We just finished attending our Christmas Eve service at our church, Faith Baptist Church. Thought maybe you would enjoy watching it.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:8-14 KJV)
“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” (Matthew 28:6 NKJV)
Like many of you, we watched our Easter Services via YouTube, or you may have watched by however your church chose to keep your members encouraged through watching/meeting for this Easter. This “Social Distancing,” is keeping us from our normal services, handshakes, and hugs from our friends. I miss my many friends.
Our pastor had a great message for today, and thought I would share it with you. Faith Baptist Church of Winter Haven has a YouTube site with all the services and additions we are not able to attend in person. I am thankful for these and want to share two of them here. This first one is the Easter Service today with our pastor.
This next one is the “Pastor Jerry’s Musings” He is one of our associate pastors. Enjoy!
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) with youngsters by Raymond Barlow
I would like to share a very interesting post from, “Read the Best Books First,” called, The Teachable Moment. Hannah Hancock is a member of our church and writes a blog. But this article, The Teachable Moment is very well worth reading. She, and her husband, Cody, are in the process of adopting some children. What people may say, is what makes this article so relevant to all of us.
“The Teachable Moment
My husband and I are adopting. I don’t talk about it much here on the blog because that’s not what this particular blog is about. I enjoy reading other adoption blogs, and I’ve found a lot of helpful information by reading them and been encouraged by them too, but that’s just not what I’m about in this space.
But today, I’m “seizing the teachable moment” as some would say because I’m not very good at doing it in the actual moment.
A few weeks ago, a very sweet lady approached my husband and me to ask how the adoption was going or if we’d had any news and what the process was going to look like. This has become pretty standard fare, and most of the time, I think I’m used to it. And despite the fact that I’ve had people asking me why we don’t just have”… continue reading The Teachable Moment
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:1-4 KJV)
I would like to share with you our Christmas Cantata presented on December 13, 2015 at Faith Baptist Church in Winter Haven, Florida. They all did fantastic and thought you would enjoy it also.
It was entitled, “Lord of Glory” Christmas Cantata
May the Lord bless you as you share Christmas with family and friends. Dan and I would both like to wish you a great Christmas day full of blessings from the Lord.
Clamorous Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus) by Nikhil
“Can the papyrus grow up without a marsh? Can the reeds flourish without water? (Job 8:11 NKJV)
This week we introduce you to just one family, the Acrocephalidae Family of Reed Warblers, Marsh- and Tree-warblers, and Acrocephalid warblers. The Lord has created this family of birds to blend in rather well with their surroundings. Another act of love and concern from the Creator.
The species in this family are usually rather large “warblers”. Most are rather plain olivaceous brown above with much yellow to beige below. They are usually found in open woodland, reedbeds or tall grass. The family occurs mostly in southern to western Eurasia and surroundings, but also ranging far into Pacific, with some species in Africa.
Nesillas – Brush Warblers; found in Comoros and Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and subtropical or tropical moist shrubland.
Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) by Robert Scanlon
Acrocephalus warblers are small, insectivorous passerine birds. Formerly in the Old World warbler assemblage, they are now separated as the namesake of the marsh and tree warbler family Acrocephalidae. They are sometimes called marsh warblers or reed warblers. These are rather drab brownish warblers usually associated with marshes or other wetlands. Some are streaked, others plain. Many species are migratory. Many species have a flat head profile, which gives rise to the group’s scientific name;
(Calamonastides gracilirostris) Papyrus Yellow Warbler is a species of tree warbler; formerly placed in the “Old World warblers”. It is monotypic in its genus. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss. Compared with the dull browns and greys typical of swamp-dwelling warblers, this warbler is brightly coloured. It shows an underbelly of rich yellow and olive-brown upper parts. Its song consists of melodious liquid warbling:
Hippolais is a genus of tree warbler in the Acrocephalidae family. It is sometimes lumped together with the genus Iduna.
(Info from Wikipedia with editing)
Acrocephalidae – Reed Warblers and allies:
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? (Matthew 11:7 NKJV)
“When I Survey The Wondrous Cross” ~ by Miss Anna Pletcher (12 years old at Faith Baptist) on piano
I love the last verse of this hymn:
Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Read that sentence again. It is very short. But, It is a sentence filled with intense emotion and pain. I hope you never forget where you were on September 11th, 2001. I was in chapel at Bob Jones University when an announcement was made informing us all of what was happening. I still remember seeing a girl clutching her cell phone and crying. It was as if she was desperately trying to reach someone just so that she could hear their voice.
It has been 14 years since our country was attacked. Today we must pause and remember what happened on 9/11. There are certain events in the history of America that every American must remember. 9/11 is one of those events. Countless events have long been forgotten. 9/11 must never be forgotten. Today, I want to give you four reasons why we must remember 9/11.
The truth must not be re-written. On 9/11, our country was attacked. Islamic extremists murdered thousands of people. These attackers were not Christian. They were not Catholic. They were not Mormon. They were not Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were not atheists. They were Muslim. They believed they were obeying Allah by murdering thousands of people. They believed their actions were a holy act of worship. We must remember 9/11 so that the truth is not changed. It is possible that others will attempt to re-write the story of 9/11. They may twist or alter the truth. We must remember so that the truth will survive.
The truth must be re-told. The only reason I know about the attack on Pearl Harbor is because someone told me. I was not there. I was not alive in 1941. But, I have been taught. I have seen the pictures. I have read the stories. We must remember 9/11 so that we can tell the generations to come. My children need to learn about 9/11. They need to hear the stories. They need to see pictures and watch the videos. It is important for future generations to know what happened on 9/11.
We must honor those who died. Nearly 3,000 people died on 9/11. Most were civilians – just like me. Many were firefighters, policemen, and other emergency responders who were trying to help. If we forget, we will fail to honor them. We must remember that thousands of men, women, and children were murdered. Their lives matter. Every life matters. We must honor their memory by remembering what happened.
Our turn may come. Remembering 9/11 will help us prepare for the future. You may find yourself on a hijacked airplane one day. If that’s me, I hope I will have the courage (like the men on Flight 93) to stand up to the hijackers. Perhaps one day, the terrorist attack will come to your neighborhood. If so, I hope you will jump into action to help the injured and the hurting. Thousands of Americans responded on 9/11 and on the days immediately following. They disregarded their own personal safety to run to the aid of others. There may come a day when it is our turn. When that day comes, we must remember 9/11. We must respond. We must help.
Today is 9/11. Always remember. Never forget.
Stephen
Lee’s Addition:
“Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you: (Deuteronomy 32:7 NKJV)
And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. (Matthew 8:20 KJV)
We have another mixture of birds from our Creator found in several families, but most are Leaf Warblers from Phylloscopidae family. There are 77 in that family, but the families before them, taxonomically, have just a few species in them.
Streaked Scrub Warbler – Scotocercidae has only one bird – the Streaked Scrub Warbler (Scotocerca inquieta). It is found in Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan,and Yemen. (Wikipedia)
Yellow Flycatchers – Erythrocercidae has 3 members; Little Yellow Flycatcher (Erythrocercus holochlorus), Chestnut-capped Flycatcher (Erythrocercus mccallii) and the Livingstone’s Flycatcher (Erythrocercus livingstonei). All three of these creations are found in Africa.
This next group of birds are assigned to an Incertae Sedis family. That simply means they don’t which family to assign to them. They are the Grauer’s Warbler (Graueria vittata), Green Hylia (Hylia prasina) and Tit Hylia (Pholidornis rushiae). They get moved in and out of families, but the IOC Version 5.3 has them unassigned. They are all in Africa and are “basically” Old World Warblers.
Black-throated Bushtit (Aegithalos concinnus) by Nikhil Devasar
The Aegithalidae – Bushtits family has 13 members and are a family of small, drab passerine birds with moderately long tails. The family contains three genera, all but one of which are found in Eurasia. Bushtits are active birds, moving almost constantly while they forage for insects in shrubs and trees. During non-breeding season, birds live in flocks of up to 50 individuals. Several bushtit species display cooperative breeding behavior, also called helpers at the nest.
And our last family of avian wonders from the Lord is the Phylloscopidae – Leaf warblers and allies Family. This family of 77 species contains various Warblers and Chiffchaff. They were formerly included in the Old World warbler family but are now considered to belong to the Phylloscopidae, a family created in 2006. The genus is closely related to Seicercus and some species have been moved between the two genera in recent classification attempts. Leaf warblers are active, constantly moving, often flicking their wings as they glean the foliage for insects along the branches of trees and bushes. They forage at various levels within forests, from the top canopy to the understorey. Most of the species are markedly territorial both in their summer and winter quarters.
Most are greenish or brownish above and off-white or yellowish below. Compared to some other “warblers”, their songs are very simple.
Well, that’s our group of birds for this week. Trust you will enjoy seeing them as you listen to the music below. You have two options this week. You can listen or you can watch the Kid’s Choir as they sing. Figured little warblers needed young people singing as you view them.
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 19:14 KJV)
*
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
*
Beautiful Savior (Fairest Lord Jesus) ~ by Kid’s Choir Faith Baptist
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16 NKJV)
I trust you are enjoying this Sunday Inspiration series of the Lord’s Creation of the PASSERIFORMES – Passerines (Songbirds) Order. This week’s collection of little Passerines are from three families. Of the 130 families in the Order, we have arrived at numbers 76, 77, and 78. By now, you have see over half the Songbird species in the world. Of the 40 Orders of Birds, the Passerines are the largest.
Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. (Acts 9:18 NKJV)
Pnoepygidae – Cupwing [8.2 Version just changed these to Cupwings] has only five species and are endemic to southern and south eastern Asia. The genus contains four species. The genus has long been placed in the babbler family Timaliidae. A 2009 study of the DNA of the families Timaliidae and the Old World warblers (Sylviidae) found no support for the placement of the genus in either family, prompting the authors to erect a new monogeneric family, the Pnoepygidae.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. (1 Chronicles 16:9 KJV)
Macrosphenidae – Crombecs, African Warblers family has eighteen (18) members in its family. The African warblers are a newly erected family, Macrosphenidae, of songbirds. Most of the species were formerly placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae, although one species, the Rockrunner, was placed in the babbler family Timaliidae. A series of molecular studies of the Old World warblers and other bird families in the superfamily Sylvioidea (which includes the larks, swallows and tits) found that the African warblers were not part of the family Sylviidae but were instead an early offshoot (basal) to the entire Sylvioidea clade.
Cettiidae is a newly validated family of small insectivorous songbirds (“warblers”) It contains the typical bush warblers (Cettia) and their relatives. As common name, cettiid warblers is usually used.
Its members occur mainly in Asia and Africa, ranging into Wallacea and Europe. The monarch warblers (Erythrocercus), Tit Hylia Pholidornis and Green Hylia (Hylia) are exclusively found in the forests of Africa. The pseudo-tailorbirds, tesias and stubtails, as well as Tickellia and Abroscopus warblers are mostly found in the forests of south and southeastern Asia, with one species reaching as far north as Japan and Siberia. The genus Cettia has the widest distribution of the family, reaching from Western Europe across Asia to the Pacific islands of Fiji and Palau. Most of the species in the genus are sedentary, but the Asian Stubtail is wholly migratory and the Japanese Bush Warbler and Cetti’s Warbler are partly migratory over much of their range. A few species, such as the Pale-footed Bush Warbler, are altitudinal migrants.
The species are small, stubby birds. Most have moderately long to long tails, while the stubtails and tesias have tiny tails that do not even emerge past their tail retrices. The group is typically clad in dull plumage, often with a line above the eye. Some, like the monarch-warblers (Erythrocercus), are much different in appearance, having areas of bright yellow plumage. (Wikipedia)
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Listen as you watch the birds:
“Bow The Knee” ~ Sheila Vegter and Jacob (her son who is playing the piano and singing)
Waxwings are characterised by soft silky plumage. (Bombycilla, the genus name, is Vieillot’s attempt at Latin for “silktail”, translating the German name Seidenschwänze.) They have unique red tips to some of the wing feathers where the shafts extend beyond the barbs; in the Bohemian and cedar waxwings, these tips look like sealing wax, and give the group its common name
Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher (Ptilogonys caudatus) by Michael Woodruff
The silky-flycatchers are a small family, They were formerly lumped with waxwings and hypocolius in the family Bombycillidae, The family is named for their silky plumage and their aerial flycatching techniques, although they are unrelated to the Old World flycatchers (Muscicapidae) and the tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae).
They occur mainly in Central America from Panama to Mexico. They are related to waxwings, and like that group have soft silky plumage, usually gray or pale yellow in color. All species, with the exception of the black-and-yellow phainoptila, have small crests.
Grey Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus) by Nikhil Devasar
The Grey Hypocolius or simply Hypocolius (Hypocolius ampelinus) is a small passerine bird species. It is the sole member of the genus Hypocolius and it is placed in a family of its own, the Hypocoliidae. This slender and long tailed bird is found in the dry semi-desert region of northern Africa, Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and western India. They fly in flocks and forage mainly on fruits, migrating south in winter.
The Palmchat (Dulus dominicus) is a small, long-tailed passerine bird, the only species in the genus Dulus and the family Dulidae. It is thought to be related to the waxwings, family Bombycillidae, and is sometimes classified with that group. The name reflects its strong association with palms for feeding, roosting and nesting. The Palmchat is the national bird of the Dominican Republic.
Kauai Oo (Moho braccatus) WikiC
Mohoidae is a family of Hawaiian species of recently extinct, nectarivorous songbirds in the genera Moho (ʻŌʻōs) and Chaetoptila (Kioea). These now extinct birds form their own family, representing the only complete extinction of an entire avian family in modern times, when the disputed family Turnagridae is disregarded for being invalid.
The Hylocitrea (Hylocitrea bonensis), also known as the yellow-flanked whistler or olive-flanked whistler, is a species of bird that is endemic to montane forests on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Has traditionally been considered a member of the family Pachycephalidae, but recent genetic evidence suggests it should be placed in a monotypic subfamily of the family Bombycillidae, or even its own family, Hylocitreidae.
Stenostiridae, or the fairy flycatchers, are a family of small passerine birds proposed as a result of recent discoveries in molecular systematics. They are commonly referred to as stenostirid warblers. This new clade is named after the fairy flycatcher, a distinct species placed formerly in the Old World flycatchers. This is united with the “sylvioid flycatchers”: the genus Elminia (formerly placed in the Monarchinae) and the closely allied former Old World flycatcher genus Culicicapa, as well as one species formerly believed to be an aberrant fantail.
Nicator is a genus of songbird endemic to Africa. The genus contains three medium sized passerine birds. The name of the genus is derived from nikator, Greek for conqueror. Within the genus, the western and eastern nicators are considered to form a superspecies and are sometimes treated as the same species. The nicators occupy a wide range of forest and woodland habitats.
Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus biarmicus) by Peter Ericsson male
The bearded reedling (Panurus biarmicus) is a small, reed-bed passerine bird. It is frequently known as the bearded tit, due to some similarities to the long-tailed tit, or the bearded parrotbill. The bearded reedling was placed with the parrotbills in the family Paradoxornithidae, after they were removed from the true tits in the family Paridae. However, according to more recent research, it is actually a unique songbird – no other living species seems to be particularly closely related to it. Thus, it seems that the monotypic family Panuridae must again be recognized. The bearded reedling is a species of temperate Europe and Asia.
(All data from Wikipedia)
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39 KJV)
Listen to Megan Fee (Violin) and Jill Foster (Piano) as they play and watch the Lord’s beautiful avian creations.
“Oh The Deep, Deep, Love of Jesus” ~ Megan and Jill during communion.
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 41:16 KJV)
This week’s Inspiration comes from the Rhipiduridae – Fantails Family. You can see by Ian Montgomery’s photo above where their name came from. This family of birds has 50 species. All but three are Fantails. The other three are the Willie Wagtail, Silktail, and the Pygmy Drongo.
Fantails are small insectivorous birds of Australasia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent belonging to the genus Rhipidura in the family Rhipiduridae. Most of the species are about 15 to 18 cm long, specialist aerial feeders, and named as “fantails”, but the Australian willie wagtail, is a little larger, and though still an expert hunter of insects on the wing, concentrates equally on terrestrial prey.
Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) on Wallaby by Ian
The willie (or willy) wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) is a passerine bird native to Australia, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Eastern Indonesia. It is a common and familiar bird throughout much of its range, living in most habitats apart from thick forest. Measuring 19–21.5 cm (71⁄2–81⁄2 in) in length, the willie wagtail is contrastingly coloured with almost entirely black upperparts and white underparts; the male and female have similar plumage.
The silktail (Lamprolia victoriae) is a species of bird endemic to Fiji. It is the only member of the genus Lamprolia. This beautiful bird looks superficially like a diminutive bird of paradise but it is actually closely related to the fantails.
The pygmy drongo or Papuan drongo (Chaetorhynchus papuensis) is a species of bird endemic to the island of New Guinea. It is the only species in the genus Chaetorhynchus. The species was long placed within the drongo family Dicruridae, but it differs from others in that family in having twelve rectrices instead of ten. Molecular analysis also supports moving the species out from the drongo family, instead placing it as a sister species to the Silktail of Fiji, and both those species in the fantail family Rhipiduridae. Some authorities reference the bird as the pygmy drongo-fantail. (Information from Wikipedia)
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
For which cause I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2 Timothy 1:6 LITV)
This is an excerpt from a Sacred Music Evening celebrating Pastor Jerry Smith’s 31 years of Music Ministry at Faith Baptist Church on 1/11/2015 (Sunday). This was at the end of an hour and a half of his favorite songs.
Pastor Jerry sings “Five Rows Back”, “Amazing Grace” and then the final Choir and Orchestra play “The Power of the Cross.”
Please listen to the words from him and the songs.
This will be posted with other articles used as links at the end of articles. Those are intended to help readers realize that:
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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17 KJV)
“I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. (Isaiah 43:11 KJV)
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11 KJV)
“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14 KJV)
Trust you will enjoy an excerpt from this year’s Christmas Program at Faith Baptist. A video seems more appropriate than just an audio.
*
Laughing Kookabura at Lowry Park Zoo by Lee 12-26-14
To think Our Creator, the Creator of all the world and especially the birds we enjoy so much, humbled Himself to come to earth to do the Father’s will. Our Savior!
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3 KJV)
Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus 