En Una Noche Escura

Tags

Mystic, Mysticism, photography, Poetry, Saint John of the Cross, Superstition Mountains

Sunrise in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona

Upon an obscure night
Fevered with Love’s anxiety
(O hapless, happy plight!)
I went, none seeing me,
Forth from my house, where all things quiet be.

By night, secure from sight
And by a secret stair, disguisedly,
(O hapless, happy plight!)
By night, and privily
Forth from my house, where all things quiet be.

Blest night of wandering
In secret, when by none might I be spied,
Nor I see anything;
Without a light to guide
Save that which in my heart burnt in my side.

That light did lead me on,
More surely than the shining of noontide
Where well I knew that One
Did for my coming bide;
Where He abode might none but He abide.

O night that didst lead thus,
O night more lovely than the dawn of light;
O night that broughtest us,
Lover to lover’s sight,
Lover to loved, in marriage of delight!

Upon my flowery breast
Wholly for Him and save Himself for none,
There did I give sweet rest
To my beloved one:
The fanning of the cedars breathed thereon.

~~Saint John of the Cross

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Cloud of Unknowing

Tags

Christianity, God, Mystic, Mysticism, religion

Flying above the clouds enroute to Georgia.

BUT now thou askest me and sayest, “How shall I think on Himself, and what is He?” and to this I cannot answer thee but thus: “I wot not.” For thou hast brought me with thy question into that same darkness, and into that same cloud of unknowing, that I would thou wert in thyself. For of all other creatures and their works, yea, and of the works of God’s self, may a man through grace have fullhead of knowing, and well he can think of them: but of God Himself can no man think. And therefore I would leave all that 89 thing that I can think, and choose to my love that thing that I cannot think. For why; He may well be loved, but not thought. By love may He be gotten and holden; but by thought never. And therefore, although it be good sometime to think of the kindness and the worthiness of God in special, and although it be a light and a part of contemplation: nevertheless yet in this work it shall be cast down and covered with a cloud of forgetting. And thou shalt step above it stalwartly, but Mistily, with a devout and a pleasing stirring of love, and try for to pierce that darkness above thee. And smite upon that thick cloud of unknowing with a sharp dart of longing love; and go not thence for thing 90 that befalleth.

~~from The Cloud of Unknowing, 14th Century, Britain

Selah

Tags

Arizona, cactus, Desert, photography

Cholla at Spur Cross Ranch Recreation Area

Taking a break this week while in Arizona filming videos for an online class to go with a book we’ve just finished, and to attend our daughter’s White Coat Ceremony at Midwestern’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Here’s a few photos taken while filming.

Sun rising over the ridge at Spur Cross Ranch.

Clouds over Hole in the Rock at Papago Park.

Pack Smart

Tags

backpacking, Camping, Hiking

Taking a water break while backpacking in Arches National Park in Utah.

I was interviewed for an article on packing for hiking and camping trips for a periodical in Hong Kong:

Pack Smart for Hiking and Camping Trips

Packing well is crucial because when you’re out on a trail, the contents of your backpack can be a lifesaver. Victoria Logue, author of Hiking and Backpacking: Essential Skills, Equipment, and Safety, shares ideas on how you can pack to get the most out of your backpack. By Erika Lim

The challenge with packing for hiking or camping trips is finding the balance between packing light and packing adequately. Since you’ll be carrying your backpack by yourself for much of the journey, the lighter your pack, the easier it will be on your body. Assess your packing list objectively and cut out those items that you can do without. But when you’ve shaved your list to the bare minimum, what else can you do to your luggage compact and comfortable to carry?

Pack Light

A simple rule of thumb is to carry no more than one-third of your body weight. For short trips, a quarter or less would suffice.

• Discard all unnecessary packaging. Even the cardboard tube in the centre of your toilet paper should be removed. Doing so not only reduces your pack weight, it will cut down the amount of trash you’ll need to carry along because most hiking trails don’t provide waste bins. If you need to pad sharp or delicate objects, wrap them with a towel or piece of clothing.
• Be versatile and find multiple uses for the items that you bring. Instead of packing both shampoo and body soap, purchase a biodegradable cleanser that works for your hair, skin and even apparel. Clothes can be piled up to make a cosy camp pillow and save you the trouble of bringing one along. For a luxuriously warm night when you’re camping during the cold season, fill your water bottle with hot water and tuck it into your sleeping bag before you sleep.
• For essential equipment such as tents or sleeping bags, consider lighter-weight options. The backpacking market has exploded in recent years and manufacturers constantly upgrade their merchandise, so consumers have a wide range to choose from. Minimalist backpacks, feather-light sleeping bags and so forth are readily available these days. That said, such light-weight alternatives usually come with a higher price tag. Research online through reputable sources like Backpacker magazine (backpacker.com) to find out what best fits your needs.

 

Pack Tight

Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of packing really tight. Squeezing out all those little gaps and air pockets can save you a good deal of space.

• Rolling your clothes conserves more space than folding them and will help to keep them less wrinkled. Remember to place the opening of the roll at the bottom to prevent your clothes from unrolling.
• Ziplock plastic bags are wonderful for hiking and camping trips. Get good quality ones as these are durable and water-proof. They’re perfect for keeping your belongings dry (wet weather is always a possibility when you’re outdoors), compartmentalising assorted items (things often get “lost” in a pack) and squeezing the air out of bulky clothing. Use different sizes – big ziplocks for shirts or pants, medium sized ones for socks or underwear, and small ones for keys, cards, cell phones and other knick-knacks.
• Ziplocks are also ideal for repackaging foodstuff. Plan your meals and pack your food into meal-sized portions using ziplocks or other kinds of plastic bags. Squeeze out as much air as you can to save space and preserve the freshness of your food. These days, you can also purchase tuna and other meats in foil pouches, which is a great improvement over having to carry cans and a can opener.

 

Load Properly

Once you’ve gathered all your things and laid them out for packing, think about how you should arrange them for maximum convenience and comfort.

• Keep essential supplies (such as food, medication and rain gear) easily accessible by putting them near the opening of your pack or in the side pockets. You don’t want to be frantically searching for your first aid kit during an emergency. And since you’ll be drinking frequently during your hike, make sure you can reach for water without having to take your pack off. You can keep your bottle in a holster or outside pocket, or add a hydration system to your pack (if it doesn’t have one).
• Distribute the weight in your pack as evenly as possible. Foodstuff can be surprisingly heavy so don’t put all your food on one side and all your clothes on the other.
• Packing a pack actually varies as to whether you are male or female. Women have a lower centre of gravity, so packing the heaviest items toward the bottom and closer to the back of the pack will be more comfortable for them. Men should pack denser items higher and closer to their back.
• Most packs now have a compartment for the sleeping bag at the bottom. Above that, another compartment would hold, for women: shelter (tent or hammock or tarp), stove and cooking gear, then clothes and toiletries, with food at the top. Men might want to put clothes and toiletries at the bottom with the shelter, and their stove, cooking gear and food above that.

 

Victoria Logue is an avid traveller who has written extensively on hiking and outdoor travel. To learn more about her work, visit her website victorialogue.com.

Dazzling Darkness

Tags

Henry Vaughan, Jesus, Poetry

The Night

Through that pure Virgin-shrine,
That sacred vail drawn o’er thy glorious noon
That men might look and live as Glo-worms shine,
And face the Moon:
Wise Nicodemus saw such light
As made him know his God by night.

Most blest believer he!
Who in that land of darkness and blind eyes
Thy long expected healing wings could see,
When thou didst rise,
And what can never more be done,
Did at midnight speak with the Sun!

O who will tell me, where
He found thee at that dead and silent hour!
What hallow’d solitary ground did bear
So rare a flower,
Within whose sacred leafs did lie
The fulness of the Deity.

No mercy-seat of gold,
No dead and dusty Cherub, nor carv’d stone,
But his own living works did my Lord hold
And lodge alone;
Where trees and herbs did watch and peep
And wonder, while the Jews did sleep.

Dear night! this worlds defeat;
The stop to busy fools; cares check and curb;
The day of Spirits; my souls calm retreat
Which none disturb!
Christs progress, and his prayer time;
The hours to which high Heaven doth chime.

Gods silent, searching flight:
When my Lords head is fill’d with dew, and all
His locks are wet with the clear drops of night;
His still, soft call;
His knocking time; The souls dumb watch,
When Spirits their fair kindred catch.

Were all my loud, evil days
Calm and unhaunted as is thy dark Tent,
Whose peace but by some Angels wing or voice
Is seldom rent;
Then I in Heaven all the long year
Would keep, and never wander here.

But living where the Sun
Doth all things wake, and where all mix and tire
Themselves and others, I consent and run
To ev’ry mire,
And by this worlds ill-guiding light,
Err more then I can do by night.

There is in God (some say)
A deep, but dazzling darkness; As men here
Say it is late and dusky, because they
See not all clear;
O for that night ! where I in him
Might live invisible and dim.

~~Henry Vaughan

A Way to the Manger

Tags

Advent, Books, Christianity, Christmas, Devotional

Now available for pre-order, my husband Frank, and I, have written a week of devotions for this book from Forward Movement:

Explore Christ’s birth as recounted in the Gospel of Luke through the lens of the Way of Love and the seven practices of turn, learn, pray, worship, bless, go, and rest. With daily devotions of personal stories, modern examples, art, and invitations to prayer and journaling, the authors challenge you to discover and incorporate these practices into your own life. During Advent and Christmas, walk with the shepherds and the angels, Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, and Anna and Simeon. All of their paths—as well as yours—lead to the same destination: the humble manger where Love was born.

For more info, see here: A Way to the Manger