We associate these things with happiness, joy and growth. As the flowers, we respond in kind by blossoming in the bask of sunshine in our lives. I look for sunshine daily in my life, even in the midst of thunderstorms. I can always see God in the sunrise and in the sunset, as I did in this picture of a sunset taken last summer somewhere in the middle of Iowa. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it and it reminded me to thank God for every day the sun does indeed rise and set, and rise again.

This morning, I had my coffee outside on my carport. It was a glorious morning…the squirrels were at play and the birds were singing their hearts out. I can’t wait for hummingbird season so I can watch them come hover at my feeders. But, as I listened to the birds songs this morning, it struck me how easily they sing. They aren’t shy, and don’t care who’s listening…they’re not singing for someone to praise them. They’re singing because they want to, because they have a song to sing. Oh how I can learn from them! I want to sing…want to dance…want to write…it doesn’t matter if anyone else hears, if anyone else reads or praises what I do. I do it because it inspires me, motivates me, and if it sparks the imagination of someone else incidentally…then that’s cake and icing and ice cream and all the good stuff.