GOD'S CREATION
CARING FOR GOD’S CREATION - BIRDS
In the opening chapter of Genesis God tells man, who He had just created, that he is given dominion over every living thing. To have dominion, as I believe God would use the word, is "to care for." In these RAMBLING THOUGHTS from time to time I will include some suggestions of SOMETHINGS that God might want us to do, such as care for His creation.
Feeding the birds and enjoying them as they gather to eat what I have provided for them is a hobby of many. You may have seen this suggestion before, but it is worth repeating for those who have not. You will need:
A piece of string
Peanut butter
Bird seed
The empty cardboard roll from toilet paper or paper towels
Step 1 - Punch two holes, each opposite of the other, near one end of the cardboard
Step 2 - Run a string through the holes and then tie the ends of the string. The length of the string will vary depending on where you want to hang this feeder.
Step 3 - Coat the outside of the cardboard with peanut butter.
Step 4 - Roll the peanut butter coated cardboard in the bird seed until the cardboard is covered.
Step 5 - Hang the feeder outside.
Step 6 - Look out the window and enjoy the birds after they discover your new feeder.
God’s Peace. See You At The House
12/24/06
OUT OF MY IMAGINATION - THE WISE OLD OWL
Hello, I am the Wise Old Owl. Normally I live in a very peaceful area of rural Northwest Ohio. I had a busy night as I flew around checking things out and finding the food that is so abundant. The land here is very flat which makes it easy to see the mice as they scurry across the field. Because of the flat land, the people have built deep ditches to drain the water from the fields and send it to the nearby rivers.
Along these ditches many trees, bushes and other brush have grown. In time, the wind has caused branches to break from the trees and fall into the ditch and soon the flow of water is impeded. This makes a wonderful area for my fellow creatures of the wild. The trees are filled with birds, the pheasants enjoy the brush, and the skunks, coons and muskrats find shelter.
Well, everything was nice and peaceful. I probably stayed up too late enjoying everything. When I got to my perch this morning, I went right to sleep. But sleep didn’t last long. All of a sudden there was such a racket. I woke up. There was so much chatter that I could not understand a word that was being said. It seems like Louie the Cardinal, Tronto the Blue Jay, TapTap the Woodpecker, Sally the Sparrow and a dozen other birds were all talking at the same time. I couldn’t stand the racket so I gave a great big HOOT. Did they ever get quiet. I said, Let Tronto speak as he always squawks the loudest.
Tronto told me that there were some MONSTER machines going along the ditch knocking down all of the trees, pulling out the bushes, clearing the brush and covering holes to dens. Our nests are being destroyed and they are so near to that nice couple that feeds us. Wise Old Owl, what are we going to do? How are we going to survive?
I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. I then opened my eyes and slowly turned my head, looking at each one gathered there, and said, "Everything that you thought was important to you has been taken away, except for one thing. Do you know what that one thing is?" Not one of them did, so I continued, "The one thing that was not taken from you was your source of food. That couple that feeds you is still keeping the feeders full. That is the most important thing that you had and you still have it. Because you will continue to be fed, you will be able to build a new home and find the protection that you need from the weather and predators. Now go to the people that feed you, receive strength from the food they give you, then go, with that strength, and rebuild your life. Now, let me get back to sleep."
"And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us."
From A Mighty Fortress, Martin Luther
01/11/07
A COMMENT RECEIVED - THE WISE OLD OWL
I really enjoyed the article about the Wise Old Owl. You wrote it in such an interesting way. Sometimes we worry about the little things and we need to focus on the big picture. Indeed God watches over us always and is there for us always. We just need to have faith.
Here in our part of the nation we know that winter weather can bring hazardous driving conditions. We are all aware of what the blinding and drifting snow can do to make a car go off course. We have had that sinking feeling of loss of control when we drive into rutted ice. Nothing can compare to all of a sudden coming on a patch of BLACK ICE. You don’t see it ahead, you are just there and no matter what you might think, you cannot make the car go where you want it to go. Often where it wants to go is one of three places, into the back end of another car, into a ditch or into the oncoming traffic. As the car begins to slide, you might think to yourself, I should have known that there might be BLACK ICE, I should have been more careful.
BLACK ICE isn’t the only thing up ahead that we know is there but we can’t see. Satan has his own brand of BLACK ICE that he throws in front of us. It is sometimes in the form of a person saying to us, "Try this, it won’t hurt you" or "Come on, do it, nobody will ever know" or "Why not do it, it won’t hurt anybody" or maybe "It is nobody’s business but yours." And the next thing you know, you are sliding into all kinds of trouble and saying to yourself, "I should have known not to do that."
This winter, drive with care and WATCH OUT FOR BLACK ICE! Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall, as you go through life, WATCH OUT FOR SATAN’S BLACK ICE!
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
01/24/07
Recently in this space I shared with you the wisdom that The Wise Old Owl gave to the birds who were complaining about the trees being cut down and the brush being removed from the ditch near our home (refer here). I am happy to report that the birds must have taken the advice of the Owl as Tronto, Louie, TapTap, and the other birds have all returned to our feeders.
Through all of this, I have been watching the progress as the ditch cleaning work continues. The trees are all gone, the brush has been removed, and most of the loose branches have been lifted from the ditch bottom. What has impressed me is how much faster the water flows through the ditch each time additional blockages have been removed. What a difference this is now and is going to make in lessening the pooling of water in our yard.
I can’t help but think of how this relates to my life. Of course, I do not have trees and brush growing with in me. I do know that at times there are blockages in our blood flow and when these are either bypassed or dissolved, our blood flows better and faster and we feel better.
There are also other blockages within us that we call SIN. Sin also produces GUILT. Guilt can lead to LOW SELF-ESTEEM. Low self esteem contributes to a feeling of WORTHLESSNESS. These blockages can only be eliminated as we place our sins on the shoulders of Him who died upon the Cross. When that happens, the LOVE that is blocked by sin, guilt, and low self-esteem is free to flow through us and into the lives of others.
As the brush and trees grow in our waterways and restrict the flow, call the ditch cleaners and say, LET THE WATER FLOW! As the blood vessels begin to narrow or clog to slow the flow of blood, call the doctor and say, LET THE BLOOD FLOW! As sin builds up in our life and keeps us from being the people of love that God created us to be, then seeking the forgiveness for our sins, call upon God and say, LET THE LOVE FLOW!
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE
01/25/01
The media has been filled with commentary concerning Global Warming. I hope you have been following the many reports. Maybe you are like me and don’t understand all of the technical words or how it can be determined what disasters will appear by what year. Just because we don’t understand the scientific findings and predictions, it does not mean that we can sit back and do nothing.
In Genesis 2:15 it is written, "Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it." (NKJV) I am one who believes in the Creation as recorded in Genesis. Because I believe that only God had a hand in the creating, I then can believe that God looked forward from that time until the last day that Earth will exist. Because God knows all things, He knew what the needs of people would be throughout the centuries and created the world in such a way that there would be all of the water, minerals and food that would ever be needed. And God said that it was good.
If God told mankind to take care of his creation, we probably don’t have a very good record of accomplishment. There have been some victories in saving some wildlife from the brink of extinction, but there have been far too many failures. Most failures have come because of the loss of habitat and human-caused actions that deprived some species of what they need for life. The scientists tell us that now humans are doing this to themselves.
What can we do? I would assume that there are many websites that offer suggestions of simple things that could be done to begin to turn the situation around. The major problem is that many of these suggestions require people to change their lifestyles. Even worse, giant business corporations don’t want to spend the money on changes that would be a major step in working toward the solution. It would be ever worse if Big Money interfered with government enacting legislation and providing funds to fight the problem.
What can you do? You can do nothing if that is your decision. Or you can decide what you are willing to give up of your Good Life to help insure that there will be a Life.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
02/05/07
AN OPEN LETTER TO MR. AL GORE -- GLOBAL WARMING
Dear Mr. Gore,
Thank you for all you have done to continue to bring the subject of Global
Warming before the people of the World. I am sure that you are pleased, as
was I, that some major corporations have pledged to spend the funds needed
to reduce pollutants. Mr. Gore, I commend you and those in leadership of
these corporations.
I live in a home on a country road in rural Northwest Ohio. I would like
to do my part in reducing the pollutants in the air and water. Can you
assist me in doing this? I assume that you do not use any products or
services that release pollutants and that you do not purchase any products
or services where pollutants were a part of their production. It will be
most helpful if one of your staff members could send me a list of all of
the items in your home and business that you have removed because of
pollution and tell me how you replaced them. It would also be helpful if I
knew which pollutants you have not been able to eliminate. Mr. Gore, I
really want to help you, and I know that I can, if I can learn what you do
and follow your example. God gave us this wonderful place we call, Earth.
God told us that we have the task of taking care of it. I want to do my
part. Lead on Mr. Gore.
GOD’S PEACE. SEE YOU AT THE HOUSE.
03/01/07
