Christian Living

Warm Up With God to Start the Day II

/ Bill Jones / 4 Comments
Birds in the Birch Tree Awaiting Sunrise

Birds in the Birch Tree Awaiting Sunrise

I first posted this last winter, but I have a new camera since then, and it seems like a lot more birds, I wanted to re-post with some new pictures. I also included a bonus of the red Berries on the Savannah Holly.

The picture above shows birds sitting together in the river birch tree (and dogwood tree) in our backyard. This is an everyday sight during winter, as they wait patiently for the sun to come up over the tall pines on the horizon. When the sunshine hits them, they sit still and puff themselves up to expose as much of their body to the warmth as possible. It looks like they want to absorb all they can to warm up after the cold night, and get ready for the day.

Birds in the Dogwood Tree

Birds in the Dogwood Tree

Some of the birds stay longer than others, but one by one, they apparently decide they’re ready, and fly down to the feeders or make the flight to the woods to start their day.

It makes me think of our need to warm up and get ready for the day. I’m not referring to temperature, though. I’m writing of our need to start the day by getting close to our Lord and letting Him warm us.

Like the birds, some of us may be able to spend more time doing that than others. I know some who get up early to make sure they have the time before things get busy. Or perhaps some have other activities that they are able to combine with time with God (something that doesn’t interfere with the communication). I’ve heard of others who get through the early morning rush and then grab a cup of coffee and  sit down for Bible Study and prayer.

Savannah Holly Berries

Savannah Holly Berries

There are many different ways we can get close to God and prepare for the day. I encourage us all to choose whatever time and method works best for us, and follow the birds example and take a few minutes to bask in His warmth.

Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. Psalms 143:8 NIV

Do you have a way you get close to God to start the day?

Learning in Life – Watch Where Your Shadow Falls

/ Bill Jones / 9 Comments

Shadow on the Shot

It would have been a lovely photo of Black-eyed Susans in our backyard. But, I wasn’t thinking or noticing where my shadow fell.

One point in my personal mission statement is “Pay Attention”. Obviously I wasn’t doing that with this shot. Sometimes when we don’t pay attention we can let our shadow fall on others – a sharp word or a bit of ignoring – darken their world or at least rub some of the brightness off.

Let’s picture the photo above without the shadow and take it with us as we pay attention.

“And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3 ESV

Blessings from God – Birds

/ Bill Jones / 9 Comments
Closeup of Bird on Feeder

Closeup of Bird on Feeder

I thought I would try something new this year – Take pictures of birds and then figure out what kind they are. I know many of the species that live here but still hope to get some good pictures of them. And also get some that I don’t recognize – like this one. I could just say that’s a sparrow, since there are many different kinds of them. But, I don’t know. Can anyone identify it?

It’s good to try some new things now and then (although I do love being in some ruts). What comes to mind is the Bible telling us, in several places, to learn and sing a new song to the Lord. Always good to find new ways to praise Him. And I guess I can find out what the bird songs are and know to praise Him like they do.

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!” Psalms 96:1 ESV

Spread the Gospel – Like Beggar’s Lice

/ Bill Jones / 2 Comments
Beggar's Tick

Beggar’s Tick

Here in south Georgia we call them beggar’s ticks and beggar’s lice (among other names). They’re seeds from a part of a large “genus” of plants called “stickers”. Some stickers, like blackberry vines, have prickly little thorns that will actually stick in your skin. I suppose roses, with big thorns, could also be in the group, but mostly stickers are of the bigger “weed” family and not the “good plant” family.

Other stickers have features that cause them to stick to a person’s clothing or an animal’s fur. Like a cocklebur – often cited as the inspiration for Velcro. (I guess sandspurs fit in both sticker categories – they stick to your clothes, but if you grab them wrong while picking them off, they will definitely stick into your skin too).

The beggar’s ticks and lice are in the sticky sticker category. One type of beggar’s tick is shown in the photo – a little stick with spiked barbs on the end. They will stick to most any type of clothing, but their preferred place is the shoestrings of tennis shoes. Another type does look more like a tick – a brown tick shaped seed, with two barbed horns coming out the top. I’ve also heard these called “devil’s ticks”, since the shape with the horns resembles the typical horned caricature of Satan’s head.

Beggar’s lice seeds are triangular in shape and are fuzzy from a dense covering of hairs. They are excellent “stickers” too, especially since they grow in bunches linked end to end. You can suddenly have what seems like a hundred of them on you from just walking through a few bushes.

Beggar’s lice started me thinking about all this. I began the day at a jobsite about 65 miles south of home. I was staking in power pole locations and I walked through several bush-covered areas. Later that day I ended up at the Post Office in Brooklet (about 11 miles west of home).

I noticed a lot of beggar’s lice on my pants leg (a hundred?), so I spent some time picking them off before I went inside. Since I just threw them on the ground, they had efficiently fulfilled their purpose. They had found an appropriate sticking place and spread a distance of 76 miles. They were ready to begin influencing their new location.

Seems like we should follow their example. As we read and hear the Gospel, we need to let it stick to us. Then take it with us as we go about our daily lives – wherever that may take us – and begin influencing our new locations.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16