The Turtle Who Tried to Eat Hillsdale

Usually, Molly is a quiet dog, doesn't do much barking, only when she wants in. Well, I guess yesterday she was raising cain and wouldn't stop howling, barking, etc so David went outside to see what all the commotion was! Low and behold there was a turtle out there about the size of a dinner plate! Thankfully, it was out of Molly's reach because he wasn't too happy with all the commotion. David got pictures (I've attached one here) and the 2 of them had fun watching the turtle "scurry" off into the weeds. We think this "little" guy is the culprit concerning our eaten tomato plants, but who knows? Could be the rabbits too! :) It's not all bad living in the country! :) :) Here's to turtles and beagles who don't like them! :)

Dive-bombing hummingbirds and a man with a bucket

With that kind of title how could you NOT want to read this blog? :) :) Last summer we decided to put up a hummingbird feeder. I, especially, really enjoyed watching the little buggers swoop in for their sugary treat! I finally got it back up the other day and already they're flocking. I was watching the feeder last night and noticed that a male (I know he's a male due to his bright red neck and green back) was perching on the hanger thing we have the feeder on. I then noticed that every time another hummingbird would come in for some food he would dive-bomb them and shoo them away! This was hilarious to watch. Was he sitting there waiting for his mate, his girlfriend, or just being a selfish little pest? Not sure, but it was funny! I'm hoping to get some photos of them one of these days. I would encourage you to get one of these feeders. You don't have to get the already-made nectar, you just make your own (1 part sugar to 3 parts water). You can add red food coloring if you want, but this year I decided not to and they're still coming. I'd say if you have kids, this would be an especially fun addition to your yard this summer! Just be sure to take it away in Sept so they fly south and don't freeze to death! :) We were given this ominous warning last year... :) :)

On to "Bucket Man"--as we're calling him now! :) David and I got settled into bed last night (about 10:30) and heard a truck pull in at the front--this is a common occurrence, as I've said before. It quickly became apparent that they weren't just turning around, so David went to the window just in time to see this man, carrying a big, 5-gallon bucket, sprinting between the house and church going back towards the neighbors on the other side of the church. We didn't see him for about 5 minutes and then suddenly here he comes (w/out the bucket this time) running again, hopped back into the truck and sped away. WHAT IN THE WORLD????????? We don't know. We don't understand. We were worried he planted some kind of explosive or started a fire, or something deviant, but this morning everything seemed fine. We are perplexed, to say the least. Sigh...we were left really wondering about this place, the rednecks here and their peculiar ways. We were then left to wondering (not the first time), how do we reach them? How do you reach a community that seems to have no hope?

Anyway, here's to dive-bombing hummingbirds and the Bucket Man!

Monday blahs

I often feel like Garfield, and share his hate of Mondays. But, then I have to wonder why are Monday's so horrible? I have no idea! I guess it could be that the weekend is over and we're back to reality and work. :) Work's not so bad, though, right? I mean, there are 1000s our there who don't even have jobs and need them. I always feel bad complaining about it being Monday. Could this be the Holy Spirit convicting me that every day is a gift from Him? Could it be that I need to be more conscience about serving Him and looking for opportunities to do so, regardless of the day? From here on out, I'm going to do my best to not dread Mondays, but see it as a chance to serve the Lord!

We had some weird weather this weekend. Friday the sky turned a yellowish-green color. We were trying to decide if we should head to the basement but took pictures instead! :) Turns out we were fine. Yesterday the sky got more and more dark and we were wondering why we weren't on the radar on the news channel for getting a thunderstorm. David got on line to check and it said we were under a storm watch. Well, the sky opened up and as David said, we "watched it come down!" I think weather people just pull things out of a hat 1/2 the time! Oh, and I took pictures of this oncoming storm too! :) After about an hour the sky turned brilliantly blue again as though rain had never even been a threat.

I hope you have a good Monday and can use today to find out what all the Lord has in store for you!

Earnest prayer

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you prayed so hard people thought you were drunk? That's what happened to Hannah in 1 Samuel. She couldn't have had a very happy life. We know that the other wife picked on her so bad she became distraught and cried. Thankfully, her husband loved her. In fact, he was upset that she thought she had to have children to earn his love. She wanted a child so badly that she promised to give him back to the Lord. How hard that must have been for her. She has a son and knows she must fulfill her promise to the Lord. She does and God blesses her with more children. This story has always been special to me. I've always admired Hannah's devotion to the Lord and her willingness to follow through even when it was difficult to do so. With my Wed. night Bible study we've been going through the OT (I think I've mentioned this...) and we just recently read the story of Hannah. I read it in a different light this time. Though I don't have another wife hen-pecking me, and I'm not miserable, I am without a child. It's been difficult. I have to pray daily that bitterness doesn't set into my heart. I have been slammed in the face with the fact/idea/whatever that maybe I haven't been praying earnestly enough for a child. I know that our society is way different then Hannah's was, and I can't say that I CAN give my child to a church when he/she is a year old, but there are other ways to give my child/children to the Lord. I can give them to Him on a daily basis, trusting Him to take care of them. I can give them to Him by knowing that wherever the Lord takes them (be it around the world or just in the US) that I let them go w/out making them feel guilty for leaving. I remember my mom saying that she did this (and probably still does). I never felt guilty for doing what I knew the Lord wanted me to do (and it's the same today). I never felt that my mom didn't want me to go just to stay with her for selfish reasons. I know it wasn't easy for my mom to let me go, but I also know she knew I had to do the Lord's will. What can we learn from Hannah from 1000s of years ago? Well, I can learn that I need to pray more earnestly--right now about having a child, but really, with anything in life. I can also learn that when/if the Lord does answer me with a yes, I have to remember that this blessing is from HIM and not due to anything I have done. I have to remember that it belongs to HIM and I have to be willing to let it/him/her go if that's what he asks. Is it easy to do? No, but I have learned in my 30 years that doing what GOD wants is FAR better then doing what I want. Not always the easiest road, but always the best road.

May you be encouraged today to pray earnestly for the things you want/need/desire. Scripture promises to give us the desire of our hearts (in Psalms), and in James it also warns that our prayers aren't answered because we ask with the wrong motives/desires. It's such a balancing act...Be encouraged though, that our Lord DOES hear our prayers and answers them according to what's best for us! Remember Hannah today. Read her story, it's not very long and is at the beginning of 1 Samuel. She has a lot to teach us about surviving under difficult situations and seeking/praying earnestly to the Lord for the desires of our heart.

Pea soup?

I have always been a bit befuddled when people describe a foggy morning/evening as "pea soup." It's not at all like pea soup. For starters it's not GREEN! I have never seen a foggy morning that was green looking. I've only seen pea soup a time or 2 and never saw any resemblance. Any thoughts from you, the public? Where on earth did we get the idea that foggy mornings and pea soup could be compared?

How many?

I know I just posted something, but technically that was yesterday's post (google was having issues so I couldn't post until today). For whatever reason, I often get a song going through my head in the mornings and it stays there. I have often wondered if it's God's way of helping me to remember his promises, his faithfulness, etc? I have been hearing a song on the radio--I don't know who sings it or what the song is called. The song is about Christ, coming to earth as a baby but is King and Lord and Savior. The chorus is what really strikes me. It goes like this...

How many kings step down from their throne?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?

There's more, but I can't quite remember it. Anyway, isn't it true and something to think about? What a wonderful thing to remember about our Lord! He stepped down from this throne in heaven to come be with us on earth. He abandoned his home of heaven, a perfect home, to come make a home here on this imperfect earth. He's the greatest, yet he became the least just so I (and you!) can have eternal life with him in heaven. If that doesn't stop you in your tracks, I don't know what will! What a wonderful God we have. I hope that you are able to find reason to praise His name today!

Funny times and tender moments

Who knew a 3 year old could be so much fun? :) I tell ya what! My niece Sophia is hilarious!! She comes up with the funniest things! Friday evening my sister, Sophia and I (and then Jamie later) went over to the church to do photocopying. David stayed at the house talking on the phone with his dad. Well, unbeknownst to us, it started to POUR rain while we were at the church. We discovered this when it was time to go back. So, Jamie picks up Sophia and runs and Ruthie and I followed...only to discover that David had locked us out!!!!!!! Sophia became very distraught and when Uncle David let us in she gave him a severe tongue-lashing. In a very dispondent voice, as though all the world would end, and with a measure of stern she said, "Uncle David! You left us out in the rain! I was getting rain all over my skin!" We couldn't help but laugh. It was hilarious! She just sounded so sad and horrified that she got rain on her skin! :) :) :) David was sure to give her a hug and apology, but we adults got a good laugh! :) This is only one of many little funnies this child said. When David invited us to partake in the Lord's supper (communion) at church on Sunday, Sophia said, "Before lunch???" She was confused why we'd be having supper before lunch. My sister did a great job of explaining what communion is. Sophia was watching "The Aristocats" movie and David noted that the voice who does Thomas, the alley cat, was the same voice who did Balou on "The Jungle Book." Ruthie or Jamie didn't hear what he'd said, so David said "He's Balou!" Sophia then promptly corrected her uncle and said, "No, Uncle David, he's not blue, he's orange and white!" Like, duh!!!! :) :) :) :) :) Oh this little girl, this precious child. She is a hoot!

We also had a very tender moment. Apparently, Sophia is discovering death, what it is, what it means, etc. She's so smart and really thinks through things. All of a sudden (or so it seemed to me) she said, "I don't want Grandma Hannah (who is my Gpa's new wife and is dying of cancer) to die." She was in tears, we were all getting teary-eyed. It was horrible. We tried to appease her by telling her that Gma would be in heaven with Jesus, but as it happens even with adults this wasn't too great a comfort and didn't take away the pain of losing someone. What a precious child she is. She is probably a lot further along in her preparation for Gma to die then the rest of us are. I pray her heart stays tender.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful time, ending with a picnic lunch at the park!