Knocked Down, But for Good Reason

20 Feb

From My Heart

Louise Gibson

Louise Gibson

 

My maternal instinct is to protect and nurture the young.

A new-born is so defenseless, you’ll agree.

So when I read an account of a newborn giraffe,

it disturbed the “mother” in me.

 

The giraffe is strange and homely creature in appearance,

and his movements are awkward and peculiar to see.

Giraffe child-birthing is so strange and so bizarre-

Why it is so is a mystery to me.

 

Gary Richmond wrote an article on giraffe calves

that caught my attention.

It offended my maternal instincts, to be true.

Allow me to share what little I know.

Let’s see how it resonates with you.

 

Gary had been invited to a zoo where a native giraffe

was about to give birth.  The anticipated moment was

not a disappointment.  A calf, a plucky male hurled forth,

falling ten feet and landing on its back. The mother giraffe

gives birth to its young standing up, and the distance from

the birth canal to the ground is about ten feet.

 

Are you still reading?  Think of this. Ten foot is about the

height for dunking a basketball, plus about four extra inches

So the calf falls out of its mother ten feet above ground

and landed on its back.  It lay there a few moments and

then, according to the story, it scrambled over to get its

legs underneath so that it could take a look around and

check out the world it had just entered.

 

The mother lowered her head to see the baby, then

she moved until she was directly above the calf.

About a minute passed and then came a shocking surprise.

The mother moved her great long leg outward and booted

her baby through the air.  The calf sprawled head over heels

across the ground puzzled and protesting.

 

The zoologist explained, “She wants him to get up-

and if he doesn’t get up, she is going to do it again.”

Sure enough, the process was repeated again and again.

And the struggle to rise was momentous. And as the baby

grew tired of trying, the mother would again stimulate its

effort with a hearty kick.

 

Amidst the cheers of the animal staff the calf stood up

and for the first time, wobbly to be sure, but there it stood

on its wobbly legs.  They were struck silent when the

mother knocked it off its feet again.

 

“To remember how it got up”. Doesn’t God nurture us

in just the same rough way sometimes?  And if we are

ignorant as to His methods and purposes, the actions can

seem cold and even cruel..

 

We finally struggle to our feet, and it seems we are kicked again.

But our Heavenly Father knows that love must be tough-

and it must take the long view.  God knows the world will

fall apart and we must be sturdy ourselves to stay on our feet.

 

Life has thrown us a curve, and it’s a hard thing for us

to cope with.  Even so Lord…praise Your blessed name.

 

baby giraffe

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My Colonial States Trip~Part 14

18 Feb

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Bill Lites

 

The “Declaration Chamber” in Independence Hall has been beautifully restored and arranged to represent the way it looked during the years between 1775 and 1783 when the Second Continental Congress used this chamber to meet, debate and eventually adopt our Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.

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The “Supreme Court Chamber” has also been beautifully restored with ochre-painted walls and the coat of arms for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania above the bench. This is the room where the Philadelphia Supreme Court conducted trials, and the state legislature conducted business in the early years of our nation. There are records that indicate the U.S. Supreme Court held proceedings in this chamber in 1791 and again in 1796. The judge’s bench and jury’s box overlooked the accused, who stood in the prisoner’s dock for the duration of his trial, giving rise to the expression “Stand Trial.”

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Next I went to view the Liberty Bell and discovered that the bell was originally cast in London, England in 1752. The bell was installed in the State House and intended to be used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens of public meetings and proclamations, but it cracked the first time it was rung after arriving in Philadelphia. There isn’t actually any evidence that the bell was rung on July 4, 1776 to announce the signing of the Declaration of Independence. A story (fable) was written in 1847 about an elderly bell ringer who claimed he ran the bell on that date. People liked that story so much that it was adopted as fact, and has been perpetuated down through the years. It wasn’t until the 1830s that the bell was dubbed, by several abolitionist societies, as the “Liberty Bell” and used as a symbol of freedom by them during the 1830s and 1940s.

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Then I boarded a city tour bus for a 90-minute guided tour of the city of Philadelphia with all its many historical places. Most people today don’t realize that Philadelphia was the first capital of the United States, or how many important events, which helped shape our country, took place in this city. I was amazed at how many famous people in our country’s early history lived and worked in this city, helping form the foundation of our nation as we now know it.

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I saw the Betsy Ross house where it’s said that Betsy fashioned and made the first American flag in 1776, and later presented it to General George Washington (who by then had been appointed Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army).

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I saw Ben Franklin’s print shop, where he became famous for printing The Pennsylvania Gazette; the President’s House site where George Washington
and John Adams created the Office of the President of the United States; the Christ Church Cemetery where Ben Franklin is buried, along with many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and other famous leaders. I found it interesting as a side note, that it is said, Christ Church in Philadelphia is also where Colonial America made its initial break with the Church of England.

 

—–To Be Continued—–

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This Thrilled My Mama Heart

17 Feb

As a mom, I have to say this review of my daughter’s novel Jessie,  by book blogger Beverly Lynnt thrilled my mama heart. The reviewer went above and beyond the usual review, even creating graphics to illustrate the review. Thank you!

For years, Rebekah heard her father’s tales of growing up on the banks of the Indian River. It was an ideal time to grow up for a boy who loved the freedom to roam the woods, rivers and canals of his hometown. Rebekah incorporated those stories and recreated them in the lives of the four Cole brothers. Of course, the space program was growing at the same time. Jessie tells the story of both.

Jessie (Coastal Chronicles Bk 2) by Rebekah Lyn ~Review~ | Bipolar for Christ.

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The Baby Book

16 Feb

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and Artist

 My grandfather was a “guard” at The Colorado State Pentientiary when I was born. He asked if the shop could make this baby book for me. I wonder about the man who made it there in prison. How did he feel? Was he a family man? How did he come to be a fine worker of metal. I don’t think about his crime. It is enough that he showed that kind of consideration for a new-born three-quarters of a century ago.

I wonder if anyone else has a similar keepsake.

Tin Baby Book made in Colorado State Pen

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The Crest

15 Feb

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

JUDY

 

Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I always took the mountains for granted. They were just part of the scene.

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The Sandia Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountain chain, and are really majestic and beautiful, and I miss them, now that I live in flatland Florida. The mountains are quite wonderful all the time, but especially in the evening, when the sun is setting and they literally turn purple. Remember the line from “America the Beautiful” – you know:

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

Well, they really do turn purple! Amazing!

The top of Sandia Crest tops out at 10,678 feet above sea level – the highest point in Albuquerque. And it’s COLD up there – and breezy! We took our daughters there in the summer before we went to Germany – and we forgot to take sweaters with us!. As you can see from the pictures – we were FREEZING!

 

For a bit of information, I gleaned this from Wikipedia: Sandía means watermelon in Spanish, and is popularly believed to be a reference to the reddish color of the mountains at sunset. Also, when viewed from the west, the profile of the mountains is a long ridge, with a thin zone of green conifers near the top, suggesting the “rind” of the watermelon. However, as Robert Julyan notes, “the most likely explanation is the one believed by the Sandia Indians: the Spaniards, when they encountered the Pueblo in 1540, called it Sandia, because they thought the squash gourds growing there were watermelons, and the name Sandia soon was transferred to the mountains east of the pueblo.” He also notes that the Sandia Pueblo Indians call the mountain Bien Mur, “big mountain”.

There are two ways to get to the crest – driving or by the tram.It is reported to be the longest tramway in the world!

 

While we’ve driven the roads many times, we’ve only been up the tramway once – and it was quite a thrill! If you’re ever in Albuquerque, give it a try. Something you’ll never experience anywhere else.

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But Albuquerque and the crest are known for other things, as well. I know that many people have heard of the winter snow skiing in Taos, New Mexico. But the best-kept secret is that some of the very best skiing is right there in the mountains of Albuquerque!

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On a website I checked out recently, it said that there was a 23″ base of snow, and so far this year they’ve had 55″ of new snow! That should delight any ski enthusiast! I never got into skiing – little too expensive for me, and I’m a bit of a chicken. But many people have discovered that pleasure and ski right outside of town.

That’s the Albuquerque I know and love.

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Seven ways to find true love on Valentine’s Day.

14 Feb

The Red Light Will Change~Be Patient

13 Feb

From the Heart

Louise Gibson

Louise Gibson

 

 

We suffer when we are not in control.

It affects our very being.

“Lord, I really wanted a sunny day,

but fog is all I am seeing”

 

We are prone to create our own little world.

The old “normal” has to fall apart.

“We can’t go forward, Lord,

unless we have a change of heart.”

 

Accept the present moment.

Be patient, the red light will change.

God uses those “waiting moments”-

Our circumstances He will arrange.

 

Religion is one of the safest places

to hide from God.

Ego wants to be in control.

Forget about rituals and man made rules.

Make communing with God your goal.

 

How comforting to know

God doesn’t love you because you are good,

God loves you because God is good.

That’s why I love Him so.

 

Accept the Present moment Red light

 

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Take Time for Pie With Friends

12 Feb

On the Porch

Onisha Ellis

I'm a winner

It’s Thursday again and I really( I have been editing so I MUST take out that adverb) don’t have much to write about. I had some thoughts this morning, but dealing with insurance company issues stripped my brain. So when my friend called and suggested going to get some pie, I went.

We nibbled our pie, sipped coffee and talked about all kinds of things from funny to serious.  It was a blessed time and I am so glad we made the time for each other.

This morning I read the blog of my cyber friend, Lia. She loves the savior, as we do and is a wonderful author as well. She wrote about her lack of progress on her next novel. The final paragraph in her blog, touched me. She gave me permission to share it here.

When life gets in the way, and we take time to think about what it means, we become deeper, richer human beings.  That will pour into our writing.  If we give ourselves to others in service with compassion, that will show up in the pages of our blogs, books, poetry or journals. We cannot improve the world around us without improving ourselves, and we cannot improve ourselves without improving our message.

One doesn’t have to be an author to feel frustrated when we don’t accomplish our “to do” list. We may not be writing books, poetry or blogs, but we are writing the story of Christ in our lives. Mike and I have started Tai-Chi with a You Tube instructor.  There is a move, that finishes with one pushing their arms forward and releasing their spirit to mingle with other people’s spirits.  Well that is too “new agey” for me. As I exhale and push my arms forward, in my mind I say. “I am pushing the spirit of Christ that lives in me into the world, may His light shine through me.

Click here if you would like to read the rest of Lia’s blog. Is Life Getting in the Way? | Lia London Books.

This in not me. I needed a picture!!

This in not me. I needed a picture!!

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My Colonial States Trip~Part 13

11 Feb

A Slice of Life

 Bill Lites

Bill Small Red Plane

 

The U. S. Naval Academy Museum didn’t take long, and I was on my way east to check out the Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, DE which had a great collection of both hangered and outdoor static aircraft. They had two C-141s on static display and I recorded the tail numbers so I could ask my friend Dick, when I got back home, if he had flown either one of them during his time in the U.S. Air Force. As it turned out, he had flown one of them.

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Next I headed north again to visit the Massey Air Museum in Massey, MD which turned out to be a very small museum with a C-47 sitting in front of one of the hangers and a F4U Corsair mounted on a pedestal next to the rotating beacon tower. The hanger doors were not open and the museum was closed up for the day, (closed at 4:00 pm) so, after a couple photos, I kept moving north.

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I had planned to visit the Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur Museum & Library in Wilmington, DE but “Greta” had a hard time recognizing the address, since it was on a rural road, with nothing but a guard station blocking the entrance to the driveway. By the time I finally found the proper address, it was after 5:00 pm and the guard said they were closed. I believe DiVoran would have liked to visit this museum as the estate is used as the location for lectures by famous decorating, clothing and jewelry designers who have contributed to the making of movie and TV series projects such as Mrs. Henderson Presents, The Young Victoria and Downton Abbey. What do you think DiVoran?   After a long day of driving, I stopped and had dinner at the “Metro Diner” in Brooklawn, NJ before heading to the motel in Gloucester City, NJ for the evening.

           

The next morning I left early, driving thru Camden, NJ and across the Delaware River, in time to arrive at the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia, PA for a day of touring that historic city. My first problem was finding the underground parking garage. I had to circle several blocks a couple of times before I spotted the garage entrance, and found my way up the elevator to the information center. I picked up a map of the area and got directions to where I could obtain my free ticket for a tour of Independence Hall. As I was heading across the park for the Hall, I realized I had left my camera lying on the counter at the visitor’s center. I rushed back to the counter and asked if anyone had seen my camera, but they said, “No.” I was really upset, but what could I do? Evidently, someone had picked it up and walked off with it, and there went my camera and some 400-500 photos of my trip so far, never to be seen again. It was hard, but I thanked God for the camera loss and asked Him to help me give the whole thing up to Him.

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The Independence Hall Tour was very interesting and educational from beginning to end. We were reminded that Independence Hall (originally the Philadelphia State House) was completed in 1753 and is primarily known as the building where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were debated and finally adopted by the colonial representatives. As a side note, the Liberty Bell had its first home in the steeple of the Philadelphia State House.

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What If I Prayed The Way a Mockingbird Sings

9 Feb

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Author, Poet and ArtistWhat if years of praying and studying how to pray were to culminate in putting on Jesus’ light yoke and allowing Him to do most of the praying through me?

What if prayer, even intercessory prayer became no strain but praise and worship? I could pray for a lot of people that way without being responsible for solving their problems. I’m not responsible for that I know, but still I try to figure and fix. If I were a mocking bird, singing and prayer would simply well up from my innermost being.

The mocking bird can sound like many different birds. He is a baby bird begging to be fed, a chickadee, a quail. In the days when we lived in California, the mocking birds in our yard took up whining like the dog. I must say, it drove me crazy. Mocking birds express whatever sounds enter them.

If I prayed the way mocking birds sing I probably wouldn’t know what I was praying for half the time. The focus would be totally on God. How could anybody lose by that? We would participate in His life together. This reminds me of a bookmark my friend, Pam, gave me a long time ago. Though I have lost the gift, the words will remain with me forever. “Birds don’t sing because they have a melody, they sing because they have a song.” Yes, and who gives them their song?

New Living Translation

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Isaiah 26:3

 

New Living Translation
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

Roman’s 8:26

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