Sunrise

I have been learning to treasure quiet early mornings.

Seems like for the past several years I have a  hard time sleeping past sunrise.  I marvel more than a little at my kids who can sleep through an entire morning.  Not that I want to sleep my mornings away.  They're too precious for that.  It's just that if I'm going to get enough sleep, it has to start early.

But the advantage to waking up early is having the quiet house all to myself.  Time in scripture, time to stare out the windows and watch the lighting change on the pines -- it's precious.  Reading a few verses in the Bible this time of day and then talking with God about it makes a great way to start a day.

When the pace and pressure of change ratchets up, these early mornings become more important than ever.  I can tell throughout the day whether I've had a few quiet minutes in the morning or not.  It makes a difference!