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Be a good steward of your gifts. Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. Be by yourself as often as you can. Walk. Take the phone off the hook. Work regular hours.
–Jane Kenyon, A Hundred White Daffodils
I wake early so I can open my eyes slowly.
I wake early so I have time to stretch and take a walk with Charlie.
I wake early to hear the sounds of the morning and see the moon.
I wake early to nourish my soul.
Jane Kenyon reminds me to be a steward of my gifts. She’s speaking specifically about poetry in a chapter titled Everything I Know about Writing Poetry. These are perfect instructions for nourish, Ramona’s one little word. The word our spiritual journey group is writing about today, the first Thursday of September.
This early morning a cool front has come in. For the first time since early spring, the temperature has fallen below 70 degrees. What this does for my spirit is like a lift to wings. Fall is in the air. Energy fills me along with my morning coffee.
To nourish and nurture my self, I wake early. I’ve learned to savor these early morning hours. I take my time becoming present.
We all need to learn how to nourish our souls. Without nourishment, rushing to stress can quickly take over. Our lives always carry the potential to overload. When we slow down, take time to reflect and read and walk, we nourish the inner spirit that is always there, waiting for us to take notice and feel loved.
Reflections on the Teche 
Thank you, Margaret, for helping me nourish my soul this morning. I woke up early for an emergency test for my husband. It is my hope that I will slow down to find the time to savor life this week because stress only puts me on warp speed.
Forgot to mention that I love your digital inspiration so much that it will be my guide & it will have a place in Sunkissed Summer Gallery.
Love this poem from Jane Kenyon. I looked for a poem to share with my post, but was unsuccessful. It’s beautiful how Jane’s words, “Be a good steward of your gifts” dovetail so beautifully with the scripture I shared. I love your words, “I wake early to nourish my soul” and this reminder, “When we slow down, take time to reflect and read and walk, we nourish the inner spirit that is always there, waiting for us to take notice and feel loved.” Thanks for joining us today.
Lovely! I too am a morning person. Anytime I awake after 5 a.m. I have permission to rise (much earlier and I feel weird later in the day but 5 or after is the perfect time). Those early morning hours are the breakfast for my soul and spirit, and of course they include coffee for the bod.
I’d love to read the book by Jane Kenyon. I have many favourites among her poems.