Look at the Birds of the Air

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. — Matthew 6:26

God feeds the birds, even though they don't save or store their food.

They don't even plant or harvest it.

They don't worry about what's coming the next day or week.

But I tend to be selfish with what I have.

Storing up treasures on earth rather than spending time with God and His Word.

God cares for the birds.

How much more will He care for me.

And He does.

Faithfully.

All Flock and Herds

All flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. — Psalm 8:-8

God created all flocks and herds,

All the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky.

He created you and me.

The clouds in the sky and the sunsets.

Here's the view from Steve and Miki's back yard.

Nice!

The Birds Have Their Homes

There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers. — Psalm 104:17

God has provided trees for the birds.

They perch in the treetops and sing.

There they make their nests.

Today they are singing continually after the rain we had last night.

Crows swoop down to scare the smaller birds.

Hawks sore by looking for food.

But the birds return to care for their young and to make their nests.

God calls us to return to Him, too.

He is forgiving and merciful and takes delight in each of His creatures.

The Birds of the Sky

The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. — Psalm 104:12-13

Bird Perched on Sprinkler Head

God created the birds of the sky in all of their glorious colors.

He made their tiny wings.

And he gave them the songs that they sing.

I love hearing them chirp throughout the day.

Last week we saw a hawk swoop down out of the sky onto the bank in our back yard.

Then we noticed that he had caught one of the bunnies who nibbles the red apple on our bank.

Fortunately, the bunnies are very prolific.

And hawks need their dinner, just as we do.

God created all of the various species and  give the birds their feathers.

He created you and me, too.

And He put a song in our hearts.

Easter Celebration

Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. — Psalm 30:5

Sunday the weather cooled a bit at our house. Steve and Miki made it to church, which was a huge blessing.

I went for a walk around our neighborhood after church. The birds are singing and the sun is shining. The flowers are blooming in honor of Easter.

Our friend Rudy stopped by in the early evening to say hello and catch up.

Ernie was planning to come too, but his car was sideswiped so he ended up  having to file a police report instead. What a bummer.

We are blessed with wonderful friends who surround us with their love.

Rejoicing comes in the morning!

God Has Given Me a Heritage

I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. — Psalm 61:4-5

Sunday I had the privilege of working in our church preschool during the early service. What a blessing to share God's Word with children from under 2 to almost 5. 

They loved looking in my hand mirror as we sang, "God cares about [Josh]" to each child. And when we talked about Jesus dying for us, one of them said, "That makes me sad," and I had to agree, it makes me sad, too. 

But that's not the end of the story. And their faces brightened up as we talked about how Jesus came alive again and now lives in heaven. We practiced telling our friends, "Jesus loves you."

And we finished with blowing and catching bubbles and dancing with joy.

The sun is shining and the birds are singing. What a beautiful Palm Sunday day.

You, God, have heard my prayer. You have given me the heritage of these who fear your name.

God Reigns

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” — Isaiah 52:7

Today as I walked around our neighborhood, I was joy-filled to see the birds flying by, the roses and daffodils and Birds of Paradise blooming, and the sun peeking through the snow-white clouds above me.

This Bird of Paradise plant at the foot of our driveway hasn’t bloomed in years. But after all of the rain we’ve been having, it finally blossomed. 

Now its brilliant colors are finally shining through.

Sometimes the rain in my life helps me to be able to bloom as well. I become dull and move away from God until pain and problems come my way. Then I start to turn to God and He in turn helps me shine the light of Jesus in my actions and words.

Thank you, Lord, for your omnipotence. You reign in power and glory.

Our God reigns!

Singing Birds

Flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. — Song of Solomon 2:12

I'm listening to the birds chirping outside and watching the flowers and plants bloom after all of the rain.

And of course the weeds are poking their heads up, too, trying to compete for a place in the ground before our plants take over.

The weeds in my life try to poke their heads out, too, competing for my thoughts. But God helps me focus on His love and care for me.

He will continue to guide me through the days to come, the cancer treatment, recovery, and hearing the pathology report.

Sunday, I was reminded of His presence once again as the toddlers and preschoolers sang "Jesus Loves Me" and "God, Our Father, We Thank You for Our Many Blessings."

I'm thankful for the many blessings God has given to me and to our family.

Gratefully singing.