It's October, and...

 

I've been enjoying the beautiful weather we've been having lately! It's been nice to get outdoors and take walks almost every day. The leaves are beginning to change, and it's getting noticeably cooler in the evenings. 

Even weeds have some uniqueness and beauty in their own way at times (at least, that's my opinion). :)

The other day, I was looking out our back window, and at first seen what looked to me like a bunch of leaves floating through the air. It took me a minute to realize they were monarch butterflies! I went outside to find there were a couple hundred of them at least clustering in different trees, and flying through the air. They're apparently on their way down south! This picture is of just one of the clusters on a tree branch (there were lots more). 

For years, I have heard about the migration of Monarch butterflies from the northern U.S. and Canada down to southern parts of California, and to remote areas of Mexico. I never thought I would actually get to see some of that first-hand! I was so excited to be able to. :) 

They stayed around for a couple hours or so, then took off again.  If you've never heard about the migration of Monarch butterflies, you might find it interesting to watch some things on it. :)  It's amazing how the Lord gave an insect such an amazing ability to fly the long distance to a place they've never even been before. 

Interesting Fact: 

Monarch butterflies may travel more than 3,000 miles to migrate from Canada and the northeastern U.S. to reach their overwintering habitats in central and southwestern Mexico. 

I am unsure if this video will load properly for everyone...but this is a short 

clip of one of the videos I got while the butterflies were here. Sorry it's not of better quality! I hope it at least lets you see a little. 

"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, 

and they shall tell thee: Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: 

and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. 

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?" 

Job 12:7-9

Summertime Beauty

I was excited to see this rose blooming for the first time since we planted it earlier this year. Peach happens to be one of my favorite colors. ♡ With fall nearing, I'm enjoying the last of summer's flowers! 

This little honey bee surprised me and landed on the rose just a few seconds - long enough to quickly snap a couple pictures. 

The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. 

Psalms 24:1

Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 

-Psalms 33:8-9

 

Encouraging Truth's from Plants...

I love gardening, and many times as I'm out working in the garden, spiritual applications from the Bible come to my mind such as the parable of the sower, and how weeds growing up remind me of the seriousness of sins that can spread so easily and choke out the good growth in peoples lives.  Also, as I'm working on pruning our bushes and trees, seeing the effect of the cuts helping stimulate the plants to grow even better, make me realize how often the Lord uses hurtful things in our lives that seem like "cutting back" and harmful things at the time, but in the end He uses it to cause us to grow in grace more.  So, when I came across this information about plants, it amazed me and once again reminded me of more spiritual lessons we can observe from God's creation. 

This is what I found: 

Plants do most of their growing at night.  The absence of light actually stimulates plants to grow fastest in the darkness.   Actually, the major part of the cell division and growth in plants is done at night. So we can easily conclude that plants need darkness as much as they need sunlight to grow.  Plant phytochromes detect darkness, encouraging growth hormone production, causing the plant to elongate in search of light. The same process helps plants orientate their foliage to light and helps seedlings stretch in search of light.

Roots of most plants also grow at night. The food prepared in the form of glucose is utilized at night for cell division. Not only the roots, but also stems, flowers, and fruits grow at night. This is the time when the accumulation of food and water is actually done. 

While plants capture energy during the day, the synthesis of new tissue is often better accomplished at night, because the conditions then allow avoidance of heat stress and water loss. In plants using CAM photosynthesis, the stomata in the leaves are shut during the day to reduce evapotranspiration, but are opened at night to collect CO2, and carbon fixation occurs then.

If you put plants in light for whole 24 hours then they will eventually die.  Likewise, if you put your plants in complete darkness for long, they will lose chlorophyll and hence die. So both sunlight and darkness are required for plants to grow healthy.  Some plants need more light, while others need more shade. 

-----------------

These things reminded me and gave me comfort in times of my own struggles, that the Lord knows exactly what each one of us needs...sometimes seasons of darkness, sometimes seasons of light and joy. It's all for our growth and our good. 

"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God."

 -Isaiah 50:10

 "He really cares about us in our sufferings. The greatest blessing in this world is to know God, and to have a knowing relationship of Him. You can't know Him fully without suffering. You can't know Him truly as the God of all comfort, without the excruciating pain of tribulations and pressures and trials and troubles. There is no other road to knowing Him in this way, than the road of pressure and suffering and trials."

But the God of all grace, Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 -1 Peter 5:10-11

A verse for today...

 

Cherry Cobbler

 

This year we were able to pick lots of tart cherries, and freeze them for later use. I made the first cobbler with them just recently, and it was a special treat! 

I used this recipe for the filling: 

6 cups tart red cherries, pitted

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup water (I left this out, as we had so much juice in our cherries)

4 teaspoons cornstarch

I also added a few tablespoons of tapioca for good measure to make sure the filling thickened enough. :)

My mom then combined two different recipes for the crust and streusel topping, which I don't have with me to share at this time.  

It's something I definitely hope to make again with the cherries still remaining in our freezer!  It's such a blessing to be reminded of all the things our Lord has provided for us to enjoy...so many different flavors, colors, etc., just amazes me.  Very thankful to Him for these things! 

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18

I hope you all have been enjoying your summer. : ) Thank you everyone so much for the comments you've left me recently - it always brightens my day to hear from you! 

Thankful for Freedom

 

Thankful for another yearly reminder of the freedoms and many other undeserved blessings the Lord has graciously given to us... 

I hope all of my readers in the U.S. have a special Fourth of July weekend with family and friends. 

   Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. 

- Psalms 106:1

Vistors in the Garden, and Some Random Summer Photos

This spring I had a family of rabbits take up residence right in my garden. 😄 

They look so innocent and adorable, don't they? : )

 The mother rabbit made her nest in the corner of my garden, in a pile of grass I had left for using as a mulch.  I was grabbing an armload of the grass to use in the garden one day, when some slight movement caught my eye. It was then that I noticed the fur lining the nest, and discovered the baby rabbits. It gave me a laugh, as we had just been attempting to fence in our garden to keep the rabbits out - but the rabbits were one step ahead, and had made a nest right inside the garden! 😄

You can see a bit of the nest here.  And no, I didn't have the heart to move the baby bunnies out of my garden. :) In spite of their being a bit of a pest in the garden, I enjoy watching all of God's creatures, and it was fun to be able to see the bunnies up so close and eventually leave the nest. :) We did eventually fence in the rest of the plants to protect them from further damage.  

Here the mother rabbit was watching from a distance as I came close to her nest. 

The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. 

- Psalms 111:2

It's been awhile since I posted on here once again...sorry to everyone who reads my blog on occasion. I may try to challenge myself to make a post once a week for awhile, but I can't make any promises since I've been having a busy summer.  

Sometime last year, after many years of having an interest in photography, but never having a quality camera to take photos with, I was able to invest in upgrading to my first DSLR camera. I've been enjoying being able to take close-up photos of God's amazing creation, and capturing memories with family and friends. I'm very thankful the Lord provided a camera at a reasonable price that I can now enjoy learning more about photography. So, for now, I'll just share a couple more photos I've been able to capture recently, and I hope you enjoy. : ) 

It was special to enjoy watching these beautiful goldfinches come to our feeder this spring. 

Such intricate detail in even the tiny flowers. Always amazes me to see what our Lord has created.  

 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

-Psalms 113:1

First Flower of the Year

 What could be more appropriate than to discover the very first flower I've seen this year in our yard, today on the first day of spring?!  :) I was so happy to spot this pretty little crocus as I was out taking a walk earlier today.  

There are other signs of spring around as well... 

Irises coming up...

Lots of birds singing in the trees, and some building nests here and there...

And flower seedlings getting ready for going into the ground as soon as the danger of frost is past.  

Spring is my favorite time of year. Happy first day of Spring, everyone! 

This verse has been on my mind lately. My sister-in-law shared it with me recently,

and I thought I'd share it here also.  

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

-John 14:27

That verse made me think also of these two verses: 

 "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" 

-Ephesians 2:13-14

Beautiful Snowflakes

I am sorry, everyone, for dropping off with no explanation here on my blog. I just felt the need for a break, and still am not sure of coming back very often yet...but I'm thinking about possibly keeping up a post every once in awhile. We'll see!   

Before winter slips by completely (it's been feeling very much like spring where I live lately)... I thought I'd like to share these pictures with everyone of some snowflakes I was photographing earlier this year.  I'm so amazed at the beauty and variety God has created.  I'm by no means an expert photographer--especially when it comes to tiny things like snowflakes, and some of my photos turned out a little blurry.  I'm sorry about that, but you can still see a lot of the detail which I find amazing. 

He giveth snow like wool: He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.

-Psalms 147:16

O LORD, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.

-Psalms 104:24

For scale... just look at how tiny each snowflake is. Then think how many there are each time it snows, and yet each one is unique and different.  Isn't that amazing? 

An amazing double-layered snowflake. 

Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 

-Psalms 104:1

An old hymn

I hadn't heard this hymn in a long time, but it was an encouragement to me as I was listening to a sermon that it was quoted in. A reminder that storms are no accident in our lives...the Lord is in control, and what a comfort that is. 

For He commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, 

which lifteth up the waves thereof.

 -Psalms 107:25

Jesus, Saviour, pilot me, 

Over life's tempestuous seas. 

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treach'rous shoal;

Chart and compass come from Thee:

Jesus, Saviour, pilot me!

As a mother stills her child, 

Thou canst hush the ocean wild;

Boist'rous waves obey Thy will

When Thou say'st to them, "Be still!"

Wondrous Sov'reign of the sea,

Jesus, Saviour, pilot me!

When at last I near the shore, 

And the fearful breakers roar

'Twixt me and the peaceful rest, 

Then, while leaning on Thy breast,

May I hear Thee say to me, 

"Fear not, I will pilot thee!" 

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses.

  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

-Psalms 107:28-31

A Quick Post

 

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." -Matthew 6:21

A friend of mine had shared this quote awhile back, and it really made me stop and think. I thought I'd share it here also.  

I'm sorry, everyone, for my lack of posts lately! My main problem was that my phone would not upload images, except on very rare occasions after trying over and over. I had such trouble with editing posts, that I gave up for awhile. I finally have a laptop again to use, so I hope to be sharing more posts in the near future, Lord willing. For now, I thought I'd make this quick post while I have a few spare moments. :)

 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

 -Colossians 4:5

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,

 nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

-Psalms 1:1-2

 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do,

do all to the glory of God."

 -1 Corinthians 10:31

His Sure Promises

"God turns all of His promises into performances." -Anonymous

 Quote of the Day, from SermonAudio.com

   "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, 

             unto the glory of God by us."  -2 Corinthians 1:20

PROMISES FOR THOSE WHO FEAR HIM:

  Psalms 25:14   The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

  Psalms 33:18   Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;


  Psalms 34:7   The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

  Psalms 34:9   O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

 Psalms 145:19   He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

  Psalms 147:11   The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. 

  Luke 1:50   And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.


And a final word...

And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
-Revelation 19:5