Back on May 4th of this year, I started taking a walk outside very early every single morning.
I only know that was the day I started, because I wrote it in my journal!
The first day I walked, I went up the hills on our road and back down one time.
I walked less than ten minutes, and that was enough!
I was walking very fast, in my defense, ha, ha!
In May, I took my morning walk at 6:00 a.m.
It was day light enough by then that I could walk safely on our road.
I walked when it was warm, cold, windy, rainy, cloudy, sunny…the weather never deterred me!
If you have been around here and still are, you know how much I love the sky!!
Standing under God’s sky and breathing in His creation through my breath and my eyes became a very addicting thing.
And the most wonderful new habit!!
Just look at these skies from the month of May!
My new habit has stuck around!!
Until it started snowing and the temperatures dropped below zero a couple of weeks ago, I have only missed a couple handfuls of days where I did not take my morning walk.
It has been SO GOOD FOR ME.
My photo app is FULL of sunrise and sky photos.
For me the photos have kept more than the memory of how the sky looks each morning, but also the memory of how I have felt these last seven months.
My prayer life, my stress level, my stamina, my energy, and my health have all improved – and I am SO grateful that something really so simple has impacted me this much!
Every day since May I have walked a little further and a little longer.
Now I am up and down those hills easily!!
And I walk for about 45 minutes!
I am not sure how my morning walk will look as we continue through the winter months here in Wisconsin…but here is hoping I can still chase the sunrise every morning and have my chat with Jesus while standing under the beautiful sky He created.
It is such a life giving thing to do!!
As the summer wore on and the sun rose earlier, my walk started earlier and earlier each morning.
Just look at these skies from June!
How I love to chase that sunrise each day!
By October, I was walking after 7:00 a.m. in order for it to be light enough.
I made it work, but I simply LOVED the mornings when I was outside at 5:00 a.m.
It is just the most quiet, holy time of the day, in my opinion!!
But just LOOK at these skies from October!
On this particular day, I literally kept gasping – it was SO, so beautiful!!
I had tears in my eyes during my whole walk, and just could not stop praising God for His goodness to us!
He does not have to give us skies like these!
But He delights in us and in His creation – think on that for a second!!
My walking buddy, who lives several hours away but also walks every morning, told me to ask for Yak Traks for Christmas this year.
They go on the bottom of your shoes so that you can walk on snow packed roads without falling.
I told my crew I wanted them – and in Blake style, they were in my hands the next evening!
That hubby of mine is the BEST!!
Once the temperatures warm just a bit (it’s 25 degrees below zero as I type this!) you better believe I will be back outside for my morning walks.
I miss it SO much.
I am hooked.
On being outside.
On getting exercise.
On talking out loud to the Lord I love while walking the road under His great big sky.
Friends, if you don’t spend time outside – why not??
It is SO worth the effort!
