Wednesday Treasures in the Great Outdoors!

 Oh what a delight to see these squash plants finally blooming in our little garden!  

The Yellow Squash, a.k.a. Summer Squash, seem to be perking up and looking healthier!

And the Zucchini is also blooming!  Woohoo!! We just might have squash one of these days!!!

I decided to get some Miracle Grow and start fertilizing my plants.  I no longer have one of those Miracle Grow sprayer bottles that you attach to a hose...guess it got lost along the way. But I have this wonderful sprinkler can, and I followed the directions on the box and watered all the vegetable plants and also my blueberry bush(es). One bush is growing beautifully, but I have others that I planted a few years ago that haven't done anything, so hopefully the fertilizer will help them too.

It will be such fun to see if we really do get to harvest a crop of veggies this year.  Oh, the tomato plants are starting to bloom too, but I didn't get a picture of them.

So this afternoon I went outside to sit on the garden bench, and Blackie came  to join me. At first he sat on the ground at my feet, but then he heard those "bad" neighborhood dogs barking in the distance, and he got really nervous, and jumped right up on the bench and snuggled up to me.  The good news is it appears that the "dog family" is actually moving today! They have been loading up a U-Haul truck and making trips somewhere throughout the day...so hopefully the "bad" dogs will be moving away. I do hope they have found a house with a good fenced yard so the dogs can run freely.  They really aren't "bad dogs", they just had a bad home situation. Once they are gone from the neighborhood I think Blackie will breathe a lot easier! 

Anway, we were enjoying sitting in the shade and listening to the birds...

And WATCHING the birds!  There's Daddy Bluebird on top of the birdhouse now, with a mouth full of food to feed the babies inside...

There he goes inside.  He and Mama Bluebird are staying quite busy these days as a tag team of keeping those hungry babies fed. I have a feeling they will be leaving the nest very soon.

But the Bluebirds weren't the only birds we were watching today...look up there in that pine tree on the island:

Do you see him?  That's a Wood Stork!!

I had to zoom in on him with my "real camera" so I could get a better look:

Here's more information about the Wood Stork

Yes, it's a Wood Stork all right!

And here is another one, way over on the other side of the still very dry 'Still Waters Pond'...

He's over there where there is a little bit of water, and the big birds like to congregate there to get some water and food...

In a little while he flew overhead...this is not my picture, but isn't he beautiful in flight?

Internet Photo, but this is  how he looked flying over us.

Meanwhile, the Sand Hill Cranes were also out there, and this one was walking across the "pond" letting the birds know whose territory this is.  I could hear his mate calling from the other side of the island. Yes, they still come here every day, even though they weren't able to maintain a nest and have any babies this year due to the lack of water in the pond.

One of our resident Sand Hill Cranes

Oh wait!  The show's not over yet! Up there in those same pine trees on the island is another big bird!

That's a Great Blue Heron sitting up there as pretty as he pleases!  No wonder the Cranes were making a lot of noise!  They don't like all these intruders to their territory!

Great Blue Heron up in the pine tree!

Isn't he amazing?

So even though our pond is basically a wasteland this spring, the birds still come and make use of whatever water and perching places they can find!  That is a blessing to me to see that life goes on here in spite of the drought!

Here are some words of hope and encouragement from God's Word about His care for us even during periods of drought or famine. This could also apply to periods of "spiritual drought"...when we are feeling drained and lost and our spirits are dry because of times of grief or sickness or disappointment.

Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

11 The Lord will guide you continually,

And satisfy your soul in drought,

And strengthen your bones;

You shall be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Jeremiah 17:7-9 NKJV

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

And whose hope is the Lord.

8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit."

Psalm 33:18-19 NKJV

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

When we keep our eyes on the Lord and put our trust and hope in Him, He will carry us through those lean times and seasons of spiritual drought.  Those times come to all of us at one time or another in life...we all go through different kinds of seasons...times of prosperity and peace and fullness of joy, and times of deep sorrow or sickness or loss.  It's good to have a firm foundation in our relationship with Christ to carry us through those times.  Getting into His Word, the Bible, is the best way to find those words of hope when we need them most.  However, we shouldn't wait until we are groping in the darkness to try and find the light. Now is the time to store up His Word in our hearts while there is the light of day to see and learn...and then His Word will be there deep inside us when we need it most.

Psalm 119:105  KJV

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Psalm 119:11 NKJV

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,

That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:50 NKJV

50 This is my comfort in my affliction,

For Your word has given me life.

Honestly, I had not planned on going down this road tonight, but this is the way the Lord has led me to write. Perhaps there's someone out there who needs these words from God's Word tonight. I hope this is helpful to you.  Yesterday in the Tuesday 4 meme we were asked about different things that were "simply the best", and the question was asked about which book was the best book I've ever read...and my answer was "The Bible".  I know I wasn't the only one who felt the same way.  And this is why...because there is no other place where we can find such hope and help in time of need.

Prior to Christ's crucifixion there were some followers who decided to turn away from him because things that He taught them were just too hard for them to understand...and so here Jesus is talking to the twelve disciples...

John 6:67-69 NKJV

7 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And that's what I believe...God's Word is where we will find "the words of eternal life".  There can be no greater words than this. Other philosophers and teachers and prophets may have wisdom and good thoughts to share that are helpful and encouraging, but none can compare to the Living Word of God found in The Bible.  

And so if you find yourself in a "drought"  or season of grief or sorrow or sickness, perhaps you may want to drink from the well of "living water" that Jesus was telling the Samaritan woman about in John chapter 4...

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 

14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Well, if you made it this far in reading, thank you. My prayer is that this will helpful and encouraging in some way for each and every one of us. You are all very precious in God's sight...

Tomorrow we are taking a little ride to go meet hubby's brother and family for lunch and to have an early celebration of their daughter Shannon's 23rd birthday. It's not until later in May, but they will be on vacation or just really busy in May, and so we try to get together whenever we all are free...and we celebrate  whenever we can! Life is precious!!   Thankfully Benton and Rose will be going with us too.  So I'll have more to share later on.  

Good Night my friends.  

Thursday Thankfulness~Friday Foto Friends

 Might as well combine the two days because I know I won't have time to do another post tomorrow...unless it is late in the day.  Besides, a lot of what I am thankful for is in the pictures...well maybe, maybe not. Let's see how this unfolds.

This is a good place to begin, right?

(This is sign is another of our friend Barbara's from Sweet Tea and Sandals. We have it on a table as you come in the front door of the store as a good reminder!)

This huge flock of geese landed on Still Waters Pond the other evening.  Have you ever heard a "gaggle of geese" before?  Click on the video below if you'd like to hear what they sound like...I think they were all "talking" at once, trying to get everyone in order after their long flight, making sure no one was missing...

After a while they settled down and by nightfall I couldn't hear a peep.  I think they took off again before dawn, however, because there was no sign of them in the morning. They have places to go and "people to see".  We felt honored that they chose our little pond to land and rest a while.

 Up on shore it appears that we have a new "lawn ornament" in the butterfly garden, keeping watch over the bird feeder...

She just makes herself right at home there. I've noticed that she often arrives way before sunrise, but usually is gone after a couple of hours of bird watching. Then sometimes she reappears at night, tripping the motion detector light on our back porch.  I guess she feels safe here...

And here is one of her friends from the neighborhood, sitting out there this afternoon, just watching and waiting...Isn't she beautiful?  I don't know if these cats actually belong to anyone, but I do know that one of our neighbors feeds them. They look healthy.

A few weeks ago I told you about the damage to our church property after Hurricane Ian passed through HERE.  You will recall that a large tree fell onto our very old log storage building, landing on the roof and causing considerable damage.  Thankfully no one was around at the time and no people or vehicles were damaged, as this is also our church parking lot.  Well, now the demolition of the building has begun, and I've been trying to get some pictures throughout the week to mark the progress.  Here's a few pictures so you can see what the extent of the damage was:

The big tree was cut up, and you can see that it was rotten all the way through.

Do you see the little Wren above?  He was hopping around and inside the logs, looking for bugs I am sure.

This 100 + year old building was built from palm tree logs, which are very strong and dense.  

This is a picture of the logs, and how they were cut to fit together.  The logs themselves still look pretty good. I do not see any rot in them:

Inside the building was this old pulpit.  I am hoping someone has decided to remove it and not let it be destroyed...

It's a miracle it wasn't crushed:

This is the other end of the building, which was added at a later time, and it was not under the tree when it fell.  But I think it is still going to be torn down.  

Another view of the section that was crushed:

I am still amazed at the strength of these palm logs:

This pulpit, from whence the Word of God was preached for many years,  reminds me of the Word of God that is everlasting...

Isaiah 40:6-8

6 The voice said, “Cry out!”

And he said, “What shall I cry?”

“All flesh is grass,

And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

7 The grass withers, the flower fades,

Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it;

Surely the people are grass.

8 The grass withers, the flower fades,

But the word of our God stands forever.”

Amen!

Now, for a little story from this morning's time spent at Dixie Cottage. No pictures of this...you'll have to just picture this in your mind's eye.  

Hubby and I were having a quiet morning at the store for the first hour. Then it seemed as though everything broke loose at once! First we saw one large van pull into the parking lot, and it turned out to be one of our new vendors and her husband coming to add some more items to her little booth.  We had not met before, so after introductions were made, we had a little bit of business to discuss while she worked on her booth. Just as we were talking another couple of people came in the door, and it turned out to be another of our vendors, also coming to add some things to her booth.  However, this particular person had previously discussed with my son that she had a little problem with this new vendor not following all of the "rules" for what they were allowed to bring to sell at the store. The new person had not totally understood all of the rules, but that is what I was discussing with her and explaining what needed to be changed. Everything was fine until this other person started saying negative and rather snarky things under her breath, but loud enough for the new vendor to hear her.  I was caught in the middle of a tense situation.  I tried my best to diffuse the matter by talking to each person individually, but it was getting very uncomfortable. (picture "cat fight" in your mind...I was trying to keep it from getting there...) On top of that someone came in to pick up a sign that she had ordered, and she was being a little bit difficult in that it wasn't as big as she thought it would be (it was exactly what she ordered), and the lettering wasn't as dark as she thought it should be (again, exactly what she ordered), and I could see she was going to be a little unpleasant, but I then had the pleasure of telling her that her sign was free because she actually is a person who finds estate sales and good used furniture for us that we purchase from her to restore and sell in the store. When I told her the sign was a gift, she changed her whole demeanor and attitude and the sign was just perfect! LOL.  

Anyway, meanwhile I could feel the tension growing in the building while the  ladies were working on their booths and both sputtering things as they worked...  I whispered a prayer to the Lord, "HELP ME!"  All the while, other people came and went...I helped a customer find something he was looking for...my husband was keeping the one lady's husband occupied in conversation,  Finally, the 2nd lady was ready to leave and she actually had a piece of furniture that she had purchased from the store that needed to be loaded in her truck.  (Where is our strong son when we need him???)  My hubby and I got the dolly and loaded the piece onto it and managed to get it to the door and out onto the sidewalk, but we weren't too sure how we were going to get it up into the back of her truck without damaging the piece of furniture.  This lady also came over and apologized to me privately, but not to the other lady, but at least she knew she was wrong for her attitude and said so.  Anyway, with all of this happening at once, I honestly was feeling so stressed and was really not sure how on earth we were going to get that furniture in the back of her truck. Then I looked around and this very tall (at least 6'6") big African American man stepped out of nowhere and asked if he could help us.  My husband and I both just gasped with joy and said "Oh, yes! Please! and thank you!"  He took over with my husband (and also the other woman's husband joined in to help as well) and they got that furniture in the back of that lady's truck with no problem.

I went back inside and tried to make amends with the new vendor lady and we talked and I felt like we had everything cleared up and she was okay and calmed down and seemed to be at peace with the situation.  I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the big man had walked around through the store and then was headed out the door.  I felt badly that we hadn't really had time to wait on him or ask him if we could help him with anything.  So before he went out the door I called over to him and asked him if there was anything we could help him with, and he said, "No, I just wanted to see what this place was."  And I said to him, "Well, we thank you for coming, and I really believe you were an angel sent here by God today."  He looked at me with a rather strange but I would say knowing look and smiled and went out the door.  And that was that.  And after all this crazy stuff was settled and we came home for lunch I told my husband that I honestly believed that God sent that man to help us just at that moment because God knew we needed some divine intervention in more ways than one. Do I really believe he was an angel? Well, let's just say he showed up out of nowhere at just the moment we needed him most, and then when everything was taken care of he just disappeared out the door.  I do think he was driving an old pick up truck, but he was nicely dressed and had the look of someone extra special. An angel? Could be...what do you think?

Hebrews 13:2

 "Do not forget to entertain strangers, 

for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."

Some things to ponder tonight.  And I am very thankful for God's power to take care of us in difficult situations as well as during the easy peaceful times.   

I shared this video on Facebook last night.  Our choir is going to sing this song on Sunday morning.  I can't get this message out of my head. It's very meaningful and comforting.    I hope you will enjoy it. 

Here are the lyrics to the song by David Haas:

 I will come to you in the silence

I will lift you from all your fear

You will hear My voice

I claim you as My choice

Be still, and know I am near

… I am hope for all who are hopeless

I am eyes for all who long to see

In the shadows of the night,

I will be your light

Come and rest in Me

… Do not be afraid, I am with you

I have called you each by name

Come and follow Me

I will bring you home

I love you and you are mine

… I am strength for all the despairing

Healing for the ones who dwell in shame

All the blind will see, the lame will all run free

And all will know My name

… Do not be afraid, I am with you

I have called you each by name

Come and follow Me

I will bring you home

I love you and you are mine

… I am the Word that leads all to freedom

I am the peace the world cannot give

I will call your name, embracing all your pain

Stand up, now, walk, and live

… Do not be afraid, I am with you

I have called you each by name

Come and follow Me

I will bring you home

I love you and you are mine

… Do not be afraid, I am with you

I have called you each by name

Come and follow Me

I will bring you home

I love you and you are mine

Sunday Meditations

"The statutes of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether,

More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb,

Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

and in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 19:8-11

"Let the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

Psalm 19:14

Amen

May you rejoice in God's Word and His enduring promises today.

Have a blessed Sunday, my friends!

Meditate on These Things

For many years I have kept the above plaque on the top of my desk, above my computer, to serve as a reminder to consider what manner of things we were reading, watching, researching and contemplating as we surfed the internet and opened windows into a world beyond which we had ever imagined before.

Prior to the computer, this same little plaque sat above our television...for the same purpose.

Here is the complete verse from the Bible, found in the book of Philippians, chapter four and verse 8:

"Finally, Brethren, 

Whatever things are true,

Whatever things are noble,

Whatever things are just,

Whatever things are pure,

Whatever things are lovely,

Whatever things are of good report,

If there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy~

Meditate on these things."

Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

The following Psalm is similar in its declaration of what things are truly worthy of our contemplation and prayerful meditation:

"The Law of the Lord is perfect,

converting the soul;

The testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

The statutes of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

The fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

Yea, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Moreover by them Your servant is warned,

and in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can understand his errors?

Cleanse me from secret faults.

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;

Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless,

and I shall be innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth

And the MEDITATIONS of my heart

Be ACCEPTABLE in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

Amen.

Psalm 19:7-14

After reading the above Bible verses I have to stop and examine my own heart and mind regarding the things I meditate upon. According to the dictionary, some synonyms for the word meditate would be: ponder, muse; ruminate; cogitate, study, think, contemplate, plan, devise, contrive.

Likewise, the meditations of my heart would be things about which I ponder, muse,  ruminate , cogitate, study, think, contemplate, plan, devise or contrive to do. 

The final verse of Psalm 19 above has long been my life verse...first taught to me by my mother when I was a young girl.  She wrote this in my autograph book:  

My First Autograph Book...I think the scribbles along the top came from
one of my children...

I didn't realize until now that my mother had written a heading to her inscription in my book:

"A thought for every day"

I wonder what she would think today if she could see that I have made this verse my life-verse, and it is also inscribed at the bottom of my blog page as a daily reminder to make sure that whatever I write on these pages is indeed acceptable in God's sight.  Her early words have truly impacted my  whole life.  Something to ponder about what we teach our own children and grandchildren...

When I sit down at my computer each day, whether at home or at work, it would be wise to re-read these verses before I click on any icon on my desk-top...and say a little prayer that God would help me to heed these warnings and admonitions before I strike the first key or open the first window. I know that there have been times that I have inadvertently hit the wrong key at the wrong time and had things pop up that I did not intend to or wish to see. Those accidental incidents were sometimes shocking and caused me to recoil as though I'd been snake-bitten. Snake-bitten, as by that old serpent himself, "The devil made me do it."  But another Bible verse comes into play here:

"Thy Word have I hid in my heart,

That I might not sin against Thee."

Psalm 119:11 KJV

The fact is, when we hide God's Word in our hearts, verses like Philippians 4:8 and Psalm 19 will come back to remind us to take our eyes off of the offensive pages and help us to keep our meditations acceptable in God's sight.   Then we can declare with the Psalmist in Psalm 119:15-16 ~

"I will meditate on Your precepts,

And contemplate Your ways.

I will delight myself in Your statutes;

I will NOT forget Your Word."

Lord, please help me to remember these admonitions and exhortations from Your Word today. Forgive me when I fail to do so and help me to stay on the right track in what I say, look upon and write.  Thank you.  Amen.

Is Your Bible a Treasure or an Ornament?

  Click on this link to see a Video of people in China receiving Bibles for the first time in their lives.  This is a link to Facebook, and you may not be able to open it if you don't have a facebook account. I do hope you can see it, but if not, let me tell you about it.

In this video a group of Chinese young adults have received packages that contain new Bibles.  As soon as they open the packages and see what it in there, the people all rush to the center and start reaching for the Bibles as quickly as they can.There is a shout of joy coming from their hearts as each person receives his or her very own brand new Bible.  Then the shouting of joy turns to awe and amazement as they each grasp their Bibles in their hands and hug them to their breast. Many put the Bibles right up to their lips and kiss them and smell them and caress the Bible as if it is the very best gift ever received.  Some begin to weep softly as they hold this priceless treasure and realize that it is their very own Word of God, written especially for them and to keep and cherish forever.  I noticed some eagerly taking off the outer wrappers and opening their Bible, already searching for the Words of Life.

This 1 minute video touched my heart so deeply.  I cannot get it out of my mind, and that is why I had to share this with you.  Actually, this is a theme that has been on my mind for a little while.  The wonderful treasure that we have...God's Word, written as a love letter to His precious children....you and me...a message so powerful that kingdoms have been created, others have been conquered, lives have been changed so radically that the whole world has noticed. There is no other Word by which men's lives have been saved and changed....I could go on and on and on.  This book is THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, written for us,

"the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 

II Timothy 3:15-17

I recently was listening to a conversation among some church leaders who made the comment about an individual whom they considered to be a real Christian...he even brought his Bible to church.  I piped up and said, "and that's unusual?"  The reply was, "Well, yes, for a _______." (name of denomination).  I had to bite my tongue to keep from commenting further, but this is what I was thinking:

To not expect or encourage a person to take their own Bible to church with them is like telling a soldier to go into battle without his weapon. It's like telling a Doctor to go into surgery without his instruments. Like expecting the carpenter to build a house without any tools.  Like telling an expert violinist to make music without his violin and bow. It's like telling a student to take a test on a subject without him ever having read the book. It's like telling a believer that he's on his own in the world without any guidebook.

We wonder why denominations are having difficulty maintaining their churches and reaching the lost when they haven't been reading the instructions given to them by God...the whole foundation for establishing the church in the first place. When the average church member doesn't know how to find the book of John or Isaiah or Genesis or Ruth or Revelation or Matthew or Daniel or Micah or Zephaniah or Deuteronomy or Job or Psalms or Proverbs or Leviticus or Acts or Romans or Ephesians or Galatians or Philippians or Numbers or Nahum or Esther or Jeremiah or I Chronicles or I Corinthians or James, Jude, I Thessalonians or II Timothy or Hebrews....need I say more...?, then how can they expect to stand up against the foes of this life and have the Word of Life hidden in their hearts that they might not sin against God? (Psalm 119:11)
How will they know how to find words of comfort and peace when they are afraid or dying or lost or sick? How will they know how to "Train up a child in the way he should go, so that when he is old he will not depart from it?" (Proverbs 22:6).   How will they know the only way to heaven..."For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life?" (John 3:16).   Will they know that Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me?" ( John 14:6 )

Oh, dear friends, we cannot take this book, the Bible, God's Word, for granted.  Take one look at the faces of these precious Chinese children of God.  Listen to the joy in their voices as they received the Word of God into their hands.  Take note of the tears trickling down their faces, tears of joy, as they give thanks to the Lord for the gift of His Word, given to them so that they might find "the way, the truth, the life."

These Chinese Christians are most likely in an underground church, hidden away from the Chinese Government that forbids them to have their own Bibles, * and forbids missionaries from teaching God's Word to them. But they are willing to risk their lives for the sake of having this treasure that we so take for granted. It ought not be so.  If you have a Bible...maybe you have more than one or two...where is it? Do you read it daily?  Do you treasure it and hide its Words in your heart?  The day may come when we are no longer permitted to have our own Bibles in our country. It could happen...don't think it can't. (* Click on link above for more information on this.)

Okay, I'll get off my soapbox for now. This sure made me look at my Bible differently.  How about you?
Is YOUR Bible a treasure, or just an ornament on your table or bookshelf? Something to think about.

Three Gifts in His Word

Today's "joy-dare"...Count 1000 Gifts in 2012...(see www.AnnVoskamp.com) : 

Three Gifts in His Word:


"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

1. Who forgives all your iniquities
2. Who heals all your diseases
3. Who redeems your life from destruction
4. Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5. Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

Psalm 103:2-5



Sorry, I couldn't stop with just three gifts. I could continue on and on and on...but this was a good start, don't you agree?



Oh! To be able to fly like the Eagle!






To have my "youth restored like the eagle!" Wow!
God does that for us!







Eagle photos taken by my sister Doris, near our family home in
Tavares, Florida





"Bless the Lord, all His works,

In all places of His dominion,

Bless the Lord, O my soul!"

Psalm 103:22