Tag Archives: Inspiration

Happy Anniversary!

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Out birding and caught by the newspaper

Out birding and caught by the newspaper

Today, Dan and I are celebrating our 46th anniversary. It is hard to believe that it has been that long. We are very thankful for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed on us over the years. Are we perfect, no, but we love each other and have made a commitment to “hang in there” through good times or bad, ups or downs. The Bible tells us:

And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. (Genesis 2:18 KJV)

Me Feeding The Beggars!

Me Feeding The Beggars!

We have become a good team over the years. Even now as we go birdwatching. I love to do the birdwatching and he likes to take the photos. And that is only one of the ways we blend our personalities into one “togetherness.” Most important of all, we together and individually have “togetherness” with our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Since this blog is about birdwatching, what can we learn from them about staying together. We find throughout the birding world and other critters, that many of the mates stick together for life.

But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; (Job 12:7 NKJV)

Dan at work-Tricolored and Stork

Dan at work-Tricolored and Stork

Here are some of the monogamous (mate for life)  birds that have been mentioned in our articles:
Birds of the Bible – Dove and Turtle-Dove
Osprey III
Swan
April Lorier’s:
Eagles and The Atmosphere of Grace
Ian’s Bird of the Week
White-browed Babbler

These are just a few I picked out, there are plenty more that mention mating for life.

Eagles and The Atmosphere of Grace – by April Lorier

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EagleFlySM1Today I am learning from the Eagle. This is appropriate since I have always been a bird watcher and even raised birds for several years. Eagles, in particular, have always fascinated me – especially the Bald Eagle. Did you know there are over a hundred species of eagles? But because our National Emblem has been the Bald Eagle since 1782, it has had more “face time” in the classroom. It is no longer on the endangered list since June of last year.

Every state in our Union has eagles except Hawaii, so people are constantly reporting “eagle sightings”. The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a member of the sea and fish eagle group, and once it mates, it mates for life! That’s right: no hanky panky in the bald eagle world!

Mama Eagle lays from one to three eggs and the pair share the 35 days of incubation. (No deadbeat fathers here!) The nesting cycle is about 20 weeks.

The female bald eagle is 35 to 37 inches, slightly larger than the male, and has a wingspan of 72 to 90 inches. She flies at altitudes of 10,000 feet, and during level flight, she can achieve speeds of about 30 to 35 mph. She weighs only 10-14 lbs, and her bones are light because they’re hollow. She is known for exceptional eyesight at far distances.

The most fascinating fact, I think, is that the eagle has the ability to adjust her body out of joint in order the ride the storm. Wow! What a lesson we humans can take away from that!

The eagle waits for a draft and rides it – no struggle, no wing-flapping! It’s sort of an “atmosphere of grace” similar to the Christian who “waits upon the Lord” and has less wing-flapping, less struggle. The eagle is definitely a “storm rider”!

As mothers go, the bald eagle is the best metaphor for human parenting and parenting by Father God that I can think of. Since the outside of the nest is made with sharp materials to withstand invasion from intruders, she and her mate lined the inside with fur from their prey. They made a big old feather bed!

When the time comes for those little ones to leave the nest and start fending for themselves – some where around 4 years of age — Mama Eagle starts pulling the soft material out of the nest to make it uncomfortable for them. Seems mean, but it is necessary to motivate the babies.

Then Mama Eagle starts pushing the babies towards the edge of the nest, ignoring their screams. As the babies flap their wings, they are strengthening them without knowing it. Eventually, she pushes them out of the nest, one by one. As each eaglet free-falls, screaming and squawking, Mama Eagle flies under him, spreading her massive 90-inch wingspan, and catches him before he hits ground.

Mama Eagle’s eyes are never off of her baby! She swoops up her baby and takes him back to that nest she and Daddy Eagle built out of touch from intruders. He’s safe for the time being. But tomorrow he’ll get another flight lesson from Mama Eagle. And finally, one day, he’ll figure out he can fly on his own! (Probably when there’s no more fur inside that thorn nest!)

God seems to parent me the same way. There are times when He allows this wounded child to feel safe in His feather bed. Then He knows it’s time for me to be forced out of my comfort zone. But always, His eye is on me and His protective wings are under me.

I actually felt Him lift me up on wings of eagles at my mother’s funeral after she had been killed. It was a visceral feeling, not just a spiritual one, and I floated through the day with total peace. So I know (experientially) the truth of this scripture.

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” I have an obligation to God. I am twice His. First, I am His because of creation, and secondly, I am His because of redemption through Jesus Christ. He made me and He bought me.

Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier

See:
More of April’s Articles

Birds of the Bible – Partridge II

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Red-legged Partridge

Red-legged Partridge

I made the following observation in the first Partridge article:
“The Partridge is only mentioned twice in Scripture. In Jeremiah, the fact is that other birds put their eggs in the nest of a partridge and then expect the nesting bird to do all the work, sitting, feeding, and fledging the chicks.”

I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool.” (Jer 17:10-11)

Looking into this verse further, I would like to share some more information about it.

“3. RLP(Red-legged Partridge) will lay their own nest, but will also dump odd eggs in other species nests. Where this is a pheasant, the pheasant (as found in the UK), being probably the stupidest of all birds bar none, will hatch and “rear” the young quite happily. A grey partridge, on the other hand, will abandon the nest. Terminated. And … almost certainly does not attempt to lay again that season.”, A quote from a “Bird Forum”

“Curiosities: while brooding the female is very sensitive, and, if disturbed, may abandon the nest.”, about a Rock Partridge from Parco Nazionale…

California Quail sometimes called California Partridge

California Quail sometimes called California Partridge

“In the deep woods where the California partridge nests, it is not unusual to find the eggs of that game bird in the nest of the Oregon Towhee. Mr. Cohen, of Ala- meda, records one Towhee nest four feet from the ground on a live-oak stub and containing four Towhee eggs and fifteen eggs of the partridge. Another recorded by him was on the ground, and contained three eggs of the Towhee and eighteen of the partridge. The Towhee abandoned the nest after six partridge eggs were laid, leaving the partridge to rear the brood. Inasmuch as the Towhee eggs hatch in two weeks, the young being very dark colored and naked, while the partridge eggs require three weeks and the young are lively little balls of down able to run about as soon as dry, the sacrifice of the Towhee’s brood is inevitable whenever the two are deposited in the same nest.” from Birds of California

I could give more examples, but it is obvious that the Partridges are leaving their eggs in other nests. “They are brooding but not hatching.” She is trying to raise her chicks, but not in the proper way. That is what the verse is saying, that the Lord searches the heart and tests a person’s thinking. It is then applied to making money the wrong way (crooked) and then having it disappear and then he is a “fool’ in the end.

The verses in Jeremiah 17:10-11 are in the middle of a great passage about trusting in the LORD.

(5) Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.
(6) For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.
(7) “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.
(8) For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
(9) “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
(10) I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
(11) “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool.”
(12) A glorious high throne from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary.
(13) O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the LORD, The fountain of living waters.”
(14) Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. (Jeremiah 17:5-14 NKJV)

See:
Partridge

Maturing Cockatiels and Christians – by April Lorier

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Maturing Cockatiels and Christians

Baby Cockatiels

Baby Cockatiels

There were years when I raised birds, hand-feeding them so they would grow up to be more easily trainable as pets. The fact that I was hand-feeding them meant they would be imprinted by me (a human being) instead of by the mother bird. They would bond to me, therefore, be easily trained by the human who purchased them. Imprinting is the key if birds or animals are to be sold as mature, trained birds.

I was reminiscing today about the clutches of eggs I incubated, then hand-fed after they were hatched. They looked like little aliens with almost no feathers, but soon they would grow into beautiful birds who were not afraid of humans, and it would be time to hand-train them.

Babies are born without a working immune system so they are more susceptible to getting bacterial or fungal infections from your hands, ordinary household objects and an environment that has been contaminated with disease causing organisms. And the job of feeding the formula to them is 24/7, so between the cleaning and the feeding, it’s more than a full-time job! Just making the formula (which must always be fresh) is a chore.

But there comes a time when I had to start weaning these babies from their mushy formula, throw away the syringe, and introduce them to seed/fruit mixtures. They had to switch from baby food to adult food incrementally.

Scripture teaches the same principle both through the mouth of the Apostle Paul, and of Peter. Peter said, in I Peter 2:1-3

1) Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2) Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3) now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

And then in Hebrews 5:11-14 we read:

Concerning him [Melchizedek, as a type of Christ] we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.
12) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
14) But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

So what the message of my Bible Study, and also of my cockatiels is, baby food is for babies. And if I am growing in my faith, I need to be desiring the meat of the Word. Sometimes it feels ‘safe’ to run back to the milk, but it will stunt my spiritual growth. Just think how my body would look if I had never eaten anything but milk! Who knows if I would even be alive?

Once again, Father, You have used nature to teach me Your principles. Thank you for allowing my memories to make this Bible Study come to life! I want to be a mature Christian!

(c) 2009 April Lorier

Supplied by and reprinted with permission of April Lorier.

See:

More of April’s Articles

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Merry Christmas

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Christmas of 2008 is here and those of us at Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures; Lee and Dan would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas. We are busy doing things for the special day when we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are enjoying the warmth of Florida, but are busy, none the less (but not shoveling snow!). We are off to Tampa to visit relatives tomorrow and try not to eat “too” much. We hope your Christmas Day is just as enjoyable as ours will be.

During all the festivities, pause to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. We enjoy our birdwatching adventures throughout the year, and try to write and photograph our friends the birds, but our main goal is to show God’s magnificent creation and point you to Him. We do not worship nature, but we do worship the Lord who created it all.

Please watch the video of my pastor, Nathan Osborne, III, as he gave an excellent illustration about birds out in the cold and snow. It helps to explain the true meaning of Christmas. (Part of our Christmas cantata, “From the Manger to the Cross”)

If you have any questions about this, please leave a comment, or email me at:  lee@leesbird.com

Birds in Hymns – His Eye Is On The Sparrow

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Birds in Hymns – His Eye Is On The Sparrow by Civilla D. Martin.

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Based on Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

Words: Civilla D. Martin, 1905.
Music: Charles H. Gabriel

Grasshopper Sparrow Singing (by Ray's Wildlife Photography)

Grasshopper Sparrow Singing (by Ray

“Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourneying in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel him self to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inpiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hope fullness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” The beauty of this simple expression of bound less faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn ‘His Eye Is on the Sparrow’ was the outcome of that experience.

Civilla Martin
The next day she mailed the poem to Charles Gabriel, who supplied the music. Singer Ethel Waters so loved this song that she used its name as the title for her autobiography.”

(Quotes from Cyberhymnal.org)

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Savanna Sparrow Singing (By Ray)

Savanna Sparrow Singing (By Ray)

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Photos with permission of Ray’s Wildlife Photography

See also:
His Eye Is On The Sparrow (Video by a j mithra)

Most information from The Cyber Hymnal

See ~ Wordless Birds

More ~ Birds in Hymns

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Birds of the Bible – Under His Wing

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This week’s Birds of the Bible will divert from the introduction of a specific bird to a part of the bird. We had the privilege several weeks ago to visit a “rookery,” (a place where many birds have nests and raise their young. The Wood Storks had their wings spread out to keep the sun off of their young, which is a common behavior of birds. Birds also use their wings to protect them when danger is nearby and for warmth. It reminded me of the many Scripture references and songs about the protection or shadow of the wings.
Psalms 61:3-4 (KJV), says, “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah. “
Covert as defined by the Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
–adjective
concealed; secret; disguised; covered; sheltered.

–noun
a covering;
cover; a shelter or hiding place; concealment or disguise
Also called tectrix one of the small feathers that cover the bases of the large feathers of the wings and tail.

Just a few of the Scriptures are:

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me. (Psalms 17:8-9 NKJV)
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. (Psalms 36:7 NKJV)
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” a Michtam of David When He Fled from Saul into the Cave. Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. (Psalms 57:1 NKJV)
Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. (Psalms 63:7 NKJV)
He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.(Psalms 91:3 NKJV)

The wing has been mentioned in many hymns such as:
God Will Take Care of You – ( by Civilla D. Martin, 1869-1948 )
God Will Take Care of You

Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Refrain:
God will take care of you,
Thro’ ev’ry day, O’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you

Under His Wings (by William O. Cushing, 1823-1902)
Under His wings I am safely abiding;
Tho’ the night deepens and tempests are wild.
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me;
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Refrain:
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.

Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blest.

Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;
Resting in Jesus I’m safe evermore.

Two other hymns that mention the wings are:
Praise Ye the Lord!
Praise ye the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen How thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
And,
God Be with You Till We Meet Again
God be with you till we meet again;
‘Neath His wings protecting hide you,
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we we meet again.

Most information from The Cyber Hymnal

See ~ Wordless Birds

More ~ Birds in Hymns

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