The Simple Life

A morning walk on our land is like the Balm of Gilead for my soul.   All the shopping in the world cannot do for me what a walk in nature does.   I recently read a study that showed people could lower their blood pressure by walking in the woods.  I am fond of saying that God did not start mankind off in nature by accident.  He could have created a city setting for Adam and Eve. 
When I was 16 years old I read this quote and memorized it and its always been meaningful to me and served as a sort of guidepost for me.  When I get caught up in something that is what I consider deep inside me to be in truth a bit "artificial" I center myself with the thoughts John Muir spoke about in this quote...
"No sane man in the hands of Nature can doubt the doubleness of his life. Soul and body receive separate nourishment and separate exercise, and speedily reach a stage of development wherein each is easily known apart from the other.

Living artificially we seldom see much of our real selves, our torpid souls are hopelessly entangled with our torpid bodies, and not only in there a confused mingling of our own souls with our own bodies, but we hardly possess a separate existence from our neighbors."
John Muir, John of the Mountains, p. 77
We need to spend time in nature to nourish our bodies and our souls.  To walk amid the miracles of creation working together.  To sense the wonder of each season and to smell the scent of soil and trees.  To hear the bird song and hear the wind moving through the trees.    We do not have acre upon acre but we have a small haven of beauty non the less.   An outdoor cathedral in which its easy to hear the small still voice of God speak of His love for us.  Its a simple life, an uncomplicated life. 
Photos from my morning walk