Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. It didn’t take much to put a smile on my face this morning as I watched the Master bring the winds and the rain on this glorious new day. There are tornado watches all around and flooding in every direction…you won’t hear complaints from me. Why would I complain about the rain I’ve been praying to receive? Instead, I praised, prayed, repented, and searched for Wisdom in my Instruction Manual for Life just like I always do. By the time I was ready to get busy with work, I was Readied from the inside out. I enjoy a little adventure in life here and there, but I love some of the routines as well. The routine of stepping out to see my world from the front porch of an old farmhouse filled with the aroma of fresh coffee is just about as good as it gets to me …and there’s no place I’d rather be. For as long as I live I will never take for granted the Blessing of each new day or the simple pleasures of the world around me EVEN in the midst of the storms. Isn’t that the way you look at Life too?

It could be so easy for any of us to wake to any new day without a single thought about the Blessing of still HAVING days to wake up to in the first place. Some people have already envisioned their house being destroyed by a tornado or being washed away by the storm, and some have not stopped complaining about the rain they so desperately need. Some people roll out of bed and their first thought is about the aches and pains that are sometimes a part of the rising….but also a sweet reminder of life. Some people wake up hungry and the first thought is what they will eat for breakfast. Some people wake up and are SO FAR from appreciating the new day that they turn on the TV just minutes after their eyes open to catch up on the tragedies of the world. Garbage in…garbage out. Some people wake up with a mind full of all kinds of things that need to be done on that particular day as if the checklist in their mind never shuts off during the night. Some people wake up mad and some people wake up scared. Some people wake up worried and some people wake up lonely. All of these things are Signs of the tendency to be more focused on ourselves than anything else so at the beginning of their new day it’s not possible to be Grateful – little do they know that they are willingly surrendering their Peace and Joy to the liar from Hell in the process. No one (including the Devil) can steal our Joy or our Peace….that’s something we surrender instead.

Plenty of people can’t be grateful for their own lives because they’re too busy comparing theirs to yours. Some of them want the Lord to take them home soon because they’ve already quit living. They’re already dead, they just haven’t jumped into the coffin yet. Little do these people know that the Joy and the Peace they see in the Life of someone else has nothing to do with a perfect day or a perfect life without struggles. The Joy and the Peace they see has nothing to do with God showing more favor on one life over another….although they’re quick to point out how YOUR life isn’t like THEIR life as they attempt to justify their attitude about where they are (or where they aren’t) in life. The Joy and the Peace is not a sign that nothing “bad” happens or that the other couldn’t easily be inclined to focus on the aches and the pains and the trials too. The Joy and the Peace show up (no matter the circumstances) when they turn to the Source of Life…to the One gracious enough to give them the Blessing of one more day to live…to the One who has Plans and a Purpose for each one of us…to the One who knit them together in their mother’s womb…to the One who holds their hand EVERY TIME they reach out for His, to the One who has the entire world in the palm of His Hands, to the One who is big enough and Powerful enough to handle any problem (and any emotion) IF they’ll just turn to Him…especially at the beginning of each new day. IF they’re willing to do their part they’ll find Joy and Peace no matter what’s going on in their lives too…guaranteed. It comes always comes down to being willing to die to ourselves so that we can Live for Him.

The view from my front porch is picture-perfect tornado warnings and all, but my Life sure isn’t always that way. When I have thoughts of defeat I Know how to send the liar from Hell back to where he belongs because THOSE thoughts come from him! I fight hard for my Joy and Peace and I refuse to surrender until He calls me Home. Until then, I am absolutely confident that He has Purpose for my Life and I’m not going to squander even a day because I don’t want to die without fulfilling what I was born to do. I want Joy and Peace and Strength for the Journey every single day and I know that it all begins with me and my Willingness to start the day with the King of kings…the One who died for me…the One I Live for. Because I determine to Live for Him, He’s the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind at night. Everything in between is the Journey I have been Destined to live since the very beginning of Time. Why would I squander even one day when you look at it like that?

How about you?