Dear Reader:

I felt as if my home missed me when I returned Friday…so much so that it was going all out to let me know how glad it was I had returned.

While sitting in my recliner (with my foot propped up) two beautiful birds perched on the top of the ‘chapel of hope’ bird feeder. I couldn’t leave the recliner and get over to the window in time before each flew off so I just took the picture from the recliner and tried to enlarge it….in both cases it worked. Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal sat there for several minutes each as if posing for me.

I was still so excited about getting these photos as I went into my “office” to check yesterday’s post. Casually I glanced outside at the bird feeder (which needed filling) and the trellis (where once the moon flowers bloomed.) But with the hot, dry drought in September I had not seen a bloom in weeks.

Still something kept making me ‘curiosier and curiosier.’ It looked like a little ghost was flying in the breeze behind the array of large moon flower leaves. Perhaps it is some trash…a little white piece of paper I thought….finally I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to satisfy my curiosity.

It was the largest moon flower bloom of the year that was blooming backwards…not towards the front of the trellis and my vision from my window… but behind it….and was it ever a beauty! Hidden beauty.

Jake was so excited about going to school Friday because that is ‘Treasure Trove’ day. If they have been good all week they get to pick a ‘treasure’ from the box.

Jake thought he had a pretty good shot at the trove and Mandy told me Friday evening he had picked a red car hot wheel and was beyond thrilled.

What is it about a hidden treasure that is so much more exciting than a visible one? Aren’t we reminded through scripture that God is our greatest Treasure. All the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, and truth are hidden in our Creator… if we put Him first?

For some reason as I stared at that beautiful moon flower bloom a phrase I heard recently came back to me “Abide in the calm.” It was exactly what was happening. For that one perfect moment of beauty…all the craziness of the past two weeks melted away and I lost myself, and my cares of the world into the beauty of one of God’s marvelous creations.

Abide is a tricky little word. It is a contradiction within itself….we can abide or reside, dwell in a certain place or we can respect (abide) certain rules or we simply can’t “abide” (tolerate) change or diversity.

How we abide in life is one of the most important decisions we make early on. Will we choose to ‘abide in calm’ grateful for every moon flower bloom or creation God gave us or choose to live a narrow, negative life of not being able to “abide” other people or places or situations we perceive as opposite to our way of thinking? The choice is up to us.

So until tomorrow….May you all ‘abide in calm and peace’ and have a beautiful day.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

The two “bestest” nurses in the world came over to help change the bandages on my “boo boo owie” yesterday and it feels so much better with all that tight-garbed pressure gauze off. I have, also, been craving fruit and Carrie brought some back, along with bandages from Target, where she and Doodle went. Thank you my guardian angels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!