Good Morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it!
I saw the sun rise painting the clouds pink this morning as I stepped outside. Beautiful! God is Awesome!
Yesterday we walked in the morning, and it was already very warm. It doesn't seem to bother Matthew-he just drips, but it bothers me. I was glad for the breeze, but as soon as it stopped, the dripping started. We watched two circling ospreys when we arrived at the tower, but they didn't hover. No sign of the gators, so we were a little disappointed. Matthew asked where they were, and I said wherever they want to be!
We did see butterflies and anhingas and great blue herons, so we enjoyed the beauty. Yesterday, Matthew discovered a black snake in our shed and was disappointed that he couldn't catch it. His dad was great at catching snakes and, as a matter of fact, we still have a pickled one in his old room.
From Quiet Moments with God for Teachers:
Opposites Balanced
The day is yours, the night also is yours.
You have prepared the light and the sun.
You have set all the borders of the earth:
You have made summer and winter.
Psalm 74:16,17 NKJV
Much of our lives seem to be suspended between opposites. We grow up learning to label things as good and bad, hurtful and helpful, naughty and nice. People are kind or mean. The thermostat can be adjusted to avoid extremes of heat and cold. We look forward to the changing of seasons from summer to winter. Time is divided by day and night.
Not only are these opposites helpful to us in defining or "bordering "our lives, but they can also help us release stress.
Very often people who are engaged in physical, muscle-intensive work all day choose a mental activity with which to relax and unwind. Those who have idea-intensive jobs often enjoy relaxing with hobbies that make use of their hands, such as wood carving or needlework. Those in sterile, well-ordered environments look forward to coming home to weed their gardens.
Structured tasks and routines are good relaxation for those involved in the creative arts. The musician runs home to his computer. The surgeon delights in growing orchids in a hothouse. The factory worker enjoys crossword puzzles. the executive unwinds in the kitchen, preparing gourmet meals.
The Lord created us for this rhythm of opposites. God told Noah as he and his family left the ark that Noah would experience "seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease." (Genesis 8:22 NKJV) Mankind was set in a world of opposites.
When you feel stressed out at day's end, try engaging in an activity that is opposite in nature to the work you have been doing. If you have been using your mind, turn to an activity that is physical. If you have been exerting physical energy, turn to an activity that is mental.
Let the pendulum swing back to rest in a central location!
People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.
John Wanamaker
I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis
