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!

 

My Little Matryoshka Doll

I've had this sweet little "Matryoshka Doll", or Russian Nesting Doll, sitting on a bookshelf for quite a few years. It was a gift from some people who were members of the church where I used to work before I retired.  They had taken a trip to Russia and surrounding areas, and brought back this souvenir for me from their journey. I was thrilled to receive it, but I didn't fully appreciate the meaning of it or its uniqueness until now.  All I knew was that it was a "Russian Nesting Doll".

For more information on how these dolls are made, you can click on this link for the history:  Matryoshka Doll, or Russian Nesting Doll

Now, with the terrible conflict that is going on in Ukraine at the hands of the Russian dictator Putin, my heart has been so broken as I watch the thousands of Ukrainian women and children trying to escape from their cities to get to a safe place.  Their husbands and menfolk are mostly staying behind to protect their country and fight for their freedom.  Many of these women and children may never see their men again alive. And it's not only the Ukrainian women who are losing their menfolk. So are the Russian women. Many of them do not even realize what is happening and why the men have gone off to fight in Ukraine. Many of the Russian people are shocked and angry when they realize what is really happening.

And so, without going into the political issues that surround all of this horrific conflict, my heart is breaking for the women and children of both countries. And this little doll has become the reminder to me to pray for them.

If you are not familiar with how this little doll is made, let me show you mine:

When you open up the doll, also known as "The Little Matron", or a "Babushka Doll", you will discover another smaller doll inside!

Ah, but when you open that doll, there is another! 

And, guess what?  When you open the third doll, yes, you guessed it, there is another one!

Oh, but you mustn't stop there, like I did when I first got this doll!  I didn't realize that the fourth doll also opened up. It wasn't until much later when I was looking at her more closely that I noticed that she was also supposed to be opened!  And guess what I found inside her?

Yes, a tiny baby doll!

As I look at this little family of the Mother and her children, I pray for these dear sisters around the world who are suffering so today. Sadly, even some of the children and mothers have been killed in this tragic, senseless war.  I am happy to see that surrounding countries are welcoming these families into their homes, even though they are strangers from a foreign country.  They are literally taking them inside their homes and giving them clothes to wear and food to eat and a bed to sleep in.

This reminds me of the story in the Bible we read this morning in our devotions. I am sure it is familiar to many of us. But what a perfect example we are seeing take place today.  Here is the story:

Matthew 25:31-46

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Some real "food for thought", isn't it? What would I do if they came to my door?  I pray I would be as kind as those who are opening their doors and rescuing these poor women and children today.

In my research to learn more about these dolls, I came across a link to this little book.

The Littlest Matryoshka Book

"Here is a Sweet and fun introduction to Russian nesting dolls"   and what appears to be a very lovely story.

By Thriftbooks.com User, April 30, 2004

"Although the set of coincidences leading to the happy ending is far-fetched enough to raise a toddler's eyebrows, this sweet story extolling the sisterhood bond is a favorite in our home. The matryoshkas, or nesting dolls, have human emotions. They grieve the loss of their littlest sister, the center doll carved from the heart of the wood. Yet their inability to behave as people do leaves them helpless. "They could not lift their painted arms to reach out..." After the littlest matryoshka is reunited with them, the young girl who owns the dolls places them in a circle so that each can look at her sisters' faces and rejoice.

 Only then do the dolls' painted smiles really mean something. Each of the dolls is given a name. Several times throughout the story, their stacking order is chanted. "Nina inside Nadia, and Nadia inside Vanda," and so on. This repetition helps make the story a fun read-aloud book for young children. Kathryn Brown's watercolor illustrations are not only cute, they also teach the reader something about matryoshka costuming. When we first meet the toy maker crafting the matryoshka set, each doll's outfit is being decorated slightly more elaborately than the previously painted doll. Similarly, their faces are drawn with progressively more detail. Though the difference between any two consecutive dolls is hardly remarkable, the cumulative effect of adding increasingly more decorations is apparent when they are lined up next to each other. Reading this book just once helps the novice gain new appreciation for the subtleties involved with this old Russian folk art tradition. In summary, this is a delightful book that will be appreciated by children and adults alike."

My little friend Lily Grace said that she would love to play with these little nesting dolls, and she wanted to dress up like a "Matryoshka Doll" too.  So here she is with her "Babushka" on.  She wanted me to remind you all to keep praying for these people in Ukraine, and yes, even the people in Russia.

Matthew 5:43-48 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

These are certainly some things for us to think about and pray about during this season of Lent. Amen?

May the Lord bless you and yours, and may He keep our families safe.  And Pray for Peace in Ukraine.

Happy November!

Well, it's November, folks!  We made it this far in 2020, and if we can survive this week we just might make it to the end of 2020!  Praying and trusting that God will be with us this week as we cast our ballots (most of us already have) and as we wait on the results and pray for God's will to be done. That is my prayer. Regardless of what people may think, God is still in control and we will trust Him to do what is best for all concerned. But that still doesn't mean that you shouldn't vote. Do your part, but most of all, pray and seek God's wisdom first.

Okay, that is all I will say about that for now. I may have a lot more to say after tomorrow.

I see Thanksgiving on the calendar...and I have no clue just what we are going to do yet. Haven't talked recently to my relatives who are close enough to come and share Thanksgiving with us as they usually do, to see what they are thinking and what they feel "comfortable enough" to do. What are you folks doing this year? 

Here's the picture from my John Sloane Country Seasons Calendar for November. Today I really could have used that firewood to build a fire...it got pretty chilly here in Florida...in the 50's this morning and currently this evening it is 56, and it has been quite windy all day. At least it was sunny, so that was nice. I know many of you are much colder where you are, so I'm not complaining. But this is Florida, after all!  (And it is expected to go down into the 40's tonight!)

And here's the picture from my Tea Times calendar for November:

Cute tea set with the fox hunters on the hunt.  Poor widdle foxy.

I think I'd rather do as C.S. Lewis says here:

Yes, on a chilly fall day, put a fire in the fireplace (ours is electric) and sit down with a cup of tea and a good book and just relax and enjoy!!

My cup may not have been that fancy fox hunting group on the English countryside, but it is an "Olde English Countryside" design...

This cup is very old and has cracks in it, but I love the pictures on it.

See? I told you it was an "Olde English Countryside"!

So, what have you been doing today? We spent the morning at Walmart buying groceries. That was our walk for today as it was just too cold and windy this morning to walk outside. Then I went to our church Ladies' Bible Study this afternoon...still studying Joshua, and the discussion today was from Joshua 5, and also Leviticus 26:40-42,  talking about "circumcision of the heart".  God says of the Hebrew people, that if they will "confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors...their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward Me...then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land." (Leviticus 26:40-42)  In essence, when we turn back from our sinful ways toward God, He will forgive us and remember His promises toward us...

I believe our nation is in need of this kind of humbling and repentance and then forgiveness and healing from God.  Tonight, on the eve of this very important election, we really need to pray for our country to turn back to God so that He will heal our land.

In the meantime, how about some pictures from my weekend?

We took a nice little ride back down to the area where we used to live and stopped in at the boat ramp onto Big Lake Kerr...a lovely place where I've taken many beautiful pictures in the past.  I noticed these pretty yellow flowers along the shore and when I went to take a picture of the flowers I realized there were these very different looking butterflies flitting all around them.  Not sure that I've ever seen this particular butterfly before, but I looked it up and it is a "White Peacock"

This one below looks a little battle scarred:

But they both were enjoying their dinner of nectar from these lovely flowers. They didn't seem to notice me at all!

Then I turned my sights to the gorgeous smooth waters of Big Lake Kerr, and the perfectly clear blue skies above:

This lake has a very nice white sandy bottom, making it a nice place for swimming and boating.

It was a perfect morning!

Then we came home to our own Still Waters Pond and I noticed this very unusual bird swaying in the weeds along the shore.  It is an American Bittern, and this was my first sighting of this particular bird. 

I noticed that he seemed to be swaying in the weeds, and then I read in my Audubon bird guide that "when an observer is nearby, he will often stretch its neck up, point his bill skyward, and sway slowly from side to side, as if imitating waving reeds."  And that is exactly what he did for a very long time.

I was able to watch him from a distance for quite a while, and then decided I'd best go away so he could get back to his fishing and stop the swaying...

Not long after this he moved on to different parts of the pond, but I felt honored to be able to watch him for so long. I believe our Still Waters Pond would be a perfect habitat for him! Maybe he'll be back!

Interestingly enough, we read the 23rd Psalm in our morning devotions today. Perhaps it is good to review this Psalm again as we prepare our hearts for the upcoming events this week:

"The Lord is my Shepherd; 

I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

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 You staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; 

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

May the Lord give us peace of mind and soul no matter what.

Have a blessed week my friends.