Sunday Joy!

 It's such glorious day today, a day to give praise to the Lord and be thankful for who He is and not just for what He's done, although His works are marvelous and beyond our greatest imaginations.  There's just so much to be thankful for today and every day...can a I get an "amen?"  Amen!  

I'll start with this morning and work backwards...

Here's the choir singing "Open My Eyes That I May See, Glimpses of Truth Thou Hast for Me"...

Here's the words to the hymn if you'd like to sing along:

"Open my eyes that I may see, glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.

Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see.

Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.

Open my ears that I may hear voices of truth Thou sendest clear.

And while the wavenotes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear.

Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see.

Open my ears, illumine me, Spirit divine.

Open my mouth and let me bear, gladly the warm truth everywhere.

Open my heart, and let me prepare love with Thy children thus to share.

Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see.

Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine."

Following the song the Pastor had a powerful message from Psalm 3.  If you wish to take the time to listen, I do believe you will be blessed by it.

What you can't see is our children's church kids sang a song for the congregation... This is only a part of the song because I knew if I tried to record the whole song it would be too long for this format, so this is just a "glimpse" of it, taken from behind them from where I was sitting in the choir loft:

They were so cute, as kids always are...and such a blessing to see them participating in church. We are very thankful for our children's workers as well.  They are a very dedicated group of people who are making a difference in these children's lives for eternity.

The next BIG joy of this morning, if you look on the right side about 1/2 way back you will see a tall person sitting in the pew with dark curly hair. That is our grandson, and his sweet fiancee' was right beside him.  

This was the first time they have visited our church, and I cannot begin to tell you how wonderful this was for us!   Not only that, but they seemed to enjoy being there and said they look forward to coming back next week as well!  AND, one of the ladies of the church approached Dawn about making some more of her "prayer pillows" (that's what she's calling them now) for her to give to people.  I had mentioned in Sunday School to our class about how God blessed the kids yesterday at the flea market by having several sales of these little pillows with Scripture verses on them...and so this lady said she wanted at least 15 of them...which means Dawn has her work cut out for her!

Here they are yesterday at the Deep Creek Market/Farm Swap.  This was a new venture for them, and they were blessed to find a nice shady spot to settle in for the very warm day:

They were parked right next to this wagon that had geese for sale...(Which they were moved from the cage to a more open pen)

And these young Emus!!

yes, those are baby Emus!

Apparently several were sold to brave farmers! LOL.  They said that the deal was the people who bought two of the younger emu chicks also had to take a young baby chicken chick along with it as a package deal (for free), because the emus and the chick were friends, and they didn't want to separate them.  Of course, eventually the emus will be much much larger than the chicken, but they say they will always be friends because they've been growing up together from the beginning! Interesting!

Here's another interesting article on raising Emus, in case you are interested.  I think I will stick with our Sand Hill Cranes, who take care of themselves and need no fences.  Besides, I much prefer just watching them and enjoying them as opposed to thinking of them as a farm animal or source of food.

I guess this is enough for one day. I hope your SONday has been filled with joy and peace and rest from your labors.  It has been a wonderful day here on Still Waters Pond, and we continue to rejoice in what God has done...

Here's a comforting way to close for the day:

The  23rd Psalm, KJV

23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

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

I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

 thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: 

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Here's a few pictures of a Red Shouldered Hawk that was in our tree beside the Pond a couple of weeks ago. I see him flying about quite often, but rarely get a chance to take a picture of him. Actually there was another beside him, possibly his mate, just before  I took this picture, but it flew off into the trees.  Perhaps a hawk is not considered a peaceful bird to think about, but still it is one of God's amazing creatures, and so therefore I enjoy seeing it.

Good Night Friends!

It's Sunday...A Day of Rest

 It's Sunday, and I am home instead of being at Sunday school and church.  Had a bit of a "bug" yesterday and today, and I just needed to stay home and let my body heal.  I've been taking a lot of little naps...seems like that is what is needed most.  This morning after hubby left for church I decided to treat myself to being a "guest" in my own house and went and laid down on the bed in the guest room to see what it would feel like to be a guest here. LOL. 

I pulled Nanny Martin's restored quilt* up over me, and I went to sleep pretty quickly, so that is a good sign that the room is cozy and comfy.

Then I made the bed back when I got up so I wouldn't be tempted to lay back down...

I am enjoying the new little shabby chic nightstand that was given to me by my son at Dixie Cottage, and am very grateful to have it.

It will be a nice spot to put a cup of tea and a good book when I feel like reading...

And when I awaken from my nap I can refresh myself with a pitcher of warm water...(or I could just go across the hall to the bathroom where there is real running hot and cold water! LOL)

*(That photograph is of my hubby's "Nanny Martin", who created that quilt originally. See this link for the story about this quilt being restored)

Speaking about being restored...

Anyway, I am thankful for the comforts of home when I don't feel up to being out there in the world. Sometimes we just need to "retreat' and let our body be restored.

Interestingly the sermon today at church is from the 23rd Psalm. How do I know? Well, our Pastor records his messages ahead of time to put on the church website so that people who are shut in at home can go online and hear the message and also sing along with the choir on one of the hymns.  Our choir pre-records the song at our practice time earlier in the week, so that is why you will notice that I am singing in the choir when I am not there at church today. LOL.  Here it is for you if you want to listen to a good message and hear us singing "Oh, How I Love Jesus!"

"There is a name I love to hear; I love to sing its worth

It sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.

O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus

Because He first loved me.

It tells me of a Savior’s love, who died to set me free

It tells me of His precious blood, the sinner’s perfect plea.

O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus

Because He first loved me.

It tells me what my Father hath in store for every day

And, tho’ I tread a darksome path, yields sunshine all the way.

O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus

Because He first loved me.

It tells of One whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe

Who in each sorrow bears a part that none can bear below.

O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus, O how I love Jesus

Because He first loved me."

While I was sitting here writing this to you I was blessed by a little visitor out on the porch. I couldn't get a good picture of him while he was sitting on the porch rail right outside my window, but he soon moved out to perch on the post that holds one of our birdhouses, and there he posed for me so sweetly so I could share him with you:

Isn't he sweet? This is a little Eastern Phoebe, and he is a welcome visitor since he loves to catch flies and bugs.  You can often hear them calling "Phoebe, Phoebe" as they sit and watch for the bugs to appear.

This was a sweet gift to see him today. I love the ways God blesses us when we need little reminders of His Presence.

This little bird sits "Beside the Still Waters" here at our own Still Waters Pond...,

very fitting with the sermon today from the 23rd Psalm, where God leads us beside the still waters...where He restores our soul...

A Psalm of David.

Psalm 23

 "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.

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

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;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

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."

I hope this has been a refreshing and restorative retreat for you today. May the Lord bless you and keep you in peace.

Amen.

\

An Afternoon "Beside The Still Waters" Pond

After spending a very cozy night listening to the rain on the "tin roof" all night long, it was wonderful to be able to get outside in the afternoon and enjoy some of God's wonderful beauty "Beside The Still Waters" Pond...

It was a perfect time to rest 'beside the still waters', and let God "restore my soul". I hope you will enjoy the pictures I took as I rejoiced in this beautiful sunny afternoon.

Psalm 23

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.

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

I will fear no evil;

(see how many birds you can find in this picture. Look closely...and do you see the "runaway squirrel"? The Bluebirds have been dive-bombing him to keep him away from their nesting area!)

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;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

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.

I was surprised to discover that we had a full moon when my hubby called to me to come and look out the front door with him.  Couldn't have a more perfect ending to a more perfect day "Beside The Still Waters" pond...

With all the turbulence in the world today, we need to make time to spend some time alone with the Lord, whether it be "Beside the Still Waters" or by taking a nice long country ride, or a walk along the beach or through the woods...or maybe just sitting in a favorite chair beside the window or next to the fire...no matter where you are...whether it is freezing cold with snow on the ground, or warm and sunny like it is here in our part of the country right now...take the time to be in prayer and meditate on God's Word. It will clear your mind and refresh your soul and bring peace into your heart. It's the best medicine anyone could ask for.  And it doesn't cost a dime.  Just a few moments of your time.

20 "My son, give attention to my words;

Incline your ear to my sayings.

21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;

Keep them in the midst of your heart;

22 For they are life to those who find them,

And health to all their flesh."

Proverbs 4:20-22

Praying for the Peace of Ukraine and Russia.  Praying for all the innocent victims of this brutal war.

Praying for our own country and our leaders. May they seek the Lord's wisdom in how they govern this vast nation with all it's great needs right now. May God protect our people and keep us from further danger and harm. Amen.

On a personal note, the next few days will be busy, so I may not get back around again until next week. Friday is our son Scott's birthday. "The Kids" will be over Friday night for supper and a little celebration.  So I'll be cake baking and cooking and doing some general housekeeping that is way behind...

Saturday morning our church has it's monthly Breakfast that is open to the public.  We always enjoy attending that and having a really great breakfast with some really sweet people!  And then of course Sunday is Sunday...and we have Sunday School at 8:30 and church at 10:00, and lunch out with friends afterwards. Oh, I never did post this past Sunday's service.  It was a great message from Matthew Chapter 4: 1-11, "Handling Temptation".  

If you wish to listen, here is the service. The choir is singing "Shine, Jesus, Shine" at the beginning of the video. I hope you enjoy it and sing along!

"Lord, the light of Your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness shining

Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us, set us free by the truth You now bring us

Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, Shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light.

Lord, I come to Your awesome presence, from the shadows into Your radiance

By the blood I may enter Your brightness

Search me, try me, consume all my darkness

Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, Shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light.

As we gaze on Your kingly brightness, so our faces display Your likeness

Ever changing from glory to glory

Mirrored here, may our lives tell Your story

Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, Shine, fill this land with the Father’s glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your Word, Lord, and let there be light."

Okay, folks, I guess that's all for now! I'm still trying to get around and visit with you all. Thank you for your kind comments always!! Love you all!!

P.S. 3/17/2022:  Be sure to check out The Adventures of Lily Grace today for a special "Irish Adventure" in memory of our friend Toni Taddeo.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

Monday Morning Musings

 

I really don't have much to share today, but here it is Monday morning and it seems like that should be noteworthy somehow. We made it through another week and are very very thankful. We finally were able to go back to church yesterday, after missing for three weeks. There had been so many of us sick over the past three weeks that it seemed like a homecoming yesterday to see everyone back again! Praise God! And here is the pre-recorded message from yesterday if you would like to sing along and also enjoy an excellent message from our Pastor from Hebrews 4:12-16, "Let Us Come Boldly".  

The choir was singing "In My Heart There Rings a Melody", so perhaps you'd like to sing along:

"I have a song that Jesus gave me, it was sent from heaven above

There never was a sweeter melody, ‘Tis a melody of love

In my heart there rings a melody, there rings a melody with heaven’s harmony

In my heart there rings a melody, there rings a melody of love.

I love the Christ who died on Calv’ry, for he washed my sins away

He put within my heart a melody, and I know it’s there to stay.

In my heart there rings a melody, there rings a melody with heaven’s harmony

In my heart there rings a melody, there rings a melody of love.

‘Twill be my endless theme in glory, with the angels I will sing

‘Twill be a song with glorious harmony, when the courts of heaven ring

In my heart there rings a melody, there rings a melody with heaven’s harmony

In my heart there rings a melody, there rings a melody of love."

After church it was so nice to be able to go out to lunch with our church friends and family and enjoy a time of fellowship and laughter again. After being cooped up at home for the past three weeks it was surely a blessing.  

(7:00 a.m.) I don't have any new pictures of anything to share. What's up with that? Maybe I should go back in my archives and see if I can find anything worth sharing.  (Couldn't find anything that suited my mood for today...)

Well...three hours later...I decided I might as well just share some pictures of the way it looks outside on Still Waters Pond today.  It is another rather gray, chilly, "raw" day here in "sunny Florida".  46 degrees at 10:30 a.m., and no sunshine in sight.  But here is what I can see:

If you look really closely in those trees you might see two vultures sitting in the trees. They've been very active around the pond the past few days. Not too sure what they are watching or seeing...I hope it isn't me! LOL. I'm trying to look as lively as I can! LOL.

Here's a close up of one of the big old buzzards:

And there he is again in the background, and there is a lone Mockingbird sitting on a branch on this side of the pond, perhaps he is "mocking" the buzzard. LOL.

Whatever he's doing, he seems quite content to just sit there and watch the world go by. I haven't even heard him singing today.  But you know, you really don't have to sing everyday to be happy.  Sometimes you can just be content to be still and rest and take joy in just being still...

So that's what I'm doing...

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!"

Psalm 46:10

Psalm 23

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.

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

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;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

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."

So that's what I'm doing today...How about you? I hope you are having a peaceful and blessed Monday, whatever you are doing. I know this world is full of woe and stress and serious anxieties right now, but the 23rd Psalm is my prayer and statement to the world...no matter what this old world tries to throw at me or no matter how the news tries to keep me off guard and create anxiety, I will put my trust in the Lord...because He is with me...and He gives me comfort no matter what.  And that last verse above is so true..."Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER!"   The world cannot take that away from me...or you! Claim this peace of mind today through Christ Jesus.  It will carry you through any storm that may swirl around you...and there is no need to fear.  Amen!

Friday Foto Friends~For the Birds!

The other afternoon I sat out in my "Secret Memorial Garden" and enjoyed a very pleasant breeze and the beauty of the birds flying to and fro, sweetly singing such cheerful melodies.

I looked up above me and saw this male Bluebird, way out on a limb...but that didn't seem to bother him at all.

I think it was his lookout perch...watching for the pesky Chickadees, who are still trying to take over the birdhouse.

This is the unzoomed view below...yes, he was definitely way up there out on that limb...

But then he flew back to his house, to continue staking his claim...

Isn't he beautiful?

I am still cheering for the Bluebirds in this situation, and hoping that this time they will be able to raise their babies without unpleasant interruptions...

We've been visited by a pair of these Great Crested Flycatchers this week:

They can stay as long as they want, as long as they keep catching those "flies"!!

And speaking of catching "flies"...if you look very closely in this sunset picture, you can actually see a BAT flying around, catching mosquitoes! They are also very welcome to stay, as long as they stick to eating mosquitoes and not me! LOL.

Back to Still Waters Pond in the daytime...actually this was later afternoon, just before sunset. "Father Goose" maintains his perch on the stump along the shore, watching for any kind of intruders who might dare to enter the pond and disrupt the peace and safety while his lady love is still sitting on her nest.

And there she is: sitting on her nest over on that island.

I keep watching and hoping for any signs of new life over there. I was looking back at my posts from this time last year, and this goose couple was doing the exact same thing...and yet it did not produce any offspring. I am hoping this year will be a better year for them.  

Well, with that I will close this post with another view of that sunset:

Here's some "food for thought" for today:

Philippians 4:8

 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

 We know there is so much ugliness in our world today, and if we spend too much time watching the news or listening to the negative voices of doom and gloom around us, we will become discouraged and sad...or even become negative ourselves.  When I sit in my Secret Memorial Garden I could become frustrated and unhappy because there is a busy highway just on the other side of those trees to my left. The road noise can become deafening at times, drowning out the beautiful songs of the birds in the trees.  But I've learned since moving here to not allow the raucous noises of loud motorcycles, trucks without mufflers and sometimes wailing sirens keep me from enjoying the beauty that God has placed before my eyes. When I tune in my heart and ears to listen for God's voice in His marvelous creation surrounding me, that is what I hear and see.  I can filter out the obnoxious noise of people always in a hurry to get somewhere, and relax and enjoy the peace and serenity of calm that is displayed in God's little place of beauty here on Still Waters Pond.  It is my prayer that you will also look for beauty and peace in your surroundings, wherever you may be, and hold on to the peace that God is offering you each day.

A Psalm of David.

"23 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.

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

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;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

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.

Have a blessed and peaceful, beautiful day.