Today is so pretty with its blue sky and bright warm sunshine. I’m enjoying pondering in the swing. The sky is full of rounded, bleached white, fluffy clouds, the kinds of clouds we drew on our art paper as children. A few of the clouds are gathering rain getting ready to water the Earth on Christmas Day. The birds are enjoying the feeders. Mr. Downy Woodpecker, dressed in his black and white checkered suit, little red cap perched jauntily on his head, is visiting the suet baskets. The birds are talking quietly except for a wren who has been fussing in the scuppernong vines for several minutes. I just saw a yellow butterfly!

Watched the sunset from the back porch of my niece’s house, high on a beautiful hill, during late afternoon. The sunset was a grand watercolor painting, the horizon washed in peach and orange and pink layers stretching along the tree line, purple and dark blue mountain crests peaking through the cloud layers in the background. I was excited to see the pageant on different ground. They have a wondrous view from their back porch. Would love to sit there, pondering and drinking my morning coffee. Had a wonderful Christmas dinner there with oldest brother and his daughters’ families. They are so sweet to include me.

The sun set in a blazing ball of fire, rolling down the peachy-orange skyline highlighted with pink and yellow clouds. As the sun switched the day to night, Father Sky leaned down and kissed her goodnight and tucked her cloud covers around her shoulders. He then waked the moon and put him on his high stage on the sky canvas and hung the stars in the night skies of heaven. The darkness kissed the night awake.

I don’t think those of us who live in busy towns and cities, focused on the fast paced lives of our families and children, have the time to appreciate this beautiful Earth, the wondrous natural wonders and the blessings we have from God — blue skies, fluffy white clouds, colorful songbirds, the sunsets and sunrises, God’s glitter on our lakes and rivers, the changing fall leaves, sun on the glistening snow, the first buds of spring bulb flowers. There are just too many gifts of nature to list. It just seems to me we are too busy to take notice of these gifts from the Lord and we take them for granted every day.

I was reading the Apache Blessing Prayer this morning, I love that prayer. Did some research and reading of Native American Indian prayers, too. Their expressions of thanks are so beautiful when they express their love of nature’s gifts and their love of Mother Earth’s land. Here’s a prayer I love reading. The lines about the sunsets are my favorites.

Native American Prayer — Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world — hear me — I come before you, one of your children. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made, my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise, so that I may know the things you have taught my People, the lesson you have hidden in every leaf and rock. I seek strength not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself. Make me ever ready to come to you, with clean hands and straight eyes, so when life fades as a fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame. — Sioux Chief Yellow Hawk

As we prepare for our Christmas celebrations let’s give thanks to God for our beautiful world. As we exchange gifts and enjoy family dinners, we are creating memories that will become cherished as we age. Let us remember Christmas is about the birth of God’s son, Jesus, who came to give us love, hope, peace and joy.

“The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world’s busy life and become more interested in people than in things.” —Thomas S. Monson