Autumn

  

Koi at the Bronx Zoo

     Excuse me, I mustache you a question.

          According to Chinese legend, a carp which courageously climbed up waterfalls was turned into a dragon.  This is why carp, or koi, are a Chinese symbol for success and bravery.  These beautiful fish sure do look like small dragons.

     The koi in these photos were in a pond in the Butterfly Exhibit at the Bronx Zoo.  They were so graceful and beautiful.

     They danced as they moved through the water.

     I love the mustaches!

Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari: Mysteries Revealed

     We traveled into the past last week at the Bronx Zoo, Dinosaur Safari.  The 2 acre dinosaur enclosure was wonderful.  My sons and daughter were delighted with the animatronic dinosaurs that waved their tails, gnashed their teeth and roared.  Fortunately for us, the dinosaurs were not hungry!

     The dinosaurs were impressive.   They came in a range of sizes.  Some were little, only about a foot long.  The largest dinosaur was about 25 feet tall and 45 feet long.

     We traveled through the dinosaur habitat in a safari wagon.  It was like a hay ride, only without the hay.  The onboard "paleontologist" told us about the dinosaurs we were viewing.  The ride included many photo opportunities.

     The dinosaurs look so realistic that it is easy to forget that you are not looking at live animals.  I noticed that the adults on the ride enjoyed it every bit as much as the kids.

     We visited the Bronx Zoo on a misty, not quite rainy day.  This provided an extra bit of ambiance for the ride that added to the fun.  In addition, we had the park almost to ourselves.  There wasn't a line for this very popular exhibit.

     The ride ends in a hands on field center.  Children can manipulate a T-Rex, check out some dinosaur fossils and even pose for pictures with a friendly dinosaur model.

          We had a great day at the zoo.

"I Am Tired of This Life Lord"

     I started Holimess as a place to put what I share at Church on Sunday mornings, but it has expanded to include book reviews, recipes, and even diy projects - at least the ones that I finish.   Through Holimess, I have become friends with people that I have never actually met in person.  I know about their families and struggles and they know about mine.

    Those of you who have blogs know this, but for those who are readers, let me explain that there is an area for the writer called Stats.  Stats is important to tell you how many people have visited your blog, what they have read, and where they are from.  It will also   tell you what Google searches have brought people to your blog.  My most popular post, by far, is Lizards, Snakes, and Prayers about going to a Reptile Exhibit with Patty and Patrick.  I took a picture of Patrick and a man who is a famous Youtube snake expert.  Because I am clueless, I did not know this when I took the picture.  The man is Chewy from Snakebytes.  If you google Chewy Snakebytes under Images, that picture comes up first.

     Typical Holimess google searches are things like “Jesus, I believe,”  “Buying cookies at Grand Central,” “Breast cancer,” “Cake Boss,” and assorted scripture verses.  But this week, I had a Google search that tugged at my heart.  Someone had googled, “I am tired of this life Lord.” 

     When I noticed this search, I immediately offered the person to God in prayer.  While I do not know the source of their pain, God does.  I asked God to hold them gently in His hands. To give them support and encouragement.  To let them know that whatever battle they are facing, they are not alone.  To breathe upon their situation and to bring them grace, healing and peace.
     But over the week, I kept thinking and praying about the depth of pain that could lead a person to google “I am tired of this life lord.”  I wondered if when they got to Holimess they landed on a post that God could use to provide support.  (God has been known to use a talking donkey so I guess He can probably use me.)  So I repeated the search “I am tired of this life Lord” to see if I could figure out what post Google would have led them to.  I went through pages of the search on the web, but found nothing.  It wasn’t until I switched over to images, that I found a familiar picture.  About half way down the first page of images was a picture of Patty running in a bubble ball on the water at Otter Lake.  I clicked through to my post.

      Memories washed over me.  Our first summer camping at Otter Lake with our friends, Denis and Lori.  I still had burn marks on my chest from radiation treatments.  I was tired, very tired, but happy.  Life was renewing its rhythms.  Hope blossomed.  My children were walking on water.

      I want to assure the weary searcher that Jesus knows what it is like to be tired and hard pressed.  Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
     On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus went to pray in a grove of olive trees called the Garden of Gethsemane.  A “gethsemane” was a huge stone basin where olives were crushed by another large round stone that was rolled around by yoked oxen until the oil flowed. When we feel tired of this life and pressed on every side, our Lord Jesus – who was crushed beneath the weight of undeserved condemnation  and hung on a cross for my sins and yours, feels your weariness.  He invites us to exchange our yoke for His. Jesus is more than able and willing to bear our burdens.  The grace that He offers is weightless.
     In Psalms it says ‘Be still and know that I am God’.  Come before God, away from the noise, away from the commotion, away from the busyness. Not with a shopping list, not with a list of demands, but actually with no words at all – just with a heart that is open to listen.
And in the quietness, in the stillness, in the tranquillity – the voice of God whispers and we become refreshed.

     Underneath the wind, the waves, the weariness, and even the bubble, are the everlasting arms of God.



This post was mentioned by Karmen at Chairs From the Curb.  Karen shares about life, family, and  old chairs.  I loved her post about riding horses on the beach.

What I Learned in March

    I don't think that I have been warm since September.  March has been a long and cold month.  We have had snow, snow, and then more snow.  The temperatures have been in the teens and single digits with a few days where it got above freezing.  Brrrrrr.
     On St. Patrick's Day, I celebrated the five year anniversary of my breast cancer surgery.  Five years ago while other people were going to parades, drinking green beer, and eating corned beef and cabbage with Irish soda bread I was praying for healing.  A routine yearly mammogram saved my life.  If you would like to read more about my cancer journey look here.

 
      Here is what I learned in March in no particular order.

1. It takes a l-o-n-g time for two feet of snow to melt.  Those lumps in the snow are the tops of our metal chairs around our fire pit.  There is still snow on the ground near them.
   
2.  I can take a picture of a Great Blue Heron if I don't scare him away by getting out of my car.  This heron practically posed for me.
   
3. "Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up."  Brene Brown,  Daring Greatly.   I recently read The Gifts of Imperfection and am listening to Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.   Both are inspiring books with so much to think about.  Dr. Brene  Brown is a researcher who studies vulnerability, shame, courage, and worthiness.  Brown's 2010 TEDxHouston talk, The Power of Vulnerability, is one of the top ten most viewed TED talks on TED.com.  Today it is listed as #3.

 

     In addition to Brown's books, I have also read:  

• Wild, (From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail) by Cheryl Strayed
• Unbroken:  A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand,  I loved this!  Book Review here.
• Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay,  Jane Austen lovers, this is for you.
• Irish Eyes, by Mary Kay Andrews
• Wrecked:  When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life, by Jeff Goins,  Wrecked is an inspiring book that will "wreck" your life.  A wonderful read. 
• Winners, by Danielle Steel

1. This is how Let It Go would sound if it were sung by Jack Sparrow, Mike Wazowski, Tigger, Goofy, and many other favorite characters.   Very fun.  (Not sure why this is numbered 1.  It is 4,  I guess I have to learn how to fix that in April!)

     Linking with Emily at Chatting at the Sky.  Stop by and see what others have learned!

Great Blue Heron

     There is a tiny pond not far from where we live.  When I drove by,  I was very excited to catch a glimpse of a blue heron.  I rushed home to grab my camera.  All of my previous attempts to capture them on film have gone awry.  See Exhibit A.

Exhibit A

     But this heron stayed absolutely still.  He never moved.  I have a million pictures of him just - like -this. 

   He stood like a great gray sentinel while the mallards splashed around him.  There was even a woodchuck swimming near him.

      How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?  I hadn't realized that woodchucks were such good swimmers.  This little fellow was enjoying the sunshine and the water.

      The pond is right below a huge parking lot.  The water is surprisingly clean.  I took an environmental class a few years ago and tested the water here for oils.  The water was clear and the ph,  neutral.  The wildlife sure do seem to appreciate it.  We have seen turtles and frogs on the banks, but none were visible this day.

      Mrs. Mallard standing on the ice.  Look at those orange feet.

      Mr. and Mrs. Mallard off for a swim.

      Bottoms up!

     He is so beautiful.  I hope that he stays for awhile so we can get used to each other.

Wonderful

     May you celebrate this Christmas season with joy, hope, and peace.

Let Your Light Shine

Restore us, O God;

    make your face shine on us,

    ~Psalm 80:3

Fall Beauty

New Every Morning

Turn to the Son

If I were a flower,

I would be a sunflower.

To always follow the sun,

Turn my back to darkness,

Stand proud, tall and straight

Even with my head full of seeds.

                   ~Pam Stewart

The Hummingbird's Guide to Heart Health

If my love could be represented by a blur, it would be the beating of a hummingbird’s wings. Did you know that my love is the only love that can fly backwards?   ~Jarod Kintz, A Zebra is the Piano of the Animal Kingdom

     My mother’s backyard is frequented by those smallest of birds, the hummingbird.  Mom serves them sweet red nectar that they seem to find delicious.  Hummingbirds love red.  Red flowers.  Red clothing hung out to dry.  Red berries.  They tirelessly search for the sweetest flowers.  The hummingbird needs to eat every ten minutes in order to maintain it's high energy levels.
     Hummingbirds do everything quickly.  Their wings beat at an amazing 50-80 beats per second creating that humming sound!   They dance through the air forward, backwards, and sideways at 55 miles per hour, the same speed that we drive down a highway in our car.  They are even able to hover like tiny helicopters.  It’s fun to relax on the porch and see the tiny acrobats dart and swoop.

      The hummingbird's amazing heart beats about 1,200 times a minute during the day when it is active.  At night, their heart slows to 250 beats per minute.  This drop in heart rate, enables them to survive the night, until they can actively pursue the sweet flowers in the morning light. Without this ability to slow their heart rate and metabolism, a hummingbird would starve to death before the sun came up on a new day.  God has designed them to store just enough energy to survive the night.

     Imagine if our heart beat like the hummingbird’s in it’s desire for a relationship with Jesus.   Imagine that with every beat of our heart, and at 1,200 beats a minute that is humming right along, we could:

 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”  ~Deuteronomy 6:5

      Imagine seeking the words of Christ, written in the red letters of our Bibles as diligently as a hummingbird searches for the red nectar in a garden.  
     And when the night is cold, and our hearts are heavy, to know that God has enabled us to make it to the morning light, when we can actively pursue the sweet aroma, and taste His goodness, in the joy of the new day.
     God is with you always.  He loves you.  I know because a little bird told me so.

Update:  This post was featured by Angie at Womanhood With Purpose!  Thank you so much for the honor.

This post also won the one week space giveaway at Best Post of the Week.  Thank you!