You Don't Have to Finish 1st to be a Winner



   Got up earlier than usual this past Sunday, in plenty of time for church, but instead headed out in near freezing temperatures to cheer on my 37 year old daughter during her participation in the Wilmington, NC Battleship Half Marathon.

  

  

   Being a "Half" marathon meant a race of 13.1 miles.....which is about 12.1 miles too long for me!

   The race is dedicated to those currently serving in the military, those who have lost their lives in action and those friends and family members who have left us.  It started and ended at the Battleship USS North Carolina, crossed the Cape Fear River twice over different bridges and meandered through downtown Wilmington and Greenfield Lake.

                                                  

What I found amazing and most admirable about my daughter's decision to enter this race and show determination, drive and stamina was to realize what she has managed to overcome over this past year. 

 
Her beautiful baby girl, Natalia went full-term but was delivered still-born. 

   Most understandably, she has battled depression, weight gain and much questioning of God.    Actually, I have too.  

   Trista ran track in high school, but that was going on 20 years ago.  Recently though she started running again to have her "alone time," think, get exercise and lose weight. 

  
   Well, in a matter of a few short months, she has dropped close to 30 pounds and regained her form for long-distance running.

   Seeing her not only out there competing with enjoyment, but finishing the entire course in under 2 hours (24th out of 103 in her age group and 484th out of 1292 total runners) was truly an inspiration and an encouragement to me.  

   My "little girl" was back in the race of life and although she didn't finish first, she was truly a winner!

Until next time...

In memory of our precious little one



Look, But Don't Touch!



Just arrogantly lies there!

 Ever since the Spring, we have had a fearsome new neighbor living down by the water......a rather large Cotton Mouth snake!   It likes to sun on the downed tree along the stream or swim along the reeds in search of food.

I do not like snakes!!! 

This guy obviously has my respect/fear and I know better than to approach or irritate it.   Still, it bothers me that he is infringing on my property and makes me leery of going down to that area even to use the weed trimmer.

This Black Racer was only about 4'

We also have Black Racers that can be up to 5 or 6 feet in length and of course,  Copperheads.  

Recently there was an article in the newspaper regarding the apparent scarcity of snakes around here this year.   I would have to agree that this does seem to be true, but even so, there are still way too many for my taste!

Guess these creatures are a lot like some of the neighbors one may have......you're stuck with them, they infringe upon your rights, can be a nuissance or don't share the same attention to house and yard upkeep as you.  So you tend to stay away from them because they make you uncomfortable, afraid, are hostile toward you or just plain give you the creeps.

I know this doesn't sound very "love thy neighborly," but one has to be honest.....after-all, Proverbs tells us that "A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.  The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences."

Just have to remember that the Lord created all living things and each has a specific reason for being here.   Just wish it were a little easier being able to figure out what that reason is!!

Until next time.....

Are you thirsty?

   My birdbath seems to be a favorite watering hole for all kinds of creatures......birds, squirrels, geckos, butterflies and the neighbor's cat.  All are welcome (well maybe not the cat!).   

   This fellow refreshed himself after a harrowing journey of tree jumping, nut burying and gecko scarring.

    I felt bad that I hadn't gotten to clean the birdbath out now that the leaves have begun to fall, but it doesn't seem to bother any of the partakers!

    

    As I snapped this picture, my Tuesday evening joint Bible study (4 white churches, 4 black) came to mind.   We are looking at the Church here on earth and how we can make it more as it is in Heaven. 

  
    We read from John 4:13-14 and this came to mind: “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again.  But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again."
   
    This squirrel, like the birds of the air, doesn't concern itself with the kind of water it drinks, but we should.   

    Are you thirsty?

    Until next time....

What if we could change color?

   Watched a gecko scamper across the 4' high retaining wall that I built behind the house to keep my sandy soil from eroding away with each heavy rain (and to give my wife a sense of security just in case that 4' alligator might re-appear!).

 

         Starts out green

   We have these creatures all over the place.  Several of them like to stay on our front porch for protection and warmth in addition to the multitude that are out back.  They're funny characters......I especially like when they seem fascinated with looking in the windows on each side of the door.  One actually seems enamoured with my wife....he actually reacts when he sees her.  She does too, but hers is more of a startled fright, followed by, "I hate that thing!"        

   Anyway, I am fascinated at how quickly they can change their skin color to blend in with what they are on.  It provides them with protection/camouflage.  Guess it has something to do with their eyes??

He's starting to change to mimic
the color of the railroad tie.

   This little guy started out his typical green, but within less than a minute, he changed to a grey, then brownish-tan as he climbed the tree.

   Wouldn't it be nice if we could do this?

   Too bad we can't adjust so quickly to things that life presents us with.  Too bad it takes us so long to change the way we think, act or respond. 

  

That expression "to show one's true color" doesn't have a very flattering  
connotation.  I guess our color would be "red" when we get angry.   When we're afraid of something, we might be called, "yellow."   Envious...."green."

Frightened by a squirrel, he leaps
  to the tree and is now brown.

   When we're depressed, we've got "the Blues."

   We're either Black, White, Brown, Yellow or Red skinned people.  

   Wonder what it would be like if we could turn into the color of the people we are with or in close proximity to?

   We then could see their point of view, feel secure, confident, unified and compassionate because then we would all be the same.

How about sharing your secret, Mr. Gecko?

Until next time.......

Knock, Knock....Who's there??

We have lived at our new home going on 6 years now.  It didn't take long for us to have those backyard visitors dropping by and letting us know that even though our house now stood on ground that was once wild, they were not going to leave their habitat.

Case in point.....this red guy who would wake us every morning by banging into two of our back windows over and over again.  Not sure if he saw his reflection and was defending his turf and lady (I say "he" because of his beautiful colors....female cardinals are a much more dull brownish color.) or was knocking himself silly and was delirious! 

This went on at various times each year for about three years.  Then it stopped.

Well, this week I was again awakened early in the morning by what sounded like repeated loud knocking.  Upon investigating, I saw this new guy doing the same thing at the same two windows.  Not sure what kind of bird he is, but one thing is for sure..... he is equally stubborn in his determination.  We have become concerned that he will eventually break his neck, so have attempted to dissuade him by placing a large stuffed doll with big eyes in one window and hanging our orange Piggly Wiggly shopping bag in the other. 

It's working!!  Hope he can appreciate how silly we look inside for his benefit, although somehow I think he could care less.  He brings to mind the verses in Matthew (6:26) that say:    

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

I wish we could be as trusting and thus, more worry-free.

These feathered characters also remind me of myself or others who will continue to follow a path or practice that will only result in the same failure or self-deception or harm.  Yet we doggedly, stubbornly do the same thing over and over again and foolishly expect a different result.   It's not rational or beneficial, but our pride, arrogance or sheer stupidity keeps us beating our heads against that barrier.

Some will say that that "never quit" attitude is admirable......it is when we're willing to admit our limitations, seek advice/assistance from others and logically figure out and pursue another path or even slightly different goal. 

Maybe it's my age, but it's easier now to know this.

Until next time.....

Here We Go

Here we go.....this is my first entry into the blogosphere! 

Like the picture to the right, I feel a little like that squirrel, timidly peeking out at the world....wanting to be fully visible, yet hesitant and vulnerable.  Guess it's the jitters of a rookie wanting to do well. Well there's no way to measure that if I don't just start, right?  (Deep breath!)


Each day, especially in the early morning as I gaze out my back window, sipping on that most needed cup of coffee or crunching my Toasty O's, I feel challenged to see what new/different creature has decided to visit my backyard.  Our house backs up to some Southern Wetlands and between the tropical vegetation and the water beyond, I can view a veritable wild kingdom worthy of a small zoo.   Each creature, whether reptilian, fowl, insect or mammal has chosen to share its life with me and gives me pause for reflection, amusement and even sadness.

I am going to share those observations (with pictures, hopefully!) with you in the hopes that there is someone out there who just might have the same thoughts/opinions as I do and help me to not feel like just a silly optimist.

Just thinking.....perhaps the squirrel might not be the best one to start with....you know "nuts" and all, but since I saw him and his buddies today and most days, he won the maiden voyage!

Until next time.....