Urban Morning Walk

As I went to the mailbox to pick-up the mail from the day before, I felt compelled to dress a little warmer and go for a walk around the neighborhood. I’d been staying indoors quite a bit, and was beginning to feel slight indications that cabin fever was weighing down on me. After getting the bottle of vitamin D3 out of the cabinet and swallowing a couple of pills down, I got dressed and went for a walk. I thought I was just going for a quick walk and quickly come back home to start working on my never ending to do list, but I ended up going on a longer expedition.

As I was passing underneath a tree I noticed a tiny nest and decided

that on my way back I would take a picture of it. I ended up taking lots of
pictures, because there were so many interesting things to see and explore. You see, when we truly pay attention there are many wonderful things just around us. Little birds were jumping from tree to tree with their little morning chirps. Since it’s Winter, their songs are soft and not the full operettas they sing during the Spring and Summer. A raven followed me for a while from rooftop to rooftop letting out loud kraas. I wasn’t sure if he was laughing at me or making sure I knew he was the king of the roofs. A mourning dove let go of a soft coo from the top of a chimney. Birds are so cute!

A bush dressed in dry winter berries greeted me beside the sidewalk. Small pine cones were quietly sleeping the winter away at the end of their tree branches. An empty playground stood lifeless in a neighborhood park and a man played with his dog on the wet grass. There’s an evergreen in that park that its perfume always takes me back to many years ago walking in the pinewood forests of Portugal. A hawk threatened by my proximity flew away and landed on top of a satellite dish. I went after it for a picture. :)  

It had rained. The air was cool and crisp. The ground was wet and the sun shyly shone behind the passing clouds. 

The mountains in the distance were mysteriously hidden in a thick envelope of clouds. What a beautiful morning!

 

Coming back home, I made sure to stop by the tree with the tiny nest. A closer look revealed that there were actually three tiny nests. Empty humming bird nests that reminded me of busy times past. A few steps further though, a robin let go of a funny laughter, telling me that this quietness and stillness of winter will soon give way to the busyness of Spring. I better enjoy Winter as much as I can!

 "How great are your works, LORD, how profound your thoughts!"

Psalm 92:5

Spring is coming!

The sun was shinning beautifully. It was nice after so many cloudy days to see and feel the sunshine. Getting ready to go out the door in the morning, I quickly rolled up the sleeves of my denim shirt. It felt like Spring! Inside me I could slightly feel that happy feeling that Spring always brings. I know it is still Winter and will be for a few more weeks, but I could feel the excitement of Spring just around the corner. As I got in the car and drove down my neighborhood I saw a robin perched on top of a tree soaking up the sun. Robins winter in the south, but I hadn’t seen one in several weeks, so I was excited. When living in Alaska, seeing a robin after a long, cold, and dark winter, was reason for celebration! This morning truly felt like Spring! As I kept driving, another robin flew just in front of the car. As I was talking with my son about it, he noticed another robin, and then we saw another, and another, and yet another! It was as if promises that Spring will come were everywhere!

It made me think of how I feel when I read my Bible. We live in a bad, sinful world. Life in this planet is cold and dark. But the Bible is full of promises of better days to come. As I open those pages, I read promise after promise after promise that “winter” won’t last forever, and “spring” is just around the corner. Talk about reasons to celebrate! A better life, filled with the light and the warmth of God’s Son, is certain. I may have to go through difficult times here, but I know those won't last forever. Soon I’ll enjoy the beauty of eternal life with my Savior for ever. Just can’t wait!

The beautiful morning sun is now once again hiding behind dark gray clouds. It’s still Winter. But the promises of Spring received from all the little robins I saw this morning give me hope and assurance that beautiful weather full of sunshine, warmth, and colors is just around the corner!

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared."

Revelation 21:1

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

John 14:1-3 

Taking Over the World!

So many have dreamed of taking over the world. History is filled with stories of the great soldiers, conquerors, and dreamers, who have gone through great lengths to conquer and rule the world. And many joined these dreamers in achieving their goals. It’s never a one person effort. It takes a team. It always takes a team.
As I read the book of Numbers in the Bible, I too began to share the dream of taking over the world. No, I have no desire in ruling this earth, but I know someone who does and would be great at it! You see, Numbers 21:23-26 tells the story of a time when the Israelites were wandering in the desert when they came upon Amorite territory. The Amorites weren’t very thrilled about the people of Israel requesting to pass through their territory, so they got their entire army together to fight the Israelites. It didn’t go very well for the Amorites, and the people of Israel ended up taking over the land.

As I read this, all of a sudden I had a vision of taking over the land too, but not by war or by sword. I started to envision what would it be like if love took over the world! What would the world look like? Well, what is love? I think if we answer that question, we will know what a world filled with love would look like. There is a beautiful answer for this question in the Bible.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
I Corinthians 13:4-8

Wow! Love is definitely not selfish. Can you imagine a world where people think of others’ happiness before their own? A world where we want others to feel valued and valuable? A world where we use things, but never people? What do you think our countries would be like if our governments were motivated by love? What about our schools? And our churches?

This dream is possible, and I know someone who many years ago began a revolution of love: God. It began when He created this beautiful world and even after we decided to do things our way and messing up pretty bad, God has continued His revolution of love through His Son Jesus. It’s a beautiful dream and I want to be a part of it. It does take a team to take over the world with love though, but I definitely have my part in my own little part of the world. It begins by loving my family, my neighbors, and my friends. It begins by looking for the needs of others before my own. It begins by wanting to make those who I come in contact with feel valued and valuable. I know from experience that I’m always happier when I strive to make others happy. And as we each do our part wherever we have been planted, we can soon take over the land with love. What an amazing dream! I want to encourage you to read I Corinthians 13:4-8 and begin this love revolution where you are, today!