I like to read my Bible in the morning before I go for a walk. My quiet time is not just while I am sitting at my kitchen table with my Bible; it continues while I am walking. I like to read first, pray while walking, and then respond in writing when I return home. I do not have the opportunity to do this every day, but I am blessed beyond measure when I have this extended time with God.
Philippians 4:4-8
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness
be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent
or praise-worthy – think about such things.
I set off on this morning’s muggy walk thinking about anxiety, prayer, and my thought life. I have struggled with anxiety at times, but am enjoying a season of relative peace. Contemplating my prayer life was convicting. As for my thought life, I have always wanted to make a quilt entitled “Whatever” based on v.8. I would love to contemplate “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praise-worthy” and turn it into a quilt. Quilting is part of my time with God, too. It is another way I have to respond to what He is showing me.
Every morning’s walk isn’t hyper-spiritual. I spent most of my time today swatting bugs. The cloud of bugs surrounding me grew larger as I walked. It was great for my cardiovascular health as I walked faster and faster to try to escape the swarm. It was not so great for my meditation, though.
I was nearly back to my house, furiously waving my hands about me, when I heard a rustling sound then some “clops.” I looked up and saw two very large deer run across the road ten feet in front of me.
Zing!
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, The bugs were my anxieties; I was so focused on them that I nearly missed the surprising beauty of the deer. God wants me to cast my cares on Him not just so that I am not burdened by them but so that I can focus on Him instead of my worries.
I have many more thoughts about bugs, but I will write about them another time.
My response to my morning’s walk is to let everything in my day be a prompt for prayer. My other response is to research natural insect repellants.
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A Quilter's Heart 
Lovely! I did a lot of singing in my life (I studied voice for years and majored in voice for my first undergraduate at the U of Iowa and in international affairs later in my life when I got my degree from GWU). I “hear” a hymn with that passage in my head when I read that passage. You inspire me to think about starting my day the same way. Clearly I need to do something to lose weight…I already watch what I eat and combining it with a prayer time would be a great idea..
There is an insect repellent for ticks, etc. that is from vinegar….but who knows if it would work for bugs! Appreciate your honesty about your thoughts, your Bible reading, and your desire to walk with the Lord. I find that my mind loves to run to what is not noble, lovely, pure, etc. Keep up the good fight Teri!
Thank you for walking along the road with me.