And we have had a passing shower or two or three throughout the day, but pretty much this is how it has looked all day...right now as I look out my window, the sun is shining brightly again. So we are very thankful that this storm has passed us by. I don't think it is actually even here just yet. We may get more rain and wind throughout the night tonight, but I don't see anything too scary in the forecast.
Welcome to my "Open Window"...a place of hope, encouragement, and adventure as we journey down the road from "Closed Doors" to the new opportunities God places in our pathway. I hope you will take the time to go back and follow the trail of mixed blessings and fears, failures and triumphs from the past and side-trips in the present. Perhaps it will conjure up some of your own special memories, and be an invitation for you to share with others. I look forward to spending this time with you!
What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Sunday, August 2, 2020
Some Interesting Sunday Adventures
Thankfully, "Hurricane Isaias" has been pretty much a non-event here where we live. These are the skies at 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Yes, there is a slight breeze, as you can tell by the waving American flag...
And we have had a passing shower or two or three throughout the day, but pretty much this is how it has looked all day...right now as I look out my window, the sun is shining brightly again. So we are very thankful that this storm has passed us by. I don't think it is actually even here just yet. We may get more rain and wind throughout the night tonight, but I don't see anything too scary in the forecast.
He looks quite regal up there.
And we have had a passing shower or two or three throughout the day, but pretty much this is how it has looked all day...right now as I look out my window, the sun is shining brightly again. So we are very thankful that this storm has passed us by. I don't think it is actually even here just yet. We may get more rain and wind throughout the night tonight, but I don't see anything too scary in the forecast.
If anything changes I will be sure to let you know tomorrow! But for now, I am breathing a sigh of relief. I mean, we got so little rain that I had to go outside and water my plants that were wilting from the heat that I didn't water yesterday because I thought we would be getting so much rain today! I guess that's a good problem to have. I am not complaining. I am praising the Lord.
So how has your Sunday been? We've actually had a wonderful day. Here is a link to our Sunday morning worship service, which was recorded by our pastor ahead of time for those who still prefer to do online worship. However, his message from Joshua chapter 3 is what we also had in our "in person" service this morning. We've been enjoying his messages each week from the book of Joshua.
If you are interested in hearing the whole series on Joshua, you can click on this LINK HERE to check out the other messages on the "Sermons" tab.
Be sure to start at the beginning so you can hear and see our Praise team singing "He's Ever Interceding". If you look real closely you might see yours truly. We enjoy recording these songs for the online service, but then we also sing live on Sunday mornings. We just have to be sure to be distanced from the congregation when we sing to make sure we don't share any "droplets". Praise God He's ever interceding for His children in all these things...
And He's Ever Interceding
"Someone who'll go the extra mile
Just like a mother caring for her child
A friend who'll stick through thick and thin
No matter what you've done or where you've been
Just like one great big family
A stronger older brother He will be
So quick and ready to defend
The younger, weaker, to the end
And He's ever interceding
to the Father for His children
Yes, He's ever interceding to the Father for His own
Through Him you can reach the Father
So bring Him all your heavy burdens
Yes, He's ever interceding
So come boldly to the throne
Just like sheep we'd gone astray
struggling beneath a debt we could not pay
not ever hoping to renew, the love and fellowship that we once knew
But He began to intercede, crying "Father please forgive, I plead."
And as the nails pierced in His hands
God once again reached out to man
And He's ever interceding
to the Father for His children
Yes, He's ever interceding to the Father for His own
Through Him you can reach the Father
So bring Him all your heavy burdens
Yes, He's ever interceding
So come boldly to the throne."
I wanted to make a little correction to my post from YESTERDAY. I had posted a picture of this bird below, and said that I thought it was a "Cooper's Hawk". However, our friend Diane over at Lavender Dreams sent me a message and said that she thought it could actually be a Mississippi Kite. So I looked it up, and sure enough, she was correct. So I stand corrected, and I thank Diane for helping out with that. This Mississippi Kite has been showing up every evening lately, perched high on the top of this pine tree.
However, the local Blue Jays are not at all pleased with his presence. You can see one in the picture below. They fly all around the "Kite" and buzz right into his space, letting him know that he is an intruder in their territory, and he is not welcome. After a while of taking this "abuse", the Kite decides to fly away and go elsewhere...but he usually comes back again later.
It is interesting to watch how the bird kingdom handles threats from outside predators. They do not put up with those whom they consider to be a threat to their families and society. Even though the blue jays are much smaller in size, they find their strength in sticking together and driving out the enemy before he can do harm to their youngsters or rob their nests. Even though the Mississippi Kite is an attractive bird, the Blue Jays are not fooled by his good looks. They know that he is the enemy of their own kingdom, and they drive him away.I Peter 5:8-9 reminds us:
"Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion,
seeking whom he may devour.
Resist him, steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
To end on a pleasant note, while I was watching the activity in the treetops with the Mississippi Kite (which is a kind of hawk) and the Blue Jays, this different kind of "hawk", or Dragonfly, which is also known as a mosquito hawk because he eats mosquitoes, was doing some interesting acrobatics on the top of the rooster weather vane on the deck:
I'm not sure what he found so interesting on the top of the Rooster's "coxcomb", but he stayed there and studied it thoroughly and allowed me to enjoy watching him do his exercise routine:
It's not every day you get to watch a Dragonfly doing acrobatics on the top of a rooster's coxcomb, now is it? I didn't think so.
I hope you have enjoyed this little adventure from my part of the world today.
Praying that life is pleasant and peaceful wherever you may be,
and remember, even if things are not so pleasant and peaceful in your world, we have One Who goes to battle for us, to protect us from the enemies of our soul. His name is Jesus Christ...
And He's ever interceding
to the Father for His children
Yes, He's ever interceding to the Father for His own
Through Him you can reach the Father
So bring Him all your heavy burdens
Yes, He's ever interceding
So come boldly to the throne."
Amen.
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Didn't you know that when you water the plants, it always rains right after that...works for me! Lol.
ReplyDeleteI went ahead and watered and am still waiting for the rain. I think we might get a little bit after midnight. But it doesn't look like much. Oh well...I am thankful it wasn't a bad storm. Hope the people along the coast are okay.
DeleteWe got lucky this time around. I'm on the SW side, we got one little rain band that came through around noon and that was it, not even a little breeze here. What part of Florida are you in? Your beautiful photos always have that beautiful Central/North Florida feel. Enjoy your Sunday evening.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct...we are east of Gainesville and north of Ocala, so yes, Central North Florida exactly! Little town called Interlachen. We are still waiting for some more significant rain, but I don't think we will get much...looks like it will be after midnight before we get anything else. It is 8pm here and the sun is still shining. Than you for visiting again today!! It's been a lovely day.
DeleteI pegged that one. I lived in Ocala for 5 years back in the early nineties. It's gorgeous up in that area. Hope your weather during the night wasn't a problem. Have a great week!
DeleteAh Ha! Then you can appreciate the natural beauty of this part of the state! I pray it never becomes overpopulated and destroyed. Thankfully we did not have any weather at all during the night...no rain, no sign of wind..totally nothing. I think we may have some rain this afternoon...but nothing unusual for us! Thank you! Have a great week too!!
DeleteOur skies in PA look exactly like yours today! Fantastic photos of the dragonfly. So very cool!
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool to know that your skies look like our skies. How hot is it there? It was about 86 here today, and actually only 76% humidity right now, which is surprising. Still waiting for the storm to hit after midnight, but it doesn't look like we will get much of anything. We are too far inland. Very thankful, however! Yes, I thought that dragonfly was cool too! They are such fun to watch. Have a good night!
DeleteThe Kite is a beautiful bird. I have ever only seen one , and it was way out of it's range, in my corner of the world. I do hope that the storm does not worsen for you.
ReplyDeleteI think we will be fine. May get some rain after midnight, but not expecting much. Very thankful!! This is the first Mississippi kite I've seen. We usually have the swallow-tailed kites, but this one just has a regular tail like a hawk. Very interesting anyway. Good night, sleep tight!
DeleteGlad the worst of the storm has missed you. Such a beautiful song!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I am glad you enjoyed the song. It was a very special one. We are very thankful.
DeleteSo glad the storm didn't hit you. I love the song sung by you and the choir. The voices are soft and soothing and the words are very comforting. I also really enjoyed the dragonfly. Beautiful. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Penny. I am glad that you enjoyed our song. It is a very soothing message. We are not "professionals" by any stretch of the imagination, but we sing for the Lord and love to share His message through music. The dragonfly was fun to watch. I am happy he stayed there for so long and let me enjoy his antics. Thank you for visiting with me today.
DeleteI've been seeing a lot of dragon flies lately. Must be the season! Diane sure knows her birds!! I am always amazed at her knowledge of birds and other wildlife. I am so happy that Isiasis passed us by! Praise God.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe it is the season for the dragonflies. They are our friends, because they love to eat up the pesky mosquitoes...so they are very welcome here! And yes, Diane is a gift to us. I hope maybe we can all meet some day as we all live here in the great sunshine state. That would be such fun. Yes, Isaias was pretty much a non event for us, although I see it is still churning off the coast up here and we may still get a shower or two this morning. We shall see. Very thankful. Praying he doesn't have any friends following him. Have a blessed Monday!
DeleteOh, Pamela, your dragonfly photos are amazing! And I feel that we, as conservative Christians, are being constantly hammered by those Blue Jays. Here, in our neck of the woods, the crows will often gang up on the hawks. It's amazing how they will find refuge temporarily, but come back to hunt and prevail another day. We must do the same in the name of Jesus. He will keep us on our toes!
ReplyDeleteGlad the storm has weakened, too. Such a blessing!
Yes, we are constantly being hammered by the loud and raucus blue jays and crows of life these days. We just have to stand our ground and stand firm on the Rock of Jesus Christ. He will carry us through this storm. Speaking of storms, we are very thankful that this one has pretty much passed us all by. Maybe the coastal areas are having some issues, but we are still quite dry this morning! Amazing! We are thankful. Have a blessed day.
DeleteI love your adventures and you really did get some wonderful photos of the Mississippi Kite! He is indeed regal! We are blessed to see so many different birds and 'critters' here in Florida! Love the dragonfly pics too. I had a good day and went to a preserve to walk in nature. There were lots of dragonflies and butterflies to try to photograph. I enjoyed myself and now I'm pooped! heehee! We didn't get even a drop of rain today but I'm glad the storm missed us so I won't complain. Sweet hugs, Diane
ReplyDeleteOh, I bet you got some good pictures. I can't wait to see what you put together for us today! I love your nature walks. We really do need to walk together one of these days. We really didn't get enough rain to water my plants. I see it is still sitting offshore and we may get a shower or two this morning, but we shall see. Very thankful. Have a blessed day dear friend...and thank you again for the info on Mr. Mississippi Kite. I've had fun typing Mississippi over and over again! LOL.
DeleteHave a lovely summer day..
ReplyDeleteThank you! And welcome to my blog. It is wonderful to have visitors from around the world. I enjoyed reading your post on eye colors...very interesting. I have blue eyes and my husband has green eyes, and one of our sons has hazel eyes, but the others have green eyes! I love to see the variation of colors. Please come back and visit again!
DeleteThankful that you did not have severe weather. Such a lovely photo with your flag flying. I enjoyed your message in song on the video. You really captured some great pics of the dragonfly. May your Monday be filled with blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Mildred. We are very thankful that the storm was pretty much a non-event for us. We may still get a shower or two this morning, but nothing looks too exciting out there. I hope the people on the coast are doing okay. Yes, I enjoyed watching the dragonfly posing for me. He was fun. Praying your Monday is a good day as well. Thinking of you.
DeleteHi there Pam, so glad you've been stopping by my lil front porch! I enjoyed this post and your previous one too. You sure got some good pictures of that dragonfly, wow!! And no, that is not a kite, it's a hawk!! ha ha ha ha ha LOL---just kidding! I love to watch the birds too, their antics and their habits and how they interact with each other, how they feed, bathe, etc. A happy spot in my day for sure. Glad the storm has not been bad there.I think all we will get here is rain. Hopefully no bad wind. I don't like being cooped up all day inside but I have plenty of books and magazines and blogs and movies to keep me busy. Have a great Monday, new friend!
ReplyDeleteI replied to your comment in my comment below. I guess I didn't hit the "reply button" when I did, so you won't know it was back to you. Just wanted to let you know so you can see my response. Thank you!
DeleteI love your comment about the kite/hawk. Reminds me of a story when I was working in an elementary school. While we were outside with the children a little boy saw a "kite" flying in the sky and he kept saying to his teacher, "Look, a Kite!" And his teacher kept saying, "No Jimmy, that's a bird." And he said, "No, it's a Kite!", and she insisted it wasn't a kite, but a bird. The little boy was getting very exasperated. Overhearing this conversation, I whispered to the teacher, "I believe he is trying to explain that this particular bird is actually named a "Kite". The teacher was embarrassed that she did not know this, and finally apologized to the little boy, and he was finally relieved that his teacher understood what he was trying to tell her. He was a very intelligent little boy! Thank you for stopping by and visiting here in my neck of the woods. I hope this storm passes you by as well. We are thankful this wasn't too much to write home about! Have a blessed day...new friend! :)
ReplyDeleteSo sweet! Glad he had that moment of "teaching" the teacher. 😊
DeleteThank you for this post. We've been having outdoor worship services, and we also livestream on Facebook for those who don't feel comfortable attending. I'd never heard that song before. The 3rd verse is my favorite I think. Great dragonfly photos!
ReplyDeleteJan
Laughter and Consistency
Thank you for visiting. I am glad you enjoyed the song...it really does have a wonderful message. So happy you are having outdoor worship services. We thought about doing that here, but it is really too hot for people to be outdoors or even in their cars as we do not have a good shady spot to meet. Some of the other churches in town are doing that, but they have more shade. We are sitting at a distance from each other and wearing our masks, so we feel pretty safe and thankful to be together. Thank you for visiting! Have a blessed week.
DeleteBeautiful. Have a great week, Pamela.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda! You too!
DeleteBeautiful skies!
ReplyDeleteHow is the weather there now? We are getting thunderstorms. We're moving plants on the deck to a safer place and battening down the hatches. We don't actually have hatches, but we are battening down what we do have! I came on blogland to see how you fared in the storm. Looks like it scampered right past you. We are farther to the north. I hope all we get is some storm. Hopefully, they will cool things off! I went for a walk this morning in the bright sunshine, then suddenly the clouds came up as soon as I was back inside. (Maybe a Divine message in that!)
We never even had a good rain shower! I was disappointed, but thankful that we didn't have a bad storm and no wind. We get worse storms than that in our usual summer afternoon thunderstorms. I pray it won't be too bad where you are either. ARe you near the coast? Stay safe!! God bless you.
DeleteAbout two hours inland.
DeleteIt passed us by quickly, just lots of rain. My husband's phone blared in the middle of the night with a flash flood warning. That was the worst of it. The blaring, not the flood. 😄
It never fails that when I water plants it rains. But, we got a sprinkle and that was it. I don't want a storm!!!! I am ready for some cooler weather but in Florida we never know when that might be. So...I may need to head to the beach again! LOL! Hugs and blessings, Cindy
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts here, Pam. You paint some amazing word pictures--nature does reflect so much about how we should handle threats in the spiritual realm. Life is an amazing adventure with the Lord!
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Pam: I wondered about you and yours as I watched the newscasters tell us of the path that the tropical storm would take. Glad you are all safe. Peace and blessings.
ReplyDelete