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It was like a Church to me: Port Meadow, Oxford, at Sunset

By Anita Mathias

Port Meadow (Oxford) at Sunset.

Port Meadow (Oxford) at Sunset.

 

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Port Meadow (Oxford) at Sunset.

I walked last night on Port Meadow. An extraordinary experience! The blazing ball of sun slowly floated into the Thames, colouring it crimson.

An amazing natural event I have too often missed! Spectacular beauty lavished on anyone who would take a few minutes to observe it.

Wild geese arrived honking, with a beating of wings, settling in to their night homes on the river. Seagulls flew overhead, dropping shells, having eaten the mussel.

Graceful swans with impossibly elongated necks tucked them under their wings, ready to sleep. Baby ducks followed their mothers. Golden retrievers bounded.

There was perfect peace.

The sky stretched huge massive and endless over the flat expanse of Port Meadow. It reminded me of the Big Sky when we drove through Montana.

And I kept thinking:
The Heavens declare the glory of God
The firmament shows forth the work of his hands
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19)

Port Meadow (Oxford) at Sunset.

Port Meadow (Oxford) at Sunset.

And here’s a poem by R. S. Thomas, about a similar experience

The Moor

It was like a church to me.
I entered it on soft foot,
Breath held like a cap in the hand.
It was quiet.
What God there was made himself felt,
Not listened to, in clean colours
That brought a moistening of the eye,
In a movement of the wind over grass.

There were no prayers said. But stillness
Of the heart’s passions — that was praise
Enough; and the mind’s cession
Of its kingdom. I walked on,
Simple and poor, while the air crumbled
And broke on me generously as bread.

Filed Under: In which I bow my knee in praise and worship, In which I Spot God in Nature Tagged With: Nature, Oxford, Port Meadow, Praise, R.S. Thomas, Sunset, The Moor, worship

In which I am convinced Heaven will look like Kew Gardens in Spring (Photoblog)

By Anita Mathias

Roy and I have been to Kew Gardens every week this spring. I am learning to run, and it’s a lovely place to jog, through the azalea and camellia and rhododendron, and fields of bluebells and crocus and fritillary. Our walks are usually 4 miles, but you just don’t realize how far you have done in this constantly changing panorama. Heaven, I believe, will have a little area reserved for Kew Gardens.

The rest of this blog and the images are from Roy.

Kew Gardens is a wonderful place to visit on good day.  (Even on a rainy day, there are the glass houses.)  Here are  few pictures from several visits this spring.

Snake's head fritillary, Kew Gardens.

Snake’s head fritillary, Kew Gardens.

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Some of the 30,000 fritillaries planted at Kew.

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The square patches of color looking like scales and shape give the flower its name.

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The Lucombe Oak, created by William Lucombe,  is a cross between the Turkey Oak and the Cork Oak.   It is a very vigorous cultivar and so highly prized. This tree was planted 20 meters away in 1773, then at the age of 73, it  was transplanted to its present location. (One of Kew’s botanical listed attractions.)

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A huge chestnut.

One of the hundreds of naturalised crocuses at Kew.

One of the hundreds of naturalised crocuses at Kew.

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Scilla (or are they Chionodoxa?)

Temple of Aeolus on top of a daffodil covered hill in the  Woodland Garden,  Kew Gardens.

Temple of Aeolus on top of a daffodil covered hill in the Woodland Garden, Kew Gardens.

Kew has a number of ponds and grassy areas that are welcoming to a variety of birds.

Kew has ponds and grassy areas that are welcoming to   birds.

Cornelia Cherry (Cornus Mas)

Cornelia Cherry (Cornus Mas)

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Canada goose — usually seen on land.

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A gathering of waterbirds. (The lady feeding them is off to the left.)

The wooded areas of Kew have some wonderful wild flowers and naturalised bulbs.

A massive drift of crocuses.

A massive drift of crocuses. (Kew Gardens)

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A mix of blue flowers and Queen Anne’s lace growing under a variety of species of oak.

Queen Anne's lace under a golden oak.

Queen Anne’s lace under a golden oak.

The azalea and rhododendron walk has some huge rhododendrons completely covered in flower, as well as smaller specimens where you can appreciate the individual flowers.

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We weren’t the only ones going out for a walk in the lovely spring weather. 07-DSCN7627 08-DSCN7630

 

Filed Under: In which I Spot God in Nature, In which I Travel and Dream Tagged With: kew gardens, London, Spring

How Nature Resets our Minds and Bodies

By Anita Mathias

The sky and sea soon turn red, St. Paul's Bay, Malta

The bay where St. Paul was shipwrecked, Malta. From our Christmas holiday there.

I am in Corfu on holiday, mainly walking on beaches and forests, and totally resetting my mind, body and most of all, spirit!!

I have excerpted two articles I read recently on the healing, restorative powers of nature on both brain and body

How Nature Resets our Minds and Bodies (The Atlantic) : According to this interesting article in the Atlantic, “nature restores mental functioning in the same way that food and water restore bodies.

Psychologists studying attention restoration theory, or ART, say that unlike draining urban environments, forests, streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans demand very little from us, though they’re still engaging, ever changing, and attention-grabbing. They give us the chance to think as much or as little as we’d like, and the opportunity to replenish exhausted mental resources.

Healers in Japan and Germany have long heralded the benefits of natural therapy, recognizing that humankind has spent 99.99 percent of its history living in natural environments. People who are exposed to natural scenes aren’t just happier or more comfortable; the very building blocks of their physiological well-being also respond positively to natural therapy.

Natural environments promote calmness and well-being in part because they expose people to low levels of stimulation.   Interesting locations, including busy natural environments, are so beneficial that physicians have begun to suggest that they might offer a cheap and effective way to lessen the effects of certain cancers.  Nature is an inexpensive and effective tool for dulling the impact of illness, and the intrusion of everyday stress.”

Easing Brain Fatigue with a Walk in the Park (The New York Times)

“Scientists known for some time that the human brain’s ability to stay calm and focused is limited and can be overwhelmed by the constant noise and hectic, jangling demands of modern life, sometimes resulting in a condition informally known as brain fatigue.

With brain fatigue, you are easily distracted, forgetful and mentally flighty.

But an innovative new study from Scotland suggests that you can ease brain fatigue simply by strolling through a leafy park.

The idea that visiting green spaces like parks or tree-filled plazas lessens stress and improves concentration is not new. Researchers have long theorized that green spaces are calming, requiring less of our so-called directed mental attention than busy, urban streets do. Instead, natural settings invoke “soft fascination,” a beguiling term for quiet contemplation, during which directed attention is barely called upon and the brain can reset those overstretched resources and reduce mental fatigue.

Previous studies have found that people who live near trees and parks have lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in their saliva than those who live primarily amid concrete, and that children with attention deficits tend to concentrate and perform better on cognitive tests after walking through parks or arboretums.

The use of portable EEGs   confirmed the idea that green spaces lessen brain fatigue.

Jenny Roe, a lecturer at Heriot-Watt’s School of the Built Environment, who oversaw the study said “Natural environments still engage the brain,  but the attention demanded is effortless. It’s called involuntary attention in psychology. It holds our attention while at the same time allowing scope for reflection,”

The study suggests that you should consider “taking a break from work,” Dr. Roe said, and “going for a walk in a green space or just sitting, or even viewing green spaces from your office window.” This is not unproductive lollygagging, Dr. Roe helpfully assured us. “It is likely to have a restorative effect and help with attention fatigue and stress recovery.”

 

Filed Under: In which I Spot God in Nature Tagged With: Nature, restorative effects of nature, therapeutic

A Love Song for a World: “Beyond Everything” by David Ignatow

By Anita Mathias

 

OUT 100: Boy George

Above Everything

By David Ignatow

 

I wished for death often,

But now that I am at its door

I have changed my mind about the world.

It should go on; it is beautiful,

even as a dream, filled with water and seed,

plants and animals, others like myself,

ships and buildings and messages

filling the air—a beauty,

if ever I have seen one.

In the next world, should I remember this one,

I will praise it,

above everything.

 

E8PCC7EPSZVE

Filed Under: In which I Spot God in Nature, Praise the Lord, Anyway Tagged With: Beauty, Praise

Walking by Ramla Bay, Gozo, Malta; Musing on the Eternal Abundance of God

By Anita Mathias

Ramla Bay, Gozo

Ramla Bay, Gozo

I enjoyed walking today by Ramla Bay in Malta, supposed to be one of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. Oh abundance!–jellyfish on the beach, shells, and a scatter of brilliant marble-like pebbles, which, with a few swishes in a rock tumbler, would reveal their sleek preciousness.

Pebbles left by the retreating waves.

Pebbles left by the retreating waves.

Pink jellyfish, Ramla Bay, Gozo.

Pink jellyfish, Ramla Bay, Gozo.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: In which I Spot God in Nature, In which I Travel and Dream, In which I'm amazed by the goodness of God Tagged With: Abundance of God, goodness of God, Gozo, Malta, ocean

What Nature tells us of God

By Anita Mathias


Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

What may be known about God from nature? What is plain?

That God is a God

* of order.

* Of economy–in brilliant ecosystems in which everything is recycled and nothing is wasted. God values efficiency it seems, everything has its purpose.

* who loves beauty

* who is creative

* whose goodness is extravagant–orchids which no eye ever sees

* who works for the joy of work, creating animals, insects, plants, stars, which will never be seen except by himself

* whose generosity is built into creation–in general, one reaps more than one sows, a multitude of fruit from a single apple or tomato seed.

* whose love is built into creation, in the parent-love most living creatures have for their offspring (and the longing to/for a mate).  All living creatures are made to serve and be served, (to love and be loved–to take it a bit further). Everything is alive because of food and sustenance provided by other plants and animals, and they and their body, and life and endeavours will in turn provide food and sustenance for others. 


* who has made variety in his creations, and treasures human variety too

* who is both fierce and gentle–Lord of hurricanes and earthquake and gentle winds

* That life contains light and darkness, winter and summer, rain and sunshine, abundance in summer and autumn, paucity in winter. As there is no reason to doubt the return of spring in winter, or dawn in the middle of the night, there is no reason to doubt God’s goodness in times of sadness or reverses. One might even say that times of both plenty and paucity are encoded into creation.

* creation rewards diligence-the planting and tending of seeds

Share on site of your choice … Wikio

Filed Under: In which I Spot God in Nature

To look at things in bloom Fifty springs are little room,

By Anita Mathias

Close up of cherry blossom from the paddock. 





Share on site of your choice … Wikio

Part of the row of cherry trees we planted in our paddock in the winter of 2006



Luther famously was asked what he would do if he knew the world would end on the next day. Looking out of his window at the apples trees in bloom, he replied, “I would go plant a tree.”


Sensible man. We’ve just planted 10-15 fruit trees in the five years we’ve lived here–are planning to plant many more this year!!–but how glad we are that we planted those we did.


And here’s a poem from A. E. Housman, “And since to look at things in bloom, fifty springs are little room, about the woodlands I will go, to see the cherry hung with snow.”


And so will I!! 

LOVELIEST of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now, of my threescore years and ten,         5
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,         10
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

A.E. Housman

Filed Under: In which I dream in my garden, In which I Spot God in Nature

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Anita Mathias: About Me

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My Books

Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art

Wandering Between Two Worlds - Amazon.com
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Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much

Francesco, Artist of Florence - Amazom.com
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The Story of Dirk Willems

The Story of Dirk Willems - Amazon.com
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Premier Digital Awards 2015 - Finalist - Blogger of the year
Runner Up Christian Media Awards 2014 - Tweeter of the year

Recent Posts

  •  On Not Wasting a Desert Experience
  • A Mind of Life and Peace in the Middle of a Global Pandemic
  • On Yoga and Following Jesus
  • Silver and Gold Linings in the Storm Clouds of Coronavirus
  • Trust: A Message of Christmas
  • Life- Changing Journaling: A Gratitude Journal, and Habit-Tracker, with Food and Exercise Logs, Time Sheets, a Bullet Journal, Goal Sheets and a Planner
  • On Loving That Which Love You Back
  • “An Autobiography in Five Chapters” and Avoiding Habitual Holes  
  • Shining Faith in Action: Dirk Willems on the Ice
  • The Story of Dirk Willems: The Man who Died to Save His Enemy

Categories

What I’m Reading

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Barak Obama

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance- Amazon.com
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H Is for Hawk
Helen MacDonald

H Is for Hawk - Amazon.com
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Tiny Habits
B. J. Fogg

  Tiny Habits  - Amazon.com
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The Regeneration Trilogy
Pat Barker

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anita.mathias

Writer, Blogger, Reader, Mum. Christian. Instaing Oxford, travel, gardens and healthy meals. Oxford English alum. Writing memoir. Lives in Oxford, UK

Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford # Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford #walking #tranquility #naturephotography #nature
So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And h So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And here we are at one of the world’s most famous and easily recognisable sites.
#stonehenge #travel #england #prehistoric England #family #druids
And I’ve blogged https://anitamathias.com/2020/09/13/on-not-wasting-a-desert-experience/
So, after Paul the Apostle's lightning bolt encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he went into the desert, he tells us...
And there, he received revelation, visions, and had divine encounters. The same Judean desert, where Jesus fasted for forty days before starting his active ministry. Where Moses encountered God. Where David turned from a shepherd to a leader and a King, and more, a man after God’s own heart.  Where Elijah in the throes of a nervous breakdown hears God in a gentle whisper. 
England, where I live, like most of the world is going through a desert experience of continuing partial lockdowns. Covid-19 spreads through human contact and social life, and so we must refrain from those great pleasures. We are invited to the desert, a harsh place where pruning can occur, and spiritual fruitfulness.
A plague like this has not been known for a hundred years... John Piper, after his cancer diagnosis, exhorted people, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer”—since this was the experience God permitted you to have, and He can bring gold from it. Pandemics and plagues are permitted (though not willed or desired) by a Sovereign God, and he can bring life-change out of them. 
Let us not waste this unwanted, unchosen pandemic, this opportunity for silence, solitude and reflection. Let’s not squander on endless Zoom calls—or on the internet, which, if not used wisely, will only raise anxiety levels. Let’s instead accept the invitation to increased silence and reflection
Let's use the extra free time that many of us have long coveted and which has now been given us by Covid-19 restrictions to seek the face of God. To seek revelation. To pray. 
And to work on those projects of our hearts which have been smothered by noise, busyness, and the tumult of people and parties. To nurture the fragile dreams still alive in our hearts. The long-deferred duty or vocation
So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I have totally sunk into the rhythm of it, and have got quiet, very quiet, the quietest spell of time I have had as an adult.
I like it. I will find going back to the sometimes frenetic merry-go-round of my old life rather hard. Well, I doubt I will go back to it. I will prune some activities, and generally live more intentionally and mindfully.
I have started blocking internet of my phone and laptop for longer periods of time, and that has brought a lot of internal quiet and peace.
Some of the things I have enjoyed during lockdown have been my daily long walks, and gardening. Well, and reading and working on a longer piece of work.
Here are some images from my walks.
And if you missed it, a blog about maintaining peace in the middle of the storm of a global pandemic
https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/  #walking #contemplating #beauty #oxford #pandemic
A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine. A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine.  We can maintain a mind of life and peace during this period of lockdown by being mindful of our minds, and regulating them through meditation; being mindful of our bodies and keeping them happy by exercise and yoga; and being mindful of our emotions in this uncertain time, and trusting God who remains in charge. A new blog on maintaining a mind of life and peace during lockdown https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/
In the days when one could still travel, i.e. Janu In the days when one could still travel, i.e. January 2020, which seems like another life, all four of us spent 10 days in Malta. I unplugged, and logged off social media, so here are some belated iphone photos of a day in Valetta.
Today, of course, there’s a lockdown, and the country’s leader is in intensive care.
When the world is too much with us, and the news stresses us, moving one’s body, as in yoga or walking, calms the mind. I am doing some Yoga with Adriene, and again seeing the similarities between the practice of Yoga and the practice of following Christ.
https://anitamathias.com/2020/04/06/on-yoga-and-following-jesus/
#valleta #valletamalta #travel #travelgram #uncagedbird
Images from some recent walks in Oxford. I am copi Images from some recent walks in Oxford.
I am coping with lockdown by really, really enjoying my daily 4 mile walk. By savouring the peace of wild things. By trusting that God will bring good out of this. With a bit of yoga, and weights. And by working a fair amount in my garden. And reading.
How are you doing?
#oxford #oxfordinlockdown #lockdown #walk #lockdownwalks #peace #beauty #happiness #joy #thepeaceofwildthings
Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social d Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social distancing. The first two are my own garden.  And I’ve https://anitamathias.com/2020/03/28/silver-and-gold-linings-in-the-storm-clouds-of-coronavirus/ #corona #socialdistancing #silverlinings #silence #solitude #peace
Trust: A Message of Christmas He came to earth in Trust: A Message of Christmas  He came to earth in a  splash of energy
And gentleness and humility.
That homeless baby in the barn
Would be the lynchpin on which history would ever after turn
Who would have thought it?
But perhaps those attuned to God’s way of surprises would not be surprised.
He was already at the centre of all things, connecting all things. * * *
Augustus Caesar issued a decree which brought him to Bethlehem,
The oppressions of colonialism and conquest brought the Messiah exactly where he was meant to be, the place prophesied eight hundred years before his birth by the Prophet Micah.
And he was already redeeming all things. The shame of unwed motherhood; the powerlessness of poverty.
He was born among animals in a barn, animals enjoying the sweetness of life, animals he created, animals precious to him.
For he created all things, and in him all things hold together
Including stars in the sky, of which a new one heralded his birth
Drawing astronomers to him.
And drawing him to the attention of an angry King
As angelic song drew shepherds to him.
An Emperor, a King, scholars, shepherds, angels, animals, stars, an unwed mother
All things in heaven and earth connected
By a homeless baby
The still point on which the world still turns. The powerful centre. The only true power.
The One who makes connections. * * *
And there is no end to the wisdom, the crystal glints of the Message that birth brings.
To me, today, it says, “Fear not, trust me, I will make a way.” The baby lay gentle in the barn
And God arranges for new stars, angelic song, wise visitors with needed finances for his sustenance in the swiftly-coming exile, shepherds to underline the anointing and reassure his parents. “Trust me in your dilemmas,” the baby still says, “I will make a way. I will show it to you.” Happy Christmas everyone.  https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/24/trust-a-message-of-christmas/ #christmas #gemalderieberlin #trust #godwillmakeaway
Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Gratitude journal, habit tracker, food and exercise journal, bullet journal, with time sheets, goal sheets and a Planner. Everything you’d like to track.  Here’s a post about it with ISBNs https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/23/life-changing-journalling/. Check it out. I hope you and your kids like it!
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