SCRIPTURAL BIRD WATCHING

1/16/12 Can there be such a thing as scriptural bird-watching?

Not being the resident birder here, I missed National Bird Day this year---actually I’ve missed it every year. It always falls on January 5^th. I wonder, if on that day, anyone correlates Bible verses with bird habits. Probably not.

Married to a semi-birder (he’s never “done” a ”big year” like the one in the recent movie by that name) I’ve learned to make a budget line item for bird food and to house our bird books with the binoculars---both within easy reach of the kitchen table.

I have even come to enjoy the pleasures of bird watching.

Bird watching is calming----though I still find hubby’s bird clock a little grating.

Bird-watching is intriguing. I now see the beauty of the female cardinal as surpassing that of the showier male.

Bird-watching is insightful. One can learn a lot from the nesting, feeding and territorial habits of birds.

Most of my viewing takes place at my big kitchen window---as do some life lessons. When I combine what I am experiencing in life with bird watching and a correlating scripture--- "Voila!"

Today’s verses for meditation come from a combination of

one of my character flaws with the beauty I see in God’s creation of these feathered friends.

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? (Matthew 6:25-27)

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: GIFTS:... ---ADDENDUM

A gift that can keep on giving warmth----but first it has to be given. Daughter Molly assumes she should receive her cowl by Christmas 2014.

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS: GIFTS.......

1/16/12 .....that keep on giving
Monthly floral gift received in May that is NEW every month---a little bit of sunshine for dreary days.Marion in her "Dotsy" togs---an e-mail attachment that makes her Shug keep on smiling!
Kisses from Katie----a good read of passion for the Lord and and ALL his children which warms the heart on a cold day and is continuing to challenge my thinking.
Morning entertainment--
Red Bellied Woodpecker returns for new food....
....along with an immature Hairy Woodpecker friend, I think
















Bible (ESV), Journal, Devotional books

INK JOY

1/13/12 Writing brings me joy as do great writing implements. Finely sharpened pencils. Ink pens with flowing ink. I no longer have my cartridge filled pens but I still have my flat top Sheaffer pen and ink from the 50s with the snorkel filling system----just put the tip in the bottle and pull the lever for it to slurp the ink up and in.

What brings joy to God? Prayers of His children? My prayers?

Prayers are important to God. His word tells us to pray without ceasing (1Thess. 5:17) Obviously God desires our prayers----continual communion with Him---even though they don’t add anything to who God is. He doesn’t need our prayers to complete His work, but He desires them. Revelation 5 passage, particularly verse 8, convinced me that our prayers are important to God. If they are kept in a golden bowl, I can only assume that they bring him delight and Joy.

When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (the prayers of God's people, true believers) (Revelation 5:8)

I desire to bring more joy to the Father this year. In my somewhat OC (obsessive compulsive manner), I have all the color-coded journals and albums that hopefully will keep me focused on Him and improve my "too easily distracted" prayer life. My purple Ink Joy pen for “inkings” (jottings) in my purple “Praises, Prayers and Petitions” journal plus a small one for my purse. Even my light purple (lavender doesn’t start with a p) motif photo album filled with pix of those Saturday kids (big & little) for whom I pray. Faces to focus on. Prayers for salvation, growth in grace and knowledge, godly spouses and anything else the Lord lays on my heart. Faces to bring me joy as I pray.

May my praises and prayers in purple “ink” bring Him joy as well in 2012!

STATUS WOE

1/12/12 Monday’s First Evan prayer time verse from Micah 7 reflected my musings. It took me awhile just to get beyond verse 1, “Woe is me!”

But God…..

⁷ But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; (more time in His Presence with Word open)
I will wait for the God of my salvation. (waiting for status woe “funk” to pass)
My God will hear me. (Keep crying out & allow others to cry out on your/my behalf)
⁸ Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. (despair, irritability, sadness)
Though I fall I will rise; (every year around this time seems to be the pattern)
Though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me. (It’s there I see it!! Light for me from the One who created light and gives light to His children.)

Teetering emotions are on the upswing.

Status woe is NOT my status quo today!

"negativi-TEA"

1/10/12 negativiTEA is a cuppa that I serve others way too often as each new year begins. I know that because I have a post-it® note in my journal that warns me----a funk is coming. An irritability coupled with a darkness that is overwhelming. The scribble really serves as a reminder to accept it and not be blind-sided. Acceptance with preparation----know that there is a brighter day coming. (Usually within the 2nd week of the month.) Only a few more days, maybe.

I've been asking self, “Is it hormonal?” Is it because of the 1/9/09 cancer diagnosis? Emotional let down from holidays?

What ever the cause, the effect is one of pessimism. I become Negative Nelly or Dotsy Downer, as daughter dubs me. Life’s focus is one of disapproval---the flaws of others, the faults and foibles of self.

NegativiTEA is a hard cuppa to swallow. I choke on it myself. Why do I serve it to others, especially loved ones! I don't intentionally serve it but my cuppa seems to slosh over and "dampen" their lives, as well. I think negativiTEA must be the beverage of choice for those in the pit. So....I just need to get out of the pit.

My post-it® note had a suggestion---a spiritual RX of sorts. Time in word during holidays might help. (I wish I had dated that note to track the timetable of this annual malady.)

I need to remember the One "who redeems your (my) life from the pit, who crowns you (me) with steadfast love and mercy, (Psalm 103:4)

Praises for the One who can hear my cry, bring me up of the of the pit, and redirect my footsteps----even putting a new song in my mouth----a song of praise. (Psalm 40:1-3) If others see that in my life during this time may they know it flows from His cuppa, not mine. Grace: His antidote for my negitivi-TEA.

Morning Visitor inspires Meditation

1/9/12 Morning visitor was an eye opener in several ways. A reminder to fear not. A sign that God is in control. A grateful heart hint. A fret not, Dots memo!
Morning visitor was a red bellied woodpecker---not a red headed. God knows the difference so I figured I should too!
25Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27)

SABBATH SNAPSHOTS/Wise Men Worship

1/8/12

Twelfth Night (1/6/12) ended the season but not the
"reason for the season."

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

Wise men still do worship the King!

THREE KINGS DAY

1-6-12 "Three Kings Day" is celebrated on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas. Also called Epiphany, it's a Christian feast day, that celebrates the revelation of the Son of God as a human being in His son, Jesus Christ. It is often viewed as the last day of the Christmas season.
For centuries, churches have celebrated the twelve days of Christmas, beginning on Christmas Day and ending on January 6.

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod (the King), they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:9-12)

Hooray for the three kings who bowed down and worshiped and who did not heed Herod's instructions.

"O" No!----"O" has caught up with me.......

1/5/12 More bookstore browsing. New intriguing titles (I Remember Nothing)....because they reflect the state of my mind! (or lack there of)

Table of contents lure. The "O" Word. Before reading further, my mind was flooded with "O" words. Partly because....... I live with a man who communicates in "initialspeake"---HH for hard head, OP for old_ _ _ _, POW for piece of work, etc. He's been speaking text-talk since before there was such a thing.

And partly because........I used to "read" dictionaries when I was in elementary school. Some words came right to mind. Overkill, oxymoron, oreos----which lead me to obesity---which lead me to oatmeal, which lead me to oatmeal cookies---which lead me back to obesity.

Knowing Ephron, an "O" word could be anything from obscure to obscene---but knowing her age, 70 last year, I assumed the "O" word was OLD. Indeed it was. (Ephron, p. 127)

So much can be said about that "O" word---a lot of which is not pretty. Aging is good for wine and antiques. For the rest of us, it can be a pretty frightening prospect. Memory loss being tops in my book. As Mother used to say about aging, if you're not ailing now, it's just a matter of time. Life does have an expiration date."

As we age the awareness of our own "someday" or "expiration date" increases---which has both good and bad aspects. Someday keeps getting sooner and sooner so one doesn't need to put off that which is important----the Lord, family and friends.

Old, yes. Obsolete, not totally.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by. (2 Corinthians 4:16)