Amazing Scene

Have you ever seen this?





For additional photos and the accompanying story see: Yosemite waterfall turns to 'flowing lava' in rare February spectacle caught on camera.

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I have to laugh at myself regarding the name of this National Park. I grew up with Yosemite Sam cartoons, and yet whenever I see this word my first inclination is to pronounce it as Yose-mite. I have to retrain my mind every time that I see this word and try to pronounce it.

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Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Psalm 98:4

This morning I sang TLH Hymn # 196, “I Am Content! My Jesus Liveth Still”. We sang this hymn in the divine service Sunday and I needed to receive its blessed comfort again today. It truly is a marvelous hymn.

As I went outside to water some of the garden plants, I continued singing and humming this wondrous hymn. Then I began whistling it.

I was surprised by the birdies. Four mourning doves flew nearby and half a dozen finches landed in the little tree beside me and began chirping with me. Some of them were actually looking at me the entire time. I walked over and sat down and continued whistling the hymn and they continued in the tree chirping with me. When I stopped whistling they all flew away.

Did they come to join me in this hymn of comfort and praise to the God of mercy? Did God send them to be a source of encouragement and joy?

I certainly enjoyed the experience and was uplifted in my spirit regarding the wonders of God’s grace, mercy, and peace. I was reminded of what Moses writes concerning the creation and what the Scriptures say of the new heavens and the new earth that the Lord has prepared for His saints.

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And on the Seventh Day

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:2-3)

Is it not amazing to see how God made the second work of creation to be like the first? On the first day everything was in chaos, without order, and God called forth the light to shine and established order to the world. After working all week to establish His order to His creation, having completed His creative work, He rested from all of His work. On the eighth day the new life that He created and established continued under His blessing and care.

Is it not marvelous to see how He did the same in His work of redemption and recreation? He called forth light and order out of the world’s chaos with His entrance on Palm Sunday, the first day of the week. He worked all week cleansing the temple and preaching and proclaiming sound doctrine. He brought the Old Testament to a close and instituted the New Testament in His blood, then faced the mock trial and the slander and the torture and the crucifixion, bringing to completion the work of redemption and recreation. He was buried before the beginning of the Sabbath Day and He rested from all of His work of recreation, rising again on the eighth day to rule over the world with His blessing and care.

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A Homeless Refugee of Royal Claim

Our back yard seems to be a thoroughfare for many of the neighborhood creatures.

After the stormy and rainy weather broke, allowing a bit of sunny and pleasant weather to nudge its way into the later afternoon hours, I noticed two squirrels, a rabbit, and many birds enjoying our landscape.  Watching the rabbit in particular, I wondered about the several cats who frequently inspect our back yard.

This cat is one of the more frequent visitors.  I see this one quite regularly.  It seems to sleep here some nights.  Sometimes it seems to stay beneath our deck and sometimes under my lumber and pipe storage rack.

Today it seems to have claimed our air conditioner compressor unit as its own luxurious throne.

In my many encounters with this cat, I often have spoken to it.  I have never tried to make friends, however, as it does not belong here.  Nevertheless, I enjoy speaking kindly to it.  It often has stopped to look to see how I would act, and seems to give a shrug of relief when I do not act cruelly or threateningly.

At any rate, today it contentedly made use of our kitty lounge and permitted me to take its photograph.

Owl Statues to Scare Away Birds

Do owl statues work to frighten away pesky birds and rodents from gardens and lawns? Here is one site with varying answers from people who have made use of such owl statues.

I have heard people speak of having success in this regard. However, a couple of days ago a friend showed me this:

Here is a closer view:

Upon closer examination the twigs and blades of grass and other material used by some little birds to construct a nest can be seen through the hole in the owl's breast. The little birds completely filled the owl with material, after pecking out the sensor that was in the middle of the owl’s breast.

The sight gave me a chuckle, as it did my friend. It reminds me of the scarecrows that I have seen with crows sitting on the head and arms of the scarecrow.

Dolphin Bubbles

Here is a fascinating video. A dear friend sent the link this week.



How long have these fascinating creatures been doing this? The Sea World staff’s comments indicate that they do not know for certain. But some intriguing observations can be made:

These animals have long been known for their intelligence and their natural affinity toward man. Even in the wild they have long been known for approaching people and seeking human attention with little playful acts and performances. Like certain other animals, these seem to carry a stronger connection to Genesis 1:26-28 and Genesis 2:18-20.

These dolphins are in a unique setting. Here they have continual contact with humans. They have the luxury of having all of their food provided for them so that they have endless time for play and discovery. Through the glass they observe the reaction of humans to their play and they receive attention and praise, which with their amplified hearing abilities they enjoy even through the glass. The video shows that they frequently look to the window to observe the humans’ reactions.

I continue to be amazed at the various ways that little remnants of the original plan of the Lord appear in the animal kingdom and certain displays of submission and even willing submission to humans, even to the point of magnificent loyalty. Sea World is a fascinating example, with not only dolphins, but orcas, seals, walruses, and penguins. Perhaps the example that most amazes me is the relationship of domesticated elephants. That such a monstrously large animal can be domesticated to be led by even small children leaves me awestruck.

In these things I see miracles that are connected to the very genesis of the world and glimpses of the glory of heaven that those who are in Christ shall everlastingly enjoy.



Dolphin Bubbles Link

Oriole Nest

About twenty-five feet above the ground in a tree branch that needed to be removed, was this sock-like nest. It is of a woven construction, carefully and sturdily crafted.



From what the home owner and I have determined it is an oriole nest.

A very interesting and informative article on the Baltimore Oriole and its nesting is available here.

It is amazing to see how clever these little builders are. The nest is very well constructed and strongly attached to the branches.

Anyone encountering such a nest as this will immediately realize that it had to be crafted by very careful planning and workmanship. Any scientist observing this construction will immediately begin searching to identify the architect.



Yet, strangely, the same scientists examine these little avian architects regarding their bodily and genetic construction and conclude that their far more complex design occurred by random events. Their genetic code is so complex that it still is not fully understood by the scientific community, immeasurably more complex than the clever nests of the orioles, and yet the obvious conclusion regarding an architect for their design is outright denied by those calling themselves scientists.



Is this not bewildering?