Divine Presence Found in Mother Nature

You can see forever when the vision is clear. My own, sometimes clouded vision, is never more clear then when I spend time here in the forest high above the desert city of Palm Springs, California.

I moved from Nashville, Tennessee to Idyllwild, California a couple of years ago. I'm a California girl and I wanted to go home. Following in my mother's footsteps, I chose to spend my remaining years in the mountains. Clean, pure air and clear blue skies, surrounding the thick forest, offers me an opportunity to connect with nature in a deeper way.

Waking up to tall pine trees, filling the forest with the fragrance of pine, magnificent rocks, strawberry creeks and a variety of birds that dine throughout the day, from feeders hanging from the deck, I give thanks to the endless variety of the earth's treasures.

It is here that I know, here that I feel, here that I understand the very meaning of life. I breathe in the very breath of nature itself. It is here that I find freedom from illusion.

I long to live my own honesty. There is no better way to do this than just to stop for a moment, be still, and breathe. Mother nature encourages me to create the space in which to grow into new dimensions.

There are those who see creation in God and there are others who see God in creation. I see God in creation and creation in God at the same time.

Our spiritual center manifests its light

Peace and intimacy with Mother Earth

Stirs our soul with awareness

As we become one with nature.

Spiritual energy resides in every tree

Every flower, each blade of grass, weeds that heal

Drawing inspiration from many sources

Recognition for the oneness of life.

Divine presence found in nature

Meditates on Mother Earth's harmony, balance, and creativeness

A portal to the love within

Transitioning from one realm to a new one.

Time to balance our spiritual needs

With our physical needs and priorities

Giving us the balance we need

Leading the lives for which we were created.

A beneficial effect on your sense of wellbeing is to savor the good that is happening around you:

• Notice the delicate beauty of a flower.
• What are you feeling when your favorite music is playing?
• Simply be aware of the moment without doing anything but being in the present.
• Open your eyes to the source of wonder all around you.
• Savor past happy events.
• Appreciate the stunning view or glorious countryside.
• Train yourself to listen to the sounds of nature. How does the sound of a bee differ to the chirping of a bird? The wind blowing through the trees can send harmonious music to our ears.

Nature is a great resource for seeing the beauty and instilling feelings of wonder. Spend time in a green space when you can.

Humans can learn that the future of all life on Mother Earth requires that we live wisely and more simply now. Consider the following examples:

• Most animals consume only as much food as necessary to sustain their lives. Unlike humans, they do not endanger their own or other life-forms by over-eating.
• Trees and other plants blow in the wind or bend downwards to avoid damage during a rainstorm. Most animals will abandon their customary or preferred food during times of scarcity and will eat whatever is plentiful. This is a lesson in flexibility. We must avoid becoming set in our ways, especially as we age.
• Our life has many ebbs and flows, just as Mother Earth. We can learn to live in harmony with the natural rhythms around us.
• Mother Earth is a treasure trove of spiritual wisdom, waiting to help us live a more spiritual and peaceful life.

Open your eyes to the world around you and look for the good. Nature is a great resource for seeing beauty and instilling feelings of wonder (the kind you had as a child.) Spend time in nature whenever you can.

We are both spirit and nature. Each of Mother Earth's life forms is an individual life unit; however, each living unit has a relationship with and a value to the whole. Thus, all life is interconnected.

We can experience ourselves as part of the web of life and feel the strength that this interconnection provides.

If we feel this strength, we may feel less threatened by life's challenges. Interconnection is the strength and teacher of acceptance, balance, and trust.

Divine presence can be found in the touch of a leaf, or the radiance of a sunset. It is all around us if we are still and if we listen.

John McMurphy, Ph.D. Author "Speaking of Mother Earth" Amaranth Publishing