Friday, February 15, 2013

A Blessing

The sun returned on Feb 13, after a drab, rainy week. It so happens that I had an appointent that day with Sister Cynthia (the nun I am seeing regularly for spiritual guidance). Afterwards, I went to a lake by our State Capitol where I saw ring-necked ducks, egrets, house finches, goldfinches, woodpeckers, and one very vociferous mockingbird. Out of all those birds I was dazzled by this sweet little Eastern Phoebe who graciously posed as though sitting for her portrait.






At the end of my session with Sister, she handed me a book of blessings. She asked me to open the book, and without looking, hand it back, instructing her to read from the right side or the left. I requested the right side and this was my special blessing that she read to me, inserting my name in the sentences with such love:

KINDNESS
May the God of KINDNESS be with you, Gail, gazing upon you with understanding eyes. May you see in those eyes unconditional acceptance of who you are and how you are in any given moment of your life. And may you know God's gentle call to grow in kindness toward those people in your life. May the God of KINDNESS bless you, Gail.

How I wish you were all gathered here around me. How I would love to offer a blessing in such a way to each one of you!

43 comments:

Evelyn S. said...

Beautiful blessing, Gail! The "patient" little bird was certainly a blessing to the photographer, too!

Brian King said...

Fantastic shots, Gail! I've seen phoebes a few times at a distance, but not close enough for good photos.

The Cranky said...

What a delicate and dainty beauty! What a lovely idea of Sister Cynthia's, and such a beautiful blessing.

eileeninmd said...

Lovely post, Gail! And your Phoebe is adorable. Great shots! Have a wonderful weekend!

carol l mckenna said...

You are blessed ~ Look at this wonderful photography of nature's gem ~ Wow! ~
Carol and ArtMusedog of A Creative Harbor ^_^

Buttons Thoughts said...

That is beautiful Gail the blessing and the photos. I love the song this little bird sings. B

Rosemary Aubut said...

Looking like that sweet little bird was listening as well! Many blessings to you Gail and you bless us with your photos every time you post! You are using your talents to inspire others I would say yes, we have all been blessed.

Anonymous said...

This little guy is absolutely precious! And, even though we physically may not be next to you, us blog buddies are near you in what counts most, spiritually, and we are blessed to have met you here!

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Does Sister Cynthia have a free hotline? There are some days I could use that sort of advice! ;-)

Beautiful birds today!

Gone Country said...

What a sweet blessing!

Great shots Miss Eastern Phoebe! It sure does look like she was posing for you... making sure you got her best side!

Jori said...

Sweet bird and blessing! Have a wonderful weekend friend.

Phil Slade said...

Those are smashing shots Gail. You are blessed with an obvious love of the natural worl.

Stephanie said...

She is a darling! Beautiful shots, Gail!

And what a blessing from Sister - thank you for sharing with us :)

Happy Weekend, my friend.

Hugs,
Stephanie

hootnonny said...

Phoebe's quite a little poser! Sweet blessing, Gail. Thanks for sharing it!

renae said...

Ok Gail, I am going to ask some silly questions: How far away are you from those birds when you snap them? Can they hear the camera clicking? Do you think they can hear it? How do you do those fabulous photos?

Your comments to me were so fun. They make me smile when you give me words about my style and talent. I SO APPRECIATE THEM ALL! YOU ARE SO FUN!!!!!!!!

Starla said...

Gail, I always consider the priviledge of looking at your photos a blessing, and the added blessing Sister Cynthia shared was just the perfect way to start the day.

TexWisGirl said...

love the sweet phoebe! we are lucky to have a couple of pair that raise several broods in our barn each summer.

thanks for sharing the blessing, too. :)

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Gail I feel blessed every time I visit your blog :)

Anonymous said...

What a cuuutie, so sweet! =)

What a beautiful blessing... is there one for tempers? I need one to control my temper! =0
I found something the other day that said, "My mood shouldn't dictate my manners!" I try to keep that in mind... I also heard Dr Ray on EWTN Radio say that if you can keep your mouth shut for a minute or two when you're about to lose your temper, then it will pass... didn't work.

Anonymous said...

ps i was going to stop posting Watery Wednesday for a while, but I missed it when I didn't post last week. =0

Dana said...

So tiny! What a wonder. :)

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

Gail, we may not be gathered around you, but you bless us with your photos with every one of your blog posts. The little Eastern Phoebe of today's post just continues the blessing.

Lynn said...

You are right Gail. That sweet Eastern Phoebe appears to pose. As the custom here is to pick a favorite, I’ll choose the second frame. Have a safe weekend.

(p.s. what makes you think we are not gathered here? Thank you for posting the blessing)

Patrice said...

Great shots, Gail - love your blessing, too!

Ruth Hiebert said...

That little Phoebe is so sweet.It is such a joy to encounter a bird willing to sit while we get our pictures.

Anonymous said...

I actually got out with my camera today for the 1st time in a couple of months it seems. Our yard is blooming like crazy. All that rain is making spring come early. Great photos as always, love & Hugs, xoxo

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

The adorable phoebe really was sitting for her portrait! Tipping her head this way and that just as if you were giving her directions. I think she was hearing your spirit!

Thank you for the blessing.

Reena said...

Wonderful photos of the Phoebes!

Stewart M said...

Old proverb says "better the grey bird that posses than the coloured one in the bushes"!!

Nice pictures.

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

PS: I have fiddled with my blog template to make the images bigger - let me know if you think its an improvement!

holdingmoments said...

What a little beauty.

Anonymous said...

Gail you were twice bless- once by Mother Nature then by Sister Cynthia. Love your Phoebe shots.
Have a blessed day.

Karen said...

Great shots of this sweet little bird.

beth said...

i love that you see a nun for guidance.....i see a therapist and have a dear friend who is a spiritual counselor, but a nun.....well, that's just so cool !
xo

Hootin Anni said...

...aren't they one of the most photographic birds ever? These are beautiful...I especially like her pose on the 2nd one from the top.

Anonymous said...

What beautiful shots of that sweet little bird!

Laura Delegal - Leroy Photography said...

Lots of beautiful birds, Gail. I joined the backyard bird watch today and told them what I saw. Not nearly as spectacular as yours. Love the blessing you received. So true.

Anonymous said...

You just did by sharing these words and the beautiful photos! Thank you!

Chatty Crone said...

The bird is very pretty - almost looks like there is some green on him.

rainfield61 said...

How lucky the Phoebe is to be photographed so beautifully by you.

Unknown said...

Just reading your blog makes me feel happy. It is a blessing. Wishing you a happy day my friend.

I LOVE your photos.

Hugs~

Nancy said...

Hi, Your photographs are so beautiful as is the rest of your blog...I am your newest follower and look forward to visiting you again...

I am very new to photography so I am really enjoying browsing your blog....

Hilary said...

Such a lovely blessing. And I'm enamoured with the little pheobe. It reminds me of the mockingbird.. at least its face.

Terra said...

How lovely to have a Sister to turn to for spiritual guidance and a great passage she read to you. This is my first visit here, so "hello."