Goldfinches, bluejays, and cardinals; I love the color variety of the birds that grace my back yard and feeders. Then there are the woodpeckers; three varieties, that come in routinely, all with drastically different markings and colors. On a normal partly cloudy day they all look great. But, when the sun pops over the roof on a bright day and highlights them, it is a beautiful sight indeed.

The hummingbirds are doing the dance again this morning. They buzz aroud each other, swaying this way and that, each in an attempt to get to the feeder themself while keeping the other one away. I can't imagine the energy it takes to be a hummingbird. Eventually, they will relent and seemingly take turns at the feeder and then it is right back at it. When I was out there the other day trimming out the last of the phlox, they were buzzing me. When they rest, they seem to find the tiniest if twig branches to sit on up in the trees.

I got much of my writing done yesterday but still have a few pages to finish. Unlike many of my fellow pastors, I can't just operate from a set of notes and do my sermon. I write my sermons out and read them. It isn't a great technique I know. But, my parishioners have been kind enough to not complain for the past eleven and a half years. I know a fifteen minute sermon takes at least four full pages of writing and I try to hold my sermons to fifteen minutes. It would seem that it would take a lot lesss than fifteen minutes to read four pages of dialogue, but it is all in the delivery, --- and the fact  is that I do add stuff as I'm delivering. I use the same sermon for both churches, but I guarantee you that on any given Sunday, they haven't heard the same sermon.

I've been surprised that my yard has not filled up with leaves again since I cleared it the other day. The wind has been much calmer these past couple of days. The yard has really gotten to a bland state as far as color is concened. Being a person who has a "green deficiency" with my color vision, most of what I see these days is just brown. A few red roses remain on the knockout rose and the geraniums still have a few nice pink blooms but that is about it. However --- I'll take the brown over the solid white alternative that we know will be coming soon enough.

The battery on my IPad keyboard has died so I guess that is my hint to abandon my recliner and get busy. I hope you have a wonderful day. If you happen to pass a rose bush today, stop and smell the roses on it. Take advantage of what God has done for you today and then reach out and lift someone else up. You will feel better for it.