Sunrise Rainbow in Kailua

Sunrise Rainbow in Kailua

I awoke in Kailua, the Island of Oahu, Hawaii, to a chorus of tropical birds singing loudly and melodiously, and distant waves in the background. The scent of plumeria and the local varieties of jasmine and gardenia continually perfumed the air. I made my way to the upper deck of the house where we were staying and watched the sunrise over the Pacific to the east:  first a glowing purple horizon, then gray clouds tinting pink, finally a giant ball of orange fire lifting into the heavens.

Gallery: As Above, So Below

Rockefeller State Park Preserve, JHD
Pickards Mountain, North Carolina, JHD
Rockefeller State Park Preserve, JHD
Rockefeller State Park Preserve, JHD
Rockefeller State Park Preserve, JHD
Rockefeller State Park Preserve, JHD
Rockefeller State Park Preserve, JHD
Rockefeller State Park Preserve, JHD
Rockefeller State Park Preserve, Winter, JHD
Silver Lake, CA , Pastor esse Kearns
I am captivated by the reflections of sky in a lake,* especially when sky and water seem to merge. On a spiritual level, it reminds me that in each of our souls is a reflection of the divine, the tzelem Elohim. We can perceive the reflection of what is “above” most easily when our consciousness is calm and clear, a state nurtured by regular prayer, meditation, and spiritual practice.

Enjoy these lake reflections from Wellspring on Instagram. (Plus one from a friend who is a Pastor in California.) Sometimes it’s hard to tell water from sky! I suggested pausing to contemplate each picture for a few moments of “reflection.”

Learn how Torah can be like Coral.

*I’m including lakes in this Gateway of the Sea, because in biblical Hebrew a “sea” can also mean a freshwater lake.

A Double Measure of Spirit

A Double Measure of Spirit

My mother Betty Hilton, of blessed memory, was a truly righteous woman who overcame challenges including early widowhood to found several spiritual groups for women. She became a leader in our local Jewish community, and ultimately served as a professional hospital chaplain in her seventies. (more…)

Scents Feed the Soul

Scents Feed the Soul

 

Neuroscientists and psychologists tell us that the sense of smell is closely connected to memory and emotion. Scents can tie us to our traditions (the smell of challah baking or latkes frying), and to Nature and places of the soul. (more…)

Going Up and Coming Down the Mountain

Going Up and Coming Down the Mountain

While most people have peak experiences at one time or another, there are two challenges: their rarity and their evanescence. Peak experiences may be rare and fleeting “highs” lost in the rush of events and the passage of time. But if we can integrate them as part of a spiritual practice, we can harness their power to inspire inner growth and outer change.

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