Mornings on the Porch

 

 Our summer mornings begin on the porch.  

The cool crispness of the dewy air combined with the first sunshine of the day, 

the birds morning song, and a talk with my Lord makes rising early a pleasure, 

even to this sleepy head. 

This morning I am reminded by the Psalmist, 

"Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 

For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.  

Trust int he Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 

Delight thyself  also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart,

Commit thy way to the Lord, trust also in Him; and /he shall bring it to pass. 

And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement as the noonday. 

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him: " 37:1-7

I know very well how we women tend to worry and not trust in our heavenly Father. 

But this He does not want.

  Instead, He values a woman who trusts in Him and lives without anxiety- -

thus the meaning of a gentle and quiet spirit:  the spirit who quietly trusts instead of anxiously frets;

who rests in Him, accepting his plan instead of trying to force our own, relinquishing control.

Today, may we be living in the moment, 

being faithful with what He has given us, 

talking to Him about our concerns and giving them over to him...our Heavenly Father. 

He really can take care of our needs, 

and He knows what we need so much better than we do,

so we understand, 

and with understanding comes contentment, 

peace,

and with peace, joy.  

This is what it looks like to trust.

These are my morning thoughts as I sit in my rocker

in front of the beautiful hanging baskets that grace the porch.

 The next part of our day is to gather everyone for breakfast on the porch,

then their Bible reading, with chores following.

  I have a particularity adorable helper today.

Besides the porch,  here are a few favorite spots of mine around the lodge.

A collection of white serving dishes,

mostly gathered at thrift stores, is crowned by this delightful platter with a  verse.

I love the hunt of thrifting. 

Such finds as these dishes bestir happy moments which cause a smile when I look at or use them.

I remember my great aunt serving tea from this tea cheerful yellow teapot 

when I visited her in Holland as a child.  

My other great aunt gave me her tea cup collection 

when she moved from her home to a retirement apartment,

and since then I have inherited other relatives' tea cups and pots, 

so that now we have a great many, and some tucked away in hope chests as well.

Nearly every piece of furniture in our home has been given to us, 

and a good portion of the accessories also.  

Each item is a standing stone to remember that God does indeed provide,
not measely crumbs,
but good and wonderful gifts,
oft times, beyond what we even dreamed possible. 
Our home is a testament to that,
but these gifts are not just material,
they are more importantly the spiritual provisions of faith, mercy, joy, and patience, for example.

He is a very trustworthy God.

He is good, and His mercy endures forever.

I hope you know Him.  

I pray you spend your days loving Him, 

herein is life abundant, 

meaningful,

beautiful.