I am not saying the Redwoods Abbey garden is Eden. But I’m not NOT saying that, either. Creatures cooperate — they pollinate. There is a tree of knowledge. I find wisdom by simply observing it, though it does bear delicious, tempting fruit. The garden feeds the small community that resides on the premises. It brings joy to the eye and heart. Possible Eden is not without its troubles. But once I comprehend the grand design in each and every part of The Garden, I am happier for entering it. Photos © Sondra Sula. Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on ..read more

Due to reasons that will remain private, I found myself accompanying someone to Adventist Health St. Helena hospital as a support person and designated driver. The campus is tucked into the side of a high hill in the Napa Valley which made for incredible vineyard views and steep — but interesting — walking. When I decided to circle the perimeter of the building starting outside the basement cafeteria, I thought it would be easy. But instead it was like stepping into an Escher maze where stairs led to outdoor hallways and more stairs until I found myself on the hospital’s helipad more than s ..read more

Rest, retreat and reflect. Silent retreats feel necessary to my being. I love to simply “be” without the guilt attached. Very little is expected of me at Redwoods Monastery: show up for meals, wash my own dishes and tell a nun if I leave the premises. Otherwise, my “job” is to connect with Spirit, listen to God (oh, how much easier it is to hear that small, still voice in the silence) and practice ways of devotion that suit me — prayer, sacred journaling, meditation, monastic services, spiritual reading, walking in nature. I am then renewed, rejuvenated and radiant. Photos © Sondra ..read more

Sometimes God makes me laugh out loud with the antics of creatures. In this case a squirrel poised on a fence wire intently watching something — something I couldn’t see. One false move and she would lose her balance. Hmm, sounds familiar. Sometimes God makes me chuckle to myself: a pussy willow wearing a jaunty cap. I wonder if God ever thinks we look jaunty? Sometimes God instills in me a sense of wonder for the most common things: a California poppy — glowing, radiating beauty from within. Can I do that? Look at those gorgeous veins, I exclaim to a passerby, pointing to the wild radish peta ..read more

I’ve been walking the trails off Gravel Pit Road — series 400 logging roads in Jackson Demonstration State Forest — for about eight years. Recently, via a local trails map, I discovered a path I had hiked many times made a loop. I wasn’t sure how long it would take to walk the entire loop, so I set out to hike the west side for forty minutes one way. When I reached that time limit, I saw an old wooden plank painted red and broken into pieces. I thought it made a good marker to alert me when I’d be coming from the other direction. The next time I went on the trail, I began hiking from the ea ..read more

She greeted me as an S shape on the front walk. S is for snake, Sondra, serendipity. I felt so happy to see her, as thin as a pencil, so delicate, so vulnerable. How does she accept my giant presence without fear? But then she coiled. Is she protecting herself by potentially lashing out? The snake then looked me in the eye. Was she evaluating the level of threat I posed? She moved into an infinity pose. No beginning and no end — a way to perceive God, our souls… Then she unfurled and created a lasso. You’ve captured my fancy, roped me into layering my thoughts over your world. She stuck her to ..read more

Some bees are created to collect pollen. Calla lilies not only give pollen, but pleasure to the passersby. Pussy willows are harbingers of spring. Paths are made for walking and wings are for flying. Everything has its purpose for existing and so do we. We were created to be who we are, here and now, and that is enough in God’s eyes. Photos © Sondra Sula. Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle versions. If you’d prefer a daily river walk, Reflections on the Fox River and Beyo ..read more

Easter is over for this year, having just passed, but it always conjures up excitement in me. I have an expectation that something marvelous, unbelievable and inherently mysterious is about to happen. And it always does. The burning yellow orb of the sun peeks above the horizon reminding me I am alive! Flowers throw open their petals with abandon shouting: kiss me, sun! Plants, presumed dead, gloriously reappear. Resurrection is palpable. Photos © Sondra Sula. Take a walk with me by reading my daily devotional book, Meditations on Mendocino by Sondra Sula. Available on Amazon i ..read more

My husband had successful shoulder surgery this past week and while waiting, I had time to ruminate. Scalpels are used to cut out tissue that needs to be excised from the body. The wound hurts, but heals. I’ve always had trouble pruning plants. Cutting a plant’s stem or branches, if done correctly, increases flowering. In the Gospel of John, Chapter 15, the Bible mentions pruning as necessary to spiritual growth. Dead branches need to be sliced off. But the real kicker is that branches producing fruit also need to be trimmed to bear more fruit. God, as the Great Gardener, knows just wh ..read more

Years ago I was “made to understand” that I would walk The Path of Flowers and I believe I have. I now live in a place where something is always flowering. Through any pain I experience there is also the beauty of blooms to cheer me. Flowers are sent to those who are ill or suffering. They are used for celebrations or to honor those who have passed away. The Lenten rose is named after a time in the Christian liturgical calendar that precedes Easter. Many people are even named after flowers, my nieces and sister included. Quaker George Fox famously said to walk cheerfully over the earth ..read more