Today was such a beautiful day with its blue sky, clear bright sunshine, white fluffy clouds. As John Donne writes, “Yesterday the sun went hence, and yet it is here today.” This morning made me think of the summertime days of my childhood, running through the house, screen door slamming behind me as my bare feet slapped on the red tile of the porch, happily jumping down the two porch steps to get on my bike and gleefully ride off to see my best friend Chip. We put many miles on our bikes as children. Thanks to day care and both parents working, I just wonder how many children were home riding their bikes this summer. My youngest grandson enjoyed riding his bike to play basketball and pickle ball with friends this summer.

My yard is deathly quiet this morning. No finches quarreling, just cardinals and doves and a nuthatch at their breakfast repast. The morning is pleasant, punctuated occasionally by soft wind chime pipe notes. Spent the morning reading quotes and bird poetry searching for inspiration for my writing.

Went back outside after supper to watch Mother Nature paint the sunset stage. As I sat down in the swing, she brushed her champagne watercolors all across the heavens and dressed the sun in a golden honey colored gown. As the sun reached for the arm of Father Sky to walk down the horizon, Mother Nature painted the bellies of slender fingerling clouds in orange and raspberry and watercolored their crowns with brush strokes of purples and mauves. The sun and Father Sky slowly walked down the horizon dragging the day’s light behind them as a shrimp pink twilight faded from the sky, lighting the lightning bugs’ lanterns. The lightning bugs glittered in the twilight like the stars in the heavens.

Love this quote about the moon and the sun! “Sometimes, I think of the sun and the moon as lovers who rarely meet, always chase, and almost always miss one another. But once in a while, they do catch up, and they kiss, and the world stares in awe of their eclipse,” TheMindsJournal.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” Chief used to say, “Mama, we are living heaven on Earth right now.” He always said this during the happiest of times but I never really understood what he meant till he was gone. God is all around us and we do find heaven on Earth. I see God’s heaven when cardinals are all over my yard and I can see and feel God in my little dog’s joy on her morning walks. I find God in the beauty of the sunset and I feel a closeness with God as I witness the day’s end. His mystery comes alive in the wondrous colors of Mother Nature’s watercolor brushes. I know God was with Chief and me as I sat by Chief’s hospital bed and held his hand till he slipped away. And I knew I could get through the loss if I put myself and my grief in God’s hands.

You don’t have to have a life shattering event in your life to feel and see God’s love. You can discover God in little glimpses of everyday life in unexpected places if you open your hearts and eyes to God’s heavenly gifts on Earth. Moments we share with our loved ones are pieces of heaven. God’s grace surrounds us every day. We just have to be aware of his presence and his gifts to enjoy heaven on our planet Earth.

“There’s a heaven on earth that so few ever find, though the map’s in your soul and the road’s in your mind.” — Dan Fogelberg