Walked Penelope early morning and took note of all the colors in the marbled sky, grays and white and hints of turquoise and purple. These little colorful hues come and go so fast if you’re not watching you miss them. You don’t think about beauty in an overcast sky but look and you’ll see Mother Nature is using her pale watercolors subduedly.

Been in a whirled wind of cleaning and cooking today. Took Penelope to Paul’s Pound, what I call brother’s vet clinic when I board her there. She’s not sweet with my grandchildren so she’s on a doggy hiatus till Monday morning. My McMurray family gathers tomorrow at my niece’s country home for our Thanksgiving dinner. I’m the ham cooker, the chocolate and caramel cake and pecan pie baker, and the collard cooker. Chief was always the collard grower. Got oldest brother to grow the collards one year but never entered my mind this year to plant some or to get brother to grow them. So I bought some at the grocery store, hopefully grown locally. You know, we always picked our collars when they were smaller than the store sells but I’m sure they’ll be good. Always wished someone would invent something to wash turnip greens and collars. I love them but don’t enjoy the washing process. I’m thankful my sink has two compartments, makes it easier. An older woman at Russell Corporation told me once she washed them in the washing machine…think she was pulling my leg. Don’t think I didn’t think about it.

I took a break from cleaning and cooking at lunch and sat in the swing watching the world spin on its axis. A few handsome cardinals were visiting the bird feeders but two cloudless sulfur butterflies flitting around the pansies intrigued me. Both butterflies landed on purple blooms, slowly opening and closing their wings, letting the sun’s rays warm their slender bodies. Their thin little black legs were tap dancing to the soft wind chime symphony. I ran the butterflies off trying to capture a photograph. A gulf fritillary shortly came by doing his morning yoga on the pansies’ blooms. He was wounded, missing a small piece of his left wing, making him fly in an irregular pattern. I wondered if he was in pain. He was a vain little butterfly and sat still for several moments as I snapped photographs of him in his yoga poses. God has given us so many beautiful little creatures to color our world.

Read this quote on a friend’s Facebook page today. “If you focus on gratitude, you will feel grateful. If you focus on those who love you, you will feel loved. If you focus on those you love, you will feel loving. If you focus on the times you’ve felt joy, you will feel joyful,” Dr. Daniel Amen. I’m feeling joyful as my McMurray family is getting ready to gather for our annual Thanksgiving dinner. I love these family gatherings, watching our grandchildren run around happily with their cousins, their parents laughing and enjoying being with their cousins, and us older ones feeling fortunate and grateful for our family and the blessing of all being together for another holiday. We have the best time telling stories of our youth, laughing till we lose our breath. We strap on our food bags and enjoy a scrumptious meal. I’ve cooked collards, made a caramel cake, a pecan pie, and am getting a ham ready for the oven. Everybody brings something and it’s all delicious. All us women folk are worn out but it’s a happy, joyful tiredness.

The Bible says God defines a family as people related by name, blood, or adoption. Our families are the foundation of society. Biblical scripture speaks of the importance of maintaining family bonds. “Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of the children.” God gave us families as a source of love, support, and strength. He told us to be fruitful and multiply and to live together in harmony. Psalm 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”

Our families support us throughout our lives. They help us feel secure, give us a shared identity as we pass down experiences and values for generations. Families give us a place to belong. Families offer emotional support, comfort and courage when we face difficult times. Scripture refers to God as a “Heavenly Father” and we as “children of God,” all part of God’s spiritual family. When we accept Jesus as our Lord we become a member of God’s family. “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name,” John 1:12.

As our Heavenly Father, God wants us to trust in the plan he has for our life. He wants to hear our prayers and give us support and peace, and when we’re burdened with darkness he wants to light our path. Psalm 119:105 states “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God wants us to live obediently to his words and teach our children about his gospel.

Just as a child trusts their parents, we can trust in God’s plan for our lives.

“The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing.” — Eva Burrows