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!

Rejoice With Us!

Romans 12:15 a. "Rejoice with those who rejoice..."

Psalm 28:7

"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."

Psalm 30:11

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness."

Psalm 30:5

"Weeping may endure for a night, 

but JOY comes in the morning."

What is all of this about? You may not fully comprehend the joy that I feel today!  Our oldest son has announced his engagement to a lovely young Christian woman...and we are rejoicing!

 Rejoicing because  this is definitely something to be happy about!  Rejoicing because this is an answer to many years of prayer! Rejoicing because God is so gracious and loving and kind...

You may not understand why this is such a big deal...but it is...and we give God the glory and honor and praise...for Great Things He Hath Done!!!

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh..." 

Mark 10:7-8

The engagement ring they have chosen is a combination of both of their birthstones, each cut into a heart shape. Very beautiful and uniquely their own.


P.S.  The two roses came from our Memorial Garden. Kind of an "engagement gift" from Benton's brother Matthew in heaven ....Roses for Rose and Benton...the first blooms of this year on this bush.

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad!" 

 Psalm 126:3

Rejoice with us!

Just a Little Pep Talk -Updated

This is a rerun of a previous posting from over two years ago...but I came across it tonight and it spoke to my heart again...and I felt that God wanted me to share it with you again as well.  Perhaps there is someone out there who needs this "Little Pep Talk" tonight.  I am praying for you, whoever you are. May God bring courage and strength and hope to your heart as you read these words. 

"The Lord is my light and my salvation; 

Whom shall I fear?  

The Lord is the STRENGTH of my life; 

Of whom shall I be afraid?" 

Psalm 27:1

Fear is one of those enemies of the mind that binds us and keeps us from being able to step out on faith...or sometimes even to step out of our houses. It locks the door of our hearts and throws away the key, prohibiting us from giving or accepting love.  Fear tells us not to speak out...strangles our tongues so we can't express our thoughts freely, grasps our hands and keeps our fingers from writing the words that could set others free. We fear what others might think of us if they knew the truth...we fear we'd lose their friendship or love...if one can call it that.  God's Word tells us that "There is NO fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  (I John 4:18)   "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in the world." (I John 4:17)

"When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes...

they stumbled and fell."

"Though an army may encamp against me, My heart SHALL NOT FEAR! Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident!"  Psalm 27:3

"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." 

Psalm 27:6

Sometimes we just need to give ourselves and those around us a little pep talk from God's Word! Now, doesn't that feel better?  

"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."

"The LORD is their STRENGTH, 

and HE is the saving refuge of His anointed."

Psalm 28:7-8

FINAL WORD:

"Wait on the LORD;

Be of good courage,

and HE shall STRENGTHEN your heart;

Wait, I say, on the LORD!"

Psalm 27:14

Time to Hibernate - UPDATED 10/30/13

This was originally written one year ago, and I am still trying to do these same things...This past Sunday afternoon I attempted to sit in this exact same spot and write to you on my laptop, and it went into hibernation again, plus I couldn't even find a signal, so I gave up and went inside. I'll get it figured out again soon...I need that space and place for my sanity's sake!  So I just re-read what I wrote a year ago, and relived the moment of peace and serenity.  Thought you could use the same kind of thoughts...although it isn't Sunday yet, so we can't go take an afternoon nap.  Although I do have a little couch in my office that I just might make use of if I get a moment...ahhh, no, better not let them catch me napping...wouldn't look too good. (I'm taking a brief after lunch break at the moment---gotta get back to work now).   Well, enjoy your fall afternoon.  I'll get back to writing in the present time again soon...just been busy and distracted lately.



Original Writing: Sunday 10/21/2012:
There's something different about today...a beautiful autumn day...The Lord's Day ~

"This is the day the Lord has made...we WILL rejoice and be glad in it!"....Psalm 118:24

I'm sitting outside in a little woodsy sanctuary in my yard...an alcove in the trees that has appealed  beckoned to me ever since we moved to this house about 9 months ago.  Of course, all through the summer it has been a bit too warm (and buggy) to sit outside for long, and today is really the first day that was comfortable enough to even try.  (There were a few mosquitoes, but thanks to my sister's AVON bug repellant, I survived their attack).

I thought I could hide away here and write and take pictures of the birds...but someone discovered me and took MY picture instead! (Thanks, John!) 

I did manage to get a few telephoto pics of a Flycatcher taking a momentary rest from his labors:

I am not sure if this is a Great Crested Flycatcher, as he has a yellow belly...but the rest of his markings don't quite match up.  Any birdwatchers out there know what this is? There are several of them flitting around the yard and trees today...very active, but not particularly noisy. 






My laptop decided to go into hibernation so I had to come inside to finish this...and now my desktop is acting very lethargic, and I have reverted back to the laptop, which had to be connected and brought back out of hibernation.  Which reminds me...they say our bears are getting ready to go into hibernation for the winter soon...yes, even here in Florida.  I wonder where they go to hide away from it all?  I guess they have their own secret "woodsy alcoves" where they can retreat and stay out of the watchful eyes of the world while they rest and recuperate from their active breeding and feeding season.

The Lord gave His creation the Sabbath as a day of rest...a day set apart to "hibernate" away from the cares of the world and rest. 

"And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.  Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."  Genesis 2:2-3

So, that is what is different about today...it is the Lord's Day, His Sabbath...a day to rest from our labors and honor and worship Him.  It was good to be in the House of the Lord this morning...and it is also good to find a place to "hibernate" away and do what brings rest to your body and soul and mind for a spell.  For me, a hidden quiet place nestled on the edge of the woods (no worries...always in view of the house in case a bear seeking his hiding place should suddenly appear)...a sanctuary in which to read, write, or just sit and observe nature and be at peace.  Helps to calm the spirit and repair the frazzled nerves before the return to work on the morrow.

"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

I hope that you have found a place of quiet rest somewhere today.  You may not have the woods, but perhaps you live near the sea, or a park, or maybe for you it is a quiet nook in your home away from the television and noise of the "crowds"...maybe even your own bedroom.  Wherever it is, take time to "hibernate" for a little while and give your body, mind and spirit a chance to recharge and recuperate.  It is a God-ordained plan...it's good for you. God said so. 

"Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good..." Genesis 1:31

So, don't feel guilty when you take that Sunday afternoon nap, or walk, or just sit and do absolutely nothing for a while.  It's OK! 

Random Journal Day: Safe in the Shepherd's Hand

Here we are back to another "Random Journal Day"... taking a walk back in time and peering into the thoughts from the past...and hopefully gleaning something positive from such a venture.  Some of my favorite blogging friends are doing the same thing....so perhaps you will take a peek at what they were thinking about years ago as well...

My trip back in time today goes to May 8, 2001. It was a Tuesday, according to my journal entry, and it was 11:17 a.m.  I always like to add the time and day to help me understand where my thinking was at the time.  Sometimes my thoughts were much clearer in the daytime than at night...but then again, not always necessarily so. I think the fact that this particular post was written in the middle of the day on a weekday means that I was still recuperating from an earlier surgery that year and had not yet gone back to work. That could explain some of my thoughts.  So here we go. Ready to get on the magic carpet ride back in time?

"My sheep hear My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  NO ONE can take them out of My hand." John 10: 27-28 (Jesus speaking).

I really love today's devotional readings. (Note: I do not have the name of the devotional book written down) The title is, "Safe in Jesus' Hand".  The author, James McGinnis, says,

"Jesus is not a shepherd who leads from afar.  We're not following Him at a distance.  His hand is securely and lovingly holding on to our hand. What a sense of security this should give us! No matter how stormy or threatening the situation, Jesus is there holding us tightly in His hand."

"Thank you, Jesus, for walking with us, hand in hand, each day of our lives.  Keep us mindful of the bond we have and give us courage to follow wherever You lead, for You lead us to fullness of life."  Amen.

I went on to say:  These thoughts are very comforting to me today.

Psalm 28:7 ~ "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."

Psalm 27:14 ~ "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord."

We need to remember that whatever the circumstances in our lives~ "God is in control".  We can safely put our hand in His  hand.

In a later entry in the same journal, (six months later) I wrote the following:

"I just re-read the entries in this little book that I've written throughout this past year.  God was truly ministering to me during those days of convalescence from my surgery.  I see that I haven't written anything since going back to work in May! So much for goals and keeping up with writing! But I guess it has been all I could do over the past six months to keep up with house and home and work, let alone trying to write a book!  I really haven't had the physical energy--as well as the spiritual power--necessary to write all that was on my heart.  Looking back, I realize that I have been in a real emotional fog for most of this year.  I wish I could say that the fog has totally dissipated and I am walking fully in the sunlight at this time.  But I cannot honestly say that.  Each day seems to bring new challenges to my faith and mind.  There are days that I find myself wishing there was some means of "escape".  And yet, I know that is not what God would want for me.  I know I must persevere and remain faithful to His calling on my life.  To quit now would show a lack of trust and faith.

Lord, You know I believe, but help my unbelief.  I am only human, after all.  There are days that I fear that I will either lose my mind or my life~but then I remember that God is able to sustain me throughout all of my life~in all circumstances.  I need not fear what man may do to me~I am safe in the arms of Jesus.  He continues to carry me and protect me.  Praise God!! Jesus never fails!"

 Thankfully I did not lose my mind or my life...and God HAS sustained me through even harder days than those in the subsequent years.  He still continues to carry and protect me, much like that Good Shepherd...tightly holding on to my hand.  And I can still testify to His holding power...I AM safe in His arms. Praise God!! Truly, Jesus NEVER fails!  I hope that you have found this to be true in your life as well. If you are not sure of where you stand in Christ, take a moment to ask Him.  He will hear you...and He will give you the peace you are seeking. And that is a peace that lasts a lifetime, no matter what the circumstances. Try it and see for yourself! What do you have to lose?

Even Jesus had difficult days...in this picture, which is one of the several beautiful stained glass
windows in the church where I presently work, Jesus is praying to His Father, God Almighty, while in the
Garden of Gethsemane.  This was the night before His crucifixion. He had gone into
the garden to pray because He knew what was about to take place. And this is the prayer He prayed,
"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done." (Luke 22:42)
When He finished His prayer and came out of the garden, Judas Iscariot betrayed Him with a kiss, 
and the rest is history. 
 He died for our transgressions. 
But the best part of the story is, three days later
He arose from the dead...and conquered death forever!
That is why I have hope and peace.
"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!" (song, Bill Gaither)
I hope you have this same hope.