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.

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. 

He looks quite regal up there.

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.