#Henri J.M. Nouwen

[dk-thrive]

the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert

Learn the discipline of being surprised not by suffering but by joy. As we grow old . . . there is suffering ahead of us, immense suffering, a suffering that will continue to tempt us to think that we have chosen the wrong road. . . . But don’t be surprised by pain. Be surprised by joy, be surprised by the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert, and be surprised by the immense healing power that keeps bursting forth like springs of fresh water from the depth of our pain.

— Henri J.M. Nouwen, “Be Surprised By Joy” in You are the Beloved (Crown Publishing, October 24, 2022) (via Alive on All Channels)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Sunrise, Apalachicola River, Florida. (c) John B. Spohrer, Jr.

[My Forgotten Coast]

* * * * *

Intuitively, we know that it is important to spend time in solitude. We even start looking forward to this strange period of uselessness. This desire for solitude is often the first sign of prayer, the first indication that the presence of God’s Spirit no longer remains unnoticed. As we empty ourselves of our many worries, we come to know not only with our mind but also with our heart that we never were really alone, that God’s Spirit was with us all along.

--Henri J.M. Nouwen

[h/t Candace Chellew]

[1five1two]

The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it.

Henri J.M. Nouwen

[imaginemirage]

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."

Henri J.M. Nouwen

[symphonyoflovenet]

How different would our life be if we could believe that every little act of faithfulness, every gesture of love, every word of forgiveness, every little bit of joy and peace will multiply and multiply as long as there are people to receive it . . . and that—even then—there will be leftovers!

Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved

[infinitedonut]

The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it.

Henri J.M. Nouwen

[sacred-dwellings]

To live a spiritual life we must first find the courage to enter into the desert of our loneliness and to change it by gentle and persistent efforts into a garden of solitude. The movement from loneliness to solitude, however, is the beginning of any spiritual life because it it is the movement from the restless senses to the restful spirit, from the outward-reaching cravings to the inward-reaching search, from the fearful clinging to the fearless play.

-Henri J.M. Nouwen

[wayti-blog]

Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.

Henri J.M. Nouwen

[radical-revolution]

“A waiting person is a patient person. The word patience means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen

[averwonders]

To truly love another person is to accept that the work of loving them is worth the pain of losing them. And that's it. That's all.

Owen Sharma, The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020) dir. Mike Flanagan

Our Dining Table by Mita Ori

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Henri J.M. Nouwen

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The Wind Rises (2013) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

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Love Run (Intro) by The Amazing Devil

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Things You Save In A Fire by Katherine Center

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Quora

From The Japanese (The Triumph of Achilles, 1985) by Louise Glück

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John Green [Vlog Comment & Tumblr post]

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Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

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starpeace & serialghost

...

"It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all."

[apesoformythoughts]

“Every time you listen with great attentiveness to the voice that calls you the Beloved, you will discover within yourself a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert. Once you have touched wet ground, you want to dig deeper.

I have been doing a lot of digging lately and I know that I am just beginning to see a little stream bubbling up through the dry sand. I have to keep digging because that little stream comes from a huge reservoir beneath the desert of my life.”

— Henri J.M. Nouwen: Life of the Beloved

[leahweberking]

Trust The Catcher

"I can only fly freely when I know there is a catcher to catch me. If we are to take risks, to be free, in the air, in life, we have to know that when we come down from it all, we’re going to be caught, we’re going to be safe. The great hero is the least visible. Trust the Catcher."

Henri J.M. Nouwen

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

It’s My Birthday!

* * * * *

“If it’s your birthday today, take to heart these words by Henri Nouwen:

“Birthdays need to be celebrated. I think it is more important to celebrate a birthday than a successful exam, a promotion, or a victory. Because to celebrate a birthday means to say to someone: “Thank you for being you.”

 Celebrating a birthday is exalting life and being glad for it. On a birthday we do not say: “Thanks for what you did, or said, or accomplished.” No, we say: “Thank you for being born and being among us.”

On birthdays we celebrate the present. We do not complain about what happened or speculate about what will happen, but we lift someone up and let everyone say: “We love you.”

+

“All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.”

― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan..

Thanks friends for the flowers the presents the parties the everything.  For this challenging year I give thanks.  For all who have crossed my path this year, I am grateful. 

Getting older is a greater and more powerful gratitude each day - gratitude for being alive and experiencing my tiny corner of the world.

Mae West said : “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”  

Whether you 'believe' in past lives or future lives, this life is where i stand. Now.  

The characters who I have met in my life have taught me all I know about faith about trust and about pixie dust.  May the lessons continue.

[truthseeker-blogger]

I threw a bunch of pictures and song together.

Sorry, I'm sure they aren't in chronological order, and I only have a demo program to put it all together.

“I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Return of the Prodigal Son

______________________________

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

[cassianus]

"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."

— Henri J.M. Nouwen

[symphonyoflovenet]

Somewhere we know that without silence, words lose their meaning; that without listening, speaking no longer heals; that without distance, closeness cannot cure.

Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Formation