Although I know that each day is a treasure, sometimes in all my busyness, the days slip by almost unnoticed and I forget to pay attention to the beauty in the world around me.  It is so easy for this to happen, especially when I work inside all day.  The busyness in that building seems so important at the time, yet when I take a step back, I see that there is much more to life than the day-to-day happenings of work.  When I realise I am doing this, I pause, I take a breath, and I go outside to notice the beautiful world God has blessed us with.  When I do this, I am often amazed by what I see.  Each season in nature, each day, each single moment, is different from the last.  The way the sun shines through the leaves above, the way the wind blows in off the sea, the way the rain patters into puddles on the sidewalk… each moment unique and beautiful.  So, with gratitude, I choose to put aside the events of the day and notice these things.  For every day, no matter what is going on in our lives, there is beauty in the world if only we stop and notice… and whether we get lost in the busyness of life, or stop to notice this beauty with gratitude, this is a choice we must make every day.

The Choice
By Krista Longeway

Each day, a treasure held within my heart
Of greatest worth but fading from the start
Time passing quickly, the days slipping by
Most unnoticed, in the blink of an eye
But when I pay attention I can see
There is beauty in the world around me

The oranges and reds of a morning sunrise
The cry of gulls as they fly through the skies
The sound of the waves against the shores
The puddles that form whenever it pours
The rustle of leaves as wind blows through the trees
The way poppies grow wherever they please

A frosty blanket of new fallen snow
The moon reflected in water below
Raindrops that patter on my windowpane
Fall leaves that crunch as I walk down the lane
The buzz of a lazy bumble bee 
The salty breeze that blows in off the sea 

A starry sky on a clear winter’s night
The call of wild geese when in flight
The perfect petals of a new rose in bloom
The afternoon sun as it shines in my room
The smell of damp earth after a rain
The breath of the wind through tall fields of grain

When out in nature my hope is renewed
And my heart is full of deep gratitude
I give thanks for the beauty around me
Natures bountiful gifts that surround me
I celebrate each of these, come what may
It’s a choice I must make every day