! I've got 17 flowers in my little "daffy patch". I also love the beautiful moss carpet that's shooting up new growth like velvet underfoot. If it wasn't 45 degrees at the moment I'd be out there closer to it. My dad bought a bird feeder for the girls and I after we returned from North Carolina. The birds have finally figured out how to eat from it and we've been enjoying them for about a month now. Sunday morning as I took Puppy-girl out for her potty break, there were 4 robins swooping and darting from the back yard oak to the front yard pines and all manner of other birds hopping and twittering in the sun. This morning there was a squirrel on the porch, teasing the cats as it stuffed its face full of sunflower seeds.





Abundance also means cooking the spaghetti squash that was languishing on the counter and anticipating the eating of said squash as if it were the finest meal in the world. For the record, I sprinkled it with ground sage, a tiny pinch of dried thyme, salt, and liberal amounts of garlic, oh, and a spoonful of smart balance margarine! It was a comfort food much like mac and cheese without the guilt! We won't be doing a "real" grocery shop until Thursday which means I'll have to make do with what we've got in the cupboard til then. A "pantry challenge". Mark just arrived with guinea pig food and hay, potatoes, and bread. We've got rice, pasta, beans, spices, chicken breasts, tortillas, dairy products, sausage, peppers, onions, fresh and frozen veggies, canned tomatoes(and beans, etc, etc.), and more, so technically we could probably eat for another 10 days or so. Having such a bounty is not just abundance but also peace and provision.



I hope you all find similar things to appreciate within the ordinary(and it is SO not, once you take time to observe) this day and this week!! Children seem to enjoy abundance naturally so I take a lot of cues from this chicka. She found the first anole of the season yesterday!

6 comments:

Anet said...

Wow, daffodils!!! It will be some time before we see any of those.
I have to ask what is that in the second to the last photo?
The photo of your daughter is just adorable. What a cutie!!!
Nice post Molly, I really liked the quotes from your book.

~Molly~ said...

I love this little book, its full of wonderful quotes and affirmations!

The picture you asked about is of an iron ore rock, the most common rock in east Texas. There is a rusty bar from a pipeline sign above it. The weird thing in the very center of the pic(on the rock) is a leaf.

Chickenbells said...

Holy cow...flowers already!?!?! I can't get the crazy snow to melt off the roof. I mean, not that I'm up there with a hair dryer or anything.

I always feel so much abundance whenever I eat a simple meal full of strong and lovely tastes...just like your squash!

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

Wonderful post, Molly. I love that photo of the moon.

Anonymous said...

Oh daffodils :) Spring is coming!
We will not have any here for another month or so. Enjoy the warm!

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

Molly, you might have heard, we had tornadoes and high winds and golf-ball size hail in central Alabama yesterday. But nothing here. We only got a little rain. Thank goodness.