The Best Things in Life

Ok, so promising to blog every day this week has proven impossible with my family and their constant needs. Even now, I have little Zachary climbing onto my lap and Amanda asking what she needs to do next. We just had chore meeting and they are all busy fulfilling their duties to the family (what we have been learning about in our family devotionals lately). I thought I would take a second to express more of my gratitude.

The most wonderful thing has just happened. The weather has changed, almost overnight. We had a huge rainstorm that lasted a couple of days (on and off) and the weather dropped to between 65 and 85. Yesterday we went to the park and it felt REALLY good to be in the 80s with a breeze. It so reminded me of Northern California weather. This morning we woke up to coolness! It was 75 degrees when I took Brandon to his commonwealth school and there was water everywhere--even in the air! Again, it was like a taste of California. I am realizing more deeply that we have just endured the "winter" of the southwest. Now, we can enjoy the rest of the school year and really be free to explore and be outside. I am realizing what a blessing it will be to not have to hibernate all winter (like so many of our friends in the north!) Yes, our pool is a little cooler now, but who cares! We can go places now!

I recently found this quote from Robert Louis Stevenson in the Arizona Republic, our local newspaper.

"The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in
your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just
before you."

I cut it out and put it on my fridge so that I could ponder it while I am preparing meals. It is really true that happiness lies in the path. Pouring over the past or fretting about the future really doesn't bring happiness. But, rolling up our sleeves and finding joy in the work right before us, really seeing the blessings right in front of our eyes, and thanking God for it all is what brings joy.

Today I am deeply grateful that I have endured this heat the best that I could and that now I have the tremendous blessing of moderate weather. I am enjoying it so much. I don't even think words can tell how much this blessing means to me. I can connect again with nature, an important way for me to feed my soul. It is like drinking deeply after a long thirst. I think I am going to like it here after all.