Friday, December 31, 2010

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

New Year's Eve Candelight Labyrinth Walk at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd

Friday, December 31
8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
A great way to finish out this year, and usher in the New Year is by walking the sacred path of the Labyrinth under the stars. We will begin with a Blessing Ceremony at 8:00 p.m. and walk to the sounds of gentle music and the splash of the fountain

For more info, please enjoy the December edition of Tidings.

Monday, December 27, 2010

another wonderful SIMPLE ABUNDANCE quotation for today

"As the season of believing seems to wind down let me gently remind you that many dreams still wait in the wings. Many authentic sparks must be fanned before passion performs her perfect work in you. Throw another log on the fire." - Sarah Ban Breathnach

Saturday, December 25, 2010

watching the final embers of the day

and working to keep the Light of Christmas in our hearts all year long....

Peace for your Path,
Robin and family

Joyous Noel

Lily had a ball - and so did we!

Friday, December 24, 2010

peaceful path

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

a quote for my day (and yours)


"Christmas won't be Christmas without any gifts. How about unconditional Love? Trust. Second Chances. Comfort. Joy. Wonder. Acceptance. Courage. To give such gifts. To truly open our hearts to receive such gifts gratefully. " - Sarah Ban Breathnach from Hold that Thought: A Year's Worth of Simple Abundance

Thursday, December 23, 2010

from our family to yours

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May your Christmas be Merry and Bright...

counting the days!


Every year I "give my son" a playmobil Advent Calendar.

Yes.

I am well aware that he is far too old for this. However, I refuse to give up this tradition, and I will likely continue to buy one for "him" even after he leaves for college. Each morning, "we" open the little boxes together. Today was Mother Fox (not pictured yet in case any of you are behind on opening yours, but she is super cute adorable, let me just tell you).

Wishing you Peace for all your childhood traditions. We are never too old for them. Never....

Love,
Robin

winter solstice whimsy


Special thanks to my dear friend, Shawn, for all these smiling snowfolks. They have brightened my Christmases for nearly twenty years now....

Monday, December 20, 2010

my Christmas labyrinth walk

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Hi Everyone,

You may wish to re-heat a cozy mug of coffee or pour a little glass of wine - depending on what time of day you are viewing this - because this video takes a bit of time to load and runs for about five minutes.

I recorded this in response to many inquiries I receive about what it is like to walk a labyrinth. I used my little Flip video camera at Good Shepherd while there for Third Thursdays on the Labyrinth this past week. Here is the first five minutes of my walk for your enjoyment.

For those of you who have never walked a labyrinth, I hope it gives you a feel of what a labyrinth walk is like. I also hope you might find a labyrinth to walk wherever you are in the world by using The World-Wide Labyrinth Locator this Holiday season.

Peace for your Path!
Robin

Friday, December 17, 2010

Christmas really does come in all packages


The Christmas Tree at City Place in downtown West Palm Beach. I loved the contrast of the traditional tree in front of the theatre with the palm trees and blue skies framing it. It may not look like it, but Christmas really is in the air no matter what part of the world you live in which I just LOVE! Peace for your Path...

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Mac at work






Father Bob Taylor has joked several time in TIDINGS that folks always say hi to Mac before they greet him. I believe this is just fine with him. Read more about Mac and his people and his wonderful church The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.

whiskered wisdom


I sat with Mac in the middle of the labyrinth for the longest time....The sun and the breeze felt so amazing to us both. I just had to take a few photos of his precious face to help me remember the special moment of Grace. He didn't mind too much....Such a handsome man!

labyrinth light


The candle from the center of my kitchen's island has even more significance to me now when I light it here at home - knowing that its same Light shined in the middle of the labyrinth. The Christmas is full of candles for me....

Monday, December 13, 2010

our family's newest (old) tradition: An Advent Wreath


This is my family's very first Advent Wreath.

It looks a little unconventional I know, but then, so are we (a little)...

I really wanted a new Christmas tradition this year but had no real ideas until I went to church three weeks ago on the first Sunday of Advent. The Sunday School speaker spoke about her family's Advent Wreath and that was the first time I ever thought of having one at home.

For years, I had watched different families at church be invited to light a candle on each of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. They would go up to the front of the church together dressed in their finest holiday attire and read a nice Bible verse. The kids would then shakily light the appropriate candle usually while their parents and the rest of us in the pews all held our breaths that no one's hair would catch on fire in the process (there were more than a few close calls). It was all very sweet and comfortingly traditional.

Until that Sunday, though, I really just thought of it as a "church thing." But I went home and Googled "Advent Wreath" and started investigating the symbolism of each candle. That night was also the first evening to share a nightly reading from our church's publication: A True Sense of God 2010 Advent Devotional. In it, church members share ideas of ways to experience God using all five senses. In the very front of the booklet, were instructions regarding how to make your own Advent Wreath.

Suddenly, the idea was coming at me from all directions. When this happens, I usually begin to sit up and pay attention....

After school that Monday night, I dragged my weary son to Target thinking I would just pick up a ready-made version and that we would be all good to go. No such luck (thankfully) so this is what we came up with instead (after quite a while spent with me fretting and picking up candle after candle - my poor kid!). Though it takes up almost the entire center of our dining room table, I absolutely LOVE it! The wreath part is made of white Rosewood, and it is really designed to hang on a door. Luckily, the center was just barely large enough for one white Christ candle (which we will light on Christmas Eve) and four glass votive candle holders around that. We even found purple (lavender) candles to represent Hope, Love and Peace (Sunday's # 1, 2 and 4) and pink for Joy (Sunday #3). Cool!

We have been blessed to have several friends and family drop by already this season to share a meal with us, and our Advent Wreath has been a great conversation starter. We love our new tradition!

What new traditions are you starting on your Holiday Path? I'd love to hear about them.










a great read


This is a fantastic book!

I was captivated by so many quotes last night. Here is one of my favorites:

"Perhaps the book of life, in the end, is the book of what one has lived and if one has lived nothing, he is not in the book of life." - Thomas Merton

Visit http://www.scholaministries.org/ for more info!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

happiness is....

....calm seas and a trusty tennis ball.