Nature, up-close and personal
nature, wildlife, and learning mindfulness
If you've been following me for a little while, you have probably heard me mention an idea for a book that has been fermenting in my brain for a few years. I have a dream that kids across the United States will be able to pick it up and experience the nature around them - even around their neighborhood or in a city.
As a youth, I have vivid memories of walking in the deserts of El Paso with my dad and catching grasshoppers and race-runners among the dunes. I remember walking through the pine forests in New Mexico when he would stop and point out the piles of deer poop, and how to tell if it was a buck or a doe that was walking down the path. It might sound funny, but these experiences were instrumental in my love of nature and being outside.
Hands-on experience with nature also taught me the power of mindfulness - slowing down, and truly paying attention to my surroundings. This mindfulness has become a powerful practice in regulating strong emotions when they come up, and having fruitful conversations with God.
Exploring nature around you
My experiences with nature were not extravagant. They were simple and common, something anyone could have experienced, and yet they are held as dear memories in my heart. I want to provide a field guide for children to have the same type of experiences that will foster in them a love of nature, of all creation - especially themselves. This guide will focus on common wildlife found almost anywhere in the country, but it will be so much more than just a field guide. I want kids in any environment to see how every part of nature works together in harmony, and be able to see that God is also working all around them, silently but diligently. It's my goal that this book will encourage kids to delight in the nature around them, encourage mindfulness by making their own observations and drawings, and of course learn some cool facts about animals that they can share with their friends and family!
A work in progress
Obviously, this project will be a work-in-progress for quite a while! I am still discerning the best format and course of action for bringing my ideas to fruition (not to mention all the time creating the hand-drawn art for the book!)
Please keep me in your prayers as I work through this, be patient, and sign up for my newsletter to keep up to date with my progress!
Stay active, eat your greens and remember that YOU are the most beautiful creation of them all!
With Love,
Lindsey
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