The sky was beautifully bluely sketched by Father Sky this morning, a few fluffy white clouds dotted the sky canvas. The loud wind chime tintinnabulations woke me to a symphony of happy bird songs. The day was too cool for porch pondering but perfect for walking with Penelope. She was curious about the baby doll leg in the street but we just left it. Bootsie, the neighborhood self proclaimed watchdog, brings all toys left outside home for chew toys. She even drug a refrigerator box home once. We love her. She’s a good girl.

The sunset pageant was so bright when it began this afternoon I couldn’t even look at it. The white beam of light blinded me when I glance up at the sky. The sun was dressed in a formal gown of sterling silver sequins shimmering beautifully like the tracks of a full moon on the calm waves of a midnight ocean. As the sun began to roll down the horizon Mother Nature picked up her watercolor brushes and painted the landscape a warm golden honey quickly blazing into a fiery orange wildfire silhouetting the old oaks trees jet black. The layer of clouds above the golden stage were mauve in their beauty, kissed snow white on their bottoms by the sun’s rays. The sun was escorted down the horizon on the arm of Father Sky and as the twilight heralded the day’s demise Mother Nature boldly brush stroked layers of hot pink and deep lavender across the winter blue heavens. Beautiful to watch the heavens flush with color, a magnificent rendering of a day’s departure.

While I was watching the sunset pageant this evening my thoughts were on heaven, wondering what it’s like watching the sunset from the gates of heaven. I love this simple definition of heaven from the Cambridge Dictionary. “Heaven: the place where God lives and where good people go after they die.” When I think of heaven I don’t think of mansions or streets paved in gold, I see family togetherness and happiness and enduring love, a continuation of life as we lived it on Earth, where we’re reunited with our loved ones who have gone on before us. My definition comes from Chief because he was always saying, “Mama, we are living our heaven right now on Earth.” Wayne W. Dyer wrote “Heaven on earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find.” I think heaven will be a place of perfect peace and tranquility, full of happiness and love, a huge porch with wooden porch rockers and porch swings. Imagine pondering in the swing behind the pearly gates! And think how exquisitely beautiful the songbirds will be! And the glorious music….

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” I think we can have heaven on earth, too. Our mindset can help us achieve true happiness and contentment. Biblical happiness is based on our spiritual fulfillment and our trust in God’s grace. As we accept our lives as they are, grateful for our family and friends, quit searching for what we think is missing from our lives, I think we can be content and happy. We are all responsible for our own happiness. Don’t always search for what you think is missing from your life. Always focus on the positive and not the negative. Take stock of where you are and be thankful for all your blessings, both great and small.

Billy Graham said, “My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” God cares about our happiness on earth. God created us to find our greatest happiness in him. The happiness we achieve through living a Christian life is a deep lasting joy, more enduring happiness than we feel as we pursuit worldly possessions. Psalm 37:4 reads, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” By following and obeying God we will find a straight road to our happiness in heaven. They’ll be rocks and boulders and changes and challenges on our paths but God will show us the way and guide us through our prayers.

“The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in heaven.” — Billy Graham