It's cloudy and37 degrees this morning although my accuweather forecast says we will have a mostly sunny day. I'm looking forward to mostly sunny as are most people I suspect. The blackbirds are back again this morning in force. They were gone for most of the morning yesterday and it was nice seeing just my regular birds having a chance at the feeders without having to fight the "big beaks". But then by afternoon they had discovered full feeders and in they came. However, --- despite my fussing about them, I'll say this; they have certainly cleaned up all of the residual seed that the other birds and squirrels have knocked and spread all over the ground under the feeders. I knew at some point after the weather turned nice and the ground dried up I was going to have to take my rake and shovel and clean up the piles of stuff out there. But -- the blackbirds have taken that bunch of stuff all the way down to bare ground. So, once again, --- things I fussed about turned out to be a blessing after all.

We have a lot of running around to do today. Ms. Kate is out of ink for her printer. We just bought her  some black ink a couple of days ago and she knew her colored inks were low but thought she had more. She didn't and now she can't print because she is out of colored ink even though what she wants to print is in black. What can I say? It's how the machine works. So, Office Depot is an early stop. Then the grocery store and pick up some creamer for her coffee. We have a meeting at 1300 hrs and then to the church for some work, (it is Wednesday you know), and later this evening we have choir practice and I have visitations with communion to do in between all of that. What will I do in lieu of all of that when I actually retire?

I finished putting together my sermon for the 28th late last night. It took me a long time and I'm not sure I really said what I meant to say or even like it. I'll need to read it over again today or maybe tomorrow and see if it makes any sense, then maybe have Ms. Kate read it. She's a good judge of my messages because she is an honest judge of my messages. As much as I love my parishioners, I know that all of my messages can't be that good and yet almost every week I'll have folks come up and tell me how much they enjoyed my message. But this one I finished last night --- well I just don't know. I have an idea rumbling around in the back of my brain but I don't know if it transferred through my computer key board. I've been known to just hit delete on the whole thing and start fresh and I don't want to have to do that. I already did that once in the middle of this message.

Despite the snow, despite the temperature and frozen ground, --- the daffodils and tulips are still coming up. When God sets a plan in motion --- the plan continues. As someone wrote on Facebook -- there are only four more Monday's left in winter! So, it is time to stop writing and take time to give thanks to God for a world of blessings such as yard cleaning blackbirds and brave daffodils. One can find a blessing in most anything if we just take the time to look and appreciate. I hope you will take some time for that today. Don't go so fast on your trip through life that you miss the journey. Have a blessed day.