1st Things 1st

I've given up on sleeping late. It just doesn't happen for me. I went to bed at 5:30am on Monday and still my body decided 9:30 was a good time to rise and shine. So today, instead of fighting it and trying to force myself to go back to sleep, I'm awake taking advantage of a couple of hours of still and quiet. I used to wake up early intentionally so that I could have this time before my day got started, before any phone calls or text messages or emails (or twittering) to simply be.
I believe that I should honor God for all that He's given me and so by giving Him those very first moments of my day, I am letting Him know that the most important thing to me is for this day to have His imprint on it. Before I allow any other thoughts or feelings to come in to distract me, I offer up thanks for allowing me to see the new day, to read His word and hear from him with no distractions, nothing else on my mind....just soaking up the beauty of the morning's inaugural light and thinking about how blessed I am.
This early morning time is a concentrated opportunity for me to be introspective and to allow my words to flow. No stress has seeped in from challenges or issues of the day....no anger or sadness have rolled in like dark clouds to change my forecast. Its just me, my pen and pad. In this time I am peaceful and free from whatever negative energy chased me the day before. I am open and ready to take on the day. I remind myself of who I am and why I began this journey anyway. My quiet time reinforces my strength for all the hectic hours of the day when this solace will be a memory. In the stillness, I gather my thoughts, distribute my words (writers never stop) and prepare to face whatever today may bring.
When I was a little girl, my mother would cook us oatmeal, grits (I'm Southern, ya'll), Malt o Meal or some other hot cereal before school on the cold mornings and it would make me feel all warm inside. I'd go to school and no matter what would happen throughout the day, no matter how cold it was, I swear I carried that warmth inside of me. Regardless of the day's occurrences, all I had to do was remember my mom's love and the warmth of what she gave us and it made me know that with that on the inside, I could get through anything. I'm going on 27 now and I make my own breakfast, but the investment of Mom's time and love will always be a part of me. Now, I am investing in myself. This time I'm setting aside early each day allows me an extra measure of peace and joy...internal warmth...and that stays with me all day long, just like my mommy's oatmeal....
Ciao bellas...make it a productive one!