I’m indebted to a friend who lives a few miles out in the country for alerting me to the news that a fox family had taken up residence in a roll of round hay bales. He observed the kits (pups, cubs) frolicking around the area. I’ve been rewarded with some fun pics and memories as I’ve watched this litter of three grow.
Mom always keeps a watchful eye and one evening implied it was time for me to leave!
Here’s just a little bit of video of their play!
I mentioned in my previous blog about our trip to Fort Worth, and that I wanted to tell you about an event we watched transpire in front of my daughter’s home. The Cowtown Marathon course runs right through her neighborhood. The residents were up early, preparing water, bananas, band aids, and even beer (for carbs) for the runners. It is quite a festive time for the spectators, who use it as a time to “party” while cheering on the runners.
What caught my attention was the transformation of marathoners from the first runner to the last ones who passed this 17 mile mark of this 26.2 mile run. The first runner passed by us with just over a five minute per mile pace. The last ones came strolling by four hours later (a 19 minute per mile pace) with an obvious “eat, drink and be merry” attitude, apparently imbibing in every treat that was offered along the route. Appearing out of shape, improperly dressed and walking, these last ones were a stark contrast from the disciplined, serious leaders.
It reminded me of the spiritual pace of which Paul spoke in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26: Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim.
While only one may win an earthly race, every Christian can win the eternal race for we don’t compete against each other. The man of faith fights against the devil, the flesh and the world. He wins as they lose—A.W. Tozer. Our heavenly reward will be awaiting us if we run with a commitment to overcome these tempting foes!
Warren Wiersbe said: Of course, it is much easier to be a spectator than a participant—except when the event is over and they give out the prizes. Then we will wish we had gotten out of the stands and joined the team. It isn’t too late to start running.
How are you running the spiritual race? Is it with an aim for the finish line or a leisurely stroll, imbibing in all the world has to offer? Let’s make sure we are not just spectators, but participants in the most important marathon of our lives! Let’s cheer one another on is this race!
As I looked out my window on this rainy Sunday evening, I saw cars in our church parking lot. No, I’m not skipping services. The cars represent the teachers who are spending another evening in preparation for the students who will be arriving at Mayflower Heritage Christian School on Tuesday. They are a dedicated lot and strive to ensure that their students master their course work as well as develop a Christian worldview.
My daughter, Anna, relates her gratitude to those teachers who made a tremendous influence in her life through their “asks” and affirmations. To all my teacher friends, let me suggest these encouraging words to you at the following link: To My Teachers
After taking a picture of a blue heron on a placid pond, I decided to flip the photo. That caused me to go on a search for others that might appear almost the same whether they were right side up or up side down. Here are a few.
Blue Heron at Green Valley State Park Lake
Fall Foliage at Green Valley State Park Lake
International Space Station dashes over Green Valley State Park Lake
Summit Lake
Sunrise at Green Valley State Park Lake
Reblogging my daughter’s words…because they’re good, y’all.
Source: On Partisan Divides, The Supreme Court, and Friendship
When people asks me how many grandchildren I have, I say, “Seven with one in heaven.” My first grandson, Silas (represented by the pewter hand in the picture*), was born prematurely in the sixth month of pregnancy with a profound birth defect (acrania) and lived a brief six minutes outside his mother, my middle daughter, Katie. He was also born on my birthday, June 6. He would have been three today!
His unexpected and untimely birth prevented my wife and me from being with our daughter and her husband at the delivery. While we traveled the 12 hours to be with our kids the next day it was only days later that we viewed Silas at the funeral home before he was cremated. There was no finger grasp photo which I’ve been able to capture with all my other grands. No time to hold him while he still had the warmth of life. We missed the opportunity to weep and share those immediate moments after Silas’ death with the grieving parents and our other daughters who live in the same city and were at the hospital to support their sister and her husband.
Even as I type this, I find myself grieving some things that I’ve never vocalized. And that’s the way grief is. It is unpredictable, coming in unexpected waves and catching you off guard. If you are fortunate, you aren’t knocked off your feet. There is a momentary, unbalanced stumble. Other times, however, you are swept into the ocean of despair in an undertow, and you wonder if you are going to make it back to the safety and normality of life as it was. The reality is that there is no “life as it was” and that’s okay. Healthy grief will cause growth and productivity, despite the pain and sorrow of loss. Lessons can be learned and shared. Help can be given to others. Comfort received can become comfort shared.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NASB)
Out of the experience of the loss of Silas, my youngest daughter, Laura, in collaboration with her sisters and some friends, have launched Silas Project, an online community to help parents who have suffered a pregnancy loss. Inspired by the challenges she observed her sister and brother-in-law go through in the death of Silas, as well as the challenge she experienced in understanding how best to help, Laura wanted a place that would:
So, if you have experienced a pregnancy loss, please check out this website and share it with others who have faced or are facing the potential loss of a child. Let your grief turn into something that brings growth and strength.
You will find Katie and Daren’s Written Story linked here. Their story is also in video format on the website. Below is Laura’s video giving the overview of the project.
Introducing Silas Project from Laura on Vimeo.
*The collage needs to be updated to include our seventh grandchild, Finn, Katie and Daren’s third child and second son.
This is the third birthday of my first grandson, Silas, whose profound birth defect limited his life to only six minutes. Yet those six months of life in the womb and six minutes outside have had a profound effect on our family and motivated my youngest daughter to start a non-profit, online community to assist those who experience the grief of pregnancy loss. Silas Project launches today to be a place to: connect parents through their stories and experiences; encourage and foster healthy grief, healing and growth; experience the joy and pride of honoring these precious children; and, equip friends and family to walk through these seasons with tenderness and care.
Today is my nephew’s birthday.
Three years ago today, he was born, on my dad’s 58th birthday. After 6 quiet minutes in the arms of his dad, he remains in the arms of his Abba in Heaven, forever whole, forever healed.
We knew we’d lose him, though we prayed we wouldn’t. Diagnosed with a birth defect at his very first sonogram, our time with him was a mere 29 weeks-29 weeks of questions, prayers, heartbreak, confusion, joy, and even peace.*
Three years later, none of that has changed.
Silas: son, brother, nephew, grandson, friend.
Though we didn’t meet him eye to eye, we felt him through his mother’s skin, moving, kicking, being alive. Though he was but a breath, we love him, and think of him often. We will never forget him. He will always be my sister’s middle child. He will always be my first nephew, my buddy who…
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Cheri Lucas Rowlands suggests this week’s photo challenge: “Earth Day is near! This week, let’s celebrate this planet on which we live.”
From bird eggs to bunnies, the neighborhood is teeming with new life. Our flowering fruit trees are providing nourishment to travel battered Red Admiral butterflies. I love watching the beauty of spring and the evidence of God’s re-creation that brings Him glory.
Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” Genesis 1:20 (NASB)
This post is in response to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Earth
I chose to give homage to that affable amphibian, Kermit the Frog, who sang the song “It’s Not Easy Being Green” by highlighting a reptile, distantly related in the Tetrapoda classification. While visiting my daughter last week, a green anole came out to sun himself. I had seen the same lizard the previous day but it was in a “brown” state since it was on wicker furniture and has a chameleon-like ability to blend into its surroundings. We also were able to see it’s red throat fan as it encountered another lizard and again as it sensed I was a little to close.
“I’m green. It will do fine. It’s beautiful, and I think it’s what I want to be.”
This post is in response to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: It IS Easy Being Green.
*If you occasionally visit my blog, you may notice that the header changes with the changing of the seasons. My rural road is back to Spring!
“This week, share a photo of things that complement each other.” As spring approaches, the natural coupling of birds and animals begins to take place.
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard under the watchful eye of a Canada goose.
Mr. and Mrs. Deer
It they are a couple, it looks like this isn’t a match made in heaven!
21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” Genesis 1:21-22 (NASB)
This post is in response to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: A Good Match.
Rural Iowa Pastor 