Today has been hot and glorious under a spring blue sky. My vegetables were worshiping the sun’s warmth, their new green leaves peeking out from the thin sticks of the prickly pine straw, drunk on deep drinks of Miracle Grow. The zinnias and cosmos and poppies are still sleeping next to their cantaloupe cousins waiting to see who sprouts first. The bird planted sunflowers are sprouting all over the flower bed, their two fresh green leaves big as a quarter. Can’t wait for a tomato sandwich and pickled fresh cucumbers, some stuffed peppers and squash, some homegrown cantaloupe slices with my breakfast bagel. I love my garden!

I don’t think I waste a day when I sit in the swing on the porch and ponder life. I’m always thankful for the birds. The birds represent a spiritual side of the earth to me. When the yard is full of cardinals, I can feel the presence of the Lord and in my childlike faith I believe he and Chief have sent these beautiful creatures to help me focus on all the blessings in my life and give me the courage to live out the rest of my life in a semblance of happiness and contentment.

These tiny creatures with their multicolored coats have healed my soul and given me peace on days when my heart is heavy. And like the angels in heaven they have wings and they soar in the skies of heaven. Their songs bring me joy. I sleep with a window open at night and bird songs greet me every morning and uplift me as I start my day. Audubon says birds are an antidote to our despair. I know that’s true. Birds really make me happy. Birds help us slow down, stop, and pay attention to the earth around us. Birds restore our faith in the natural order of the earth. They help us be calmer and more hopeful. The loss of a loved one can make it easier to appreciate the small things in life, like a bird song. Bird songs soothe our souls. “The presence of a single bird can change everything for one who appreciates them,” Julie Zickefoose.

One of my neighbors who moved away last year stopped by for a porch visit late afternoon. She has the prettiest white hair. I’ve always called her “White Headed Lady.” We sat in the swing together talking till dark. I really enjoyed seeing her. She makes me think of the Bible verse in Proverbs that describes white hair as a “crown of glory,” a sign of the blessing of wisdom, a life lived well with faith. I’ve missed her visits.

“Be humble, for you are made of earth. Be noble, for you are made of stars,” Serbian Proverb. Read this quote early afternoon and pondered it while I watched a sunset of golden honey turn off the twilight’s glow to wake the cool velvet darkness. Perhaps the quote is telling us no matter how successful we become we need to remember we all have humble beginnings. As scripture states in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

I’ve given a lot of thought to how each day offers a multitude of new beginnings. Yesterday is gone but there’s always tomorrow. Realistically we need to live each day to its fullest because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We know the sun will rise and the birds will sing. When this day is gone we can’t get it back. Be grateful to wake up with breath with another chance to experience all life has to offer. Don’t take time for granted. Life is full of ups and downs and trials and triumphs. Children grow up quickly and we lose our parents and our spouses. We need to put the past behind us, try not to worry about the future, and live and enjoy every day. Our days on earth are really limited.

I keep a quote taped in my devotional book to read every morning. It talks about the concept of intentional living — “making decisions and taking actions that are important to you and true to who you are.” You appreciate and practice gratitude for the things that matter the most to you. You build your life around your true beliefs and values. I’m thinking about people I know who seem truly happy and content and most of them march to the beat of their own drum. They are firm in their convictions and aren’t worried about what other people think. They are secure in their faith and appreciate all the blessings in their lives.

Here’s the quote, I read each morning, written by Heartsill Wilson. “This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not a loss — good not evil. Success, not failure, in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it.”

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” — Martin Luther