The Birds and the Bees…uh…Wasps
It’s been a rollercoaster of a day Father. Guide my thoughts towards You, I pray.
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We’ve had our hummingbird feeder up since early summer, but for the last several years we’re having more issues with wasps this time of the year. Recently, it’s been bald-faced hornets – technically wasps. They are nasty-looking critters for sure!
If they’re on the feeder, the hummingbirds will come up to the feeder, but quickly take off. I don’t think the wasps could hurt them, but the birds seem bothered enough by them that won’t take the chance.
Doing some research, I learned that the number one thing I can do to ward off wasps is to keep things clean. Trash cans should be sealed and there shouldn’t be waste around to attract them – open recyclables that are not rinsed out.
Secondly, I may need to take my feeder down and then hang it back up in a slightly different location. Wasps aren’t smart enough to look for their food in a new place.
The last would be to limit opportunities. I need to keep my feeder clean and eliminate leaks. I may need to look into feeders with bee guards – wasps can’t reach the nectar through them.
Our lives are like feeders, we can attract good things…or bad things. Yes, you could easily argue that the bald-faced hornets are not bad in and of themselves, but their only true saving factor is that they eat other wasps, like yellow jackets and they do potentially do some pollinating. Beyond that they are no friend of humankind. Their smooth stinger allows them to repeatedly sting their opponents, causing great pain. So, I’ll stick with calling them bad things.
Hummingbirds, on the other hand, are great pollinators and they bring great joy to many who are able to watch them feed. Watching hummingbirds is very calming and relaxing….hence good things.
Our goal, as believers in Christ, should be to attract the good – and ward off the bad. But it is not a passive undertaking – it takes work.
Keep things clean. Avoid things that attract evil. I remember a song from my childhood, “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see! …little ears what you hear! …little tongue what you say! … little feet where you go! … little heart whom you trust! … little mind what you think!”
There are many verses, but you get the idea. The verses end with, “For the Father up above is looking down in love. So, be careful little…” plus the line that it started with. Keep things clean.
Next, we may allow ourselves to be in a bad location. If we stand too close to fire, we’re going to get burnt. We need to distance ourselves from where evil is readily found…or from where it can easily find us.
Then finally, limit opportunities. We must spend time in God’s word and communicate with Him regularly. We need our own personal “bee guard”, and in this case, that would be the Holy Spirit. Only His work in our lives can let the goodness of God through to our hearts and souls, and can easily, and most effectively, keep evil at bay.
Lord Jesus, help us to maintain our relationship with You, and may we eagerly seek the Holy Spirit’s impact and protection in our lives. Amen.
Aug 20th, 2023, Sun, 7:16 pm
Singing THEIR Song!
It was not a normal day for us, but it was a productive day, nonetheless. Thank You Father for the strength and wherewithal to accomplish the task at hand.
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Yesterday, I made mention of the church my dad pastored in the late 70s early 80s. They are having a big anniversary celebration and unfortunately, we will not be able to attend but we are sending our greetings and some memories as well.
I wrote a little something just from me in that that church and the many wonderful people from that church were the final inspirations I experienced before heading off to college. Parsons Church of the Nazarene definitely left an impression on me.
Contemporary worship wasn’t a thing back then…at least not in my upbringing. Hymns were foundational in my life, and they remain a huge part of it today. I realize that there is a lot of amazing music out there and its many variations impact people from all walks of life in all parts of the world.
I really don’t think I’m a stick in the mud, but hymns speak to me. Hymns impact me. I sing and frequently hear God’s Word, loud and clear. Time and time again when I am reading God’s Word, I’ll pause and realize, “Wow! That’s in a hymn I know!” The words I sing are a testimony of Christ in so many areas of my life.
I went back and looked at some of my past blog posts and included a portion of one from 2017 in what I wrote to them and one of my favorite parts of my Parsons church experience was the choir – and oh, could they sing! I don’t think many of them read music but the harmonies that rang from the choir loft were heavenly! I think a lot of it was the fact that they weren’t just singing words and notes. They were singing from the depths of their hearts. I truly believe each person was singing their song!
One of my many favorite hymns is My Wonderful Lord by Nazarene composer Haldor Lillenas. I don’t remember if it was the choir or possibly my mom and dad singing it as a duet, but it continues to bring sweet memories to this day.
Alas, if I only had a recording of that choir from years gone by. But regardless, here is a very nice rendition as sung by the Collingsworth Family.
I have found a deep peace
that I never had known
And a joy this world could not afford
Since I yielded control of my body and soul
To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.
My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord
By angels and seraphs in Heaven adored
I bow at Thy shrine
My Savior divine
My wonderful, wonderful Lord
All the talents I have I have laid at Thy Feet
Thy approval shall be my reward.
Be my store great or small
I surrender it all
To my wonderful, wonderful Lord.
Thou art fairer to me than the fairest of earth
Thou omnipotent, life-giving Word
O Thou Ancient of Days,
Thou art worthy all praise,
My wonderful, wonderful Lord.
My wonderful Lord, my wonderful Lord
By angels and seraphs in Heaven adored!
I bow at Thy shrine
my Savior divine
My wonderful, wonderful Lord.
Aug 14th, 2023, Mon, 8:01 pm
Mmmmm…Apple Pie! Or Is It?
What a beautiful day, Father! I’ve been in the office for most of the day, but I love looking out the window where wildlife and sunshine abound. All praise to my Creator God!
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It has officially begun! Zucchini season is upon us – at least in Ohio! Now that I’ve lured you in with that beautiful piece of pie in the picture above, you’re probably wondering, “What in the world does zucchini have to do with apple pie?!”
Well, my friend, let’s set the record straight…that is not a picture of a scrumptious-looking apple pie. That is a picture of a zucchini pie. It is so delicious! It looks like apple pie, it tastes like apple pie, and if no one gave you the heads up you’d eat the whole thing thinking it was apple pie!
And I’ve not just read about it…I’ve experienced it – and on more than one occasion. So far this year, we’ve had seasoned zucchini spears cooked in the air fryer, we’ve eaten an entire Zucchini Chocolate Cake, and a wonderful round of zucchini fritters with one of our last meals. Now I’m just waiting for Karen to have the time to put together one of those Zucchini “Apple” Pies – I brought home another zucchini after my meeting at church tonight!
Zucchini is a pretty unassuming fruit (surprisingly, it isn’t a vegetable!). It’s unassuming because it’s not really much to look at. Its long thin cylinder shape is not elaborate or showy, as in appearance or style. It is modest, plain, simple, unostentatious (or understated), and unpretentious.
Maybe you think you don’t have much to offer. You may think that you’re just a basic person – no bells or whistles, just a plain Jane or an average Joe…the zucchini of humanity. The world looks at you and doesn’t really know what you can do. It sets limits on you. It holds you back.
But the Master Creator, now He – because He made you and knows you inside and out – knows just what you were created to be and sets you free! If we will but allow Him, giving ourselves over to Him, He can take what we think is mediocre and unassuming and make it spectacular! He can do amazing things with us. Things that would never even possibly dream of.
We might think we’re an unassuming zucchini but God can make us into an amazing slice of heaven!
He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 AMP
Aug 10th, 2023, Thurs, 3:16 pm
Like and Love
Father, thank You for the blessings of a good day. May our time together be an even greater blessing! Amen.
Romans 12:9,15-16 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the biggest challenges in life, especially if we are striving to be serious followers of Jesus, is to love each other. Here the Apostle Paul makes that point very clear.
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. v9 NLT
Jesus first placed emphasis on this when speaking to His followers in John 13:34,
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” NIV
Now I admit that over the years I have struggled to like some of the people I have worked with. Some people I have been just naturally drawn to, while others, for whatever reason, have not been drawn to me. Sometimes those over me have made it difficult for me to like them. I felt that I couldn’t live up to expectations. In one instance, someone hired me, and the other high-ranking person didn’t seem to approve of their decision to do so. That and a bunch of other reasons made it hard for me to like some people.
Now this may sound strange, though we didn’t see eye to eye and some of their actions caused me to not like them very much, I tried very hard to love them – quite often that was because of prayer. Saying things like, “God, I don’t understand why they want to make my life difficult. Honestly, I don’t like them but please help me to love them, like You love them.”
God answers those kinds of prayers if we are open to Him and willing to follow His leading…and He answered mine.
The thing is although some people may not be close to you, it’s not really that difficult to fulfill Paul’s directive in verse 15.
Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. NLT
Or as another translation puts it,
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. NIV
Our goal as followers of Jesus is to live in harmony with each other.
We must be open to learning and growing. Honestly, our pride can readily get us into trouble. We mustn’t hesitate to associate with people from all walks of life. Many are just looking for someone who cares, someone who will listen.
Lastly, Paul stresses… And don’t think you know it all!
That’s a big part of learning and growing too. God can work through us to impact the world around us if we will just open ourselves to His example and guidance in our lives.
Aug 9th, 2023, Wed, 5:09 pm
Anomalies Anyone?
Oh, my, Father, I am in slow mode this evening! After a very active day, my body is putting up a bit of a fuss. Help me to hone in on You, leaving everything else behind. Amen.
Romans 12:14,20 (<<click here to read the passage)
Are you aware that the Bible has quite a few anomalies? First, an anomaly is defined as something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.
Verse 14 is one example of an anomaly.
Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. NLT
And a few verses later there is another.
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
….If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
….burning coals of shame on their heads.”
For a moment, think about how the world would respond to these commands. When we think about those who persecute us – our enemies – the standard response is not to bless them. The normal response is not to pray that God will bless them. And we most certainly should not be expected to feed them or give them something to drink if they are hungry or thirsty! …right?
It might be easy for some to look at, especially the last passage, and think, “Well, Jesus didn’t say this…this is Paul… If Jesus had said it…maybe I’d think about it…”
Jesus is quoted as saying in Luke 6:27-28,
“But I say to you who hear [Me and pay attention to My words]: Love [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for] your enemies, [make it a practice to] do good to those who hate you, bless and show kindness to those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. AMP
Hmmm…now what? I think we can all agree that our world is replete with, full of, packed and stuffed, bursting and overloaded with hate. When it comes to those who oppose us, think differently than we do, look differently than we do, or take a different viewpoint than we do – philosophically, politically, or Scripturally – love is most assuredly not the first word that comes to mind and is definitely not our first response. …and in that we are wrong…plain and simple.
You may disagree with me, but when on that final Judgement Day we stand before our Lord and Savior…what will we have to say then?
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” – Jesus, Luke 6:27-28 NLT
Aug 8th, 2023, Tues, 8:22 pm