Getting Back To Nature: Our Source of Stillness
Nature is our gift of stillness
People often ask us, “What church do you go to?” They wonder about our spirituality. But spirituality doesn’t have to be tied only to a church. I like to say that my church is Mother Nature, by the creek near where I live. If anything brings me to my peace, it is getting away from what I am doing and back into my being, my spirit. What better way to find peace than to spend time with the cooing of doves, the swoosh of Birch leaves in the wind, the warming strength of sunshine, the sweet smell of honeysuckle, the rippling waters of a creek bed, or even tasting grasses picked fresh as you walk, like you did when you were a kid.
Mother nature is truly our gift of stillness. “Be still and know God” we are told in the Holy books. If we want peace, then it is there at arms reach…just walk out the door, quiet your mind and become fully enmeshed in the outdoors. It takes practice to be still, but when you find out what it really means, it will always be your home.
-excerpt from The Stillness Newsletter, April 2010, Copyright Renee Baker 2008
Here are some nature spots I like to visit that are not too far from home. I hope you have a chance to enjoy them too!
p.s. Here is a nice article and book by Moonlady Amy Martin you may find helpful as well.
Allen
Arlington
Carrollton
Coppell
- Coppell Nature Park (inside Wagon Wheel Park)
Dallas
- Trinity River Audobon
- Dallas Arboretum
- Dallas County Trails
- Cedar Ridge Preserve
- Dallas County Lepidopterists’ Society
- Dallas World Aquarium
- Dallas-Fort Worth Area State Parks and Lakes
- Friends of Oak Cliff Parks
- Twelve Hills Nature Center
Fort Worth
- Fort Worth Nature
- Village Creek Drying Beds
Grapevine
- Grapevine Lake
Irving
LGBT Camping
Lucas
McKinney
Oklahoma
- US Recreation Portal
- Chickasaw National Recreation Area
- Oklahoma State Parks
- Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge
National
- US Recreation Portal
- National Ocean Service
- National Park Service
- NOAA Fisheries Service
- US Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management
- US Fish and Wildlife National Refuge System
- Recreation.gov
Pilot Point
Plano
- Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
- Bob Woodruff Park
- Chisolm Trail
- Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve
Richardson
Texas State Parks & Lakes
Texoma
Nature Photography
One of my favorite things to do is go birding and I have a nice Nikon D3300 camera with a zoom lens. It keeps me engaged and excited about being out in nature even more. Here are some nature photographers that inspire me.
