Something to Celebrate

They come quietly at first. One of the signs seasons are changing. They work very hard to build their nests out of mud. Of all things, mud. They fill their beaks with bits of mud and stack them one on top of the other. They work as a team. The nest isn’t built in a large tree or bush. No, it is usually in the barn beams or rafters. If they are desperate, they will build on the side of the house, against the stones. They are called: Barn Swallows. They have a sweet chirp and basically leave you alone, if you walk on two legs…..If you have four legs, whiskers and claws, they look like bomber jets. They can swoop and turn on a dime, if they feel you are coming too close. Our poor cats get bombed every day by them. Why do they do this? They are protecting their precious young in the nests they so diligently build. The mud nests, that no matter how much rain we get stay on the side of the house year after year. They also love all the insects they can find when I cut the grass they follow the mower, catching any and all bugs in my path.

This past week, they had a reason to celebrate. Their second round of young were ready to leave the nest. A job well done. I was able to watch this batch leave and get a few pictures. I never realized before the group effort it takes for these babies to leave the nest. First, the parents are flying back and forth and chirping like crazy. As if to say “Today is the day! You can do it”! Over and over. Then other adults realize what is happening and they join in. Encouraging them to fly. Now, keep in mind, they have been hidden and shoved down in the nest. All of a sudden, they are to just flap their wings and fly? After awhile one is brave and tries it out. Then before long the others follow, but it takes one to try it first. The cheering that follows is a celebration. They first land on a smaller roof and flap and flap their wings. Then the parents take turns bringing them food to reassure them, that they are still there to take care of them. Once all the babies are out of the nest, the other adults simply leave. It is almost like they are there just for the encouragement. This whole process takes several hours. Then when evening falls, they come back together as a group and sit on the power lines and chirp away as if catching up with each other and the type day they had.

They will leave as quietly as they came only leaving their homes behind. Here one day and gone the next. They will return next year, but their song is missed.

I reflected on this moment and thought we as people can learn from them. Sometimes we are the ones in the nest, scared of the unknown. We never tried it before, so we don’t know or care what we are missing. Others come along and encourage us. Then there are those who need to do the encouraging. We simply need to show up and encourage. We aren’t asked to do the work (the parents did all the work), but we need to be the extra people in someone's life to cheer them on. You may be here one day and gone the next to a new place to encourage.

Do celebrate these times we get to be a part of the bigger picture? All those birds were singing and excited. I bet there was a dozen or more, but only two were the parents. The babies kept sitting on the roof flapping their wings. They were so excited of their new found freedom! Other birds sat with them to keep them safe, while the parents left for food. They were no longer safe in the nest.

Do we come along side and help others whose caregivers are tired or called away to something else. And are we singing while we are doing this?  May you have opportunity this week, to help someone. Whether it be by praying, physically helping, or maybe just telling them something you appreciate about them. A word of encouragement goes a long way. We are so busy today focusing on ourselves and what we want, that we forget to tell people what we like or appreciate about them. If we are honest, we don’t stop and think about those types of things unless we are sitting at their funeral. At that point it is too late.

We are in this world together. The hands and feet of Jesus. We need to be their for one another and help out in whatever way He has called us to give. We all have different gifts, but each one is just as important. I hope you get to celebrate something this week!

A Slice of Summer

Can we believe that we are headed to the middle of August already? Where has the summer gone?Our summer has been filled with busy days, puppy training, freezing peas and corn for the freezer, camps, cutting of the grass, camp fires, roasting marshmallows, hanging out with friends, and much more! I trust your summer has been great. It isn't over yet, and we have a few weeks, but I decided this week, to post many, many pictures I have captured over the past two months. It was hard to pick and choose, but I trust you will be blessed by the ones I selected. Not because I took them or posted them, but ALL because our Creator chose to give us abundant things each season.

 When I started this blog, I wanted first and foremost to praise God and cause others to stop and reflect on all that He is doing in the day to day life. I also wanted a place to post the pictures people seem to enjoy. I often pray before taking the camera for a walk that I will capture the moments He wants captured to share with others. So, I hope you aren't overwhelmed, but I selected 40 of my favorites.

 This is the barn door to the hen house. Every day when I open and close it I am reminded of my siblings. YEARS ago, when painting it, we each wrote our name and left our hand prints behind. It is a treasure to me.

 Honey suckle.  I wish I could capture the smell of it on my blog for you. No wonder it is usually covered with bees.

 On a previous post, you meant these two gems.....When I go for walks they follow me. It really is cute, but I know they are just hoping I feel sorry for them and give them more food when we return.....

 Toby taking a nap on my favorite rocking chair.

 Snoops "helping" take pictures one evening.

 Catching a few evening rays as the sun sets.

 I love to watch the bees and bumble bees on all the flowers.

 Our wheat shortly before harvest. We were blessed this year with our crop. Given the weather, we weren't sure what it would yield. So thankful for what we got this year.

 Snoops is the skinniest cat I have ever seen, but I think it is because he is soooooo busy. Walking the fence rail here, hoping to catch a bird from the blue bird box. All you bird lovers will be happy to know, he was not successful.

Right after a rain shower I went out and took this picture. I love the raindrops.

 Female finch eating my flowers. The male flew away before I could get my camera. I am still trying to get one of him.

 One of my favorite butterflies. They float when the fly. I love to watch them on my bushes.

 Our latest addition. Maggie. We love her and she takes much of our time, but she wants to please you and wants to be everywhere you are. She also can dig holes and grab laundry in a second.....

 This Heron loves to catch fish out of our stream.

Added to our flock this year. Eveyone is getting along finally and I am getting lots of eggs.

A blue bird just sitting on the fence post. So peaceful.

The verse I want to leave you with is this: John 10:10b "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."  This particular chapter is Jesus reminding us that He is the Shepherd. He could have just given us life and that would have been enough, but He takes it a bit further and reminds us that He gives abundant life! He gives us the fullest life possible. Not only here on earth but with an everlasting life. He is the only one who can do that for us. Are we living that way? Are we thankful and celebrating each day what we have and what we have to look forward to in the life to come? This life isn’t forever, but the one you choose next will be. I couldn’t take my mind off the word abundantly. Do I look at life this way? Do I trust that His way, is the abundant way? When things aren’t going the way I want, do I remember I want what I want, because I am human, but He wants for me, what is best and to the fullest! Enjoy the sights of summer and look out for future photograph type blogs, gotta warn you….Fall is my favorite!

Airport Moment

This week I took our daughters to the airport to fly for the first time without us. Since they are not 18 yet, this meant they were listed as minors. They will soon be 18, but that didn't matter. The confusing part is that I couldn't go with them to their gate and wait the hour and half until departure, but they also don't want minors left alone in the airport, so I had to sit in the lobby. My guess is that they don't want younger children just running the airport, but since that seemed to be the rule and I got several "oh, they aren't 18", I decided to sit on a chair in the lobby and get a sweet ice tea and a book from the gift shop (I hadn't planned on staying so I brought nothing).

When we walked up to the security gate I asked (just in case the rule changed) if I could sit with them at their gate even though I didn't have a ticket. He looked at me and said "Nope, this is the end of the line for you. It is as far as you can go". I then proceeded to see them go ahead without with me, all grown up and go through all kinds of security and head around the corner. That was it. In a matter of minutes they were gone. They were just on the other side of the wall, I later found out, because we spent most of our time texting. However, I couldn't go. It amazed me, that on one side of the wall I sat without going through any security and the airport felt I was a safe person, but if I went around the corner, I would no longer be safe just because I didn't buy a ticket. The ticket seemed to make the world of difference. I thought about that a bit more and as I watched the people coming and going ( I saw a lot in 90 minutes). I realized something. The right side of the airport was where everyone was saying good-bye because they couldn't go any further (at least the rule was for everyone and not just for a mom of teenagers who had a tear in her eye and a lump in her throat as she said good-bye to her only children), and the left side was for where people jumped up and ran or cried because their family was returning. So, the right side was sad and heads down and the left side was happy, laughing and cheering. The rule keeper sat directly in the middle.

For a moment I thought about heaven. I have no idea what it will be like, so please hear me say, I am trying to apply a point I had while waiting. It will be much better than we can ever understand, we just try to put human terms on it. But this is what I want us to all ponder and then decide how we will spend our remaining time here.

What if when we died, there was a rule keeper (guard), sitting in the middle of the gate. You walk up to him and ask, can I just step in for a minute? Can I just say hello to someone I recognize over there? Can I just visit for a bit? And he said, "do you have a purchased ticket?". You would have to hang your head and leave. You wouldn't be able to proceed. Then as you hang your head because you didn't purchase your ticket, you see on the left side all the people smiling, cheering, hugging, and even crying tears of joy because a family member or dear friend has finally arrived. Worse yet, your family is right around the corner, you can't see in, but you can hear the chatter and see the wall that divides you. The ticket needed isn't just any ticket either, it needs to be bought with blood, blood that was shed by a perfect man. The ticket can't be purchased by you because there was only one ticket to purchase and it was already bought. You need to accept the ticket as a gift from the purchaser. Only He can give it to you. You need to accept it and receive it before you are ready to travel. The key is you aren't sure when you will be traveling, but you must be ready for when you get the call that today is your day to travel.

The other thing I noticed is that if you had a ticket you could go anywhere and do anything. You were labeled as a guest and they treated you as such. The ticket Jesus gives us has His Name on it and it is written in blood, His blood. He paid the price for your ticket. He had your name on His mind, when we shed that blood, He is waiting to hand you your ticket, you simply have to ask. If you receive His ticket it will give you an all access pass to everywhere He goes and where His Father goes. When the gate keeper sees His name He says, "welcome you can proceed".

The question, I leave with you this week is, do you have your ticket? Do you know how to get one if you don’t? If you do, are you making sure others know, so they too, can have full access? In a few short days, my kids will be returning home and I will be able to run and hug them just as all the others did that day when their families came home. But how much greater it will be when we are in Heaven and we aren’t just coming and going like the airport, but going to stay! I have my ticket and I would love to have you join me some day. I would love to be standing in Heaven and seeing you come through the gate…..Remember only those that know Jesus will be able to proceed. Heaven is real and it is our responsiblity as followers of Jesus to share the news of how others can join us as well. Aren't you so thankful that someone shared Him with you? Do the same for someone this week, that hasn't heard or help support someone who is trying to spread the word!

When the guard says, "Ticket please."  You will be able to proceed to an eternity of things your mind can't comprehend. Heaven isn't a fairy tale and Heaven is waiting for those who are prepared. Are you?