Welcome! I am a contemplative thinker and photographer from Colorado. In this blog, you'll discover photographs that I've taken on my hiking and backpacking trips, mostly in the American West. I've paired these with my favorite inspirational and philosophical quotes - literary passages that emphasize the innate spirituality of the natural world. I hope you enjoy them!

If you'd like to purchase photo-quote greeting cards, please go to www.NaturePhoto-QuoteCards.com .


In the Spirit of Wildness,

Stephen Hatch
Fort Collins, Colorado

P.S. There's a label index at the bottom of the blog.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

The Joy of Wild Country Helps Us Forgive



"When you find a heaven on earth, as John Muir had found in the mountains and forests of wild America, it is easy to forgive."

Kim Heacox
"Visions of a Wild America"


On Monday, I spent an afternoon in an aspen grove meditating, journaling and pondering these words. As human beings, we frequently struggle with reconciling ourselves to a challenging situation, especially those in which we've been slighted or opposed by someone we care about. We try persistently to find a way to forgive them, but nothing seems to work. However, Kim Heacox's words on wilderness and forgiveness offer a powerful solution. Speaking personally, whenever I focus attention on the excitement I feel while traveling in the wilds or practicing the spaciousness of Wilderness Insight Meditation, whatever ways I've been wronged don't seem to matter much anymore. I find this form of meditation especially beneficial because it encourages the use of wilderness images within each session to help us remain in the joy of spaciousness and silence. Here I'm also reminded of the verse in the Book of Hebrews which tells us that "Jesus endured the cross for the JOY set before him." What a powerful principle for ALL of us to practice!




Photos: Aspens, Rawah Range, CO, September 21, 2015



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I am available for one-on-one spiritual direction / mentoring via phone or Skype. You can contact me at canyonechoes@gmail.com if you are interested. The rate is $65 per hour-long session. You might also want to check out my Spiritual Direction with Stephen Hatch Facebook page.

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