A Winter’s Day Walk with God… and Kylie

Posted by Barbara Techel

 

It’s only in the teens today, but I was ready to get back out on my new daily walks with Kylie. The last few days have been frigid and awfully windy, so we didn’t get our walks in. It seemed to take me forever as I got my snow pants on, two shirts, one sweatshirt, jacket, headband, two sets of mittens, and finally my jacket. Kylie stood patiently by, her tail wagging, looking at me, then glancing out the door and back to me again. I said, “I’m putting my fur coat on Kylie- hang on- almost ready to go.”

Today the sun is bright in the sky making swirls of colors appear on the white crisp snow on our walk. I thought, wow, isn’t nature magnificient? How did God think all this up? I’m grateful He did. It is quiet when we walk on our path- well- at least it is for now. Our path leads around an athletic field, which is also wooded on the outskirts- but in spring, summer, and fall it is busy with baseball games and soccer.


As I took in the quiet and only the crunching of my boots in the snow and the occasional sniff of Kylie smelling deep into the snow, I took in the silence and the beauty around me. It made me think about choices I have made in my life. The choice I made years ago not to be in the corporate world any more- the choice to no longer work for my husband’s business where I worked in the office for many years- the choice I make to try and live simpler, so I can enjoy these daily walks with Kylie.

I remember working at Kohl’s Department Store many moons ago. A woman I worked with hated her job, but didn’t want to quit because she was coming up on four weeks vacation. It struck me odd, and more so now, that she would continue to be miserable everyday, just because she would lose out on four weeks of vacation if she quit. I realize we all have choices but it made me sad to think how unhappy she was 48 weeks out of every year to only be happy for four.

As I continued on my walk, I thanked God for my time with Kylie which I consider a little vacation each day. How often we store everything up inside us thinking we will relax and be happy when vacation comes, when we could have enjoyed a simple, small pleasure every day. And isn’t that what life is all about? And yes, vacations are good too. I do enjoy them- but I also like coming home again to my daily walks with God… and Kylie.

 

From my Yogi Tea bag:  “Nature is a giver, a true friend and a sustainer.”

The Secrets of Joy

Posted by Barbara Techel

 

Today I was having a difficult time in discovering something to share as part of my 31 days in January as part of my River of Stones and noticing the world around me. It is very cold here in Wisconsin with a few inches of snow blanketing the ground that we got over the weekend, and the winds still howling, making it quite frigid. All I want to do is stay snuggled in from the world.

So as I contemplated what my stone would be today I looked around my writing studio. On my window sill I have a darling little book called, “The Secrets of Joy” I received from a friend over 10-years ago. I hardly ever pick it up to look at it, but it called out to me as my stone for today.  It made me smile to see the sun on the cover as well as the word Joy. Joy is my favorite word.

So I opened the book at random to this saying:

“I’m fulfilled in what I do… I never thought that a lot of money or fine clothes– the finer things of life– would make you happy. My concept of happiness is to be fulfilled in a spiritual sense.”  ~Coretta Schott King (b. 1927)

How many of us can say we are fulfilled in what we do? I know I can say that and my journey the past seven years or so. It has not always been easy, but I am doing work that fulfills me and excited about my new area of Reiki study that I think will fulfill me in my continuing efforts to work with animals.  Animals bring me some of the most joy in my life and they fulfill me in so many ways.

The sun on the cover of the book slso reminded met that it is always there. Even though it is very cold outside, I am reminded that warmth and blooming flowers will once again be here before I know it. And I the fact the weather man has said it will be 44 degrees by Thursday makes today a bit easier to bear.  🙂 But I also know I always have a choice to choose Joy everyday of my life no matter what the weather or circumstances.

A River of Stones and Paying Attention as a New Path Emerges

Posted by Barbara Techel

One of my goals for the new year is to go deeper into my writing with my blog posts. In the past I’ve shared many things related to dogs and animals, which I will continue to do. They are the reason I am on my path of writing and why my blog is called Joyful Paws.  But as I continue to work on my new book, Through Frankie’s Eyes I want to share more about my journey in hopes that it will help others.

Thank you to Nancy of Living the Season blog who shared with me A River of Stones which is about paying more attention and falling in love with the world and the January 2012 challenge to notice something each day and write about it. I love this idea and am taking on the challenge.

So on this first day of January 1st, 2012 I share what I noticed just last week, which has me very excited about a new opportunity for me:


One thing I never knew existed until a few short weeks ago was Animal Reiki. I knew there was Reiki for humans, but not pets. For quite some time I’ve been feeling a shift inside me happening, a new path wanting to emerge. I have semi retired Frankie which means I will not be actively marketing our in person school visits any longer but will still welcome them through word of mouth. And even with word of mouth, I will be limiting her visits so she can enjoy her senior years. I feel like it is what she is wanting and I want to honor that for her.

Honoring Frankie wanting to slow down was reaffirmed for me by a first time Reiki healing I had done for her yesterday. Jay, Reiki Master and teacher of Healing through Spiritual Directions, who I met just a few weeks ago told me he received a message from Frankie while doing Reiki that she wants to slow down. I had a hard time accepting that fact a little over a year ago when I felt a change happening, but now I see a new opportunity before me. And I realize another new gift Frankie is giving me.

As I felt this transition beginning I knew I wanted to do something that would involve working with animals, but I just didn’t know what it was. Meeting Jay through my friend Susan and having him offer a Reiki healing for Frankie had me researching Reiki. This led me to animal Reiki and the above photo I share from Animal Reiki Source website. My heart skipped a beat that the founder, Kathleen Prasad has a wheelchair dog as her banner on the home page. I knew it was a sign.

As I delved deeper into Kathleen’s website I felt my whole body tingle and tears mist my eyes. This was something I want to know more about. After meeting with Jay I knew without a doubt I want to learn Reiki I, II and then III which means I will become a Reiki Master. This will take a good year to achieve. As I do Reiki I and II, I will be able to add to my education of Reiki by taking on line classes from Kathleen Prasad which will having me going deeper into doing Reiki for animals.

I’m very excited about this new journey and what I am going to learn. Sometimes life requires us to pay attention longer than we wish, so a new path or idea can emerge. Andd trust me, I know how hard that can be. I felt a bit lost the past few months trying so hard to figure out what it was supposed to be that I am to do with my life as Frankie’s needs change. So much of who I am and have done is because of her. But in paying attention, I also realize our path together is leading me deeper into more of what I already love, and that is animals. As I took this into my mind and heart yesterday I couldn’t thank Frankie enough for this gift, and all the gifts she has given me. I have no doubt that this new path will have me paying even more attention to the world around me.

Reiki is:

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy”. So Reiki is actually “spiritually guided life force energy.”

This definition is found on the Reiki website where you can learn even more.