Category: Amazing Creations

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Music, Spiritual growth, Yield

Chapman Harbourg

I was listening to this song and this video was on. I was stunned. Had to sit down and watch it twice! The sculptor is Chapman Hamborg. When he finishes the clay sculpture my thought was “Perfect!” And then he goes on to covering it and adding what looks like plaster cast material. In side I was going, “Oh no!” On his blog he talks about this video. Then I hope you will watch it for yourself. Maybe twice!!

“Bethel Church and the School of Ministry have both played a big part in my life. My two older brothers and my wife have all attended the ministry school. Since the age of fourteen I have been making trips to Redding to visit Bethel. What an incredible place! I have never seen so many people in one room overflowing with love and passion for Jesus. Spending time in that environment always had a profound impact on my family and myself.

“Bethel Music has played an equally big part in my life. I really connect with their heart for worship: authentic, raw and passionate. I have had countless moments connecting with God through their music, whether it is during a church service, or on my iPod dancing through fields. Their music leads me out of whatever funk I am in and into the presence of Jesus to have fun with Him. I am always listening to music as I draw, paint or sculpt, and I find worship most inspiring to listen to while creating. As God is the ultimate artist I feel the most creative when I am connected to Him.

“With all that to say, you can imagine when I was asked to sculpt Bethel Music’s next album cover, how overjoyed I was! I was beyond excited to collaborate with Bethel Music in this way, and felt overwhelmed with God’s love for me. It felt like He was telling me ‘”I choose you, Chapman.”

 

I felt as if I could see the talent and inspiration in his eyes. Wow! Can barely imagine what it would be like to have his skill to create in 3-D.

Give God all of your heart and see what comes forth!

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Humor, Nature, Poetry

Speaking of Things Rooted

No idea what I was going to write, so here is a re-post of Dan’s take on tree humor based on this poem.

Trees
Joyce Kilmer - 1886-1918

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

I cannot stop laughing about that one!! see Dan Cooksey’s blog at https://danandbettysplace.blog/author/corralesdan/ Another Monday

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Faith, Family, Just do it, Memories, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Traveling

Giant Tree and Roots

During his life in California my father-in-law, Dragomir Dutina, was a volunteer and supporter at Shinn Historical Park and Arboretum. The photo above is my husband, Robert, standing at the roots of the massive Moreton Bay Fig Tree which grows there. If you are ever in Fremont California you might want to stop by there 1251 Peralta Blvd., Fremont, CA.

Regarding the Moreton Bay Fig Tree Wikipedia says Ficus macrophylla, commonly known as the Moreton Bay fig or Australian banyan, is a large evergreen banyan tree of the family Moraceae native to eastern Australia, from the Wide Bay–Burnett region in the north to the Illawarra in New South Wales, as well as Lord Howe Island. Its common name is derived from Moreton Bay in Queensland, Australia. It is best known for its imposing buttress roots.

The Shinn family imported many specimens for their home garden. This one is SO impressive. Wouldn’t you think by the photo that this tree has massive underground roots? So why all the visible big roots? Have you ever visited a gothic cathedral with ‘flying buttresses?”

Washington National Cathedral

Again Wikipedia says: Buttress roots are large, wide roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Typically, they are found in nutrient-poor tropical forest soils that may not be very deep. They prevent the tree from falling over (hence the name buttress) while also gathering more nutrients. Buttresses are tension elements, being larger on the side away from the stress of asymmetrical canopies.[1] The roots may interwind with buttress roots from other trees and create an intricate mesh, which may help support trees surrounding it. They can grow up to 30 feet (9.1 m) tall and spread for 30 metres above the soil then for another 30 metres below. When the roots spread horizontally, they are able to cover a wider area for collecting nutrients. They stay near the upper soil layer because all the main nutrients are found there.

Wait! All that show and massive growth is because of shallow roots? Well, maybe not because it says if 30 metres above the soil perhaps 30 metres below the soil, too. 30 metres, 98 FEET. “They prevent the tree from falling over while also gathering nutrients.”

Have you known Christians who sport large canopies (hear many words about God) but perhaps their root system seems flimsy? Have you noticed buttress roots about them? I knew people who were proud that they could recite all the books of the Bible. I always wondered how they did at actually LIVING one verse. Living any one verse is harder than it seems.

Many of us try to show others our faith with large financial donations, bragging, and flying buttresses made of arguments about faith, strong convictions about God’s judgements and meanings. I think St. Francis had it right when he said, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.”

I pray along with Paul that ‘out of His glorious riches God may strengthen you with power through the Spirit in your inner being …and you, being rooted and established in love, may have power to GRASP how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, to KNOW this love that surpasses knowledge.’ (Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV)

Out of His riches God can help us to know these things. Give Him your hands so He can give you the power to grasp these things. Once you have hold of it let Him show you how to use this power and knowledge. If you forget and the knowledge slips out of your hands, go back and ask Him to help you again. Oh Father, that we might bring delight to Your heart through these actions. I pray it all for your glory. Amen.

Like Dragomir’s great-grandson hold firmly to the roots of love in Christ
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Humor, Nature, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth

Free Range

The grocery package says free range eggs. But aren’t they eggs from free range chickens? Or did the eggs roll around on the ground wherever they pleased? Yikes.

Taking another drive last week in the adjoining counties we came across chickens, and then more chickens. I love the white one strutting below. Made me wonder how do you control these free range chickens? Can’t exactly get the sheep dog to round them up at night!?!

Searching on line I posed the question “How do I raise chickens in my yard?” Here is a link if you want more information. https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/chickens-101/how-to-raise-free-range-chickens/

Basically you want a roost of some type to protect your chickens from predators at night (think coyotes, foxes, dogs). Let them out in the morning and they will quickly learn to return to the roost at night if you use the same bucket or container everyday to give them feed in late afternoon or evening. Then you close up the pen. The link goes on to talk about eggs and shells and poop as fertilizer. Feel free to peruse that information.

Wherever your roaming may take you today, be on the lookout for chickens in the front yards, side yards, ditches, etc. And remember that Jesus loves you and protects you like a mother hen. Return to Him for protection and sustenance. Be careful not to roam too far from Him.

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Challenge, Covid 19, Faith, Family, Journal, medical treatment, Memories, Nature, Prayer, Spiritual growth, Yield

How Roots Grow

The photo at the top is the Juniper tree at Live Oak Park, Berkeley, California. That is the place where Bob and I said our marriage vows over 51 years ago.

My Robert waiting under the Juniper tree with our families for me to wed him. Episcopal priest behind him.

Decades went by. I gave my heart back to Christ in 1976. He gave his life to Christ not too long after that. We worked and worked on our marriage over the years. We have always said, “Divorce is not an option. Murder maybe, but not divorce!”

Fast forward from 1970 to December 2017. We both got the flu. Within 24 hours his became life threatening pneumonia with organ shut-down sepsis. Got him to an ER. He was placed on a ventilator and rushed to a different hospital. Within two days my cough began to break up and I was by his side.

The passage from Ephesians 3 helped me as I walk through the terror of possibly losing him forever.

In 2018 I wrote: “Part of my struggle was yielding to the facts and in stillness letting my wishes die, placing my hope in the plans of the Almighty. I could not see the outcome at all, but I trusted His goodness and His love for both myself and my family. I learned that crucified you must hold perfectly still. EPH 3:16 helped me to trust more. “I pray that, according to the riches of His glory, He may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through His Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” I prayed for Bob and our children to be strengthened. I prayed for myself to be strengthened by His Spirit with power penetrating to my innermost being. Yes, crucified you must hold perfectly still. I was not “going” anywhere.”

Have my roots grown since then? I learned so much through that awful experience. Yes, my husband is alive and kicking now. His health has returned. We are going through the Covid crisis with everyone else in the world. We are perhaps more careful than other Americans, having almost lost him four years ago.

My roots? Well I am certainly aware that Bob and I will not last into eternity. Only my relationship with Christ will go that far. We do hope to see each other in the afterlife, but we both understand that relationships there are much different than here.

“Strengthened in your innermost being with power through His Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith….” I would not want to lose my husband to Covid or in any other way, but I feel as if I would not be devastated as I might have been in 2018. Having lived through the almost-death and brutal recovery after his illness, I can honestly say that the Lord sustained us and taught us both many things about His love and power.

“Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, AS you are being rooted and grounded in love.” God’s love is beyond my words. He holds, sustains and directs me with His love. When I resist His leading, He disarms me with His love. He indwells me by with power by His Spirit and it is a process to be rooted and grounded in love. An ongoing to the day I die sort of process.

I love this video. It shows what I cannot see below the surface of the soil. It shows the growth in split screen above and below and then goes on to show the up-close root process. How are your roots growing?

Can you imagine yourself being rooted and grounded in love like this kidney bean? Like the Juniper tree in the photo above? Why not watch the video again and ask the Lord to strengthen you in your inner being with power through His Spirit. Ask Him to helped you be rooted and grounded in love. One person noted, “We need to ask for what we want.” Grow us Lord I pray, by Your Spirit and power, in Your time. Amen.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Faith, Journal, Just do it, Prayer, Spiritual growth, Yield

First Fifteen

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:16-19 NIV

You may remember I asked you to listen for a word to direct your life this year? Mine came in the form of Ephesians 3:17b “being rooted and established in love.” I have been studying out what that means to me. From library books about trees, to tree and root photos I have been collecting for a few years, to online biology resources.

This morning I listened to this devotional and found a way to share it with you. This is published daily with the premise being to lead you into the first 15 minutes of your day by thinking about, praying to, and worshiping God. I hope you are encouraged and blessed by this experience. I was blessed that the Scripture at the end is Ephesians 3 16-19! Just click on the title Live For Love and it will take you to the website. I downloaded the app for daily (or in my case almost daily) use.

Live for Love

Hope the fifteen minutes was well spent! I know it was for me.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Humor, Moving, Nature

Fun with the Sun

Know what these are?

Guessed yet?

Ohio is notorious for gloomy winter days. Not much sun to boast about. Dan and Betty even moved to New Mexico because they have so MUCH MORE sun, year round! One delight of living in a new house is discovering where the sun and moonbeams enter at different times of year. When we do have sunny days it is great fun to capture and play with the beams.

On that note, Bob ordered us two kinds of prisms right around Christmas. One had two spheres with cut patterns on them. Amazon describes them as: “Clear Glass Crystal Ball Prism Pendant Suncatcher 40mm Pack of 2.” The other is a Sumnacon Photography Prism Crystal Glass Triangular Prism Full Rainbow Color Spectrum Best for Photography (6″).

Oh my we are having fun with these! This morning Bob reported a 6 foot rainbow on the floor of the great room. Here is our bedroom a bit later in the morning. Ignore the laundry basket, shoes, paint chips and electronic chargers. Just enjoy the play of the moving prism!

Oh! What a beautiful day!

You made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to set.

Psalm 104:19
Posted on in Amazing Creations, Covid 19, Humor, Nature, Social Distancing, Traveling

Blow up Characters and WOW! Look at That!

With Omicron variant of Covid on the rampage we have once again taken going for a drive as our best amusement.

Okay, pet peeve here. If you own some of those blow up characters PLEASE put in a light bulb bright enough to actually illuminate the character at night. So frustrating to look at the blows ups and not really see the design!

Have you noticed how sad and might I even say deflated the characters look when they are not blown up? We were taking a drive around the county and saw a rooster and chicken pecking amidst the deflated characters in the yard. Made me wonder if they cause any damage with those beaks and spurs?

We also saw an amazing bird that I was not able to photograph from the road. It was so wonderful that Bob drove a mile to find a turn around so he could see it too. I said, “It might not wait there for us!” Whew! still there, though we did not see it at first pass. Had to turn around again and go direction we were when I first spotted it. High in a tree it perched. Shades of gray over large shoulders and back. I believe it was a great gray owl.

Grey Owl Meaning? One online source said: “Seeing a grey owl represents the mystery, and trusting that everything will work out even if you don’t fully understand it. The universe is working on you under the surface, and this is a time to trust in the bigger picture.”

So if you have blow up characters and chickens perhaps you can enlighten me?

If you have an owl who visits your property regularly you just might live on Bootjack Road in Clermont County.

The one we saw looked even larger!

For more information on these amazing owls go to https://ebird.org/species/grgowl

And that reminds me. In high school I had an art teacher, Mr. O’Neill, who painted on rocks. I have had this in or on my desk ever since!

Posted on in Aging, Amazing Creations, Faith, Just do it, Memories, Prayer, Special Event, Thanks, Yield

Holy

Are you in a stance of worship? Bowing down? Lifting your hands towards heaven? Looking up towards beings more intelligent than us that worship God and proclaim His wonders on the earth?

bowing down
Lifting your hands
Looking up towards beings more intelligent than us

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

Some say the Bible is full of things you should not do. No worries about those things if you focus on things you are instructed to do!

Rejoice. Rejoice again. Be gentle. No anxiety – or if it comes send it away as quickly as you are aware of it. Soak every situation in prayer and petition. Always use thanksgiving liberally. All requests are to go right to God. God will give back a transcendent peace, beyond your understanding. He will help guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Bow down before Him. Look up. Listen for the voice of the Lord be it through angels, prophets, brothers and sisters in Christ, the Word of God, printed material a statement on radio, TV, blog, podcast, etc.

As I get older and my body is not nearly as flexible as it used to be I love the line from this prayer that says, “Now I bend the knee of my heart.” Yes, sometimes I think the prayer of Manasseh says it best:

O Lord Almighty,
God of our ancestors,
of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
and of their righteous offspring;
2 you who made heaven and earth
with all their order;
3 who shackled the sea by your word of command,
who confined the deep
and sealed it with your terrible and glorious name;
4 at whom all things shudder,
and tremble before your power,
5 for your glorious splendor cannot be borne,
and the wrath of your threat to sinners is unendurable;
6 yet immeasurable and unsearchable
is your promised mercy,
7 for you are the Lord Most High,
of great compassion, long-suffering, and very merciful,
and you relent at human suffering.
O Lord, according to your great goodness
you have promised repentance and forgiveness
to those who have sinned against you,
and in the multitude of your mercies
you have appointed repentance for sinners,
so that they may be saved.[a]
8 Therefore you, O Lord, God of the righteous,
have not appointed repentance for the righteous,
for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against you,
but you have appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner.

Confession of Sins

9 For the sins I have committed are more in number than the sand of the sea;
my transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied!
I am not worthy to look up and see the height of heaven
because of the multitude of my iniquities.
10 I am weighted down with many an iron fetter,
so that I am rejected because of my sins,
and I have no relief;
for I have provoked your wrath
and have done what is evil in your sight,
setting up abominations and multiplying offenses.

Supplication for Pardon

11 And now I bend the knee of my heart,
imploring you for your kindness.
12 I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
and I acknowledge my transgressions.
13 I earnestly implore you,
forgive me, O Lord, forgive me!
Do not destroy me with my transgressions!
Do not be angry with me forever or store up evil for me;
do not condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,
14 and in me you will manifest your goodness;
for, unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy,
15 and I will praise you continually all the days of my life.
For all the host of heaven sings your praise,
and yours is the glory forever. Amen.

Such a mighty and gracious God we serve! Verse 15 For I will praise You continually all the days of my life. Yes, Father help us to do just that.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Humor

What Does This plus This Make?

Take dollar store socks

+PLUS+ fabric store fur

Add instructions from YouTube and you just might get these!

The only SAFE Gnome campfire!

Dawn and I had fun. Afterwards there were fur and plastic pellets in several odd locations. I had to stitch down the polka dotted hat where I missed with the glue gun. Other than that, they held together well! When she showed them to her husband he wanted her to make him his very own and then 7 more for his buddies at work. That’s a lot of work!

Here are her latest creations!

As you can see she created ladies with braids. She even made tiny ones from gloves instead of socks.

If you want to give it a try watch this You Tube video and have fun!! With Dawn’s crafting expertise we substituted aquarium gravel and plastic pellets instead of rice for weighted filling. (Evidently rice can carry bugs and might breakdown over time.) Used fiberfill on top of that. Use your imagination and have fun!!

The author of the YouTube video cracked me up with how tickled she got from the cuteness of her own creations! Enjoy a whimsical Christmas.