Peas and Mr. Peacock (but not together)

Jim heated up peas this evening, as part of our supper. But Kajsa requested her peas to remain frozen and not be heated up. So Jim obliged. He set hers aside, and she ate most of her peas frozen. She tossed a few peas into her soup, just for the novelty of it, I think.. but the biggest novelty was her new creation: frozen peas on a cracker. Strange, but true.

And, in other news… he’s back!! Mr. Peacock, that is. As I write this, he is roosting in one of our backyard trees. We’ve heard his cawing noises off and on for the past couple of weeks. But today we heard him a lot. The cawing got louder and louder and we realized he was in our backyard again. So how does one respond to Mr. Peacock visiting again? Grab your camera, naturally.

Happy roosting, Mr. Peacock…just don’t wake us up in the early morning with your cawing!

Lent 38: all flocks and herds

Psalm 8. A fairly well Psalm, I think. 

As I was walking in our yard last week, and photographed the miniature horses through the fence, I thought about Psalm 8. Particularly verses 6 & 7.

Lent 37: the Emu nests.

(Thursday, March 21st post) The emu nests again. A few years ago ago I did some research and learned that either the male or female emu will incubate the eggs, so we’re not sure which emu this is. Whichever it is, s/he has been very protective and faithful, even chasing away the other emu. The sacrifices this emu is making are impressive also–in the past couple of weeks we’ve had all sorts of weather including snow, sleet, and rain. And, sadly, three years ago when the older emus were nesting, the mother made the ultimate sacrifice–death. She was killed by a wild animal (fox or coyote, we were told) while protecting the eggs. Neither she nor the eggs made it.

Last week as I took this photo, I was thinking about God’s faithfulness and loyalty to us humans. The animal kingdom never ceases to amaze me. But what amazes me even more is our great, creative God who made it all.

That, and the ultimate sacrifice of God’s Son, Jesus, for each one of us as well.

(Note: if you are local, and you decide to check this emu out, please please please don’t approach the fence right by the emu. We have been asked to be very cautious, and only approach from an angle… keep the dog away, and not get too close…. We’re all hoping for better success this year with the emu eggs, and want to do whatever we can to enable that.)

Lent 20/21: Longing

What do you long for in this Lenten season?

Kajsa and Wilbur

Click here to see an adorable photo of Kajsa and Wilbur, a very soft bunny who is looking for a home. Pawsibilities, an animal shelter close to where we live, is having a Spring 2011 fundraiser for the rest of this month. Don’t feel any pressure. But if you want, vote for Kajsa’s photo–or someone else’s photo–and make a donation to Pawsibilities.

The shelter has many many animals up for adoption, and they’re doing good work over there. If you live in the Harleysville area, and were just thinking to yourself, “Hey, I’d like to adopt a cat… or a bunny…” then stop by Pawsibilities!

Thanks!

Day 40: you’re taking me where?

youre taking me where?

Donkeys are supposedly stubborn. At least that’s the stereotype. So I wonder how much resistance the two disciples met with, when they untied the donkey/colt from wherever it was tied up, and took it to Jesus. I don’t know that I’ve ever been responsible for leading a donkey anywhere…. I can’t think of a time. But obviously the donkey ended up going on the journey, carrying Jesus into Jerusalem. So, stubborn or not, the donkey played a key role in what we call “Palm Sunday”.

I’d love to know (a) what that donkey was thinking as it was being led to Jesus, and (b) what it had to say after the day was over. And, maybe (c) if Jesus and the disciples talked to the donkey at all. or rubbed its nose… or fed it anything.. or scratched its ears…

Day 34: donkey and a king

donkey and a king

I am not kidding when I tell you that yesterday (Monday, Day 34) as I read through Matthew 21:1-11, I thought to myself, “So, I need a picture of a donkey. Where am I going to find a donkey?” I wasn’t thinking of a donkey picture for Day 34… more like the end of the week. But, as I walked into the church where Jim and other Christ Covenanters were playing volleyball last night, there was this car with this image on the back.

I’m not sure what the image is supposed to mean. Obviously, something to do with a woman I presume is Mary, an animal that I’m hoping is a donkey and not a horse (hoping so that it fits better with this Sunday’s text), and the cross. A bit odd… not the normal three images we think of together. But for me, it is a reminder that the events in Jesus’ ministry over the past several weeks, and the one of this coming Sunday–these all lead to the cross. And, ultimately, the empty tomb. But for now, the cross.

In the Matthew 21 passage, Jesus sends the disciples to find a donkey and colt, untie them, and bring them back to Jesus. Why? To fulfill Old Testament prophecies about the coming King. Jesus.

The crowd at the original “Palm Sunday” has my sympathy: throwing their palms down, in celebration of the coming king… hoping against all hope that he would finally be the one to overthrow the Romans… and then they would realize, before long, that he was not who they hoped him to be. Their dreams might be dashed.

Jesus isn’t always who I hope he will be for me, either. I’m a little more realistic than to expect him to answer all my prayers all the time in the ways I want.. I realize that’s not practical. But I wouldn’t mind a little more help in some areas. Help as I define it, of course. Yet the Jesus of reality, the Jesus of my faith, the Jesus who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey in the midst of “hosannas”… would die on a cross. For me. And for you. And sometimes that’s a little hard to fathom.

August days

Abby loves her sticks!

the "minture" horses --some of our animal neighbors

a bit scary, but also a fun picture...

Kajsa on rollerskates... Abby sees her stick

Abby tries to get Kajsa's stick

Abby tries even harder to get Kajsa's stick

Mommy distracts Abby.. Kajsa keeps the stick

strike a pose…

"my fun dancing outfit"

I helped her get dressed today, choosing the leggings to match the top–sort of. But Kajsa insisted on wearing her dancing skirt. As the day progressed, the whole outfit became known as  “my fun dancing outfit”.  Then when we went to the 4-H Fair later on, I tried to convince her that she might be hot, but she wanted to wear the same outfit–I managed to get leave the scarf behind, though, concerned that my daughter might end up in a pool of sweat… Because, by the time we left for the 4-H Fair, she was sweating from dancing around inside.

the adorable cow and kid

The 4-H Fair, in Creamery (Skippack) was a blast. How could it not be, with all the animals and with a giant “Clifford the Big Red Dog” inflatable bouncing thing, and with the people we ran into. The cows were adorable, clearly.

And, finally, this last photo is Kajsa after

Spelling in the driveway

spelling “Daddy” and “Mommy” in the driveway. Jim took the photo, after she had asked how to spell all these names. Last week she spelled her first word : DeeDee… and then her second: JoJo. Her interest in spelling has taken off, now, so it’s fun to be a part of this learning season in her life.

Caught up… and couldn’t resist

couldn’t resist

Originally uploaded by cathyse97.

“Couldn’t Resist”… that’s the name of this photo. I couldn’t resist taking it, and I couldn’t resist blogging it for today. Back to Isaiah, again, Isaiah 43:20… “The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert”. Ok, so it’s not an ostrich, it’s an emu. But emus are also big birds, like the ostrich. This is one of the two emus that lives behind us. I love watching them, photographing them… and I can’t help thinking, when I see these funny creatures, that God has a sense of humor. And creativity. To imagine these creatures “honoring” God is a bit strange… but I wonder what that would look like, and if they are right now, and we just don’t know what that looks like?
I don’t know. But I couldn’t resist…