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...