spirituality Archives - Hannah and HusbandHannah and Husband

I took a picture of this iris the other day and couldn’t resist posting it here. I have always been in love with these flowers, which happen to be the Tennessee state flora. They come in a variety of colors, but the deepest purple is my very favorite. Recently I learned something new.

The flower was named for the Greek goddess Iris who was said to be the personification of the rainbow and a messenger of the gods to humanity. Isn’t that lovely? Each time I see one of the delicate flowers, I’m always infatuated, but now I think I will pause and see if there’s something else I should be noticing at that very moment.

“I am going to try to pay attention to the spring.
I am going to look around at all the flowers,
and look up at the hectic trees.
I am going to close my eyes and listen.”
-Anne Lamott

Spring has a way of awakening our senses and waking up our brain cells. What is it trying to tell you?

A quick snap from NYC.

There has been so much tragedy in the news lately and as I watch people dealing with things that I can’t possibly fathom, my mind keeps going back to the prayer of St. Francis. The prayer has been in my head (and bookmarked on my nightstand) for months now so when a friend posted one line (highlighted in green below) of this last week in light of the news from Ferguson, I thought I should share the prayer in it’s entirety. During the hustle and bustle of this holiday season perhaps this will inspire you as well.

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.