Western Flora

WESTERN FLORA (already saw the fauna)

The picture above is a desert cactus in Sedona, Arizona.  There is a lot of this type of cactus growing along the hills at the Chapel of the Holy Cross.  It looks like the flowers are just beginning to bloom.   Prickly little fellows with unspoken warnings to keep your distance.

     Here we have some regular cattails, similar to what we'd see back east.  I especially like the way
     they show up against the red rock of the visitor center at Red Rock State Park in Sedona.  The
            center just seemed to blend right in with the surrounding red rocks.  Really nice!

    This gives us an overall view of a desert botanical garden in St. George, Utah.  Although the land
     is dry and rocky, a variety of hardy plants (like yucca) grow with a minimum of moisture.

     I think this cactus is called a prickly pear.  It's definitely prickly, with tiny needles you could
     almost use for weapons.  The red fruit/flower is pretty and I believe animals use them for food.

     This bright golden flower is called a Rubber Rabbitbrush flower. These were in Zion National
       Park. It's a common western shrub and we saw these cheerful blooms in a number of places.

     This fruit hangs from a tree in an orchard at Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.  It's kind of
        surprising to find fruit orchards in desert areas, but this valley is quite productive.

      Red leaves in Flagstaff, Arizona (on October 1), remind us that it's fall after all.  With
      Flagstaff's elevation of nearly 7,000 feet, autumn comes to that town earlier than it does
      back east. In fact, a few days later, it snowed in Flagstaff.  I'm glad we were safely
                                          in Sedona, at only 4,000 feet.

     I'm ending with these delicate, wispy pink flowers growing in black cinder volcanic soil at
     Sunset Crater Monument in Arizona.  It's a picture of fragile beauty surviving in hard,
     difficult conditions.  I'm reminded of our fragile lives surviving in often hard, difficult
     conditions.  In Isaiah 35:1, God says, "And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose."

All the beauty of the flowers, leaves, cactus - can be considered as part of this verse in Luke 12:27:  "Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?"

 Thank you God for the beautiful flora and fauna - and for taking care of our every need!

Birds & Bees - and Critters Too

BIRDS & BEES - AND CRITTERS TOO

Some of the wildlife we came across on our western trip.  Our first little furry friend is
a chipmunk who lives among the red sandstone rocks in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.

Cows were plentiful along portions of the highway - called "Free Range" areas in Utah. 
Seems the cattle are free to roam from here to yon and driver beware.

One of Edgar Allen Poe's friends, "Quote the Raven, Nevermore!" This fine feathered
friend was a really big guy and unafraid of visitors - in Bryce Canyon.

We just saw the bird, now it's time for the Bee.  This little honey was busy doing his
thing on a beautiful white flower - I think perhaps a morning glory - in Zion.

I spotted this wasp at the ruins of Montezuma Castle.  The strange thing about him was
that he was actually moving rocks with his head and front legs, and some of the rocks
were bigger than I'd expect those thin legs to handle.  It was a strange sight.

                        Some cool verses from the Holy Bible on the subject:

  God says, "I know every bird in the mountain and the insects in the fields are mine"
                                              Psalm 50:11 NIV

   "And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its
    kind and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind.  And God saw
    that it was good."        Genesis 1:25

   "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap...and God feeds them. Of how
    much more value are you than the birds?"  Luke 12:24
 
  "Praise the Lord from the earth...beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying
    fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples...Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for His name alone is exalted"  Psalm 148:7-14

Unity

UNITY

This morning while I was doing my Bible study, I noticed lots of bird activity at the bird feeders outside my window.  The picture above is from an earlier date, but there was similar activity this morning.  As I watched, a finch, chickadee, Carolina wren, female cardinal and tufted titmouse were all on the feeders at the same time.  I was struck by the thought that they were all flitting about in harmony as they were being fed by God through us (we provided the seed).  It was a pleasing sight.

It made me think how we, as Christians, gather together at our churches and are fed by God through the pastor who shares a message from God - and how important harmony is among the brethren (and sistern too).  Jesus prays in John 17:21 "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent me."  I think such harmony among believers is a pleasing sight to our heavenly Father.

Indeed, in 1 John 3, the apostle tells us, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren." Further in chapter 4, he admonishes, "And this commandment we have from Him; that he who loves God must love his brother also."

As I noticed the differences in each bird - size, color, personality - I thought how different each person within the body of Christ is, and how we need to show grace to one another in our differences, working together in unity of Spirit to accomplish God's work in our little corner of the world.  It's not always easy, but by God's grace, it can be done - has he not said so?  God's grace is amazing and it spreads across all manner of His creation.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" Ephesians 2:8. 

While birds may sometimes feed together in harmony, there is no love among them for one another.  Love is a human trait and should most particularly be a Christian trait.  God doesn't just suggest we should love one another because it would be a good idea to do so.  He actually commands us to love one another and to live in unity.  Paul writes, "...keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" Ephesians 4:3. 

Thank you God for the love and grace you show us every day. Help us to show love and grace to others as well.

Yee-Ha - Still Out West

YEE-HA - STILL OUT WEST

 

 

    This is a small town called Mexican Hat, Utah.  Love the name!  As you look down the
    road you can see a long, dark building - that was our hotel, the San Juan Inn.  It's perched
    just above the river with a bridge span across, and surrounded by red sandstone rock.  This
    is truly Native American territory - namely the Navajo, who now prefer to be called "Dini."

The town of Sedona is tucked in a valley between beautiful towering red and white mountains of rock.  It's a busy, tourist town with lots of shopping and way too many "crystal" stores where the rocks supposedly have "powers."  They claim to have spiritual vortexes as well.  I don't believe it.
Here's something I do believe God says:  "'For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,
but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,' says the
Lord, who has mercy on you" Isaiah 54:10

      There is this beautiful chapel practically carved into the rock.  It's the Chapel of the
      Transfiguration.  It's quite a climb up the hillside (a paved road) to get up there, but
      great views and a nice, quiet place to pray and meditate on our amazing Father.

    I'll end this post with one of my favorite pictures that I took while in Sedona.  Although I
    captured many great places, this one looks so much like a painting that I'm partial to it.
    I think it was the cloud on the distant rock that did the trick.  This is an old fruit packing
    house built by Walter Jordan in 1946.  We toured his house and buildings.  What a
    wonderful place to live!  It is truly a beautiful, peaceful spot and we enjoyed our visit.

    Isaiah 52:7:  "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news,
    who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation,
    who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!"

Utah National Parks

Our Autumn Trip Out West

 

Join us as for a glimpse of the old west.  The first picture is taken in Zion National Park, Utah.  This vast, grand area of mountains, valleys, cliffs, and rock is rugged and amazingly beautiful.  We spent a day winding between these massive works of the Master's Hands and we were impressed each time we went around a new bend in the road.  The weather was gorgeous too.



      Zion has areas with widely varied rock formations.  God absolutely loves variety!

The following day, we drove through unique Bryce Canyon National Park, down the road about 75 miles from Zion.  This park is known for its hoodoos, which are weird rock formations caused by various forms of erosion.  Notice in the photo below all sorts of weird, twisted shapes.

The next day we drove to our third national park in as many days -- Capitol Reef - also in Utah.  Each park has very different rock formations and scenery from the other parks.  And they are all beautiful in their own distinctive ways.  Impressive just doesn't do them justice.

Can you spot me standing beside a large rock?  One day, that rock fell from the great butte standing above us.  I was just glad no rocks decided to fall on that particular day.  You just never know!

Along the way, between Bryce and Capitol Reef, we crossed over some pretty high mountain ranges (9,600 feet) and saw glowing stands of golden Aspen trees.  Aspen trees with their lovely white trunks are my favorite trees.  Praise God for the beauty of the earth He created for us to enjoy!

 

~ Golden beauty glowing against a blue sky ~

Insect Masquerade

I walked out onto my front porch and noticed what looked like a green leaf clinging to the brick.  On closer examination, it turned out to be an insect called a Katydid, or Bush cricket.  It's amazing how much this little fellow resembles a green leaf with legs.  He even has a brown spot on the top of him that looks like a bad place on the leaf.  He's quite the masquerader!

I just love seeing the vast variety in nature that God created.  How on earth could anyone ever believe these things happened by chance!  Below is a picture of another unique fellow who very much blends in with his background:

This "twig" as it looks like is actually called a Stick insect.  It's camouflage is about the best I've ever seen in nature.  I stared into this glass enclosure at the Durham Life Science Center and I had a very hard time distinguishing the insects from the twigs.  Our God is very clever!

Here is one of my favorite of the insects at the Life Science Center.  It's an Owl Moth, one of many in the Butterfly Room.  What looks like a big eye emblazoned on his wing must surely scare off some of its predators.  The "eye" is certainly a startling piece of its anatomy.

All of these insects are works of art, created by the Master Creator.  I thank Him for the great variety and beauty and even humor that He uses in His creations.

All of nature offers spiritual applications/messages and I can't end this without pulling out a message for us today.  As I view these insects and note the way they look like something other than what they are, I'm reminded how Satan (and his hoard of demons, as well) so frequently make themselves look like something other than what they are.  Scripture warns of this, saying, "For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light" 2 Corinthians 11:14.  Talk about camouflage!

Scripture tells us in many places how Satan and his cohorts "deceive the whole world" Revelation 12:9.  Just as these insects are out to deceive in order to devour their prey, so the enemy of our souls deceives in order to devour our very souls, or if we're Christians and he can't devour our souls, he'll do all he can to devour our peace and purpose.

Remember how subtle the enemy can be and beware.  Stay close to the Lord God and ask Him to help you recognize the enemy when he approaches you incognito.  So that in the power of the Holy Spirit you might be able to say as Jesus said, "Get thee behind me, Satan!  For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" Mark 8:33.

The Storm

THE STORM

The scene in the photo above looks peaceful and inviting.  It's the view looking down my son's driveway last November (10 months ago).  He lives about 15 miles from the coastline of North Carolina where Hurricane Florence made a roaring visit last week.  Florence was uninvited and she stayed way too long.  She wrecked havoc in her path as evidenced by the following picture that shows my son's yard a few days after the storm and after crews had come to help clean up the mess.

 

You might say, surely that is not the same place!  It's a slightly different angle, but it's the same front yard.  It kind of looks like a war zone with all the piled up tree trunk remnants and missing trees. 

 

 

 

Here's a picture of one of the large pine trees that toppled - just missing falling on the house (although it did snag a corner of the roof and portion of the carport).  My son lost about a dozen trees in the front and back yards, but God kept his family and his house safe.

 

I'm reminded of an old hymn written by Mosie Lister, called, 'Til the Storm Passes By.  Here are a few of the lyrics of the song:

 

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

   While the storms howl above me, and there's no hiding place.

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

   "Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by."

 

The song ends with these meaningful words:  "Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of thy hand; keep me safe 'til the storm passes by."

 

So much of what happens in nature offers a picture of things that happen in our lives.  Storms are not only physical swirls of wind and rain and thunder, they are also what happen in our lives when tragedy strikes and difficulties roar into our lives.  The physical devastation that occurs after a storm like a hurricane can mirror the devastation that happens in human lives when horrible events visit our peaceful existence.

 

There is sorrow and heartache, pain and suffering happening in every corner of our world every minute of every day.  It's enough to "make a grown man cry" as the saying goes.  And the second verse of the aforementioned song gives a clue to the enemies work:  "Many times Satan whispered, 'There is no use to try, for there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by.'"  Does that sound familiar?  No doubt the enemy has whispered that very thing into your ear/heart at some point in your life.  Just remember, Satan is a liar and the father of lies, so whatever he's whispering in your ear, you may know it's wrong.

 

Yes, there's sorrow all around us, but that is what happens in a sinful world.  When sorrow strikes and a storm roars into your life, don't despair and don't give up (as Satan would have you do).  There is always hope, because there is always God -- in control and all around us.  God offers hope, comfort, guidance on that storm strewn path, and His love to get us through it.

 

Remember those last words of the song and know that God will indeed keep you in the hollow of His great and loving hand, and He will keep you safe 'til the storm passes by.

 

And - I praise and thank God for keeping my dear son, his dear wife, and my two sweet precious grandchildren safe in the midst of that powerful storm.  Our God is all-powerful and so merciful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

   



Black Birds

BLACK BIRDS

Black birds at our feeder could symbolize sin and its insatiable pull in our lives.  Shoo it away and before you know it, it's baa--ck.  Although this is a photo of a Raven sculpture in Loveland, Colorado, black birds crowd around our feeder when we put certain types of seeds in them. 

If you use cheap seed - symbolizing careless habits -- it actually draws them to the feeder.  Before you know it, flocks are descending on your life, scaring away the gentle songbirds and devouring time and talent, peace and purpose. There are numerous warnings in God's Word about how we should live our lives, here are a few:

--"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" Ephesians 5:15-16
--"I say then: walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" Galatians 5:16
--"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men; according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ" Colossians 2:8
--"Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin" James 4:17.

There are times, however, that even when we put the best seed in our feeders, flocks of black birds will still descend and try to take over the feeding stations.  When that happens, we have to be careful what type of seed and what type of feeders we leave hanging on the pole.  It all comes down to being careful and using the elements wisely. 

The same is true in our spiritual life.  Even times when we are living close to the Lord, the enemy will swoop down and try to take over.  Thankfully, our Lord is still in control and if we are careful to follow the steps He gives in His Word (read all of Ephesians 6), He has promised to scatter the enemy and give us victory.  "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" Ephesians 6:10-11.

The Joy of Reading

THE JOY OF READING

 

I have loved to read ever since the summer I was 12 years old and discovered the mobile library that visited once a week down the street from our house.  A whole new world of adventure opened up to me and I've never stopped reveling in the wonder of the written word.

 

And so, I'm thrilled when I see my grandchildren into books.  Marisa and Landon avidly read their library books while they enjoy a nice cuppa tea.  Noelle peeks over the shoulder of her sturdy friends to see what they are reading, as she repeats her stock photo word, "Cheese!"

 

 

This photo with my dearly-departed mother and grandson Storm when he was just a little guy is very precious to me.  She was reading him a book about an Angel and he was leaning in, not wanting to miss a word of the story.  It reminds me how wonderful it is when generations pass on the love of reading to the generations to follow.

 

One famous author wrote:  “To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” ―W. Somerset Maugham, Books and You

 

 

I have always said, you will never get bored in life if you enjoy reading. So - I hope you are caught up in a lovely adventure on the pages of a wonderful book for at least an hour each day (:

 

 

Proverbs and Wisdom

 

 

PROVERBS

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM GOD

 

The Book of Proverbs in the Holy Bible is a practical book of instructions on how to live a better, more peaceful and joy filled life. The writer, King Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived), says the reason he wrote these things (other than the fact that God told him to do so) is:  "To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding...to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion - a wise man will hear and increase learning..." 1:2-5.

 

   Here are a few words of wisdom accompanied by pictures to illustrate the action - Enjoy!

 

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control" 25:28
"Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go" 22:24
Ouch!  Trying to deal with a man who holds a chair like a club in one hand and accosts you with the other is certainly a situation to avoid -- wise words indeed!
  --The carving of the two men is on the walls of City Hall in Brussel Belgium.



"Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop than in a house shared with a contentious woman" 21:9

"Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord" 19:14

 

  This carving I spotted in an archway of a palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, shows a dutiful wife lighting the lamp as her husband sits peacefully by her side.

 

"The foolishness of a man twists his way, and his heart frets against the Lord" 19:3

"The lazy man says, 'There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!" 22:13

   This carved column on the side of a building in Helsinki Finland depicts a foolish, lazy, frightened man.

 

Two more carvings on a building in Helsinki (interesting choice of decoration, wouldn't you say?!).

"A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back to pervert the ways of justice" 17:23

"The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes" 21:10

"A wicked man hardens his face, but as for the upright, he establishes his way" 21:29

 

We'll end on a positive note with a sweet carving found in the Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia. The little cherubs are busily building -

"In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty" 14:23

"The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor" 12:24

"Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings..." 22:29.

 

    "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens....for the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught" 3:19 & 26.

 



Caribbean Cruise

CARIBBEAN CRUISE - February 18 - March 4

Here we are on the Celebrity Eclipse in the blue waters of our first port stop - St. Maarten.  We spent four hours wandering around the town of Philipsburg, popping into churches and shops to escape frequent raindrops.  Below is a view of our ship, plus three others visiting the island on that day (there was only one other ship with us on the other islands) -

Our next stop was the island of Antigua.  We walked several blocks to the bus station and caught a local bus to the southern end of the island to see Nelson Dockyards.  We rode Bus 17, along with a full load of locals, the 40 minute distance.  It was a very nice historic, British encampment with a great museum about their hero, Horatio Nelson.

We climbed the hill beside the boatyard and had a lovely view of rugged cliffs and pounding sea.

The next day we woke up with the beautiful island of St. Lucia below our ship.  A lovely, green mountainous jewel in the Caribbean Sea. We enjoyed a private tour and a muddy climb up the Tet Paul Trail with wonderful views of the famed Pitons.

The climb required careful footing and was accompanied by considerable huffing and puffing, but it was well worth the effort.   Pictures don't do the view justice even a little.

Barbados was our next stop.  We had to take a shuttle into town, which was surprisingly more like a regular city than most of the other islands we've been to.  There was shopping malls, escalators and plenty of traffic, along with the beautiful white sand beach -



The first of the ABC islands - Bonaire was our next port call.  It was a sunny, hot day and the island was beautiful.  We took a 2-hour van tour and saw the north end of the island (we'd seen the south end on a previous visit).  The island is chock full of cactus, but so nice.



        One of our stops on the tour was to see this gorgeous beach where there were large
              sea turtles and numerous scuba divers - and the bluest water!

We had our first Caribbean overnight in Curacao (pronounced Curacel for some reason). The view of shops across the river is so colorful and lovely -- very much like Nyhaven in Copenhagen.  The city has a bit of a European look to it.  We walked a lot that day.

    The Queen Juliana floating pontoon bridge Larry is standing on is unique and interesting.  

                 It offers a nice view of the colorful shops on the shoreline.



Our final island adventure was Aruba.  We took a 3-hour bus tour and saw the north end of this large island.  The photo was taken atop a massive rock that we climbed (like the one below).  In the far distance, along the shoreline, you can spot our cruise ship docked in town.  This is a very Dutch island of rock and cactus, with wild donkeys and many grand hotels.



We'll end with this nice, big heart that sits on the edge

 of the water in Curacao. It's covered in locks that

represent "lasting love," which is a good motto

for our cruise - since we were celebrating

our 50th wedding anniversary