Thanks and Praise This Morning

Moonrise over Mom's Yucca Valley, CA
PSALM 29 V 1-4
Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.

As David watched a storm with lightning and thunder, probably over the Mediterranean Sea, he was inspired to write this psalm. Everyday I can find something in nature to marvel at the glory and wonder of God. Before we moved to the desert, I thought of it as a barren place of one color. I have found

I used to long for the green of Oregon and Washington's coastal areas, saying that's where I always would want to live. My husband longed for the warmth and sunshine of the desert. Throughout our whole marriage, I refused to move to the desert. Then...........I got older and all the aches, pains and arthritis came to visit and then live permanently in my body. Living on the coast of California on dry, sunny days, I was fine. But when that "June Gloom" (which sometimes lasted from January to August) set in or when it was raining or foggy, I was in pain. I began to understand why all the "old" people moved to the desert. I knew why there were "snowbirds" who fled to Quartzite, AZ during the winter months. BTW, we do get rain--it's called the monsoon season, which lasts about 6 weeks or so in Sept/Oct. They are some incredible, powerful storms that are amazing to watch from the safety of our home.

I've lived here for 8 months and I love it. I wouldn't live in any other climate. I marvel at the colors of my surroundings and the ability of plants and animals to adapt to the extremes of climate. Last night, it was 27 degrees, today, it will be 70 degrees. The weatherman in Phoenix has commented on how much our area needs rain. We've gone without rain for 95 days. Rain? Phooey! Hey, this is the desert! There is beauty all around. The majestic saguaro cactus, the blooming Palo Verde covered with yellow blossoms, even the greasewood bushes with their tiny, greasy green leaves are beautiful. There are the incredible desert foxes with their gigantic ears, the stealthy coyote who keeps the vermin population to a reasonable number. The cute kangaroo rats(they look like off-white gerbils with a fluff on the end of their long tails). Snakes, you ask? The only one I have ever seen was a red racer(non-venomous) in the road near our house. There are supposed to be a couple types of scorpions, but we have only seen one (non-venomous) when we lifted up our wood step.

God is good to me. He knew what I needed before I knew what I needed. He knew that I would come to love the clear, sunny, dry days. I am one of those people who respond to daylight. I love the long days of spring and summer. All my life, I have dreaded, what I call the long descent into darkness--the short days of winter. A walk out in the sunshine can pep up my day. It uplifts my spirits immensely. I praise the Lord each day for giving me all that I have to be thankful for. Thank you Jesus, my shepherd, for guidance.