Morning Roundup

I'm rounding up a good morning for myself; I'm rounding up God to create a good morning; no, I am rounding up my perceptions to see the glorious day God has made and be glad in it!

Morning Gratitude:

~ setting my alarm clock 20 minutes earlier this Lenten season to spend time with God in prayer, reaching out to Him.

~ the CD of hymns I listen to at this time, the quiet hums and choral rejoicing.

~ My cat happily patrolling the living room, sans dog, hopping up on my lap and padding around me.

~ Knowing today's weather will be in the 50s - a March miracle!

~ a good work site to go to today

~ good-smelling lotion and perfurme

~ the coffee pot going. I rarely make morning coffee unless I have enough time and I decided to have some and the percolating sounds remind me so much of waking up at my childhood home, my mom's coffee maker going, smelling the aroma wafting into my bedroom right off the kitchen. That was my alarm clock on some mornings. Sitting here listening to my own percolation sounds, smelling my own bean aroma, I thought back to those peaceful mornings and, while I miss my mom with a thousand aches, I smile this morning with her on my mind.

~ my morning snuggles with stepson5 every morning before he gets dressed, the feeling of his warm, just-risen-out-of-bed warmth

~ knowing stepdaugher13 is going to have a challenging day ahead (based on our conversation last night), but so grateful that she communicated to Husband and myself, instead of bottling up all the anguish as she normally would.

~ my cat's little staccato calls to the birds and squirrels she sees out the window.

Prayer for today:
Now it is time to start the movement of the day. Lord, may I move to Your music. May I step into Your steps. May I smell the percolation of Your pleasing aroma. May Your Spirit percolate in me - all day. Through the morning's routine (which sometimes can be a bit hairy), through work, through my staff meeting, through our evening which includes confirmation, Awana, and mid-week Lenten services, and, finally, that afterward time when we must rush the kids to bed after such business. Lord, help me to walk slowly, to breathe slowly, to look and talk slowly. Help me be slow to speak and slow to anger. Let me be the person You call me to be this morning and every morning. And, Lord, thank You for rounding me up this morning. Sometimes I need You to tame me.

Amen.