I started blogging about 18 months ago and have been terribly inconsistent. I am a United Church of Canada minister and write a sermon/reflection every week. However, I would often see things in my daily life that seemed to warrant shorter reflections on God’s presence in the world and wanted another venue to write/reflect upon them. Around the same time I was introduced to contemplative photography and fell in love with that as a spiritual practice. Focusing my camera on a sweeping landscape or the seedpod of a flower brings the beauty of creation into focus for me and I have become much more mindful and aware since taking up photography.

I am married, have an adult son, two adult stepchildren, two grandchildren and a busy, demanding life, which most of the time I love. I am also an avid reader, love to cook/bake, discovered a love of gardening last year while on sabbatical, have belly danced for 15 years and am trying to persuade my husband to take some social dance lessons. In 10 days I am leaving my current ministry position to take up a new one. I feel excitement, grief, trepidation, enthusiasm, sometimes within the same hour.

One of my goals is to consistently publish weekly content. I signed up for blogging 101 in order to kickstart that. I figure after having a daily assignment, a weekly one will be a piece of cake! I plan to continue to focus on connecting the sacred and everyday life through photography. Another goal is to become more familiar with the nitty gritty details of how my blog looks and functions and to maximize its effectiveness.

I took this picture New Year’s Day on the trail up behind our house. It was a perfect winter day. There had been some snow in the morning and then it cleared off to one of those perfect winter days with bright sunshine and no wind. I call it Fire & Ice, It reminds me of lines from a favourite hymn by Natalie Sleeth:

“In the cold and snow of winter
there’s a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.”