Sunday Evening Meditation

Psalm 25:1-5

1 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, I trust in You;

Let me not be ashamed;

Let not my enemies triumph over me.

3 Indeed, let no one who waits on You be ashamed;

Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.

4 "Show me Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me Your paths.

5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,

For You are the God of my salvation;

On You I wait all the day."

I thought you'd enjoy seeing that we not only have Bluebirds here on Still Waters Pond, but we also have "red-birds", a.k.a. the Northern Cardinal, and in this case, the male Cardinal. His mate is around there somewhere, but she didn't make it into the pictures.  This male just seemed to be waiting and watching and perhaps listening for God's instructions. "On You I wait all the day."  A good lesson for us today from God's Word.  Be patient and wait on the Lord for instruction...follow God's leading and teachings and you will not go astray!

Last evening I thought I would outsmart the Sand Hill Crane couple and go way around the shore of Still Waters Pond to where I could see their nesting place and wait for them to land for the evening.  They usually fly in around sunset and land on this little scrap of marshy floating island, (see below) where they will spend the night and also where they are building their nest for this spring.  

As I stood on the shore...this close to the water's edge! Yes, if I lost my balance I would be in that water!...

I looked around and across to where our house is and our shoreline, and what do I see?  Mr. and Mrs. Sand Hill Crane had landed on our shoreline, and they were enjoying taking their time and finding things to eat in the weeds along the shore!

So I stood there on the other side (I zoomed in for these pictures) and waited patiently for them to get tired of eating there and fly on over to their nest...

They seemed to be enjoying a leisurely stroll along the shore, and they were in no hurry at all to get back to their nest!

Meanwhile, I'm standing over there waiting and it's getting kind of chilly...I had run out of the house without a sweater thinking it was still warm out since it had been quite warm during the afternoon...

But no, they were in no hurry.  I took these next pictures with my cell phone, so I couldn't zoom in as well, but I liked the way the sunlight was changing the colors as it was setting in the west beside me.

I almost think they knew I was over there watching them, and therefore they weren't going to fly over that way as long as a strange human with a camera was there waiting for them!

Finally I gave up and decided to head back to the house before it got dark.

I didn't take another picture, but when I got back around to the house to go in the back door, they saw me and came right up on the shore into our yard and waited for me to go inside and get them some birdseed! Yes! That's what they were waiting for, the stinkers! LOL.  So I threw them out some seed and they were very grateful and stayed there and ate it until it was too dark for me to even think about going back outside to see where they would go next. Besides, it wouldn't have shown up in a photo anyway!  But perhaps I did what I was supposed to do.

Psalm 145:14-19

14 "The Lord upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

16 You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.

18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them."

No, I am not trying to say that I am taking the place of God for these birds. But perhaps I am doing what God wants me to do for them.  Perhaps I am His ambassador here for these creatures of His creation. Or maybe it is simply an example to us of how God cares for us.  When we fall down or are feeling sad or blue or in a difficult situation, we can rely on God to provide for us.  "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him...and He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them."    If God provides food for the creatures of the earth, how much more will He provide for us, His beloved children who are calling upon Him in truth, and who are looking expectantly to Him for help in time of need?  Yes, as surely as we take care of our own, even sometimes in exasperation because our own don't always perform the way we want them to...yet because of love we take care of them...God also cares for us, even when we don't always perform the way He wants us to...because He loves us.   He will "hear their cry and save them."   Amen!

Now just for laughs as I close this out for the night, this afternoon I looked out the window here in my "Room with a View", and saw "Blackie" the neighborhood cat sitting on a little container on the back porch that has an old rug on top of it...just sitting there giving himself a bath and then relaxing and looking around like he owned the place.

I had to chuckle, because everytime I look out on the porch, Blackie has chosen a different place to sit! We have three wicker chairs, and he goes from one to the next and back again, depending upon his mood I guess. I told my hubby he reminds me of Goldilocks, trying out each chair and then the "bed" to find the one that is "just right".  

And speaking of beds that are just right...I guess it's time to say good night!

Isaiah 26:3  NKJV

3 You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

Tuesday 4~ Relaxing

 

Relaxing

Hello! Welcome back to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.
Do you keep busy all the time? Many people don't take time to smell the roses. What about you?

1. When was the last time you sat down and relaxed and allowed the weight of the world to melt away?

Just a few minutes ago.  I sat down and looked at a new magazine that had come in the mail...

I don't get many magazines anymore...so many of them just have way too much advertising and not enough content. But Country Living still has some beautiful pictures and stories, and someone very thoughtful actually subscribed to it for me, so I will enjoy it as long as it lasts!

It's relaxing to just sit and peruse the pictures and dream a little bit about some of the things I see and the ideas they have for decorating and cooking, etc. Now that so much is online we don't get to actually hold a real magazine very often, and I do enjoy sitting back in my recliner and looking and dreaming a bit.  

This issue had pictures of log cabins...just my style and idea of real relaxation!

2. What things do you find most relaxing ? How often do you get to do these things?

Of course, most of you know I find photographing nature to be a very enjoyable and relaxing thing to do.  Our own Still Waters Pond gives me plenty of  subjects to photograph.  I try to take the time to look out there often and see whatever there is to see. Some days there is nothing much to see, but then other days we are blessed with beautiful creatures from God's Creation who stand and wait for me to take their picture as if they expect it!  The Great Blue Heron stood very still for me this morning. I was most appreciative!

I'm always so thankful and blessed when God provides these beauties for me to enjoy!

I also love taking pictures of sunrises and sunsets. The sunrise the other morning was just gorgeous, and the Sand Hill Cranes made a cameo appearance in a fly-over while I was enjoying the moment:

Can you see them?

There they go! Off to wherever it is they like to spend the day, and then they come back here to our pond for the night.

It was definitely a beautiful way to start the day!

3. What things wind you up and keep you from relaxing?

Housework! LOL. Knowing it needs to be done, and not having the energy (or desire) to get up and do it, but feeling guilty that I'm not doing it.  So I can't relax until I do.  Now, these next pictures have a story.  Saturday morning hubby said very sweetly to me that perhaps it was time I thought about cleaning out my side of our closet, as the clothes racks are starting to look overly full and crowded. I was a little bit put off by his "suggestion", and made a few comments that may not have been entirely sweet and demure in response, but after I thought about it, I decided that he was probably right. I hate to admit that ever...but yes, it was time I did something about my half of the closet. We won't mention the fact that the reason HIS half of the closet looks so nice is because he takes his extra seasonal things out and puts them all in the guest room closet, and I can't even hardly open the door to THAT closet because it is so full of HIS stuff...but we won't mention THAT! LOL.  So moving right along...

And so, I started weeding things out of my side of the closet...and found many things that probably should go to the thrift store so someone else can get some use out of them because I am not wearing them anymore for various reasons.  Among those items were some very special things that I have been holding onto for quite a few years...18 to be exact.  Why? Well, these next items belonged to my mother. They were things that I saved out of her closet after she passed away, and I actually thought I would wear some of them, (and I have), but now I no longer wear them, and they really aren't my style, and they are still in excellent condition for being so old, (my mother had good taste and had some lovely things, but I only kept some that I thought I would wear or that I had actually given to her).

These two jackets I gave to my mother, and I can remember her wearing them, and when I was still working, I often wore them to work. 

And she had some lovely little blouses with short sleeves...

I love this delicate pink one...but again...I just don't wear these kinds of blouses anymore.

I actually wrote a post about this blouse and one of my mother's sweaters HERE a long time ago. The sweater I have decided to keep, as I still wear it occasionally and I really don't want to let it go yet.

I always loved the collars on these two blouses:

So anyway, I made up my mind that it was time to let those things go. It wasn't easy, but it's time.  I pray there will be some dear person who will appreciate them and enjoy wearing them. 

Here's the bags of items I gathered. They will go to the church thrift store tomorrow, and that will be that.

My hubby commended me for a job well done. I thanked him, but told him that  he needs to get rid of about 5 or 6 suits from his years in the ministry that he will most likely never wear again, along with several winter jackets that we have no use for here in Florida. We live in a very casual area, and men just don't wear suits to church here.  We will save one or two for possible weddings or funerals, but that should be enough.

 But that's another story for another day. LOL.

4. When was the last time you treated yourself to something, anything that is special?

Hmmm, I'm thinking...the trip we took to the mountains was pretty special, and I'd say that was a real treat. You've already heard all about that, however.

How about this?  You'll think this is crazy. We took a little walk this evening, and we came across this bush that was blooming: Turk's Cap or Sleeping Hibiscus

With it's bright red flowers on the green leaves, it almost looks Christmassy, doesn't it?

Here's a close up of the flower:

So what's so special about that you may ask? Well...Here I am reliving a childhood memory from our days on the playground at school!  There were always lots of these plants growing all around our playground, and the flower has a very sweet nectar that if you pick it off the stem and suck the end of it, you will get a delightful little sip of what the butterflies and bees love to much!

Hubby also remembers doing this as a child. I think every child who grew up in Florida in our era had this experience.  And so we both enjoyed this little treat very much! It took us back to our childhood!

Here's a Psalm for the day:

Psalm 145:14-19

"14 The Lord upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

16 You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.

18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them."

And so with that I will conclude this edition of the Tuesday 4 meme for this week.  If you wish to join in the fun, you can do so HERE!  I hope you found this "relaxing" and enjoyable! See you again next week!

Waiting on God - Updated

UPDATE 4/23/2020:  I like to go back and look at things I've written in the past around the same time of year as the current time, and this was written on 4/24/2018.  I think the theme of "Waiting on God" certainly is appropriate for our current situation today, don't you? We are all waiting on God, for this Covid 19 Crisis to pass, and waiting on God for the okay sign to get back out into the realm of the living again...allowing people to get back to work safely, and for us to begin to slowly get back into the mainstream of life once again.  

These pictures below came from our previous home. I sometimes miss the beauties of that place, but then again, God has given us some wonderful beauties to behold here in our new home as well. We waited patiently for the Lord to sell our house and find us a new home, and I must say that God does all things well. We can trust Him, friends, to bring us through this crisis into a stronger and better place than before. Just keep your eyes focused on the Lord, and He will never let you down.

Original Post, 4/24/2018:

 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass."

Psalm 37:7

"Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

and He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:14

 "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

to the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly 

for the salvation of the Lord."

Lamentations 3:25-26

"The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

and You give them their food in due season"

Psalm 145:15

"You open Your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing."

Psalm 145:16

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,

to all who call upon Him in truth.

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them."

Psalm 145:18-19

Dear friend, Are you waiting on God today for some answers to difficult questions?

Are you waiting for the Lord to show you His plan for your life...whether it be financial, medical, personal family situations, salvation of a loved one...

Whatever it may be that you are waiting for, you can trust God to meet your need...

He is always there...He hears your prayer, and He sees your heart...

Trust in the Lord...

"Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God,

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10

Amen!

Beside Still Waters

A couple of months ago I wrote about "A Dream Come True" (found HERE), which tells you about how our moving to this new home on "the pond" is a fulfillment of a longtime dream for us. It was a big step for us to sell our previous home in the forest, where the deer and bears roamed about, and to trade that life for this different kind of home...definitely not in the woods anymore, but the wonderful trade-off is that is sits beside this little pond. I know you've seen it already...and I guess what we should all get used to is that from now on I will probably be writing about our "Life on the Pond" quite often. I'll try not to bore you with too many sunsets or pictures of birds on the pond, or lily pads bobbing on the surface...but, well...it is what it is...this is our new "normal", so apparently this is what I will be seeing and sharing most often.


This week we've been watching the daily routine of our resident Great Blue Heron, who seems to "own the pond".

Here he is, early in the morning, watching for that special fish to start his day off "a little bit better".

We've been studying about "waiting on the Lord" in our Sunday School class lately.  Perhaps this Heron is a good example of what it means to "wait on the Lord".

Psalm 40:1-3

1.  "I waited patiently for the Lord,

and He inclined to me,

and heard my cry.

2. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

Out of the miry clay,

and set my feet upon a rock,

and established my steps.

 3.  He has put a new song in my mouth..

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

and will  trust in the Lord."

 He stretches his very long neck so he can see a bit beyond his immediate location...or perhaps he sensed that he was being watched and became a bit wary...

 After a little while he spread his massive wings and flew to a tree on the other side of the pond...

Zooming in we can see him perched there above the water, where he actually sat for a very long time...

 Psalm 27:5-6

"For in the time of trouble 

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;

He shall set me  high upon a rock.

6.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will sing

praises to the Lord."

The next morning I discovered him down at another side of the pond, again patiently waiting for his breakfast...

Psalm 27:13-14

"I would have lost heart, 

unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

and He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

 Looks like he might be seeing something worth going for...

The pond is getting very shallow these days. We've not had much rain for a while, and as this is a rather shallow pond to begin with, it depends on rain to keep it full.

 Already we can see signs of old dead trees and other debris surfacing in the shallow areas as the water recedes.

So we pray for rain for the sake of the birds and fish...and well, to be honest for our own selfish reasons. We love looking at the pond...

And watching the different activities of the Great Blue Heron throughout the day...

In the evening he sat in a different tree, again watching and waiting...

 Something must look pretty interesting down there below, but still he sat and waited...

Psalm 145:14-16

14.  "The Lord upholds all who fall,

and raises up all who are bowed down.

15.  The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

and You give them their food in due season.

16.  You open Your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing."

James 1:2-4

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

But let patience have its perfect work, 

that you may be perfect and complete, 

lacking nothing."

 And as the sun went down beyond the pond he was still there waiting...

Our final verses give us the promise of great hope fulfilled:

Isaiah 40:31

"But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

Some of you have asked if our pond has a name. To our knowledge, it does not have any particular name. It is just one of many little ponds and lakes in this area,  and some have said it may be more of a kind of "retention pond" than a real  pond. Well, they can call it what they want, but to us it is a real pond, and even though there is a highway on the other side of those trees and we can hear the traffic noise throughout the day, it is still a place of peace and comfort to us...and an answer to prayer, and a dream come true.  

In the earlier post that I wrote (mentioned above)(click here again), I told you about a little book that I have that is entitled "Beside Still Waters".

Well, earlier this week, while reading our morning devotions, we were referred to the 23rd Psalm. And as I read the beloved familiar words of this Psalm, I was struck anew by the first three verses:

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."

Well, here we are, sitting "BESIDE THE STILL WATERS", and I have this little book sitting on my coffee table, entitled "Beside Still Waters",  that I have read over and over again as I dreamed about having a place overlooking the water someday...and well...I think I know what we are supposed to name this pond:

"Still Waters Pond".

To me it is a place where the Lord has brought us, and I believe He has already been in the process of restoring our souls, ever since we were led to come to this little community and church.   You see, even strong Christians go through periods of time of needing to be restored, comforted, and finding a sense of peace and purpose again.  None of us has "arrived" at that place of perfection yet as long as we are in this body of flesh. And so God, in His love and mercy, knows our needs, and He gives us the desires of our hearts when our hearts desire to draw closer to Him. That is my hope and prayer. As we live in this place, "beside still waters", that we will be drawn all the closer to Him each and every day.

Psalm 23:6

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever."

Amen.