a Friday morning

My ‘kids’ have all gone to work. My dogs are settled on the bed taking their morning nap. I love the peacefulness of this time of day. Not that the rest of my day isn’t peaceful, but this time especially it seems to settle over the world. I’ve often thought what a sweeping effect being right with the Lord has in the lives of His Children. It permeates every little cranny of my being. It affects my thoughts and the things I do. It influences my dealings with my family and others I meet. And when I sit down in the silence, there is nothing on my heart to disturb my mind. And that is a wonderful state to be in.

I’ve been burdened this week because Leonard, my brother in law, Helen’s husband has been in the hospital with multiple problems. I haven’t been able to focus real well on mundane things because I’ve been occupied in praying and thinking about him and Helen. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago and his illness I know is a terrible blow to Helen. She loves her family deeply and holds them close in her heart. How awful it must be for the companion of 50 years to be in danger of being taken from her. My heart aches for her.

I am nearly finished with The Fellowship of the Ring, the first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. If you’ve read here before a few weeks ago I picked up The Hobbit for the first time in quite a few years. I became involved in reading it again for probable the fourth or fifth time. When I finished it, I thought I would most likely re-read The Lord of the Rings as well. That rested for a few weeks but I did start the first book. It is lying on the counter between the den and the kitchen, waiting for me every morning as I finish my breakfast and coffee after R & M have left for their day.

I say again, if your only familiarity with hobbits and elves and dwarfs and orcs and trolls and vast sweeping epics of heroism and gallant feats has been the movie version you must definitely take the time to read the books. It will catch and hold your attention for all 1200 pages.

This is Caradhras, the mountain the Nine Walkers endeavored to climb over.

I found a fantastic site online that’s called ‘Middle Earth Tours.’ If you are a Tolkien fan you will love it. I enjoy illustrations that have captured the feeling of the text. The artists on these pages have evidently read and loved Middle Earth. If your only exposure to the world of Middle Earth has been the movie, this site might encourage you to read the entire series of Hobbit books.

My day has begun in quietness and burdens and awed fantasy. And over it all the Peace of God remains. Isn’t that wonderful?