Category: Amazing Creations

Posted on in Nature, Amazing Creations, Faith, Worship, Praise

The Big Storm

The January almost nationwide storm swept through our area with bitter cold and wind. In total, we had about seven inches of snow, which for us is unusual. Grateful it was not the possible twelve inches, which would have been over the top of my boots! As it was when I had to walk through the ditch at the edge of the driveway where the snowplow had piled it even higher, I almost fell. Yes, Lucky still requires walking even in this weather. She is faster though at tending to her business. Bob did fall in that snow this morning while returning with her from her morning constitutional. Later this morning we plan to run the car over that pile a few times and salt it in hopes of diminishing the depth there!

There has been a feeding frenzy at the bird feeders. The starlings are doing their best to empty the mealworm feeder as fast as they can. I did fill it extra full this time and if I am writing at my computer I try to frighten them off. They are larger than the bluebirds and get food other places. And they are cowards. One tap on the window and they usually take off. The bluebirds seem to know they are welcome! Of course, when I am not sitting here writing the starlings help themselves unhindered. The slate colored Juncos were so amusing jumping about on the surface of the snow. I wondered why they did not scoop up the fallen meal worms. Must not be to their liking.

I made a huge pot of chicken tortilla soup on Thursday. It makes so much we have plenty to share with friends and neighbors. I just had a text message from another neighbor asking if we would like some chicken tortilla soup? Hilarious! That makes three of us on the same street who made the same soup! It is filling and certainly warms you up!

It is snowing again now. The snow plow did not come through until late on Sunday afternoon. The shovelers our HOA hires arrived after the plow. Then the shovelers evidently came again during the night to remove some of the snowplow depth at the end of driveways. I doubt we will see the shovelers again unless these flurries develop into 2-3 inches. Not likely. The surface of our road is still white.

I had to wonder when it was snowing really hard where the bluebirds take shelter? It is not as if we see them huddled in a particular tree or shrub. They are not known for digging tunnels for shelter. Where were they? As the wind whipped the wind chimes into a continuous winter chorus where was the even tinier Carolina Wren?

Here are a few answers from https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/beginners/birding-faq/how-birds-survive-blizzards/

  • Birds hide in dense evergreens, shrubs, tree cavities, or human structures
  • Many species huddle together to share body heat
  • They enter torpor, a nightly mini-hibernation, to conserve energy
  • Birds fluff their feathers to trap warm air increasing insulation
  • They forage intensely before a storm to build fat reserves
  • Window ledges and backyard shelters become crucial hiding spots
  • Some birds stay perfectly still for hours to preserve energy

We do not have evergreens on our lot. There is space under the deck though. I like the idea of a flock of bluebirds sheltering under my deck during a winter storm! 🙂 Maybe if I give up the garden that runs across the back of our lot I will opt for evergreens to replace the many annuals I usually put out?

photo by r m dutina

I did notice the pesky squirrels did not appear on Sunday until late afternoon.

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, *
    O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, *
    all winds and fire and heat.
Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, *
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *
drops of dew and flakes of snow.
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, *
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *
    O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
The Book of Common Prayer Canticle 12, Morning Prayer Rite II

So regardless of your situation this winter I hope you too are able to glorify the Lord. Our church along with most others was closed this past Sunday. we look forward to seeing our church family again soon!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Memories, Praise, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Thanks, Worship, Yield

The Elements

Remember science class and the idea of four elements from the Greeks? Earth, water, air and fire? Water has been important to me most of my life. When I was a child, I was drawn during the springtime to the stream in the farmer’s field next to our apartment building. The ocean has held a fascination ever since I first saw it and on every subsequent visit. The Pigeon Forge River in the Smoky Mountains is a favorite place of mine.

Recently at church on the first Sunday after Epiphany when we celebrated the baptism of Jesus and renewed our own baptismal vows. I was struck by the prayer “Thanksgiving over the Water.” It goes as follows.

We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water. Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation. Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.

We thank you, God, for the water of Baptism. In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit….

Now sanctify this water, we pray you, by the power of your Holy Spirit, that those who here are cleansed from sin and born again may continue for ever in the risen life of Jesus Christ our Savior.

To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

{I wanted to highlight that in blue, but I reserve that color for Scripture!}

Water, the element so many in America take for granted.

I wrote a prayer once and used it for a month or more. We had found a pottery container in a shop in Tennessee that was pinched at the top. The pinch formed two ‘spouts’. I would put some water in it each morning and pray as I poured it into the sink. Here is the prayer:

"Jesus, I pour out this water
before the undivided Trinity:
Let my living be this day
an offering and thanksgiving.
This day caress me.
This day possess me.
Open my ears and eyes
to Your Love for us."

Like water, the Trinity cannot be divided. As we become more aware of the love bestowed upon us from on high, we cannot help but love others better. Our very bodies are more than 50% water!

Jesus offered the woman in John 4 Living Water. He mentions it again in John 7. There are many mentions of the river of the water of life in Revelation 21 and 22.

What do you think of when you imagine water? Could you make taking a drink of water a prayer to the Trinity? Perhaps a time to remind yourself how we need God and each other?

Water is essential to our living. Can we be grateful daily and remember what an enormous gift water it to us? Will you give thanks as you bathe, wash, cook and clean today for the blessed gift of water? I pray so!

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Joy, Memories, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Trust

Where is Your Trailing Beauty?

Bob let me purchase a two drawer filing cabinet recently. When we moved to this smaller house I disposed of a large 4 drawer cabinet and went to a filing box instead. That box was getting jam-packed and there was no more room in it. The filing drawer in my desk had the same issue. So, I have spent the last couple of weeks trying to move and organize files and then actually be able to FIND some of those items. It is a wonder that we collect so much stuff.

I am notorious for misplacing things. I recently filled out papers on what I wanted done about my burial service. Then I could not find the papers. Eventually decided I had thrown out the newest papers along with the old ones and had to begin again!

This brings me to ask, what did you do with the joy you collected during the holidays? Where is the peace you gathered from the Christmas services?

Whatever may be the tensions and the stresses of a particular day, there is always lurking close at hand the trailing beauty of forgotten joy or unremembered peace.

HOWARD THURMAN

Can you find that trailing beauty of forgotten joy? This is one reason I journal! Or your unremembered peace? Can you locate that easily?

Do you remember me writing about glimmers? I think Thurman was referring to some stronger joys and peace, but you could begin with those glimmers. Have you been keeping a glimmer journal? This thing that brings you delight? Something that makes you stop and smile.

This morning the bluebirds gathered in the barren oak tree out front and reminded me that the Starlings had emptied out the meal worm feeder yesterday. The snow was less deep than yesterday so I immediately grabbed a hat, got the meal worm bucket, and went to fill the feeder. The wind has been increasing all morning. The chimes have not stopped ringing for more than a moment. I stood in the shelter of our tiny porch and filled the feeder. hung it up for them to find. It did not take them long at all! They are filling their little bellies and I am delighting in their company. I can hold this trailing beauty. The next time I have difficulty sleeping I can recall it.

I think this a practice we can all get behind. You might want to copy the quote above and stick it on your bathroom mirror or place it in your wallet. We can each use reminders.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Trust

Darkness and Light

The opening photo was taken in Colorado, 2020 by our friend Dan Cooksey.

Our church offered the congregation the book, A Light Upon My Path, Daily Devotions for Advent & Christmas this year.

We enjoyed sharing selections at various mealtimes. I was reading the entry for January 6, Epiphany. The author for this entry, Laurie Brock, was contrasting navigational methods and mentioned, “I can think of nothing as inefficient as a star.” She went on to write about celestial navigation over the centuries. She pointed out that “One necessary part for celestial navigation by stars is darkness.”

She quoted that the Milky Way in “now NOT visible by 99 percent of people living in the United States and a third of the people living in the world because of all of our artificial light.” That is incredibly sad. We have been so eager to get rid of the darkness that we can no longer view the heavenly light easily.

Laurie made a good point that we need the darkness to see all of our God. Have you been comfortable with darkness? Can you try to enjoy this short season of diminished light now that we are moving towards the summer solstice when we have the longest day once again and the hours of light are increasing as we move towards it??

Some of our neighbors leave their outdoor lights on year round. When the birds are migrating I want everyone to turn them off as suggested by most of the naturalists. We have gone so far in demanding artificial light at night that our incessant lighting can mess up the migration routes.

A driving force behind the up to one billion birds killed globally each year by human-built structures is artificial light at night (ALAN), or light pollution. The new technology telling us so much about migration has also helped illuminate the magnitude of ALAN’s impact: For the September night that BirdCast predicted 594 million birds would be in the air, an overlaid map of light pollution showed the gauntlet those birds would have to pass through. “Suddenly the whole system of evolving to move at night is under potentially extreme pressure,” says Farnsworth, “pressure that birds would not experience otherwise, and it is creating chaos.” https://www.audubon.org/magazine/new-golden-age-observation-revealing-wonders-night-migration

Audubon goes on to point out that the migration numbers are huge and we are mostly unaware of the movement of these birds!

Light pollution, darkness, fear, finding our way we can learn about all of these things. Are we willing to change even one thing that we might know our God better? You are unlikely to be able to see the Milky Way from your neighborhood, but you can become aware of migration times, watch for the movement of God during the darkness of winter, and draw close to the Light of Life as you are called to bear that light.

We have responsibilities and we can honor God by honoring those responsibilities. I just ordered the stickers that go on the outside of the windows that show birds they should not fly there. Many birds crash into windows on houses because they think it is a clear path. Some of our stickers are getting old and losing their grip on the glass. This is one small thing we can do for the birds in the daytime.

Light, darkness, ours to behold. We need not fear the dark because we have the Light of Life with us.

 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5 NIV

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Poetry, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Trust, Yield

Poem

My poetry muse seems to flow in fits and starts. Here is a recent prayer/observation.

Absolute©MollyLin Dutina 2026

Mid-January and the trees are reduced to absolute sticks
Cypress needles have fallen
Other trees have shed leaves that are lodged in its branches
Yet Cypress is bare

Clump River Burch is stem with black scars
Nothing to show for its summer growth
Just another inch or so taller
Stems rise from common base area

A few oaks have held their dead leaves
In the winter wind they sound chilly
And out of place
Shrubs are all naked

And yet You promise to revive them come spring
Hold my barren soul Lord
I yield to You my bare scaffold of bony intentions
I wait in the arctic arena of winter

You are my source of life
The sap that fills my veins
Grow me into a plant that delights You
Hold me in this barren time

And when the season is right
Fill me with Your life and fruit
Shine Your light of life through me
Make me a bush on fire with Your love

For now, I rest in Your arms
Those everlasting arms of love
Attached to the unseen vine of life
Where my soul finds absolute meaning

We yield to the timing of the Almighty, we wait and hold fast to the promises.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Humor, Nature

Humor and Grossness

The house has been mostly closed up for a couple months now. Occasionally though there is a gnat possibly coming form the basil plants I brought in for the winter? It is especially annoying when I am reading my iPad mini in bed and the gnat visits the screen lit up in the dark bedroom. O try to squish them then if I can. So tiny, so annoying.

I got up one morning and retrieved my denture out of the cup where it rested all night. Yuck! this is what I found.

Gnat drowned in the Polident.

Our lot borders on a lot that is outside of our subdivision. We chose it on purpose because they have large trees and their lots run perpendicular to ours, creating some interesting sights. The houses over there are not built like ours, more unique in design. We have become good acquaintances with the neighbors closest to ours.

Recently it was warm here both day and night. I was delighted to open the bedroom window to get some fresh air into the house. And then it hit me! WHAM!

Roaming the neighborhood and stinking up our bedroom! SO disappointing! No fresh air for us!!

Just a couple nights later it was really cold and the windows were shut tight. I asked Bob if he smelled something burning? I have had terrible sinus trouble the last couple months and do not always trust my olfactory senses. He smelled something but could not identify it. A few minutes later we were both certain. That darn skunk was back and even with the windows closed tight the bedroom was filling up with nauseating odor.

Another question to ask when we get to heaven, “Why God? What were you thinking with the skunk?”

Online sources have a few ideas on how to deter the skunks. Most of them won’t work for us and I have no intention of installing a motion sensor light either. They likely live in my neighbor’s fallen branches or overgrown vegetation. Might even bee under their porch, though I have never witnessed any activity there. They do have two dogs though. Hope neither gets sprayed with Pepe’s cologne!

NOT cute!!

Go back to sleep you dratted mammal! Finding it very difficult to thank God for this black and white pest. I read that they eat some of the garden pests. Wish they would choose someone else’s garden!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Look, Nature, Praise, Worship

Remember Last July?

I could not remember when I posted this. I had to look it up! If you click on the link below it should take you to what I wrote on July 31, 2025 about the box turtle in our yard.

https://treasuresinplainsight.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=20444&action=edit

Last week I was wondering, with all the vegetation flattened by winter and storms, where is the box turtle now? Online nature resources says they are in a state of brumation. seehttps://showmereptileshow.com/resources/burrowing-into-winter-the-fascinating-hibernation-of-box-turtles

“As temperatures begin to drop, box turtles instinctively sense the impending winter and start preparing for their extended period of dormancy. This process typically begins in the late fall or early winter, depending on the region and specific climate conditions.

“Box turtles showcase their innate digging skills as they seek out suitable locations. These locations are often found underneath the leaf litter, in soils, or beneath fallen logs. The chosen site offers insulation and protection from the frigid temperatures above ground.”

I would love to witness this happening! Guess I will not complain about my neighbor letting fallen branches and logs lie between our properties!

“Once a suitable location is identified, box turtles begin the process of burrowing. Using their robust forelimbs, they tirelessly dig into the ground, creating a small tunnel that leads them to a depth below the frost line. Here, the temperature remains relatively stable and provides the necessary environment for their winter slumber.

“Box turtles use their hind legs and strong carapace (upper shell) to push the soil aside, creating a cozy hollow in which they will spend the entire winter. This burrow serves as their shelter, shielding them from below-freezing temperatures, the absence of food, and other environmental stresses.

“Brumation is a complex adaptation that allows box turtles to conserve energy and survive in conditions unfavorable for active life. During this period, their metabolic rate slows down dramatically, reducing the need for energy intake. This slowing of bodily functions helps them conserve vital resources and endure the scarcity of food throughout the winter months.

“While in this period of rest, the box turtle’s heart rate, rate of respiration, and overall bodily functions decrease significantly, resulting in a state of deep sleep. Their body temperature aligns with the surrounding environment, allowing them to survive even in freezing temperatures.”

So this might be our turtle right now, out back!! I would not disturb her, but I am tempted to go look for her!

How many are your works, Lord!
    In wisdom you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24 NIV

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Joy, Listen, Music, Nature, Prayer, Rest, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Trust

Single Snowflake

Snow? Well, we are forecast to be in the high 60s later this week, so snow is unlikely. I am always amazed at how the air seems to change prior to and during/after a snowfall. The very air is charged with listening. Asking the web, “Does snow muffle sound?” this answer was written. “Freshly fallen snow significantly alters the acoustic environment. Its porous structure, composed of ice crystals and air pockets, effectively absorbs sound waves. This absorption reduces the reflection and transmission of auditory signals, creating a noticeable dampening effect on ambient noise.” Ha! Not just my imagination 🙂 Recently in church they played an instrumental version of “Still, still, still”. Do you know this song?

May you grow still enough to hear the stir of a single snowflake in the air, so that your inner silence may turn into hushed expectation.

BR. DAVID STEINDL-RAST

I love this Steindl-rast thought towards inner silence. Yes, Christmas has passed. The call to stillness continues throughout the year. Can you quiet your heart and mind this much? If not to the stir of a single snowflake perhaps to the quiet of a new fallen snow? The world will continue without our input or opinion for a few minutes. Practice, regardless of the weather. Next time it snows at your house go outside or open the door to experience this quietening effect of the crystals. It is good for your soul!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Nature, Obedience, Rest, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Trust

Phrases that Catch Your Attention

I get a message from the Daily Liturgy Quote. This one was addressing grief, but I apply it to my overall life.

“Be nearer now, O Christ, than I have ever known.”

Don’t we all need this to pursue our walk with joy? I need God every hour. The hours I do not think of God are the ones in which I am most likely to wander.

I was given Amazing Grace Devotional by Stephanie Sample as a gift this Christmas. So far, I am enjoying the entries immensely! She wrote a morning and evening devotion using the same Scripture verse. The entry for January 3 especially caught my attention when she said, “Like a sponge in the ocean, at once saturated and contained by his vastness, our lives are forever connected.”

As a sponge, we can soak up everything around us. We as Christians can choose which source we absorb from.

Sponge harvester

Thinking about natural sponges that are harvested from the ocean, I found they are being grown and harvested even today across the world. Looking up on Sponge on Wikipedia they wrote, “The sponge is an aquatic invertebrate with a soft porous body. There are as many as 18 species of sponges, with the wool sponge being the most desired because it is soft, durable, and not susceptible to odors or mildew. The yellow sponge is less durable, lasting a year, while the wire sponge is abrasive and often used for manufacturing. The bay sponge is known as the flowerpot sponge and grows a plant or seed.”

Wool sponge

Remembering back to when I used a synthetic sponge in the kitchen for almost every cleaning job, but especially washing dishes, I would get so angry when it turned nasty with moldy odor and mildew. I never knew until now that this natural sponge is not prone to mold and mildew!

Am I willing to become like a wool sponge this year? Like the most desired of all the variety of sponges? Sponges are still harvested and sold at Tarpon Springs , Florida, and sold as well at many other places. There is a road trip that would be fun for shopping!

But more in keeping with the devotional thought, “Like a sponge in the ocean, at once saturated and contained by his vastness, OUR LIVES ARE FOREVER CONNECTED. We are influenced and changed by God in us. We are protected through residing in him.” Thank you Stephanie Sample for reminding me I am protected through residing in God.

“Be nearer now, O Christ, than I have ever known.” And make me more conscious of your indwelling and purpose for my life throughout 2026 I pray. Hold me close and help me reside in you always. Amen.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Family, Focus, Joy, Just do it, Listen, Look, Obedience, Praise, Prayer, Special Event, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Worship, Yield

A Thousand Lights

PBS reports that: “Jews across the religious observance spectrum — from Reform to Conservative to Orthodox — focus on the same theme of bringing light into the darkness and emphasizing that even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a transforming effect.” During their celebration of Hanukah they light a new candle each night on the eight branches menorah. As we mourn with the Jewish community in Australia over the murders and injuries there and beyond, I remember being awakened one night with a thought. Our life is to be like a thousand tiny lights of kindness.

How can you participate in this? Every tiny act of kindness that you do makes you a participant.

There was an elderly woman searching in the deep freezer at the grocery store among the frozen turkeys. She just wanted a small one. The one she had chosen did not have a tag on it. I was able to flag down an employee to help her get it weighed and tagged. He wanted me to follow him and I explained that he needed to carry the turkey and escort her slowly to wherever he was going as she was the one interested in the purchase.

There was someone in the same store using an electric shopping cart. She is tiny and seated. There is an item on a high shelf that she is interested in. I ask if I can reach it for her? She is grateful.

Just looking folks in the eye, greeting them with a smile and saying hello has become a practice that cheers many. Most older folks seem surprised that you see them and care. Every age is somewhat startled if you look them in the eye when you greet them.

A tiny thousand lights of kindness. Wishing a harried store clerk a good day. Telling them to take a deep breath while you find your credit card. Urging the world to slow down for one minute. Tiny light of kindness.

Yielding to a car in traffic and being genuinely glad about it.

Thanking the letter carrier for service. The last one I greeted was delivering mail in 13 degree weather. I asked how he stayed warm. He replied you just have to dress for the weather.

Giving the delivery man a home baked cookie when he brings your package to the door.

In the gospel of John we are told

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 NIV

The word light is used seven times in the first nine verses of John 1. In the passage above, a mere three verses, it is used four times. We are to pay attention to this idea. We are to shine the light God has given us. Shine and shine and then shine some more. No place does it say the light of the world got weary of shining and stopped. We too are called to this shine work.

Have you ever attended a concert where the performer asked people to turn on their cell phone flashlight? Or they were given wristbands they were to light up at a certain time? Can you imagine if all of those people left that stadium with the conviction to shine the light God gave them to others around the world? You can help with this effort every single day of your life. If you no longer leave the house you likely still have conversations with others. Smile through your words and bring light and life to each situation.

PBS goes on to report: “A menorah is lit in each household and traditionally is placed where it can be seen from the outside, such as a doorway or windowsill, to symbolize the spreading of God’s light to all nations.”

A thousand tiny lights of kindness. “Even a small, against-the-odds effort can have a transforming effect.” Yes, that means each of us. Just as we celebrate Jesus, the Light of the world, at this time of year (and always) we are to be set on fire for the Kingdom good news! Many are credited with this saying, Saint Francis most notably.