Back To The Trees

We ask you to connect back to the trees and reread this blog by Dr. Kimberly Andrews, originally posted on June 17th of 2020. Now, it is time to head back to the trees. We literally are going to talk about trees in this blog, but I mean this figuratively as well about a sense […]

Mother Earth’s Love Language

We often speak of the golden rule: treat others as we wish to be treated.  But have you heard of the platinum rule: treat others as they wish to be treated? Both are hard, the second is harder.   Understanding what others want can be challenging because we tend to conflate our own needs and wishes with that […]

Prayer For Mother

“Exquisite” best describes the sensory explosions I experienced on my walk through Mother today. Among other places, I frequent her trails along the James River in Central Virginia. Today’s walk wasn’t long but it was filled with the pleasures of sight, sound, color, fragrance, texture, and more. Her endless shades of green filled my eyes. […]

Developmental Theory and the Evolution of Earth and Humanity, Part I

Sure, there are aspects of my younger self that I miss (like my youthful waistline, I have the “Covid 19”), but mostly I wouldn’t want to go back in time for anything.  It’s not that I had a bad childhood or youth.  I don’t wish to go back to the ignorance, stress, and struggle of […]

Re-imagining Our Sacred Relationships

Rugged individualism has served America well in some respects.  It’s created many of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and decades of economic growth. But has individualism gone too far? The collective mentality often goes into binary thinking:  it’s either this or that. Thinking of our options as black or white choices reduces our ability to discern the subtlety of […]

Mother Earth’s Love Language

We often speak of the golden rule: treat others as we wish to be treated. But have you heard of the platinum rule: treat others as they wish to be treated? Both are hard, the second is harder. Understanding what others want can be challenging because we tend to conflate our own needs and wishes with that […]

Happy Everything Day

The holiday season (whichever holidays you celebrate) is so magical because they ask us to stop and celebrate something. It’s such a relief to raise our noses from the proverbial grindstone and take a step back to count our blessings, express gratitude, spend time with loved ones, and relish our abundance. What are your holiday […]

Thanksgiving And Lovegiving To Earth

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”  ― Mark Twain Twain’s wisdom resonates because it strikes such a chord of […]

Developmental Stages of Humanity and Earth

Harvard professor Bob Kegan’s adult development theory explains how adults develop on a cognitive level, as opposed to the traditional life stages framework.  In his theory, Kegan describes how adults move through stages defined by ones’ ability to understand and manage complexity. In his book, In Over Our Heads, Kegan describes how we’re, well, in over our […]

Family Responsibility and Time-Out

I have the most generous parents in the history of humanity.  They provide my home, my food and clothing, and even my entertainment.  They provide all my inspiration, and even the most amazing, beautiful retreats for contemplation and rest. I know my parents are unlike any other with regard to wisdom and generosity.  An expression of their wisdom, […]