Vicious Dog Battle Ends in Surrender

We are coming to you LIVE from the home of vicious "Watchdog". Yet another day has begun where "Watchdog" insists on asserting her sassy personality to control everyone around here.
Here is the latest from this morning's report.

It is reported that Watchdog was let outside this morning for her morning routine.....
" Upon wondering what she was up to this time, I stood on the porch staring to assess the situation. There she stood beneath the maple tree asserting herself ,probably due to sporting her new sassy haircut, as if she ruled the place. (Well, she does.) I couldn't quite make out the situation up in the tree, but I instantly spotted the big brown blob in it. Poppy's take was that she must be after a bird. (Not my baby bird?!!) I decided to investigate, so me and my pj's and my bare feet walked across the yard to stand beside her under the maple tree. Can you see it now?--both of us just standing beneath the tree staring intently upward into the tree to look for the bird. Except.......the brown blob was not a bird and it was not a bird nest. Now, don't get me wrong, there is a bird nest in that tree( and like every tree in the yard), but that one was up higher above the blob. The lack of birds chirping indicated she was waiting patiently NOT for the bird to fly but for the brown blob to move. No, this brown blob was not going to move. It sat as still as she did beneath it......her staring up;blob staring down. I wondered who was going to win this battle, and which one in the end could be more vicious to the other. hhhmmm......I had enough already and walked back to the house to go get my shower before church. If figured that in the end, the squirrel sitting perfectly frozen thinking we could not see it would be the winner. I knew as soon as I opened the door or called "Watchdog" in, she'd listen and surrender.....listen? no. Surrender? yes....if it meant she'd have our full attention on her to lavish her even more with attention to spoil her into an even sassier dog, well, then I knew she'd leave the big giant squirrel alone. "

Her hair cut is of the latest style--summery and cute; the fleas weren't, so if you don't like the haircut, well, I don't care. The fleas are gone with all the hair. She thinks she is cool(especially when she gets grooming attention for 2 1/2 hours), and since she knows she is the big kahuna around here, she continues to drag all her dogfood onto the carpet to eat it or to just leave it there all over the place. She might have surrendered to the squirrel, but not to me telling her to keep her food in the kitchen this afternoon.

So if you think you have problems with your little tots wanting to carry food around instead of eating it at the table, well, at least you don't have "Watchdog" staring you down with a pout when you tell her to go eat in the kitchen. For today, I'll keep my sanity and surrender and continue to kick dogfood across the floor back into the kitchen.

THE COMFORT ZONE

Lord, I give thanks for this day and for the fresh breeze that blew through my life tonight to refresh my spirit with gratitude for Your creation and for the simple things in life that show me Your love. You are so awesome, and I know You are always with me. It has been frustrating these past few days for me, and I have forgotten to find my comfort in You. Forgive me for losing my patience with myself and others as I try to 'plan my life' forgetting You have a plan for me. I have forgotten so quickly even again today to remember that You will guide my life and keep Your hand upon me and my family. Thank you for the gentle reminders. Thank you for giving me Your strength and peace. Thank you for giving me comfort that I forget to seek and find in You many times too often. You are my Father looking out for me. I know that and need to remember that more. Thank you for ending today without worries about tomorrow --for the evening filled with peace.
And God, if You wish....send a little rain to refresh Your beautiful trees and grass and flowers. But even so, the dry grass and trees remind me that I will wither without continuously seeking your refreshing Spirit. Your are my Fountain--my continuous source of life and peace through the ups and downs.

sshhhpprrrr................sshshhshshppprrrrrpprpppshprprr....

That was the peaceful sound of the FOUNTAIN hose pouring its water out onto the dry brittle grass this evening. Who turned on the heat around here? Tonight was the 1st evening I really enjoyed outside since I last looked for lightning bugs while cutting the grass. It has been HOT! Did I say 'really hot!" Its a 'furnace baking me like an oven melts chocolate in chocolate chip cookie dough'! Except....I don't turn into something very good like cookie dough turns into! In all this heat, I feel like cookie dough long-forgotten in the oven! Except, I wasn't being forgotten! I was the one doing the forgettin'!

So anyway, I was outside this evening before dusk. We decided to let the dishes sit unfinished in the kitchen to get outside for some needed fresh air. Despite the lingering warmth, the humidity had dissapated and there was a beautiful warm evening breeze. Noticeably, all the pesky bugs were gone too --which is a rarity--guess they have hidden away from the heat lately like the rest of us! So my wonderful husband and I walked about the yard enjoying the evening. I think he is a little more like God in the yard---he loves to walk about and look at each of the trees and bushes he has planted to check on them to make sure they are doing okay. While he was caring for them, I was watering them. It was a luxury to pour water on very thirsty plants and grass and then be able to watch them spring back with energy in them. Even the birches and oaks were drying up with leaving browning and falling. Who rakes falling leaves in mid-August???(not in SC!) A gently steady fountain of rain is needed right now in many places.

It was very peaceful to walk about just enjoying the sun set to dusky skies and watch the moon come out. (Tonight it was a sliver of a moon but very bright yellow with an orangy-yellow hugh to it.) As I continued walking about with the hose, I noticed a bird sitting on the fence--not on top of in but squeezed in in the middle of a hole. As I took note of its peculiar stance, I realized this was a BABY BIRD! Oh! A Baby Bird right here in my back yard too now for me to see it trying to fly! I think that just before I had detached the hose from the sprinkler, the water must have hit its nest hidden up in a thick evergreen. Poppy quickly saw big mama bird fluttering about as I approached the little bird, so I kept my distance. But there it was, just sitting on the fence and I was standing 2 feet with my hand outstretched towards the dear little bird. It then fluttered unsteadily off the fence and attempted to land on top of the truck's tire, but it then fluttered to the ground and then to a small tree in the front yard. It was apparent that it was struggling. My husband watched too and commented that it was learning to fly. Oooh...another little bird learning to fly. Oh my! How I would have loved to just pick it up and hold it in my hands to love and protect it from everything. But, it needs to strengthen its wings to fly.

Watching that little bird struggling made me look about to make sure there was no cat prowling about...an odd flashback to our kittycat made me recall his zest for chasing birds when he was living. Oddly, somewhere in my imagination there always seems to be prowling cat somewhere in the shadows. So I hoped there weren't any cats about and noticed that the 2nd time the baby landed on the fence, that our big vicious dog who is afraid of cricket noises did not remotely notice the bird sitting on the fence right next to where he stood. So then I looked about for "Watchdog"; she wasn't concerned with the bird's presence at all which is rare because nothing usually gets past her territory! So, it appeared that if no critters could get to the baby bird, she would be able to flutter and flit about learning to spread her wings to obtain full flight. Wow. Just like the other baby bird is still doing.

Isn't it amazing how things learn to grow and live and live and grow? Matthew 10 says "Are not 2 sparrows sold for a penny? Yet, not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." It promises us that God knows what is happening to each little sparrow, and that even so much greater, He knows what is happening with His Children, so well so that He knows each of the hairs on our heads! This is a reminder I can be comforted knowing He is watching over my family and that He is taking care of us. He knows when we stumble or are sick or are having a hard time flying. He knows when we are happy, ready to move, ready to be challenged with the next level of flight. This is so cool....to watch this baby bird and think of the other little bird whose wings are getting stronger for flight, so that when she is ready, she will soar like an eagle! We all need to do that, but too often we forget!

Our value in Christ as His children --above even the sparrows that He created and values--is meant to remind us of our place in Him because Matthew 10 talks greatly in depth about conflict that will arise because of our faith in Christ. Like a cat out prowling for a bird being hindered in its flight, Satan 'prowls about like a roaring lion here on earth', looking for someone he can consume. God reminds us of our value as His child to remind us that no one can take away from us what God has given us through Christ--even if our bodies our destroyed by prowling evil. The great thing about God is that God is OMNISCIENT

and OMNIPOTENT

and OMNIPRESENT!!!

satan is NOT. <

So in the Gospel of Matthew 10, we hear how God knows all about His creations and if they are 'falling'. 2 Gospels later, we see in Luke 10 that Jesus says " I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." Jesus goes on saying, " I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you; however, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." !!!--my exclamation points!!!!

This is where our comfort zone is! Not the comfort zone we are seeking on our own during the present worries or present situations, but in knowing that we are reconciled with God and have a place in heaven because He has blotted out our sins and 'falls' through Christ's death on the cross. No one can separate us from God's love if we have chosen to accept God's gift of love which is Christ Jesus's death and resurrection to conquer eternal death for us.

So have you found your comfort zone yet?

No? That is okay because you are not too late! It doesn't take all kinds of "this's and thee's and thou's nor do this's, do these, nor do that for thou"! All you have to do is be willing to grab hold of the hand that was pierced for your sin and your death. Jesus is standing there just waiting with His hands outstretched to you. How do you take His hand, you wonder, to cross over a threshold of death to a life filled with love and eternal life? It is not hard unless that prowling cat is being a menace to bother you. Just give Jesus your heart in a way that He speaks to your heart with love....you can pray something like this to give your heart over to him to let Him be your Savior.

......Dear God, I have no idea of what to say or do. I don't really know You well. But I hear that you took my life filled with falls, and everything I've done wrong, upon yourself to trade places with me to show how much You love your Children. You gave this gift of love for me when I didn't even ask or understand it. You've let me make my choices freely, and my choices haven't always been so great. So I want to get to know you more and I want You to be part of my life. I want to trade in a life of death and have a life filled with life and love! I don't know how to do this, so I just say "thank you" for what you have done already for me. Thank you for stepping down into our world to show us how to love You, others, and ourselves. Forgive me for the things I know I did wrong and the things I didn't realize were so wrong. Jesus, thank you for your suffering and death and resurrection to life to take away my eternal death and shame. Thank you for the promise that You give me a place in heaven forever--not because of anything I can ever do but just because You already did this for me to save me . Thank you for helping me find comfort through Your gift of love on the Cross. You promise You are here with me. Help me to remember that when I don't believe enough.

If you have prayed and invited Jesus into Your life and heart, you are Brother or Sister who has found their comfort zone in Christ Jesus. May His Spirit guide you each step and keep you from falling! When you feel like you are stumbling, just remember to reach out and hold on to Him. (Try to do that each day!--take it from me....I don't do well on my own!)

Baby Birds Leave the Nest

Nope, I haven't had a lot of time to log in the past few days. ...just this and that with back-to-school time and such. Sigh. Today a little bird was not feeling well. I wanted to wrap it up safely and watch over it. Tonight giant chili pepper said, "Mama, you just have to let the baby bird fly from the nest!" and he twittered his little? fingers and arms to demonstrate the little bird flapping wings and flying. Double-sigh. Do mamabirds fly 100 yards behind them to watch over them? Am I supposed to be like a mama linnet bird that sings a little song while sitting under the bushes to watch her nest... Triple sigh. I guess I'm just supposed to 'be' by singing. '..Be' that bird that is singing "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches o'er me"....and the baby birds too.

Get well baby bird so that you can fly with strength and peace!

LIGHTning Bugs

"A LIGHT shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not understood it."




LIGHTNING BUGS--a.k.a. fireflies.....
Where have all the lightning bugs gone to? Yesterday evening, I spent the evening cleaning up a neighbor's yard down the street. At dusk, I moved on to my yard to tackle the tall pigears that were waving their sprigglyness about announcing to the world that we don't keep up with trimming the grass despite whatever truth exists. Darkness approached, and soon it came to be that my eyes had to search for those tall 'pigears' marking the path of my mower lines, for without them, I would have had to abandoned the rest of the yard until morning. Suddenly, it dawned on me, "Where are all the lightning bugs?"! There were NONE....nada....zilch...zero. This proposes a big problem.....gotta have lightning bugs. Why aren't they here? Maybe it is just SC terrain and weather? I do not know. Growing up in a beautiful fertile valley at the base of a mountain led to many dusk excursions of empty pickle jars of moist moss, lids with holes nailed into them, and, best of all--the addition of lightning bugs. Dusk signaled when it was time to head home from the creek, the trails, or the 'around the block' bike path that meant the ride around miles and miles of patch-work Amish fields was quickly coming to a close for the day. But lightning bugs signaled the one last activity of procrastination with me proclaiming "I want to catch some lightning bugs before I come in!" Picture a little, dirt-covered kid running barefoot through the yard reaching, jumping, and catching these little luminescent innocent creatures who had to suffer the fate of being put into a jar for an hour while the hunt was on to fill the world with light in a jar. Well, that would be me...always loving the roam of the outdoors in the valleys and the mountain as I would continuously search for some critter that was mesmerizing. Now, I wouldn't always put those little lightning bugs in a jar. Sometimes I would just cup one in my hands, stare in at it a bit, and then let it fly away--following its light path for as long as I could. Other times, I'd catch one and watch it light up on my hand, crawling to and fro' as it certainly must have been signaling out its love for me. And so, with another jar filled, and then emptied out to release those little lights back into the world where they truly belonged to light up my smile for the next time,those little creatures would announce "darkness is approaching yet the light shines"--and also the announcement of that nightly summer bathtime that proclaimed another day was ending along with the day's hard-earned dirt accumulated on me from enjoying nature at its finest.

I wonder where all the lightning bugs have gone. Maybe the chemicals that we, "world", use on our yards to kill the pesky bugs have reduced the good ones also? So if you find some lightning bugs to catch, make sure you keep them moist in the jar and then let them go to go shine some more so that their light doesn't dry up!

Don't keep your light stuck in a jar; may your light continue to fly freely and shine in the darkness to bring the Light and a smile to the life of another.

"Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."......The Gospel of John; John 1--

My EastFromWest friend...

......

The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear HIM;

as far as the east is from the west

so far he has removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him........

--from Psalm 103