I can still hear the sounds rising to greet me from my first visit to the Pacific Ocean.  The steady crash of the waves against the rocky shoreline, the lonesome song of the sea birds soaring above my head and the sound of the rushing winds all mingle into a very memorable melody.  Behind me towers a lighthouse sending out its guiding light, before me I watch as the sun slowly dips below the horizon and paints the sky with fantastic colors as it yields to the moon and stars.

        I stand here and watch as the sky turns from blue, to orange, red, purple and then to black.  I look up into the sky until I see my first star, then childishly chant, “Star light star bright . . .”  Then as I gaze into the place the sun once occupied I begin to sing a song I always sing when I look out over the ocean; “Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.”

        As I walked away from this beach I was in awe of the amazing events I had just observed.  Then it occurred to me that the incredible phenomenon I had just witnessed happens each and every day of my life.  Why do I wait until I am standing on a far away beach to appreciate the same daily miracles I see every day?  Today I have the opportunity of a lifetime; a chance to recognize the amazing beauty surrounding me and appreciate it for what it is, a daily blessing sent just for me to enjoy.

        Let us meet our daily problems and challenges of this day with the same faith as we do our daily blessings.  Let us not look for excuses, escapes or crutches but let us look for our wings to rise above those things that would do us harm.  I am not a great man; just an ordinary man who is blessed with fantastic blessings.  Today we will face many challenges and opportunities to stretch out our wings and fly.  Look with fresh eyes at the wonders and trials of this day and stretch out your wings and soar.

Something to think about:

• Our Father wants us to be victors, not victims; to grow, not grovel; to soar, not sink; to overcome, not to be overwhelmed.

• Doubt sees the obstacles; faith sees the way.
• Doubt sees the darkest night; faith sees the day.
• Doubt dreads to take a step; faith soars on high;
• Doubt questions, “Who believes?” Faith answers, “I.”

• Great minds have purposes, others have wishes. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above it.

• Don’t be afraid of opposition. . . Courage is like a kite—a contrary wind causes it to rise.

• The constant challenge in this life is the translation of all we believe to be true into our day-to-day life-style.

• All glory comes from daring to begin.  Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see.

• Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.

• Fortune sides with him who dares.

• Dare to be what you are and to believe in your own individuality.

Thankful for the beauties of this ordinary day
Rickey Moore