Friday Foto Friends a little late

 I didn't do a Friday Foto Friends for today because I posted my Thursday post so late last night and it had plenty of pictures, so I didn't think I needed another post today. But then I took a little walk about the house this afternoon when I went out to get the mail and couldn't help but take a few pictures. I always carry my camera and/or my cell phone with me when I go outside, because we just never know what will show up that I need to capture on film!  (I guess there really isn't such a thing a "film" anymore, is there? It's all digital...nothing to wind, develop and print...which can be a good thing, but also a sad thing, as some day there will be no pictures left for anyone to see because the computer pictures will become obsolete with new technology...but hopefully that is something I won't be around to worry about.)

So, all that being said, here's what I saw outside today:

These first two photos were taken this morning. They aren't very clear because of the low light, but I wanted you to see the three different kinds of water birds out on Still Waters Pond at the same time:

In the background are the two Sand Hill Cranes, over against the tan grasses. You can also see their reflections in the water if you look carefully.

On the "sand bar" (more like a mud bog) is the Great Blue Heron standing.

And in the water in front are the cute little Ring Necked Ducks, doing their daily routine of bobbing up and down for food. They are diving ducks and they seem to have so much fun even though for them it is diving for food and it their daily work.

Here's a closer look at the ducks. They always stay in a group like this and seem to take turns diving under and popping up for air. It seems like a game, but to them it is serious business.

Now, this afternoon it was supposed to rain, and it did finally, but before it started raining here's what I saw on Still Waters Pond...The Great Blue Heron again, perfectly still, waiting for the right catch:

He rarely moves an inch and stays perfectly still, until he sees his prey and then he is so quick the poor fish or frog or whatever never knew what hit him!

The Sand Hill Cranes are still out there this afternoon as well, which is unusual. They normally fly out for the day and come back in the evening, but today they seemed to stay right there all day. I don't know if they are nesting this year or not...it seems like I always see them together, and if they were nesting one would be gone sitting on the nest and the other would be coming and going and gathering food...so time will tell...

Meanwhile, up on shore, the neighborhood cat was taking a cat nap. She likes to lay there and pretend she's sleeping, but she usually has one eye open, watching the bird feeders. The birds don't like it when she's there, but after a while she'll go away and the birds will come back to the feeders.

All this time the Great Blue Heron is still standing there perfectly still...

Maybe the fish aren't biting today...

Or maybe I should have said the heron isn't biting today! LOL.  Anyway, shortly thereafter the skies grew darker and the rains started pouring down. I didn't get any pictures, but I was listening to the rain on the roof and it sounded like heaven to me. We need it so much.

I Kings 18:41-45

The Drought Ends

41 "Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.” 

42 So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, 

43 and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”

So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.”

44 Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”

45 Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain."

The curse was over...God sent an "abundance of rain"...a blessing for the people of Israel...and a message for us today...when we are in a dry spell in our lives...whether it be physical or spiritual...we need to pray for God's restoration of our land...our hearts, our souls, our bodies, and then listen for "the sound of abundance of rain"...God wants to bless us, but we often need to repent of whatever is holding us back...it could just be pure unbelief...lack of faith, weariness from trying to carry the load too long...frustration from not seeing our dreams come true or our prayers answered the way we think they should be...confess our doubts and fears and weariness...and ask God to forgive us for our unbelief, and then listen for the sound of abundance of rain...it will come, in God's time, which is always perfect timing.  

Mark 9:23-24

23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Hear my prayer, oh Lord!

Amen.

Sermon Notes: Closed Doors and Windows Can't Keep Jesus Out!

My ears really perked up during Sunday's sermon when the pastor said,

"Closed doors and windows can't keep Jesus out..."

or at least that's what I thought he said...but then I realized what he really said was this:

"SPIRITUAL Closed doors and windows can't keep Jesus' SPIRIT out!"

Either way, I thought to myself..."He must be reading my blog to use the Closed Doors, Open Windows terminology!"....and then I started paying closer attention to what the pastor was REALLY saying...

And what he was really talking about was what was happening in the days following Jesus' resurrection from the dead...looking especially at John's Gospel, chapter 20,  verses 24-29.

Here's the story... just prior to this in verses 19-23, Jesus had appeared to most of the Disciples as they gathered back in the Upper Room trying to figure out what was going on...

19.  "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,

when the doors were shut 

where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews,

Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them

"Peace be with you."

Now, on to verse 24...

"Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, 

was not with them when Jesus came."

So the other disciples told Thomas all about Jesus appearing to them, and Thomas was a bit incredulous...or maybe just a bit envious...either way, he wasn't too sure about this, so he said,

25.  "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe!"

Thomas wanted his own experience...his own story...not everyone else's story...he wanted to see Jesus for himself and experience the Risen Christ personally before he would truly believe...

So, what happened?  Well, read on...

26.  And after eight days His disciples were again inside,

and Thomas with them.

Jesus came,

the doors being shut, 

and stood in the midst, and said,

"Peace to you!"

Jesus got right to the heart of the matter with Thomas when He said to him,

27.  "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands;

and reach your hand here, put it into My side.

Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

28.And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

At this point, Thomas acknowledged Jesus as his LORD...he let Jesus' Spirit enter into his heart...he made Him LORD of his life...which is like saying "My Lord, You have dominion over my life here on earth..."    We can lean on His everlasting arms as our sustainer, protector, and guide here on earth...

And then Thomas also acknowledged Jesus as "My God"...for eternity...even when this life ends... My God Who will be there on the other side of this life...waiting for us...to welcome us home...

Jesus not only entered the room through closed doors and windows, where the disciples were sitting and waiting, but He entered the closed door of Thomas' heart, and opened it wide...just one look at the Savior and Thomas's heart door opened wide to let Him enter in.

Jesus then said to Thomas,

29.  "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

It is as if Jesus "established a new blessing for those not yet born...we are blessed...God has blessed us. We weren't there at the Upper Room or at the crucifixion...yet Jesus said we are blessed because we have believed, yet not seen!  We are blessed...Jesus says we are blessed...and no liar, gossiper, or demon can change that..."  (paraphrasing from sermon)  

Don't let spiritual closed doors or windows keep you from letting Christ into your heart!  He wants to enter in...He's standing there waiting and knocking at your heart's door.  His Spirit is able to enter in through closed doors and windows...perhaps even when we aren't really "believing"...but we need to acknowledge His Presence and welcome Him in, and proclaim with Thomas, 

"My Lord and my God!"

Sermon notes from FUMC Interlachen, Pastor A.C. Myers, 4/8/2018

Do You believe?

Mark 9:23-24  "Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.'  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.'"

A friend called me today to request prayer for herself and also for her husband, who is recovering from surgery, and has recently been diagnosed with cancer.  Now today they say he has a blood clot in his leg.  This has been a struggle and a very trying experience for them both.  She said that she was just so tired, and trying to maintain her composure and strength, while trying to keep up with work and his doctor appointments at the same time.  She was also struggling with her spiritual strength and lack of faith.  Someone had told her that her lack of faith was the sin of unbelief, and she needed to confess it and repent of it.  I told her that her lack of faith was not a sin, but a symptom of the thing we all have in common...we are human and subject to fear, anxiety, unbelief, and being just plain worn out.

On my way to work this morning I was listening to a new song by Amy Grant entitled "Better Than a Hallelujah".  I really liked what the lyrics of this song had to say as they were speaking to me this morning.  I tried to share them with my friend this afternoon. I couldn't remember exactly how it went, but I just looked it up online, and here is what the main chorus of the song says:

"We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody. Beautiful the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a hallelujah sometimes..."  (sung by Amy Grant, written by Sarah Hart and Chapin Hartford)

 God understands when our hearts are breaking and our faith is weak. 

Psalm 103:13-14 says "As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."

We will all have times in our lives when our faith is weak and our hearts are breaking. That's not a sin...that's our human condition...the very same human condition that Christ died for...why?  Because He loves us, that's why.  He told His disciples in John 14:16 that God would give them another 'helper', or comforter, that He may abide with them forever...and in John 14:18, He said he would not leave them orphans...or comfortless (KJV)...  He promised to send us the Holy Spirit as our Comforter...and why should we need comforting if we were always perfectly strong and full of faith?  Jesus knew that we would need the help that only the Holy Spirit can give in times of sorrow and distress. 

So, let's be honest with our deepest feelings and emotions...there's no need to cover up and pretend everything is okay when it's not.  Someone said that "tears are a language that God understands."  He will gently wipe away your tears and cradle you tenderly in His arms and rock you gently to sleep as He whispers a lullaby of love over you. 

"He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

If that isn't comfort, I don't know what is.