Songs From The Valley

The Heart

In Proverbs 4:23 we are warned to ‘guard our heart’ for everything we do flows from our heart. What does that mean? I believe it means that it is very important what we think, what we do, what we watch, what we think about, what we allow to be in our relationships – in other words, our actions, thoughts and choices are extremely important to what kind of life we live, and those actions are what becomes ‘us’. Who we are flows from our heart.

Ronna Detrick and Callahan McDonough have been in my heart for the past month. They had no idea, but I have been praying for them, reading their words, looking at their art. Isn’t it interesting that those prayers were unknown to them, I have never met them, yet God put them on my heart and I prayed for each of them throughout the month. That’s exciting to me, as I know that this happens for ME as well.

Ronna and Callihan have a lot to offer on their websites, a lot to make you think, a lot to challenge your senses and your beliefs. I hope you check them out and think about what you find – it’s very thought provoking, and thinking is really good! Their collaborative sacred art project is based on the reimaging of the story of Eve, and Ronna has a recent TEDx talk that is very interesting. I love the passion in her voice. I understand passion.

Just a few days ago Ronna featured a book called, Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice by Christine Valters Paintner. It seemed so perfect to add to this newsletter about The Heart and how God changes and transforms us over our lifetime, as we open ourselves and allow it.

I believe we are called to ever opening ourselves to new thoughts and truth. We will never figure out everything, we are not supposed to – that’s what faith is about. There is much more to this life than is un-understandable, but we are called to be ever learning and open to growth and new understanding as we go. We are called to look and to see in new ways as we go. I believe it is the seeking, knocking and opening which will lead to transformation of our lives and hearts, because that is what real love does.

Here are a few of her words about the book, Eyes of the Heart:

Cultivating eyes of the heart is about seeing in a more spacious and expansive way, and recognizing how we often move through life with limited vision.  It is a biblical perspective, where the heart is seen as the organ of transformation and integration.  It is the place from which intelligence, intuition, experiential knowing, and deep wisdom emerge.

Most days we move through life seeing from our minds.  Those tricky organs of thought, which love to categorize and analyze, love to plan and lay things out.  Our minds look for what they expect to see, rather than what is really there.

In my work with photography, I have discovered the camera to be an important tool in reclaiming a different way of seeing: one marked by soulfulness and compassion, one which sees things as gifts to be received rather than products to be taken.  Contemplative seeing means slowing ourselves down and savoring each moment, knowing there is something holy being revealed right here and now.