Pressing On

  The mornings are so beautiful right now that I want to soak them in before the scorching heat is in its full glory. The sun comes up shortly after I do this time of year. My favorite thing to do is grab my bible, journal and a cup of coffee and sit out back with Annie while the sun rises. The birds are literally singing, the quail make more of a squawk like sound than a song but I love it.   Occasionally, I will hear an owl on a neighboring rooftop or the party of a pack of coyotes in the distance celebrating their recent conquest. I’m always surprised that these sounds don’t faze Annie one bit. Make no mistake, if the trash truck or other large vehicle drives past our dividing wall she goes absolutely K-9, as if she’s military, saving us from being attacked. Bless her heart.   Spring typically comes early in Phoenix and is somewhat short lived. I often think we go from Winter to Summer with seemingly little time to wear any of the light weight sweaters I have hanging in my close

     I love this photo I ordered online. The artist did an   amazing job capturing a seen from the TV series, The Chosen. If you have not yet seen it, I highly recommend you do. The creators, writers and actors do an incredible job bringing the Bible to life. This is the actor who plays Jesus and he is holding Mary Magdalene. Mary was demon possessed and Jesus heals her. In the show Mary has tried everything to deal with her battle. She frequents the local bar and is ridiculed by most of the men that hang out there. She is so desperate that she wants to end her life. But Jesus! He walks up to her in the bar, grabs her hand before she can take a drink and says, “This is not for you.”   She has no idea who He is. She flees the bar and He follows her. He goes after her and calls her by her real given name,   He recites the Words from Isaiah that she has put to memory,   “ Mary, Thus says the Lord   who created you, he who formed you, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called yo

  This is the time of year we all sing praises for living in Arizona. Cool enough in the morning and evenings to call for a light jacket and/or patio heater while the perfect temp midday allows doors and windows to be open letting in the fresh air. Ah, Spring! It also makes for a great morning since the sun comes up a little earlier. Annie loves it too since I can once again, take her with me on an early morning run.   I’m still somewhat of a chicken to run in the dark alone even with her. But these crisp mornings have been great and sunrises are my favorite. So, off we went the other day just as the sun was rising.   We did our typical run through the neighbor that has become so familiar to not only me but Annie as well. She even has the same spots to relieve herself. She likes to lead and I like to let her think she is, but I do have her on somewhat of a short leash. Mostly, because she is stronger than I am and I really don’t want any more road rash than she’s been known to give