My quiet time.

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning. The air was soft, warm and fresh. The dew was sparkling in the grass. Birds were singing, a breeze was blowing. Perfect morning for me, my Bible, and a cup of coffee out on the porch swing. I assembled the above-mentioned items and added a cup of yogurt topped with sliced strawberries and granola. Then I tip-toed outside through the front door. Silence is a must. I prefer no distractions when I am going to spend time with my God. No children were awake yet. I had let the dogs out of their kennel, but they were on the other side of the house. The porch was clear of all cats. I felt the peacefulness of the morning settle over me as I sat on the swing and arranged my coffee, breakfast and Bible. Romans 1:20 says "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without an excuse." It is often at moments like this, that these words ring so true. Looking around at the beauty of creation, smelling the fresh air, hearing the morning sounds of God's handiwork awaking and praising him as they were made to do, I understand why we have no reason to disbelieve in a loving creator God. This was the direction my thoughts were just beginning to go...when the silence ended.

Around the corner and up onto the porch came not one, but two big, white, hairy (now soaked with dew) and panting dogs. They were excited to see me, but inwardly I groaned. There wasn't a dry spot on them where they could be patted. They had explored the tall grasses by the creek and were thoroughly wet. Undaunted, they pressed in closer to me to offer every opportunity for me to express my fondness for them. Then their noses picked up the fact that breakfast was somewhere near me. Dolly sat in front of me, eyes fixed on mine and she panted...hot, heavy dog breath chugging out of her. Butter, who has not learned to fully obey the commands SIT or LAY DOWN, nudged her way in between us to get the first chance at being fed. Oh, honestly! They were making it difficult to focus my thoughts on the Lord. I shoved them away. They became distracted by an invisible threat somewhere across the field and went charging off, barking to protect and defend me. Whew! Refocusing my thoughts, I opened my Bible and began to read in Psalms. A movement caught me eye. I knew what it was without even looking up. Sure enough, up onto the swing jumped our big male cat, Frodo. Cats can be harder to discourage than dogs, but Fro just curled up next to me and began his rumbly purr. Seriously, animals must emit a signal to each other that humans cannot detect. Within 30 seconds there were two more adult cats and three kittens on the porch in various places. Some on the chairs in front of me, some under the swing. Two playing with each other and squealing. ~SIGH~ The humor of the situation was not lost to me. I did smile and observe that ALL of creation was praising God this morning. Isn't he good! I had, by this time, managed to finish my yummy breakfast, so I didn't have to worry about keeping the entire feline population out of it. After emptying my coffee cup as well, I closed my eyes and thanked God for ALL the blessings he has given me. Even the four-legged ones! The purring around me and the barking in the distance told me that the critters were thankful too!