Living A Simple Life-Part 84: Experiencing the Outdoors

Welcome back to “Living a Simple Life Thursdays!” I have missed doing these posts over the past couple months. They have been such an effective tool for me to “count my blessings” over the past week.

God has taught me some poignant life lessons as I’ve written about living simply. Somehow, getting thoughts in writing really allows deep evaluation and introspection over daily events and values. I hope to “restart” my regular weekly postings of these Thursday thoughts. Thank you for your patience during my time away to get settled in our new home.

These past couple weeks, I have been incredibly grateful for the natural surroundings in which God has placed us. I love curling up in a quilt in front of our big windows with a cup of tea or a steaming bowl of (gluten-free) oatmeal in the mornings as we do our family devotions.

We are blessed to live in a quiet rural neighborhood filled with evergreen trees, a view of snow-capped high hills, and flocks of (new-to-us) colorful birds! (I really should check out a bird guide from the library one of these days to satisfy our curiosity.)

A few of our neighbors have chickens, and we are amused to see them regularly wander through our yard, pecking around for their lunch. I have such joy in hearing the rooster crow in the morning, as it brings back sweet memories of spending the night at my grandparents’ house as a child and hearing the same sound.

As a family, we have been attempting to get outside and go for more walks in our new community. (It is much different than going for walks in the city, where we used to live!) We especially enjoy going over to “the” creek, just a short walk from our home.

It has been a relaxing break in the day when we head out together, hand-in-hand, to enjoy the fresh air and time together.

I like to go just before dinnertime while our meal roasts in the oven or simmers in the crockpot. It is such a simple pleasure to return home to our cozy warm kitchen, filled with the smell of savory herbs!

As we appreciate the beauty of the outdoors, we are in awe of our Creator. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psalm 19:1) We are inspired to worship the Lord even more, as we appreciate the work of His hands.

It’s a simple blessing, really. It’s not something we’ve had to purchase and maintain to appreciate. This amazing creation is the work of our Heavenly Father who loves to bless His children. Yet it so often goes ignored or taken for granted. We simply need to choose to enjoy what He has given. I pray that He would bless you today with an opportunity to take joy in His simple gifts.

If you would like to put my “Simple Living” button on your blog, feel free to copy & paste the code located on the right sidebar of the blog. Let me know if you do, so that I can visit your blog! If you missed any previous “installments” in my “Living a Simple Life” series, you may want to go back and read them at your leisure. You are welcome to leave comments on any of the posts; I read them all. Let me know if this has inspired a blog post of your own! Each Thursday, I write a new post in this series, so stop by next week!