Death Valley

Death Valley is a foreboding place. A moonscape not meant for life. Heat and cold. Very little rain. But 2005 has been a year of rain for Death Valley. Flowers have sprung up where only rock and dirt have been before.

Death valley could be a picture of my soul. I have tried to serve God and follow His leading. But many times I have become discouraged. I ask myself, "What have I been able to do for Him?"

Death Valley this year points to belief. Don't give up. When all around you seems barren and hopeless, keep pressing on. The Valley had seed in it that had not seen rain in more than 50 years. But the seed was still there waiting for the rain. When the rain came life was born. God's healing rain will come. It will come and give life to your soul. Don't look at barrenness as a reason for hopelessness. Where God's seed is there is hope. God's word will not return void. It will accomplish what it was sent to do.

Keep trusting and keep believing. The rain will fall. God is watching over His word to perform it.



Article on death valley flowers with 6” rain





Gallery

Death Valley alive with wildflowers

Record rains yield 'once-in-a-lifetime' display


Death Valley Alive With Flowers


Death Valley rain produces a rush of turrists and bedlum of activity.


Death Valley carpet of flowers
Carpets 2


Unusual Rains Have Death Valley National Park Blooming

The wettest year on record in Death Valley was producing a spectacular flower show, even though the blooming season was just beginning....
The wettest year on record in Death Valley was producing a even though the blooming season was just beginning....
spectacular flower show,

Rare Death Valley bloom will move across hillsides.

36 photos of Death Valley

The 100 Best Books of the 20th Century'

I saw a list of the 100 best books of the
20th Century

I have read 10 of them. I will use the others
as a list to read from when I am looking for another book to
read.

But I was thinking, do we read God’s work of nature?

Why do I read? to be entertained and to learn.. I have found
though that my level of stress will keep me from learning. I
think that is why people turn to TV. It allows them to chill.
That doesn’t work for me because of the lack of morality
that the owners present on TV.

Nature is a way to reorient my life, back to the direction I
am supposed to be going. It quiets my heart, nature
reminds me to look to Jesus for help.

I am amazed at the consistency of nature. God has designed
it to bounce back from almost anything. With God’s grace
we can accomplish what He has designed and created us to
accomplish.

As trees keep pointing toward the sun to receive energy to
grow, keep looking to Jesus to receive the power to live.

Death Will Bring Life

Death will give way to life!

John 12:24 “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Terri’s death is not in vain. There is fruit when there is death. Reform will come. People will see that there is value in life.

Don’t despair at the loss. Though it seems wrong, and it is wrong, good will come. They mean harm by it. Or they don’t know what they are doing. But God will work good. The sowing of the seed of death in her life will bring life to others.

Lord, bring your will to the courts in the USA. Cause people to see You at work in the world. Let your light shine in the darkness. Help us to love and not hate. Work in our hearts to reflect your glory. Bring peace in the midst of chaos, joy where there is sorrow, and life where death seems to triumph.

Terri Shiavo

“If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited. Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.” Proverbs 24:10,11

Though Terri Shiavo may be lost, her life may not be in vain. The courts seem to
have overstepped their bounds. Maybe this tragedy can work to good by reform in our judicial system.

“Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, here is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:54-57 NASB

Seek To Know God

 

The more we come to know God the more we can accept from Him.

Waiting allows our spirit to align with the Holy Spirit so that power can flow.

Waiting allows us to accept what we have heard.

If we accept what God says we do what He wants.

Love is our response because of God's love to us.

Attitude is everything. What we accept from God as true, helps our attitude. And what we accept is what we expectantly look for from God.

Waiting for the power and believing for the power is reliant on our waiting for God and believing God.

Be still and know that God is God. There must be more to knowing than knowing God is God.

When I see the sun I think of the power of God.

For all practical purposes the sun's power is limitless. And it was designed by God. And He is much greater than the sun.

The sun is just one of the limitless stars. And God made all of this. And He is greater than all the stars He put together.

There is no end to His power. There is no end to His love for us.

His purposes for me are boundless if I will believe Him.

To know of God is one thing. To know God with heart and soul is something else. Yet God asks us to know Him. He asks us to let Him in our heart to fellowship with us. He wants to talk to us and be our friend.

Yet we can't be friends with God if we don't do what He says and asks of us. Friendship – Servant-hood. We can't be servants if we don't or won't take the time to listen, read and study.

Turn to God; you won't be sorry.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is ABLE to do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY BEYOND ALL that we ASK or THINK, according to the POWER that WORKS within us.”

Waiting for Growth

Trees overtaking an abandoned pasture.

Writing, leaning against a tree after a March hike. A great March day. A little cool when the wind blows.

Shades of gray and brown are all I see. It looks like no life is happening but there are millions of buds waiting for the signal to start. Nature is lined up at the starting line waiting for the gun to go off. When the sun is right and the spring rains and warmth come. Growth will take off like a shot.

These woods will be totally different then. Viewing a picture of them now vs when there is a growth without looking close you could not tell you were looking at the same place.

We have all the potential to be vibrant Christians for God. We have all the ingredients in us.

When we point towards the Son in His timing we can grow by leaps and bounds. Let us be still in the times of winter of our soul. God will meet us and lead us to times of growth as the time is right.

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

American Sycamore Platanus occidentalis, Linn.

Measurement of the above Sycamore.
Circumference was 158”
Crown was 89'
Height 121'
Giving it a point total of 301

ID link

Thumbnail of ID photos

Photo of big tree trunk


Bottomland tree with white thin flaking bark. Leaves large palmately lobed. One thing I remember about this tree is you don't want to split it for firewood. It grows swirled. When you put a splitting wedge in, you will be hitting your wedge many times before it splits. Another thing I remember about these trees is the heart wood rots away easily.

The white bark really stands out in the winter. The tree is fast growing and is bigger than most other trees.

The wood is not strong, durning storms branches will break off.

It has susceptible to wind shake which is the internal splitting of wood.
I also notice a lot of heart rot. This removes the tree value for lumber but it is valuable for wildlife habitat. It is grown for biomass production.

It is a large fast growing tree. Easily identified by its white pealing bark. Grows best in bottom land areas of alluvial (flood plain) soils are best growth.

The tree is moderately intolerant. Meaning it needs direct sunlight.

Sycamore grows fast throughout its life.
Within its range, only cottonwood and, under some conditions, a
few of the pines, soft maples, and black willow grow faster.

It grows to the widest diameter than other North American hardwoods.

Naturalist - Naturalism

Naturalist

1 : one that advocates or practices naturalism
2 : a student of natural history; especially : a field biologist

natural history the study of the life history of plants and animals.

nat·u·ral·ism

1 : action, inclination, or thought based only on natural desires and instincts
2 : a theory denying that an event or object has a supernatural significance; specifically : the doctrine that scientific laws are adequate to account for all phenomena

As a naturalist I study and learn about nature. As a naturalist I reject the fallacy that life could evolve from a big bang or a single cell or other type of basic origin apart from God.

I see society mainly illiterate about nature. Society choses to spend money for recreation and pleasure when there is an abundance of beauty and pleasure all around that is free. We reject the creator of nature and then block ourselves from it and have little knowledge of it and then say that God has no part in nature. The way nature is handled is evident that there is illiteracy in much of our understanding of nature.

I don't judge people that are not interested in nature that is not what I want to do. I see nature as a opportunity for enjoyment and reflection of life. I see nature as a therapy for myself to quiet my soul to hear what my future should be. Problems do not seem as big when viewed from a log in the middle of the woods. They may be much bigger when viewed in front of a computer screen.

I seem less significant or I seem small when in a natural surrounding. Yet at the same time I seem more significant when I view myself and my future from a natural surrounding. I approach the creator of nature in prayer for answers for my life in the midst of handiwork that is so much greater than words can express. What He did with the world he can do with my life. His genius in developing the ecology of the world and its resiliency to bounce back from almost any calamity encourages me to look to Him to help me cope with the problems of life.

Naturalism that denies God, denies the basis of nature. From this weakness there is danger to not come to a true understanding of how nature works. True one can still view and understand biology etc. But to deny God is to fly in the face of what God asks of us. That is to have a reverent fear of Him. To fear God is to have the beginning point of wisdom. To reject God is to reject the basis for wisdom. One may learn and understand a lot. But a time will come when the foundations of understanding will be tested. Then the weakness of not acknowledging God will be revealed.

Some hold to naturalism because it frees them from dealing with having to acknowledge a creator. I want to show my creator by the work He has done in nature.

Evolution Debate

Broken oak

Natural History magazine has a debate on their web site between Intelligent Design” and evolution. The debate isn't carried far enough but it is interesting to read. It was reprinted from © The American Museum of Natural History, 2002

It is set in a point and courter point. Intelligent Design should then be able to counter the original argument. And the evolutionists should be able to answer the countered argument.

I plan to repost this as I find more info.

3-March-2005
Some great comments on the debate.

14-March-2005
All things 2 all Blog has links to many
articles dealing with this subject.

Summer Trail photo

Hiking trail at Maple Woods Missouri natural area. 

American Basswood

25 Feb 2005 Photo of American Basswood



Leaves with fruit form. June 05 


I first I.D.ed this tree because I saw it growing in a clump. There was one in a park I was walking in for lunch. The tree usually has a straight bole. The tree may reproduce by sprouting from a stump of an older tree.

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Vermont's ID page Good photos for ID

Biggest American Basswood tree 246 points!

Sun's Energy

Mammoth Cave State Park Kentucky 


All plants manufacture energy from the sun through photosynthesis. This plant factory fuels the world with energy. Many different types of leaves and plants utilize this source and the process is the same.

Taking carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil, combining the 2 through the process of photosynthesis. Carbon and oxygen are the products.

The 5 ingredients needed for photosynthesis are, light, carbon dioxide, water, oxygen and temperature. If anyone of these are in limited supply then the rate of photosynthesis slows. Carbon dioxide is about 3% of air, increase that amount and plant growth will increase.

This is life at its basic level. In the Spring the buds that were developed the year before burst forth as the land surges with new growth. when light warmth and water become abundant, then slower as the season progresses.

Just as photosynthesis is the process of capturing energy from the sun, there is a way to receive life from God. The Bible teaches "Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through Him. John 14:6

Jill & I on the Katty Trail by Rochport MO 

Spring, Flowering Dogwood

Looking forward to Spring. Flowering Dogwood 

Spring a time of renewal and energy. Hope to see many of these trees to retake photos.

Wait for God

Winter sunset in Missouri forest  

Some would say take courage. But how do you take courage? Ps 27:14 Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage, yes wait for the Lord.

Waiting for the Lord is the way to let your heart take courage.
Ps 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined to me and heard my cry.

Waiting involves crying out to God.

Waiting patiently signifies that He does not always answer instantly.

Living with right attitude means living with an attitude of waiting!
What does living with an attitude of waiting consist of? Having an expectancy! Saying, "What is God going to do?"

James 4:7-11 Crying out to God and humbling yourself before Him. Is a way to seek Him. I am doing it in the truck while I drive. I want to have my mind on Him all the time. Or to put it another way, put my mind towards Him each moment that is available. There are times for mourning before Him, and then there are times of being thankful. I will go with what I sense.

Submit therefore to God. Be ready to obey. Why wait for God if you aren't going to do what He says? There is strength in obedience. Obedience can move us into love.

Forests wait for spring before springing into growth. The conditions must be right for them to start. Our waiting before God will give us the conditions for growth. If a tree puts out growth too soon those new shoots will die back in late frosts. If we start before God's ability our works will be cut back. Waiting seems to be a waste of time but with wisdom we learn it's worth.

For many the place of waiting would be going to church often. For others with more growth, it would be times of quietness before God.

Woods after a snow. Quiet, a few birds flew through trees. All quiet in the forest. Forest waits for spring. The randomness of tree branches. All buttoned up for winter.

There is one thing about waiting on the Lord, you never know when or how He is going to show up. I was sitting in my work truck doing paperwork. A resident asked me if I would clear his street of leaves. I did it for him and that is all I needed to fix my plow. It was not raising up like it should after a recent snow. It saved me from taking it to the shop for repair. A simple solution of driving with the plow down caused the hydrophilics to work. I think God sent that man to request help to disclose the simple solution I needed.

What was I doing? Going about my normal day. I hadn't even prayed about the problem. But I was in prayer.

If I don't set a time to seek God then it is passed by. For me one of the best times to seek God is after family devotions. Many would suggest early in the morning. For me, Being awake and getting ready for work hinder my time to seek God.

Hiked to Hidden Valley outlook. Why am I here? I am here because I need God? If God gave me strength I wouldn't be here seeking Him. Why then should He give me strength? I need to obey God before I can expect His strength!

Walking along a soggy trail from melting snow, my boot slipped in the mud scarring the ground. Scarred ground in the winter will stay scarred until growth comes to heal it. Wait on God, for you will not be healed until He comes.

Woods prepare for winter, by divesting themselves of work, (dropping their leaves), and wait for warmth of Spring.

Have you ever had a job where there was nothing to do so your boss handed you a broom and you swept the floor more than once just to stay busy. How much of our Christian activity is busy work? We could be waiting on God in prayer and have real assignments to do! I pray that what I do is not busy work. Am I just being busy to show others that I am an honorable Christian?

Do we neglect our responsibilities in order to wait on God? No.
Do we shy away from trying in order to wait on God? No.

Wait for basic direction. Be about these activities. Then wait for further input from God.

It seems to me that if you don't have basic direction you should really push hard on waiting before the Lord.

Take vacation time. Look for spare moments. Do what you got to do to get to God.

Abundant Life

 

I ran into an old co-worker today. He had retired but came back as a contract worker, because all he did was shop and watch TV while on retirement.

I told him 100 hours a day would not be enough time.

Nature does that to you. There is so much to see and do. Life is rich. One of the ways life is rich is literacy. Reading brings much richness to life. God has given us much to enjoy. If we open our eyes and look.

Many are illiterate with nature. Buying a book and reading will broaden our prospective.

Living in the Mid-West we are having one of the best summers in 40 years. This gives more opportunities to experience God's creation.

I plan on heading back to the local pond I live near just to watch. While observing I learn much. Not maybe of nature but of life. I look forward to each day. Looking to Jesus to guide me. Nature provides a quietness to hear. The expectation of seeing new things.

Fog greets me this morning.

Because of fog I decide to hike in the afternoon. All of us went, my wife & 2 kids, Luke [14] & Angela [11].

We hiked along the Missouri River. Cottonwood, Box elder, Silver maple, Mulberry, Slippery elm, Chinese elm, American elm, Hackberry.

Blue sky with bright white fluffy clouds. Canada geese flying in formation over the trees on the Kansas side of the Missouri River. Pleasure boats shot up the river and waved. You don't see a lot of boats. The Missouri has a reputation of being dangerous.

The temperature was about 80 degrees. Low humidity. It was a great day for August 21st.

Earlier today I dug in the compost. It's still cooking as those micro-organisms were hard at work chewing up the fall leaves of 2003. Turning the leaves over allows air to get to more of the leaves. Bacteria that operates with air works faster than bacteria working without air.

Lord your beauty is in all the land. In the sky the sea and you work in the unseen areas of the soil. You prepare the earth, and give it rain. Your Spirit of life reaches down to us and causes us to grow. No matter what condition we find ourself in You are there with us. Thank you Jesus for the abundance of life and all your many gifts.

Roadless Areas

I read with dismay when the Administration’s Decision to Overturn the Roadless Area Conservation Rule

I have enjoyed hiking in wilderness areas for years. The nations forests are a treasure that I have enjoyed working in, playing in, hiking, camping, mountain climbing, cross country skying, exploring, and droving through. I have planted 10's of thousands of trees in Oregon. I have also cut some down. I have built fire trails, and burned off logging units.

I have wondered what I should say about this hot issue. One thing is sure no agreement will be reached that will please everybody.

In my life there are many people that I would like to please. But I want to please God. I need to be about the work God has for me. If I follow God's leading and accomplish His work that is enough.

How do I know His direction? I am not sure how to explain it. One thing I do know. He is a big enough God to show me in a way that I can recognize. I have faith in Him to teach me. Before I came to this faith, I thought it was hopeless.

Deuteronomy 32:12 “The Lord alone guided him, and there was no foreign god with him.”

Protection

 
Hiking today along a forest trail. It started to rain. The pitter patter of the rain on the leaf canopy was soothing. A sense of protection if you walk in the woods in the rain with out getting wet. I came into an opening and noticed that the rain was not hard. It was just drizzling.

The day was not hot. But there was some humidity. I was headed for blackberries. I thought maybe they would be getting ripe. Not many were ripe. I didn't have a bag with me. I was only able to walk there for a short time. So I planned to eat as I walked. That was the way it worked out. There were not many ripe berries. But I enjoyed eating as I went.

On the way back the rain picked up a little bit. I didn't mind it though. Summer rains feel good. On a light rain I noticed that rain drops beeded up on the grass but not on tree leaves. I wonder if that was because the grass was more or less flat and the tree leaves were slanted down. Or was it because tree leaves were bigger allowing the rain drops to group together and break the water surface tension? It was neat to see the water droplets on the grass.

I try to walk fast to increase my distance in the time alloted. But with the rain it is harder. The rain made it a little slippery. I slipped once on a motorcycle rut. I kept my balance and didn't fall. I am thankful to God I can walk in the woods. He is so good to me.

Before I headed back I sat sown and watched the woods. I wonder how much rain it takes before it gets through the forest to the ground? Does the rain caught by the leaves just evaporate.

How fast does a raindrop fall. What impact does it do to the soil if it falls unheeded? With a forest the rain is caught by the leaves and then falls to the ground. How much protection do plants offer the soil?

I know that in no till farming the soil is preserved from erosion. It is cheaper for the farmer and is better for the ground. Less impact on the soil.

Soil is like our heart. Plants are like the preparation we have to cope with the events of life. The more we are prepared the better we can cope. But are we ever really prepared for the storms of life? I know I gain much solace from my Lord Jesus. I go to Him when my heart is troubled. In reading His word and prayer there is peace. Life brings many troubles. God gives peace and rest. As plants wait for rain and sun so I wait for God.

What I Mean by: Christian Naturalist

Being a naturalist means there is never a lack of things to do.
You don’t have to wait for the show to come on TV. You don’t have to wait for it to warm up or for the season to come for your sport. No matter what time of year or the time of day there is always a wealth of things to see and observe.

You don’t have to work to spend money on being a naturalist because nature is free. Reading books and travel costs but nature itself is free.  God’s gift to me is His magnificent expanse. Everywhere I go is a new adventure.  Winter snows bring the fun of tracking.

February an off month for many is a great time of year for Missouri where I live. There are no bugs to deal with. No cobwebs to brush away or wipe off your sweaty face. The woods are open because the leaves are not out yet. So it is easy walking. The deep freeze is mainly over so the bitter cold is gone. Parks are empty no one is there.

There is so much to learn. I could spend the rest of my life watching, learning, hiking, reading and studying and I don’t feel I would scratch the surface.

It is the same with studying the Bible. The more you study the more there is to study. Jesus wrote the Bible and He created our world.
I want to get to know Jesus and when I study the Bible or nature I understand my creator better. Learning from the 2 things He has created nature and the Bible. Both are great avenues of learning.

When I am between planed things to do. I look outside and am reminded of what God is doing and will do. I am encouraged to expect Him to act on my behalf.

"Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!" Romans 11:33

Waiting

One day I decided to walk from my house to an area I haven’t been to in a long time. As I got there I decided to go to a part of the woods that I had never been to before. It was below a house on top of river losses that was deposited after the ice age.

I got to the woods and walked for a ways and then sat down. It is always peaceful in the woods by myself. As I sat there and looked I wondered how long these trees had been there. It was as if they had been waiting for me to come and visit for a long time. I felt at home.

They had been there all along. I just had not paid attention to them. I was busy going other places. Forests aren’t in a hurry. They grow a little bit at a time. Each year a new layer of wood is laid on the tree. And the year after that another. Though forests are still and quiet they are working.

My relationship with God and my interaction with forests are similar. As a forest is there for us to enjoy, so God is there for us to enjoy. Until I hiked over to those woods I didn’t enjoy them. But they were there anyway. As it seems they were waiting. So God is waiting for me to come to Him. He does not intrude upon me. But when I come to Him, He gives me peace. It is good just to sit and experience His presence.

God is working even when I neglect Him. He is always ready for me.

The things I could learn about forests are endless. So it is with God. What I can learn from Him will know no end.

God is waiting. Take time for Him. You won’t regret it!