By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge
the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. ~Proverbs 24:3-4
• Nov. 26, 2008 - Just a Happy Thought!
I am sitting in my favorite chair, catching up on my blog, when I noticed the wonderful patterns on my wall. I have valances in my living room with beads on them. When the sun shines in those windows in the afternoon, it makes lots and lots of little rainbows all over the walls. It is very happy - like a bunch of little angels are visiting me. What an awesome God we serve!
Those that know me well, know I am not into politics. In fact, God gave me verses about the election that indicated I was to pray that his power might be shown. Romans 9:17-18. Go read and join me in prayer.
If you are considering voting for Obama, go read this on his website. For you history buffs does it sound like anything else you ever studied?
- everyone, regardless of age, should volunteer
- schools will train kids to be volunteers
- plan to track volunteer hours and experiences
- inspire our youth to be in the military
- make our military bigger and better
Why do we need a bigger military if the Democrats want us out of wars?
Things have been very busy here. School this year is more teacher intensive. My new housekeeping plan is not working since we added school to our days.
Our "regular' activities are sneaking away my time and then you add the extra stuff...
The boys have scouts on Monday nights. I have Bible Study on Tuesday nights. We have home group on Friday nights. We are starting the Financial Peace course by Dave Ramsey on Sunday nights for 12 weeks. Mei has Girl Scouts on Friday afternoons. Both kids have Enrichment through our homeschool association twice a month on Tuesday afternoons. I host a monthly Saturday crop.
Then there is field trip planning for our homeschool association - once the initial push is over, it should slow down.
I am helping to plan a ladies' retreat for church. We are covering the highlights of the book As Silver Refined by Kay Arthur. I have several presentations to prepare. The retreat is less than 2 weeks away.
My Creative Memories business is taking off. In fact, I am meeting with someone this week about them signing up as a consultant. It is good to make money, but it too takes my time. On a side note, I devoted this past Saturday to scrapbooking and got 22 pages done in my 2007 album. Yay! That was May through September! See, even consultants get behind...
Our neighborhood women's club starts meeting this month. I am responsible for updating and printing the neighborhood directory. At least that is over by November!
I am feeling overwhelmed. Then there are blog posts to write and blogs and emails to read. No wonder one of my friends enjoys limiting her involvement in things.
Then there are all those projects around the house waiting to be done...
I would like to start a new Bible-based study called Character Makeover. Christian Women Take Root is starting it on Sept. 22. I think it can be really beneficial and yet, it might take too much of my time right now. More prayer needed here! If I do this, I plan to blog my daily thoughts on my blog in CWTR, so come join me there to read it.
God gave me the answer today. It is the same answer he showed me months ago. I needed to be reminded once again. Spending time with God and obeying the Spirit develops the Fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal. 5:22 & 25. I feel the need especially for self-control and so I recommit to spending time with God this week.
So did you like this blog post? Tell me if you want to read this personal stuff or not...
Last night while eating dinner, I noticed this bird, in the picture, on my deck railing. She was flapping her wings as if to dry them or to stretch them. As I watched, a Carolina wren flew up to her with a seed in its mouth. It gave the seed to her by putting it in her beak. Then the wren flew back to my window feeder and got another seed. It flew back to the bird and fed her again. This happened several times. The bigger bird tried to fly to the feeder but was unable to land there. Although the bigger bird could fly some, I think its flight was limited. Finally they both flew off.Female of unknown species
Carolina Wren
I was amazed to see how the little bird was looking after the big bird. It was clear that they were different species. It reminded me how we are to care for one another and of how God cares for us. It was cool!
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience....And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12 and 17
I shared this story with my mom and she thinks the big bird is actually a baby cowbird. The cowbird mom lays her eggs in another bird's nest and then the other bird raises her young. Doesn't sound right does it?
Anyway, the wren was happily doing her job of raising the cowbird. Sometimes things don't go the way we planned, yet are we willing to do our best -- and feed the baby that really isn't ours?
I was reading some older blog posts and realized I didn't blog my follow-up to the squirrel story. Here is what I wrote on June 16.
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The squirrels have annoyed me for the last time - I hope! About 2 months ago, I bought a window bird feeder and we have really enjoyed it. Then the squirrels found it. They come up on the deck and climb my window frames or the French door frame. I tried using the red pepper powder but they still eat it. So I moved it to another window in the family room, away from the deck. Well, the squirrel jumps off the deck railing and most times makes it. Today he knocked down the feeder just minutes after I had filled it.
It is now on the window over my sink. I don't think he can jump from the railing. I will not be able to reach the window from the outside unless I use a ladder. However, since my windows tilt in for cleaning, I should be able to refill it from inside the house. We will see....
Otherwise, I may have to use a second story window - except we are not up there enough to enjoy the birds...
****
So it was up there about 2 days when it got knocked down - again. Now they are jumping from the other deck railing. I thought about putting it on the window one further away from the deck railing, but didn't get around to it. The following Sunday morning I was reading and praying when I heard this awful noise in the kitchen. The squirrel was on the window I was going to try next, looking around for the food.
I had been doing a study on listening and obeying God. It talks about taking everything to God, so I did. My prayer went like this - Dear Father, I am so frustrated by those squirrels. They keep eating all my bird seed. I really enjoy seeing the birds and Lord, what am I going to do about those squirrels? The birds are your creatures Lord and I love them. Then I waited....
Then the answer came - Beverly, the squirrels are my creatures too. So the feeder is back where we started. The squirrels can get to it without knocking it down. The birds can reach it. I can reach it...
And yes, the squirrels come, but the birds do too. Thank you Lord for helping me to see that you care about all of your creatures. Just as you care about all of your people, may I also care about everyone as you care about them.
Female of unknown species
Carolina Wren
