Today was cold and damp, the sky a canopy of melted white chocolate overcast clouds. The sun was hiding behind her cloud covers enjoying the warmth of her rays. I love Father Sky’s sky canvases but his pastel sticks and Mother Nature’s watercolor brushes were held hostage by the heavy clouds. I didn’t get to see a watercolor painting at sunset and the purple clouds are hiding the night sky’s diamonds and luminous moon.

I didn’t put a sweater on Penelope today. I should have. After each walk, when I took her leash and harness off, she ran to the little electric heater that looks like a wood stove and sat close to warm up. She loved to lay herself on the hearth in Alexander City when we had a fire burning. Chief used to tell her she was going to scorch her little tail off when she’d get too close. We both miss the wood burning fireplace. Chief and I heated our first home, his daddy’s art studio, with a wood stove. I loved it. I’d take the lid off and cook breakfast on it. Bacon was delicious cooked in a iron skillet. I miss those simple days when I’d dry the babies’ cloth diapers by the stove. Raised all three of my children in cloth diapers and never had a clothes dryer. Loved my clothesline.

One of my favorite quote’s from Tyler Scott Greyson describes life as we wish it would transpire every day. “Give me a quiet life, give me trees, the wind through them, give me a sea and the song it sings. Give me heartbeats shared with those I love, give me peace and a long sleep.” If he had added, “give me songbirds and their morning hymns,” the quote would be perfect. I love this quote hearing its music every time I read it.

I’m wondering what a quiet life is. Can we live a “quiet life?” I don’t know but I’m pondering that quietness doesn’t mean not talking. Quietness is living a life of humility and kindness, a quietness of spirit, willing to sometimes yield to others, to agree to disagree, to keep peace in this world. “Give me the trees,” yes, and their beautiful fall cardigans and the soulful wind that blows through them. A strong wind causes the trees to sway, stretches their roots, causes limbs to break and fall. The winds can change the paths of our lives. Maybe the trees are metaphors for strength as God’s strength helps us weather the storms that come our way. We want to be tested so we can show we are strong in our faith, standing tall, deeply rooted with God’s love. We can be an example of Christianity for others when the winds test our faith. Being tested strengthens our faith, teaches us to look for the rainbows in the storms of life, to be appreciative of the sunny days that pass without wind and storms.

The beautiful creatures and the objects the Lord has colored our Earth with compose our sea of life. “Give me a sea and the song it sings.” The songs of earth — you know I’m thinking of the songbirds singing, the humming birds wings beating, the loud buzzing of big black and yellow bumblebees. The natural world has such glorious music. Stand on the ocean’s beach and you’ll hear the songs sung by the earth. The slaps of water on the sandy shores give us peace with its water song. Maybe that’s life, a sea ebbing and flowing, making its own music in everyday living. We can be timid and stay in the shallow waters or be brave and swim out in the deep waters knowing God is watching every stroke we swim, ready to come to our rescue if needed. We just have to believe and have faith in him. God’s love is everlasting and limitless like the sea. He will always save us.

We all need “heartbeats” shared with those we love. We all need friendship and warmth from each other and hugs to hear and feel the heartbeats. Don’t let a day go by without telling those you love how you feel. You never know what tomorrow will bring. “Give me peace and a long sleep.” We all want and need that rest! I would love to sleep through the whole night, haven’t since Chief died. God said he will provide everything we need and he wants to shoulder the worries away that keep us awake at night.

We can’t control life, life happens, life changes from day to day. Most things we worry about never come to fruition, so give those burdens in prayers to God and lay your head down at night in peace knowing God is watching over you. His love and his mercy can lighten our daily burdens, relieve our worries and stress, and take away concerns that are weighing us down. “You will always be searching for peace in yourself until you find it with God,” Unknown.

“The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” — Ram Dass