A quick hello from the City of Roses!

It is the month of June, the month of leaves
and roses, when pleasant sights
salute the eyes ... and
pleasant scents the noses!
~ Nathan Parker Willis

I am suppose to be packing at the moment - I'm heading to the east coast in the morning for some meetings, the celebration of our Sister Jubilarians and a Community gathering. It will be a busy week, but no doubt a good one as I connect with many sisters and friends! Anyway I wanted to share briefly before I leave. It seems that spring ... oh I mean SUMMER has finally arrived in Portland. We have had so many grey rainy days this year. I am ready for some good weather! Close to my office there is a lovely little rose garden and last week I was able to take a little walk in that direction. The roses were beautiful! Wanted to share a couple of them ... getting late, lots to do before I lay my head on the pillow.
Please remember though , in the busy-ness of everyday ... don't forget to stop and smell the roses. Contemplate their beauty and praise the creator! Peace and Blessings!

Overflowing abundance!

Oh my gosh! It seems like it was just a couple weeks ago since my last post and now I am fully aware that it has been a whole month! Sorry about that :(
A LOT of water has gone under the bridge since then, or to go along with my visual aid - a lot of water has gone over the Falls ... My life has certainly been moving at a fast rate since May 6th! Almost a week in the Seattle/Tacoma area for meetings and gatherings, a trip to Southern Oregon for the wonderful occasion of my nephew's wedding and some fun family time, a trip to Philadelphia for meetings and "Sister" connections at my Franciscan Motherhouse, and a return to Portland in time for the Memorial Day weekend and some enjoyable time with east coast company. In the course of all my traveling around I have been blessed with some spring time "ahhh" moments of being in the Cathedral of God's beautiful creation.
As I was playing "tour guide" to two "Sister" visitors from the east coast - Sr. Pat and our Candidate, Sara, we spent a beautiful, sunny day at Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast and then spent a day driving up the scenic Columbia River Gorge stopping at a number of gushing waterfalls along the way. That day brought to mind a very powerful image of God that St. Bonaventure captured and that I was reminded of as we visited Latourell Falls (shown here).

I'm not sure right now of the exact words, but he said something like, "...the revelation of God is the outpouring of the 'fountain fullness' of God's self and of Divine love for us..." Or, as I read somewhere else, "God the Father is the 'fountain fullness' overflowing with goodness and love..."
All of the waterfalls on this day trip were gushing with water and were so beautiful and really did speak of God's outpouring of love and goodness! In all my busy-ness this past month God certainly has had a way to shower that love on me and to let me know I'm not alone! I celebrate the generosity of our God!
*Sisters Guadalupe, Pat and Sara enjoying the water spray at the bottom of Latourell Falls