April | 2016 | Adventures with Penny

Apr

Armor of God Doodles

Categories: Doodles, Penny at Home

Mom and I have been following our church’s ladies’ Bible study group in The Armor of God study. This series is done by Priscilla Shirer who starred in the movie War Room. She has a weekly DVD presentation, and a workbook full of daily homework on the subject of the Armor of God based on the book of Ephesians, specifically chapter 6, verses 10-18.

Here is a sample from week one, page 23, complete with my highlights and doodling…

“There is an enemy. He is real. And he is intent and active, working against you day by day, moment by moment. His goal? To keep you from experiencing the results of the victory that is already yours in Christ.”

This section was meaningful to me and I’d like to share some of its ideas with my doodlings. Evidence of the enemy’s presence in your life can be seen by these or other similar destructive, defeating weeds.

Here you sit. All discouraged and defeated:

Are you not aware of the invitation that has been offered to you continuously?

Do not let darkness fill your mind and crowd out these beautiful, life-giving words!

Not only are you richly Loved, your Heavenly Father has all Power to lift your burdens, to strengthen and help you, upholding you through whatever you face, and to wipe away all tears, working all things together for good, if you will trust Him to.

He is near!

After a beautiful description of Heaven at the end of Revelation, the Bible closes with these words, He begs us to remember that the door is yet open and He wants you with Him. The Bible is FULL of invitations!

Those who will take God at His word, will receive the promised Holy Spirit within, and can march forth courageously and have Victory over the enemy they used to ignore.

“Be Strong in the Lord and in the Power of His Might!!” He is a Mighty God, who will enable you, give you wisdom, and change your weaknesses into examples of His Power.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy,

and find grace to help in time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16

“For whoever is born of God overcomes the world:

and this is the victory that overcomes the world,

even our faith. ”

I John 5:4

*****

Apr

The Bald Eagle Nearby

Categories: Nature, Our Farm, Penny at Home

Comments: 2

Penny is perched here on our front porch with her binoculars, glassing that big tree across the road.

Because it was in this very tree that we saw an eagle perching recently.

Yes, a real live eagle that lives nearby.

Here, in the pictures I took then, you see him high in that same tree, flanked by crows that were there to pester him.

By zooming in as far as I could with my camera I was able to capture him like this…

Wow, MAJESTIC!!

“of lofty dignity; stately; grand.”

Here is a video I took as he sat there on that windy day, with those crows pestering him. It is so amazing to see him alive and responsive. Just look at that beak!

———-

By reading the Sibley Guide to Birds, we learn that a bald eagle can be 31″ in length, have a wing span of 80″ (nearly 7 feet), and weigh 9.5 lbs. It can take 4-5 years to acquire adult coloring – that is the white head and yellow beak.

Not far from our house at the Wildlife Refuge there is a nesting eagle.

My parents love to take part in watching and monitoring this nest.

They took these following pictures over there.

Though in that previous picture, the nest looks almost like another weed head, it really is a huge structure far up in that tree.

This nest originally was an osprey nest, a rather loose and bulky affair, but as the eagles arrive in our area first from their winter migration, this pair claimed the nest and added their own touches to fill it out.

Adult male and female eagles look alike and take turns sitting on the eggs.

Usually two eggs are laid.

Did you see that little head poking up?

Keeping the little ones fed is a full time job as they grow.

Here is what the Refuge looks like this time of year as we watch the buds swell on the trees. Soon the green will come.

If you look over at this row of pine trees, you will see that I boxed in the location of the eagles’ own original nest.

Since the eagles have moved to larger quarters,

someone else took up residence in this vacated nest…

Now, what do you think of that? A Canada Goose!

I looked that up in The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior and found that though Canada Geese often nest on the ground, they do at times choose unusual nest sites such as old eagle or osprey nests.

My, my! Dad says that the little goslings better watch out for that first step, its bound to be a BIG one.