Beautiful thoughts fill my mind as I speak these lines for the king. These words come from my tongue as from the pen of a skilled writer. Psalm 45:1-2

I don’t know that my reflection is a commentary on the the psalm quoted. What I do know is that more and more I recognize the importance of enjoying the beauty that life offers, be it it a place, a point in time or an occasion. How often do we stop from our busyness and reflect on the goodness of God? How often do we focus on the things, the times and people that has filled our life with beauty?
We hear many stories of persons saving for retirement. They work hard but when retirement comes the joy that they expect just does not come. What comes is the frustrations of ill health, which makes them miserable as they are disappointed in not being able to live out their dreams. Bronnie Ware a nurse who cared for persons sent home to die gives the following as the main regrets of these persons.

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I had not worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish I had let myself be happier.
   They realized the secret to true happiness late.
6. These verses of Psalm 45 remind us to show appreciation for the good things. Beautiful thoughts can’t come if you have closed your mind. One version says My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. The writer of Hebrews says this psalm is an ode to Jesus. And isn’t Jesus the person who came to show us the way to live a balanced life, taking everything in stride, looking at the beauty that surrounds us even in the midst of busyness and to be thankful for the opportunity of experiencing the beauty.
   Jesus never missed an opportunity to celebrate God and to be thankful along with his friends. He was at all the dinner parties, carousing with the most unlikely persons as far as his society was concerned. But he definitely lived a full life, telling all he met about God and demonstrating the goodness of God. This is to be us too. Steve Jobs has 2 quotes which I love. He says Remembering that you are going to die is the best way to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. He also said that every morning he looked in the mirror and asked himself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ If you were to ask yourself that same question, what would be your answer. Would your answer be a resolve to do differently to live differently, paying attention to the things that really matter –loving God, family friends and the stranger and finding Joy in doing so. Friends we need to time to see the beauty around us and to enjoy it.
   We do so as the strength of God pilots us. The power of God preserves us. the wisdom of God instructs us. the hand of God protects us. the way of God directs us. the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us against the snares of evil and the temptations of the world.
   Where God is all is well all will be well all manner of things will be well.