Another glorious day of blue skies and sunshine. Lot of clouds but the sun was right up there beaming through the clean white clouds. Lots of birds flitting around and lots of wonderful songs composing a bird symphony. Fatty the squirrel climbed the oak tree and fussed at the birds adding another solo to the yard concert. I love sitting quietly in the swing listening for all of nature’s music. The bumblebees buzzing, the hummingbird wings fluttering, the birds singing, the crows calling, and the screams of the hawk all make me grateful to be alive and enjoying nature.

Oldest brother came over this morning and sat down in the swing complaining about the squirrels eating his bird seeds. He’s got goldfinches at his home, too, but the squirrels are stealing the songbirds’ seeds. We talked about growing tomatoes. I’ve got to get my big pots ready for their vegetable plants. I always enjoy his visits and he sits in the swing just like daddy used to sit and so do I.

I looked across the street tonight and saw two sunset renderings. The sun set herself down in a lighthouse beam of sterile white, blinding and blazing as she rolled down the horizon in a jogging suite of snow white jersey. On her right she was greeted by Mother Nature’s watermelon watercolors flaming across the horizon. Resting on top of the watermelon flames were pale yellow brush strokes blending lightly into the watermelon flames of a sunset brush fire.

On the right of the sun were layers of Jolly Rancher candy colored clouds, pink and purple and yellow, stacked on top of brush stroked clouds of aqua. Father Sky took too long to put on his tuxedo and missed escorting the sun down the horizon or maybe he was confused on which side of the horizon he needed to escort her down. Maybe he forgot it was casual Monday. Nevertheless, Father Sky straightened his bow tie and cummerbund, kissed the sun goodnight, and went to wake the moon and twinkling stars.

I love these words by Mehmet Murat Ildan, “Sunset is the opening music of the night.” And the night takes over my yard music in a glorious soft symphony punctuated by the lonely song of a mateless mockingbird. I hope heaven has a porch swing that Chief and I can sit in and watch Mother Nature paint the sunrise and the sunset. The night awakes in my little world and the day sleeps soundly.

Ever thought about what things in life give you joy and happiness. “The joy in our hearts connects us all to the grand symphony of life,” Harold W. Becker. Joy and happiness are two different things. Happiness is fleeting and momentary. Joy is a long lasting feeling of contentment and satisfaction with life. If we live a Christian life we have joy in our hearts. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full,” John 15:11.

I think joy and contentment go hand in hand in one way. I think you can be content but not necessarily happy when you are in a situation you have no control over. You choose to be content because there’s no other option. Happiness is an experience. Contentment is a feeling of peace and thankfulness, a gratefulness for life’s blessings. Joy is an overwhelming feeling of pleasure or happiness that comes from a sense of well-being.

When we have faith and belief in God we have a biblical joy that comes from trusting God and knowing he will fulfill his promises of preparing a place for us in his kingdom of heaven. When Jesus was born the angels said, “We bring good news of great joy,” Luke 2:10. Our lives can be full of great joy when we ask God into our hearts and live a life of Christian words and deeds.

Jesus devoted his life to bringing joy to people. He healed the sick and raised the dead. And his most joyful accomplishment was saving us from our sins. We have the joy of the Lord in our hearts when we live our lives by his covenant. The Lord is the foundation on which we should build our lives. He will bring us great joy and put gladness in our hearts.

“Love is the joy of the good, the wonder of the wise, the amazement of the Gods.” — Plato