Shhhh.....listen closely, can you hear it?  Can you hear the wind blowing in the old oak?  Listen closer, how about the Mockingbird singing his heart out while sitting on the fence post, can you hear it?  And there's the serenade of the cicadas coming from the treetops, listen.

One of the most enjoyable things for my children and I to do is to just sit and listen to Nature.  Sometimes we hear lots, sometimes we hear a little, but we always hear something.  Through the seasons Nature's soundtrack changes, and it's interesting to observe the differences and take note.  In the Spring, it's the beautiful and uplifting melodies of the songbirds.  In the late Summer, it's the buzzing serenade of the Dog-Day Cicadas.  In the Fall, it's the rustling of leaves being blown about by the wind.  And in the Winter, there's the cracking of a falling branch or the crunching of the snow beneath your feet.

Being "in tune" with Nature creates an appreciation in our hearts for the diversity of God's Creation.  And helps to sharpen our observation skills while lending us peaceful moments.  Depending on the ages of your children, it's not always easy to convince them to listen, at least not for long periods of time.  But even just a few moments at a time are appreciated.  And then there are times that I take my walk, by myself, and just sit for long periods of time listening.  Such as today...

In such a hurried world, it felt so good to just sit and have my senses renewed.  A time when I stopped and thanked my Lord for the blessings in my life.  My kids see this too.

And don't forget that Nature's orchestra plays during the evening too.  Be sure to get outside when the nightlight stars appear and listen to the nocturnal chorus.  Frogs, toads, crickets all love to have an audience...we think it makes them play louder.