photo by Patty Ann Smith 

This Is What I Think

Out "there" is Nature!...And, Science "explains" Nature! Therefore, Science and Nature are "Spiritual" activities! ~ Patty Ann Smith

The Covergence of Science & Spirituality

"Exploring the relationship between science and spirituality can lead to happiness, joy, contentment, and the alleviation of suffering for the individual and society as a whole."

Those are some words that come from a description of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's new book: THE UNIVERSE IN A SINGLE ATOM

photo by Craig Smith 

Look Who Came To Dinner

A Possum!

photo by Craig Smith 

photo by Craig Smith 

Loving The Land

photo by Craig Smith

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrain of nature ~ the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter." ~ Rachel Carson

Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, let's take time to remember that our food comes from the land and make a pledge to take better care of the earth so that we can continue to have healthy food.

There is a new book that I wish every household in America could have a copy of: "Farm Aid: A Song For America". It is dedicated to America's independent farm families who work the land, care for the soil and the water, plant the seeds, tend the animals, and gather the harvest.

This is a beautiful book and it can be purchased at any major bookstore or directly from http://www.farmaid.org

- What do you really need?

- What do you really love doing?

- What do you really have talent in?

- What have you really learned to do well?

photo by Patty Ann Smith 

The Path of The Mind

in the words of Henry David Thoreau:

"As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives."

"In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, they had better aim at something high."

photo by Patty Ann Smith 

Man is Basically a Spiritual Being

I tend to look at everything as part of "the spirituality of everyday life".

I have seen alcoholism up-close, drug addiction up-close, diabetes up-close and have seen how it can destroy the body until there's nothing left but death. I have seen a father and a brother come back from wars and how they handled the rest of their lives carrying with them what they had to do. I've been a child whose father was away for almost a year at a time, knowing he might never return, and with a faith that only a child could have....give him a little religious medal to carry in his pocket to keep him safe. Believing without seeing is so much easier for children. It is truly part of the grace of God. I have experienced the confusion of children of alcoholic parents and know what it's like to feel abandoned whether a parent is present or not.

In our worst moments, what we are most likely to hold onto is "something spiritual". Something spiritual to rid us of our addictions, something spiritual to rid us of the pain of our losses, something spiritual....to simply make life better.

The seasons and the cycles of life are two of the most beautiful teachers of truth. Everything has come from nature and everything returns there. Nature is a strong spiritual force that helps me to better understand life and the necessity of change.

My Hope 4 America on This Veterans Day Weekend

With over 2,000 of our own soldiers dead and over 15,000 more wounded ~ as well as countless numbers of soldiers and civilians in other countries ~ I hope that one day the power of our hearts will finally over-rule the power of the "mind-games" of war.