Early Monday Morning

 It's early Monday morning, approximately 4:59 a.m. as I start writing this post. I have my cup of tea beside me, 

And yes! I am very "Thankful and Blessed"!

and except for the whir of the washing machine (yes! already!) everything is peaceful and quiet. Hubby is still sleeping, and Blackie has been fed and is posing himself in front of the bedroom door, awaiting "Daddy's" entrance. Well, actually, he just moved in here beside me and is laying right behind my chair, so I have to be careful not to roll over him! LOL.  I guess he was lonesome. Yes, I did pay him some attention and we played "catch mommie's shoe and eat it" for awhile, and that seemed to satisfy him.

Thank you for so many thoughtful comments on my last post HERE.  It seems as though my thoughts about finding "inner peace" amidst the turmoil of life resonated with many of you. I guess I'm not alone in my quest for quiet time and time spent alone with the Lord in meditation on His Word and prayer.  Even though we have our daily routine with reading and sharing our devotions together each morning, there's still something very comforting and calming about spending time alone with the Lord, perhaps out in His creation/nature, or wherever you find that place of solitude.  

I did actually spend some time outside that same afternoon...although I was not technically "alone"...

My sweet little furry companion LOVES it when Mommie comes outside and we can watch the birds and butterflies together.

Oh,who's that?  Yes, we had a visitor in the garden...Hubby decided to come outside and see what's all the excitement about in being outside where the bugs are...

He's doesn't enjoy nature quite like I do, so he wasn't there long...besides, there was college football to watch on TV...so this must have been a half time break! LOL. But it was nice to have him visit for a little while.

Then I went back to watching the butterflies...this Gulf Fritillary butterfly was having such a grand time flitting around from flower to flower...here he is enjoying the nectar from this tiny little weed/wildflower,  which I cannot seem to identify, but they are blooming all over the back yard, and the butterflies love them!

It is on a very fragile weed like stem, and the butterfly is literally hanging upside down and holding on to the flower while he drinks from its nectar:

We are actually seeing the underside of the butterfly's wings!  Whatever that little flower is, it must be good for the butterfly to hang upside down for so long to enjoy it!

And this Cloudless Sulphur butterfly is also enjoying the nectar from the  Cape Honeysuckle plant. He looks like he's a little worse for the wear, with what looks like a chunk taken out of his wings! Butterflies don't live a long life, but they drink in all the beauty of flavor of what God's provides for them while they can!

Psalm 34:8 NKJV

"8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

I was sitting in the "Secret Memorial Garden", on the shore of Still Waters Pond

Quoting that verse from Psalm 34 above led me to read the whole Psalm, and I thought, you know, that Psalm is just too good to not share the whole passage! So here you go.  I pray it will bless you as much as it blessed me.

 

Psalm 34, A Psalm of David

"1 I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;

The humble shall hear of it and be glad.

3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

This male Cardinal came and sat in the holly tree, looking for some holly berries to enjoy

4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked to Him and were radiant,

And their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,

And saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,

And delivers them.

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!

There is no want to those who fear Him.

10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;

But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

11 Come, you children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 Who is the man who desires life,

And loves many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep your tongue from evil,

And your lips from speaking deceit.

14 Depart from evil and do good;

Seek peace and pursue it.

Blackie was sitting under the Cape Honeysuckle bush, watching the butterflies come and go.

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,

To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,

And delivers them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Thankfully, Blackie wasn't interested in the comings and goings of the beautiful Cardinal in the Holly Tree!

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

20 He guards all his bones;

Not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked,

And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.

22 The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,

And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

All in all, it was a peaceful and beautiful day, exactly what I needed. Earlier, we took a ride down to the Kenwood Boat ramp and I could see that the cypress trees along the shore were changing their color and soon they will be bare for the winter...but aren't they beautiful in their time of letting go of this present life and preparing for the next phase?

And so should we be beautiful as we embrace this stage of our lives, living our days to the honor and glory of God, and preparing our hearts and souls for the next phase...which is life everlasting!

"16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

This was the sunset that evening...a perfect ending to a perfect day!  

I feel better now...and am ready to face whatever this day and week may hold.

Stay tuned...

Saturday Morning Thoughts

 

This morning's sunrise

Here it is Saturday morning already...where did this week go? I tried to start this post yesterday, but just couldn't find anything worthwhile to say. Some days are like that...I kept drawing a blank when I'd sit down here at my computer with a blank page before me...my brain was as blank as the page...I didn't even have any decent or recent pictures to share! What's up with that? 

I'm thinking to myself..."Self...there must be something you can say that is meaningful and to also express your thankfulness for all that God has done for you..."  And even though my brain was whirling around thinking of things, I just couldn't seem to put it down "on paper"...or on the computer page. Maybe some days we just have to give our brains a rest and not try to push so hard...and let God have time to refresh and restore our minds and hearts and spirits... We don't have to be clever and bright and witty and wise all the time, do we? Even Jesus took time away from the crowds and the disciples to go to a quiet place to rest and pray.

I wish I could say that is what I did.  But I really can't say that. It was just one of those days where I kind of wandered aimlessly around the house and didn't really focus on anything or anyone much at all. I think I was just plain tired. This week has been a bit draining...lack of sleep while adjusting to the new time change always affects me that way...and the election news was disturbing to say the least, but I am placing that in God's hands...He's already there...He knows what's going on and how it all fits in with the bigger picture of life here on earth and in the kingdom to come. I know I can trust Him to handle it all and take care of me and those that I love and care about as well.

So today I have awakened with more of a purpose in mind. Little things...like getting my house in order...literally my physical house, not just my spiritual house, although that could also definitely use some major overhauling as well.  But I think as I begin to put this house in order my spiritual house will also become more aligned with the place where God wants me to be.  It's hard to think good, wise, spiritual thoughts when everything around me is in a bit of a mess.  Likewise, it's difficult to put the physical house in order when everying within me is in a bit of a mess as well.  Maybe I need to get my priorities in line first. First things first...so let me go back and rethink this paragraph...I need to get my Spiritual house, my internal soul and heart and mind in order before I try to tackle the rest of the mess. Yep...I need to follow Jesus' example above...spend more time in that "solitary" place, alone with God and away from the distractions of this world and house...and then I will be ready to tackle the physical mess around me.  I really think they go hand in hand...when our internal "space" is at peace and uncluttered from the things of the world, our external "space" will begin to fall into shape as I am better prepared to tackle things in an appropriate manner...not willy nilly, wearing myself out in the process.

It's good to have these conversations with myself prior to the very busy holiday season that is rapidly approaching. I tend to get myself into a mental frenzy that becomes a physical calamity when I start thinking about everything I think I need to do between now and then. It's time to take stock of things and pray about what is really needful and not allow the pressures of the 'world' get me down. 

I have often identified with Martha in this story below...and I've also often been frustrated with Jesus' response to Martha.  I, like Martha, want Jesus to see things my way.  But Jesus wants me to see things His way.  Therefore, my prayer as we begin this busy and sometimes stressful holiday season is that God will help me to be more like Mary and less like Martha...and perhaps then I will be more organized and get things done without so much stress.  

Luke 10:38-42 NKJV

38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Thank you for sitting in on this little conversation I've been having with myself this morning.  Sometimes we just need a bit of a pep talk!  Perhaps this was helpful for you in some way as well. I sincerely hope so.

Meanwhile, back at the "house"...I actually did start taking a few steps to get my house in order this morning.  I started looking around me here in my little "Room with a view", and realized it had been a while since I'd done any dusting or cleaning in here.  So while I was waiting for my computer to boot up (I had totally shut it down last night to give it a break), I decided to dust the top of the china cabinet...

And the little table with the doorknob collection, which I started when I named my blog, "Closed Doors, Open Windows".  

And then I looked over at Pamela's Victorian Cottage to the left of my desk and noticed that they were getting ready for Thanksgiving too...

The Farmer and his wife had brought over a pumpkin and a turkey for the family to enjoy...and the "little mother" reminds me of me..."Oh dear! How am I ever going to get everything ready on time?", rather than being thankful for the gifts. Lord, help me not to be that way!! I want to be thankful for the "gifts" of family and friends and the joy of the season, and not be fretting over the how-to's and what ifs of life.

I went in search of Blackie, and he had found a quiet place to rest beside Lily Grace and her friends. He seems to feel right at home there. I'm so glad they all get along so well. LOL.  

Well, in closing I want to share this beautiful rainbow from last evening.  We just had a slight sprinkle of rain, but this wonderful rainbow appeared in the skies, and it reminded me that God's promises are still sure and complete. He will not abandon His children or His creation. We need not fear for the future or even the present because God is with us ALWAYS!

Last night's sunset on Still Waters Pond

Matthew 28:19-20 New King James Version

 (Jesus said:) 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Wednesday Treasures

 

Happy Wednesday Evening! It's been a long day...woke up really early as I couldn't sleep. Blackie was happy to see me and always happy to get fed.   I know you must think I am obsessed with this cat. Not really, but when you're two old retired people sometimes watching the antics of a rather precocious cat is the best fun you have all day. LOL.  

Just like yesterday, after he finished eating, he went and parked himself in front of our bedroom doors to wait for "Daddy" to come out and play with him.  I kept a closer watch on him today so that he didn't push the doors open and go jump in the bed with Daddy again. I mean, just because I can't sleep and I get myself up at 4:30 a.m. doesn't mean that Hubby shouldn't be allowed to sleep a little longer...even though Blackie doesn't agree with me on that.  Anyway, I managed to keep him from a repeat of yesterday, and soon enough "Daddy" got up on his own and came out and played with him, and then all was well and life could go on as normal again. 

I have been trying to put away all the Halloween decorations and change over to Thanksgiving decor, and then I was surprised by this cute "pop-up" card that came in the mail today from my sister Doris! She tried to get it here in time for Halloween, but it didn't quite make it, so it will stay out on the table and we will enjoy it for a while longer! Isn't he adorable?

He's one of those cut paper pop up cards that are so popular. 

My niece Debbie has a really charming little gift shop in Longwood, Florida, and she sells all kinds of cute gift items and fun stuff. It's called "Ruby Sun Gifts", and you can learn more on her Facebook page Ruby Sun Gifts. She's also on Instagram. (rubysungifts). Sadly, I don't think she ships items, but if you're ever in Longwood, Florida, be sure to look her up and tell her that Aunt Pam sent you.

Internet Photo (but I think it's painted yellow now!)

It's also where my "Lucy Goosey" came from...she has a whole flock of relatives there, just waiting to be dressed and loved. LOL. And yes, she sells the clothes for these geese there too.

Internet Photo from Ruby Sun Gifts

So anyway, I digress, but I just wanted to put in a plug for my niece's cute little shop.

This morning when we got up and running it was a beautiful morning, and I wanted to get out of the house and away from the TV and NEWS. I won't discuss the "state of the union" , but only will say this, we were VERY thankful to see that our state of Florida exercised common sense and stayed true to our core beliefs. We were not so happy to see how many other states took the bait went totally off the deep end. But one thing is certain, God is in control, and He will not be mocked. I will keep my eyes on the Lord and continue to trust in Him.



Joshua 24:15 NKJV
15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”


Anyway, before I go down that rabbit hole...we got out and took a walk. I noticed something strange on this dying tree:




Upon closer inspection I discovered that it was a "Northern Tooth Fungus" (see link for more information). It's quite a cluster of fungi! Wow!

I just find these things interesting. There's always something unique to see when out in God's Amazing Creation in nature!




When we got home I continued working on changing out the decor both inside and out to get ready for Thanksgiving...
Mr. Scarecrow and Pumpkin will hang around for a while yet...


Back inside the house came out the Pilgrims and turkeys...




And the "Lil Pilgrims"


And also our thankful family...






And my favorite little crewel sign that my sister Doris made for me many many years ago...





While I was doing all of this I got a phone call from "the kids". Rose was getting off work a little early and they were going to go out to eat at our local "Hog Wild Country Cafe' for supper, and wanted to know if we wanted to go too? Well, yeah! I was planning to fix some leftovers that weren't all that exciting, and anytime we can be with our kids is such a joy and blessing. I was too busy enjoying the food and fellowship that I forgot to take any pictures, but it was all good and we were truly "Thankful" to have our kids close by to enjoy, and the ability to go out for supper and have a good meal. We are counting our blessings and giving thanks to the Lord for all He has done, regardless of the things that we may find disappointing or distressing in the world...


Jesus said to His disciples in the Gospel of John 16:33

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation;
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”


Therefore, I am THANKFUL...and will give my thanks to the Lord for all He has done!



Well, it's getting past my bedtime already, so I need to wrap this up. I hope you are having a blessed and pleasant and THANKFUL week, and let us rejoice in knowing that our God is in control, no matter what the world may say. Amen.