The Gift of Morning

I'm all about newness. A chance to start over brings a sense of excitement and anticipation. A new day, week, month, school season etc. I love all new things! What a fresh thought this week I had. Each new morning is a gift from God. Another day, another glimpse of His goodness and another opportunity to do better than the day before.

Over half my life, I've been a 'night owl', one who went to bed late and rose later in the morning. Sleeping in for me was a true treasure, that I loved and did often. Until, the children started school! What a difference it makes, 'having' to get up early. My sleep pattern changed to adapt, but out of necessity, not choice!

When our 3rd child was born, he was a terrible sleeper! Slept very little at night and took short naps during the day. He would usually wake me up very early, then after being fed, would go back to sleep, just about the time I needed to be getting up! There is nothing more miserable than being woke up, then drifting back off only to have to get up a short time later! So once he woke me early, I went ahead and got up. That short space of time gave me the ability to get some things done and eventually I began to enjoy the early mornings.

Summer always brought the opportunity to sleep in a little later. One summer, sweet hubby had back surgery and part of his recovery was to walk. We would wake up at 6:30 each morning to walk together before I had to be at work. At first it was unheard of..6:30 on a summer morning, but again, it worked well and I began to see that time as precious.

This year, the first days of summer began with that rejoicing of sleeping in a little later. Although now, 7:00 is considered sleeping in! As an avid walker, I began to juggle how to get my daily walks in while struggling with the heat of summer, jobs and dodging evening thunderstorms. Early mornings seemed to be the answer. If I got up at 5:30 (just like school days), I could get a good walk in and get home in time to get ready for work.

As I adapted to this new schedule, I began to enjoy it. Getting up followed by coffee and devotion and a time to be outside as the day awakens is a beautiful time. Inspirational podcasts while walking keep my mind and heart focused with great things for the day. Taking time to see the sun rise almost takes my breath away. The hush and stillness of the expectation of the new day is a powerful reminder that God is in control and of His great love.

For years, I never understood why people would 'want' to get up early...now I know. A new morning is a gift from God.

Comments

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress. When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.

Joyfull Living

Search This Blog