Description: When we stand in the presence of the natural world of creation, something very powerful occurs. Our heart senses a raw and vital connection between ourselves and the handiwork of God revealed in the trees and rivers. Our eye catches some small detail and we are opened up to union with the world around us and to the Creator of that world. It does not take a magnificent vista; it could be a snowdrop or the sound of the wind. Our lives are informed by the wonder, the awe, and the radical amazement hidden in the beauty of the wild. We somehow grow in step with all that is about us. Looking deeply into the real life scenes of simple nature poems can illuminate a rhythm to our days that we might miss without the pause afforded in the whisper of ice on a branch. Explore the unity that is our lives in this series of meditations-this retreat into God. Endorsements: ""Part poetry collection, part guided journal, this book is an invitation to sit and watch with one who has paid attention. To RSVP with your time is to receive a gift-and with it, wonder."" -Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove author of The Wisdom of Stability ""In Bridges, Tom Johnson Medland draws the reader into a retreat for the soul. Through keen observation of the natural world, he artfully moves us on a pathway where we can more fully see and touch the beauty and meaning of our own lives. Bridges is a poetic journey toward God, that helps us recognize and record our own creative participation in life's variations and movements. The premise is so simple, yet so true -reflecting upon all that surrounds us offers a bridge of insight into what dwells deep within us."" -Kevin Witt Staff Person, Camp and Retreat Ministries GBOD, The United Methodist Church About the Contributor(s): Tom Johnson-Medland is the Food Services Manager for Pocono Plateau Camp and Retreat Center in Cresco, Pennsylvania. He is the author of Turning Within (1998). Tom continues to publish articles on end-of-life issues, spiritual direction and formation, and food service management. He lives at the camp with his wife Glinda and sons Zachary and Josiah.