It really is Wednesday already, isn't it? It seems as if I just got started on this week and the work week is half over. I guess that is the sign of a busy week. 

It is a beautiful 70 degree, sun shiny morning. The heat wave has broken for a couple of days and no rain is predicted for the rest of the week. I have a lot of happy sparrows and finches out there having their breakfast, although I see they have emptied several of the smaller feeders again. The sun has peeked over the roof now and lit up the flowerbed right here next to the door. The phlox is practically glistening in the sunlight. I stepped outside a bit ago and the breeze was carrying the smell of the stargazer lilies across the yard. It smelled wonderful. Most of the lilies have finished blooming and really need  to be deadheaded. Ms. Kate did some of that yesterday. When they are done, they leave a stem  sticking up that needs to be pulled out but they need to fully dry off first. The thing that makes our flower gardens so nice is that there is always something in bloom during the spring, summer, and fall. 

I have a couple of goldfinches out here this morning. I wonder where they have been because we haven't seen many this summer. My guess is that the thistles are blooming in the wild so they don't need my feeders. But I love to see them. Part of the reason too might be that I have pulled up most of the black-eyed-susans around here. They are such and invasive plant, pretty, but invasive. But the finches like to eat the seeds out of them. 

My jobs for today include going to the churches and runninng the bulletins for the week, stopping by a friends house to pick up a dozen ears of corn, and then a meeting at noon. Last evening I put together a couple of services for the next couple of weeks and got them sent off to my liturgists. One of my liturgists is visually impaired and it will be her first time doing this. I sent her the service as an attachment to an email. Her mom says that they can take that email and run it through some kind of translating program that will turn it into braille for her. If that works, it will be wonderful for her and I think an awesome experience for the congregation. The girl is a young high school freshman and her mom was totally surprised when she signed up to be the liturgist. God does work in mysterious ways and God's blessings unfold at every turn in our lives.

I offer my prayers this morning as prayers of gratitude to a glorious and loving God. It is impossible for me to sit here and look out my windows without being grateful for my heaven-sent blessings. I lift up my prayers for friends and loved ones who are going through rough times and pray that they too can feel the presence of God's healing touch and love. I pray they will find peace in their hearts and spirit.Jesus  said "I give you my peace" and that is the peace I have accepted in my life. I have found that the biggest obstacle to having that peace in our lives is that we fail to surrender our lives to God. We try too hard to control our lives rather than just turning our life over to God. So my words for today are to simply relax; breathe deeply, and let go of your worry and frustration and anxiety and let God take control of your life. Have a truly blessed day.