Just for the day

Every day is a gift. Some days we get to work hard, meet lots of people, get a ton of things done and feel content at the end of the day. Some days we work hard and feel like nothing gets done - and we put that day to bed and look forward to the next day to finish things. Some days are just to enjoy with family or friends, or to take time to rest. But each day is a gift.
We try to take advantage regularly of day trips to get away together. It is amazing what you can see within a day's travel - no matter where you live. We have spent time simply biking in our area, or walking not far from our house. But sometimes we take the opportunity to travel a bit farther.
In January we had just a few days that Sean was free and we could get away together as a family easily. So we checked online, made plans and jumped on a plane to Budapest, Hungary. It was a quick two and a half day visit, but a great time together. Check out the pictures here. The history of this city and country, the beauty - in the cold of winter - and the time to share this together was a real blessing.
At the end of the month Shirley and Scott got to take a day together traveling with the train. The camera did not go along - just time together and memories. We had a special train card to travel the whole day, so we stopped in at several different Dutch cities: Den Bosch, Gouda and Utrecht. But the train was as interesting as the stops.
On one of the legs we sat next to a mother and daughter. Somehow we had sat ourselves in a 'Silence' car, meaning that we were to be silent (not quiet, but silent). I can imagine this is nice for those who want to get some work done on the commute. The girl tried, but being silent is not that easy for young children. At one point she was more or less singing: 'Soup, soup, soup, soup.' "Mama, what if you could only eat soup - for every meal. Would that be healthy?" Mother replied wisely, "Well, that depends on what kind of soup you are eating."
Later that day in Gouda we stopped for a bowl of soup. One was spicy parsnip soup (made spicy with a good bit of ginger!). The other was a tomato and bell pepper soup. Both were welcome after a winter walk through the old town of Gouda. Near the end of the day, after walking around Utrecht's lighted canals in the evening, we sat in the cold rail station eating a salad - which was delicious, but not as warm as the soup.
We enjoyed sunshine the whole day, took plenty of time to stop and read about the history, and even spent time speaking with an artist who shared with us about his work. People watching, imagining what the cities were like in the past, listening to all the different languages and dialects - simply enjoying the day together. A full day - a blessing and a gift.
Enjoy your day today. Know that God is able to use you in so many ways, bless you in so many way,  if you will simply accept His gift - today.