Hidden danger....

I'm the ultimate exercise procrastinator. I know I should participate in physical activity, I just have little desire to do so. Actually, I have ZERO desire to do so. I can think of countless things to do ahead of exercise. Like read. Or play a game. Or be bored do nothing whatsoever.

For this reason, I surprised myself on Sunday when I actually felt like taking our dog, Bessie, for a walk. Bessie is leash-aphobic, so our walks consist of trekking through our woods.

Fifteen years or so ago, my husband cleared trees to form a trail around the perimeter of our property. Its purpose was for our kids to have a safe place to drive their go-kart. For several summers, the go-kart kept the trail clear, but in the years since then, the trail is mostly moss-covered and fern lined.

Five loops around the trail is the equivalent of one mile, so that is always my goal. On Sunday, I came way short of reaching my goal. At the end of lap one, Bessie and I needed to sneak through a tight spot between our pole barn and a grouping of trees. Because I was day dreaming, I was unaware of my surroundings and my inattentiveness was an unfortunate mistake. Hidden in a decaying, hollow branch, under a carpet of moss, lived a nest of bees. As luck would have it, my foot found the exact opening to the nest.

These were not happy bees.

Dogs, when stung, do not run. They sit and attempt to chew at the afflicted area. Humans, on the other hand, attempt all means of escape. In such a tight area, my escape route was blocked not only by a butt-chewing dog, but several large, unyielding trees. I was not quick enough. Several angry bees punished me for my lack of focus. How they all managed to poke me in my neck and upper back is quite a mystery to me, but the pain was instant and severe.

"Not fair!" I want to scream! I was doing a good thing for all the right reasons, and didn't deserve this attack!

As a Christian, I know from personal experience that Satan and his minions are the same as those angry bees. They are hidden from view, often in a beautiful, safe looking spot. And when I'm distracted or lose my focus, they are ready to attack.

I Peter 5:8 warns us: "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith..."

Those nasty bees won't surprise me again.

Ditto for my life foe...my feet are planted firmly in the faith.
 

Beach bug

Today was a beach day. Yes, it was seventy one degrees. And yes, most West Michiganders thought it was much too cold for an afternoon at the beach. Just the opposite was true. Today was a fantastic day to sleep at the beach. The temperature allowed utter relaxation, and yes, sleep.

But today, the beach is not the focus of this post.

Rewind to my walk from parking lot to beach. The newly constructed boardwalk sprawls a distance and makes for a shady trek beachward. Being one easily distracted, I spotted a HUGE winged insect laying on the walkway. Huge really doesn't do him justice. He was gargantuan! Ginormous! Humongous! This dude was amazing...and DEAD. So, being fascinated by the unusual, I put down my chair and squatted for a closer look. After rolling him over to ensure deadness, I picked that sucker up. After close inspection, I decided a picture was in order. Wanting a more natural looking picture, I pulled down the sleeve of my cover up and laid him on it, then proceeded down the steps.

Much to my surprise, about two steps down, I noticed his legs stretching outward, gripping my sleeve and MOVING! This dude had done an amazing job of playing dead and now he was on my sleeve! Staying calm, I hurried down the remaining steps. Noticing I was the only person on the beach, I quickly walked over to a branch of driftwood and used it to pry him off my sleeve. Thankfully, he cooperated! And like the good bug that he was, he posed for several photos.

Unfortunately, I didn't think to get a photo of comparison until it was too late, and he had taken flight. Trust me when I say he was larger than my thumb. He was really an incredible insect, although I confess he was a bit creepy when alive.

What's the point of this post? I'm not really certain. Maybe it's just to say that God created an earth full of fascinating, amazing creatures. Big. Small. Ordinary. Extraordinary. Often times, we hurry on with our days, forgetting to look around and notice his eclectic collection of life.

Today, my Creator amazed me with an incredible sunrise, a field bursting with a palette of wildflowers, and this shiny-winged, bug-eyed monster of a bug.

Thank you, God!

Star light, star bright...

I'm a bit sleep deprived right now. In fact, I'm more than a bit drowsy. I have no one to blame but myself, and yet, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Last night I stayed up until the wee hours watching the Perseid meteor shower. From 11:30-12:30, I stretched out on a lawn chair on my deck, gazing skyward. When I came inside, I found my hubby awake and he was more than happy to join me. At that point, we reclined in our comfy chairs in our driveway and enjoyed the show in the heavenlies until about 1:45 a.m. 

When we were kids we called these happenings, "shooting stars." Part of the excitement back then was to immediately make a wish,. Supposedly, spotting these streaking stars was a surefire way to get your every wish granted!

As an adult, I still marvel at the raw beauty and mystery of a meteor shower. And last night, God seemed so close. So powerful. So mighty. So infinite.

The annual show seems to be the result of debris from the Swift-Tuttle comet that was discovered in 1862. Tiny fragments of metal and stone travel at 37 miles per second and create this spectacular show. Some think that the actual comet may date back 2,000 years or more. Think about that. Two thousand years ago puts us back to Bible times! In Jesus' day, people may have witnessed the same light show we witness today. From the same comet. How cool is that? 

So as I day dreamed, or should I say night dreamed(?) last night, I thought about God's covenant with Abraham. God's promise that Abraham's descendants would number the stars in the sky. It's recorded in Genesis 15 at verse 5.  "God said to him, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be.""

I'd like to imagine that Abraham looked up into the night sky and felt God's power and might. Maybe he even witnessed a "shooting star." Maybe, just maybe, Abraham felt like I felt last night. God was close. God was powerful. God was mighty. 

Tonight, I'm hoping to watch an encore. It's a show worth staying up for!

Easy chair

This is great deck sitting weather! With the cooler temperatures this past week, we have been able to enjoy evenings drinking coffee and relaxing on our deck. Sunday was just such a night. Since we live in what some of our friends call the "boonies," we are able to enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. No traffic. No loud neighbors. No city light pollution.

With dusk closing in and a chill in the air, we enjoyed God's handiwork. He painted the sky with tufts of clouds. The poufs where exquisite. It was as if God had taken his paintbrush and dabbed the sky with varying strokes of matte and glossy whiteness. Words cannot describe, and photos do not capture the full extent of the beauty.

See for yourself:

Amazing, huh? If the sky was singing praise to God. I am glad I was listening.

Psalm 19: 1-4 says it best:

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."

Crawling into Daddy's arms...

We enjoy worshiping at Camp Geneva during the summer. What's not to love about Lake Michigan on a warm Sunday morning? Exactly. Nothing! Camp Geneva sits above the beautiful sandy beach only a few miles drive from our home. We enjoy the variety of pastors. We enjoy the relaxed service. We enjoy the 10:00 a.m. service time.

This morning there was nothing warm about Camp Geneva. Sure it's July, but it's also July in Michigan. The fact that last week was 90 degrees with 90 percent humidity meant nothing today to Michigan's Mother Nature.

This morning it was was cold. It was rainy. Today was not a beach day.

Nonetheless, today the ARC (the Sunday worship center) was filled with worshipers. In the row in front of us sat a family with small children. As the service began, I noticed one of the girls shivering. She looked to be about seven or eight years old. She had a fuzzy jacket with her and as she attempted to drape it over her body to warm herself, her movement attracted the attention of her Dad. He immediately leaned over and whispered to her. As she nodded a silent, "yes," he scooped her up into his broad arms and snuggled her into his lap. He gently wrapped his arms around her and engulfed her small frame with his largeness.

The moment was tender and beautiful. It was simply a father's reaction of love at seeing his child's distress.

God is exactly like that father. And I am his daughter. He sees me when I am in distress and whispers words of comfort and love. If I listen to his words, I can jump straight into his arms of strength and protection. I can be wrapped in his largeness. It's then that I am safe. I am loved. You are loved. We are his beloved.

Isaiah 41:10:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Clear Skies Ahead

Monday morning, I took the highway route in to work. The weather forecast for this day included a severe weather alert. The highway runs a straight north-south line splitting East from West and on Monday, the road split the weather line as well. To the East, dark rain clouds formed in an ominous sky. To the West, scattered clouds splattered across a visibly crisp, blue sky.

Lucky for me, my exit from the highway took me in a westerly direction. As I waited for traffic to clear at the exit ramp stop, I pondered the way the morning's weather parallels life.

Some days we travel into ominous weather. Life gives us stormy times. Hardships. Death. Struggles. We are aware of the severe weather alert, but have no choice but to travel the road in its path.

Other days we travel under crisp, blue sky. Life shines happiness over our days. Love. Life. Success. We bask in the glory of the sun and good times.

It is easy to see God during the sunny days. His love is evident. But God is also present during the ominous weather. He is there. Watching. Protecting. Loving. Loving. Loving.

In the hard times, read Psalm 18:2:

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

In good times, read Psalm 95:1:

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation."

What's your weather forecast?

Birds of a feather...

I went to the beach yesterday. Nothing compares with the joy of sitting on the sands of Lake Michigan, listening to the serene sound of rippling waves lapping the shore. It is relaxing. It is restful. It is sheer peacefulness in God's creation.

The beach I visit most often is a small township beach a few minutes from my home. For the most part, it is quiet, filled mostly with small families or singles. If excitement and crowds are desired, this beach most definitely does not fit the bill.

Yesterday, on a stretch of beach to the north of me, a large contingent of sea gulls congregated. They crowded around this area of beach, numbering fifty or more. Later, they seemed to decide a line dance was in order, as they formed a straight line just at the shore's edge.

Sea gulls have a bad reputation. They are often obnoxious. They most often are heard screeching at each other when food is an object of affection. Gulls cause annoying commotion any time a beach goer feeds them, and unfortunately, they also usually deposit unwanted "droppings" upon unsuspecting sunbathers. Amazingly enough, yesterday the gulls were well behaved. The were quiet. There was no loud screeching, no boisterous fighting. They simply gathered together in shared unity.

As is often the case, these gulls reminded me of life. Or, in this instance, the church. The church, like sea gulls, often has a bad reputation. Church-going Christians are often heard criticizing. Criticizing other Christians. Criticizing worship. Arguing over theology. Fighting over Bible context. Causing an annoying commotion. It's no wonder that folks are turned off by the church. I'm as guilty as the next Christian. And for that, I'm sorry.

For the sake of the church's future, we need to change. We need to quit the bickering. We need to take a lesson from yesterday's gulls. We need to gather in shared unity. We need to form a line of solidarity. Our goal? Serving our Lord, Jesus Christ with one heart and one mind.

Romans 15:5-7:

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."