We are not alone. At the end of this day, I was considering how fortunate I have throughout my life. The people God has placed in my life to encourage, strengthen or guide me have been humbling and astounding. It is equally humbling and an incredible blessing as I have had the privilege to be a voice of encouragement and strength to people over the years.

We cannot do it alone. God never intended us to go it alone.

During my quiet time this morning I am again drawn to Psalm 23. The verses came into an interesting focus. In getting into just the first and second verses so much is there for me that it was one of those “Aha” moments.

The declaration that the Lord is my Shepherd; This means He is the one I follow. Not just some of the time, when I have time, not following something or someone else, but all the time: follow the Lord all the time. And if I do follow Him, because He is my Shepherd, I will not want because it is His voice and His will I am learning to understand and trust.

A Love that Never Fails. Never. While reflecting on Love and what it really means, I am grateful that God is the embodiment and author of Love. He is Love. He is a demonstration of Love and He shows us how He Loves us.

His love is never ending and unconditional. Regardless of our acceptance of His Love or not His Love remains all the same.

We, on the other hand, tend to be less complete, rich, or unconditional in our love. Our love tends to depend on the day, maybe circumstance, worldview, political view, social view, or how we were raised. The list can go on and on regarding what influences love in our lives.

There are times I can feel as if I don’t have what it takes to fulfill the God-given purpose of my life. Often times I am challenged in climbing the mountain in front of me. All of us can feel this way from time to time. It can be overwhelming at times in helping others in their quest to find or fulfill their God-given purpose and conquer the obstacles they face. In prayer, I told God, “I’m not who you think I am. I don’t have those skills, talents or strength to do what You are asking of me.”

Quickly I was reminded that God knew me before I was being knit together in my mother’s womb.

Why have we drifted?

We’re not always sure; not away, just not close. We’re not meeting God daily, reading or studying His word.

We missed Him so much and now love being back.

What is it that draws our eyes and then our actions away, ever so quietly? Is it the next shining object or keeping up with the Joneses?

We have just celebrated Easter, my favorite celebration of the entire year.

Christmas is the birth of Jesus as the beginning of our journey home. His life, an example of how He lives, loves, and what is important to Him. Christ’s death was the sacrifice for our sins building a bridge back to the Father. But then there is Easter – the resurrection, Jesus Christ overcoming sin, death, and the grave. This event is what makes the difference.

Today there is commotion all around with the neighbors cutting down trees, and workmen working on the house. The noise and busyness are all around. Sipping my coffee, I drift off thinking about what makes really good carpenters. It is their precision. They “true up” every aspect of their work. Their tool: a plumb line. Regardless of where in a project they nail the string, they allow the weight (plumb) to hang. It provides the exact line to measure against or use as a baseline when considering decisions and actions. It’s called “true” or “trueing up.” Straight up and down, perpendicular. It will give you exact, precise, clear lines with which to build.

Today builders and surveyors use lasers – light for their plumb line.

“Trueing up” in building works the same in life. Jesus is the light of the world that is true and solid.

How often do we see the mountain in front of us and say, “It’s too big, too high, too formidable?” Or it feels like an ocean filled with stormy seas raging in the way of where we believe we are to be. There are seasons in our lives that seem like the mountains will win, the seas will swallow us up. It’s as if their sheer brutality will overcome us and we lose sight of the goal and the beauty of our journey.

I think it’s time to get back to some “old school” in our lives today.

There is an overwhelming amount of technology and Twitter touches or Facebook blurbs. But, one-to-one interfaces with people that have relationships are dramatically lower each decade that passes by. The problem with that is where do we gain insight and wisdom from those who have gone before us.

As I sit and enjoy lunch on my deck with all my feathered friends I mull over a book I’m reading: Bold Love by Dan Allender. A profound work indeed. It is thought-provoking and takes me on a side trail about love that brings me to grace. Grace, we receive from God. Grace, we extend to others.

Grace is mentioned over 246 times in the Old and New Testament. There is a reason for that, it is the exhibition of God’s unending, unyielding love for mankind.

Time on the hill. Watching the horses with their tails swishing the flies from their bodies I think back to times that were more challenging and painful. Times of failure or rejection. Times of extreme loss, loss of family, husband, a lifestyle and way of living. Whether the loss of family because of faith or loss of lifestyle with Marvin having nine heart attacks and ultimately dying, life as it was or hoped to be had been shattered.

But God.

When we’re going, going, going it is easy to get caught up in getting through our day. We get so busy that we often forget to take time to get focused on God’s plan for our life that day. Sometimes we jump into the day with both feet hitting the ground running with so much to do and wanting to accomplish it all and then some.

But, in our doing do we miss some of the most important things?

One of the relaxing hobbies for me is creating pottery. Actually, it is in being in a pottery class and learning how to create beautiful designs. Finding it interesting to see others at work, their wheels a whirring and lumps of clay becoming pieces of useful beautiful art. But, I found it isn’t just in working on my own wheel hoping to implement what I see that is of great value. One evening a gentleman was going to use a method called “throwing off the hump” in creating several mugs from one large lump of clay. He was kind enough to not only allow my daughter and I to watch but as he was working he taught. What a gift.

From my living room, I’m looking out on the deck at my busy hungry birds. We’ve gained quite a crowd these days. Crowd because there is a large variety of birds stopping for a turn at the feeder. They have not a care in the world. During the rain and storms, they swarm the feeders getting ready for a time in the trees to hunker down until the winds pass.

As I consider the birds I’m confronted with the reality that sometimes my actions would indicate I too have not a “care in the world”. But quickly I am reminded that time is fleeting. It is precious.

Time, however, is not renewable.

Even as I sit and enjoy the birds for a few moments I’m aware that time passes so fast it seems in the blink of the eye ten years have gone by. I am reminded of the value of God directing my time and path. But it is in the “waiting on the Lord” that I can gain valuable insight and direction for my world.

There are seasons in our lives that the world spins around us in a blur. There are times that we need to stop, take a deep breath, and connect with God; even when we don't think we have time to connect.

God gives us strength for what He calls us to do; anything above that we decide we need to do is in our own strength, time, and resources.

One of my favorite places to just take a deep breath and recover is my deck. It is a flurry with birds of more than a dozen different types. It brings peace to my soul.

It has taken time in the midst of commotion or challenges to find that one place that constantly reminds me that God has been with me all along the journey.

When opening the Bible in the morning Isaiah 61: 1-3 seems to be the section that opens more frequently than any other. These are the words that remind me of God’s presence and plan.

This is a tough subject because when we think we are, we most likely are not. But, how does humility affect our choices? What does humility have to do with being a foghorn is someone else’s life? In fact, how does humility or lack thereof affect me?

Humility affects every area of our lives from our mindset and what we need, want, or choose in our lives to our responses to others. In studying the Gospel of Mark frequently I find pride is the antagonist to humility. Pride drives us away from God. Humility draws us to God.

My deck is surrounded by trees which create the most magnificent playground for dozens of birds.

It starts in the Springtime with the activity and songs sung as these beautiful little creatures bring comfort and peace. I could enjoy sitting for hours watching all the activity.

Although there is rest and restoration in sitting, meditating, and spending my quiet time here I am reminded that there is also a time to toil and work hard. They are not in conflict with one another, but a balance needed between them. Finding the balance sometimes is not so easy but required.

Often we get so busy we forget to allow our souls to catch up to us.

Someone said years ago; “When I wake up each morning and open my eyes I want the enemy to say “OH NO she’s awake. RUN!”

That is what I want to be said about me. This morning though, once awake, I felt tired and worn. Surely quiet time was needed. Fatigue puts me in a weakened position. Knowing my weakness I lean into God. My thoughts words and actions are then focused on Him.

Moving through the day sure and steady, what God had planned got accomplished. This included encouraging the people with whom I had a chance to interact.

Many of us have heard the prayer of St Francis. For me, it was in my very early years. It made such an impact on me that throughout my life when I come across the prayer regardless of the location or time, I am compelled to pause and in my heart recite the words and ask God for the grace and ability to make me an instrument of His peace.