my day off

I usually give a report at the end of my day off - but today, for the first time as long as I can remember, my hubby and I both slept in and have no plans.

Some people may consider having no plans as being disorganized and the concern for nothing getting accomplished may be what you think of.  Well, to ease your mind as I sit here in the glorious sun hitting my couch - my washer and dryer are running - so at least there will be clean clothes!  Beyond that - nothing is ok!

I wonder how many people around the world wake up everyday not knowing what their day will hold?   It may even be the majority of the world - I don't know.

To me, it's a luxury I treasure highly so I sit in this moment thankful for simple things like a good nights rest and the warm sun.  And joy floods my soul.

Before I blogged this morning, I read this from John Calvin, "If God contains the fullness of all good things in himself like an inexhaustible fountain, nothing beyond him is to be sought by those who strike after the highest good and all the elements of happiness."

Worship of God is an end in itself - really the ultimate goal of our lives.  Worship is not an outward ritual - it is our expressed satisfaction in Him and Him alone.  It changes our hearts which changes our outward actions and loves and life.

Space and silence creates authentic worship - not song selections and rehearsals.

Today - in the stillness, there is more room than normal for my worship - it makes me remember how important starting each day like this is to my soul and to my relationship with almighty God.

In our busy - over-extended lives I suspect 'stopping' is what our Savior seeks - it's perhaps the highest form of praise we can offer Him.

rain rain go away

This picture describes our continuous - flooding - non-stop blowing - rainy, rainy April...blah

Today I was sitting in a parking lot waiting for a phone call in order to determine what I should pick up and deliver to an ill friend for lunch.  While waiting - I sat spell bound as I watched a lady get out of her car with an umbrella that she placed over her shoulder.  The problem with this was - she was facing into the wind and so her umbrella proceeded to turn inside out immediately with one wild wire support arm sticking dangerously unattached straight out from the rest of it.  She turned her back to the wind to work on her umbrella, but kept the inside-out umbrella facing the wrong way.  There was no way it was going back to it's former position.

Finally, she realized she needed to turn the outside of the umbrella facing the wind so it would return to it's former order.  It worked!  Immediately she turned back toward the wind and put the umbrella right back on her shoulder.  And immediately it collapsed inside-out.  She gave it a good shake and proceeded to return to her car.  (Keep in mind it wasn't even raining - just blowing...)

After rearranging things in the back seat she reappeared with a different huge black umbrella which she held straight over her head and it nearly came down to her chin.  This one wasn't going anywhere!

All this to say - I am ready, so ready for sunshine and the care-free sense it brings.  No shoes when appropriate, no socks, no coats, no umbrella and no planing ahead - just get up and go out the door!  The sun causes me to read more, rest more, walk more, smile more and be outside WAY more!

Hey sun "come out come out where ever you are?"   I know it's back behind those clouds somewhere!  We are waiting here in cloudy, soggy Ohio and I don't know how much longer our umbrellas can last!