Archive | Melody Hendrix A Time to Live-Tuesday RSS feed for this section

You’re Still Growing

21 Feb

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

Melody

Quotes authors unknown
Something will GROW from all you are going through. And it will be YOU.
A seed alone in the dirt with no light begins to rot and fall apart. From that very dis-integration a life force sprouts, reaches for the light and in its own time, blossoms.
When life is hard don’t wish it were easier, decide to be stronger.
Where ever God has planted you, bloom with Grace.
bleeding-heart

Tags: , ,

Metamorphosis -God’s miracle

14 Feb

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

Melody

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness. Psalm 74:17

O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions. —Psalm 104:24

Among God’s creatures, the butterfly is one of the most stunningly beautiful!
This flying insect, while supplying us with visual enjoyment, also supplies us with amazing examples of the marvels of God’s creative work.

For instance, the majestic monarch butterfly can travel 3,000 miles on its migration to Central America—only to end up at the same tree its parents or even grandparents landed on a generation or two earlier. It does this guided by a brain the size of a pinhead.
Or consider the monarch’s metamorphosis. After the caterpillar builds a chrysalis around itself, it releases a chemical that turns its insides to mush—no perceptible parts. Somehow from this emerges the brain, internal parts, head, legs, and wings of a butterfly.

One butterfly expert said, “The creation of the body of a caterpillar into the body and wings of a butterfly is, without doubt, one of the wonders of life on earth.” Another expert feels that this metamorphosis is “rightly regarded as a miracle.”

“How manifold are [God’s] works!” (Ps. 104:24)—and the butterfly is but one of them.

We stand amazed, God, at the awesome creation You allow us to enjoy. From distant galaxies to beautiful butterflies, You have given us a world that speaks loudly of Your love for us. Thank You, Lord, for creation.

Tags: , ,

8 Fun alligator facts you may not know

7 Feb

A Life to LIve

Melody Hendrix

1.  American alligators have been observed using lures to hunt birds. They balance sticks and branches on their heads, attracting birds looking for nesting material.
2.  Alligators are ecosystem engineers. Alligators play an important role in their wetland ecosystems by creating small ponds known as alligator holes. Alligator holes retain water during the dry season and provide habitats for other animals.

3. Alligators are carnivorous but recently reported to also eat fruit such as wild grapes, elderberries, and citrus fruits directly from trees. Alligators may help spread the seeds of these fruits throughout their habitats.

4. The temperature at which the eggs develop determines their sex. Eggs exposed to temperatures above 93°F (34 °C) become males, while those at 86 °F (30 °C) become females. Intermediate temperatures produce both sexes.

5.  Alligator courtship is sophisticated. At the start of the spring breeding season, males bellow to attract females. The bellows have an infrasonic component that can cause the surface of the water around the male to ripple and dance. Other courtship rituals include head-slapping on the water’s surface, snout and back rubbing, and blowing bubbles.

6  large individuals bite down with 13,172 Newton’s or 2960 pounds–of force, one of the most powerful bites ever recorded for a living animal.
7.  Serum in American alligator blood is incredibly effective at combating bacteria and viruses, meaning that even alligators that lose limbs in mucky swamps often avoid infection.

8 Alligators mate in June. Males may fertilize several females in one mating season.
gator-2

Tags: , , , , ,

The Glory of the Morning

31 Jan

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

 

The glory of the morning awaits our step
Days promise reborn as we slept
Dew is the tears that darkness wept
On each blade of grass the promise is kept

Light above chases shadows beneath
Bud and blossom and furled leaf
A gentle urging the day bequeaths
A shake, a nudge, a call from sleep

Angled shafts of grays and blues
Shifting through the morning hews
The veil is lifted, the colors are loosed
So that first light might brighten our view

Awaken, open, raise your head
Nights gone away, finally fled
Turn pink, turn blue turn yellow turn red
Day is coming, make your bed.

Author Unknown

 

orlando-wetlands

Tags: , , , ,

Florida Caverns State Park

24 Jan

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

Did you know that Florida has caves as beautiful as the famous Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Caverns? Florida Caverns State Park is located in the Florida Panhandle near Marianna. It is home to the only air-filled cave accessible to tourists in Florida.
Florida Caverns is unusual for the state. It is a limestone cave, part of a system of Ocala limestone which stretches out into north Florida and south Alabama and south Georgia..
The Florida Caverns has dazzling formations of limestone stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, flowstones and draperies. The caverns are home to blind salamanders and crayfish, as well as the endangered gray bat.

This is just one more example of Florida’s diverse landscapes. The tour of the cave is a must.
caves-2

The address is  3345 Caverns Rd, Marianna, FL 32446

Directions to Florida Caverns State Park

Florida Caverns State Park is located three miles north of Marianna, off of U.S. 90 on State Road 166. From Tallahassee, take I-10 west to exit 142, turn right on Highway 71 and travel north to Highway 90. Turn left. Follow brown park signs. From Pensacola: Take I-10 east to exit 136, turn left on Highway 276, travel north to Highway 90. Turn right. Follow brown park signs.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

The Peace of God

10 Jan

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:7
“Jesus, I declare you as my Lord, and with you I find calm and peace. Today… this moment… I choose to look to you, instead of focusing on the people and problems that hound me. Because I am your child, you will lift my heart, tilt my head heavenward, and help me to rise above every difficulty. ”   Tricia Goyer
I pray that the love of God and the Peace that surpasses all understanding fill your heart and mind today.
boat-in-the-mist-p0st

Tags: , , , ,

MUSIC Within Us

27 Dec

A Life to Live

Melody Hendrix

You know what music is?

God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe;
harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.
Robin Williams

A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. Leopold Stokowski

Music is what feelings sound like. Author unknown

Music is the only medicine when there’s no cure for the noise my mind drowns in. Author unknown

Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything. Plato

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. Victor Hugo

Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy. Ludwig van Beethoven

 

music

Tags: , , ,

A Very Special Bridge

13 Dec

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

I would like to share with you just one of many wonderful features of where I live in Brevard County Florida. This is our beautiful  –    A. MAX BREWER BRIDGE  –  gateway to paradise …Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
a-max-brewer-bridge
The A. Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville has won the nationwide People’s Choice Award presented by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
A. Max Brewer Bridge is a concrete bridge costing  $44.8 million to build.
Length of bridge: 3,207 feet
Height of bridge: 65 feet
Date constructed: May 15, 2009 through Jan 31, 2010
Next to the bridge is the Titusville Veterans Memorial Fishing Pier is known locally as the “World’s Longest Free Fishing Pier.” The Titusville Veterans Memorial Fishing Pier (recently renovated) dates back to the original bridge that spanned the Indian River Lagoon in the early 1900’s. The early structure was known as the “Walker Bridge,” named in honor of Mr. John R. Walker, a former postmaster who helped make construction of the bridge possible.
After crossing the bridge, The Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is located due east of Titusville on Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida, and occupies 140,000 acres, overlaid with the Kennedy Space Center. To the north, it borders on the Canaveral National Seashore; to the south it encompasses non-public portions of the Kennedy Space Center. Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River run through the refuge. Since public access to all these areas is controlled in various ways, the refuge is part of a very substantial area of relatively undisturbed wildlife habitat.
The refuge provides a range of habitats, from saltwater estuaries and freshwater impoundments and marshes, to dunes, hardwood hammocks, and scrub. It contains over 1000 species of plants, 117 species of fish, 68 amphibians and reptiles, 330 birds, and 31 mammal species. Of these species, 21 are listed as endangered either by the state of Florida or by the US federal government.
I am so fortunate to live close by.

Tags: , , , , ,

Nature…The Sparkle in Your Eyes

6 Dec

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

“Unless we are willing to encourage our children to reconnect with and appreciate the natural world, we can’t expect them to help protect and care for it.” David Suzuki

“Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.” Thomas Berry

“And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes SPARKLING -“ Shanti

“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” Walt Streightiff

“Give yourself permission to act like a child, to view the world with wonder and excitement. To let your mind be free.”  Karen Kostyla

 

sea-wonders-1

 

 

 

 

I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
Melody

Tags: , ,

God’s Shining Light

29 Nov

A Time to Live

Melody Hendrix

The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are….
The second greatest is being happy with what you find…..
unknown
Let your light shine so brightly that others can see their way out of the dark.
Katrina Mayer
Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become.   Brooke Hampton
light-painted-sunflower

 

 

I am retired and enjoying life. My hobbies are my 5 grandchildren, son and daughter, and my loving husband. I am a photographer and extreme nature lover. I love spending time in my garden or in the wilderness connected to God my Creator.
Melody

Tags: , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →