You take my breath away...

My hubby and I just returned from eight relaxing, refreshing, rejuvenating days on beautiful Hilton Head Island. An outstanding November vacation. I need to let you know that we completely veg on vacation. I mean serious vegging. Sightseeing? Doesn't happen. Tourist attractions? Don't see them. Our days are filled with beach walking, sunbathing, bike riding and being couch potatoes.

We follow a predictable routine. A typical day begins with waking around six o'clock, grabbing a cup of coffee and donning our walking shoes. We head down the short boardwalk that leads to our destination:  the miles of sandy shoreline which afford perfect sunrise viewing.

November in Hilton Head is considered winter season and few vacationers are evident. Fewer still is the number of people on the beach at sunrise. Those who are present are intentional. They know they are in for the treat of God's amazing daily display. They have cameras in hand.

A few surprise me. The die hard morning beach runner, in runner's nylon shorts. The face-pierced, stocking-capped, jeans-mid-buttocks-wearing teen boy. The pajama clad young mother with toddler in tow.

As the moment arrives, all activities stop. My husband and I cease our walk. The runner pauses his morning work out. The beatnik pulls his hand from his chained back pocket. The mother pulls her child to her chest. All are armed with cameras and we capture the shared moment. God's creation screams for our attention and we listen.

God's brushstroke painted all these masterpieces on the same morning:

Psalm 19:1-3 (NIRV):

"The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies show that his hands created them. Day after day they speak about it. Night after night they make it known. But they don't speak or use words. No sound is heard from them. At the same time, their voice goes out into the whole earth. Their words go out from one end of the world to the other."

I miss our beach walks already.

Fungus

Each fall, I have the privilege of helping my husband during his busy sprinkling winterization season. I run around with a handheld radio, acting the part of a roving commando, trudging amid misting, hissing sprinklers, all while assisting him with his larger condominium complexes. It's great fun!

Part of my job during these days includes tapping down "stuck up" sprinkler heads, changing controller zones and checking for broken heads and lines. Naturally for me, this allows for much distraction as well. I notice landscape plants, flowering bushes, lawn ornaments and mole holes.

Last week, at one such stop, I was completely sidetracked by the growth on a particular tree. The growth was huge. Gigantic. Humongous.

Cell phone in hand, I went to investigate. Here, for your viewing pleasure are the photos. Be amazed!

My inquisitive nature urged me to research tree fungus. I literally found hundreds of pictures with scientific names like Inonotus radiatus, Bjerkandera adusta and Piptoporus betulinus. Better still were the fun common names like Shaggy Scalycap, Beefsteak fungus and Turkeytail. I never did find a picture of my fungus, but I did find some interesting findings. It seems that some tree fungus can be hard to identify at first. In some cases, the fungus enters through a tree injury and settles in the roots and the lower trunk and trunk base. Eventually the tree will fall over from the burden. So sad!

The danger is in allowing the fungus to invade, infect and grow. Contacting an arborist is important for the health of infected trees. An arborist can identify, cultivate and treat tree diseases.

As with trees, people risk infection. Like trees, the initial infestation may be hard to identify. For me, the symptoms include gossip, worry, self absorption and distraction. As my focus turns inward, the fungus grows and contaminates other areas of my life. In James 3:8 we are warned about our speech. "...but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." Yikes!

Thankfully, once we identify the fungus, we can call on our arborist. He can treat, remove and transfer our fungi burden. He takes this burden. He bears it all. We are made healthy and well. All traces of the former fungi removed. All praise to God. Rejoice in the words of Psalm 68:19-20:

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death."

If you have an infestation, pick up the prayer line and give the Great Arborist a call.