Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

 I'll start this post out with some different pictures from Still Waters Pond:

I was happy to see this "Little Blue Heron" out there one morning, and it was staying really close to what I thought was a Snowy Egret, but now after looking up the Heron I discovered that it was actually a Juvenile Little Blue Heron, which is totally white! Who'da thunk it???

I wondered why they were being such good friends...and now I know they may actually be related to one another!

And actually there were two of the white birds...I just didn't get them both in the same photo...

So maybe this was a mother Little Blue Heron and two youngsters? Now I am glad I was paying attention! We don't get to see them here very often!

Yes, I know I am way behind! It's been a busy week...But a good week.  Every day has had something going on and I've been trying to keep up, but, well...I hope you understand how it is...between church and family activities, physical therapy,  etc.  But I do have many things for which to be thankful...so here we go:

• We did finally get our septic tank pumped out on Monday morning after a long weekend without the full functioning of the "facilities"... We sure were happy to see those people early Monday morning! Come to find out that there is a "filter" between the tank and the drain field, and apparently it is supposed to be cleaned every year...(who knew that???).  And yes, we could do it ourselves if we want to...just a matter of lifting a very heavy concrete 18" diameter lid and pulling out the metal filter and hosing it down...Okay...any volunteers?  LOL. As long as we have strong young people around to help, we can manage it, but eventually that will be one of those things that we'll have to just remember to call someone to take care of...

• Speaking of having strong young people around...This week our grandson decided to start helping Grandpa clean out the shed.  It is a job that has needed doing ever since we moved here actually...we have just never really ever gotten around to getting it organized like it should be.
  
  
  So he worked diligently in sorting out things that needed to be kept and things that really needed to be pitched.  
• And today our son came over with his pick up truck and they loaded up the stuff that needed to go to the dump 

(and yes, Dawn helped supervise the cleaning out of things and even had some good ideas for how to use some things that might have gone to the dump instead...)And off they went! 

It may not look it, but this is actually a great improvement!  And yes, this is still a work in progress!

• Next item of thankfulness:  Hubby and I both had eye appointments today.  I thought for sure that I would need new lenses in my glasses, but apparently my eyes have not changed enough for that. I do have the very tiny beginning of a cataract, but the Dr. said it will be a while before it is ready for surgery.

However, my hubby is a different story...not only does he need glasses (which he hasn't had a prescription for glasses in a long while, but has used little reader glasses), but he also has small cataracts in both eyes that the Dr. said will probably need to be removed in a year or two. So thankfully we still both have time before we have to deal with that!  We are both thankful that other than that everything looks good.

• I am thankful for our family and all the blessings of having them with us (and/or nearby).   We've been having great times together and just enjoying being "family".
• I am thankful for the Ladies' Bible Study that I attend each week.  We've been studying the book of Acts this year. It is more than just straight "study time". We share burdens and joys and concerns with one another and pray for each other as well.  Sometimes God answers little prayers (and big ones) as we read and study God's Word together...we see things we maybe had never noticed before, or get a new or clearer perspective on what the Scriptures are saying.  This week as we focused on Acts chapter 8 and the story of Philip being led by the Holy Spirit to go and talk with the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), we saw how "we can share the message (of Christ as our Messiah) with one person at a time, and leave the results to the Lord."   That was a huge comfort to me...especially the part about leaving the results with the Lord.  We are not responsible for how or when a person responds to God's truth found in His Word.  We are only responsible for being faithful to share God's Word as we are led by the Holy Spirit, and to live our lives in such a way that others will see Jesus living in us...and leave the rest to Him.  That is a big relief! It's God's business, and He will take care of the rest!
• I am thankful for all of God's beautiful creation surrounding us each day. We just need to be present...open our eyes and see and appreciate what He has done for us.  And with that I will share a few more pictures from around Still Waters Pond  this week.  

Mrs. Bluebird is faithfully sitting on her nest and peeking out the window to see what's going on in the world around her...

And Mr. Bluebird comes and goes, bringing her food and keeping all the other birds away from the house...

Isn't he so very handsome?

How wonderful to see him in the early morning sunshine:

Hello out there!!! I sure wish it wasn't so hot in this house already!  But thankfully we have been getting some cool mornings and evenings that are very pleasant for everyone...

Mrs. Ruby Throated Hummingbird continues to come and go...

And our Sand Hill Crane Family also continue to keep us entertained each day...

The colts are getting very tall and I can tell their wings are growing stronger every day as well.

I love how they follow their parents around and are learning everything they need to know to live in this world by watching and copying what they see their parents do.

Here one of them is flapping her wings. I think she stepped into a deeper place on the pond and started flapping and swimming. However, the pond is so shallow now because of lack of rain that they can literally almost walk across the whole pond.  We really need rain badly!!

Now she is on firmer ground...

Finally the whole family made it across the pond and are headed around the shore to work their way back around the pond and to their resting place on the other side for the night.

And with that I will also say good night! 

Some thoughts from God's Word to ponder:

Isaiah 54:13 NKJV

"All your children shall be taught by the Lord,

And great shall be the peace of your children."

Some Thoughts About Lent and Current Events

 It seems like it was Wednesday just the other day...these weeks are flying by so rapidly. Today is actually Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. 

An interesting tree I found while walking this morning. Can anyone identify it?

 Lent is a good time for some introspection and spiritual cleansing and renewal.  A time to focus on our personal walk with the Lord and how we can draw closer to Him as we invite Him to purify our hearts and minds and restore unto us the "joy of Your salvation".  (Psalm 51:12)

 Hubby and I  took a walk this morning before the rains started...the skies were already looking quite promising of a good "cleansing rain".

And yes, the rains did come and stayed around all day. Actually, this picture below was taken yesterday when it was also raining...I wanted to sit out on our deck and watch the birds, and hubby took this picture of me sitting there...

Yes, I was sitting there in the rain, holding my umbrella and drinking tea and watching the rain and the birds... (I know, if you are on Facebook you have already seen these pictures)

This is what I was watching...this Little Blue Heron was tip toeing by in the rain...

 I love the patterns of the raindrops on Still Waters Pond...

 Hey, who are YOU looking at?

He moseyed on by and I soon had to to back inside as I was beginning to get a little damp

This morning, following our walk,  we stopped by our local Ace Hardware store. I realized that I needed to stock up on some bird seed before my surgery next week so that the bird feeders would stay well supplied for our birds so that I would have plenty of birds to watch while recuperating. (And they happened to have a good 2 bags for the price of one bag of bird seed sale going on.) 

As I was walking around the store I bumped into this cart and was surprised to discover this young chick looking out at me. What a sweet little face...

He/she wasn't alone, and they looked like they really wanted me to take them home with me...

I don't think they like being imprisoned in these cages...but I had to tell them I was sorry that I couldn't take them home with me. This one below looks like he is wearing an interesting hat, and his face just looks like he is really hoping someone will rescue him soon...I do hope they won't have to stay there much longer. They are getting too big for those cages...and they need to be free to roam a bit...

Bye bye little chicky. I do hope you will find a good home soon.

One other thing I was looking for was a bird house for the Bluebird that came by the other day. Thankfully they had one left, and I had a coupon to get 30% off, and so that was a great find!

So we came home and waited for a break in the rain that had already started to fall, and as soon as the sun came out we hurriedly attached the birdhouse to the tree where the Bluebird had been sitting the other day.  Now I just hope he will come back and bring the family!! That would make for some good entertainment while I am recuperating.

In our devotions this morning we read several scriptures that help us to understand the season of Lent. Here are the references for you to consider. I won't reprint all of the verses as they are lengthy, but when you have time you may want to read them for yourself:

Matthew 6:1-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2; Joel 2:12-18; and Psalm 51:1-19. 

I especially found the book of Joel chapter two to be very interesting. That is one book that we don't read very often and even though it was written for the people of Judah around the time of the "invasion" of a plague of locusts that destroyed everything in its path and impoverished the people, I found it rather prophetic and appropriate for our country today. 

With the concerns over the possible "invasion" of the  Coronavirus, this could well be applied to our nation today.    The subtitle over this section of verses reads: "Only Repentance Can Avert Invasion".    Interesting that our pastor also preached about repentance in his message on Sunday.  Repentance goes hand in hand with this season of Lent leading up to Easter.  Certainly something for each of us to consider personally and pray for our nation to consider as well...

12.  "Now, therefore", says the Lord, "Turn to Me  with all your heart, 

with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning...".  

13.  "So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord your God, 

For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; 

and He relents from doing harm...."

I hope that this Lent season will be a time of drawing closer to the Lord for you and for me as well. I am certainly trusting in Him to be with me during this time as I undergo surgery and then spend probably the whole season of Lent recuperating. I pray that I will be back up and around and ready for action by Easter.  But I hope to use this time to truly be restored both physically and spiritually as I rest "Beside the Still Waters"... Seems like God had this all planned, didn't He?  

Have a blessed rest of your week.