Ohhh, the alarm clock went off way to early this morning, my eyes didn't want to open, even though I could hear the wind outside and all of my chimes ringing in the wind.  I laid in bed rubbing my eyes, hoping for rain and trying to find the gumption to abandon the warmth and comforts I was laying in.  I could also hear my son in the shower getting ready for school.  Yup, time to get up, I guess.  Ouch, the skin on my face feels tight and warm and my lips feel like they are sort of burning.  Shoot...to much sun yesterday in the yard...again! 

It all started yesterday with a phone call at 6:50 am.  One of the neighbors had a strange calf in their yard...nope, not ours.  Just as well, time to get up anyway.  And what a beautiful morning it was.  I did just as I said I would, I got out to the garden, despite the cold north wind blowing.  So there I was all day seeding garden, running in and out of the house, taking my coat off and putting my coat on and trying to keep the cats out of the garden, at times to no avail. 

The good news is I have most of my garden seeded, the bad news is every time the wind died, it got too warm to keep my jacket on, so it kept coming off.  Being fair haired and light skinned, I know that I have to be careful outside especially in the the spring.  I figured I should be okay, it was mostly cloudy all day and cool in the wind.  This morning however, tells a different tale.  My face is red and my lips hurt.  I guess not only did I get to much sun, but I think I also have wind burn.  However, even in my discomfort I am comforted.  I am comforted by the fact that I have a yard and a garden and the freedom to work or play in both.  Not to mention I have the liberty of choosing if I want to be outside or inside.  Not everyone does.  Prisoners of war, prisoners of apartied. hurricane, tornado, earthquake victims and survivers, people of third world countries, the homeless, the runaways, victims of abuse, the sick, the bed-ridden and more don't have what most of us take for granted.  We have so much and them so little.  And what do we do more often than not?  Complain, complain, complain.  We complain about things that are of little relevance or consequence.  We complain when the air conditioning isn't working, or the grocer done the street ran out of our favourite brand of something, of someone leaving the toilet seat up...again and other minor things as such.  Instead we should be more thankful for what we do have instead of what we don't have.  We should pause and be thankful we do have air conditioning so that we maybe comfortable without thinking about it, that we do have a grocer down the street or that we have a sanitary toilet with running water at our disposal. 

Just as I had woken up and realized I had too much sun and started to complain about it, I stopped suddenly realizing what that actually meant.  I had too much sun!  WOW!  I had too much sun...I am so lucky!  I realized that not only did I have too much sun, I also had freedom, liberty and the ability to enact upon it.  With Gods help I had the ability to exise my liberty to enjoy my freedom.  I was physically able to choose and go outside of my own free will and putter around in my yard until I decided to come back in.  I was not limited in anyway, form or fashion.  I was free.  So am I going to complain about my sunburn again?  No way!  My sunburn is a testiment to my freedom.  My sunburn is a testament to my liberties.  My sunburn is a testament that I have a wonderful, abundant life, overflowing with blessings!  All of which I probably would not have seen had I stayed in the house yesterday.  This brings to mind a little, but profound saying; everything happens for a reason and that reason is everything! 

Have a great, day and enjoy your freedoms and remember that you are loved.  P.S. Thank God for making Vitamin E cream as well.