Business and Pleasure

First, business... Last week I celebrated the 5th anniversary of signing my first contract for a book called Dear John. I promised a copy to a reader who made a guess as to where I was when I signed my 11th contract. The first person to guess correctly was Emily, who said Bethany House in Minneapolis, so a book will be coming in Emily's direction. Then I drew a name from the remaining contenders--Jackie Smith, you'll get one, too. :o) (Emily and Jackie, contact me privately -- Kim at KimVogelSawyer dot com -- with your mailing address, please!)

Now, pleasure... I love winter. I love snow. I love how the smell of woodsmoke from a fireplace flavors the entire neighborhood. I love how my breath hangs like a little cloud in front of my face and then dissipates. I love the sight of a cardinal perched on a bare branch with a steel gray sky providing a backdrop for his bright red plumage. But as much as I love winter, I also love to see winter melt away, bringing the warmth and green of spring.

Last summer, we moved into a new house. One of my favorite features is the back porch. It looks out over an open field with a stand of trees in the distance...and it faces east. This gives me a perfect view of the sunrise. Now that warmer days are approaching, I'll have more opportunities to drink in the glorious splash of color that signals a new day. Despite the fact that the calendar says we're in spring, Kansas has tried to hang onto winter a little longer; even so, last week I had one perfectly calm, pleasant morning, and I tossed on my fuzzy robe, grabbed my coffee mug, and headed to the porch to watch the awakening sky. I was not disappointed by the show.

Of course, the camera doesn't do it justice. The colors are so much richer, bolder, brighter in person. But let me assure you, it was breathtaking. And while the sun crept from its hiding spot, painting the sky with jeweled tones, a bird cheerfully serenaded the morning. Sweetly scented air delighted my nose. My senses were well sated. Is there any better way to start a day?

I thought of a verse from the second chapter of Song of Solomon: "...the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land." In all likelihood it wasn't a dove giving me a morning concert, but even so, I still love the reference. "The season of singing has come..." After a long winter--a time of hardship--our souls yearn for a season of singing. And our God provides.

May God bless you muchly as you find your season of singing! ~Kim