Another beautiful day for porch sitting this morning. Father Sky sketched a soft blue sky and filled it with niveous fluffy clouds but the day didn’t feel like fall. Summer has come back to my neighborhood. Got hot mid-day on the porch and I hate to admit it, but after I fought a war shutting my 104 year old windows, I turned on the window air conditioning in my bedroom and sat in the cool reading my quote books. Gonna miss all the lullaby solos from the katydids, crickets, and cicadas tonight, singing their night symphonies but the pleasant fall air will return soon and I’ll wrestle the windows back open again.

I ran across this quote this afternoon. I had scribbled it in an old notebook —“If Plan A doesn’t work, just remember the alphabet has 25 more letters,” Unknown. I love that! Just wonder how many of us get past Plan B. Guess that’s another learning point of perseverance, just never give up. If it doesn’t work out by Plan Z, guess it was doomed from the beginning.

Oldest brother came by at dusk and we sat on the porch and talked. He always sits in the swing like daddy did, one leg up, one leg down. We talked about our pitiful tomato plants still bearing small tomatoes. He had killed a squirrel on his bird feeder and lectured me on feeding the squirrels, not understanding my reason of feeding them to keep them off the bird feeders. Said I’d probably just attract more squirrels which makes sense, but… The slinky on Fatty’s favorite pole has kept him off the feeders lately.

The evening sky was perfectly beautiful tonight. Mother Nature washed the horizon in a golden light that highlighted the black silhouettes of the old oak and magnolia trees. On top of the golden glow of the horizon, the clouds were painted in grays and purples and mauves and pinks, joining hands and morphing their colors, getting ready for the pageant of the stars and moon to wake the night’s dark sky.

The golden color of the sky made me think of a portrait of Jesus I saw in a small church in Scotland. Jesus’ face was haloed in a golden wash, just the same color of the evening sky tonight. I immediately thought of that portrait as I watched the golden light sweep across the horizon on the watercolor brushes of Mother Nature. In 1 John 1:5 we read that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” God’s light is representative of his purity and omniscience.

In our world we have the life giving light of the sun and we have the light of faith in God. The sun give us warmth and life, God gives us love and eternal life. In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” When we accept God into our hearts we are protected from the darkness of evil. God’s light will shine in our lives and show us what path to walk. His grace will guide us through our prayers and thanksgiving.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is quoted, “You are a conductor of light.”Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, we, who believe in the Lord, reflect the light of God through the Holy Spirit in our good deeds and kinds words. We bring others into the kingdom of God by being a beacon of light in their darkness. We need to do our best every day to live with a purpose to please God by showing kindness and compassion to others.

The Word of God says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven,” Mathew 5:16. We can be a beacon of light for God by keeping kindness in our hearts, being compassionate, reaching out to the needy, and being a good steward of the earth.

A spiritual beacon of light is like a magnificent sunrise, flooding the earth with light and love. Jesus’ life was a beacon of hope, love, forgiveness, and mercy. Dispel the darkness of life’s temptations by being a beacon of light in your spiritual journey to eternal life.

“The light of God surrounds us; The love of God enfolds us; The power of God protects us; The presence of God watches over us. Wherever we are, God is. And all is well.” — A Prayer for Protection