A new journal…a new day! I’m writing my first page while drinking a pumpkin/banana smoothie and eating a pumpkin spice English muffin for breakfast. Yum! It’s definitely fall. The mornings are crisp but the days are still warm. I was too busy yesterday with work to walk over lunch so I went out after dinner for a walk down to the turkey farm and back. The sun was setting as I returned home. The light across the golden soy bean fields contrasting with the stark blue sky is amazing this time of year. I took a photo last fall of the fields with the old barn across the road to try to capture it’s beauty but it doesn’t really compare to reality. I must hold the beauty in my mind’s eye to remember in dark days how absolutely spectacular the world can be.
The Spirit of the Lord hovers over the earth re-creating nature all around us. We see the seedlings sprout up after the devastation of fire destroys a landscape. Life is reborn. How can a person not believe in a creator God in the midst of all the wonders around us? Order comes out of disorder. The simple becomes complex. This doesn’t happen randomly. But how do I explain the existence of God in the first place? How did He come about? He is outside of time. He is eternal. It’s beyond anything I can understand but I know He exists as sure as I know that I exist. I don’t see Him but I sense His presence around me and within me. His Spirit hovers over me, re-creating in me newness of life, hope in times of despair, the ability to see beauty even in the darkness. This is a light that is beyond me but yet a part of me. A deep sense of joy and peace fill my heart. No matter what lies ahead, the Lord is with me. This is the reward of faith. It is not heaven, although that will be wonderful. It is His presence in the here and now. The kingdom of God is here. It is eternal and cannot be destroyed. It is invisible, yet everywhere, if only you focus the eyes of your heart to see it. <3
Recipe for Pumpkin/Banana Smoothie:
Cut up pieces of banana the night before and place in a ziplock bag to freeze for the next morning. Place the frozen banana pieces in a Nutrabullet or whatever you have to blend the smoothie. Add 1/3 c. of canned pumpkin purée and 1/3 c. of vanilla Greek yogurt. If desired, add a scoop of protein powder. I like Tera’s Whey Vanilla Bourbon. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and add coconut or almond milk. I usually put in about 1/2 c. but this amount can be more or less to get the consistency you want. I add a package of Truvia to make the smoothie a little sweeter but honey would be good also. Blend and enjoy!
