Church is 15 steps away

 I was inspired to write this, thanks to a few words from my lovely friends. Sometimes a word or phrase can inspire me to think of something random. If I don't go with it, it fades away. I used to keep a tape recorder in my pocket just for that reason and then I would write down my thoughts in a journal but my house fire erased all of those memories. Thus, the blog. It's here forever.

 I go to church everyday but not in the physical sense. I work on Sunday's so finding a Saturday night service is far and few between so If I'm in the mood I usually go to on line church. I'm not going to get into religion, for the hard core folks out there click the big X at the top right corner of this page and say a prayer for me. For the open minded folks I know keep reading.

 I have faith, I have alot of faith but that is not the reason for my story. For years I have had a ritual of spiritual awareness  that I try and practice  every day. For the ones that know me, it is not dancing around the campfire naked and participating in making shrunken heads (that's only in the fall months).jk.

 My ritual is always the same when I get home from work I grab the pups and a cold drink,  on the weekends I grab a cup of coffee and head out to church. Church is 15 steps away down the front steps. Weather permitting I take off my shoes and step into the grass, take a deep breath and thank God for yet another amazing day. Sometimes I pray, but  most of the time I'm like a child opening their birthday presents. I can not wait to see what is blooming. I do a walk around and then come back slowly and look in the face of each flower. I imagine each flower is someone I have lost in the past. Like  life they are only here for a while and then bloom in my heart the rest of the year.

In the winter, although nothing is blooming I know that underneath my feet the blossoms of spring are sleeping . I re imagine what I want to do in the spring/summer and reflect on the past year.

Spring is the big gift because you get a tangible present every day. What may be a bud one day will be a big flower the next. I take pride in my flowers. I treat them with care. I love walking in the rain especially in the summer when it is hot and the rain is cool. I still jump in puddles and my puppy loves it when  I throw her ball into the little pool of water that collects in the yard. I refuse to grow up.A summer walk in the rain  rejuvenates my inner child. I had to walk to school as a child and walking in the rain with my bubble umbrella was always fun. Even as a child I had an awareness of nature.

I walk, talk,reflect, pray and a lot of times just walk silence. Listening to the birds is the church choir. My dog barking is the kid crying that brings you back to reality. This is my church, time to thank the good Lord I made it another day. Tomorrow this wonderland of foliage my be here but I may not so I enjoy every flower for the beauty and life it gives me.

 Another car speeding down the highway honking at the lady holding a cup of coffee, still in her pajamas's at 10 am. I will not give them the finger today.

 So here is my church, no fancy cups or moldings, no ladies in hats or men in suits. just me, me in my pajamas's, my cup of coffee is the blood that gets me going, The birds get to drink holy water from heaven .My heart is always full of gratefulness and hope that tomorrow I will be able to take that 15 steps to church.