The porch is so pleasant this morning. The sun is hiding under her quilted cloud covers of grays and whites and blues and purples. Occasionally I hear the drumbeat of intermittent rain drops on the purple yard chair. The birds are cheerful and singing happily, their symphonies heard all over the neighborhood. I need to fill the bird feeders but I have two new guests this morning, a brown-headed cowbird and a rose-breasted grosbeak, and I don’t want to scare them away. There are plenty of seeds left. I just like to fill them up once they are halfway empty. Just like we have our favorite restaurant, the songbirds have their favorite feeders.

Went up to vet brother’s house this morning to visit my oldest sister-in law. Most of our conversation was about our knee pain. We traded knee braces and talked about the perils of getting older. She had made the most beautiful scrapbooks from years of family photo calendars. I was jealous. There are so few photos of me and my brothers as children. I drove down their dirt road driveway enjoying all the shades of spring green, watching the yellow sunlight filtering through the pine trees, making shadows in the shaded areas of the woods. George Washington Carver said, “Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise.” I’m sure he’s right, these woods are beautiful in the sunshine this morning.

Came home and perched in the swing with a Moon Pie and a blackberry Dr. Pepper to ponder and watch the birds. Was wadding up the Moon Pie wrapper when I saw a Moon Pie has three servings. Who on earth would eat a third of a Moon Pie, not me! It’s all or nothing.

There is a mockingbird right outside my window now sitting on the fragile sasa leaves of a bamboo cane singing his little heart out. I can hear him above the radio. My friend sent me this quote, “Joy is when a tiny bird sings a big sweet song,” Unknown. The mockingbird’s beautiful aria is just an example of how we can find joy in God’s creation in the most unexpected moments. I’m thrilled to sit and watch him sing his melodies. He’s leaning back with his chest puffed out, singing from God’s sheet music. The little fellow must be awfully lonesome or singing love songs to his bride.

Joy is such a powerful emotion, defined as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. Scripture tells us that joy is a response to God’s grace and love. Joy is not only a feeling but a state of being. We find joy when we serve others by witnessing to them. We find joy when we trust in God’s promises. 1 Thessalonians 5:16 states, “Be joyful always.” God wants our Christian life to be full of joy. Psalm 16:11 tells us, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy.” When we travel through life as a Christian we experience contentment and peace through our relationship with God.

Even when times are troublesome we can still find a feeling of happiness and joy knowing we can depend on God’s strength. Psalm 94:19 states, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.” We have to trust God when we are hurting. He will console us and calm our fears. We have to choose joy in difficulties and seek to understand how God is working in our lives. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness,” James 1:2-3.

“If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment.” — Carlos Santana