Chris Loehmer Kincaid's Blog, page 39

Summer for the Birds

     Since I seem to be posting an awful lot of pictures of birds this year, I thought I would hit you with some more.

On my walk one morning a few weeks ago, I found this beautiful pair in some thistle on the side of the road.

The male American Goldfinch is brilliantly covered in yellow. Just behind him, his mate wears a duller yellow. As is common with many species of birds the male’s colors stand out, while the female’s feathers are more subdued, making it easier for her to hide from predators. We all know that the Mommas are the ones whose lives need to be spared. 
 

What's in your Flood Light?

   This past weekend, we attended another inspiring Lifest. I’ve lost track, but this must have been the 11th or 12th time I’ve been to this Christian music festival.  

I’ll have to tell you all about this year’s event, but it will have to wait for another time. Coz you know me; if I find something that fascinates me, I lock on to that one thing.

For perspective, I thought I’d show you the grandstand first, way before it was filled with people.

And then the view looking the other direction. The grounds cover a lot of space, with five different stages for musicians and speakers, space for hundreds of campsites . . .  

. . . a food court . . .  

. . . banks of porta-potties. But wait, what is that in the flood light?

 An osprey nest. No way! 

The first few times I walked past it, no one was home, so I didn’t take any pictures, but the last day we were there, Momma was chillin’ with her babies.  

I took way too many pictures. But how could I not?

I thought of all the people walking by, focused on something else, never bothering to glance up to see what looks like garbage in a light. Yes, they were there to hear music praising God and sharing the word of God. But God is everywhere, in everything, and I live to see Him in the smallest and the greatest things He created. God is good. Oh, so good to me. 

The Seventh Commandment

     “Thou shalt not steal.” (Exodus 20:15, King James Version)

One Wednesday afternoon, when I was in Middle School, I was walking to confirmation class with two other girls. They weren’t friends, but since none of my friends went to my church, I hung out with these two once a week.

A block away from church, we stopped at Hanke’s grocery store and loitered around the Brach’s candy display. Remember those? Where you could pick out your favorite, wrapped candies (butterscotch and root beer barrels and the like). You’d scoop them into a paper bag and take them to the check out to be weighed and paid for.

Except for that day. We walked out of the store after a few minutes and the other two girls opened their hands to show me their score of shoplifted candy. I showed them the lone root beer barrel in my hand.

They were like – wow, the goody-two shoe stole a piece of candy. They didn’t seem to think I had it in me.

It was one piece of candy. But, holy cow, I was on my way to church to confirmation class to learn about God’s Ten Commandments!

What else have I stolen over the years? What have youstolen?

Office supplies from work? Maybe just a couple of pieces of colored paper for one of your kids’ school projects. Or a stapler, because your employer had extra and you needed one.

Or say your neighbor has an orchard. He’s never told you to go ahead and help yourself to his apples. But you say to yourself that some of the branches are hanging practically over your property line, so they really are yours anyway. Right?

Okay, so we know what stealing is, but shouldn’t it be all right in certain instances? Umm, no.

Why? Because it’s another example of not putting others before ourselves. No matter how much money, or candy, or paper, or apples someone else has, those are their things and not yours. Instead of helping yourself to those things, you should be offering your own possessions to those in need.

     Anyone who steals must stop it! He must work with his hands so he will have what he needs and can give to those who need help. (Ephesians 4:28, New Life Version)

Has anyone been doing their weekly assignments on keeping the commandments? I’d love to hear some of your answers, but instead, I’m going to move forward. The things you do are between you and God.

This week, you can probably – hopefully – keep from stealing from anyone. Instead, do the second part of the verse above. Give something to someone in need. No matter how small, or great, give from your heart. 

I couldn't find a picture of what the original Hanke's grocery store used to look like, but this was the IGA grocery store when I was a kid. It was Dollar General when I took this picture eight years ago and now it is the local thrift store. And where is the Dollar General? In the old Hanke's building, of course.  

A Few Days Cabining

     The week before last, my sister and I went away for a few days to a cabin on Lake Emily, only about sixty miles north of me. We had a good time, and the weather was perfect. We saw a few new things and lots of things I’ve seen before. We had some laughs, and I played Scrabble for the first time in probably 30 years. 

Our dock on Edith Lake Us out in the kayaks Rest Lake at Manitowish Waters The dam emptying into Vance Lake Claire d' Loon at Mercer  Falls at Lake of the Falls One afternoon we took a pontoon ride on Lakes Minocqua and Kawaguesaga
Saw lots of crazy expensive houses  And some wildlife which I already shared on a previous blog post

This guy showed up on our lake by our cabin the morning that we left. 
So photogenic

Independence Day

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Two hundred forty-six years ago tomorrow, delegates from each of the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. The United States, however, didn’t really win its independence until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783.

The United States Constitution wasn’t adopted until five years after that. Within a year of that, seventeen amendments to the Constitution were proposed. In 1791, the first ten amendments were ratified and became known as the Bill of Rights.

I’m not a historian, but from what I’ve been reading about this time in our country’s very early history, our founding fathers had a lot to squabble about. Overall, though, I think they were all looking out for the best interests of the people.

It had to be tough, though. They came up with some ideas which were radical for the time. I’m sure a lot of those guys were despised by many, but I think they had ideals that they wanted to see through to fruition. I think they wanted to create a country where everyone had unalienable rights, which included the right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. I think they wanted to guarantee freedom for their citizens.

What happened? I don’t know. We are living in crazy times. People seem to have taken their right to freedom a bit far. From refusing to get vaccines to abortion to gun control to sex change operations for kids. I don’t think any of that is what our founding fathers had in mind.

I still think we need to fall back on God’s Ten Commandments and turn our problems, our disagreements, over to God. I’ll get back to writing about those commandments next Sunday. For now, though, appreciate the freedoms we do have in this country and stop pushing your agenda on others. Just be peaceful, bend a little, and don’t break.

Fun Facts Friday - the sandhill crane

     I’m not up on all the birds of the world, but I can pick out most of the ones which frequent my neck of the woods.

As you may recall, I had a robin’s nest in my garage this spring, and it appears that the two surviving offspring have left the nest. Yeah! I wish them well but am thankful to park my car in the garage again.

Until my little tenants arrived, I didn’t know much about robins. I read up on them when I discovered the nest, of course, but have forgotten much of it. Robins aren’t birds that particularly interest me. 

But take these guys. Just a young family out for a stroll down a country road.

Sandhill cranes are beautiful, large birds. Couples mate for life and typically hatch one to three young in the spring. On average only one of these youngsters lives to adulthood. Just like the robin hatchlings, no matter how big they may be, baby birds of any kind are easy prey for predators.

So what is a baby crane called? A chick? A gosling? Think about it while I go on.

Maybe, instead, you can guess how long cranes can live? In the wild, they can live as long as 20 years, sometimes even up to 30 years. The oldest documented crane in the wild was over 37 years old.

I wish I’d been able to take a picture of a crane in flight. They remind me of something prehistoric, almost like a tetradactyl. But maybe that’s not so much of a stretch when you realize that cranes are one of the oldest living species of birds. Fossils of them have been found to be two million years old.

The last interesting thing about cranes is their distinctive call. It is one of my favorites, probably only behind the call of the loon or the whippoorwill. Click on this link to hear some of their sounds.

Oh, and lastly, a baby crane is called a colt. Look at those gangly legs and you can figure out why.

Food for Thought

     “If you're too open-minded; your brains will fall out.“ —  Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Where I live, and I suppose the same is true of most places, it’s a rare day that the majority of the population is happy with the weather. In the winter, it’s too cold, and in the summer, it’s too hot. Or if it’s a rare warm winter’s day or a cool summer’s day, we still grumble. We like the temperature to be right in the middle.

Likewise, I’m sure you’ve been driving down the freeway, going the speed limit, or perhaps six or seven miles per hour over, when a car goes zooming past. My husband always says to that car, “find the cops for us.”

Or you are driving down a two-lane highway and get behind someone going five miles under the speed limit. You maybe have some choice words for that driver. You get as close behind them as you can and watch for any chance to pass. We like to go just the right speed.

In general, most people seem to like it when things are in the middle. So what has happened around here the last few years. Everyone has taken a side, swinging far right or far left. No one wants to compromise, no one wants to give in. There’s no more meeting in the middle.

I heard the quote above many years ago; I think it says a lot. It’s okay to be open-minded about things and it’s even okay to be close-minded, but just don’t lose your mind completely.

I love the movie “Fiddler on the Roof”. If you haven’t seen it, find it and watch it. But in the meantime, let me share just one of the themes.

Tevye is a poor Jewish milkman living with this wife and five daughters in a small Ukrainian village. The year is 1905 and change is coming. But Tevye is going to fight change as much as he can; he will hang onto the traditional way of doing things. His eldest daughter marries a man that she has chosen and fallen in love with, instead of being married off to the man the local matchmaker has found for her. It takes some prodding, but Tevye finally blesses the marriage.

The next daughter also falls in love with a man of her choosing, but this man, though Jewish, is new to the village and has some radical ideas. It takes a lot to convince Tevye to bless them.

Along comes his third daughter, who falls in love with a man who is not even Jewish. Tevye looks at his two younger daughters and you know what he is thinking. He has to draw the line somewhere, and he cannot condone this latest marriage.

You’ll have to watch the movie, or hopefully you’ve seen it and remember how it ends.

But the point is this – we have to draw the line somewhere. We have to figure out how to meet in the middle. We have to accept new and different ways of doing things. But we cannot lose our standards and principles in the process.

Just food for thought for today.

Speaking of food, my momma robin has been feeding her babies enough. Look how big they got in just over a week. 

 

The Sixth Commandment

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14, King James Version)

In his book, Luther’s Small Catechism, Martin Luther answers the question – What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.

In God’s eyes, to lead a sexually pure and decent life means that you do not have sex until you are married, one man to one woman, and that you don’t stray from that person, in thought, word or actions. You are committing adultery if you have sex in any way outside of your marriage or if you think about having sex with anyone outside of your marriage.

Why?

   But when God made the world, ‘he made them male and female. So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one body.’ So there are not two, but one. God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them.” (Mark 10:6-9, New Century Version)

   Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. (Hebrews 13:4, New International Version)

   But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28, New Living Translation)

And there are so many more Bible verses on this topic. But what does this mean for us today?

How about this. Just this week the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade, returning the power to the states to decide if a woman can get an abortion, under what circumstances, and when during the pregnancy.

I hate sounding so unrealistic and simpleminded, but if no one broke the 6th commandment, no one would need an abortion. Which means, of course, no one is committing rape or incest. Which, we all know, so very sadly, will not happen.

But, hopefully, you see my point. These women who say, “my body, my choice”, should have made the choice to abstain from intercourse or at the very least use the most reliable form of birth control available. If she was in a loving, committed relationship with the man who got her pregnant, he would accept responsibility as well. I know – only in a perfect world.

But we need to turn to God; He really has all the answers. We gotta start listening to Him.  

Oh, boy, time to give you your assignment for this week. If you know someone who has had an abortion, or who is struggling in their marriage, or who is dealing with infidelity – either themself or their spouse – pray for them. No one is a bad person for breaking any of the commandments, including this one. They need our support and understanding. They need to know that you can forgive them and that so can God.

Spring Babies in Wisconsin

We may be past spring and into summer already here in the Northwoods, but June is the month to see all the newborn babies. 
This doe and tiny fawn were spotted in early June just east of Brantwood on River Road. 
 This proud momma brought out her baby for me to see just a few days ago in my backyard.  You have to look in the dead center of this photo to see a yearling eagle in the nest along the shore of one of the Minocqua Lakes the other day.  

This extended family of geese was on Rest Lake in Manitowish Waters. 
While this more organized family was back on Lake Minocqua. 
But who cannot fall in love with this loon family with their three day old. 
As adorable as this baby is, though, there are other babies on my mind right now. 
Oh, my goodness, look who hatched on top of my garage door opener while I was out of town this week. Three hungry little robin chicks. I will do whatever I can to make sure they make it. 

The Fourth Commandment

      Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12, King James Version)

Oh, boy. I had it in my head all week that I was going to write about the 6th commandment today. Then last night it dawned on me that it is Father’s Day today, so how could I pass up the 4thcommandment. (Let’s me off the hook for another week on that law about committing adultery.)

     Children, obey your parents as the Lord wants, because this is the right thing to do. The command says, “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first command that has a promise with it— “Then everything will be well with you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3, New Century Version)

Back when I was a kid, and for many generations before that, children were much more apt to obey and respect their parents. If they didn’t, they knew what was going to happen. There was going to be a switch on their bottom, or some soap in their mouth, or at the very least, a time-out in the corner. In other words, treat your parents right and things will go good for you, and if not, there are consequences.

     Fathers, do not make your children angry, but raise them with the training and teaching of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4, New Century Version)

And yes, our parents who are over us have an obligation as well. But because we live in such a fallen world, not all mothers and fathers know how to parent. There are kids out there being bounced around the foster care system with very few examples of a loving caregiver.

It’s pretty sad the mess we’ve made of this world.

Which is why we need to put guidelines like the ten commandments back in our schools, courtrooms and other public places. Teach our children to respect adults, but maybe start with teaching our adults to love the little children.

     But Jesus called for the children, saying, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children. (Luke 18:16, New Century Version)

Let’s just teach everyone to get along. Oh, and also, remember when I started writing about the Ten Commandments the first of June. The first three were about how we show our love to God and the rest were about showing love to others. The Fourth one is a good place to start. Let’s love our parents or our aunts and uncles, grandparents, guardians, teachers, anyone who is in a place to care for us and love us back. Show a little love and honoring, and respecting and obeying will follow.

     Children, obey your parents in all things. This pleases the Lord. (Colossians 3:20, International Children’s Bible)

Okay, last Sunday, I asked you to make an effort to go above and beyond in keeping the Fifth Commandment. How did that work out for you?

Today, your assignment is to do a little extra for those folks who have taken care of you, raised you, stood by you when you were falling. This should be easy, because it is Father’s Day after all. But if – like me – your parents and most of the other elders who were part of your childhood are no longer with you, find another older person who needs a smile, a hug or just a “thinking of you” card.   

     Listen to your father, who gave you life. And do not forget your mother when she is old. (Proverbs 23:22, International Children’s Bible)