Many nights of the week I participate in what is called Lectio Divina — a process whereby you read a piece of scripture several times, contemplate it, choose a word that stands out, talk about what the passage means to you and how you will apply it in the coming week. One of those weekly sessions, however, does this with poems rather than scripture.

In our session this week, we were reading the poem “Because” by Rosemary Wahtola Trommer. It is an incredible poem about the needs in this world, and how we as one person can’t solve all of those needs and how despite all of the challenges we must keep our hearts open. It is a poem that must be read.
 
As we were discussing the poem and the call to be courageous in love, in fact she says, “ridiculously courageous in love”, one woman in the group talked about how after a nurses’ shift had ended, the nurse stayed after shift and got down on the floor and played with the woman’s son who was playing with dinosaurs. She was so appreciative of the nurses’ gesture.
 
It’s not easy to keep our hearts open in this difficult world but Trommer encourages us to practice keeping our hearts open. One of my favorite lines in the poem is “So I practice opening my heart right here in this room and being gentle with my insufficiency.” Ahhhh…my insufficiency. I feel relief in that. I can let go. She says, “I practice walking down the street heart first.”
 
At the end of the lectio poem session when we were sharing prayers and gratitudes, one woman said, “Well, this week, I think we need to play with dinosaurs.” 
 
Amen is an appropriate ending because the poem is like a prayer. 
 
Be well…how many dinosaurs can you name? I can’t name too many….brontosaurus?

​Feel free to comment in the comment section about how you practice keeping your heart open.
 
Love,
Blessed

2023…does it sound possible? Does it sound strange? When I saw it spelled out on something a few months ago, I literally thought, “What’s that?”!

Word of the year…news reports suggest that there are more than 400,000 words in an English dictionary depending on the version. That’s a lot of words to choose from!

Of course, a word of the year is meant to inspire and motivate you and help you along your path/journey. Many of you through the years have chosen extraordinary and interesting words to help lead the way toward something helpful.

This past year my word was blessed. I ended up choosing the word I used the year prior. You might think that is just a soothing, easy word, but I also had to work with it to feel it even when I didn’t. In that way it was helpful to me. It also helped to motivate me to move forward with my small art business developed around the word blessed. I would think of the word and then be inspired by something.

Previous words people have chosen include yes, fidelity, trust, abundance, abide, balance, hope, love, etc. The word can be simple (seemingly) or more complex…it’s your journey! 

This year, my word is pray and my secondary “phrase” is infinite possibilities. Prayer is an astounding and mysterious practice for me and re: my phrase, there really are infinite possibilities. So we will see where these will lead/guide me in 2023!! 

Now it’s time to share your Word of the Year!! PLEASE share them in the comments section on this blog so that we can all see your thinking and creative choices!

May 2023 bring you what you need.
Much love,
Jane Blessed Hart
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​

Dear Ones — I am writing this blog later than usual. Pondering, slowing it down, swimming in the midst of so much change. It’s difficult to easily say, “I hope you are great and Happy New Year!” Though I wish that for all of you. Instead I want to say, “I hope you are returning to your center and have people in your life to connect with.” Truly I wish you joy, however, that seems like a big ticket for some, and yet, not so big for others. I wish all of us joy this in this upcoming year! I think it is possible!

Last year my word was Blessed. That of course has been part of my branding for my art and writing business, and so it seemed natural to choose that as my word. I’m not sure I grabbed on to it as much as I could have, and I will think about that. Other Words of the Year I have used as a mantra like the word TRUST.

This year I was tempted to use the word TRUST again, however, I wanted something new. For the first time ever, I have not solidified my word at this writing, but I am thinking about BELIEVE and CONNECT, oh, and hippopotamus! :) I mean this year has been so weird why not choose a bizarre word of the year and see what happens? It could be life changing! After all, an 8 year old I know chose M&Ms as his word of the year! I should have thought of that!

So those of you who know the drill — you’ve done this many times before with me — you know what to do. Post your wholesome word in the comment section of this blog and if you care to — share with us a bit about why you chose your word. We have usually set the deadline by the end of day New Year’s Day but posting a few days or any day after is fine too!!

Remember you can use the random word generator online, and I took a Christian quiz which gave me a word, and I’m actually thinking about that word too. 

I look forward to seeing your words and being inspired by what you have to say! You can look back at previous word blogs and see what people chose and their comments.

God bless you — that can’t help but happen — so we thank you God for that! Yay to new words to guide us and help us and comfort us in the New Year! 

Love,
Blessed

​(Copyright 2022, Jane Hart) 

Today
 
We hold the balance of all that we are feeling.
 
We hold the reality of “Here I am today”. 
 
What can I do with this day? Just today.
 
Today, I can:

• Take time to rest in God — I can do this through prayer, mindfulness, walking in nature, reading inspirational writings and communing with others about how we are part of God’s creation. 
• Say, “I belong here.” Here I am. God put me here, and I am at ease. We belong here.
• Do something creative — write an overdue letter (I have a few on my plate), draw a picture in your journal, paint something, knit, cook, etc.
• Exercise — walk, stretch, swim, jog, do yoga, golf…get physical. 
• Address the practical — clean the house, do paperwork, pay the bills — see if you can do these things from a place of resting in God.
• Reach out to someone — see how they are doing.
• Find Joy — in the mundane, in the absurd, in the beauty and in each other.

 
Just for today.
When in doubt, follow the list.
Thinking of all of you with great love,
Blessed and Lee

(Jane Hart, Copyright 2020) 
 
 
 

It’s almost 2020, can you believe it? Who knew we would make it to this very symmetrical milestone of 2020! The end of a decade and 20 years into the millennium! As we move forward into all that this year has to offer, it may help to have a word to guide us through our journeys and adventures — trips we take internally within our souls or within the circumstances of our lives or on actual road trips across the country! YES to all of the above!

A Word of the Year can be like a beacon and anchor to guide us when we feel ourselves in turmoil or spinning out but also to a place to lean into and to say YES to when we are receiving great JOY! 

This past year, my word was TRUST. Oh how I leaned on that word over and over and over again. It was like a comforting friend to turn to that word perhaps almost daily in this life to reassure me or give me courage or grant me patience. I find that each year’s word travels with me into the next. 

This year, my Word of the Year is BLESSED! I have never actually chosen the word that I have so embraced in my art and blogging as my actual Word of the Year! So after much, much, much deliberation about what my Word should be, this is the word I have chosen, and I could not be happier. What seemed so very complicated in the choosing suddenly became clear when I realized that BLESSED embodied all of the other words that I was thinking about but couldn’t land on — grace, abundance, cleave, connected, align, etc.

BLESSED has the right buoyancy of lightness and solidity that I’m looking for this year. Yes, for me, the word BLESSED will serve as a great guiding mantra throughout 2020 and for the rest of my life!

Now...you go! Please post your Word of the Year in the Comments section below. The sharing is part of this wonderful, annual ritual of community! Invite your friends to share.

For those of you who have participated before, you know what to do! Please share your word with us in the comments section below. For those who are new, think of a word that will inspire, motivate, cajole, catapult, launch and ignite you throughout the year! I so look forward to reading everyone’s Word this year — I know many of us have had preliminary discussions, and I’m excited to finally read what your word will be! (For those who need some ideas for words, you can look back through the December archives on this blog to see some of the words that people have chosen in years past.)

Lastly, I want to share a sincere thank you to all of you who have read and commented on my blog this year and all of the years prior, for all of you who have been inspired by and/or purchased my artwork, and for everyone who has loved me and who I call friend. May God RICHLY BLESS you in expected and unexpected ways in 2020!!

Much love,
Blessed (for sure)

​(Written by Jane Hart, copyright 2019)

​Abundance. It is everywhere.

We don’t always see it, feel it, recognize it or acknowledge it, but it is everywhere. 

Don’t be deceived when your heart has camped out in the land of lack. 

True story.

I had a free purchase on my Starbucks card that I wanted to save up. I didn’t want to let it go or flow with that free meal. I wanted to save it. Didn’t want to use it and believe that it would come back to me. Nope, I wanted to hold on to that sucker. 

You know, don’t burn the candles because we have to keep them nice. Don’t use the pretty linens because we might mess them up. Don’t use the beautiful cards with sentiments you bought last year to send to someone, they are too nice to send.

Yup. Holding on.

We are so often afraid of lack even though that stance may not be apparent when making decisions. Simple decisions, like I won’t use my free meal on this drive thru, I’ll use it on the next.

One day, I had a very conscious thought about holding on to that free meal and not spending it as I pulled up to the Starbucks drive thru window. Nope. Not gonna do it. Gonna hold on tight to that little gift. Feeling good about not receiving or trusting there is more to come. I’m going to pay for this meal.

I get to the window.

The barista drive thru person says to me, “Do you see that nice little lady pulling away?” I said, “Yes.” She said, “Well, she just paid for your order.”

Astounded. Anointed. Fully received. 

Now, I had not just ordered some 2 dollar cup of coffee…I got the chai latte with almond milk; I got a petite scone; I got a full meal. Price? $12.

She paid for my order.

I felt loved. So unexpected. I felt moved. She didn’t even know me.

Something so simple made my day. Slam dunk.

I had to laugh because I still had that free meal on my card, and I’m still holding on.

True story continues.

About a week later...ok maybe 2 days later, let’s face it I’m a Starbucks fan…I order the same order. The same exact order…the chai, the scone, the meal. This time, this time, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna use the free meal on my card.

I pull up, same drive thru, and there is confusion and commotion and miscommunication and my order is well, screwed up. Bottom line…I don’t pay for my order. Thanks Starbucks. $12 

Next visit, not gonna use my free purchase. This time, however, I make a mistake. I am handed my chai, but I don’t realize that I have already placed it into the cup holder, and I tell the barista guy, “Wait I never got my chai.” He looks in my car like I’m hiding something (turns out I was but had no idea during my memory lapse) and then says, “Ok, sorry I’ll get it for you.” I’m sort of irritated by how long I’m having to wait, but then he comes to the car with the chai, and I smile and say thank you and drive off. 

When I go to put my chai in the cup holder, however, there is already a chai there. I sort of felt like Maude in the movie Harold and Maude when the officer stops her about a stolen tree, and she says, “Will that be all?” and zooms away! Ha.

I then take the extra unpaid for chai to a person who doesn’t know me but works in a business that I frequently visit. I say, “Anyone want a free chai latte?” The worker behind the desk looks surprised, astounded and then quickly looks around to see who she will have to barter with to win the drink.” She is happy, she feels loved, she is moved.

Two full meals and a chai gifted to me in the midst of my mindset of holding on.

Do you see how the abundance flows and flows and flows? 

You can’t arrange all of this and you can’t stop it! 

That is the amazing news! Abundance is a gift! 

You can provide it for someone else and you can receive it and that’s about it. But abundance is everywhere.

All of this started when I decided I was going to hold on to something and not let it go!!! Do you see the irony!?

Now, I still have that meal on my card. 

I finally use it. 

I smile and I drive away with my “Free Meal”.

In this holiday season, RECEIVE the abundance that is around you. GIFT that abundance to others whether through presents, time, energy, presence, etc. 

I believe that random acts of kindness are truly physiologically healing. So keep them top of mind this season. I’m thinking I’m going to buy 20 $5 gift cards to randomly hand out in the next couple of weeks. Make someone’s day through the unexpected.

Of course, the analogies for the Christmas season here are endless — we are gifted with abundance we didn’t expect and that continues in the birth of Christ — an amazing gift that we can open every single day, a gift we can share and the abundance never runs out.

Think about that...abundance that never runs out. It’s true!

Stay awake! Keep alert! Look for opportunities to receive and to flow goodness everywhere you go in the next few weeks and year to come.
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God bless each and every one of you and thank you for the abundance of visiting my site, caring about me, buying my artwork!! Thank you, thank you! You are all great abundant blessings to me!!

Have something you want to say? We would love to hear from you in the comments below!
​
Love,
Blessed

(Written by Jane Hart, copyright 2019)

Sometimes in the midst of loss, God shows up in unexpected ways. Last week, my mother and I took a journey into the beautiful back roads of New York, slowly traveling through summer fields and taking in nature’s bounty. On one of our walks, mom found a large turkey feather sticking up out of the ground. I had just been talking about feathers, so she picked it up and handed it to me. Right away I felt drawn to the feather.

Mom and I were grieving. Just 3 days prior we lost someone dear to us. Someone who brought us peace and deep quiet in our souls. Someone who died on a back road just like the ones we were now traveling. It was a sudden loss.

But later that day, I read a random post in my social media feed about what to do when you find a feather on your path! (I can’t make this up, that’s really what the post was about!) The post said that First Nations believe if a feather appears on your path during a hard time you will be blessed with spiritual support and guidance. The post suggested using the feather  for smudging and smoke prayers and that the “flyer” would guide and protect.

Serendipitously, I had just been researching the use of feathers in Native American culture and rekindling my knowledge of smudging with sage and the use of feathers in this process! This was all very mysterious. 

I was taken aback by the sequence of events on our road trip. 

It was as if the finding of the feather and the post were guiding my mother and me through a difficult time.

If that weren’t enough, the next day, as we traveled through the bucolic scenes, we came upon a large, lone turkey sitting on the shoulder of the road. Suddenly, the turkey lifted up and FLEW right across our windshield. It was an amazing, wondrous encounter. Wow!

My 81 year old mother said, “In all of my years, I have never seen a turkey fly!” Neither had I. We have since learned that turkeys can fly up to 50 mph!

The thread of events over those few days caused us pause. My mother and I are spiritual people, and we believe in connections and serendipity and discerning such events through God’s great light. We believe that God is ever present in every moment of our life and caring for us and talking with us. I gladly accepted the feather and the charge of the post as an affirmation of a Universal presence encouraging us on our path.

In our sorrow, we strangely felt comforted by feathers and promises of blessings and even seeing turkeys fly. Our tears turned to wonder and curiosity about Mother Earth, our connection to her and being guided during this time.

But if we had prayed for comfort, who might have guessed that it would come in the form of feathers, turkeys, adventures and readings?

When we pay attention, we receive attention. We receive comfort. God’s presence comes on the wings of God’s great beings and swoops down to comfort us.

We thank you God for signs and wonders. We thank you for beautiful soul messages. We thank you for Mother Earth and guidance. We thank you for lives that have touched us deeply. We thank you for comfort. Mostly, today, we just thank you.

Have something you want to say? Please share in the comments below, we would love to hear from you. 

Amen.

Blessed

Written by Jane Hart, Copyright 2019

It is nearly 2019, and so much has happened for all of us in just one year! If you are like me at all, this past year yielded things you hoped for and brought the unexpected. Things were let go of, and losses were suffered. I moved on, remained stuck, struggled and thrived. A lot can happen in a year! Thankfully, my word for 2018 was FAITH. Faith, I uttered to myself, as I faced something new or uncertain. It served me well, and like so many other words I’ve chosen, it is a word for a lifetime.

Now, a hopeful story. Every year I hear about someone who particularly excelled with their word. This past year, one of our participants chose the word RESOLVE. She said she chose this word because she wanted to “tie up loose ends” in her life. She wanted her home, financial, work and personal life to become more organized and secure and to take the steps that would accomplish this. Little did she know that big changes were about to occur in her work and home life. Two of those changes included a new boss and evolving work role. These changes caused her to “dive in”, as she said, and assume new leadership roles. During a recent FaceTime conversation she said to me, “It’s official! I have become my Word!” I said, “Do tell?” She was smiling.

It turns out that her boss sent her a bottle of wine for Christmas and the label read “Resolute”.

Fantastic!

In a note, her boss said he chose the wine for her because it aptly described who she had become. She said to me, “I am my Word! It’s so nice when momentum is recognized!”

Amen and Amen. Embodying our word to the point that others recognize it in us (without even knowing that was essentially our Word of the Year) is noteworthy.

Listen, for 2019, I hope your chosen word is one that will comfort, guide, aid, inspire and direct you toward the highest good that you are seeking. I hope that the mere utterance of your word will bring reassurance that you are moving forward with all of your God-given desires and talents. I wish you all of that and more, and maybe, just maybe, someone will recognize your word in you!

My word for 2019 is TRUST. Yes, I want to trust the people, places and things that are worthy of trusting. Most of all, I want to continue to trust God.

NOW...we are all excited to hear about your words! Before midnight tonight if you can (or tomorrow), please list your word and a bit about why you chose it in the comments section below. This way we can all share and enjoy our words together!

May God richly bless and comfort you in the year ahead.
Much love,
Blessed
(Written by Jane Hart, Copyright 2018)

There is an energy in the universe that listens. I wish I could tell you that after hearing our intimate pleas, cries, hopes and dreams that this energy responds just the way that we would like. However, it doesn't always feel that way.

But then there are these wonderful moments in life when God -- what I call the listening energy -- responds in real time and you just have to smile. Here's a little story...

I love to swim. I have always loved to swim. Growing up on the beach and then finding beaches and pools along the way in my life, I learned to both love and respect the water. 

Now, today, in the summer I swim about two or three times a week. In the winter...not so much. Usually once a week.

A couple of mornings ago I woke up and felt so calm. It felt strange. I wondered why I was feeling so relaxed since there is quite a bit to be stressed about. 

I thought about the quality of my day before, and the only difference from any recent day was that I had gone for a long swim in the pool. Perhaps that was the reason for my state of relaxation.

I had the thought, "Wow, maybe I should swim 365 days a year!" Think about how great it would feel and how my life would totally change. I'd lose weight, gain muscle, and feel better and more relaxed.

Then I went about my day.

And now this is the whole point of the blog...

I got in my car, and moments after thinking I should swim every day of the the year...this is what I saw.

Smile, sigh.

Ahhh God, it's you.

You are out there.

You are here.

The truth is...

God is always listening. God is always responding to us. Sometimes we are in sync and listening, and sometimes we are distant from God.

But this is what I want you to remember, no matter what you are going through now or in the future...

God -- this listening energy -- is always:
Ever present
Ever available
Ever loving
Ever patient
Ever supportive
Ever faithful
Everlasting
All knowing

God is everywhere and also right here. 

We don't need a sign to know this, but sometimes, in small moments, in glorious glimpses, and in a million ways -- God smiles at us. Like this license plate I saw.

I don't know about you, but I'm going to keep swimming with God. Swimming through this life in the pool and out, knowing that we are not alone even when we think we are, and that is good. I find that the more I am aware of God's presence, the more I listen and the more I see God's responses. That is a gift. 

So keep asking and wondering and listening my friends and keep looking for God's responses. I know you have had some God spots of your own, and I look forward to hearing about them! 

Have something you would like to say? Please share in the comments section below. We would love to hear from YOU!

Much love during this holiday season,
Blessed

(Jane Hart, Copyright 2018)

Growing up in the 1960s in Los Angeles, I remember riding around in the car with my mom listening to various songs on the radio. Smiling and probably seat beltless, we would sing these songs as if we were performing on stage. Mini-skirts were all the rage, and we often wore matching outfits that my mom had sewn for us.

One song that I really remember singing and hearing as a 5 or 6 year old child, was Jackie DeShannon's version of "What the World Needs Now is Love". Click here to listen. The song was recorded in 1965, written by Hal David and composed by Burt Bacharach.  

Part of the lyrics read:

"What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It's the only thing that there's just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love
no not just for some but for everyone."

The words are so timely. Then. Today. Tomorrow. 

At that young age, I remember feeling so moved by this song, the melody, and the lyrics. I took it to heart. I felt the feelings and the plea behind the song. I knew it was true.

What I want to say today, on this World Gratitude Day, International Peace Day and of course, "Do you remember the 21st of September?" (Earth Wind and Fire) day, is that children can listen.

Young children can take such a simple and yet powerful message to heart. They feel and integrate messages of love through our direct efforts and also by happenstance when a beautiful song comes on the radio.

It's so important -- what we share with children. It's so important to remember that children are like sponges that can sop up messages of love. Messages that stay with them for a lifetime.

On this wonderfully marked day, I can think of no more powerful message than, "What the world needs now is love, sweet love. No not just for some, but for everyone."

Yes.

Love and gratitude,
Blessed

Have something you want to say? We would love to hear from you in the comments section below. Thanks for tuning in!

(Copyright Jane Hart, 2018 )