Well it was a beautiful Sunday morning. The radio was playing in the background as 
I chopped some veggies. I planned on cooking and catching up on projects around the house. It would be a calm and quiet day.
I had on my regular weekly cooking show turned on in the kitchen. It is the one day I catch up on odds and ends and try to unwind from running around and rushing. I had attended church Saturday evening and was lounging in a cotton dress. My husband was getting into his daily schedule. The dog was curled up on her bed watching me after eating her breakfast.
The first commercial was about the horrors of losing ones health and the need for insurance. Then another followed about mice and critters doing destruction around homes suggesting one get immediate service. Within a half hour I heard about the adverse effects of a new drug that was being promoted. It seemed to have more downsides than benefits.
The news came on at half past the hour. It started with a murder in the city and followed up with an airplane crash. All died on board the plane. Not a good day for those people or their families. Finally an advertisement about identity thief made me turn the radio off.
So I decided to step out of the kitchen and took out the dog. Rosy is always uplifting and fun. So out we go. As always, she steps out and then stops to check out the yard. Immediately she ran off to the back fence to announce that our neighbor was there raking his lawn.
It was pleasant out and the rain from Halloween was now a memory.
The leaves were damp on the ground and more were falling as I went over to talk with him. “Hello Ken!”
He pointed to the shed which he had painted last weekend. It looked nice and clean. Definitely a big job, but one well worth it. He asked if he might come into our yard and trim one of the bushes on his property from our side of the fence. No problem, I would be going inside with Rosy and would make sure the gate was unlocked.
He began telling me about the burglary next door to him. The family had had work done in the house and a workman apparently read the calendar on their refrigerator. It showed when the lady of the house would be gone that week. Bingo. Now the family was without jewelry and a few major items. Not an all uplifting to hear that.
Between the no insurance, critter invasion, loss of health, plane going down, side effects of medication, and now a nearby break-in, I called in the dog and began thinking about how so many of us tend to get anxious and concerned about everything. Our media promotes all the negative, horrible things that are happening. It makes people uptight and worried. What pills are safe? What will I need to spend money on next? Should one even leave the house? Who does one trust?
Well with that I walked back inside petting Rose and decided to say a few more prayers to calm me. Life is beautiful; the day is beautiful. Good things happen everyday. People are always doing random acts of kindness. I would finish in the kitchen, think about Holiday preparations, and the joy of a new grand baby coming up. I’d pray for my neighbors, my family, and enjoy the brisk air and gentle breeze from the window. It was, in fact, a very pleasant and productive day. I hope yours was the same.
Today is “All Saints Day”. It follows Halloween each year and seems so life giving to me. One of the people I admired for his valiant life was John Paul II. He lived through difficult times of war, studied under trying times, endured family loss, and suffered through illnesses. His words of “be not afraid” always come to mind when things around me seem to be falling apart.
Peace be with you my friends and have a great week. Let’s keep in mind the words of scripture! In many places it reminds us to turn our concerns over to God. It tells us not to be afraid, to turn over our anxieties and worries to Him; to find strength from above. May you find many moments of peace!