"The Mighty One" - Updated 5-25-2026

I originally posted this on 5/31/2014, just one week after the passing of our son Matthew...after his 4 year battle with a deadly foe that just wouldn't give up.  (Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor- DSRCT).  Today, 5/25/2026, marks 12 years since his passing from this life into heaven. I have reposted this before in 2018, but what was said here originally 12 years ago and also in 2018 is still so real. I repost this today to hopefully encourage someone out there who may be going through a similar trial and time of grief.  I can honestly say that it does get a little easier with time...but only in the sense that we move from raw, unabashed sorrow and tears to a quieter, sweeter kind of grief. Acceptance? Perhaps.  I know that in my head I do accept the fact that our son is gone from this earth forever...and that he is now in heaven...forever.  But I still miss hearing his voice and seeing his face and feeling the warmth of his hugs.  I will say that there are many times that I feel his presence near me...I really don't think heaven is all that far away.  If only we could just reach through that veil and grasp onto each other again...but that is not to be...yet.  

Someday I, too, will pass through that veil from this life into the next...and I truly believe that my son will be standing there, next to Jesus, with arms open wide...ready to welcome me "home".  Until that day we will continue to carry on his memory in our hearts and in little things that we can do to keep his flame burning brightly.  I pray that these words will bring comfort to someone today whose grief is still fresh and glaringly painful.  May God's peace be your peace today.  May you place your hope in Jesus...and trust Him to carry you through. He will.

Our Memorial Garden in our back yard, in loving memory of our son. A wonderful place to pray, meditate on God's Word, and remember a marvelous son.

Original Post 5/31/14:

"The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

It is hard for me to realize that it was just one week ago today that I said my last farewells to my son Matthew.  It would be several more hours, in the wee hours of the next morning that we would receive the word that he had taken his last breath here on earth.  Can it be that a week has already passed? I believe I have been floating in a cloud mixed with sorrow and relief all week long.  Sorrow that my wonderful son is no longer with us here on earth, and relief that my wonderful son is no longer suffering from disease and that he is now totally healed and safe in heaven.

I know, I have already said these things to you.  I don't need to remind anyone about these events that have transpired this past week, especially not myself.  Everyday brings fresh reminders to me as we prepare for his memorial service and think of ways to honor him and keep his flame burning bright.  Sweet memories flash before my mind's eye, pictures of a precious little baby born earlier than expected and who lived a marvelous life and  left this earth earlier than expected, 41 years later.

The one thing I am mindful of is how the Lord has been carrying me in His arms this past week. This morning as I read my daily devotions, the verse written above stood out in bright highlights to me. Especially the part about "He will quiet you with His love..."  Yes, He has done just that. I have felt His love tenderly quieting my heart every time I have given over my mind to grief. When the tears began to overflow out of my eyes, I felt His hand gently wiping them away as He caressed my face.  I believe I could hear Him singing a sweet lullaby as He held me close and rocked me like a little child who needed to be comforted.

This same One who saves us, rejoices over us with gladness, quiets us with His love, and rejoices over us with singing. I've heard Him singing...He has filled my heart with songs of joy, peace, promise and love.  I have been flooded with songs in the night, the daytime, and at times when I didn't even think I could or should be singing.

Some of you may not understand how I could feel this great comfort...you may think I'm a bit daft in the head. But for those of us who have been there, we know how wonderful it is to have such a "Mighty One" as this Lord our God in our midst. "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save..."  

I take comfort in knowing that this "Mighty One" takes the time to notice my sorrow...He is touched with my grief.  And He assures me that 'Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5)

I cannot say enough about this "Mighty One"

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."  (Psalm 34:1)

This is the way I love to remember our "Deer" son.  Always smiling and full of joy and mischief.

Back to the present, 5/26/2026...today we are heading to a Memorial Day Picnic at our church. I am baking a cherry-blueberry cobbler.  It's good to keep busy on this day.  Benton and Rose will be there too. Hopefully I will have some pictures to share later.  Yesterday Scott was here and the "kids", and we cooked ribs and chicken on the grill,  along with corn on the cob, a salad, baked potatoes, and we had watermelon.  I didn't take one picture!  I wanted to plant something in memory of Matthew, as is our custom, but it was very hot and we were all tired and I didn't have what I wanted to plant, so we decided to wait.  Hopefully we will get some much needed rain this next week, as the storms that others are having in Florida continue to bypass us.  Once we get more rain it will be a better time to plant something.    I can smell the cherry/blueberry cobbler baking, and it's almost time to get it out of the oven, so I'd better go. I will write more probably tomorrow.  Thank you for bearing with me.  Hug your family tight whenever you can. Life is short.

I Am Not Alone - Revisited Again

Here it is a Wednesday, the middle of the week, and I honestly had nothing new to share with  you. Then I was reading a few of our friends' posts, and there was more than one mention of  "being alone", or "feeling alone", and I thought to myself, "I wonder how many others are out there with feelings of loneliness or who are currently going through a difficult time and feeling like they are alone in their struggles."  I have a feeling there are more than just a few.  We all go through those times, when we are literally alone, or when we may feel alone even though there may be many people around.  We may feel like we don't belong, or that no one really cares whether I live or die. My friend, if you find yourself having these kinds of feelings, first of all, please don't isolate yourself completely. Reach out to someone...even if it's someone here in blogland. We may not be physically close, but we are close in spirit and heart, and there are many here who will be more than happy to pray with you, listen to your fears or concerns, and may even have some words of wisdom and encouragement to share with you. But most of all, reach out to God and tell Him about your concerns and pain. It is amazing how much prayer helps when we take our needs to the Lord and leave them there. I have included many scripture verses in this post of hope and faith and promise and how much God cares for you. Please take the time to read through this and perhaps even save the verses for future reference. You personally may not feel the need for this right now, but there may come a time when you will...or you may know someone who needs to hear this message...so please share it.  And may you know beyond a doubt that you are not alone, because The Father is with you.

Previously posted on 4/9/2020, during the "pandemic":  Sharing this post again...perhaps there is someone out there who needs to hear this message today, especially during this time of "social distancing" and isolation.

May you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are not alone..."the Father is with me"...

"And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me."

John 16:32b

The above drawing used to hang in my husband's study when he was serving as a pastor.  I drew this for him years ago after seeing this same picture on a card that someone had sent to us...so I can't take full credit for the idea...but it struck me so strongly that I had to duplicate it for a constant reminder that God would be with him through all the difficult days and times of searching for answers from God's Word to share with God's people.

Perhaps there is someone reading this today who needs to be reminded that you are not alone...because the Father IS with you...always!  How do we know this?  Because His Word promises...and God never goes back on His Word:

"Be strong and of good courage,

Do not fear nor be afraid of them;

For the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.

He will not leave you nor forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6

"And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you.

He will be with you,

He will not leave you nor forsake you;

Do not fear nor be dismayed."

Deuteronomy 31:8

"Fear not, for I AM with you;

Be not dismayed, for I Am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

"Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your Presence?

If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell,

behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the morning,

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

Even there Your hand shall lead me,

and Your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me,'

Even the night shall be light about me;"

Psalm 139:7-11

Jesus tells His disciples the following promise just before His departure from this earth into heaven...which is for all of us who bear His Name:

"Lo, I Am with you ALWAYS, even to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:20

Also Jesus promises to send us a helper...a comforter:

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, 

that he may abide with you forever..

the Spirit of truth,

whom the world cannot receive, 

because it neither sees Him nor knows Him;

but you know Him,

for He dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; 

I will come to you..."

John 14:16-18

So, my friends, if you are feeling all alone in your battle with grief, disease, disappointments, tragedies and anxieties...if you cannot feel Christ's Presence in your life, I encourage you to claim these promises above for yourself today.  Rest in His loving arms, knowing that He is with you and will never leave you or forsake you.

There is a song that came to my mind while writing this that I would like to share with you...perhaps you've heard it...or maybe it will be new to you.  Click on this link to the song "Just Be Held" by Casting Crowns.    

Here are the lyrics:

"Just Be Held"  by Casting Crowns

Hold it all together
Everybody needs you strong
But life hits you out of nowhere
And barely leaves you holding on

And when you're tired of fighting
Chained by your control
There's freedom in surrender
Lay it down and let it go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

If your eyes are on the storm
You'll wonder if I love you still
But if your eyes are on the cross
You'll know I always have and I always will

And not a tear is wasted
In time, you'll understand
I'm painting beauty with the ashes
Your life is in My hands

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held
Just be held, just be held

Lift your hands, lift your eyes
In the storm is where you'll find Me
And where you are, I'll hold your heart
I'll hold your heart
Come to Me, find your rest
In the arms of the God who won't let go

So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away
You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held
Your worlds not falling apart, its falling into place
I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held (stop holding on and just be held)
Just be held, just be held, just be held, just be held

So, no matter what you are going through right now, my prayer for you is that you will remember that you are never alone...God is with you always...and now, lay back into His loving arms and "Just Be Held".

"Peace I leave with you,

My peace I give to you;

not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid..."

Words of Jesus, 

The Gospel of John 14:27

Wednesday Treasures

Okay, shall we?

Do you need a "quiet moment" right now?

Sometimes we just need to step away from the world and spend a little bit of quiet time alone...

Maybe not totally alone, but perhaps alone with the Lord...

or maybe alone in the sense that we are allowing God to speak to us as we sit quietly and wait for Him to guide us in what we should be doing or writing.

I needed to do this...today my tummy is actually feeling a bit "uncomfortable", and I am praying it's not a bug that's going around, because hubby is complaining of similar symptoms.  I decided to drink a cup of "Cozy Chamomile" tea, as it is supposed to be good for calming the tummy. 

So I am sipping it as I write. 

"Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!

You have relieved me in my distress;

Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer."

Psalm 4:1

We took a little walk this morning in the woods. We haven't been in a while because it's been so cold or we had other things going on. It felt so good to get back out in nature and stretch our legs and enjoy some rather chilly, but fresh air.

These little pine tree "flowers" are blooming...a sure sign that spring is not too terribly far away!

I saw this one lone little yellow wildflower blooming actually beside our pond the other evening while I was out waiting for the sunset...

I almost missed it...as you can see it was quite camouflaged...

One blossom blooming on the azalea bushes...

And raindrops on the poinsettias looked like crystal beads:

We haven't seen much of "Pretty Kitty", a.k.a. "Gray Kitty", lately, so I was happy to see her come visit on the back porch this morning.  She was watching my foot movements through the glass door, and when I made a move toward her she took off...

But at least we know she's okay and looks healthy. I think she must belong to someone...

Thankfully my hubby's cousin Linda called us again this morning from California to let us know that they are still doing okay. They are still back in their home, but she said the devastation all around them is terrible. They are wearing masks because of the ash and pollutants in the air.  She said also that because their house was one of the few still standing in their neighborhood they had been opening it up to firefighters to come in and use the restroom and get a drink and just rest for a bit.  They are very very thankful that their home has been spared.  Also, I may have mentioned before that they had already been planning to put their house up for sale this month because they already have a place ready to move to in the mountains of north Georgia. With this fire all around them they weren't too sure now what was going to happen and if they would be able to sell their house as planned.  However, their realtor has assured them that there are so many people now looking for homes that they should have no problem in selling their house pretty quickly, so they are going ahead with their plans to make preparations for moving.  They are extremely thankful to God, and also to all who have been praying for them. She was very comforted that they have actually heard from friends and people that they haven't heard from in many years, people who called to check up on them to make sure they were safe.  So even though it has been a very stressful and scary time, it has been a time for reconnecting with family, friends and also with God.  God works in mysterious ways.  We continue to pray for so many others who have lost everything and who are struggling and hurting so very badly. May God provide for their comfort and healing as well.

This was the sunrise this morning...

I wrote on Facebook when I shared these photos early today:

Psalm 118:24  NKJV

24 This is the day the Lord has made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

While I've been sitting here writing, I just learned that one of our church members, who had some major surgery yesterday, is home, and they said there was no sign of cancer! So that was a big praise!  And another member had surgery on Monday to remove her bladder because it had a cancerous tumor in it, but because the tumor was only in the bladder, by removing the bladder she is cancer free.  

Lately we've had way too many people in our church being diagnosed with cancer. It's hard to see so many having these issues, and we pray for them as they recover and deal with the aftermath of surgery and whatever other treatments they may need to have. In one case, the cancer is already too far involved, and the person has opted to not have any treatment and is preparing to live each day to the fullest until God calls him home.  

It would be easy to get anxious and maybe even a bit angry over so many suffering or having to alter their lives considerably due to these illnesses. 

I draw comfort and wisdom from this Psalm...

Psalm 4:4-8

"4 Be angry, and do not sin.

Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

And put your trust in the Lord.

6 There are many who say,

“Who will show us any good?”

Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.

7 You have put gladness in my heart,

More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.

8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

With all of the crazy stuff going on in the country, around the world, and even right here in our own little church and community, it is good to remember to "Put your trust in the Lord."  Don't let anger over injustice or disaster cause us to sin. Pray for those in peril, but trust in the Lord.  "For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety" ...therefore, I can "lie down in peace, and sleep."  

Well, I do feel a little better now. My tummy is settling down, and hubby is asking what's for supper.  I hope you've enjoyed this little moment of quietness and putting things in perspective, so to speak. 

Those are my treasures for today. Thank you for spending this time with me.  

 

Our Thanksgiving Gift - Revisited from 2014

I originally shared this post in 2014, just six months after our son Matthew had passed away and we were "celebrating" (if you can call it that) our first Thanksgiving without him. Although we didn't often actually spend Thanksgiving together because he and his family lived in Maine, and we live in Florida, but it was just the fact that he was no longer there for us to call or talk to or look forward to seeing here on earth ever again.  So you can imagine how we were feeling as we approached the holiday season that year...a little empty and sad and not really in a celebratory mood.  And then this happened:

Original Post written 11/27/2014:

Just as our family was gathering together to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast, this lovely, regal creature, an American Bald Eagle, flew into a nearby treetop to bless us with his presence. Actually there were two of them, but this one stayed long enough for me to get a few pictures.

It is not very often that we have an opportunity to witness such a magnificent bird up close.  I was awestruck by his beauty and majestic bearing. I was also somewhat comforted by his presence. There was something about this unusual encounter that brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face.

All week long I have been trying NOT to think about the fact that this week marks the sixth month since our son Matthew passed away.(Click HERE for more about that).  It isn't so much the fact that this is Thanksgiving, the first significant holiday since he left us for heaven...primarily because we really have not celebrated Thanksgiving with Matthew and his family very often due to the fact that they lived so far away from us and we had more family here near us that we usually spent this day with.  It's actually just the reality that he has been gone for six months...and there are times that I find myself thinking that it still can't be true.  There are moments when I still feel like I should be able to pick up the phone and call him and hear his voice...and sometimes the longing to do that gets to me.

So anyway, today I was trying not to think about the fact that our family pictures will never be complete again...and our Thanksgiving table will never be completely full...and there will always be someone very dear missing from our family gatherings no matter how many people are there...or how many months may go by...our son's sweet presence will never be physically with us again.

Then this eagle flew in and just sat there for a spell.  That was pretty significant if you ask me. Sometimes God knows how to send us little love messages from heaven.  He knows how to reach us and give the comfort we need at a tender moment.

I like that He chose an eagle to show us His love today.

"But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:31  

Have you ever sung this song?

"On Eagle's Wings"

by Michael Joncas

"You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord
"My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!"

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand.

The snare of the fowler will never capture you
And famine will bring you no fear
Under His wings your refuge
His faithfulness your shield.

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand.

You need not fear the terror of the night
Nor the arrow that flies by day
Though thousands fall about you
Near you it shall not come.

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand.

For to His angels He's given a command
To guard you in all of your ways
Upon their hands they will bear you up
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

And He will raise you up on eagles' wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hand..."

This was an unexpected blessing for our Thanksgiving day. God knows exactly what we need.

How about you? What unexpected blessings have you experienced this Thanksgiving...or this past week? Has God gone out of His way to show you He is always thinking about you, and that He loves you so much that He would go to extra lengths to show you just how much?  Think about it. I'll bet you could come up with something if you try.

"And God will raise you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine as the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand."

Back to the present...November 23, 2021:     As we anticipate Thanksgiving this week, I am sure there are some of you who are going to experience a difficult day...many have suffered great loss in the past year  or two and this may be the first Thanksgiving without a significant loved one in your life.  I pray that God will show you His unfailing love and compassion as He bears you up on eagle's wings and carries you through the sorrow and trying times ahead.  May you feel His divine Presence in your heart and life, and know that He is holding you in the palm of His hand...and that your loved one is safe in the heavenly home God has prepared for him/her.  Be watching for those little signs and blessings that God may send your way to show you He is there for you.  Amen. and God Bless you, my friends.  

A Humble Thank you, Friends!

I thought this picture of "me"...well not of me, would get your attention better than the real picture below. We could all use a little humor, couldn't we?

Just wanted to say "Thank you" to all my friends who prayed for me today while I had the epidural put into my neck!

I'm sure you never expected me to post pictures of that, now did you? But those of you who know me know that a camera is my main means of communication...and the selfie was a dangerous invention.

LOL.

While I am still recovering from the effects of the mild sedation (thankfully even though I could hear them talking, the "pain" was mild and more like prickly pressure points...), I am very thankful that I came through the procedure very well, and hubby even took me out to lunch on the way home!

I was surprised that the injection was not into my neck at all, but rather into my back! And apparently they inserted a catheter that directed the medicine into my neck, with the use of an x-ray picture, to the exact places where it needed to be!  So thankful for modern medical inventions!

If you are a bit squeamish, don't worry, these pictures aren't very graphic...just educational.

When the nurse came and wrote this on my neck to mark the spot, I thought for sure that was were the needle would be going. To be honest, I was not really crazy about that idea, but figured that was what they had to do to get it right:

You can imagine my surprise (and relief!) when I felt them inserting the needle into my upper back instead of the neck! It felt like they were making quite a few "holes" in my back and I thought I was going to look like a pin cushion when done, but again I was in a for a pleasant surprise when I looked in the mirror and found this very small bandaid, about the size of a quarter, (but the padded gauze part was more like a dime)

Wait, who has that freckly, moley, age-spotted, wrinkly old woman's back? that can't be MY back! LOL.

Anyway, I am humbling myself to send you these pictures to thank you for your prayers, and also to encourage you if you have to have such a procedure done, don't be afraid! It wasn't as bad as I feared, and definitely GOD was with me because I know so many were praying! (He would have been there anyway, because God is ALWAYS everywhere present!) But the prayers helped ME to feel relaxed and calm.  Thank you all for being special friends who care!

There are so many of our friends out there who are going through difficult things...I won't name them all because I am sure I would miss someone...but suffice it to say many are enduring pain, loss, grief, serious health issues or other family/personal issues that bring great concerns.  I am glad that we can support one another here and show compassion when needed most. Many of us have already been through our own troubles and trials, and therefore we are able to comfort others as we have been comforted...just as has been explained to us here:

2nd Corinthians 1:3-4

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

And yes, I will continue with the physical therapy as directed to help strengthen my neck muscles so they can support my neck better so the nerves won't be so pinched...the epidural will hopefully relieve the tension and inflammation so I can proceed with the exercises without so much pain! That's the plan, so we will just keep praying and plugging along. 

Thank you again!! God bless you all, and have a wonderful rest of your week!!
 

More Unexpected Blessings

 I am writing this on Wednesday evening, but it is intended to be posted for Thursday...we shall see...I may go ahead and post it tonight. Let's see what develops as I write...

This morning I reposted an old post from about 9 years ago entitled Unexpected Gifts.  It just seemed appropriate to share it again after so many years, and especially on a day when I think many of us were needing some encouraging thoughts.  I was listing some of the many ways God has surprised us through the years with "unexpected gifts"...blessings from "out of the blue" that were a total surprise to us.  The neat thing about most of them was the timing...in every instance it seemed as though these "gifts" were sent to us one way or the other at a time when we needed it most.  Only God could have orchestrated that because He was truly the only One Who knew what we needed and when. That is what made these events so significant in our minds.

Today (Wednesday, January 20, 2021), was another of those kind of days. This morning as we watched  our President and the First Lady bid farewell and walk up those steps into Air Force One for the last time, it was a rather emotional moment for us, and I expect for many of you as well. If not, well, then, just please just try to appreciate and respect the rest of this story because it was special for me.  

As I stood there watching them depart on Air Force One, it was a bit overwhelming in many respects. And I was at the point where I couldn't bear to watch another minute of the news broadcast as things were shifting from one story to another.  Right at that very moment my husband called my attention to the window to look out into the back yard at this sight:

Yes, Goldfinches all over the thistle seed sock that I had recently hung up in the back yard in hopes they would come.  And they chose this very moment to show up!

What a delightful and joyful time this was to watch! They were flying in and out from the trees faster than we could keep track of them.  

And then, almost as fast as they came, they were gone again...but they accomplished their mission. Not only did they help take our minds off of a very difficult moment, but they also gave us hope.

Here is what I believe God was telling me:

Do Not Worry  (Matthew 6:25-34)

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

After this we decided to turn off the TV (news) for the rest of the day, and we went and took our morning walk:

It was so peaceful there, and I could hear many little birds twittering through the trees...possibly more finches and chickadees and Tufted Titmice.  They were going about their morning routine of finding insects and things to eat and singing happily as they flew about...without a care in the world. Again...God was taking care of them...and I know He cares for me...

I took a picture of this little oak tree showing off it's beautiful red leaves as a last nod to autumn here in Florida. The sunlight was shining through the leaves giving them such a glorious scarlet hue...yes, it is just a scrubby little wild oak tree, but it was decked out in its most beautiful dress and it seemed to want to be noticed, and so here you are...another unexpected "gift"...

We came back home and I stayed busy baking banana nut bread,

(had a couple of overripe bananas calling out to me that it was time to do something with them before it was too late!) 

Oh, and I already had made some blueberry bran muffins for breakfast

 because I had some blueberries that were starting to dehydrate in the refrigerator also calling out to me to do something! 

 And then, while the banana nut bread was baking in the oven, hubby was "calling out to me" and said something about cookies...and so I whipped up a batch of coconut pecan cookies. 

 (Recipe can be found at https://southerndiscourse.com/perfect-coconut-cookies-with-pecans/ )

I guess you could say these were "unexpected gifts", because I never expected to do all of that today, but the overripe bananas and blueberries and the need for cookies for the "cookie monster" all came together at the same time to inspire me to go on a baking spree. Doesn't happen all that often anymore, so gotta get them while they last!  Kind of looks like a bakery here!  (It smelled like one too, while they were baking! Yum!)

After lunch and our "afternoon nap" (yes...after all that work I needed one!) we took another walk. As soon as we drove down the little dirt road to our usual spot to park the car, I looked up in the top of a very tall pine tree and saw this beautiful hawk sitting up there watching us.

Because of the brightness of the afternoon sun the lighting is kind of difficult to see his full colors, but I believe he is a Red Shouldered Hawk, which is typical for that area.

Just as I was getting up and out of the car to step a little closer, he flew away...but I considered him another one of those unexpected gifts for today...because I was grumbling on my way over there that I wanted to walk somewhere different for a change because we rarely ever see many birds or other interesting things on this walk...and God just had to show me that I was wrong...He had this surprise waiting for me.

To top it off for this week, in one day I received two different messages from two people that I've never met in person...both bloggers...one that I've really only read a couple of times and made some nice comments, and the other has become a special friend who has very similar interests...anyway, they each are surprising me with something special coming in the mail soon! Totally out of the blue! When these things arrive I will be sure to share them with you...but wow! In one day to receive two such special "unexpected gifts"...well...all I can say is God is so good. He knows how to bless His children and sometimes He goes above and beyond to do so.

All I can say is, Thank You, Lord. I don't deserve such grace and mercy and love.

But Jesus loves to bless His children.

So, if you are feeling a bit discouraged or sad or disappointed...or worried about the future...keep looking up...up...up! Up to Jesus...because He has promised to take care of His children.  He knows what we need even before we do...and often the "unexpected gift" is already on its way before we even realize we are in need of being blessed. It's not always material things...it may just be a lift to your spirits...a touch of healing...a comforting warmth that comes over you when you need to feel loved or remembered...a word of encouragement or an answer to a prayer. 

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." 

Proverbs 25:11

(internet photo)

Have a blessed and beautiful day today...and be sure to keep an eye out for those little "unexpected gifts" that God may be sending your way! I hope you will write them down when they happen and share them with us if you can.  Sometimes they may be too personal to share, but just the acknowledgement that something special blessed you is an encouragement to the rest of us!

Be Blessed!