All of Nature is a caress of God.

"Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God."

Pope Francis
"Praise Be to You" Encyclical
May 24, 2015

Photo: Globeflowers blooming in a subalpine marsh, Snowy Range, WY, June 21, 2015

Contemplating the lilies of the field . . .

"We are speaking of an attitude of the heart, one which approaches life with serene attentiveness, which is capable of being fully present to someone without thinking of what comes next, which accepts each moment as a gift from God to be lived to the full. Jesus taught us this attitude when he invited us to contemplate the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, or when seeing the rich young man and knowing his restlessness, 'he looked at him with love' (Mk 10:21). He was completely present to everyone and to everything, and in this way he showed us the way to overcome that unhealthy anxiety which makes us superficial, aggressive and compulsive consumers."

Pope Francis
"Praise Be to You" Encyclical
May 24, 2015

Photos: (Top) Glacier Lilies and the cliffs of Medicine Bow Peak, Snowy Range, WY; (Middle) Alpenglow on the peaks from my backcountry campsite on Rainbow Lake, Park Range, CO; (Bottom) Sky Pilot, with the Diamond Peaks in the background, Rawah Range, CO. These photos were taken on June 21-22, 2015

A lifestyle of gratefulness for small things . . .

"Christian spirituality proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption. We need to take up an ancient lesson, found in different religious traditions and also in the Bible. It is the conviction that 'less is more.' A constant flood of new consumer goods can baffle the heart and prevent us from cherishing each thing and each moment. To be serenely present to each reality, however small it may be, opens us to much greater horizons of understanding and personal fulfillment. Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little. It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack. This implies avoiding the dynamic of dominion and the mere accumulation of pleasures."

Pope Francis
"Praise Be to You" Encyclical
May 24, 2015

Photos: (Top) A field of Potentilla at my backcountry campsite on Rainbow Lake, Park Range, CO; (Bottom) Trillum flowers, Park Range, CO; These photos were taken on June 20-21, 2015

Inner Peace involves a capacity for wonder that is content with simple things.

"No one can cultivate a . . . satisfying life without being at peace with him or herself. An adequate understanding of spirituality consists in filling out what we mean by peace, which is much more than the absence of war. Inner peace is closely related to care for ecology and for the common good because, lived out authentically, it is reflected in a balanced lifestyle together with a capacity for wonder which takes us to a deeper understanding of life. Nature is filled with words of love, but how can we listen to them amid constant noise, interminable and nerve-wracking distractions, or the cult of appearances? Many people today sense a profound imbalance which drives them to frenetic activity and makes them feel busy, in a constant hurry which in turn leads them to ride rough-shod over everything around them. This too affects how they treat the environment. An integral ecology includes taking time to recover a serene harmony with creation, reflecting on our lifestyle and our ideals, and contemplating the Creator who lives among us and surrounds us, whose presence 'must not be contrived but found, uncovered. ' ”

Pope Francis
"Praise Be to You" Encyclical
May 24, 2015

Photos: Snow Buttercups, Montgomery Pass, Rawah Range, CO, June 22, 2015