Late afternoon I was sitting in the swing, eating a double-decker Moon Pie and drinking a blackberry Dr. Pepper, when I happened to look at the cellophane wrapper and read that one-third of the moon pie is considered a serving. Surely not! Who would eat just a third of a Moon Pie. Didn’t intimate me, I ate every scrap of it even the pieces that crumbled off on my shirt. Made me think of the depressing serving guide on the back of a pint of Blue Bell ice cream. That little carton is considered three servings. I’d like to know who would just eat a third of the little carton and put it back in the freezer. I’m praying when I get to Shady Oaks they let us just be fat and happy. I can’t survive on a third of a moon pie!

Lots of porch pondering today, a glorious day the Lord has made. I ate a late breakfast perched in the porch swing marveling at all the songbirds in my yard. The purple finches are so beautiful now, their plumage a deep raspberry. They are colored like God dipped his brush in raspberry watercolors, painted their crowns in a deep dark pink, letting the paint thin and pale, flowing down their back and breasts. I’m so enthralled with them. But oh my goodness, they quarrel and argue with each other all day, fighting over the perches on their favorite feeders. I have eighteen feeders around my yard but those little finches only like to eat from two of them, cleaning those feeders of seeds on every visit to my yard. Their undulating flight patterns around the yard are so pretty. The purple finches always make their presence known. I think the cardinals are glad to see them go during late afternoon so they can enjoy eating in dusk’s quiet.

Been reading bird quotes this afternoon. I always go back to this quote, one of my most favorite, by Rabindranath Tagore — “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.” In this quote Tagore is speaking of the power of our faith, the hope and trust of God’s light coming back into our world as we experience darkness. When we have circumstances we can’t control, we are reassured by our faith. Faith inspires us to be optimistic and persevere through the time of uncertainty. Just as the birds feel the approaching dawn, our faith allows us to see better days ahead. Even when the day seems dire, out faith can lift us up and give us guidance and hope of a better tomorrow. Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Langston Hughes wrote, “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” We all need dreams to chase to fulfill our lives. Without direction in our life, we’re like a bird that cannot fly. So sad to see a crippled bird knowing essentially their life is over when they can’t soar the heavens. We’re like a broken-winged bird when our life is lived without purpose, our potential never reached. God has given us all special gifts that we need to cultivate and share, using our gifts to make the world a better place. In 1 Peter 4:10 we read, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

This Charlie Wardle quote reminds of how powerful our faith can be if we truly believe in God and his grace “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on her own wings.” God can take our fear and our burdens away. We put our trust in his hands and our burdens on his shoulders and he gives us comfort and peace. In John 14:27 we read, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Just as the bird has unwavering faith in its wings, our unwavering faith in God gives us the power to believe in our own abilities.

This is another one of my favorite quotes. “Birds chirping around you is a beautiful realization that life is incredibly good. Let this sound be a gentle break in your routine,” Hiral Nagda. I see the tiny songbirds as gifts from God that give me hope and cheer. Their songs connect me to God’s natural world and give me a sense of peace. Bible scripture says God created the birds to fill the skies and bring beauty to the world. The birds’ chirping reminds me of the beauty and goodness of life. The little songbirds rely completely on God to provide for them. Just as the Bible says God cares for the littlest of the birds, scripture also reminds us to trust in God and his provision.

We need to learn to lift our spiritual wings and fly through life on God’s love.

“Every bird, every tree, every flower reminds me what a blessing and privilege it is just to be alive.” — Marty Rubin