Baby Debut

The teeny beaks of baby bluejays were spotted last night as daddy bluejay came to feed them. With the wind and rain, it was a very brief debut!

Daddy & Momma Robin

Our second pair of nesters . . . under our deck, where they had a nest last year and successfully raised babies.

Daddy Robin sitting near by . . .

Momma Robin . . . you have to look close to see her. She doesn't let me get very close before she flys off. Her head is to the left side of the nest . . . see her white throat? Double click on the picture for a full screen picture of her.

The Secret Life & Power of Seeds

I have heard that the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds. However, the only mustard seeds I’ve seen are the ones I cook with; I don't think they are that small. Maybe the ones I cook with are the fruit, not the seed??? Hmmmm . . . will have to look that up.

This I do know, lettuce and rutabaga seed are soooo teeny. I planted both in my new veggie garden on Monday and by Friday, 4 days later . . . little green plants appeared, along with a bazillion maple seeds!

Radish seedlings . .

Rutabaga seedlings . . .

Even after gardening all these many years, seeing a seed I plant come up out of the ground and grow and produce fruit never ceases to amaze me and remind me of God! I was like a little child in a toy shop Friday when I saw my new little veggie plants. The life and power inside a dry seed is an amazing miracle! The life and power of the Word and Holy Spirit inside a believer is an even greater and more amazing miracle!

As I was enjoying the beginning fruit of the labor of my hands (and back!), God reminded me of this verse.

“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:19-21

It’s really not even about the size of the seed. It’s about the planting . . . the “saying” to this mountain . . . speaking God’s word to the circumstances in our lives. Circumstances, the natural realm, are temporal . . . subject to change! God's word/promises contain life and power.

Faith which remains only in thought form is dead. Faith without works is dead. Faith is an action. Speaking is an action . . . sometimes I would even call speaking work.

Mountains/circumstances are moved first in the spiritual realm, like the dry seed is first put into the dirt. As I speak God’s word by faith and water it with prayer, praise and thanksgiving . . . life pushes up through the hard circumstance, busting up and out of the dirt, reaching for the SONlight!

“God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”
Numbers 23:19

If God said mountains can be moved, then they can be moved! As we plant the seed, He will carry it through!

Shelter in the Storm

Wow, that was quite a storm that blew through Lincoln around 3 pm yesterday!!! As the wind hurled small debris against the south side of the house and twisted the trees, I looked out my kitchen window to check on mama blue jay.

There she was, hunkered down deep into her nest, swaying with the wind, protecting her soon to be offspring under her wings . . . and these verses of Psalm 91 came to mind . . .


Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.

For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.

He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.

His faithful promises are your armor and protection.


Amen and Amen ! ! !

Nesters, 2 Pair Actually!

Bluejay Nesting Update:

The nest was completed about a week ago, and mama bluejay has been sitting on it most of the time since . . . unless, of course, a squirrel scampers along the top of the fence . . . then off she goes to swoop the squirrel!

It's becoming a challenge to get pictures of mama bluejay. First, because during the strong wind late last week, a cluster of maple seeds blew through the crabapple tree and got caught at "mama bluejay face level!" Second, even though the window exterior is reflective, she somehow manages to know when I am about to take her picture and flys off the nest! Sometimes, she sits on the nest staring at the window, at me! Maybe I should have gotten her to sign the photo release form?!? :-)

Second Set of Nesters . . . Robins!

A pair of robins have returned to their spot under our deck, where they nested last year and raised their babies!

Daddy robin sitting near by!


I noticed some feathers on the ground near the robin nest and said to Ken, "Look, their plucking feathers to line their nest." His reply, "The feathers (probably a morning dove) are from Sir Oliver's (our 15 pound cat) morning snack!" :-(

Patiently awaiting baby bluejays and baby robins!