The sky is so beautifully blue this morning, cloudless, clear hot summertime sunshine beaming down. Mother Nature sprinkled her diamonds of dew on the fronds of the neighborhood’s grass. Looked at the color charts to find the perfect color word to describe Father Sky’s sky canvas. Looks like he reached in his box of Unison Handmade Pastels in ocean blues and picked up a soft piece of cerulean. As the morning headed toward afternoon Father Sky sketched a light baby blue sky and covered the low horizon with fluffy white clouds, their bellies holding no rain float high like helium balloons.

The little squirrel that likes to stand straight up and glare at me has made it halfway to the porch. I’m wondering if he’s holding a grudge against me for greasing the bird feeder pole. I’m trying to decide whether to go in the house or meet him fist to fist. The “real feel” temperature is 106 degrees so I’m headed in the house. Wasn’t hot till I saw that temperature reading. Penelope got bathed and has quickly dried during her playpen sunbath.

Reading in my little quote book Quotable Women, a gift from Boss Lady. I read it from cover to cover all the time looking for inspiration. Got a chuckle about this quote from Nancy Astor, a British politician. “In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on woman.” Astor once told Winston Churchill, “My dear Winston, if I were your wife, I’d put poison in your tea.” He replied, “My dear Nancy, if I were your husband, I’d drink it.” Love that!

Last year at Christmas my youngest son gifted me a set of beautiful songbird bookmarks, each one featuring a bird and advice from the featured bird. I was reading the bluebird bookmark, marking my place in my large quote book, and thinking the bluebird has pretty good advice. The bluebird says, “Rise early. Spread a little happiness. Keep a song in your heart. Think Spring. Be colorful. Feather your nest with friends. The sky’s the limit.”

Rising early has its benefits, but I’m not good at that piece of bluebird advice. In Poor Richard’s Almanac Benjamin Franklin wrote, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Research says if you are an early riser you have increased productivity, a sense of accomplishment, and better health. Bible scripture in Mark tells us Jesus rose while it was very early and still dark to have time alone with God in prayer. Lamentations 3:23 states, “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” 

The bluebird tells us to spread a little happiness and keep a song in our heart. We should all be aware of giving others happiness. If we’re breathing we have a reason to be happy. Psalm 118:24 reads, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I think the “song in our heart” is the joy and hope that our Christian faith gifts us. That faith illuminates us and lights the darkness, encouraging us to be positive and joyful, finding strength in our song when life is difficult. John15:11 states, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Think spring! Pondering on that perched in the swing with a “real feel” temperature of 106 degrees. Spring is a season of hope and optimism and a time of spiritual renewal and rebirth. The earth comes alive after winter in the glories of spring reminding us that each day is a chance for new beginnings. Song of Songs 2:11-13 reads, “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; blossoming vines spread their fragrance.”

I’m not sure how to be colorful. My socks never match on purpose and my watch band is half yellow, half pink. Guess that makes me colorful. We can be colorful when we let our joy in our faith shine through. A colorful life is colored by the Holy Spirit.

Feathering our nest with Christian friends is so important to a happy fulfilling journey through life. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor; If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” True friends walk in during times of trouble as others walk out. They share in our sorrow and celebrate in our joy.

The sky’s the limit tells us life’s possibilities are limitless. Psalm 19:1 reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” There are no boundaries to the support and guidance God gives us as we travel through life. You ponder on it and you’ll realize the sky is limitless with God’s love and grace.

“The sky sends threads of hope, stitch them into your dreams.” — Corrie ten Boom