PSALM 45:11

I've been trying for a whole week to post something but it (i.e., IE) just is NOT letting me post photos. So I'm doing it the complicated way and signing out/in/out/in of my Goo... acount. I know, I didn't need to say all that for it has absolutely zero to do with this lovely verse. I just wanted to send it to you so that you don't think I've fallen off the globe.

Enjoy and be blessed!

Three Little Birds

My apologies for not having posted the sequel to my bird story before now! I have no good reasons just poor excuses.

These weeks of observing the family of Sabiá's was very interesting and entertaining. It also was a learning experience, teaching me about the life of birds and reminding me many times about God's care for His children.

I love this picture of one bird with his "arm" wrapped around his sibling.

Eyes are still closed but you can see how big those eyes are! And look at the adorable downy feathers forming on the head and back.

Quickly growing and filling up the nest...

 As soon as they hear their mother's "cluck" or sense movement on the nest, their beaks fling open.

 Look how tall they can stretch their neck...

 ...and how wide they can open their mouth!

 Both mother and father worked all day long to feed their triplets. I was impressed with their diligence, determination and dedication!

I was able to get lots of close-ups of the parents. Here's one...

Ever get the staredown by a bird? She always kept her eye on me 

but never once did she try to attack me. I think she knew she could trust me.

Ok, now the wing feathers are forming. They are about 4 days old here.

 We're really looking alert now! Junior is 13 days old.

 As I had done a couple other times, I gently rubbed his head...

But this time, all of a sudden, he jumped up and flew out of the nest! Then Little Brother and Little Sister followed suit! There were several moments of scurrying around and yelling as we sought to keep our dog from getting them. Needless to say, I was not taking pictures during those moments!

We tied up Morgan...but you can tell where her attention is. She was definitey on "red alert". By the way, she isn't normally black and brown, she's really black and white! She's been in the digging mood recently...

I spent the rest of that day in the backyard, keeping watch over the 3 little birds and making sure they didn't wander too close to Morgan.

Sometimes they stayed in one place for a long time.

But they usually went off to find a new place to wait...

And mommy always had to hunt for them. She always found them, of course,

 because they called for her every few minutes.

Oh, honestly Junior, are you still hungry??

Long story shortened...Morgan got one of them that night. Yes, I know,

she looks so totally innocent. Not.

 

And the next day another one fell into the blue tub which had water in it.

Death by drowning.

That left the last one to fend for himself.

I named him George. Doesn't he look like a George?

 

 

He stuck around for 3 more days, spending most of his time in a little alleyway behind the house which we'd blocked off so Morgan couldn't get to him. He liked to sit up on the windowsill and just wait for Mommy to come feed him...

 

On Friday morning we saw no signs of him (nor signs that Morgan got him!) so we're assuming and hoping that he finally managed to fly high enough to escape to freedom.

 

"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young..." (Psalm 84:3a)

 

"He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry."

 

(Psalm 147:9)

 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

(Matthew 19:29-31)

Expectant Mother

No, of course, I'm not talking about me, not even about any of our daughters. It's about a Sabiá (same genus as the American Robin), a bird who made a nest in a planter on an outside wall. The Sabiá is Brazil's national bird. Here she is about a month ago. I suppose she was trying to come up with her nest-building plans...

I kind of forgot about her but three weeks later I suddenly noticed the nest. She apparently thought there wasn't enough decoration there so she added a long, dry stick! Fortunately, the succulent plants there don't need much watering!

At this point, there were no eggs there yet. But in just a couple days I was rewarded with the sight of two perfectly beautiful ones, light blue with spots of brown.

 

It has been rather like seeing a new flower bloom...I can't stop taking pictures! "Sabbie" looks so cute and content there in her nest. And daddy helps, too, I discovered one day. I just don't know which is which. They take turns setting on the eggs. Never mind that the encyclopedea says that only the female does that!

A side view. Notice how she always keeps her eyes on me...

 At first, she would fly away when I got about 2 meters from the nest. Now she lets me get a little bit closer (although I take these pictures with zoom). I'm wondering, though, if she'll begin to attack me when the babies hatch. We shall see!

So it's been about 10 days since I first saw the eggs although I don't know exactly when they were laid. But since they are supposed to take 13 days to hatch, I should be seeing these new babies in not more than 3 days!

Ahh! God's creation is marvelous and truly deserves our admiration and praise.

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

(Psalm 9:1)

God Of Heaven

Words and Music by Heather Sorenson

 

Great Creator, Master of all nature.
Who gives birth to snow from heaven,
Holds the waves at ocean's edge,
Gives the orders to the morning,
Shows each dawn its place to shine?

God of Heaven, God of all the earth and sky.

God of Ages, God who wrote the Book of Time.
Sovereign Ruler, Alpha and Omega.
Saints before, He's guided safely.
History's pages signed by Him.
Author of our days and hours; 
Things to come are held secure.
God of Ages, Alpha and Omega.

God of Power!  God who breaks the darkness.
Righteous Warrior, Champion of His children,
Goes before us into battle;
Good and evil bow to Him,
Those in bondage freed forever,
Victories won at  His command!

God who heals us, God who gives us peace and hope.
God who listens, Carries all our fragile
Dreams and heartaches, wins and failures;
Binds the broken; hides the weak.
New beginnings freely offered;
Who can make us whole again?
God who heals us, God of Power,
God of Ages, God of Heaven,
God of all the earth and sky.

O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 136:26)

Psalm 139

Here is some music (It Is Well With My Soul) to listen to as you read Psalm 139 below it.



1O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me.
² Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, 
   Thou understandest my thought afar off.
³ Thou compassest my path and my lying down,
   and art acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ For there is not a word in my tongue, 
  but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether.
⁵ Thou hast beset me behind and before,
  and laid Thine hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
  it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
⁷ Whither shall I go from Thy spirit?
  or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there:
  if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning,
  and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
¹⁰ Even there shall Thy hand lead me,
   and Thy right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
    even the night shall be light about me.
¹² Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee;
    but the night shineth as the day: the darkness
    and the light are both alike to Thee.
¹³ For Thou hast possessed my reins:
   Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I will praise thee;
   for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
   marvellous are Thy works;
   and that my soul knoweth right well.
¹⁵ My substance was not hid from Thee,
   when I was made in secret,
   and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect;
   and in Thy book all my members were written,
   which in continuance were fashioned,
   when as yet there was none of them.
¹⁷ How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God!
   how great is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number
   than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee.
¹⁹ Surely Thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:
   depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
²⁰ For they speak against Thee wickedly,
   and Thine enemies take Thy name in vain.
²¹ Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee?
   and am not I grieved with those
   that rise up against Thee?
²² I hate them with perfect hatred:
   I count them mine enemies.
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart:
   try me, and know my thoughts:
²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.