Currently browsing Connect with Nature

It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to know of wonder and humility. Rachel Carson

Pollination: Nature’s Miracle of Intersection

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 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth.”  Gen 1:29 We take so much for granted, and the week we celebrate Earth Day—right when spring blossoms are all around us—is the perfect time to stop and realize the miracle of reproduction that’s [...]

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Nature’s Vast And Generous Unremembering

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BOOK REVIEW: Saints at the River by Ron Rash This book review seems the perfect way to celebrate Earth Day! I was deeply moved by Saints at the River, a powerful novel about a wild, scenic river in South Carolina (fictionalized as the Tamassee River but reportedly based on the Chattooga River) that claims lives [...]

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Introducing Connection Spotlight

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I’ve become a connection curator Since the early days of Heartspoken.com, when I first realized that connection was calling me to plumb its depths, I have become a connection curator: someone who studies, explores, collects, organizes, and interprets what they learn about connection. I see connection everywhere now, much the way you start seeing others [...]

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Painting Outdoors: Profound Connection With Nature

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Welcome to guest blogger and plein air impressionist painter Kathleen Robison. I asked her to share the perspective of an artist, because to create her wonderful pieces, she must commune with nature in a unique way. I am trying to learn to be more observant about the natural world around me, and I can imagine [...]

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Wind in the Woods

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How fortunate I am to be surrounded by pine woods on three sides of our Shenandoah Valley home. There is something restless and mysterious about the sound of wind in the pines—its soughing can be almost eerie, especially at night, with a full moon. In a heavy wind, the trees bend and sway, branches creaking [...]

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Desert Canvas by Karen S. Elliott

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A stranger’s first glance at a sandpaper land, To the untrained eye so stark They think our God forgot to wave His generous hand. But go within the seeker’s slow embark:   Touch and venture forth upon the endless expanse And excavate where ancestral cultures fade. Interrogate the cliff mystery’s romance And lose your step [...]

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Thanksgiving in Action

Click the thumbs up icon on any of these you agree with. What are you thankful for today? Can you think of a way to turn that thanksgiving into action?

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An October drive through the Shenandoah Valley

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Any excuse for a drive in the country For several years, the volunteer fire department in a neighboring town served a wonderful breakfast one Sunday a month. To add to the pleasure of the excellent meal, we took a long and winding route home that showcased the changes in our landscape month by month. One [...]

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Make The Quiet Times Happen

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Welcome to guest blogger and Connection Messenger, Mark E. Johnson. Read more about Mark below. His piece reminds us that life’s precious connections—in this case Connection with God and Connection with Nature—often intersect with powerful impact on our experience of each.  ——————————– This morning, Holly and I had the honor and privilege of listening to [...]

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All God’s Creatures Got a Place in the Choir

Here’s a fun video to celebrate Labor Day in the U.S. I DARE you to listen to this without smiling and tapping your feet! Thanks to my cousin Liz Henderson for sharing this wonderfully uplifting video. Ladies, I promise you, for reasons that will become clear very shortly, no matter what you think of the music, [...]

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Flower Secrets Revealed

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Welcome to guest blogger Patricia Hall, who shares some fascinating tidbits about flowers and the meanings they have in different cultures and religions. Does your favorite flower have a hidden meaning that adds to its beauty and mystery? EHC ____________________________________________ Flowers carry meaning for the world Flowers carry a wealth of meanings. As cultural symbols [...]

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A Litany of Thanksgiving for the Nation

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In celebration of Independence Day A litany from  The Book of Common Prayer Almighty God, giver of all good things: We thank you for the natural majesty and beauty of this land. They restore us, though we often destroy them. Help us We thank you for the great resources of this nation. They make us rich, [...]

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Moths: always seeking the light

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I love learning about the natural world around me, and I am constantly nudging myself to be more observant and ask more questions so I’ll understand what I’m looking at. Connecting with nature and being more conversant about the things I see every day gives me great joy and pleasure. I follow the blogs of [...]

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Pine woods give up their winter secrets

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Brrrrrrrrr The thermometer may read 35 degrees, but when you step outside, the wind slices like a knife, and it feels at least ten degrees colder. On winter days like this, it’s easy to forego the walk to the mailbox. Besides, the leaves are gone, the grass is brown, and there doesn’t seem to be [...]

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13 great reasons to start a nature journal

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It’s “Connect with Nature” Week at Heartspoken.com. The fourth week of each month this year will focus on ways to strengthen your connection with nature and the natural world around you. Whether you live in the country or in a high rise apartment, there are ways to become more aware and more connected to your [...]

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Struggling with your life’s purpose? Read this book.

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BOOK REVIEW Finding Your Way in a Wild New World: Reclaiming Your True Nature  by Martha Beck New Release December 27, 2011 “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” is a truth that will manifest itself over and over as this exciting new book is read and shared and read again.  The number [...]

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From Papyrus to Paper…a Journey Through History

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Part of the joy of writing personal notes is the enticing array of beautiful handmade papers available from artists and stationers. In my writing, I’ve explored connection from lots of angles, but a recent online acquaintance has helped me connect with the earliest history of paper. I “met” John Gaudet on Google+. I happened to [...]

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September’s Gold in the Shenandoah Valley

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Guest post by Julie Burner Gochenour, published originally in the August/September 1998 issue of Shenandoah Seasons: A Country Kitchen Journal (out of print).  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * There’s goldenrod on my morning walks now, along with the Queen Anne’s lace and sky blue chicory that’s peppered the road banks all summer, [...]

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Bird and Landscape Notecards from Jackie Catterton

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Connections with Nature…Connections with Others I am constantly thrilled and fascinated that even connections are connected! Jackie Catterton’s charming notecards bring the natural beauty of the Shenandoah Valley straight to your writing desk. These images never fail to brighten my mood and whisk me outdoors in my mind. I love sharing them by writing personal [...]

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Experience Jackie Catterton’s watercolors in person…

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Jackie’s Personal Appearances & Art Displays My friend Jackie Catterton (who is also a Heartspoken Connection Messenger, because her art connects us with Nature and with God’s creation) will be displaying her beautiful watercolors and notecards at several upcoming events in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Virginia, and I’m posting her schedule below. New pricing in [...]

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