Tuesday Blessings

 Since there is no Tuesday 4 today I thought I would get caught up with pictures and things happening around here since the last time I wrote!  

Little by little we are getting things prepared at our house for Easter...

Lily Grace and her dog Bailey are dressed for Easter and excited about how special this week really is.

Lily was especially excited when she found out that these beautiful flowers are called "Easter Lilies"!!

She said, "I'm also an Easter Lily, because I'm all dressed up in my Easter dress and my name is Lily!"

Yes, I guess that's true, Lily! And your name, "Lily Grace", is also all about Easter, because Easter is really all about the Grace of God...His "unmerited favor" towards us...we do not deserve God's grace and salvation...it is a free gift to any who will believe!

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

8 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, 

it is the gift of God— 

9 not by works, so that no one can boast."

So yes, Lily Grace, you are a true "Easter Lily"!

So moving along to other things happening so far this week...last night our "kids" came over and brought pizzas for supper!  We had a good time "doctoring  up" a couple of good frozen supreme pizzas and baking them here. We've decided we like that better than ordering from Dominos.  And of course they brought our sweet grandpuppies Sugar and Spice along.

Since we've had to feed the kitties on the front porch now, the kids had to come in through the back door and not let the puppies see the kitties on the front porch. However, it didn't take long for them to discover them out there through the front window:

Talk about squealing, noisiy, excited puppies! Oh my goodness! They wanted to go out there SO bad and see those cats!! Blackie Sue and Sunshine just stared back at them as if to say, "You can't get us! We're safe out here and you're in there and you can't get us!!"   I'm afraid my window blinds will never be the same again. LOL.

I can only imagine what it's going to be like when the kittens finally arrive, which, NO, they have not arrived as of yet.

And, isn't it funny how the puppies get all excited watching the cats, and the cat loves to watch the Sand Hill Cranes from her perch on the back porch...

Look how tall Trumpet has gotten!!  He literally grows at least an inch every day! Or so it seems.

Blackie Sue loves to watch them, but she knows better than to get too close. That mother Crane would definitely let her know that she wasn't welcome, and it wouldn't be pleasant.

I expect Blackie Sue will feel the same way about her babies when they arrive.  That mother instinct is very strong in all of God's creatures...even we human mothers...right?

Oh, this Pileated Woodpecker couple flew back in the other day to peck away at that pine tree.  I wonder if they are nesting somewhere around here. We don't often get to see a pair of them together, so this is a real treat!

They certainly are interesting looking creatures, aren't they?

All of this nature around me makes me think of this old hymn:

1 This is my Father's world,

And to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world:

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas--

His hand the wonders wrought.

2 This is my Father's world:

The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, 

the lily white,

Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world:

He shines in all that's fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.

3 This is my Father's world:

O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father's world:

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!

God reigns; let earth be glad!

Amen.

Hope you are having a blessed and beautiful Holy/Easter Week.  

Time for a Nature Update As We Wait for Resurrection Sunday

For those of you who have followed the story of our little baby Sand Hill Crane for the past few weeks, you will be interested in seeing his progress I'm sure.

One morning I happened to look out to our yard and saw Mom and Dad Crane already on our shore of the pond, but baby "Colt" was not with them.  Then I looked across to the island and saw him walking back and forth along the shore of the island, trying to figure out how to get into the water:

And look how long his legs have gotten!! And he's losing more and more of his yellow baby feathers:

He reminds me of a gangly young teenager...

He finally stepped into the water and got his feet wet:

And then he jumped right in and started swimming across the pond:

He had lots of lily pads to work his way through...

But he kept persevering and pushing his way through:

Whew! This is hard work!

Finally he made it over to the other side, but he kind of missed the location where Mom and Dad were waiting, so Mama Crane headed into the water to go meet Colt.

Soon they were all back on shore together and all was well. I got busy and wasn't watching for a while.

But then a little later in the day I noticed that Colt was walking around in the "Secret Garden":

Mama wasn't too far away, and she soon caught up with him.

I believe she was telling Colt it was time to rest, because he laid right down on the ground and took a little nap.

Isn't it amazing that he likes to lay down right in front of that sign that says, "If you long for a mind at rest...?"  There is something very peaceful and calming about the Secret Garden. Even the critters seem to know it!  I love that.  Of course I would like to say that it is a lovely garden filled with beautiful flowers and perfectly groomed garden paths. But it's really kind of  a wild mess...

It's a combination Memorial and Secret Garden, 

in memory of our dear son who passed away almost 8 years ago.  

It is a peaceful place, in spite of it's rather rustic, unkempt appearance.

But it's right beside Still Waters Pond, and that's what makes it such a peaceful place, I believe.

Psalm 23:1-3

1 "The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

And every so often the one lone rose bush will produce a beautiful rose for us...and we always celebrate when it does:

Isn't it gorgeous?

I always consider these blooms a heavenly gift from our son...and it always amazes me that they usually come around special times or dates.  

This one has been blooming for over 10 days now, and it is just now beginning to fade and dry up. Maybe it will make it until Easter...

OH, and I do have these daylilies...

(today's bloom!):

And this Easter lily plant that I am going to plant in the garden as soon as it is finished blooming.  Hopefully they will grow and flourish there and will surprise us with pretty flowers next spring.

You've seen these pictures before a few weeks ago, however the azaleas are not blooming now:

I guess I just wanted to emphasize again how peaceful and pleasant it is here in the Secret/Memorial Garden.  No wonder the baby "Colt" wants to lay down here and take his naps!

I think I could take a few naps here as well...(if it weren't for the mosquitoes that are starting to come back out in the evenings)

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

This unfortunate dragonfly did not quite make it past the spider's web on the porch...yes, danger is always lurking around us...

but:

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

This beautiful bird is not really an enemy, at least I don't think so. This is a Great Crested Flycatcher, and actually two of them flew in yesterday morning and fluttered about for a few minutes. This one happened to land on top of the Bluebird house. I am surprised Mama or Papa Bluebird didn't swoop in and shoo him away, but apparently they either weren't close by or they don't see him as a threat to their babies inside.

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

So today is the Saturday before Easter morning.  I've written about that before HERE.  This is the day following the crucifixion of our Lord, and all of the world awaits to see what will happen next.  

The air is still and shrouded in fog and mystery on Still Waters Pond...

The Secret Memorial Garden awaits in anticipation of the dawning of the morning sun

And Mama Bluebird continues her faithful feeding of her babies...

She knows they will soon be ready to start their journey out into the big world

I am expecting the babies to make their appearance to the world outside any day now. I keep watching for their little heads and beaks to pop out of that hole, but so far they seem to be eluding me.

A few hours later and the sun has broken through the fog and clouds, and life on Still Waters Pond is getting back to it's normal day:

Mama and Colt are busily foraging for their morning food...but they have caught sight of some visitors:

The Canada Geese have come calling to say hello.

It's funny, but the Crane Family are all preening themselves at the same time, as if in anticipation of their guests.

But the geese fly off into the wild and life continues on as usual for the Crane Family.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever.

Again, we wait, in anticipation of the Resurrection morning tomorrow. Yes, life goes on, but with a huge difference. 

We read this in our devotions this morning:

Romans 6:3-11

3 "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 

6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 

7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 

9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 

10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 

11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Hallelujah! Because Christ has died, we've been freed from our sin...and because Jesus was raised from the dead,  "death no longer has dominion over Him"...and because He lives, we are also "dead indeed to sin...but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  And we can now walk in "newness of life" with joy and anticipation of that which is yet to come.

I know this is deep...but these are things all of Christendom should be pondering as we keep this vigil between Good Friday and Easter Sunday!

Okay, the day is half spent.  I pray you are having a blessed and beautiful Easter weekend.  Tomorrow will be a busy day with church and family gatherings, etc., but let us always keep in mind what it cost Jesus to give us this "newness of life".