Our Salute to the Veterans

Dan served 30 years in the Navy, regular and reserve. He along with the many men and women have served our country through the years. We salute you!

Today is the funeral for Dan’s mother, so I am not writing much. We saw Challenger on TV this morning and I remembered the blog I had done about him. So, I am re-posting the YouTube of the eagle in honor of our active and veteran men and women.

Amazing Flying Bald Eagle – Challenger – Article

Turn on your speakers and click on link below.”

Dan’s Mother In Glory

This afternoon Dan’s 94 year old mother went to glory. We have been with her for the last week as much as possible. Thank all of you who have been praying for her and us. We are sad, but also rejoicing because she accepted the Lord as her personal Savior several years ago. The Scriptures tell us:

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (Psalms 116:15 KJV)

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. (2 Corinthians 5:5-9 KJV)

We trust that you also know the Lord as your personal Savior.

John 3:15-21 KJV
(15)  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(16)  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.
(17)  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
(18)  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
(19)  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
(20)  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
(21)  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Thank you, in advance, for your prayers as we go through the next few days and the funeral.

*

The Cat and the Crow

Just received an email from a friend today with this YouTube Video. Thought I would share it. It is really amazing.

From ozricus

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. … They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9 KJV)

Interesting Things – Similar Features Show Design

Gilbert Sturart's Portrait of George Washington©WikiC

Gilbert Sturart's Portrait of George Washington©WikiC

Chimpanzee at Lowry Park Zoo by Lee

Chimpanzee at Lowry Park Zoo

Similar Features Show Design, Not Universal Common Descent by Randy J. Guliuzza, P.E., M.D. is a very interesting article from the October issue of the Acts and Facts from Institute for Creation Research.

“I’m related to George Washington,” an acquaintance announced after searching his genealogical record. He also believes he is closely related to chimpanzees. Though he doesn’t really look like either, all three do share a lot of similar features.

So, are similar looks or features enough to establish whether these three are related closely, remotely, or not at all in regard to their ancestry? No. Similar looks and features can be very deceiving. A true relationship is actually a fact-based connection. A line of connected birth certificates is factual evidence that can be verified. Just comparing similar features—or even DNA—to determine related ancestry is always an inference with a probability of being right ranging from high to zero.

For the rest of the article – Click Here. It is a very good article.

*

Those Ugly Shirts

I don’t know if you were glued to your TV when the miners in Chile were taken up from their 69 day entrapment, but I was. I prayed for them that nothing would go wrong as they brought each one up and for them personally to know the Lord.

Today I received an email with a YouTube about the shirts that many were wearing. I too was curious as to what they said. Here is a great video that tells about those “ugly shirts.”

Video by iranmojdeh.

Wordless Birds

Today’s Birds of the Bible

Updated at 8:10 pm

They are all finished. Hope you enjoy reading them.

********

Today, instead of doing my regular Birds of the Bible article, I am going to try to finish the Scripture Alphabet of Animals series. I have all the birds finished and am working hard to finish the rest of the animals today. All throughout the day, new articles will be posted as they are completed. I will be updating the index to the article (below) as I finish each one.

I trust you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have as the articles are being “modernized.” Harriet N Cook was a very good writer and trust she would have approved of the way that they are being handled here.

Lee

Others May, You Cannot – G. D. Watson

The following challenge was on the inside cover of this month’s “Acts & Facts” from the Institute for Creation Research. It is worth sharing and is a challenge for me that I would like to live up to, with the Lord’s help. As Christians, we should strive to live for the Lord. This article was an inspiration for Dr. Henry Morris and has been for others. George Douglas Watson lived from 1845-1924 and the following is in public domain.

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25)

“If God has called you to be truly like Jesus in all your spirit, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility. He will put on you such demands of obedience that you will not be allowed to follow other Christians. In many ways, He seems to let other good people do things which He will not let you do.

Others who seem to be very religious and useful may push themselves, pull wires, and scheme to carry out their plans, but you cannot. If you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others can brag about themselves, their work, their successes, their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing. If you begin to do so, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

G. D. Watson (1845-1924)

Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may supply you only on a day-to-day basis, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, a helpless dependence on Him and His unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward while keeping you hidden in obscurity because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.

God may let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. Then, to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done; this to teach you the message of the Cross, humility, and something of the value of being cloaked with His nature.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, and with a jealous love rebuke you for careless words and feelings, or for wasting your time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.

So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign and has a right to do as He pleases with His own, and that He may not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.

God will take you at your word. If you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love and let other people say and do many things that you cannot. Settle it forever; you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit, He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue or chaining your hand or closing your eyes in ways which others are not dealt with. However, know this great secret of the Kingdom: When you are so completely possessed with the Living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven, the high calling of God.”

Quote taken from Christian Articles – G.D.Watson page

*

Interesting Things – Loving Poison Dart Frog

Poison Dart Frog - (Epipedobates tricolor)close ©Wiki

Poison Dart Frog - (Epipedobates tricolor)close ©Wiki

The Loving Poison Dart Frog – from Creation Moments

We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

SmileyCentral.comThe Choco Indians of Panama and Colombia use the poison from the skin of the beautiful poison dart frog to make their lethal darts. The bright orange and deep blue skin of this frog serves to warn predators that it is best left alone and its poisonous skin untouched.

Poison Dart Frog - (Epipedobates tricolor)close ©Wiki

Poison Dart Frog - (Epipedobates tricolor)close ©Wiki

Although it is deadly, the poison dart frog is one of the most loving parents in the entire amphibian world. The female will lay about a dozen eggs in the leaf litter within her mate’s territory. Both parents will stand watch over the eggs, keeping them moist, until the tadpoles emerge. Then the female allows each tadpole, one at a time, to wriggle onto her back. She takes each tadpole, in its turn, to its own miniature pond created by water trapped in the fronds of jungle plants. The mother poison dart frog remembers where each one of her tadpoles is and returns on a regular schedule to lay infertile eggs for the growing youngster to eat.

I would prefer to think that the care of the adult poison dart frogs for their children grows out of a sense of love for their off-spring, and we know that God is the author of all love. But even if this care is programmed instinct, we must still find the “programmer” – and that takes us back to the Creator once again. Such wisdom cannot be said to come from nowhere.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, the source of all love and wisdom, grant wisdom to Your people so that they may effectively witness to those around them who are being misled to believe that love is merely instinct and that wisdom can come from nowhere. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Notes:
Brownlee, Shannon, 1985, Discover, May, p. 55. ©Creation Moments 2010


Poison Dart Frog - Dendrobatid Frog-Peru ©WikiC

Poison Dart Frog - Dendrobatid Frog-Peru ©WikiC

From Wikipedia:
“Most species of poison dart frogs are small, sometimes less than 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) in adult length, although a few are up to 6 centimetres (2.4 in) in length. They weigh about 2 grams, depending on the size of the frog. Most poison dart frogs are brightly colored, displaying aposematic patterns to warn potential predators. Their bright coloration is associated with their toxicity and levels of alkaloids. Frogs like the ones of Dendrobates species have high levels of alkaloids, whereas the Colostethus species are cryptically colored and are non-toxic.[5] Unlike most other frogs, they are diurnal, rather than being primarily nocturnal or crepuscular.[6] When born and raised in captivity, poison frogs do not produce the skin toxins which they retain in their native habitat.[7]

They lay their eggs in moist places, including on leaves, in plants, among exposed roots, and elsewhere, and allow the tadpoles to wriggle onto their backs shortly after they hatch. They then carry the piggy-backed tadpoles to water, where the larva remain until metamorphosis. The water is typically a pool, but some species use the water gathered in bromeliads or other plants; and some species provide food, supplying the tadpoles with unfertilized eggs to eat.[6]

Many species of poison dart frog are dedicated parents. The red-and-blue poison-arrow frog (Dendrobates pumilio) carry their newly hatched tadpoles into the canopy. The tadpoles stick to the mucus on the back of their parents. Once in the upper reaches of the rainforest trees the parents deposit their young in the pools of water that accumulate in epiphytic plants such as bromeliads. The tadpoles feed on invertebrates in their arboreal nursery and their mother will even supplement their diet by depositing eggs into the water. Other poison frogs lay their eggs on the forest floor, hidden beneath the leaf litter.”
*

Interesting Things – Most Interesting Sounds Never Heard

Northern Lights - ©WikiC

Northern Lights - ©WikiC

The Most Interesting Sounds You’ve Never Heard – from Creation Moments

The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. (Psalm 77:17)

Northern Lights ©WikiC

Northern Lights ©WikiC

We are surrounded by sounds, some of which can be louder than an airliner taking off. Yet, we never hear these sounds. It’s called infrasound. It’s real sound that can be recorded if you have the right equipment.

Infrasound waves are below 20 hertz, the lowest frequency we can hear. Because the sound waves are long, they can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles. Volcanic eruptions regularly generate infrasound and so does the wind. But, perhaps most interestingly, those beautiful Northern Lights that often color the night sky also generate infrasound. The sound is produced when the incoming solar particles push the air outward. While we are not able to hear infrasound, it does influence us. Researchers in England placed an infrasound generator in a concert hall and, during the performance, infrasound was added at selected points. After the concert, the audience was asked about their emotions during certain passages of music, or if they had had experienced any strange feelings during the concert. Researchers concluded that infrasound intensified whatever emotional state the music had produced in people. So, if you have ever watched the Northern Lights and thought you were almost hearing something, it was likely the infrasound you were sensing.

Northern Lights at Fort McMurray©WikiC

Northern Lights at Fort McMurray©WikiC

The more we learn about the creation God has given us, the more we find to marvel at how excellent is His workmanship.

Prayer:
Father, You have been so generous to us, not only in the creation You have given us, but also in Your love in Christ.

Notes:
Science News, 1/10: 2004, pp. 26-28, Kate Ramsayer, “Infrasonic Symphony.”

*

Interesting Things – Ron DiCianni’s Painting of the Resurrection

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (Luke 24:46 KJV)

Resurrection Painting

Resurrection Painting

The following link tells about a great painting that is being done by Ron DiCianni about the Ressurection. I know it is not bird related, but I have had several emails about it and decided to share it here. It is worth watching the video.

The mural will be 12 feet by 40 feet wide. It is to be placed in the Museum of Biblical Arts in Dallas.

Ron DiCianni: Painting the Resurrection.

*

Interesting Things – “Darwin’s Finches” – No Proof of Evolution

SmileyCentral.com

“Darwin’s Finches” – No Proof of Evolution

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

Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis) by ©Wiki

Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis) by ©Wiki

During his visit to the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin saw that each island was populated by a little finch. These birds were all very similar; yet, from one island to another there were some differences in the size and shape of the beak. Darwin reasonably concluded that in the distant past a pair of these birds had been blown 600 miles from the mainland and had since multiplied and spread. The environment on each island was slightly different, and the birds had developed specialized beaks to exploit the different food sources. It seemed to Darwin that here was a unique example of evolution in action where 13 different species had arisen from just one mating pair. A species is defined by the ability to reproduce; thus, a sterility barrier separates one species from another. Textbooks use Darwin’s finches to claim that new species have been produced, demonstrating evolution in action. However, the facts are that at least six of these different birds are known to interbreed and thus by definition are not new species at all but simply varieties within a single species. Moreover, DNA studies reveal very little difference between any of these birds, and there is no evidence of new genetic material, which is essential if evolution actually took place. Darwin’s finches offer no support for evolution. However, they do support the Bible when it teaches that, like every other creature, the birds have simply reproduced “after their own kind.” God has so designed His Creation that while it is possible for creatures to adapt perfectly to individual environments, there is still stability of the basic “kind.”

Prayer:
Dear Father, I thank You for Your Word that tells me of salvation. Amen.
Notes:
Creation Matters, (CRS), pp. 5-6, “Quiz.”
Copyright (C) 2010 Creation Moments, Inc


“Darwins Finches” are part of the Tanagers and Allies-Thraupidae Family in the Passeriformes Order.

See also:

Galapagos: Showcase for Creation

*

Interesting Things – Birds With a Memory to Envy

Birds With a Memory to Envy

Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat. (Job 38:41)

Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) ©USFWS

Clark's Nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana) ©USFWS

The shy bird, called Clark’s nutcracker, collects food during the growing season and stores it for the cold winter months. In one year, a bird will store between 22,000 and 33,000 seeds in as many as 2,500 locations, which can be more than ten miles apart. But does the little bird remember where he put all those seeds?

Biologists tracked the activity of Clark’s nutcrackers in the San Francisco Peaks in northern Arizona. A small army of researchers tracked the birds’ seed gathering and storing activities. One of the first things they discovered was that the birds quickly figured out that they were being observed. Some refused to store food when researchers were watching them. Others faked storing seeds when they were watched. Back in the lab, researchers studied the storing activity of Eurasian nutcrackers. After the birds stored seeds in a large sand floor, the birds were removed. Then the seeds they stored were dug up. When the birds were allowed to return, they quickly discovered that their seeds had been stolen, so they refused to store any more seeds. In the end, researchers concluded that the nutcrackers recover as many as two-thirds of their stored seeds within 13 months.

The remarkable memory of these little birds is their gift from God that enables them to be fed all year around.

Prayer: Father, I thank You because You are gracious and generous, not just to the birds, but also to me. Amen.

From Creation Moments©2010 – References: Science News, 2/14: 2004, pp. 103-105, Susan Milius, “Where’d I Put That?”


The Clarke’s and Eurasian Nutcrackers are part of the Corvidae Family of Crows, Jays, and Allies. The Passeriformes Order they are in has at present 123 Families (IOC 2.4).

Wordless Birds

*