festival of fun

the hurricane

I actually did this carnival ride on Saturday night. From the ground, I thought it looked just like the Dumbo ride at Disney - perhaps a tad bit faster - but still no problem for a seasoned theme park-lover like me.

(Yeah, right).

Never, ever, ever again....ever.

I am still queezy.

lights on the path

race your own race

The 20th annual South Florida Race for the Cure is history this year, but races are going on all the time locally, nationally, and internationally. Find your own at the Susan G. Komen website!

pink puppy on the path

congrats boys!!!

The title of this post might have been Two Old Frogs and one "Bad Tad" but that would've been far too cruel, don't you think?

Find out more about the exciting ministry of The Bad Frogs on their website. Amazing group!

GO!!!!

So proud of everyone here this morning at RACE FOR THE CURE!!!

...and...

...set...

ready....

check out the latest Veriditas events!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/It-s-not-too-late---.html?soid=1101733338639&aid=csOg6OPp1Rc

love run

This past year both my precious mom and my treasured best friend were diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent extensive surgery and treatment.

(Ugh...Just typing that sentence makes the pit in my stomach come back like it was yesterday).

I am thrilled to say that Mom and Jen are both doing great now thanks to tons of prayer and God's Grace and loads of courage on their parts. My life is blessed beyond measure by these amazing two women.

(Visit Jennifer's Journey to read Jen's story).

So, our son is running the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K this Saturday in honor of them both. You can donate to the cause right now on his special web page in honor/support/or memory of all the special women in your life touched by this rotten disease. His middle school team has a goal to raise $2000 and they are getting pretty close.

Please help. No donation is too small. Each one stands for Hope. Thank you.

Now, go and hug your grandmother, your mom, your mother-in-law, your friend, your sister, your sister-in-law, your wife, your daughter, your aunt, your cousin, your neighbor, your kid's teacher or yourself. Tell them you love them and that together, we WILL beat this disease...

Peace for your Path,
Robin

blessed to write

As a writer, it is a good idea to Google yourself every once in a while. You just might be blessed to learn that something you wrote once actually showed up somewhere else in print. This is always a very happy moment - particularly when it is one of the many great publications by The Upper Room!

Blessed to receive this unexpected blessing today...

the easiest (and hardest) Proverb for me (at least today - and especially right this very minute)

Proverbs 3:5-6

what to do when I have not a clue...

quiet twilight

simple splendor

driving home

Saturday sunset

It's a Wonder-Filled Life

Battling a head cold today along with lots of "Dark Night of the Soul" stuff...a real two steps forward, ten steps backward kind of week. Do you know the kind?

And here, at the end of my little street is a hibiscus hedge filled with the most spectacular pink-coral blossoms. Lily led me to them as she so often does.

Blessed. Beyond words. Just blessed...

May you, too, be swept away in a simple moment of wonder today. You don't have to seek it out. Just let yourself be Found.

Peace for your Path,
Robin

reading this...

Wow.

best friends on the Path

Jen. Me. Jen and me...

This beautiful friend of mine is flying back home right now. She blessed my life this weekend with her presence. Every moment together was a joy. It all passed far too quickly as I knew it would from the moment I wrapped my arms around her at the airport. Yeah, I cried like a baby when I saw her, and I am crying again right now just thinking about it....

Life can be really, really (really) hard sometimes. Our faith is tested daily. We need trusted friends on the Path who will walk the journey with us holding our hands, hearing our hearts, catching our tears and celebrating even the smallest (and largest) moments of victory. When those same special soul-friends are finally sitting right next to us in the sunshine, and we can actually lean close and touch shoulders with them, then - wow - that is a moment to be captured and cherished forever.

Safe travels, my dear and precious friend. Thank you for sharing your Journey with me. I love you so much!

(Read Jen's incredible blog: "Jennifer's Journey")

Angels on the Path....

May God shield these precious Angels and bless them in their loving work.

Prayers of healing for all the victims. All innocent. All angels stolen too early...

Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Kyrie Eleison.

For those who take the Lord's name and profane it with their hateful actions (like this church in the story), may those of us who choose instead to walk the Path of Love have even stronger faith in the days ahead. Amen.

a fairy's tale

Once upon a time, I tried to buy this little "Good Earth Fairy" doll for two different special little girls in my life this Christmas. She was sold out both times in two separate catalogs. I was disappointed but resilient that I would eventually find her for them both at some point.

Suddenly, there she was smiling up at me last Friday afternoon from her bright green recycled box marked 60% off at one of my favorite book stores. Her certifed non-toxic, chemical-free natural cotton and linen fairy outfit perfectly complimented her golden organic yarn locks. I gave a little squeal since I was so thrilled  to find her so quickly. I began thinking of my plans to tuck her away for the first of the two girl's upcoming birthdays.

While in carline that same afternoon, however, something in me shifted selfishly. It was the shoes. I am embarrassed to admit, but usually, with me, it is often about the shoes.

The Good Earth Fairy has green velvet slippers. Let me repeat that - green velvet slippers. Lord help me.

I was stoking them gently just as my almost-teenage son climbed into the car. He looked curiously at The Good Earth Fairy lying on the front seat and then at me. I explained it was the gift I had been shopping for the two little girls all Christmas, but then I said, "she has green velvet slippers."

"Mom, you have to keep her then. You know you have to keep her. You can't give her away. You just can't."

Gosh. I love my kid. He is going to make one special girl one heck of a fantastic husband someday (far, far, far away someday in the very distant future)....

And so, The Good Earth Fairy lived happily ever-after right here on my computer desk. She has taught me that sometimes Gifts are meant to be given and sometimes they are meant to be received. I needed a little "permission" to receive my Gift this time, but I hope your arms are flung wide open to receive each and every one of yours this year without justification. Get ready, ladies (and men)!

Spirit truly is a wonderful Giver of Gifts.

The End

lyrics to the song GAIA by James Taylor

The sky was light and the land all dark
The sun rose up over Central Park
I was walking home from work
GAIA
The petal sky and the rosy dawn
The world turning on the burning sun
Sacred wet green one we live on
GAIA
Run run run run said the automobile and we ran
Run for your life take to your heels
Foolish school of fish on wheels
GAIA
Turn away from your animal kind
Try to leave your body just to live in your mind
Leave your cold cruel mother earth behind
GAIA
As if you were your own creation
As if you were the chosen nation
And the world around you just a rude and
Dangerous invasion
GAIA

Someone's got to stop us now
Save us from us Gaia
No one's gonna stop us now

We thought we ought to walk awhile
So we left that town in a single file
Up and up and up mile after mile after mile

We reached the tree line and I dropped my pack
Sat down on my haunches and I looked back down
Over the mountain
Helpless and speechless and breathless

GAIA

Pray for the forest pray to the tree
Pray for the fish in the deep blue sea
Pray for yourself and for God's sake
Say one for me
Poor wretched unbeliever

Someone's got to stop us now
Save us from us Gaia
No one's gonna stop us now

Lyrics to the song Gaia as found on the HOURGLASS album by artist James Taylor copyright 1997 Sony Music Entertainment and Columbia Records

an OceanPrayer for the rivers...

All rivers run to the Ocean...and we are all One body sharing One planet.

Peace for your Path,
Robin

peace for your evening

quiet night

Hope you are having some silent, still moments this weekend...

peace at the pier

vines of green on the Path

waves crashing on the Path

tracks on the Path

castle of sand

I took my first really long walk on the beach this morning since my ankle injury this summer. It was such a joy to be barefoot on the sand again with no pain at all! Bliss...

The ocean was my favorite shade of Coke-bottle-aqua. I saw a flock silvery-white sea gulls I had never seen before on our beaches with vibrant orange, long sharp beaks and funky dark Mohawk hairstyles. I saw this elaborate sand castle surrounded with a moat of sea rocks and coral that made me feel like I was in a fairytale.

I also saw a dead pelican amidst long strands of discarded fishing line, weights and hooks, crumpled plastic water bottles and broken styrofoam. I saw a dead juvenile green sea turtle with all its flippers missing lying in the surf. Heartbreaking....

A dear friend from our Marinelife Center arrived after I reached her by cell phone to take the sea turtle back to the hospital for further evaluation on its cause of death. These beautiful creatures are highly endangered. Based on what we saw, it did not appear that a natural ocean predator had killed it. I will spare you the sad photos I took out of respect for the turtle's brief life....

Please (please) keep praying your OceanPrayers.

new year, new look

Thanks to all of my readers who have been with me the last few years. I am so grateful for each of you...

I am making some updates and changes to the look of my blog and would love your feedback. As many of you can tell, my passion for our planet is growing and taking more of a presence in my work in the world. I am hoping this updated look for my blog is reflective of that.

What do you think? Please take a moment to comment here or contact me directly via email at robin@labyrinthwellness.com.

Thanks so very much and Happy 2011!

Love,
Robin

blessed beginnings

waves and wags

Happy New Year! Happy Lily!