Today’s sky is the bluest I’ve ever seen. Have not seen one cloud in the sky today. Such a beautiful morning and afternoon. Left my windows open last night and my house was cold when I got up for the morning. Wanted to put on my feeted pajamas but couldn’t find them. Gonna look for them tonight. Feeted pjs are the greatest housecoats. Found them and wearing them now!

Didn’t have many birds on the feeders today. Won’t be long before all feeders will be full of migrating birds passing through our neck of the woods. I love seeing the yellow goldfinches and the rose breasted grosbeaks. I need to be stocking up on bird seed now. They ate 20 pounds of seed a week last year. I love seeing all the different flocks passing through my yard.

Saw two pair of pileated woodpeckers today. One of them sat drumming on a limb on my big oak. They are beautiful birds, big as crows, richly colored, bright black and white, large scarlet crest on top of their heads.

I was listening to the birds singing, the wind chimes pinging our their songs, the trees rustling, and the humming birds wings humming and I thought Mother Nature is conducting the yard symphonies but God conducts the symphonies of our lives. The most important thing in a symphony orchestra is not the musical instruments but the conductor who directs the orchestra with his hands. Just as the conductor keeps the musicians on the same pages in the musical composition, God keeps us on track with the rhythm and music of our lives. He has a plan for our lives and he holds us in his hands as he orchestrates his plan.

When we give our hearts to God through faith and prayer, he provides leadership and guidance in our lives. We lift our voices in praise to God through songs. Our lives’ music is a gift from God. Just as the conductor leads the orchestra with his hands, God holds us in his hands and directs the course of our lives. He hears our loud pleading prayers and he hears our silent prayers of thanksgiving. He hears our songs of happiness. Our symphony may be full of cymbal crashes or the soft strings of the harp but we can rest assured that God hears the melodies of our hearts.

I watched the sunset on the horizon tonight, so bright and blinding. Father Sky put the sun to bed and kissed her goodnight as she lay her head down on the horizon, layered in covers of yellow and blue and pale peach. She’s a lucky girl to end each day in a magnificent painting.

I lost a friend tonight. I’m going to miss his porch visits. My little Penelope will miss him, too. I know Chief and Rosie and his dog named Buddy welcomed him through the gates of heaven. He’s at peace with his loved ones.

“In the great orchestra we call life, you have an instrument and a song, and you owe it to God to play them both sublimely,”— Max Lucado