I've Been M.I.A. Lately!

 Here it is Wednesday already...how did THAT happen?  I think the last time I wrote anything was last Thursday night! Now I see I've missed the Tuesday 4 for this week and you all are already past that and on to the Wednesday Hodgepodge, which I don't usually participate in.  Where has the week gone?  Oh, I know! We had the time change on Sunday to daylight savings time...that explains everything! I'm still trying to find that hour we lost! LOL.

So let me back track and try to find out where I lost my way...

I believe it was last Friday morning, when we had this lovely "sunrise"..."red skies in morning, sailors take warning!"  Yes, that is old news now, but last Friday we had a lot of bad weather in our part of the state. Thankfully we did not experience any of the tornado activity that passed a bit south of us, but we did get rain, rain, and more rain.  At least 3.5 inches of rain in a 24 hour period! That's a lot of rain! 

 When I left off last week we were just starting to get that rain and we had these "lovely" visitors to Still Waters Pond... (Pardon me if you are a Facebook friend, as you may have already seen most of these pictures before)

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Wood Stork flew in on Thursday evening and were having quite a feast.  Well, they did come back on Friday morning...and this is what they had to endure:

Yes, the storm blew in with high winds and lots and lots of rain...

There's Mr. Anhinga, still "holding on" to that little tiny branch out in the middle of the pond. He tenaciously held on throughout the whole storm! I was quite impressed by his fortitude and feats of endurance.

If you look closely below, he's a tiny little speck about the middle of the picture:

Mr. and Mrs. Wood Stork were also  quite strong and still.  They stood together like this throughout the high winds and pounding rain and basically did not move for over an hour or longer, except when the lightning was so powerful I noticed one of them move a little bit closer to the other:

Still Mr. Anhinga held on:

And so did the Wood Stork couple:

Even when the rain was so heavy I could barely see them, they just stood perfectly still:

But finally there was a break in the storm and first one stork flew up to a tree on the island,

And then the other flew to another tree:

This is what I was looking at to try and find them:

Yes, they are both in this picture! Thank goodness for a good zoom lens on my real camera.

Here, I'll make it easier for you. Notice where I wrote the words: Look Up", and you will find them. You may need a magnifying glass. Sorry!

And so they stayed in the trees for a little while, until the storm passed by and we just had a little drizzle left, and they they lifted their beautiful big black and white wings and flew away and we haven't seen them since.

Reminds me of the song

"Til The Storm Passes By"

"In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face

While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place

'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more

Till the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

Many times Satan whispered

There is no use to try

For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by

But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise

Where the storms never darken the skies

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more

Till the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe till the storm passes by"

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Thomas Mosie Lister

I hope you enjoyed that song and the encouragement it brings...often times we find ourselves in "storms" that are not weather related...and it is so wonderful to know that we have a God who is big enough to hold us and carry us through any kind of storm we may face in life.  We need not fear the storm nor the effects of it when we know that we anchored to the Rock...

Which leads me to another song...This is a little different than the way we are used to singing it in church, but I think it will speak the same message beautifully:  Sing along with the old song, "We Have an Anchor"

Refrain:

"We have an anchor that keeps the soul

steadfast and sure while the billows roll;

fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!"

1 Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

when the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,

will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

Refrain:

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

steadfast and sure while the billows roll;

fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!

2 Will your anchor hold in the straits of fear,

when the breakers roar and the reef is near?

While the surges rage, and the wild winds blow,

shall the angry waves then your bark o'erflow?

 [Refrain]

3 Will your anchor hold in the floods of death,

when the waters cold chill your latest breath?

On the rising tide you can never fail,

while your anchor holds within the veil.

 [Refrain]

4 Will your eyes behold through the morning light

the city of gold and the harbour bright?

Will you anchor safe by the heavenly shore,

when life's storms are past for evermore?

 [Refrain]

Well, I guess I hadn't planned on going this direction today, but this is where God led me.  I hope you found some comfort and peace in these songs.

Just so you know, everything else is fine. I just haven't been "mentally" into writing or reading much the past few days. No problems...just mind boggled I guess...time change usually slows me down for about a week until my body clock catches up. At least that's my story and I'm sticking with it!    I hope to get caught up with everyone later and get back in the loop. 

 

Oh, here's a couple of pictures my hubby took of me doing my "chores"  LOL:

I baked a ham on that stormy day so the house smelled good like something wonderful cooking and warming up the kitchen.  But then we had all that ham leftover since there are just the three of us here to eat it. So, another family tradition (from my Grandma Mursch) is to make a hamloaf.  I've shared the recipe and similar pictures here before: Link to Hamloaf story

And so I got out the old meat grinder that my mother gave me and set it up on the Hoosier Cupboard (that belonged to my husband's grandmother) and ground up the remaining ham to make a hamloaf.

And then we had the "kids" over for supper on Sunday night to eat it. But I didn't take any pictures of that!  We all enjoyed it and are still eating leftover hamloaf sandwiches, which are very good grilled with some swiss cheese on pumpernickel bread.

Okay, it's time to get this day rolling. I hope to be better about reading and writing in the next few days.

I've missed you!

Have a blessed week everyone, what's left of it!

And remember to be sure you are fastened to the "Rock that cannot move!"

Friday Foto Friends: The Storms of Life

It's Friday morning....after a rather tempestuous and turbulent week for so many in our country...terrific thunderstorms and rain here in our part of the country, and frigid, sub-freezing horrific winter storms in parts of the country who have not seen such wintry weather in more than a half century...leaving many folks without power, heat, water...a terrible wintry mix of  suffering and sorrow. Our hearts go out to so many who are still suffering even though the temperatures may have risen, the damages done will take some time to recover from.  It has been a difficult week in the lives of some dear friends as well, with the loss of loved ones from Covid, Cancer, and other terrible illness.  It leaves us all feeling a bit helpless and could be hopeless if it were not for one thing, Jesus!  As we began the journey of Lent this week, looking forward to the "Light" out of the darkness that comes with Easter sunrise...we have hope in our hearts and praise on our lips, because we know Jesus will carry us through the storms of life and bring us safely to the other shore.

Perfectly timed, God showed us His glory this morning in the skies, with this glorious sunrise in the east...

and it's rich beauty reflected on the face of Still Waters Pond in the west...

But with the old adage, "Red skies at night, sailor's delight, Red skies at morning, sailors take warning!", we know that another storm is coming....

And within minutes the clouds begin to roll in, covering up the glory of the morning sun,

snuffing  out the beauty of the reflections on the waters, 

and preparing us for what is blowing in through the skies in a matter of minutes:

and then it begins...the rains come pouring down, lightly at first, 

but building in intensity as the waters burst out of the clouds...

and soon we are having another major rain storm...

But even that is beautiful in its intensity...

And we are even thankful for the rain that is replenishing the earth and restoring the waters of the pond

But the message that came to me this morning was about being at peace in the midst of the storm because we know our God reigns! (not supposed to be a play on words, but it does fit)

The important question to ask ourselves in the storm of life that come and go frequently just like spring rainstorms, will your anchor hold in these storms of life?   Do you have yourself firmly anchored to the One Who will keep you safe in any storm of any kind...weather, personal, national, physical, emotional, financial?

Do you remember this old hymn?

1 "Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,

When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?

When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,

Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

Chorus:

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

2 It is safely moored, ’twill the storm withstand,

For ’tis well secured by the Savior’s hand;

And the cables passed from His heart to mine,

Can defy the blast, through strength divine.

3 It will firmly hold in the straits of fear,

When the breakers have told the reef is near;

Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow,

Not an angry wave shall our bark o’erflow.

4 It will surely hold in the floods of death,

When the waters cold chill our latest breath;

On the rising tide it can never fail,

While our hopes abide within the veil."

ONE MORE VERSE:

"When our eyes behold through the gathering night

The city of gold, Our harbor bright,

We shall anchor fast by the heavenly shore,

With the storms all past for evermore."

Chorus:

We have an anchor that keeps the soul

Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,

Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,

Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

That "Anchor" is Jesus....He is the ROCK that cannot move...and when we are "grounded firm and deep in the Savior's Love", there is NO storm in life that can uproot us.  He will give us the strength and hope and grace to carry on and keep moving forward even when everything seems bleak and without any hope. He IS our hope and peace and comfort.  I pray that we all have that Anchor that keeps our souls during these storms of life.  Brighter days are coming...it is Lent now, but remember, Easter is coming!!!



Please be sure to check out what Lily Grace has been up to this week. She has some more interesting Friday Fotos for our friends!