The Mary Christopher Podcast

Celtic Spiritual Traditions and Caring for Creation ~ June 3 2025

One of the challenges we face in our “modern world” is our loss of connection to Creation.  We live in houses shaped like boxes with running water and air conditioning systems that we can set to any temperature we prefer.  We have running water for washing, bathing, and cleaning.  We no longer have to dash to the outhouse or look under the bed for the chamber pot.  And, thank goodness for all those blessings !!!
However, one dubious result is that we have lost our sense of connection to Creation, our direct contact with Nature.  We use our cell phone, or our laptop to track the weather, rather than stepping outside to “feel” the wind and the humidity, as well as checking the clouds.  That is how I learned to “check the weather” when I was growing up.  Checking the weather was and still is a daily activity for farmers and ranchers.  I still like to “check the weather” this way even if I have already looked at my weather app.  
Humans have spent centuries honing our ability to read all the weather signs.  Our ancestors survived because they could sense the weather and they knew which plants and fruits were safe to eat.  They knew how to work with the land to grow crops and preserve nutrients in the soil.  They learned how to live in harmony with Nature or they would not have been around to produce another generation.  Those of us on Planet Earth right now are here because our Ancestors paid attention to Creation every day!
This lovely spiritual practice shows up in their prayers and spiritual practices.  They had prayers for everything, from re-kindling the fire every morning, including blessing their food, for travelers and traveling, blessing the crops as well as their cattle.  All of Creation was included because Creation reflected the presence of the Creator, as well as saints and angels.  The Celtics were very good at being aware of our Creator!
Here is a good example of a Celtic blessing often used when kindling the hearth fire every morning.
 
This morning, as I kindle the fire of my hearth,
I pray the flame of God's love may burn in my heart
and in the hearts of all I meet today.
 
I pray that no envy or malice,
no hatred or fear,
may smother the flame. 
I pray that indifference and apathy, 
contempt and pride, 
may not pour like cold water on the fire.
 
Instead, may the spark of God's love
light the love in my heart, 
that it may burn brightly through the day.
 
And may I warm those who are lonely,
whose hearts are cold and lifeless, 
so that all may know
the comfort of God's love.
 
God and God’s blessing and love are woven into every line of this prayer.  It is a prayer and a blessing to cover all sorts of contingencies for that whole day!
 
This is one of the shorter prayers for milking.
 
Bless, O God, my little cow,Bless, O God, my desire;Bless Thou my partnershipAnd the milking of my hands, O God.
Bless, O God, each teat,Bless, O God, each finger;Bless Thou each dropThat goes into my pitcher, O God!
And, here is my favorite early morning prayer that always gives me a sense of being deeply immersed in Creation and connected to GOD!      
 
Celtic Morning Prayer ~
 
I arise today,
 
through the Strength of Heaven:
 
Light of Sun,
 
Radiance of Moon,
 
Splendour of Fire,
 
Speed of Lightening,
 
Swiftness of Wind,
 
Depth of Sea,
 
Stability of Earth,
 
Firmness of Rock.
 
We are so blessed by the beauty and bounty of Creation which is an expression of our Creator, but we often go zipping through the day being unaware of all these Blessings.
So, the next time you are feeling anxious, or uncertain, or wondering where God has gone, just step outside and look around.  Even better, take a walk in the woods, inhale some fresh air, and soak up the Creator’s Blessings that surround us all the time.  God hasn’t “gone” anywhere.  We just forgot where to look …
Mary teaches mindfulness and spiritual practices.
She leads Heart Coherence groups and offers individual coaching.
Through her “Caring for Creation” podcast, she shares practices
for connecting with the earth and our spirituality.

Why Are Monarch Waystations So Important? Caring for Creation

What Is So Important about Monarch Waystations?
Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the United States and Canada to mountains in central Mexico where they wait out the winter until conditions favor a return flight in the spring. The monarch migration is truly one of the world's greatest natural wonders yet it is threatened by habitat loss at overwintering grounds in Mexico and throughout breeding areas in the United States and Canada.
Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for Monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, Monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall. Similarly, without nectar from flowers these fall migratory monarch butterflies would be unable to make their long journey to overwintering grounds in Mexico. The need for host plants for larvae and energy sources for adults applies to all monarch and butterfly populations around the world.
Why We Are Concerned …
Milkweeds and nectar sources are declining due to development and the widespread use of herbicides in croplands, pastures, and roadsides. Because 90% of all milkweed/monarch habitats occur within the agricultural landscape, farm practices have the potential to strongly influence monarch populations.
Development (of subdivisions, factories, shopping centers, etc.) in the U.S. is consuming habitats for monarchs and other wildlife at a rate of 6,000 acres (9.4 square miles) a day - that's 2.2 million acres each year. This is roughly equivalent to losing an area of habitat the size of the state of Illinois (the 24th largest U.S. state) every sixteen years!
Widespread adoption of herbicide-resistant corn and soybeans has resulted in the loss of more than 100 million acres of monarch habitat in recent years. The planting of these crops genetically modified to resist the non-selective systemic herbicide glyphosate (Roundup) allows growers to spray fields with this herbicide instead of tilling to control weeds. Milkweeds survive tilling but not the repeated use of glyphosate. This habitat loss is substantial since these croplands represent a significant portion of the summer breeding area for monarchs.
The use of herbicides and frequent mowing along roadsides has converted much of this habitat to grassy areas that lack shelter and food for wildlife. Although some states have started to increase the diversity of plantings (including milkweeds) along roadsides, these programs are small. Unfortunately, the remaining milkweed habitats in pastures, hayfields, edges of forests, grasslands, native prairies, and urban areas are not sufficient to sustain the large monarch butterfly populations seen in the 1990s.
We can help Monarchs as well as other Butterflies and Pollinators!
To offset the loss of milkweeds and nectar sources we need to create, conserve, and protect monarch butterfly habitats. You can help by creating "Monarch Waystations" (monarch habitats) in home gardens, at schools, businesses, parks, zoos, nature centers, along roadsides, and on other unused plots of land. Creating a Monarch Waystation can be as simple as adding milkweeds and nectar sources to existing gardens or maintaining natural habitats with milkweeds. No effort is too small to have a positive impact.
Be sure to register your habitat(s) and encourage your friends and neighbors to follow in your footsteps!  When you have several Monarch Waystations in your neighborhood, you can have a neighborhood “Welcoming Party” in the Fall for returning Monarchs!
Having a Monarch Waystation is a Wonderful Opportunity to support the Monarch Migration as well as protecting other Pollinators!  Everyone comes out ahead when we work together and Care for Creation!

Caring for Creation Is Caring for Ourselves!

Caring for Creation anytime is Caring for Ourselves and for those who will come after us.  Human lifetimes are not very long in terms of the life span of Earth.  We are totally dependent on this lovely little planet for our health and well-being.
Without Fresh Air and Clean Water we would not last very long as a species.  Plus we need good soil to grow our food.  Most of the time we don’t pay any attention or feel any gratitude for the daily activity in Nature that supports and sustains us.
Fortunately, Creation doesn’t need us to tell it what to do.  Because Creation or Mother Nature is Conscious, Nature “knows” what to do every day, all day. We usually walk through the day, generally unaware of these Blessings.
At the same time, we are here because our Ancestors were aware of their need for Fresh Air, Clean Water, and Food.  I know my pioneer Grandparents were very focused on all those basic needs for themselves and their livestock when they settled in SW Oklahoma in the early 1900s. My grandmother kept a vegetable garden for as long as I knew her!
Today, I found a lovely Eastern White Pine in the park.  It is an older tree and very comfortable to sit with.  One of its limbs was so close to the ground that I could sit on it, lean back on the trunk and relax. I was able to meditate for at least 30 minutes!  Have not been able to meditate actually Sitting In a Tree for a long time!  That was delightful!
We had rain today so all the milkweed and nectar plants we have planted are doing well!  The air was so fresh I took several deep breaths.  That felt so good.  The longer I stayed with this lovely tree, the more relaxed I felt.  My shoulders came down.  My heart rate slowed as well as my breathing.  I could feel myself relaxing.
Also, remember that Human Beings are designed to move.  That’s the reason we have so many joints.  The adult human body has around 360 joints. This number varies depending on how you define a joint.  Some sources suggest a range of 250 to 350. We do need to move in order to be healthy and alert.  When we move, we increase our Oxygen consumption and release more Carbon Dioxide.
As you know, when we exhale Carbon Dioxide, it is absorbed through the leaves and broken down through Photosynthesis into Carbon and Oxygen. Trees use Carbon to make sugars and release Oxygen back into the atmosphere.  The chemical reaction we call Photosynthesis is triggered by Sunlight!  Very exciting !!!
We know that Creation works, especially when humans don’t disrupt the natural cycles and relationships! The Sun comes up on time, every morning without any assistance from humans.  If you plant a radish seed, you get a radish plant, and sooner or later, you get more radishes!  Trees don’t fight with each other.  In most natural woodlands, trees work together.  Through their root system, using Fungi, trees communicate with each other.  They share resources and respond to threats.  In my experience, they also respond to affection and appreciation.  There are so many good reasons to spend time in Creation.
Having more “stuff” does not bring happiness, but when we spend time in Nature or outside in Creation, our Hearts can rest and relax.  We can begin to unwind and find peace with ourselves just by “hanging out” in Creation.  If we are at peace with ourselves and our Hearts can rest, we can be happy.
As we move through this very challenging year together, we are going to face all kinds of situations.  And, some of these situations will call for discernment on our part.  We will need to dig a little deeper within ourselves for courage and compassion.  And, we will need to upgrade our ability to listen carefully and discern what is going on beneath all the noise and chaos.  
I am so grateful to be in Creation right now.  So grateful to have these amazing moments of peace and happiness.
Have a wonderful week.  Thank You for all you are doing every day in so many ways to make this World a better place for Everyone!  And, take really good care of yourself.
 
Mary teaches mindfulness and spiritual practices.
She leads Heart Coherence groups and offers individual coaching.
Through her “Caring for Creation” podcast, she shares practices
for connecting with the earth and our spirituality.

Mother’s Day and Mother Earth, Getting Better Caring for Creation May 13, 2025

During Mother’s Day and into the next day, I kept thinking about all of us living together on this planet we call home.  Here we are, sharing this 3rd planet from the Sun, trying to get along and having difficulties doing that.  In the midst of all our difficulties, we often forget that our continued survival depends on how well we care for this lovely jewel of a planet.
In order for us to survive, we need fresh air, clean water, as well as good food.  We tend to take fresh air and even clean water for granted.  Most of us are not growing any of our own food, so we assume that farmers and gardeners will always be able to supply what we need.
As I was thinking about all the challenges we are facing right now, I was also having a lovely Mother’s Day.  I was texting, checking in with family, and having lunch with friends.  Then I spent more than an hour sitting in the shade, in a large meadow with hundreds of tiny spring flowers.  At least half of these flowers were native to NE Oklahoma.  The birds were singing.  There was a gentle breeze, so for a while I could rest in Creation and recharge.  It was a lovely day!
Being in Nature, even for a short time can be very restorative, partly because of the fresh air and the amazing colors as well as the Butterflies and all the Beneficial Bugs and Pollinators.  There were small white and yellow Butterflies, a few Wasps, one or two LadyBugs.  Recently, I have been paying more attention to “bugs” because so many of them are very beneficial.
For instance, Ants, found all around the world, are essential because they “till the soil” underground.  Ants are essential for many reasons, but our usual response is to poison them!  However, we need Ants for many reasons in addition to “underground tilling”!
We are having negative effects on Creation in many ways with our current form of “civilization” and “scientific progress”!  Fortunately, there is great research going on as well as excellent programs on YouTube, Gaia, and of course, PBS!  The information we need for a “course correction” is available.  This is an excellent reason to transform your lawn into a Pollinator Garden or a Monarch Waystation !!!  Creation needs all the help and support that we can give.
Everything we do now to support and Care for Creation, will help secure a healthy future of Fresh Air, Clean Water, and Healthy Food for all our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren!  There are so many ways to protect and support Creation and All Creatures Great and Small.  Building a Pollinator Garden in one corner of your yard is easy to do.  Mowing your grass with the mower blades set at 3 or 4 inches up will make a big difference.  And, of course, stop using pesticides so the natural relationships will be re-established.  Remember, Beneficial Insects are also very determined predators and will reduce the number of aphids and mosquitoes naturally, no problem!
We can easily do so much to create a better future for our families and the health of the Earth.  So, while politics and politicians are raging, and people are busy trying to figure out “What Is Going On … ???”, shift your attention to Creation.  Take a break from “civilization”, tune into Nature, and take a deep breath of Fresh Air.  Plant a few native plants and rest in the shade of a wise and wonderful Tree.
 
 Mary teaches mindfulness and spiritual practices.
She leads Heart Coherence groups and offers individual coaching.
Through her “Caring for Creation” podcast, she shares practices
for connecting with the earth and our spirituality.

Rewards of Sharing and Caring for Creation !!!

When We Care.  
When We Take the Time to Share,
Amazing Blessings Happen! 
by Mary Christopher
 
One of the most basic blessings of being part of a community is the Blessing of Opportunity.  When we participate in religious or spiritual communities, we are offered many opportunities to share or respond to another person’s immediate need.
 
We may have gained enough trust to be asked to help someone with a problem or asked to pray for a relative or a neighbor.  We may have paused long enough to help someone circling the block, looking for an invisible address.  We may never know when we have been a Blessing unless that person reaches out to us with their affirmation.
 
This is why religious and church communities have telephone Prayer Lines, collect blankets and diapers for infants, canned food for food co-ops, and build community gardens to share their produce with community kitchens and more food co-ops.  Most of the time, we have no idea why people are struggling or are homeless.  We don’t know their medical history or why their last job didn’t work out.
 
Maybe we don’t need to know all that information.  Maybe all we need to do is show up and care.  We know that showing up is 90% of success.  Right now our world is going through a bit of turmoil and ongoing structural change.  It can be like trying to walk down a muddy path in the rain, and feeling like we are going to slip and fall every few feet, getting muddy at the same time.  We can easily slip into that swamp of discouragement and cynicism.
 
However, there are 2 very important things to remember …
 
No. 1 ~ Regardless of all our Human Craziness, Creation is working just fine.  Yes, there are problems caused by human arrogance and ignorance, as well as our wasteful habits.  Regardless of all this, our Blessed Earth continues to rotate on its axis!  The Glorious Sun comes up every morning!  The Moon continues to orbit our Earth, creating tides and lunar cycles.  Monarch Butterflies continue their amazing migration north in the Spring and south in the Fall.  Squirrels continue to gather acorns, bury them in the ground to eat later, and forget where they have stored at least 10% or more of these acorns.  This means that at least 10% of all acorns buried in the Fall may become an oak tree!
 
No. 2 ~ The Earth is filled with Amazing and Good People who are helping other people every day.  We rarely hear about these Good People on the news.  Since many of our local newspapers have gone out of business, we have lost our source to learn about the Accomplishments and Good Works of our neighbors!  This is Tragic!  There are so many Good People being a Blessing every day and all we hear about is the negative stuff!  Not a good situation … !!!
 
What can we do … ?  We can do exactly what we have been doing which is what Jesus and all great spiritual teachers have asked us to do.  We can keep looking after our Neighbors, as well as our neighbors’ dogs and cats and hamsters.  We can keep up our daily prayers and our genuine kindness.  We can keep praying for folks and looking for the good in everyone.
 
We can include care of Creation and all Creatures Great and Small.  Creation is doing its best to provide clean air, clean water, enough rain to grow crops for us.  Creation is busy turning the Sun’s energy into fruits, and vegetables and herbs for our health and well-being.  We can help by Protecting Pollinators, planting more gardens, conserving water, and planting more trees!
 
We live in challenging times!  And, we are blessed with people who care.  We don’t always hear about them, or see their good works, but they are there.  And, you are probably one of those lovely, prayerful people who is keeping civilization afloat !!!
 
Thank You for all you are doing Every Day to make this World a better place for Everyone !!!
 
Mary teaches mindfulness and spiritual practices.
She leads Heart Coherence groups and offers individual coaching.
Through her “Caring for Creation” podcast, she shares practices
for connecting with the earth and our spirituality.

Stepping Out of Civilization back into Creation (replay from 12-15-2024) Inner Peace Meditation

This is a replay of an inner peace, guided meditation from Sunday, December 15, 2024.
Sometimes I do take my own advice and get good results!  In this case, I spent at least an hour in a beautiful meadow, looking at all the tiny wildflower blossoms springing up due to a recent rain.  I have an excellent nature app called Seek on my iphone.  I took photos of at least 12 tiny blossoms or leaves.  This app tells me if the plant is native to the region or invasive.  Fortunately, more than half of these tiny plants were Native.  I had a wonderful time and felt refreshed by the time I left!  Some days it pays to take our own advice! 
All text below the line is from the previous post.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 15, 2024
I am sitting in the Keystone Ancient Forest which is about 25 minutes outside Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The Keystone is approximately 1300 acres of undisturbed old-growth forest.  It has not been developed or had any settlements or roads running through it.
I have stepped out of civilization and back into Creation.  It is so peaceful.  I hiked up here on the Fire Trail and I am about as close to the top of the ridge as I could get.  I sat down with this lovely evergreen, got comfortable, and immediately went to sleep.  I was sitting in Sunshine.  It was about 57 degrees and a little breezy, but I was wearing several layers so I was comfortable.  I woke up after about 30 minutes and looked around.  There were no lions or tigers or bears, so I closed my eyes and slept for about another 30 minutes.
The Sunshine was wonderful.  The colors of the leaves were amazing.  And, it was so peaceful.  Sitting here with this lovely tree, it was not hard at all to align with my Inner Peace.  What a Blessing !!!
Today I wanted to talk about something I've been meditating on for 10 days more or less.  About two weeks ago, I saw this statement somewhere online that said “Healing the Future”, and it got my attention!  We understand that Human Beings are Creators.  Whether we mean to or not, we do create our future.  Sometimes we do a better job than others, and sometimes we get all goofy and go into a major destruction mode!  We get really frustrated and decide the thing to do is just tear it all down and start over again!  Which, generally speaking, is usually not very helpful. 
When I was growing up, I would occasionally hear someone on the farm say, in a moment of extreme frustration, “Give me a big enough hammer and I can fix anything!”.  Well, we know that some things can be fixed beyond repair!  I've never found that giving someone a big enough hammer is the best of all possible solutions.  Usually, this means we are not being very creative or cooperative or even listening to each other.  We all know when we work together, and listen to each other, and get creative, we accomplish amazing things!  We all know that.  Somehow we manage to figure out all kinds of amazing solutions.
Right now we have a lot of challenges in our country and the world.  But 90% of the time, these situations are not the result of people being mean or stupid. They are usually the result of very rapid cultural change!  Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, our social, industrial, and technological systems have been changing so rapidly that we have not had any time to adjust.  Now we are dealing with systems that have not kept up with these changes!  Many of the systems have not been updated or restructured and they are just not working well for many people.
I have a picture of my aunt, who lived to be 103.  She was born right around the turn of the century.  I treasure this early photograph, because it was taken where she went to school.  She went to school in a one room schoolhouse.  The younger children are seated closest to the camera.  This would have been a big box camera.  It's easy to see my aunt since she was one of the younger children.  As you go toward the back of the room all the other children are older.  There is only one teacher for a large roomful of children, maybe 20 to 30. 
There were not enough qualified teachers to go around on the western frontier.  But they did figure out a brilliant way to solve the problem.  The older students who could read and write and do math would help the younger ones.  They would sit down with them and go over the lesson.  Or help them do a little bit of math while the teacher was working with other children.  It was a great system!  It worked!  It was like mentoring.  So this neat little system evolved.  It was a very compassionate system, where the people that needed help got the extra attention that they needed. And it worked!  Many cultural and social challenges have solutions if we can be patient and compassionate.  Problem solved ... !!!  
A week or so ago, I saw this little phrase, which was “Healing the Future”.  So I started meditating on that.  After a few days, I had an intuitive sense that if we can heal our hearts, we can heal the future.  That means, if we can heal our hearts and heal some of this frustration and angst and despair and cynicism, then we can create a better future!  We have done it before. We are perfectly capable of healing our Hearts, but we have to believe in ourselves.
So today, I would like for us to work with a simple way to heal the hurts of our hearts, to start the process, just a little bit.  This is why I'm sitting in the wilderness, or as close to pure wilderness as I can get.  I am sitting with a lovely tree, surrounded by many other lovely trees with beautiful fall colors and evergreens.  It is just gorgeous.  I'm sitting on a soft bed of leaves.  The whole floor of the forest is covered with leaves.  As these leaves break down, all the nutrients will go back into the soil to feed the trees.  It is a perfect system, as long as we, that would be human beings, don't mess with it.
So I've stepped out of civilization, and I'm sitting in Creation.  I'm relaxing. I am gently aware of every breath, relaxing, feeling my body settling down.  What I have understood is that we are not able to think our way into a peaceful state.  We can't think our way out of despair, or anger, or frustration.  This is one of the things that is so difficult for people who are doing their best to learn how to meditate.  We can't think our way into a quiet state or even into a peaceful state.  It just does not work! 
But we can go to our heart.  We can rest with our Heart.  We don't have to make our Heart do anything.  We can just rest with our Heart and breathe through our Heart.  We can let our Heart relax and be with our breath.  Let our mind ramble on wherever it wants to ramble and not worry about it.  Just, very gently, bring our attention back to our breath and our Heart.
One of the great miracles about being a human being is that our bodies, like our whole system, is always trying to heal itself.  This is built in.  When we relax and breathe gently, we begin to shift gears.  When we look at the incredible beauty around us and breathe then we are aligning with Creation and becoming more coherent.
If we can shift out of looking for what's wrong and or what we think is not working, and focus on what is working, this begins to shift our perception of the world and of the people all around us. We start to see people as whole.  If not as our brothers and sisters, at least as our cousins 3X removed, right?
We are all on the planet right now, and it's difficult.  It is extremely challenging, and scary.  At this point, we need to remember that Human Beings are programmed to have a bias for negativity.  When we were evolving and our brain was developing, we were doing our best to survive while living on the Savannah.  So, wherever we were on the world, we were looking for things that might be a threat.  If we got really good at finding those threats and escaping them or getting rid of them, we stood a much better chance of living longer and producing offspring.  So, we have a negativity bias. We're looking for what's wrong in order to survive. 
But we're no longer living in the wilderness. We are no longer living in the savannah.  We're living where there's some civilization.  It might seem like a chaotic civilization, but it is still civilization.  There aren't lions and tigers and bears and snakes. We don't have the same kind of threats, but we still have this negativity bias!  So we need to be very conscious about what we pay attention to and where we put our awareness.  This doesn't mean that we become naive!  It means that we are aware of where we are and what is happening right now, in the present.  
We need to be aware of and looking for what's working and who is helping, not harming.  That is precisely what we need to know for survival.  We need to know what systems are working. We need to know what people are capable of working with other people to build a better civilization.
This is exactly where we need to put our energy!
And we need to be very patient and compassionate with ourselves.  Because if we are patient and compassionate with ourselves, we'll be so much better at being patient and compassionate with others.  Maybe we will even get better at listening to each other.  Wouldn’t that be Wonderful !!!
In our meditation, I would like for us to do a very simple practice.  I've been doing this particular little exercise for more than a week.  I've discovered that as I allow my heart to relax, my heart seems to take a deep breath and calm down.  When I do this, it is much easier for me to find that place of Inner Peace.  Amazing … so simple and it works !!!
You can listen to the podcast.  Or, try it yourself …
This is so simple.
Just sit down or lie down and breathe, gently …
Follow your breath,
as we breathe in,
following your breath, 
all the way down into your solar plexus,
feel yourself becoming more centered.
As you breathe out,
following your breath
from your solar plexus,
from the bottom of your lungs,
past your heart
and out into the space all around you,
allow yourself to relax,
Keep following your breath.
When you're feeling centered and relaxed,
at ease with yourself,
and comfortable with your breath, 
then bring your awareness to your heart.
Allow your whole body to sink into the chair 
or the floor or the sofa or the bed, 
just wherever you are.
Let your body rest.
As you breathe in, be aware of your heart.
And as you breathe out, allow your heart to relax,
to open up.
We're in a safe space.
Or, we're with good people.
Allow your heart to open,
to relax just a little bit,
feel the power in your heart,
the rhythm of your heart.
Let yourself come to Rest 
very gently with your Heart.
Feel the unconditional love,
the compassion, the blessing   
That compassion is always there,
Moving through our hearts,
always there,
Let yourself feel with every breath
the love and compassion,
the unconditional love that moves through All Creation.
Let your heart begin to heal from anything
that has ever caused any hurt.
Very gently, stay with your breath.
Stay with your heart
for as long as it's comfortable and
and when you find that inner peace and calm,
then remember it.
Walk that feeling into your week,
remembering the goodness that lives within you,
and the goodness that lives within other people.   
Mary Christopher

Supporting Native Plant Nurseries !!! Caring for Creation !!!

If you are interested in having native plants in your yard or garden this Spring, then you need to look for Native Plant nurseries in your area.  These very special nurseries grow their plants from seed.  The seeds are from native plants that are found in your area and are already adapted to the soil and weather conditions.
These local nurseries are growers.  They aren’t buying plants from wholesale growers who may be in other regions or other states.  This is one of the main problems with buying plants from “big-box” stores.  These plants are often hybrids or even invasive species.  And, these plants are almost always sprayed with pesticides before being shipped from the wholesaler to the store.
This means these plants are potentially lethal to beneficial bugs that may be living in your yard or your neighborhood!  One of the many reasons that we want to use native plants in our yards or gardens is to support all the Beneficial Bugs that are “harvesting” those annoying aphids or mosquitoes that emerge in the Spring and Summer.  This is one of the best reasons for getting plants that have not been sprayed.  We are protecting all those Beneficial Bugs who are eating the bugs we spray for every year.
The worst part about spraying pesticides is that we are killing the Beneficial Bugs who are helping us take care of our plants, produce a better harvest, and lower the toxicity in our environment.  In other words, when we invest in native plants, we are working with Nature to protect the Bugs we need.  We are also keeping these poisons out of our air, water, and soil.  We are being Good Stewards of the Earth.
When I was growing up in SW Oklahoma, my family owned a Farm Supply Store.  We sold DDT which is a very strong pesticide.  It was usually sold in gallon glass containers and then diluted and sprayed on all kinds of crops.  At that time, no one seemed to understand that having DDT sprayed on crops that we ate could affect our health.  Everyone who worked in the store was extremely careful with those heavy glass bottles.  If any DDT spilled on someone, they rushed to the bathroom to wash it off before it could soak into their skin.
DDT is a persistent pesticide.  This means it stays in the environment for a long time.  It had a half-life of 2 to 15 years in soil and potentially much longer in aquatic environments.  While DDT concentrations have been declining since its use was discontinued, it can still be found in the environment.  Fortunately, DDT was banned for most uses in the United States in 1972. The ban, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), effectively ended the domestic use of DDT as a pesticide. While DDT is still produced in the US, it can still be exported for use in other countries.  This means it can be used on crops that are imported to the United States.
Even though we no longer use DDT in this country, we are using chemicals that are not healthy for humans or animals.  When we invest in Native Plants we are supporting our local ecology and improving the immediate area around our homes.  We are also investing in a healthier future for our families and our neighbors.
Most Native Plant Nurseries are family-owned and operated.  These people are dedicated to producing healthy, vibrant plants that will thrive in your specific environment.  They are usually knowledgeable and happy to answer your questions.  And, they may suggest other native plants that you are not familiar with.  They are happy to answer questions and share their knowledge!  When we get our plants from Native Plant Nurseries we are supporting a local business and investing in the next generation of growers!
Check with your state Native Plant Society website for a listing of Native Plant Nurseries in your area.  You will be delighted and amazed by all the wonderful native plants that are available for sunny or shady or mixed sunlight areas in your yard.

Now Is the Perfect Time to Plant Milkweed and Nectar Plants!

Every day we are getting better and better at Caring for Creation!  We are becoming more and more aware of the beauty, symmetry, and wonder of Creation!  And, we are paying more and more attention to the Blessings we experience every day.
One of the amazing events we have every year is the double migration of Monarch Butterflies.  If the spring Monarchs leave their Winter Home in Mexico and move north, some as far as Canada.  In the fall, Monarchs begin their annual journey back to Mexico.  Due to the short lifespan of a Monarch, it can take 7 sequential “lifetimes” for a single Monarch to reach their winter home in Mexico.
This means hundreds and thousands of Monarch Butterflies need stations between their summer homes and their winter vacation homes.  This is where we, that’s us Human Beings, can make a big difference!  We can provide a great Monarch Waystation in our yards, at our churches, and in our community parks.  It is so simple and easy to do … !!!
This bi-annual monarch migration is one of the world's greatest natural wonders!  However, it is threatened by habitat loss at their wintering grounds in Mexico as well as throughout breeding areas in the United States and Canada.  Spring is the perfect time of year to plant Milkweed that is native to your region along with native nectar plants.
When we plant Milkweed and nectar plants now, then by fall, when hundreds of millions of Monarch Butterflies begin their migration south, they will find the plants they need to reproduce the next generation of Monarchs.  Each successive generation will continue the journey south!  When we plant Milkweed that is native to our region along with native nectar plants, we are providing the ideal stop-over or Waystation for Migrating Monarchs!
Why is this so Important?
Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the United States and Canada to mountains in central Mexico where they wait out the winter until conditions favor a return flight in the spring. The monarch migration is truly one of the world's greatest natural wonders yet it is threatened by habitat loss at overwintering grounds in Mexico and throughout breeding areas in the United States and Canada.
Milkweeds and nectar sources are declining due to development and the widespread use of herbicides in croplands, pastures, and roadsides. Because 90% of all milkweed/monarch habitats occur within the agricultural landscape, farm practices have the potential to strongly influence the increase or decrease of monarch populations.
Development (of subdivisions, factories, shopping centers, etc.) in the U.S. is consuming habitats for monarchs and other wildlife at a rate of 6,000 acres (9.4 square miles) a day - that's 2.2 million acres each year. This is roughly equivalent to losing an area of habitat the size of the state of Illinois (the 24th largest U.S. state) every sixteen years!
The use of herbicides and frequent mowing along roadsides has converted much of the Monarchs’ habitat to grassy areas that lack shelter and food for wildlife. Although some states have started to increase the number and diversity of milkweeds and nectar plants along roadsides, these programs are relatively small.  The remaining milkweed habitats in pastures, hayfields, edges of forests, grasslands, native prairies, and urban areas are not nearly enough to sustain the large monarch butterfly populations that we saw in the 1990s. 
MONARCHS Need Our Help!
We can make a Big Difference just by planting Native Milkweed along with Native Nectar plants right now!  If we plant this spring and create numerous local Waystations, these amazing Butterflies will continue their migration and flourish.  And, we will be rewarded by renewed populations of Magnificent Monarchs visiting us every Spring and Fall!
To show your support of Monarch conservation, you can also register your Monarch habitat with Monarch Watch as an official Monarch Waystation. Your habitat will be included in the Monarch Waystation Registry, an online listing of Monarch Waystations worldwide!  You will also be awarded a certificate bearing your name and your habitat's unique Monarch Waystation ID number!
To learn more about specific paths of Monarch Migrations and the best native plants for your region, go to … MonarchWatch.org
You can make a Big Difference for Monarchs by working with Creation, and restoring Monarch Habitats!
Mary teaches mindfulness and spiritual practices.
She leads Heart Coherence groups and offers individual coaching.
Through her “Caring for Creation” podcast, she shares practices
for connecting with the earth and our spirituality.