June Caedmon's Blog, page 54

Inspired by . . . Lessons from the Fig Tree: Fruit

Inspired by . . . Lessons from the Fig Tree: Fruit

 

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, He was hungry.

And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if he could find anything on it.

When He came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

And He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And His disciples heard it.
Mar 11:12-14

 

 

Is anyone else bothered by this scripture, in which Jesus curses the fig tree for not having any fruit? It seems a bit unfair, doesn’t it? After all, the scripture tells us it was not the season for figs.

So what’s going on here? Is Jesus being arbitrary, or cynical?

No, He is not.

How do I know? because being arbitrary or cynical is contrary to His nature.

To figure out what is going on in this passage we first have to understand some principles of translation. Although the Word of God is without error, we humans are not. We can get into all sorts of trouble by asking irrelevant questions and coming up with irrelevant answers.

Here are a few things to remember:

Compare scripture with scripture. If a passage is incomplete or obscure, find a passage that is clear and complete with which to interpret it. Use scripture to check your interpretation. Use the OT as a guide to understanding the NT and read the OT in light of the NT. Work to understand the particular significance of each passage.

In the cursing of the fig tree we have a miracle of destruction, when every other miracle has been one of transformation or restoration. That fact alone should make us take notice, just as the disciples took notice.

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.

And Peter remembered and said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that You cursed has withered."
Mar 11:20-21

 

The setting around which this passage is set begins with the cleansing of the temple {Mar 11:15}, and ends with the destruction of the temple {Mar 13:2}. The temple was central to the audience to whom Mark was writing.

Jesus is looking for fruit.

 

 

He came to Jerusalem looking for spiritual fruit and true worship and what does He find?

A tree with a promise {it was in full leaf} it can’t fulfill and a temple full of activity that incurs His wrath. From a distance the fig tree gave an impression of a fruit that wasn’t there. So too, the Jewish leaders of the day gave an appearance of being able to satisfy a hungry heart, but it wasn’t so. They worshipped God with their lips, but not their hearts.

Their worship was in vain.

The miracle of the fig tree was an acted parable. It symbolized the judgment that was about to fall on Jerusalem. Judgment because of their unbelief.

Now, you may be wondering how this has any relevance to those of us who are not Jewish.

It has great relevance.

When the Jews rejected the Truth the way was made for the Gentiles {non-Jews} to be saved. {Rom 11:11}

This is good news, however, Paul warns us not to become arrogant or proud.

 

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot,

were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,

do not be arrogant toward the branches.

If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.

Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."

That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief,

but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.
Rom 11:17-20

 

We can all learn a lesson from the fig tree.

Each one of us should ask ourselves, “Is this, in any sense, a picture of me? When Jesus looks at me, is He finding in my life fruitfulness and faith?

Take time this week to prayerfully consider this question. Open up the scriptures, and let God speak and minister to your heart.

 

Blessings,

 

Note: if you want to dig a little deeper, you can read Hosea 9, Micah 7 and Jotham's parable in Judges 9:11 and see how the fig tree is a metaphor of the status of the people of Israel.

 

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Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 34:52

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 34:52

Looking back I was surprised to see that it’s been nearly a month since I’ve shared on any nature/bird memes.  August has been a busy month for us. We took a short trip to cooler climes and, as sometimes happens with time away, the before and after was a bit hectic.

I’m looking forward to sharing some of our mini-adventure with you, but for now, here is what’s been happening around the cottage.

I’m not at all happy with the abundance of Bambis this year due to the havoc they are wreaking on my flower beds. They have a particular appetite for blossoms and tend to pull things up roots and all. . . but still, it is hard not to find them endearing.

 

 

 

I shared previously how much fun I’ve been having watching the juveniles at the bird feeders. Here is an immature male cardinal in the beautiful bird feeder our daughter gave us for Christmas last year.

 

 

I don’t see the {Western} scrub jays around often. But when they are in the yard, you definitely know about it! These two made such a commotion, I had to grab my camera and see what the fuss was about. Nothing out of the ordinary, but they look like juveniles to me, so I suppose they were just finding their voice.

 

 

 

It’s been a banner year for butterflies. I planted butterfly weed in my flower beds this year and it is growing like crazy! I’m planning to plant even more milkweed next year. The Pipevine Swallowtails seem to be partial to the red butterfly weed.

 

 

I’m not often up for the sunrise {in the summer months} but we put in some long days getting ready for our trip and I happened to catch this jewel in the morning light.

 

 

The twins paid us a visit this afternoon. They look so skinny, I can almost forgive them for eating all the blooms off my flowers.

Almost.

 

 

And, if you’re still with me, I finally got some decent shots of the elusive Carolina Chickadee. They are the energizer bunnies of the bird world! Constantly moving!

 

 

The lighting wasn’t the best, no sun today for a change, so the greens are a bit dull. But I’m pleased enough to share them with you.

 

 

I saw this quote by Charles Lingbergh recently and wondered what the context might have been. Quite a fascinating conversation, I would think!

 

I realized that if I had to choose,

I would rather have birds than airplanes. ~Charles Lindbergh

  ***

What are you seeing through your lens this week?

 

Have a wonder-filled day!

 

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Inspired by . . . ridin’ the rails {of life}

Inspired by . . . ridin’ the rails {of life}

The sweetest man in the world and I recently took a ride on the Austin Steam Train.

 

 

Reflecting back on our little adventure, it occurred to me that ridin’ the rails is a lot like journeying through life.

 

 

We’re all assigned a seat {place}. We can choose to ignore those who have been placed in the same car {neighborhood/world} with us, or we can engage and inspire them.

 

     

 

Most of the time we can’t see where we are going, or what’s up ahead. Things past are quickly forgotten as we delight in what’s happening outside our window at that moment.

Those riding backwards, always looking to the past, have a different perspective of the journey. They seem to lack the anticipation and delight of those looking forward. They express regret over things missed, or sit quietly in contemplation.

 

 

Those not seated by windows, focus inward, chatting quietly amongst themselves, missing the wonders of the outside world altogether.

Except for times when there is a severe bend in the track, we can’t see the engine that pulls us along, determining our course.

 

 

Leaving our seat {place} often results in a wobbly experience. At worst, we crash into walls {or people!}. At best, we jerk along, unsure of each new step.

Life is a big, complicated machine. We rely on the engineer to keep the train on the tracks and maintain our course, the conductor to keep the train functioning properly, and the volunteers in the cars to instruct us about life on the rails and trains in general.

 

 

Of course, mine is not a perfect analogy, but it was a fun way to share our adventure with you. Hopefully, it has inspired you to ponder every day moments and look for ways God may be revealing Himself and His perfect plan for your life!

 

 

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you

will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, Php 1:3-7

 

Blessings,

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Inspired by . . . a prick on the finger

Inspired by . . . a prick on the finger

I walked along the lane to the cottage listening to the mutterings of the wind in the Johnson grass, as it said it’s farewells to the sun, just before settling down into a bed of leaves for the night.  A few of it’s offspring resisted, instead, bending the necks of the Cottontop and teasing the puffed, seeded ends away to join with them in a fair dance along the lane.

 

 

 

Into my fanciful thoughts came a faint pricking just above my knee. Reaching down to investigate, I pulled back sharply, my finger bruised and throbbing as if it had encountered a blazing hot poker!  I looked down in astonishment, only to find a single sandbur stuck in the hem of my capris.

 

 

For those of you who have had experience with the Texas grassbur or sandbur, you know that I am not exaggerating in the least with my “hot poker” statement. It almost makes you wonder if Maleficent isn’t behind such a ghastly prick on the finger. As it turns out, she does have something to do with it, at least, in a way.

 

And to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you,

'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you;

in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;

thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;

and you shall eat the plants of the field.
Gen 3:17-18

 

Thorns, thistles, and sandburrs are not what God wants for us. But they exist . . . for a time. They serve as a stark reminder of the fallen world we live in. Not that we really need sandburs to remind us. Turning on our TV or signing in to our social media of choice is really all that is needed these days.

 

 

I don’t know about you, but at times I am overwhelmed by the depravity of our world. The images become like shouts from the crowd. In my mind, voices clamor, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

And we do.

Crucify Him.

Daily.

Daily, we prove the necessity of the cross, our great need for His great sacrifice.

More and more often I’m finding it necessary to draw away. To move beyond the clamor of the unfolding immorality.

To move beyond the cross . . .

. . . on to the hope of His resurrection.

To submerse myself in the shimmery shadow of heaven. Because this world, even as God intended it to be, is still only a glimpse of what is to come.

 

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man,

the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.  1Co 2:9

***

For now we see through a glass, darkly;

but then face to face: now I know in part;

but then shall I know even as also I am known.  1Co 13:12

 

You won’t be surprised that, for me, that place is in nature. It is where I feel closest to God. Where He reveals Himself and the infinite nuances of His character to me.  Perhaps your place is in a church. Or sitting in a particular place with His word. Or in a crowded room, or on a city street where only His voice is heard. The place doesn’t matter.

 

 

What matters is that we continue to turn away from the raging voices of this world and look to Him.

To remember:

This world is not our home. It’s okay to feel different, to feel unwelcome here at times.

The earth and everything created is our inheritance. God made it for us, because He loves us. One day we will receive it in full.

And to hope:

The King may be absent, but He not unaware or uncaring. This is not a time for sleeping. As His subjects we are to work diligently until His return. And He will return. And when He does, every wrong will be made right. Justice will be served, and peace will reign.

 

For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them

as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

For you are all children of light, children of the day.

We are not of the night or of the darkness.

So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
1Th 5:2-6

***

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,

neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
Rev 21:4

 

This is our hope.

He is our hope.

As sharp, and as sure as the sandburr.

 

Shalom,

 

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Inspired by . . . ants, lions and doodlebugs, oh, my!

Inspired by . . . ants, lions and doodlebugs, oh, my!

Imagine, if you would, the delightful scene of the two of us sitting down for tea. After stirring in a dot of cream and a lump of sugar, you might sit back and say, “So, what did you do last night?”

“Well,” I would say, eyes sparkling mischievously, “I was out hunting Antlions!”

“And I found one too,” I would continue, after helping you clean up your tea. “He spit some sand at me!”

Truth really is stranger than fiction! After all, Antlions are something you might expect to read about in a novel by C.S. Lewis or George MacDonald, not something you find on your front porch.

But there it was, in all it’s, slightly terrifying, glory.

 

 

Of course, I had to know more about this creature who was clinging so close to my front door. A quick check at insectidentification.org got me started. Thankfully, the adult antlions are harmless and consume mostly nectar and pollen. It’s their young that have earned them their ferocious name.

Antlion larva walk backwards, creating whimsical lines in the sand, earning them the name doodlebugs.

 

 

The catch? Once they find a suitable location, the antlion digs a burrow and then sits inside with it’s head slightly below the surface. When an unsuspecting ant falls in, the antlion grabs it with it’s huge jaws. I’ll spare you the rest of the gory details. Suffice it to say, the ant ends up with the same fate that you might if you walked into a lions den.

 

 

I was surprised at the wealth of information to be found online about antlions, they even have their own website: antlionpit.com, and I wonder if I might be one of only a few people that don’t know about these fascinating creatures?

 

 

Ever since I learned about the antlions, God has been whispering a warning to my heart, and I want to share it with you.

 

Be sober-minded; be watchful.

Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,

seeking someone to devour. 1Pe 5:8

 

Much like the trail the doodlebug leaves, sin can entice and beguile us into following a different path. But just like the doodlebug’s trail, sin will always lead to a pit of death.

 

 

As believers, God will shut the lions mouth and protect us from losing our lives, but we may still get a nasty bite, or at the very least, sand spit into our eyes.

 

Then the king was exceedingly glad,

and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den.

So Daniel was taken up out of the den,

and no kind of harm was found on him,

because he had trusted in his God.  Dan 6:23

 

Nature has any number of lessons to teach us, if we will but listen.

 

Shalom,

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Inspired by . . . it’s a bird’s life

Inspired by . . . it’s a bird’s life

We have two large, north-facing windows in our cottage. Their gaze sweeps over a small side yard, down the hill into the low-hanging branches of a large oak tree, and up over the tree tops into the pale blue of the north sky.

The side yard, while still quite open, is graced by an encroaching canopy of oak limbs stretching, here to the east and there to the west. Much of it remains shaded throughout the day with the cottage blocking the sun to the south.

It is in this little side yard that I chose to place my bird feeders.

One can see out these windows from nearly every place in the cottage. The windows act as a bit of a bird-blind, as long as I stay far enough back, and I delight in watching the antics of the birds and other critters.

Last month, I shared some squirrel yoga - -

Posted by June at Inspired by on Monday, June 15, 2015

on Facebook and Instagram, but this post is all about the birds!

 

Northern Cardinal

 

Carolina Chickadee

 

    

Immature Carolina Wren - getting a leg up

 

Immature Black-crested Titmouse

 

Immature Female Northern Cardinal

 

Immature Male Northern Cardinal

 

White-winged Dove

 

Every once in a while you see something new. I was delighted to catch this immature golden-fronted woodpecker {female} cooling off in the birdbath!

 

 

My! what a large beak you have!

 

It’s interesting, the more you observe, the more you will see distinct personalities and behaviors appear. I never tire of observing nature. Sometimes we can learn more about ourselves by looking outward.

 

A bird doesn't sing because he has an answer,

he sings because he has a song.

~Joan Walsh Anglund, A Cup of Sun, 1967

 

Have a wonder-filled day,

 

Note: If you’re having a problem with BWC’s {Bird-Window Collisions},  I found this ad in my latest copy of Bird & Blooms:  abirdseyeview.com

BWC’s are the largest human-caused factor in bird mortality.

{Links are FYI only, this blog is not monetized}

 

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Inspired by . . . good gifts

Inspired by . . . good gifts

A walk to the waterspout can become holy communion if one has eyes that see and ears that hear. Sometimes, when we get it right and open ourselves to the Father, time becomes suspended in that mysterious place between heaven and earth. We can step, as it were, into that fourth dimension. We can, even if it’s just for a moment, hear, see and sense everything that surrounds us.

The slow bake of the summer sun envelopes me like cocoon. I wonder, is this how it felt in the womb, when God was knitting me together? Warm, swaddled, safe.

These are the thoughts swirling in my mind when I see her.

Royalty, flitting around a mass of wildflowers.

 

 

My heart begins a slow dance as I pause to watch.

His voice comes low and soft, like a slow moving stream. “Isn’t she beautiful.” His words echo my own thoughts, but then . . .

“I made her for you. For this moment.”

Suddenly the veil is lifted, and all around me I see the glitter of diamonds and rubies, sapphire and emerald. The flash of gold and a milky rainbow of pearls.

The glint of sun on a dragonflies wing. The flash of the red bird flying through the trees. The sky above and the earth below. The golden butterflies and the rainbow upon which they drink.

 

All created for me . . .

for you . . .

for us.

Do you see?

***

Would any of you who are fathers give your son a snake when he asks for fish?

Or would you give him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?

As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children.

How much more, then,

will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Luk 11:11-13

 

Blessings,

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Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 29:52

Inspired by . . . Life thru My Lens 29:52

 

Summer has arrived in all her glory! After a pretty mild start, we’re starting to feel the heat here in south Texas. I do love to feel the sun baking into my skin. I know better than to stay out too long, though. The sun is only your friend up to a point.

It’s nice that our fields are still green, rather than the burnt brown that the Texas sun usually produces this time of year. The birds seem to enjoy the grasses too, especially when freshly mowed!

I thought the heat coming off the freshly mowed field created an interesting effect in this picture.

 

 

Another critter that has been enjoying the heat of summer is our Texas Spotted Whiptail.

 

 

Also known as the Common Spotted and the Eastern Spotted, I was delighted to find a pair playing in my flower bed this week. A cold-blooded animal, they like to stretch out on the rocks and absorb the heat.

 

 

The exciting news this week was the mockingbird’s fledge day on Monday. I posted pictures here.  I haven’t seen the little guy since, but finding a baby bird in all these trees is like finding a needle in a haystack. I have seen the scissor-tailed flycatcher babies around the area. They are still easy to spot with their shorter tails. I’ve seen some other flegdlings around too, so it’s been a good year for the birds.

This immature male Cardinal has been at the feeders nearly every evening for the past week.

 

 

The wren’s had a successful brood as well. Their young are appearing here and there, as they flitter about discovering their new world.  These are either Carolina Wrens or Bewick’s Wrens. I’m guessing Carolina Wrens because, although you can’t see it on this youngster, the adults have buff orange under-bellies. They are quite amusing to watch. Wren babies are about the cutest of all, I think.

 

 

And, finally, I have another first to share with you. I was sitting out on the porch last evening {getting eaten alive by mosquitoes} and suddenly a flock {six} birds flew into the top of our cottonwood tree. They were carrying on and making all kinds of noise. At first I thought cedar waxwings because of their behavior, but after zooming in with the camera they appear to be Western Kingbirds!

 

 

I saw one, lone, adult last year. This crew have the look of young birds to me. What do you think?

 

 

The crepe myrtles will be blooming all summer. I’ve only just begun taking pictures . . .

 

Textured with Mona’s Romance

 

What are you seeing through your lens this summer?

 

Blessings,

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Inspired by . . . the Joseph story

Inspired by . . . the Joseph story

 

 

Do you know Joseph’s story?

How as a young man, Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. He then spent several years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Finally, after interpreting a dream for the Pharaoh, he was made second in command. In all the land, only Pharaoh ranked above Joseph.

It was during this time that a great famine came over the land. Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt looking for food, because their people were starving.

Joseph hadn’t seen his brothers in nearly thirty years. Not since the day they’d thrown him into a deep pit and then sold him to the next passing caravan of traders.

Joseph was now in charge of all of Pharaoh’s affairs. Including the distribution of food.

How do you think Joseph responded to his brother’s request?

How would you respond after being betrayed?

Here is Joseph’s response:

And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Gen 45:3-8

Joseph’s brothers were dismayed because they knew Joseph now had the power to even the score. “Off with their heads!” might have been the next words out of Joseph’s mouth.

When we see injustice in our world, or are faced with it in our own lives, we are often tempted to respond in one of three ways.

1. Impatience, vengeance and vindictiveness. We tire of waiting for God to act, or determine that He’s not going to act, and take matters in to our own hands.

2. Anxiety and worry. We’re fearful because we don’t know the outcome.

3. Grumbling, blaming. We feel powerless against the person that has wronged us so we blame God, or the people closest to us.

But Joseph’s story gives us another perspective. It introduces another element to the situation.

Commentator Carroll E. Simcox said, “Joseph had gone through human hell, and human sin had put him through it. But human sin wasn’t the whole story; divine Providence was in it too.”

It’s difficult to see the hand of God when we’re in the dark bit of despair, or when we’re grieving, but His hand is there. Acknowledging His presence and His providence doesn’t excuse human sin, but it does give us a starting place for forgiveness.

Some things are easy to forgive and some are not. The process of forgiveness is different for each on of us. Sometimes the key is simply acknowledging our inability to forgive, and asking God to help us do what we cannot do ourselves.

Maybe Joseph’s story is your story, too.

 

 

Give us the grace and wisdom, dear Lord, to know that Thy

gracious hand is ever over us in all our troubles,

and give us the patience to wait until Thou dost

make all things plain;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

~Carroll E. Simcox

 

 Blessings,

 

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Inspired by . . . fledge day!

Inspired by . . . fledge day!

Monday was a big day for the Mockingbird family, and for me, too! It was little MB’s first flight, and my first time witnessing a baby fledge the nest!

The lighting wasn’t the best, I put in a request that next time they fledge during the golden hour, but I think you’ll enjoy seeing little MB’s first big adventure.

The day began like every other day . . .

 

 

Life on the edge feels good, I think I’ll sit here awhile . . .

 

Out on a limb . . .

 

A little wobbly . . .

 

 

Once MB left the nest, the parents kept coming back with food in their beak, but they wouldn’t feed him. They would come close, and then fly away.

 

 

I think they were trying to get him to follow them.

 

 

Once MB flew out of the tree, he stayed on the ground, hopping around. That made me nervous, but I knew I couldn’t intervene.

 

 

Still trying to get mama to feed him. I think she obliged him this time.

 

 

My final shot. MB hopped across the driveway and disappeared into the tall grasses with his parents. I haven’t seen him since, but trying to find a baby bird around here is like trying to find a needle in a haystack! I hope to have some time this weekend to follow his parents around and see if I can catch a glimpse of him.

So, MB is off on his great adventure! He has a lot to live up to, being the Texas state bird and all, but I think he’ll do just fine!

 

Have a wonder-filled week!

 

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