Roy's Birding Safari!

After a spontaneous trip to Half Price Books because of their 20% off everything sale, we found ourselves a bird book (what else?!) with awesome pictures, great info, and it only cost us like $4.50! After we looked through the whole book last night, I was neeeeding to go birding, even though it's freezing cold. So today, we bundled up and headed out to Arlington for our first visit to the Village Creek Drying Beds. That sounds pretty nice, but it's just a nicer (and shorter!) name for Village Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant Drying Beds. Thankfully, it didn't smell at all. We aren't sure if that's normal or if it was due to the fact that it was cold and windy. Regardless, we were grateful. However, due to that cold and wind, we ended up staying in the car most of the trip and taking pictures with the windows down. Hence, Roy dubbed it "Roy's Birding Safari!"

Here are some favorites from the day.


Female Shoveler


Male Shoveler


Nutria - kind of like a beaver, but different.


Wilson's Snipe - one of my favorites of the day! Roy and I mimicked UP! by calling out "Here Snipe! *clap, clap, clap* Here, Snipey, Snipe!"


Snipe searching for lunch


Northern Pintail






Female Kestrel enjoying her bird lunch


Finishing off her snack


My favorite for the day - Greater Yellowlegs





We'd heard of these drying beds, but it was fun to finally experience them for ourselves. Can't wait to head back and see what else we can find!

Minds Transformed

Roy and I were reading together tonight from The Beautiful Fight by Gary Thomas. We both were challenged and in agreement with this section about allowing God to transform our minds, and we wanted to pass it along.

"Every month without fail, I eagerly read Runner's World magazine. It's not an obligation for me. Because I love running, I want to read about the latest training techniques and running gear. I revel in the inspiring personal stories. I check my calendar against upcoming races. I want to know about the latest shoes. I even pore over the ads.
The Bible could well be called God's World. If we truly love God's world, Bible study will be a joy. We will eagerly embrace the filling of our minds with his inspired words, and we'll also want to read the insights of others as they interact with God's Word, which is why being a diligent student also usually means reading other books.
Is it possible to be a faithful disciple and not be a diligent student? No. Contemplative prayer, social activism, fellowship, and enthusiastic worship all have their place; but if Paul declares that transformation includes the renewal of our minds, I don't believe it is possible for us to be serious disciples of Christ if we do not also become serious students of his truth.
I realize I'm probably preaching to the choir here; you wouldn't be reading a book like this if you weren't a serious "student"... We must not allow someone's laziness or lack of fondness for reading, discipline, and study to imprison them in spiritual immaturity. Someone may prefer not to exercise, but if they are fifty pounds overweight and fighting off diabetes, high blood pressure, and clogged arteries, then they had better get over it. They will never get healthy until they find a way to exercise.
In the same way, if someone is ignorant of God's Word, then they will reflect that ignorance in their beliefs, their speech, their purpose in life, their motivations, and in all sorts of spiritual illnesses. They need to get over their distaste of disciplined study. We have many ways to "study" these days, so we have less excuse to remain ignorant then ever before in the history of the church. That's not hyperbole; it's a simple fact.
Christianity is not like some Easter religions that try to circumvent the mind with meditations designed to put the mind in a state of paralysis (such as meditations on the sound of "one hand clapping"). Christianity is a reasonable and rational explanation of the universe and our relationship with the God who created us. Ignorance isn't just sin; it leads to ever-increasing sin. And it has no place in a maturing believer's life."

You Hold Me Now

Today was a day that my heart just yearned for the restoration and fulfillment that awaits...
Jesus, I am eagerly waiting for this...



On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace

All my fears swept away
In the light of Your embrace
When Your love is all I need
And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence here to hold
Let these songs of heaven rise to You alone

No weeping
No hurt or pain
No suffering
You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness
No sick or lame
No hiding
You hold me now
You hold me now

In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails

When Your name is lifted high
And forever praises last
For the glory of Your Name
I'll be livin' for the day

When the wars will finally cease
All creation rest in peace
Let these songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weeping
No hurt or pain
No suffering
You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness
No sick or lame
No hiding
You hold me now
You hold me now

For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name

It's Gonna Be Worth It All...

Every year it was the same story. The tree would be put up, glittering with ornaments and lights, waiting for presents to cover the quilted skirt beneath. Those presents never arrived before Christmas morning, so there were no strong temptations to peek...however the gifts had to be somewhere. And I didn't want to know where they were. Finding an unwrapped gift before Christmas morning was always a disappointment for me. It meant less of a surprise. Less joy in the moment.

I love Christmas morning partly because the wait has been so worth it. It's the right time to open the gifts, see what you've been given, and let others see what you've given to them. It's a time of joy and celebration.

Of course there are days before Christmas morning that I'm curious... What might he have gotten me this year? What gifts might await me on Christmas morn? I can't help but wonder with the excitement of a child awaiting the arrival of Santa's gifts!

While this example pales in comparison, I long for Jesus and heaven in much of the same way. I know the joy and celebration will be far beyond my best Christmas morning! And I know that one reason it will be that way is because it will be in God's perfect, sovereign timing. Yet more days than not, I long for Him to come back now. I long for it to be the day when all is made right with the world.

No more sadness.

No more death.

No more sin.

Just Jesus.

This song has served to encourage me in the moments when "Christmas morning" seems too far away...


I don't understand your ways
Oh but I will give you my song
Give you all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
With it you are pulling me closer
Pulling me into Your ways

Now around every corner
And up every mountain
I'm not looking for crowns
Or the water from fountains
I'm desperately seeking
Frantic believing
That the sight of your face
Is all that I'm needing
I will say to you

It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it
It's gonna be worth it all
I believe this

You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it all
Jesus

I know that the words to this song are true. Sometimes, the truth of how worth it this all will be just makes my heart ache even more for home. For Jesus. I pray for contentment. I long for joy.

But some days I just want my Jesus.

I want to be held in His arms and gaze into His eyes of love.

But here I am. And here is where He wants me. For now at least.

I can be content for I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.

And it's gonna be worth it all....

"Worry...

...is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere." - Glenn Turner

I worry all the time. I worry about everything. I worry about what to wear, what people think of what I'm wearing, waking up on time, eating the right foods, having a nice enough place, having the "right" stuff... I worry about a lot of details that in the grand scheme of things, really don't matter.

Over the next several weeks, our church's reading program will be going through the book of Matthew. One day this week, we read Matthew 6, which is loaded with gems of wisdom from Jesus.

Verses 25 - 27 have always given me comfort in my worried state, reassuring me of the Father's love and care, while also convicting me of my sin of worrying.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

Maybe that's one reason I love birds so much. They're just birds, right? Who cares, really? But God does. They are His creation, beautiful in His sight. Unique and intricately designed. And each one so different. He cares about their survival and feeds them. How much more does He care for me? How much more then, should I release my worry and fear?

Tonight, we watched this night heron and snowy egret sit at the bottom of the spillway steps, waiting for their tasty dinner to wash by their feet. And God was watching, too, knowing they need those fish to survive and providing for their needs. Just like He does for me.





Lord, grant me your peace and help me to take your yoke upon me. I all too often place myself under a yoke I was not meant to bear. Thank you for your provision for me and for the love you so graciously bestow on me. No need of mine ever passes by your watchful care. I praise you and thank you!