Grape Hyacinths

Psalm 42:1-3 

"As the deer pants for the water brooks,

So my soul pants for You, O God.

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;

When shall I come and appear before God?

3 My tears have been my food day and night,

While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

Bitternut Hickory Bud

F 10
100mm
IS0 3200
1/400 sec

The tree is easy to ID when you see this unusual colored bud.

The fruit of this tree is bitter, thus the name Bitter Nut Hickory. The glitter we see in life is not always what it seems.

Sea Gull

I used to live in Astoria Oregon and I had a good view of the Columbia river. There was a 5 or so story building there which created a draft and the sea gulls would fly over to the building and get carried up in the up draft the building created. The gulls would then circle around and do it again endlessly. It was a game they played and they never seemed to get tired of it.

Some things God gives to us just for fun. And that is what nature is for me. I enjoy  looking for interesting things to take pictures of. Remember to follow God's guidelines.

1 Peter 3:10 "For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;"

Chipping sparrow

This is a small bird. It is just a little bigger than a Blacked Capped Chickadee. It came to land on the walking trail as we rested nearby. It stayed for a while as if to check out what we were doing. Or on a more realistic note, it was probably there to pick up a little gravel for digestion.

2 Chronicles 16:9 

" For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.”

Ground Cover Flowers

A close look at this ground cover yields a beautiful flower. It is not what you see from a distance that always brings beauty. A close look sometimes will bring the satisfaction you desire.

I enjoy searching nature for the unheralded beauty. Life many times is that way. The mountain vistas are easy to admire but up close they may be very rugged and dangerous. This ground cover is not much from a distance but close up there is a surprise.

In Christ there is this same phenomenon. God seems distant and hard to understand. After I spend time in the Bible and meditate on His promises there is a sense of satisfaction and strength that doesn't come from a casual glance.

Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

Father I look for you early in the morning and in the night watches.

Black Locust Flowers

Acts 12:24 "But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied."

Turtles

What are the lessons of the turtle for us?

Use your protection when needed.
A slow pace is best but keep moving forward in work for Christ.
They live in the water but need air. Many Christians are not aware of their need for air or the life of the Holy Spirit at times.

We get caught up in the busyness of life. Don't be too busy but return to Christ often for His vitality of the Spirit that is there for us.

Spruce Tree

A tree growing tall, healthy, producing plenty of cones for reproduction.

Ezekiel 37:24 "All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it."

It is not what seems to be, but  what God has promised.

Don't let your hope turn to despondency. Instead see God fulfilling the promise He made to you.

Proverbs 13:12 ESV "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life."

Dandelions

There was a time when Jerusalem was under siege in the 1948 war of independence. Jews were facing starvation but God miraculously caused a weed to grow in their time of need that provided sustenance for the people. In Exodus God sent mana to Israel for their needs, six days a week for 40 years.

I see dandelions as a plant similar to this. There does not seem to be the need for it. People spray it and kill it off. They are looking for the uniformity of grass. Medicines are used instead of natural herbs. There is a health cost to using medicine. Or why would do we need a prescription instead of just buying it over the counter? Answers to many of our physical needs are readily available with natural herbs.

Don't try to beat them, eat them. We took the attitude of raising healthy children and not lawns. We didn't put fertilizer and weed killer on our yard. I would pay my kids a penny each for the dandelion flowers they would pull. As time went on we came to learn the benefits of dandelions. I was skeptical for years but have learned to eat them in salads. They are not bitter or bad tasting.

Dandelions provide solutions for: bone health, liver disorders, diabetes, urinary disorders, skin care, acne, weight loss, cancer, jaundice, gall bladder disorders, constipation, anemia, high blood pressure and a good source of vitamin C. They also are a good vegetable for salads.

Caution: when using for skin care, keep away from your eyes. If you are taking diabetic medicine, they could lower your sugar level causing hypoglycemia.

13 Surprising Benefits of dandelions

Just as people seek counsel for their problems, if they would first read and meditate on the Bible, the answer to most of their problems would become apparent.

Psalm 119:99,100 I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts.

Father I look to you for the answers to life. Thank you.

Hawthorne Tree Flower

The flowers are just about to bloom.

Paw Paw Bud

These buds are common in the forest understory in the Midwest hardwood forest.

Psalm 119:89 "Forever, O Lord,

Your word is settled in heaven."

Psalm 119:92 "If Your law had not been my delight,

Then I would have perished in my affliction."

Psalm 119:97 "O how I love Our law!

It is my meditation all the day."

Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are Your words to my taste!

Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet

 and a light to my path."

Psalm 119:116 "Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live;

And to don let me be ashamed of my hope."

Psalm 119:130 "The unfolding of Your words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple."

Psalm 119:133 "Establish my footsteps in Your word.

And to not let any iniquity have dominion over me."

Psalm 119:148 "My eyes anticipate the night watches,

That I may meditate on Your word."

Psalm 119:160 "The sum of Your word is truth,

And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting."

Psalm 119:162 "I rejoice in Your word, 

as one who finds great spoil."

Psalm 119:165 "Those who love Your law have great peace,

And nothing causes them to stumble."

Daffodil

One of the first flowers to come out is the Daffodil. March 5th

Psalm 121:1,2 "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord
Who made heaven and earth."

Milkweed

Here is a Milkweed seed pod that still has some seeds in March.

This plant attracts butterflies and is sold at nature stores. We saw these in a grassland area growing wild.

Psalm 125:2 "As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever."

Lilac

Warm winter has Lilac starting to grow. But they were leafing out the 7th of March last year.

Here are some old seed pods.

It is good to see signs of spring. Life is starting anew. Let us learn from nature to respond to the Lord when we sense His warmth.

Ginko Tree

I took some photos of a Ginko tree. The stems are stubby giving it a distinct look in the winter.

Like the Ginko tree that has an ancient past. Abraham lived to be 175 years old. Gen. 25:7. Many people think Abraham only had 2 sons. Gen 25:1,2 shows that Abraham had 6 more sons with another wife after Sarah died. 

Box Elder Maple

I am drawn to box elder because of the green twigs I find in the winter woods are different than the other twigs. All of them are brown or gray.

Lord I thank You for the variety in the forest. May Your glory be shown to people of all faiths to know that You are God and King of kings. I listen for You as I walk in the woods.

Black Willow

A revisit of the willow tree I posted last August.

One of the things that is noticeable of willows is the bud lies flat against the twig. The leaves are long and narrow but you don't see that in the winter. What you do see is the thin twigs.

Leviticus 23:40 "Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days."

So now when I see Willows I will think of rejoicing before the Lord. Thank you Jesus for what You do for me. I trust in You.

Black Willow

Here is a Black Willow on top of the bank next to the Missouri river. It is leaning over the bank, which this tree seems to do a lot. It usually grows around bigger trees and has to lean to find the light. Willow can withstand flooding thus the propensity to grow in bottom land sites and thrive there.

The saplings of willow grow straight and are good for furniture making. That is brush furniture. The wood is light and would not stand up the use of normal furniture.

One of the reasons I am drawn to finding different types of trees is their ability to adapt to different types of conditions. Christians are not all the same. That may be why there are so many expressions of Christianity. We have different abilities and should not be discouraged if we don't measure up to others. Instead of trying to measure up to others serve God as you were made to do. 

We all have abilities if we will renounce the sin desires that are within us and turn to Christ and live for Him. Look to Jesus and not yourself and He will sustain you.

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."

Father, I look to you and Your Son and the Holy Spirit to guide me in my life and work. Thank You, let it happen.

Northern Sholveler

The long and wide bills makes this duck distinctive.

Each and every day God shows His glory through creation. Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to watch your beauty the wonders you have made.

Bottom Land

Our hike yesterday along the Missouri River. Tangle of woods asleep. Waiting for the warmth and added light of Spring. Just as these woods can seem foreboding and unforgiving to the untrained, People can seem foreboding and unforgiving. A kind word and an act of care can change a person. Let us not see only with our physical eyes but also see what God can do with His love for others. 1 John 4:7-10 The Message Bible "My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God."

American Sycamore Bark

American Sycamore bark is unique. As these photos show, there are 3 layers with 3 colors. The whitish inner bark is the new growth of bark. the outer brown/gray bark is older and it peals off and will flake off the tree as the tree expands with growth.

Just as this bark sheds with growth, so Christians life will change with growth. The old will fall away and the new will take hold. Embrace the change of a new life in Christ. It says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Lord, I thank you for the work You do in my life. I look to You for life and ability. 

Sycamore Bud and Seed pod

Here is another Sycamore bud that is completely enclosed by the leaf during the summer. The seed pod is left on the twig in the middle of winter.



 Below is a summer photo of a Sycamore fruit pod.
    

Sycamore trees have many of these pods, and a few of them remain on the tree during the winter. This tree makes a good den tree for the center of the tree wood rots and leaves a cavity that wildlife makes use of for their dens. The wood that survives is hard and the grain is swirled. This makes the tree hard to split for firewood. I know because I got some of this wood from a neighbor and worked hard to split it.

The tree grows taller than other hardwoods in the area making it a dominate tree where it is found. It does best in lowland areas, but will also grow on hillsides.

When I think of this tree I think of the rot the tree is experiencing within the bole of the tree. Yet it grows tall and the bark makes the tree to stand out against the other trees in a hardwood forest.



Christians can thrive even though they have problems in their life. It is not our ability but our availability that God is looking for. He will take our wounds and weaknesses and turn them for His glory.

Hebrews 11:32-34 "And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight."

Robins Among the Sumac

Sumac usually grows as a shrub in Kansas and Missouri. We were walk along a trail that went through a field of Sumac. It was not hard to walk through but the stems were stiff. There was sort of a path as we made our way through.

This plant occurs in open areas, and along boarders. The leaves turn a nice red in the fall.

As there is an abundance of fruit for these Robins so God will provide for us.

Daniel 4:12 "Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all The beasts of the field found shade under it, And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, And all living creatures fed themselves from it."

Ring-Billed Gull

When I first saw Gulls in Missouri and Kansas, I was surprised. But I read that these gulls frequent the interior of the country and nest at fresh water sites. Once they hatch they usually return to the same area year after year.

They will eat most anything, but fish and bugs are preferred. Garbage is another staple they have adapted to. They enjoy flying along with the wind currents, diving to the water when there is a food source.

The oldest known gull was 27 years old. They usually nest in large colonies numbering in the thousands. These birds take 3 years to attain their adult plumage. This bird has the adult plumage.

The soaring of these gulls brings to mind the ability of Christians to soar above the problems of life with the relationship with Jesus that we have.

Isaiah 40:31 "Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary."

Branch Becomes Tree Leader

Here is a sapling that had a branch become the leader of the tree. The original leader had been broken off and the branch that was going sideways starting growing up because of the change in status.

People need to live ready for opportunities, because we don't know what the future will hold.

Luke 12:35 "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit."

Locating Birds Yellow-Rumped Warbler

A bird web site IDed the bird for us. A Yellow-Rumped Warbler. We hiked into some woods the other day and came to a stream with a bench. I sat down and waited. A number of these little birds were flying around but were hard to photograph. I had about 3 or 4 seconds to take a picture. The hard part was in the brush there was not a lot of good objects to point towards. So I pointed in the general direction and took a photo. I caught some of them to my surprise.

What I would do for a while was practice pointing my camera at an object seeing if I could locate it in a matter of seconds.

Not only did I have trouble finding these little birds to photograph, but I am also having trouble identifying what kind of birds they are. A bird web site IDed the bird for us. A Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

In the Christian life there are things that come our way that give us trouble. We don't know how to deal with the problem. but if we keep seeking the Lord and doing what we know the answer will come.

Great Blue Heron in Flight

Seeing large birds in flight is eye catching. Seeing song birds and ducks and geese is an every day thing. But bigger birds are not so common.

The heron is moving to a spot to fish. He will stand on his post and watch for a fish to swim by and catch their meal.

Just as this heron gains its sustenance by waiting, we can renew our strength by waiting on the Lord.

Isaiah 40:31, 41:1a

 "Yet those who wait for the Lord

Will gain new strength;

They will mount up with wings like eagles,

They will run and not get tired,

They will walk and not become weary.

Coastlands, listen to Me in silence,

And let the peoples gain new strength;"

Red Shouldered Hawk

ID by thin white tail bands, Red shoulder, white and dark back feathers. I was walking through the woods looking for pictures of buds and this hawk flew into a tree out in front of us. A few birds were chasing it and the hawk gave its call that sounds similar to a Red tailed Hawk.

Great Horned owls attack the nests of these hawks. At times the tables are turned when a hawk will chase the owl and another hawk will raid the owls nest.

They can live up to 25 years old. They live mainly in forests and return to their nest year after year.

The resiliency of these hawks points to how Christianity has survived down through the years against much opposition.

Joshua 1:9 ESV "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Blue Jay with Acorn

Here is a photo of a Blue Jay with an acorn. I don't see this often.

There are many Oak trees around here, so the availability for birds is plentiful. I just get the sense this bird is basking in the bountiful meal he will be eating.

God is good to the birds and He is good to us as well.

Luke 12:6,7 "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows."

Buffalo

There were 60,000,000 or more Buffalo in North America before the Europeans moved into the Midwest and the Plains. Their normal travel speed is about 4 miles an hour. They might travel for many miles before ranging in an area.

When people were looking for Buffalo in the 1800's there might be a lack of them for many miles. Then a herd would be found that would stretch for as far as the eye could see. They usually would gather in family groups with many families banding together. In the herd the bulls would stay on the outside, not necessarily for protection, but for more freedom in movement.

There would be strength in numbers. The babies would be inside with their mothers. Christians have strength when they are united with other Christians. We are not to rely on our strength, but on Jesus.

Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him."