Author Archives: Lee

Birds in Hymns – Be Strong in the Lord

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Bald Eagle flying by Dave's BirdingPix

Bald Eagle flying by Dave’s BirdingPix

Text: Be Strong in the Lord
Author: Linda Lee Johnson
Tune: FETTKE
Composer: Tom Fettke

Be strong in the Lord

Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage;
Your mighty Defender is always the same.
Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending;
Vict’ry is sure when you call on His name.

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And be of good courage, for He is your guide.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And be of good courage, for He is your guide.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And rejoice for the vict’ry is yours.

So put on the armour the Lord has provided;
And place your defense in His unfailing care.
Trust Him, for He will be with you in battle,
Lighting your path to avoid every snare.

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And be of good courage, for He is your guide.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And be of good courage, for He is your guide.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And rejoice for the vict’ry is yours.

Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage;
Your mighty commander will vanquish the foe.
Fear not the battle, for the victory is always His;
He will protect you wherever you go.

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And be of good courage, for He is your guide.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And be of good courage, for He is your guide.
Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord;
And rejoice for the vict’ry is yours.

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More Birds in Hymns

Good News Tracts

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Lemmings Fuel Biggest Snowy-owl Migration in 50 years – Re-post

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Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) Female in Florida 2013-2014 ©©minds-eye

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) Female in Florida 2013-2014 ©©minds-eye

the little owl, the fisher owl, and the screech owl; the white owl, the jackdaw, and the carrion vulture; (Leviticus 11:17-18 NKJV)

Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26 NKJV)

Here is a very interesting article about the Snowy Owls being spotted so much this winter. It is from the Focusing On Wildlife blog.

For the lowly Arctic lemming, life is cruel. In a flash before death, often the last things a lemming sees are the deadly talons of a majestic . A mass sacrifice of this rodent with stubby legs probably gave rise to what scientists are calling the largest snowy-owl irruption in at least half a century. The gleaming white birds poured out of Canada this winter to points throughout the eastern US, captivating birdwatchers, scientists and people who had never seen them up close.

For the rest of the article – CLICK HERE

Wordless Birds

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Birds Helping Birds by Creation Moments

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White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) ©WikiC

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) ©WikiC

Birds Helping Birds ~ by Creation Moments

“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” (Luke 10:33-34)

Altruism – helping one another – is a real puzzle to those who explain the world of living things in terms of materialistic evolution. Evolution is supposed to work on the selfish survival-of-the-fittest principle, so there should be no reason for any creature, including man, to develop a helping attitude. In fact, there is no way to explain how the genetic code could possibly develop and pass on a trait such as altruism.

Birds helping birds Researchers have studied a bird called the white-fronted African bee-eater. Members of this species help each other, sometimes even at the sacrifice of their own life. For example, one bird will face a spitting cobra to defend another, and scientists have been puzzled to know how this altruistic trait can possibly be passed on, when it often results in death. Another common altruistic habit of the African bee-eater is that one female will put off starting her own family to help another bee-eater raise her young. Some argue that such behavior is limited to birds that are related. But they admit that even adopted orphaned bee-eaters will help their adopted parents in this way.

While it is often denied, the theory of evolution has yet to adequately explain altruism. Altruism is a demonstration of that commandment given by our Creator to “love our neighbor.”

Prayer:
Dear God, I ask that You would help me so that I would not adopt the selfish and cold behavior of so many in today’s world. Let my life be an example that draws others to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

©Creation Moments

Notes:
Kathy A. Fackelmann, “Avian Altruism,” Science News, Vol.135, June 10, 1989, pp. 364-365. Photo: Courtesy of Luc Viatour. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation 1.2 License.

Lee’s Addition:

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Bob-Nan

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Bob-Nan

The Bee-eaters are members of the Meropidae Family. There are 27 different species of bee-eaters. What an amazing display of the Lord’s Creation. They are a lovely family to look at.

Most species are found in Africa and Asia but others occur in southern Europe, Australia, and New Guinea. They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar. There are 26 different species of bee-eaters.

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White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Ian

White-fronted Bee-eater (Merops bullockoides) by Ian

Meropidae Family

Articles Mentioning Birds From This Family:

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Story of Jonah ~ by Mary Margaret

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A friend sent me this link to a young girl telling the story of Jonah. It is amazing and she is doing all from memory. She looks as time as if she is reading, but she isn’t.

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Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah 1:1-3 KJV)

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Sunday Inspiration – Woodpeckers

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Pileated Woodpecker by Lee at Circle B

Pileated Woodpecker by Lee at Circle B

All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; And in its shadow all great nations made their home. (Ezekiel 31:6 NKJV)

The trees of the LORD are full of sap, The cedars of Lebanon which He planted, Where the birds make their nests; The stork has her home in the fir trees. (Psalms 104:16-17 NKJV)

Woodpeckers and their kind belong to the Picidae – Woodpeckers Family. There are 234 species including not only Woodpeckers, but also Wrynecks, Piculets, Flickers, Sapsuckers and Flamebacks. Again, these birds show amazing characteristics given them by their Creator. Check out some of the articles about them below.

Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions. Most species live in forests or woodland habitats, although a few species are known to live in treeless areas, such as rocky hillsides and deserts.

The Lord Jesus not only loves all the birds He made, but best of all, He loves us.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)

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“Jesus Loves Me” by Bonnie Standifer

This piece was written and played by Bonnie Standifer at our Orchestra Concert in March of 2013 at Faith Baptist Church. You have never heard it played this way before. Bonnie is a very gifted arranger and pianist. She is also married to the orchestra conductor.

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Picidae – Woodpeckers Family

Sharing The Gospel

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Articles Mentioning Birds From This Family:

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More Sunday Inspiration

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Interesting Things – Not So Bird-Brained

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Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Sleeping by Lee at Circle B

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) Sleeping by Lee

NOT SO BIRD-BRAINED ~ by Creation Moments

So God created . . . every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21)

How do you take a much-needed nap or get a good night’s sleep when you must be alert to danger? Human beings designate people to stay awake and watch for danger when they sleep. Then, they set up warning systems.

SmileyCentral.com

Since birds are much more vulnerable to danger, God gave them the ability to do these things on a simple scale, and then He gave them one more amazing gift. Many birds are able to put half of their brain to sleep, while the other half stays awake and alert. The eye that serves the sleeping half even closes, while the eye that serves the waking half of the brain stays alert, searching for danger. After the first sleeping half is nicely rested, it wakes up, and the other half goes to sleep. Of course, these birds can also put both sides of the brain to sleep at the same time, just as we do. Whales, seals and dolphins are among the non-birds that can half-brain sleep as well.

Evidence of the clever design of this half-brain sleep ability can be seen in the fact that where two birds sleep next to each other, each bird will put the half of the brain that faces its partner to sleep. Once that half is rested, they change places, so the other half of their brain can sleep.

When Scripture tells us that God looked at His creation and declared it “good,” God’s standard for good is perfection. His ingenious design, which would allow birds to protect themselves even when sin and death entered the creation, is part of the goodness of God’s creation.

Prayer:
I thank You, Lord, that You made a creation perfect and so beautiful that even in could not completely destroy it. Amen.

Notes:
S. Milius, Half-asleep birds choose which half dozes, Science News, February 6, 1999, v.155, p.86

©Creation Moments

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Largest Creature on Earth ~ from Creation Moments

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Skeleton of a blue whale

And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:21)

Many people think that the greatest of the dinosaurs were the largest creatures ever to live on Earth. But while a few of the very largest dinosaurs may have been longer than the blue whale, the blue whale has the largest actual body size of any creature that ever lived.

The blue whale can reach a length of 100 feet and weigh up to 170 tons. That’s about as much as a whole town of twenty-seven hundred people! It has to eat a million calories a day, which is equivalent to about 1,000 banana splits. The blue whale’s tongue weighs more than an elephant and its arteries are big enough for a man to swim through. Its heart, which has to pump the whale’s entire supply of eight tons of blood, weighs 1,000 pounds.

In addition to its great size, the whale is intelligent. Besides showing forth God’s great creative power and imagination, the whale also shows us that neither size nor other standards of human measurement give us an indication of how God places value on things. Though we human beings are not the largest, nor the only intelligent creatures on Earth, we are the only ones responsible to God for the way we live. That is why, when sin separated us from our Creator, He sent His only Son to save and restore us to Himself.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me not to measure things in a worldly manner. Instead of focusing on the creation, including myself, let my focus be on You and what You have done for me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Notes:

“So You Think a Dinosaur is Big.” Does God Exist? May-June, 1989. Photo: Skeleton of a blue whale, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario. Courtesy of D. Gordon E. Robertson. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

©Creation Moments 2014

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More Plus Articles

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Don’t sit around the house. Get out and enjoy nature!

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This is from an e-mail and thought all of us birdwatchers and photographers might enjoy it.

Don’t sit around the house.

Get out and enjoy nature!

Don't sit around the house 1Don't sit around the house 2Don't sit around the house 3Don't sit around the house 4Don't sit around the house 6Don't sit around the house 7Don't sit around the house 8Don't sit around the house 9Don't sit around the house 10Don't sit around the house 11Don't sit around the house 12Don't sit around the house 13Don't sit around the house 14Don't sit around the house 15*

Never mind, go back inside.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (Philippians 4:6 NKJV)

Sunday Inspiration – Turacos

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Violet Turaco (Musophaga violacea) by Lee at LPZ

Violet Turaco (Musophaga violacea) by Lee at LPZ

 

Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” (Genesis 1:20 NKJV)

The Turacos belong to the Musophagidae – Turacos Family which includes 17 Turacos, 3 Go-away-birds and 2 Plantain-eaters.

The Turacos make up the bird family Musophagidae (literally “banana-eaters”), which includes plantain-eaters and go-away-birds. In southern Africa both turacos and go-away-birds are commonly known as louries. They are semi-zygodactylous – the fourth (outer) toe can be switched back and forth. The second and third toes, which always point forward, are conjoined in some species. Musophagids often have prominent crests and long tails; the turacos are noted for peculiar and unique pigments giving them their bright green and red feathers.

The plumage of Go-away-birds and plantain-eaters is mainly grey and white. The turacos on the other hand are brightly coloured birds, usually blue, green or purple.

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“Redeemed Medley” – by Faith Baptist Choir – 2-9-2014

See:

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More Sunday Inspiration

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Happy Valentine’s Day 2014

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8. Bleeding Heart Pigeons

Bleeding Heart Pigeons

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31 KJV)

Trust you are having a very Happy Valentine’s Day.

(p.s. Still struggling with computer.)

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Having Computer Problems and Bad Weather

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Brevard Zoo 120913 by Lee

Red-crested Turaco (Tauraco erythrolophus) Brevard Zoo by Lee

Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalms 107:28-31 KJV)

Having problems with computer and under sever weather alert. Will get a real article up soon.

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Sunday Inspiration – Stone Birds

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Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) by Ian

Bush Stone-curlew (Burhinus grallarius) by Ian

And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. (Revelation 21:19-20 KJV)

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? (Matthew 21:42 KJV)

And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. (Mark 16:4 KJV)

Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus) by Nikhil Devasar

Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus) by Nikhil Devasar

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, (Luke 22:41 KJV)

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:28-30 KJV)

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Revelation 2:17 KJV)

Limestone Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus calciatilis) ©WikiC

Limestone Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus calciatilis) ©WikiC

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (Revelation 4:3 KJV)

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. (Isaiah 28:16 KJV)

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3:10-13 KJV)

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Jesus Rolled Back The Stone from the Hyssongs’ “Expecting Miracles” Album

(Music and photos are used by permission. If copied, you must obtain permission also.)

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