Nature prayer

Posted on May 20, 2026 by seriouslyseekinganswers

Martin Luther is said to have observed, “God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”

Tertullian is quoted by Galileo (link HERE) as saying, “We conclude that God is known first through Nature, and then again, more particularly, by doctrine; by Nature in His works, and by doctrine in His revealed word.”

In other words, one can think of nature as God’s “other book.”

During the growing season I tend several veggie, herb and flower beds. On warm sunny days, I can take walks in my neighborhood, or along an amazing tree-lined bike trail that runs beside a creek near our house. Sometimes I grab my camera and visit a neighborhood park.

Whether I’m admiring the flowers in our backyard, snapping photos of flora and fauna at the park or strolling the neighborhood, experiencing God’s creation with all my senses ranks as one of my favorite activities. Not to mention one of my most effective forms of relaxation and stress relief. (It sure beats arguing with complete strangers about politics on Facebook.)

Immersing myself in nature’s majesty continually reminds me there is an ultimate Creator. As I’ve said before, I find it almost impossible to deny God’s existence when I’m outdoors with the evidence all around me. So, to ward off those nagging doubts that surface from time to time, I try to get outside as much as possible and engage in what has become my most potent form of prayer: Nature prayer.

According to the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest, author and editor-at-large of America magazine (link HERE), nature prayer is simply being “attentive to the presence of God in nature.”

For me, this form of prayer doesn’t even necessarily need words. Just looking at the vibrant colors of spring blossoms and fall leaves. Listening to birds singing and cicadas humming. Drinking in the scent of lilacs. Feeling a gentle breeze against my face. Tasting the sweetness of a vine-ripened strawberry.

The Bible is chock full of passages that extole nature and invite us to immerse ourselves in it, appreciate it and learn from it.

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

Luke 12:27 says, “Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.”

Being in nature not only brings us close to God, but can restore us physically and spiritually. The opening verses of the 23^rd Psalm affirm, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.”

Psalm 104:24 exclaims, “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” In fact, Psalm 104 in its entirety presents one long ode to the natural world – mountains that smoke, melodious birds, wine that gladdens the heart, trees and streams that protect and feed wildlife of all kinds.

Even Jesus found nature conducive to prayer and meditation. After a long day of healing, teaching and preaching to crowds, “he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed,” says Luke 5:16.

As I engage in nature prayer, I sense God speaking to me every bit as directly as God speaks to me while I’m in church or reading the Bible.

When I watch a brilliant sunset dance along the tops of rioting fall leaves, I sense that God loves beauty.

When I watch a hummingbird flit from blossom to blossom sipping nectar while its tiny wings flap 70 times per second, I sense that God wants to inspire awe.

When I observe the more than three dozen varieties of flowers just in my own backyard, I sense that God prefers diversity.

When jonquils poke up through snow, I sense that God encourages us to feel hope. No matter how cold, dark and bleak life may seem, spring will come eventually.

Most importantly, when I’m immersing myself in nature, I understand at the deepest level that we are meant to appreciate and care for God’s creation. Because nature is part of God’s creation and a gift to us, we have an obligation to protect and preserve it.

God’s other book: Dandelions

Posted on April 13, 2026 by seriouslyseekinganswers

Just my humble opinion, but what’s not to love about dandelions?

They are among the first signs of spring, popping up in our yard even before the grass starts greening.

One can’t help but admire their irrepressible resiliency. These masters of survival can grow up through cracks in a sidewalk and thrive.

Many pollinators rely on dandelions, violets and other early-spring wildflowers to provide nectar before other flowers begin to bloom.

Sadly, people use millions of gallons of herbicides each year to kill these delightful flowers, thus taking a terrible toll on the environment.

We’ve made the decision to keep our lawn chemical-free. Don’t worry, we do mow (though we put off the first mowing for as long as possible).

By about mid-spring, our entire yard has become a colorful dandelion-and-violet patch, which keeps the butterflies and bees very happy.

Even our resident chipmunks like the wildflowers.

And then there are the seed puffs. When I was a child, I loved plucking dandelions and blowing the seeds into the air.

I also loved hooking their long hollow stems together to make a necklace or bracelet.

If we must pull them up, the greens can be added to a salad. Some people also use them to make tea or wine.

I saw the paperweight and necklace below on Etsy. What will folks think of next?

So when others talk about getting rid of dandelions, I always want to ask this one-word question: “Why?”

I don’t know about anyone else, but I love my dandelions! And I’m letting them stay exactly where they are.

Meeting my 5-A-Day challenge

Posted on March 29, 2026 by seriouslyseekinganswers

One of my priorities is to stay healthy for as long as possible and help my husband do the same. Toward this end I’m working to develop the habit of eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, as recommended by nutrition experts.

I must confess that, for too many years, our eating habits resembled those of a pair of rebellious 10-year-olds. (Vegetables are gross! Give me ice cream!)

Add to that, the challenge of finding veggies Pete and I can both stand. We each have veggies we like and veggies we loathe. Problem is, the ones I like are too often on his “loathe list” and vice versa.

Fortunately, I’ve discovered all kinds of relatively painless ways to sneak more fruits and vegetables past our lips:

Add a glass of juice or a small bowl of fresh fruit to our breakfast (one fruit serving).

Add a small salad to other meals (one or two veggie/fruit servings, depending on the salad ingredients).

Turn a ho-hum sandwich into a Dagwood by piling on shredded lettuce, tomato slices and thinly sliced purple onion (one veggie serving).

Cook up enough vegetables for each meal to ensure leftovers. This means I can create a veggie plate from time to time, or add an extra veggie to a meal without extra cooking (several veggie servings in one sitting!).

Add vegetables like spinach, broccoli or mushrooms to pasta dishes such as lasagna or mac and cheese (one veggie serving).

Munch on raw vegetables rather than potato chips. Baby carrots and celery sticks dipped in hummus make a great snack when I have that irresistible urge to nibble, and I usually consume enough of them to equal at least one vegetable serving.

Add cut-up fresh fruit and a couple spoonfuls of granola to a bowl of fat-free plain yogurt for another healthy snack (one fruit serving).

Replace my afternoon soda with an 8-ounce glass of V-8 juice (two veggie servings!).

Throw chunks of frozen fruit and yogurt into a blender – adding some Splenda if necessary – for a dessert that looks and tastes like soft-serve ice cream (one fruit serving, plus a bit of protein).

Order a la carte at restaurants. Although restaurant meals tend to include only one vegetable, I can often order a second one on the side for a small “upcharge.”

Ask for substitutions, if this is allowed. When I mention my dietary restrictions, I can usually persuade food servers to replace fries or chips with a serving of coleslaw, fresh fruit or no-sugar-added applesauce (one fruit or veggie serving).

Bring healthy snacks to gatherings. I’ve found that bringing a bountiful veggie platter with dip gives me something to nibble on instead of the fat and sugar-laden hors d’oeuvres usually on offer. This helps me add an extra veggie serving to my daily quota as well.

Adding and subtracting for Lent

Posted on March 15, 2026 by seriouslyseekinganswers

When it comes to healthy eating, I’m not one to weigh and measure every single thing I put on my plate. Nor do I have the patience to constantly track calories. My common sense tells me to avoid crash diets that ask us to eliminate whole food groups, even if they promise to take off ten pounds in one week. And I’ve learned the hard way that putting any item on a forbidden list only makes me suddenly crave it.

For me, taking off weight has required developing sustainable habits I don’t need to think about – at least not too much – once they’re established. And what better time to initiate a new positive habit than during Lent? Some experts say it takes about 30-40 days for a habit to get firmly established, so the time frame is perfect.

In recent years, some people I know have added a new tradition to their annual Lenten discipline. Instead of (or in addition to) giving something up, they approach Lent as a time to “take something on.” This could include anything from daily prayer and meditation to better self-care to a new charitable commitment.

Since Ephesians 4:22-24 tells us to put off the “old self” and put on a “new self,” I’ve begun including both a sacrifice – or “subtraction” – and an “add-on.” That is, I dedicate each Lenten season to acquiring a new positive eating habit as well as ditching a negative one.

This addition/subtraction process makes sense to me psychologically. Experts agree shedding a habit can be hard unless we replace it with something else. Examples I’ve adopted include replacing salt with herbs and spices, replacing “refined” starches with more fiber-rich whole foods, and replacing sugar- and fat-laden munchies with “legal” snacks.

Over the years, these small tweaks to my eating habits have yielded great long-term benefits. Here are some habits I’ve added and subtracted during the past few Lenten seasons and continue to work on this year:

Subtract added sugar. I’ve found that some things – cornbread, applesauce, dry cereal, iced tea – actually taste better when they’re not gunked-up with added sugar. I’ve also become an inveterate label reader because I’ve learned that manufacturers sneak the nefarious substance into all kinds of foods where one wouldn’t expect to find it, from ketchup and peanut butter to fat-free yogurt. Thankfully I’ve discovered “no added sugar” versions of all these things.

Add fruits and vegetables. The U.S.D.A. recommends we eat at least 5 vegetable and fruit servings per day. I’ve come up with several ways to slip more of these into my diet – adding a small salad to my lunch, adding spinach or other veggies to pasta dishes, adding lettuce or a tomato slice to a sandwich, snacking on raw veggies and fruit chunks, or replacing soda with a small glass of V-8 juice.

Subtract added salt. Again, I always check labels – more and more popular brands now offer reduced-sodium or no-salt-added versions of their soups, sauce mixes and other products. Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh produce, and less likely to contain salt than canned veggies. Since I’ve begun replacing the added salt called for in many of my recipes with herbs and spices, I’ve found I don’t even miss the salt.

Add fiber. One easy way to do this is to substitute whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta for the refined stuff. Other good sources of fiber include raw veggies, avocados, berries, legumes, nuts and seeds. I also don’t peel potatoes, cucumbers or apples.

Subtract red meat. Being a Midwesterner raised on a farm, I grew up eating lots of beef and pork. While I don’t plan to eliminate these from my diet – at least not at this time – I have begun to replace some “red-meat” meals each week with fish, chicken, eggs or a plant-based protein such as beans or lentils.

Add healthy snacks. I’ve developed a repertoire of “legal” between-meal nibbles. Best are munchies that help me meet my daily quota of fruits and vegetables, such as fresh fruit chunks and raw veggies with dip. Also good are snacks that have higher protein content and fewer carbs, such as a small dish of sugar-free pudding made with fat-free milk, or snacks high in fiber such as air-popped popcorn.

Subtract impulse buys. I’ve found it much easier to avoid eating “junk” if I don’t bring it into the house in the first place. Grocery shopping with a list helps, as does not shopping when I’m hungry. During the pandemic, I began ordering groceries online and having them delivered. This made avoiding impulse buys so much easier, I continued shopping this way once the quarantine was over.

Add portion control. The “plate method” suggested by the American Diabetes Association is attractive because there’s no weighing, measuring or calorie-counting. (Note: You don’t have to be diabetic to use it.) The plate method involves filling half a nine-inch plate with non-starchy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli or carrots, one-quarter of the plate with whole grains, fruit or starchy vegetables such as corn or potatoes, and one-quarter of the plate with a protein source. For detailed information on the plate method, link HERE.

It’s important to point out that I didn’t make all these changes at once. I’ve made one or two small changes at a time, which means the new habits have been acquired over a period of years. For example, one Lenten season I focused on subtracting added sugar and adding more fruits and veggies to my plate. Since then, I’ve added/subtracted a new habit or two each year. Baby steps, as my spiritual director likes to say.

The good news: These baby steps really do work. So far, I’m about 15 pounds down from my top weight. Yes, the weight has come off much more slowly than it would have with a crash diet, but the bottom line is that it’s staying off.

Let there be light – all year long

Posted on February 28, 2026 by seriouslyseekinganswers

I know some really efficient people who take down their holiday tree and decorations the day after Christmas.

I used to wait until at least January 7, the day after Epiphany. The 12 days of Christmas, after all, are said to run between Christmas Day and Epiphany.

However, in recent years – especially while enduring pandemic-related isolation, followed by more isolation while recovering from health issues – I’ve been reluctant to take the decorations down even in January. The lights create such a cheery mood during a gloomy time.

So during the height of the pandemic, I left everything up until just before Easter. Then, as Pete and I spent more than a year recovering from health issues, I decided, “Why take it all down on Easter?”

That’s when I began a new tradition – outfitting my sun room with an “Ordinary Time” theme, complete with tree, lights and decorations. The transition starts during Lent, with the process complete by Easter Sunday.

First I trade in the Christmas ornaments on the tree (above) for some bird and butterfly ornaments and cute little bows. For good measure, I add some ornaments featuring the wonderful cats that have graced my life. Colorful flowers complete the look.

Here’s a close-up of bird and butterfly ornaments on the tree.

I replace the Christmas wreath and red bows above the windows with a wreath full of spring/summer flowers and some sunshine-yellow bows.

In the rest of the sun room, I swap out the poinsettias and other Christmas decor for “growing season” flowers.

I exchange more Christmas decor for growing-season flowers in another corner of the sun room.

Still more flowers fill a third corner. Yes, that’s a cat bed in the chair.

Our kitties have often preferred the floor, however, especially if they could bake their little brains in a shaft of morning sunlight. Here, Champie (above) and Elizabeth (below) each had a talent for finding that perfect sunbeam.

The swing below is one of my favorite morning meditation spots when the weather warms up, especially if I can get a cute kitty to join me,

Above the door leading from the sun room into the living room is one of my favorite Bible verses.

Besides letting me keep the option of light in the room for rainy days, transitioning the decor has an added benefit. It gives me something constructive to do with my “spring fever” energy while I wait for the chance to work in the flower beds outside. (Soon!!) Since this is the first full week of Lent, it’s time for me to begin this year’s transition.

Meanwhile, here’s a panoramic view of my “Ordinary Time” sun room, as it looked for most of this past year, with all the “growing season” decor – and the lights blazing.

No time for gloom in this room!

God’s other book: Weathering winter

Posted on February 8, 2026 by seriouslyseekinganswers

I actually don’t mind snow, especially when viewed through a picture window from the comfort of my recliner in the living room. Or through the windshield of my car while I’m driving through the park near my house. Sometimes, though, I do manage to poke my nose outside.

What I really love, in addition to the beautiful scenery, are those hardy wildlife friends who stick around for the winter rather than flying south or hibernating out of sight.

Such brave creatures …

For the past several winters, I’ve been photographing them whenever I decide to withstand the elements myself and leave the comfort of my living room or car. It’s definitely worth the trouble. Here are some of my favorites.

Good thing God gave these ducks, geese and little birds some warm feathers and outfitted the squirrels with fur coats. Brrrrr!!

Recipe: Baptist Sangria

Posted on January 17, 2026 by seriouslyseekinganswers

Image created using Imagine AI

Note: In honor of “Dry January,” I thought I’d rerun the recipe for my favorite mocktail. It’s so delightful, I promise you won’t even miss the alcohol.

A growing trend, “Dry January” offers a chance to skip the alcohol and try something different for a change.

Dry January challenges people to abstain from alcohol for the entire month. The new custom has gained popularity in recent years as a response to the excesses of the holiday season, and many are using the occasion as an opportunity to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol, modify habits, or experience the physical and mental health benefits of sobriety.

The good news: People who want or need to avoid alcohol – whatever the reason or season – have an increasing number of fun options besides the usual diet cola or club soda. One can try a Mockmopolitan, Virgin Mojito, Cucumber Cooler, Mango Tango, Citrus Sparkler or a few dozen other enticing offerings.

One of my favorite drinks in this category is a Baptist Sangria – so named because it is, you guessed it, nonalcoholic. The colorful mocktail offers a delicious alternative to the traditional sangria, perfect for people who choose not to drink alcohol, even beyond January.

More good news: This delightful drink actually has nutritional value – lots of Vitamin C and at least one fruit serving to help meet our daily quota of fruits and veggies – not to mention a large glass of something liquid to aid hydration.

To make the drink, I fill a large glass with equal parts cranberry or pomegranate juice, sparkling water and fresh fruit. If I really want to get fancy, I can add a sprig of mint.

I make sure the fruit juice is actually 100 percent juice, not “juice drink,” which has far too much added sugar.

For the sparkling water, I use Sodastream – a wonderful contraption that turns plain old tap water into sparkling water with none of the sodium often found in the commercial variety.

I then add fresh fruit such as citrus slices or wedges, fruit chunks or berries. The possibilities here are endless. Oranges, lemons, limes, strawberries, cherries, grapes, kiwis, peaches, apples, pineapples and melons all work well.

Ingredients

Cranberry or pomegranate juice
Sparkling water or club soda
Sliced fresh fruit, fresh fruit chunks or whole berries
Sprig of mint (optional)

Directions

Fill your glass about a third full of chilled juice.

Add an equal amount of chilled sparkling water and stir.

Fill the remainder of the glass with any combination of sliced fruit, fruit chunks, fruit wedges or berries.

Garnish with a fruit slice and/or a sprig of mint.

That’s it. Easy-peasy. Enjoy!

Nutrition information*

For a drink made from 4 ounces of cranberry juice, 4 ounces of sparkling water and a half cup of lemon, lime and orange chunks:

* Nutritional values are approximate, and may depend on brands used and other variables.

Have a blessed New Year!

Posted on January 1, 2026 by seriouslyseekinganswers

May God protect us and bless us all with strength, hope, joy and peace as we embark on the coming year’s journey.

Our Christmas letter for 2025

Posted on December 25, 2025 by seriouslyseekinganswers

Merry Christmas! Love and cheer to everyone this holiday season. We actually had a pretty good year in 2025 – one that has us feeling blessed and grateful.

This October, we celebrated our 40^th wedding anniversary!!! And I’m wondering, where did the time go?? When we vowed to take each other for better or worse, we embarked on a journey, and what an amazing journey it’s been! After all that time together, Pete is still at the very top of my gratitude list. I love that man to the moon and back, and I truly consider him to be a gift from a kind and loving God.

We’ve had some very good news on the health front. (Knock wood.) Pete has been getting CT scans every three months since he went through his chemo and surgery in early 2023. For two years now, his scans have been coming back “unremarkable” (no signs of recurring cancer). I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for this – both to God and his amazing oncologist! We did have a bit of a scare at the beginning of this year when Pete’s immunotherapy treatments started going after his kidneys. Thankfully, that situation has been brought under control, at least for now. His oncologist has been practically ecstatic as he expresses cautious optimism about Pete’s prognosis.

Besides the great news about Pete, I received some good news of my own this month: I was finally able to have a cardiac ablation in the fall for an arrhythmia problem that had been going on for years and leading to occasional scary trips to the ER. I’ve had a heart monitor implanted and at my follow-up appointment in early December, my cardiologist said I’ve had no episodes of either SVT or A-fib since the surgery. I continue to participate in my cardiac rehab exercise program and Pete has joined me. We are even pretty much sticking to our healthy eating plans prescribed by the rehab program’s dietician.

After what seemed like an endless siege of homebound isolation lasting until mid-2024 – first because of the pandemic and then because of our health issues – we’ve been able to return to in-person church services and get-togethers with family and friends. This year we even started eating out at restaurants again, though we choose places with outdoor tables or, when the weather is cold, times when a restaurant is relatively empty. And we’re up to our eyeballs in volunteer commitments. In other words, our lives have begun returning to normal. For a long while, I wasn’t sure that would ever happen.

Our involvement at church keeps us quite busy these days. For the past year, I’ve been serving as congregation vice-president and began my first term on the church council. I continue to chair our congregation’s community service committee and do my part to help keep our church’s micro pantry filled with food. Pete has been chairing the faith formation committee and co-facilitates our Dwelling in the Word Bible study group that meets after the church service each Sunday. And Pete and I are about to begin our fifth year of leading Sundays@6, an adult faith formation class which meets on Zoom. The group has about a dozen regulars who “attend” each week and the discussions are quite lively.

For our third year now, we’ve been involved in an anti-racism committee created by our community’s Dominican Sisters Associates program. The group, which meets on Zoom every other month, brings together people of different races to discuss how to recognize and address racism both in ourselves and in our society’s institutions. Participating in this group has been an amazing learning experience and we’ve been honored to be part of it.

We also continue to participate in spiritual direction with one of the Dominican Sisters. Spiritual direction – for those unfamiliar with the concept – is a partnership in which one Christian helps another grow in a personal relationship with God. Monthly one-on-one meetings have involved examining our prayer life, our personal values and various lifestyle choices. Another amazing learning experience for both of us!

On a very sad note, we had to say goodbye in August to our beautiful Queen Elizabeth after having her with us only eight months, due to complications from a heart condition. Lizzie came to us from our local cat café just before Christmas last year and captivated our hearts immediately. She fit nicely into laps, loved begging for treats, purred loudly while cuddling in bed with us, and had an irrepressible personality. I know some people shy away from adopting an older pet, especially one with “special needs.” But we would do it again in a heartbeat. Our little “senior” brought us so much joy. She was definitely one of our blessings, even though our time with her was so heartbreakingly brief.

The good news is, our little Brycie – whom we adopted at the same time we adopted Elizabeth – is thriving. For the first several weeks, Bryce disappeared into a pile of boxes in Pete’s office and seemed most comfortable when he was hiding. We took to calling him Sir Bryce of Boxington Manor and were advised by friends that we should let him get to know us at his own pace. Now, though, he has gotten completely bold and has made the house thoroughly his own. He loves to cuddle with us in bed, begs for food when we sit down for meals, sits in my lap when Pete and I are watching movies or podcasts, and loves to scamper at a high rate of speed around the house at 3 a.m. Hence, his new nickname “Scamperpuss.” We love the little bandersnatch.

Here’s hoping everyone has a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year full of grace and peace!

Recipe: Fruktsoppa

Posted on December 14, 2025 by seriouslyseekinganswers

Fruktsoppa, a fruit soup using dried fruit, is a traditional dessert in Sweden and Norway.

When I was growing up, this dish was a staple at extended-family gatherings during the holidays. But fruktsoppa is so tasty, why reserve it only for Christmas?

The soup may be served as a side dish at breakfast or as a dessert at other meals. What a delicious way to help meet our goal of 3-5 servings of fruits or vegetables per day!

The original recipe calls for added sugar, but I totally leave it out. Because the fruit itself is naturally sweet enough, who needs the added carbs and calories?

The soup can be frozen up to three months, which makes it great for batch cooking.

This recipe makes approximately 10 half-cup servings.

Ingredients

1 cup dried apricots
1 cup dried prunes
2 apples, sliced
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
6 cups water

Directions

Soak apricots in the water for at least a half hour.

Add the apple slices, cinnamon sticks, tapioca and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add prunes and currants and continue to simmer until all fruit is tender.

Serve hot or cold, depending on your preference.

Nutrition information