Sunday Afternoon Blessings

 

Happy Sunday!  Today has been such a lovely day, and I just wanted to share some of the joy with you!

I always feel blessed when we've been to church and were able to sing God's praises! I'm excited also that we will be starting back to choir practice this week and so the choir will be singing in the worship services again!  Although we've had some wonderful special music this summer in place of the choir, there's just something really special about singing praises to the Lord together in harmony, and I have really missed it!

In addition to that, I am really really excited because I have sighted the first actual water on Still Waters Pond once again, finally, after a very long drought! We haven't seen water on the pond since last winter...it's been a whole year, so even though this isn't a lot of water here yet, it's progress and I am so happy and excited to finally see it happening!!! Praise God!!

Isaiah 43:18-20 NIV

18 “Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

19 See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland.

20 The wild animals honor me,

the jackals and the owls,

because I provide water in the wilderness

and streams in the wasteland,

to give drink to my people, my chosen,

Isaiah 41:18 NIV

18 I will make rivers flow on barren heights,

and springs within the valleys.

I will turn the desert into pools of water,

and the parched ground into springs.

I was so excited I literally walked across the spongy part of the pond that is still very dry to get close enough to where I could see the water so I could take those pictures above.  Looking back toward the shore you can see how far away I was from our house...

Yes, there is still a lot of dry ground, but where you see the green bushes growing, there is some water underneath...not very deep yet, but it's progress!!

The skies were really beautiful this afternoon...

I took these photos while standing near the island that is on the pond. The island is still mostly surrounded by dry land, but little by little the water is creeping up around it and this gives me such hope that perhaps by winter time there will be enough water for our Sand Hill Cranes to nest here again. They had to forego their nesting this past winter because there was no water and they were too vulnerable to predators, but hopefully with enough rain between now and then they will be able to find a suitable spot to build their nest.

Those posts that you see are usually half way under water.  

This is what the ground looks like that I walked across. This is very dry and spongy. Once the water starts filling it back up, the water lily roots that are buried in this dry muck will sprout back up and be beautiful once again.

Speaking of beautiful skies, this was the picture at sunrise today:

And THIS was the sky about an hour ago, after we had received a Severe Thunderstorm Warning...

You can see that something big was brewing out there in the skies...

And here it was just a few minutes later...the storm was moving in and heading in our direction...

It looked pretty awesome and somewhat concerning for a few minutes...

The wind started blowing  and leaves were swirling and we braced ourselves for a big storm, and then we got another notice that the storm had died down and wasn't as severe as expected.  I am still waiting for the rain to hit us, but it appears it has gone a different direction.

I just stepped out on the front porch, and this is how the skies look right now...

It still looks rather stormy to me, but apparently it is moving away and we didn't get but a little sprinkle of rain.  Oh well!  I still rejoice that little by little Still Waters Pond is showing signs of filling once again, and I will just keep believing!!

The other nice blessing today was that our kids came over for lunch after church, and we had such a nice meal together. I roasted a Pork Tenderloin  and made some scalloped potatoes, and Rose brought the delicious mixed vegetables.  That's all we had, and it was plenty and SO good!  Sadly Scott didn't come down today, so it was just the four of us, with the grandpups, of course, and we had a really nice afternoon.

We spent some time discussing some possibilities and ideas for our future, which is really just that right now...a discussion...but also some things for us to truly think and pray about as we aren't getting any younger and we want to have a "Plan B" in our minds for consideration should the need arise to make any kind of changes as we age.  There's nothing concrete or definite or even more than a discussion, but it has given us some "food for thought" and some things to pray about and consider in God's timing.

I saw this on Facebook this week, and of course I saved it because it goes along with the title of my blog perfectly. And it also goes along with our line of thought as we look to the future.  But God knows how difficult it is for me to sometimes "let go of the doorknob".  We often place our security in the things we have and the places we live and the people we have in our lives...and there comes a time in every person's life sooner or later that they have to make some tough decisions and be willing to "let go of the doorknob" and let God take control.  I especially love the verse attached to this: 

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." Proverbs 16:3

Yes, that's always the best plan...whatever it is we want to do or think we should do, we need to commit our thoughts and plans to the Lord, and HE will take care of the rest.  

And so on that thought I will close this post and do exactly what this message is recommending.  There's no need to worry or fret about the future...just give it to God..."let go of the doorknob", and He will direct our steps in accordance with HIS sovereign will for us.  There is NO better place than that to be!  

Amen, and good night!

Happy September 1st from Still Waters Pond

September 1st seems to be almost a kind of holiday!  I've noticed so many people posting happy fall pictures and sharing their beautiful Autumn Decor, and generally celebrating the "unofficial beginning of fall."  We know that the "Autumnal Equinox" does not officially take place until September 22nd, but don't try to tell that to all of us who are ready and anxious for fall to be here.  Now, actually, this is Labor Day Weekend, the last weekend of summer according to most people, including school districts across the country.  Here where we live school actually started a few weeks ago, which I think is a bit too soon, but then again, I don't have kids in school so I guess it shouldn't matter to me.   

But anyway...here on Still Waters Pond we have received our first official Autumn Visitors! This Black Bellied Whistling Duck couple showed up and stayed around awhile so I could take their pictures. 

I was thrilled to see them here on our side of the pond, up close and personal, so of course I took tons of pictures.

Psalm 28:7 NKJV

7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.

They were here for a while in the spring, but then I never saw them again until now. I hope they will stay around for a while. I still have not heard them "whistle", so I am anxious to hear that at some point before they decide to leave the area again.

I hope you don't mind all of these pictures. I just didn't want to miss anything that they might do.

They really didn't do much but just stand there, but that was okay too.  I think they knew I was enjoying watching them, and so they obliged me.

Oh, wouldn't it be fun if they just decided to stay all winter?  That would make my heart happy.  I'll be sure to keep watching, and I will let you know if they stay longer...

Meanwhile, while I was watching the ducks, this beautiful Gulf Fritillary flew in and enjoyed the butterfly garden for a few minutes.

That is one of the new plants I bought last week to plant actually out in front of the house to give it some color.  But these plants are all "butterfly" plants, and so I have decided to move them around to the back to the butterfly garden, where I can see them better from inside the house and hopefully they will attract some more butterflies. September is usually a big month for butterflies.

They haven't been actually planted yet as someone needs to dig some holes in the ground before I can plant them.  I don't think that will be me.  Maybe hubby will do it, but we'd both prefer someone younger.  We'll see if "anyone" shows up to help us. Otherwise we will have to bite the bullet and start digging before these plants die in their pots!

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, 

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

As I sit here at my computer, looking out the window of my "Room With A View", I can see a couple of maple trees across the pond that already look kind of red on the tops.  The sun is very bright right now at almost 3:30 p.m., but here's few pictures to show you what I am seeing, and it looks like fall is trying to appear already if you ask me!

Can you see them? Way over there on the other side of the pond... (aren't those clouds amazing against that brilliant blue sky?  I love the autumn skies, don't you?)

Here, let me zoom in a little closer so you can see what I am looking at:

Now can you see those little bits of fall over there?  At least it makes me think it's cooler out there, even if my thermometer  says it's still 91 degrees!  A thunderstorm is likely in the next hour, so we shall see what develops. Sometimes they say that, but it skirts around us and never appears. We could certainly use the rain.

Some thoughts to ponder as we begin a new month and a new season of changes...

Isaiah 30:20-21 NKJV

"20 And though the Lord gives you

The bread of adversity and the water of affliction,

Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore,

But your eyes shall see your teachers.

21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,

“This is the way, walk in it,”

Whenever you turn to the right hand

Or whenever you turn to the left."

Praying that God will guide each of us as we begin this new month and season. May we hear that gentle voice instructing us in the way we should go; whenever we come to a crossroads or a detour or even a brick wall, may we pause and listen for that still small voice of God before we venture any further. Our lives will run so much smoother when we take the time to listen for God's voice before forging ahead. May that be our goal for this new season coming upon us.

Amen.

 

Joyful on The First Day of the Year!

"You will show me the path of life;

In Your Presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Psalm 16:11

In keeping with my new "One Word" for 2020, "Joyful", I want to start the new year off right by practicing being joyful from the very beginning, no matter how things are going...

The pictures of our coffee/tea mugs could have been different, in that when we woke up this morning the coffee pot, which is set on a timer to brew the coffee before we wake up, had not done its job. There was NO coffee in the pot! And upon pushing the button on the electric hot water tea-kettle to begin its boiling, nothing happened! There was no electricity in that part of the kitchen! Upon further inspection, we were very thankful to note that the refrigerator and microwave were still working, and other lights were working...just not the electrical outlets on that particular wall where the coffee pot and tea pot are placed. My first thought was that a breaker had probably tripped, but that was not the case.  

My next thought was..."I am going to be joyful regardless of these circumstances!"  And so we moved the coffee pot and the tea pot to a different location where there was still electricity and they started their jobs of brewing the coffee and boiling the water for my cup of tea!

Meanwhile, I sent a text message to a fellow who does electrical handyman work on the side, and asked him if he could come check things out whenever he had time, but certainly not today on a holiday.  However, he texted back that he would be there in five minutes, and indeed, before I finished reading his response, I looked outside and his truck was pulling in the driveway! Thankfully we were dressed, well, not like for going out or seeing people...still kind of groggy, no makeup, no hair combed, waiting for coffee and tea, but at least we were dressed in decent coverings for the morning after New Year's Eve. (Which we did not stay up to watch).

And he was joyful and pleasant and happy to help us. Thankfully, there was nothing seriously wrong...something we should have figured out on our own, but in our groggy, no coffee or tea state we just didn't think about it hard enough...the GFCI reset button had popped, and all we would have needed to do was push it back in...but we didn't see it and didn't think of it in our groggy pre-coffee or tea state of mind.  (and this house is still new to us, and we don't really know where all those things are)

So while he was here on essentially a dry run, a little "lightbulb" went off in my head and I asked him if he could connect a new motion detector spotlight fixture at our back door, which was a Christmas gift from our son, but no one had had the time or ability to install it yet.  He was very happy to do so, and we were happy to pay him for his services rendered, which by the way, was extremely reasonable all things considered.  

And so, what started out as a test to see just how "joyful" I was going to be under somewhat frustrating circumstances, turned out to be a blessing in disguise, and all day long I was thinking about what this "joyful journey" is going to look like this year.

 It was a beautiful day, although chilly, but I spent some time outside enjoying looking at the new rye grass that is growing on our backyard where we had some dirt work done a month or so ago. Isn't it pretty? I know, it is only rye grass that lasts through the winter, and it will dry up in the summer, but it sure looks pretty right now, and I am so thankful we planted it.

 Even the bunnies are enjoying laying in the green grass. It must feel like spring to them!!

And I found true joy in watching the birds come and go to the bird feeder...this Chickadee has found a "room with a view" of the pond!

Speaking of the pond, did you see those pictures of the Canadian Geese on the pond yesterday? In case you missed them, here's a few pictures for you to enjoy along with me. If these don't make you joyful, I don't know what will.  I wish you could have heard them honking at each other. There were at least ten of them swimming around on the pond all day long. I didn't get anything else done all morning for watching them!!

 This one looks like they are racing, and the bigger one is saying "Honk Honk, move out of my way!"

 I love the reflections in the water...no two pictures are alike. Our God is an awesome God. He paints everything with so much beauty for us to enjoy.

These two were getting brave and coming closer to shore. I really don't want them on the shore as they can be quite messy, but they stayed in the water and enjoyed fishing around for minnows all day long.

That's probably enough, and I know you may have already seen these if you are on my Facebook page, but I have enjoyed looking at them so much that I just wanted to share them with you again just in case you missed them!

Okay, that's all for tonight...The first day of the New Year...(but you probably won't see this until tomorrow...and who knows what joys we will experience then?  God knows!!)

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him."

Psalm 28:7

Good Night my friends!