this and that...

Reading for the week:
Jan7  Gen 22-24
Jan 8 Gen 24-26
Jan 9 Gen 27-29
Jan 10 Gen  30-31
Jan 11 Gen 32-34
Jan 12 Gen 35-37
Jan 13 Gen 35-37
Jan 14 Gen 38-40

It has been an interesting week.  I have been grieving the loss of our quail - such a small thing, but I really miss them, They had such a sweet comforting sort of chuckle to themselves as they industriously scratched for leftover birdseed.  And they are so gorgeous to look at.  It is hunting season and I wonder if someone trapped our group of 12- 15 that have come regularly every day for the past 7 years.  It breaks my heart to think that some coyote got them.  None of their babies lived from last year's clutch; I grieved for them then, as the babies disappeared, one at a time, day by day.  It used to brighten my day to hear them outside and watch them scratching around.

I think of Jonah, and how the vine grew up to give him shade, and he was grieved when the heat killed it.  I know people are so much more important - and I do pray for the folks whose illnesses or problems I know about - but the heart still wants what it wants.  So I'm praying the Lord will send us more quail - even one or two.

Meanwhile, He has sent us hummingbirds, my other favorite bird.  Winters are relatively mild here, snow once every 5 years or so, and the hummers stay around.  We have two black chinned hummers, one male, one female, and a female of unknown origin.  The goldfinches are back for the winter, plus our other finches - we're right at the dividing line for red house finches and yellow house finches - so they mate and we also get orange ones, too! It makes for welcome color at the feeders during winter.

I've been thanking God for the light load He has given me - so many friends are suffering truly, with the loss of loved ones, accidents, cancers and arthritis problems.  I'm so blessed to have a warm house and enough income for taxes so I don't have to fear loss of my home.  The only thing that lies very heavy on my heart is my one remaining brother's continued resistance to God.  He is so often on my heart - how the evil one convinces people that if they refuse to believe it, it won't happen!  Hell is eternal. It is final.  It is certain if you refuse God's invitation to eternal life.  You can disbelieve all you want - it won't change a thing. It scares me to think of losing him forever.

Reading Genesis makes me mad all over again about folks who say Eve added stuff to God's instructions about not eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  If you look carefully at the text, she wasn't around when God gave out instructions.  Adam was.  So HE is most likely the one who "added" not to touch it - and he had just the whiny personality to do it. (" the woman  YOU GAVE ME handed me the fruit so I ate it.")  I don't think she is making excuses either - she just tells it like it was - the devil tricked me and I ate it.  Straight forward.  Whereas the Word tells us that Adam knew that he was sinning when he did it - in essence, he chose not being separated from Eve over God. And I notice the word "curse" is not used in relation to Eve - her pain was increased in childbirth, but the earth wasn't cursed because of her - just because of Adam.

Ok, off my soapbox.

I think the Word is so fascinating - even tho I read thru it each year, I'm always noticing something new each time I go through it - and to think it is also encoded to connect individuals and their birth dates and death dates and so much more, it boggles the mind.  Our God is truly an Awesome God - and every day brings us closer to seeing Him face-to-face.  Even so, come Lord Jesus!