Superior

Soft waters
Gentle hills
Beaver's lodge, meandering trail.

Breaking waves,
Ageless Cliffs
A wolf's howl, steep grade.

Around the bend the brilliant colors
vibrantly scream for attention: FALL.

Further down, Winter's peace so serene,
Yet a time to adapt
Or suffer the ravages of Winter's hunger.

Even further south
They speak of the Spring of Life
As winter's moisture soaks the seeds of Spring
And germinates abundant life.

This cycle so dependable
It's as strong as the rock we stand on.

Home.

 

EAP, 2012

Where is Sacred?

Where is Sacred?

Is it in a moment

or a place

or a plant?

Is it in the process of death

and rebirth?

Is it the elements of

Earth,

Water,

Fire or Wind?

How about in the stillness of the moon shimmering on Superior,

or the smell after the storm as water and rain create?

Sacred is in all as it brings

peace

and

balance,

change

and

harmony.

It is in the connection that is so immediate

when I push myself into the wilds of the land;

the nurturing hands of nature.

Without touching the Sacred

I feel partial,

out of balance

stressed in the chaos.

The disconnection creates doubt, question, uncertainty.

My moments of witnessing Sacredness create

The Holy.

Holy happens as I witness the Scared transcend and let the soul touch the Spirit.

From it comes calm, purpose, love and understanding.





.

-EAP, 2012



A Weekend of Winter

Wake up early, check.  Nourishment, check. 

Stop for a Chai Latte at Dunn Brothers, check. Hit the road and travel north, check. 

Add a few great friends, and the potential for new ones and

all the ingredients of a great weekend have been added.

The results; amazing laughter, growth in spirit, re-igniting the love of winter and dogs,

and new and old friendships strengthend.

It is so easy to forget the love one has of something when it is not excercised.

Similar the the way a muscle weakens when not used.  Cold air chapping your face,

standing at the wood stove to feel the natural warmth of the fire,

the howling of the dogs thanking the cooks,

and the sun breaking through the clouds just in time for the shadows to grow long

and set beautifully as the last crew sleds the route. 

The love comes rushing back the moment the dogs realize

they have mushers for the weekend,

pulsing through my veins,

charging me up with adreline to keep me warm in winter temperatures of the

Northern Minnesota.  Brimson to be exact.

WINTER

 

 

 

New Beginnings...

As a new year is just about here, so is the inspiration for a fresh start to find balance.  Such a simple concept, but as a servant leader, hard to find and optimize for myself.  I offer a few photos as a reflection of the balance our mother earth provides examples of each day.  She has our lessons if we are able to take them in.

Wild grasses at Mounds Park, St. Paul, MN
 

I spied a neighbors garden on a walk with Aspen

Petals from a flowering tree.  Even though they have fallen off of their branch,

there is still beauty as the paint the sidewalk.

Goldenrod

These are all things I chose to notice on a walk.  If gone unexamined, they all seem pretty

simple and mundane.  But when given a chance to shine on their own,

they radiate beauty and significance.