Good Monday Morning!

Monday, May 4th, 2020! 

It is hard to believe we are already breezing through May so quickly. The days, weeks, and months all seem to run together anymore, don't they?  Without having any kind of definite schedule to our lives these days, many are finding it difficult to differentiate one day from another. That is why I wrote out the day and date above...for myself as well as for those who may need a reminder as to what day it is!

I trust you had a pleasant weekend wherever you are, and that you are staying healthy and safe.

We are very thankful to be staying well and God is taking such good care of us and our family during this time...we are very grateful.

We took our usual ride to our walking place the other morning, and I was very excited to see

these two deer alongside the road. You have to look very closely to see the second deer, down in the lower left hand corner, hiding in the grass. That one leaped up and ran into the woods as we got closer...

But this one just turned and stood there and looked at me as if to say, "Okay, here I am. Go ahead and take your pictures. I know you've been wanting to get a picture of me for a long time...so just go ahead. Take your time..."

And so, of course I did...She just stood there and waited patiently for me to take these pictures...

Isn't she lovely? I don't believe I've ever had such a close encounter with a deer alongside the road waiting patiently for me to finish taking pictures. I thanked her profusely and then we turned into the road to go on for our walk, and she turned into the woods to go catch up with her youngster, who was waiting patiently for her in the underbrush of the woods.

What a beautiful way to start the day!

After our walk, we decided to take a ride to a pretty little town about 15 miles north of us...

"Florahome"

This sign is in the park where the old train station used to be many years ago. They have now turned the railroad tracks into a biking and walking trail through the area, which is very nice.

I enjoyed reading about the history of the town. It was actually named after "one of the original residents...Flora Sipprell.  According to local lore, folks were headed for "Flora's home", which in time was shortened to Florahome."  I guess I feel a kind of kinship with this little community, because my maternal grandmother's name is "Flora", as was her grandmother's name. I have always thought that was such a lovely name.

This is what is left of the train station now... a nice picnic pavilion, overlooking ball parks on one side, and a tennis court across the road.  A very lovely place indeed.

Some of the "Flora and Fauna" that we saw while there at this park:

 This is a male "Spicebush Swallowtail" butterfly. Sadly, he has lost one of his "tails", and even though he was still alive, I am not sure that he would be much longer. But he was very beautiful anyway.

There was some pretty wild phlox growing alongside the road:

And these beautiful old live oaks surrounded the park.  The Florahome Methodist church is right through those trees in a very picturesque setting:

But what I was most thrilled to see was this Red Shouldered Hawk, sitting on the fence , obviously with his eye on some kind of prey on the ground. He was so focused on his prey that he did not mind me getting so close to take his picture:

 Isn't he magnificent?  So this was the second "close encounter" with one of God's beautiful creatures in the same morning!!  What an amazing blessing!

This morning as I was sitting here writing this I was thinking in my mind, "Now what scriptures should I add to go along with these pictures?"  But before I could get to that part, my hubby reminded me that it was getting "late" (he stays on a schedule no matter what) and we needed to go ahead and read our morning devotions. We do that together every morning. It is a wonderful way to start our day off right and gives us good "food for thought" before we actually get our "food" for the morning's breakfast.  

So anyway, I sat down in my chair and opened our devotional booklet to the page for today, and the first thing I do is look up the  suggested scripture references that go along with the devotional readings.  There is usually a Psalm, a Gospel reading, and then either one of the Epistles or something from the Old Testament.   The Psalm for today was Psalm 42, and here is what the first few verses say:

1.  "As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So pants my soul for You, O God.

2.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?

3.  My tears have been my food day and night,

While they continually say to me,

"Where is your God?"

4.  When I remember these things,

I pour out my soul within me.

For I used to go with the multitude;

I went with them to the house of God,

with the voice of joy and praise,

with a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

5.  Why are you cast down, O my soul

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

for the help of His countenance."

Wow!  I love how God puts these things together,  don't you?  Seeing that lovely deer, and then putting that with the fact that yes, my soul is panting for God during these days of "social isolation" and not being able to attend church and worship together with our dear friends.  Yes, I am fully able to worship God anywhere, and that I do.  But even though we have been provided with wonderful messages of hope and inspiration on the computer, radio, TV, or whatever ways available (some attend drive-in church services), my soul is "thirsting for God".  I long to "go with the multitude, to the House of God, with the voice of joy and praise, and with the multitude that kept a pilgrim feast."

I miss our church fellowship and corporate worship, singing hymns of praise together in one voice, worshiping together through praise, prayer, and our offerings. 

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, 

so pants my soul for You, O God."

But my hope is in the Lord. Just like the Psalmist says in verse 5, "Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance." 

I know it won't be long until we will all be together again...things may be a little different...it will be difficult to restrain ourselves from giving holy hugs to one another, but I pray that soon God will remove this plague from our land and we will "yet praise Him for the help of His countenance." Amen?

After our little ride out in the country, as we headed back home we stopped by a little roadside vegetable stand, which I was SO happy to see as I've been craving some fresh fruits and vegetables.  We were able to purchase our first real fresh from fields cantaloupe and watermelon and fresh tomatoes .  

Here I am enjoying a bowl of watermelon beside the pond....

And, I asked my son to move one of our picnic tables down from the deck,  so I can enjoy it in the shade in the yard when I sit out there to watch the birds. Now we can "entertain" friends  as we social distance...

I just need to get a few more chairs for down here. 

So now, y'all come!

We'll eat our watermelon and enjoy visiting outside!

Have a blessed and beautiful day my friends!