Today was so beautiful. I think I sense God's presence in His creative handiwork most of all. The forest trees out my back window were blanketed with snow as large fluffy flakes continued to float down. Birds were flocking to my feeders, perhaps trying to seek shelter on my patio as much as seeking food. Downy woodpeckers, goldfinches, nuthatches, mourning doves, cardinals, dark-eyed juncos, chickadees....trust me, you can learn a lot of things about God when you bird-watch. It's an enjoyable hobby I discovered up here. Let me share the following, for example, and you can see what I mean:

I was grumbling about the birds one day when God and I had a conversation. Imagine you're listening in, because it went something like this: [Disclaimer: Yes, I realize that grumbling about how birds will naturally act, is a bit ridiculous, but I blame it on the cold of that day. :) ]

Me: (grumble, grumble) "Stupid birds. Here I am helping them survive the winter and they don't even care."

[It was a particularly cooold day but I had to go out and refill the feeders because they were empty.]

Me: "...They fly away in panic every time I open the back door. I buy their food and set-up the feeders and they don't even know I exist. I'm glad to see them enjoy what I have provided. I do it because I like seeing them happy. But they don't even recognize that I do it..."

Holy Spirit (HS): "Cindy..."

Me: "...I watch them from my window and they pretend to ignore that I'm there. I know how they act, I know which birds like which feeders, I know everything about them! Week after week I never stop taking care of them but they're not even thankful..."

Holy Spirit (HS): "Hmm...who else does that remind you of? I love My people. I created them and I know everything about them. I want to help them, but they ignore me. They try and make me only a spectator in their lives. They scatter when I come near. I provide for their needs; I rejoice in their joys and cry with their pain, yet they still do not let me close. You want to see ungrateful? Look around...maybe even look in the mirror..."

Okay, so that was a little harsh I felt. But after pouting a few moments, humility set in and I realized how it must hurt the Lord every time we try and keep Him at a distance to part of our lives. So that's it. Just a reminder to be grateful to God today and how wonderfully He has provided for you.