Father Sky and Mother Nature collaborated together today and created another glorious fall day, warm bright sunshine, cotton boll clouds floating around the azure blue sky canvas, melding together and crowding each other. Some of the clouds were softly brushed on their bellies with light gray but not colored dark enough to spill some rain that’s needed. Thought the butterflies had flown away but I watched a big yellow cloudless sulfur fly around the neighborhood, coming to rest on a pristine white pansy bloom in one of my bannister urns, performing a tap dancing routine just for my pleasure. I clapped for her and scared her off.

While I marveled at the contrasting colors of the yellow and white together, a large monarch flitted around the porch flowers but didn’t stop long enough to perform a dance routine. Was hoping she’d pick a purple bloom to tickle with her tiny black legs. I love watching these butterflies light on different colored blooms throughout the yard. Makes me thankful for the myriad of colors in Mother Nature’s watercolor set.

Ate brunch on the porch, perched in the swing, and watching all the chipmunks frolic. Don’t know how my yard a got to be the host yard but I counted eight of them today. Maybe they are after the seeds the birds drop from the feeders. Unfortunately, I saw a big rat sitting on the bird feeder closest to the bannisters. Don’t think he’ll be back after I chunked a rock at him. A little Pam cooking spray on the pole and he won’t get any more snacks. They hate cinnamon and clove oil too, might spray the bottom of the feeder.

Watched the sun set this afternoon. The horizon’s canvas was brushed with pale peach watercolors, softly melting into the blue sky above. Mother Nature color washed the sun’s setting in a muscadine gold and the sun slid down to bed and turned off the day’s light. Father Sky tucked her in and kissed her goodnight promising to wake the moon and stars.

Went to the farm this afternoon and visited oldest sister-in-law to look through her thrift store donation pile. I always think she can just call me and donate to me instead of the thrift store ‘cause I always come home with goodies. Pilfered some fall table runners, a few placemats, a fall table cloth, and some refrigerator magnets. She and vet brother have a beautiful dirt road driveway that winds through the woods to their home and I watched the sun filter through the fall foliage as I drove down their road.

Most of the trees have been dropping their brown leaves but I noticed this one little black oak surrounded by large mature trees, standing tall like a soldier at attention, saluting the early afternoon sun, magnificently dressed in its cloak of red and purple and orange and yellow. This beautiful little tree, dwarfed by all the surrounding forest, branches stretched out, warming its leaves, was getting ready to donate her colorful leaves to the forest floor. So proud of its beauty, not intimidated by the other towering pines and oaks.

While I was stopped on their road and pondering on that beautiful little tree, I thought of how we could be a tree in God’s forest of life. We should always be a refuge for family and friends and make them feel safe and protected in our love, how the birds of the sky must feel when they light on the limbs of trees, high up and safe from the predators on the earth below. We should always grow toward God’s light like the trees reach for Mother Nature’s sunshine.

Just as the trees share their fruits and nuts with wildlife, we should share our faith in God with others and through our actions help them see the fruits of God’s love. We are constantly growing in our faith, spreading our branches with love and light. Like the trees giving their seeds to propagate and their leaves to nurture Mother Earth, we should give our time and share our talents to the world, enriching the lives of others by sharing the gifts God has given us.

We need to learn to bend in the storms like the giant oaks. God will always show us we are stronger than we think we are. We can live righteously, growing tall and straight like the pine trees, with prayers and thanksgiving. Like the little black oak proudly standing in the forest, sure of God’s love in its beauty, waiting to give its leaves back to the earth, we need to try to leave the earth a better place than we found it, be conscious of being the Earth’s caretaker, dropping our leaves of faith where they are needed most.

Like the trees that lift their branches in praise to God, we need to lift up our hearts to God through prayers and thanksgiving. We need to be rooted deeply in our faith and strong in our beliefs when the storm winds blow.

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.” — Peter Marshall