Tree by Water

anxiety.positive

9 more miles of the Ice Age Trail. 💛 The Forestville Segment.

This week I read some of my writing from 7 years ago. I don’t even remember some of the things I shared.

“That was me?” I will admit, there is a fair amount of fear. Will I ever get that edge back? Will I have that creativity again? Will more inspiration come?

I’m choosing to rest in the not-yet. And I am finding myself once again on the trail. I’m not re-finding myself. That older version is in the past. I do believe there is a lot of hope to finding beauty after pain. Little by little… the spark, the joy, the creativity is coming back. Ideas are flowing, smiles are easy, and joy is with each step.

As the blizzard of March 2026 swirls outside, I am reflecting on this last week with so much warmth inside. I was sharing with my spiritual director all of the updates since my last meeting with him. This time we talked about all of the good things happening in my life. I then asked him what spiritual discipline I should work on. And, coming from an Ignatian background, he said, “Enjoy. Savor. And store up the consolations.” wow. No words to try harder or give up more. The grace and rest that rushed in took my breath away.

When I got home I remembered a quote from “Dirty Glory” by Pete Greig that I read just this week! This nugget is tucked in a whole book about sacrifice and prayer and obedience.

“We all go through seasons of sadness, but the prevailing Christian attitude is not gloom but gladness. We have a delightful duty to nurture joy by pursuing the people, places, and things that help us to rejoice in the Lord. On judgement day, according to one Hebrew adage, we shall be required to give an account of every good thing we refused to enjoy.”

Warmly, Laura

Every so often I go on retreat and every time is different. Looking back at the seasons of my life, not every one was an easy silence and solitude. But this one was glorious! A pure gift. I hiked, prayed, read, planned for the future, and studied. I read through Isaiah and I felt like God was dropping so many little nuggets into my time. ♥️ 🥾 ☀️

A winter road segment of 9.2 miles on the Ice Age trail. I’m thankful for trail angel Phil who shuttled me! It’s been so great to keep working on my long goal of completing the 1200 mile trail that travels all over Wisconsin. 🙌🏻

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♥️ 🙏🏻

Healing

Words and thoughts that encapsulate what I feel and think haven’t come to me as easily as they did years ago.

Maybe it’s the necessities of life that crowd out that space I use to have, maybe they are deep down there waiting to rise to the surface. Until then I will keep stepping my prayers and riding the trails and enjoying the movement, the breath, the beauty.

I don’t know, but lately I hang onto the words of others and Scriptures like this:

Psalm 27:13
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

There are no manuals for the construction of the individual you would like to become. You are the only one who can decide this and take up the lifetime of work that it demands. This is a wonderful privilege and such an exciting adventure. To grow into the person that your deepest longing desires is a great blessing. If you can find a creative harmony between your soul and your life, you will have found something infinitely precious. You may not be able to do much about the great problems of the world or to change the situation you are in, but if you can awaken the eternal beauty and light of your soul, you will bring light wherever you go. The gift of life is given to us for ourselves and also to bring peace, courage, and compassion to others.

JOHN O'DONOHUE

Excerpt from his book, Eternal Echoes
Ordering Info: https://johnodonohue.com/store

County Kerry, Ireland
Photo: © Ann Cahill