Beauty In Ordinary Days

I've celebrated three birthdays in the last two weeks; my brother's, mine and my youngest son's.  In our family most of us have September, October, and November birthdays.  Sticking to any semblance of a diet is really difficult, especially since mingled in between all the birthdays is leftover Halloween candy, overindulgence at Thanksgiving, and let's not forget celebrating Christmas (with food) from Thanksgiving until New Year's Day.  My pudgy tummy is already showing the effects, and it's just November 2nd.  My goodness, I'll be roly-poly for sure by the first of the year if I'm not careful.

But it happens every year.  My big plans for exercising starting in July got waylaid by the hot, humid weather of summer.  When the thermometer finally dropped enough to get started, it turned cold this week.  We dropped thirty degrees between one day and the next and haven't reached sixty all week!  I know, I know!  Our northern neighbors think sixty is a heat wave, but for this cold-natured southern girl, if it's not seventy two or higher, it's cold!

In addition to the leftover Kit-Kats and Reeses' from Monday night's trick-or-treaters, I am definitely enjoying the beautiful fall leaves in the area.  Our maples and dogwoods are brilliant shades of yellow-orange and red.  Most of the trees in our yard are still holding onto their leaves, which means lots of leaf raking, blowing, bagging, and composting to come.  Our two huge oak trees sometimes hold their leaves until spring!  The photo at the beginning of this blog is of my granddaughter in the North Carolina mountains.  Oh, if we could all, like children, retain the joy and wonder of  ordinary days.   

A couple of weeks ago my friend and I were coming home from the antique mall.  We were about three blocks away from my house, when right in front of us, a tiny whirlwind suddenly began emptying all the leaves from a large tree.  They were at peak color, and we were caught right in the middle of a golden "leaf storm".  We stopped the car in the middle of the road and watched, mesmerized, as God showed off His handiwork.  After most of the leaves had fallen, I suddenly remembered I had my camera in my purse.  I took some photos, but was disappointed because I couldn't accurately capture the beauty of the moment.  Even at fifty-plus years, I am still amazed when God reveals His beauty and majesty in the midst of ordinary days.

Psalm 67:1:7:   May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, God;  may all the peoples praise you. The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Copyright 2011  Laney's Musings

Link to Song by Mercy Me:  All of Creation