Being the Beloved

"Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection.  Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection.  When we have come to believe in the voices that call us worthless and unlovable, then success, popularity and power are easily perceived as attractive solutions.  The real trap, however, is self-rejection.  As soon as someone accuses me or criticizes me, as soon as I am rejected, left alone, or abandoned, I find myself thinking, "Well, that proves once again that I am a nobody."... My dark side says "I am no good...  I deserve to be pushed aside, forgotten, rejected and abandoned".  Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved."  Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence."

- Henri J.M. Nouwen

What one feels

"One can be the master of what one does, but never of what one feels."

- Gustave Flaubert

Happy New Year

And so this last day of the year 2015 arrived, and in Swakopmund, it's a cloudy dreary day with rough seas and the promise of rain in the clouds.  As I reflect on the year it has been, I can see that I have been embroiled in many stormy waters but, with God's grace, I have survived the all the turmoil and emotional roller coasters of missing home, missing family and just missing being close to loved ones far away. 

 I also know that I could not have had a happier and more blessed year in 2015. My family's been blessed with health and happiness and my children are thriving in our new home.  We are living in one of the most beautiful countries in the world and have so much to be thankful for. 

So, looking forward, to all the dear family, friends and fellow wanderers, travelers and bloggers out there:

I hope you all have a hearty, happy and healthy 2016 with no more stormy waters than what you are able to handle.  

Happy New Year!  

Let's be romantic

"Let's be romantic and dance in the rain.  I'll prove my feelings for you by bringing an umbrella, because I'm drowning in my love for you."

- Jarod Kintz

This Book is Not FOR SALE

Bewildered

"When you're lost in those woods, it sometimes takes you a while to realize that you are lost.  For the longest time, you can convince yourself that you've just wandered off the path, that you'll find your way back to the trailhead any moment now.  Then night falls again and again, and you still have no idea where you are, and it's time to admit that you have bewildered yourself so far off the path that you don't even know from which direction the sun rises anymore."

- Elizabeth Gilbert

Loneliness

"Sometimes loneliness makes the loudest noise."

- Aaron Ben-e'ev

Weary eyes

In October 2015, we took a camping trip to Spitzkoppe, one of the most picturesque and beautiful places in Namibia.  We spent an unforgettable evening under the stars.  On our way back, I couldn't help noticing how thin the cattle alongside the road were.  

In this past week, about 20mm of rain fell in the region, turning the arid landscape into a lush landscape with waterfalls and rock pools.  How I wish I could be there to see it!  I hope to see these ladies nourished and healthy and not looking so desperately thin.  In this photo, even their eyes seamed weary and tired.  What a difference the rain makes, and what a true blessing it is for all nature and creatures.  

Don't miss them...

There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. 

 Don't miss so many of them.

So let me be

"She had been defeated by herself alone, and the sadness of it left a dark shadow in her heart.  It further sapped her confidence and left her ever more withdrawn, ever more capable of suppressing her feelings.  Like her roughened hands, her sensitivity was slowly being hardened, and she drew relief from numbness creeping through her."

- Yo Yo

Ghost Tide