A good name

Pro 22:1  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. 

The local newspaper had a picture and a write up of a woman who turned 100. I recognized her as one of the women we see at one of our rest home services. I had no idea about her past, but the article spoke her name and that she had been a photographer. I knew this name and although I did not personally know her, I had seen her work and it was beautiful. As I was beginning business she was still working and her work inspired me.  Her wedding pictures were lovely. Sunday afternoon I saw her at our rest home service. I spoke her name and showed her the  picture that I had saved with the article in the newspaper. When I was asked to share something, I told everyone about how this lady was a wonderful photographer and that she had inspired me as I was beginning a photography business. I knew her name and I knew her work. We are often known more from our works, our fruit, than we are known by name. Let us have good fruit to be remembered by, to bless others, even if our name is not known. The Lord keeps a record of names and spiritual fruit. Pleasing him is most important. How are we known by others?

 

Luk 6:43  For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Luk 6:44  For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.
Luk 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

1Pe 2:12  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

 

Eaglewings Ministries 

A little water

A little water causes the moss to grow on a piece of firewood. The moss lays dormant, but when moisture comes, the pencil lead sized moss springs to life as a mighty forest in miniature. We need the water of God's word, much like this moss. We lay dormant spiritually, not reaching our potential and fulfilling the purpose God has for us until he brings us life. Jesus is the life giver, the Word of God, come to bring us abundant life, now, and forever by believing in his name and making him our Lord. Like the dry moss we thirst for his presence and his written and spoken word to give us new life. Jesus is our valentine of love from the Father. He is our Spiritual Bridegroom, our spirit thirsts for his presence, as we look for the day of his coming.

Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 
Rev 22:13  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 
Rev 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

A time for rest

The tree is planted near the water waiting for new life in the spring. We too must be planted near the water of the word. There is a time for rest and a time for growth. The water keeps the tree alive as the water of God's word keeps us alive in the Spirit. It is a time of rest for the winter tree. We also need our times of rest, rooted in God's word.

Friday night the clothes dryer motor went out.  After a great deal of searching for a replacement, I can say that a new dryer will be delivered on Monday. The old dryer performed well for ten years with no problems. Some of us push ourselves to do things of ministry and sometimes we are like that dryer or tree, exhausted, no leaves needing rest before our heart's motor says ... no more.  Life requires purpose and also times of rest. A friend likes to remind me that Saturday is the Sabbath day of rest and yet we need rest every day. Most Christians say Sunday is our day for meeting together and yet even Sunday is a day of ministry work. We need our rest. I need rest. We must have our times of rest. We rest in Jesus and he makes us alive again.

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

? Just a Little Talk With Jesus [Live] - YouTube

Saving lemons

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 

Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

The leaves on our lemon tree were weighed down with snow. The nights were below freezing so it seemed like a good idea to pick some lemons.

Lemons are rich in vitamin C. A lack of vitamin C can cause a disease called "scurvy," a disease characterized by spongy and bleeding gums, bleeding under the skin, and extreme weakness.

There are a lot of oils and flavor in the lemon peel. I like to use a peeler to remove the skin from a whole lemon without too much of the bitter white pulp. These peels can be candied and used in recipes that call for lemon zest or lemon oil. Place the peels in a pan, cover with water and boil for 5 minutes. remove the peels from the pan and set aside, dump the water and add a 1 to 1 mixture of water and sugar, 2 cups water and 2 cups of sugar, in that ratio. Bring the sugar water to a boil,  add the peels, boil until translucent. remove the peels from the pan and spread them on waxed paper and sprinkle with sugar. The dried peel may be frozen or kept in the refrigerator. The sugar water can be saved for a sweetener in tea or coffee, with a lemon flavor.

 I cut the lemon in four sections and squeeze them in a strainer into a bowl.

 The juice can be frozen in ice trays then repackaged in another plastic container to keep it from evaporating. One ice cube is about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Now I have the best parts of the lemons for lemonade, cookies, or other lemon recipes. This is a healthy fruit to have available.

Evening light

Photography for me began as a quest to understand the world around me. Now as a more mature man I still use photography to express what I see and it is still a wonderful quest. The creation is still a wonder to me, but I no longer wonder what life is all about. Life is about Jesus and life is to glorify God. I walked in the park tonight after sundown. It was cold and the walk was brisk and refreshing. It is amazing to me what can be seen in a short walk.

The Mallards quacked and hurriedly swam towards me. Oops I forgot to bring bread, again.

John 6:35  And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 

In the still of the second pond, distant trees are reflected and tall grass is silhouetted against the dim light. So quiet and so reflective in the spirit as I watched. God lives.

Psa 92:7  When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: 
Psa 92:8  But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore. 
Psa 92:9  For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered. 
Psa 92:10  But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. 
Psa 92:11  Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. 
Psa 92:12  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 
Psa 92:13  Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 
Psa 92:14  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 
Psa 92:15  To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

The dim light muted the bright yellow leaves. The shadows gave witness to the cool light after sundown.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 
Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 
Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 
Isa 60:4  Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 

The giant oaks behind the pool hug in the last glow of light.

Gen 35:6  So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 
Gen 35:7  And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother. 
Gen 35:8  But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth (oak of weeping). 
Gen 35:9  And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. 
Gen 35:10  And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 

What is this picture taken from the car on the way home? It is civilization, a person's idea of the Christmas season.  Hmmm? What is Christmas about? I see Santa, reindeers, toys, bright lights, candy canes; Frosty the snowman too. A childs view of Christmas. Where is Jesus? God bless this home and may God be close in this season for all to enjoy. You and I are to tell the rest of the story.

Isa 52:7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 

Isa 52:8  Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion. 

Isa 52:9  Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 

Isa 52:10  The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. 

Pecan

Our Redwood tree blew down in 2002. Since then six new trees have taken it's place and they are over 100 feet high. Beside the Redwood is the Pecan tree. It has grown taller in competition with the Redwood. In the plant world sunlight is important. A plant or a tree may grow bigger than normal in search of the light from the sun.

We humans sometimes compete with each other. If we see something in another person we like, often we will compete to try to outshine them. Sometimes people will tear down another person, to make themselves look bigger or better. God wants us to grow in the light of His Son. We are not to tear down or compete, but each is to grow in His light to our full stature and maturity.

When the original Redwood fell the Pecan that was shorter, now looked very big by itself. A man of God is to stand tall in God's word encouraging those around them to reach their perfection.

Eph 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

The Pecan tree is very tall and it is hard to see if it has any nuts on it, but when they fall from a squirrels hands or a bird's peck they come down to be collected. Is our fruit hard to see?

John 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 

Sometimes the pecans are few, but every one is a treasure.

John 17:24  Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 

Windy woods

Wind and rain today and soft cloud light. 

Some trees same to have a spirit about them.

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 

The word for spirit is pneuma, meaning wind. 

Some winds are destructive bringing down limbs.

1Ki 19:11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 

1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 

These oak balls were broken like eggs when the limb broke off. Oak balls are caused by the larva of the gall wasp; somewhat like a grain of sand in an oyster producing a pearl in defense, the oak tree makes the oak ball as a defense. The Indians ground them up and used them to treat wounds. They are high in tannic acid. They also were used  to tan leather.

Act 10:30  And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 

Act 10:31  And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 

Act 10:32  Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 

Now where did this scraggly steer wander in from?

Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 

This tree could make a tapestry design.

Pro 7:16  I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. 

A bit of manipulation and a Chinese tree appears. 

A cross represents the Chinese Christians from the light of the son. Rainy days make for creative thoughts?

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Tree

A tree is a lovely thing to enjoy and to benefit a people. I see a tree also as a symbol of a nation's highest leader. A good tree is a blessing to a nation and a bad tree brings 

trouble to the people.

Ecc 9:16  Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
Ecc 9:17  The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 

A people may flourish under the branches of a good tree.

A green tree is prosperous and a protection. It is

a native tree giving life to those around it. A nation planted

by God and who fear God, is a blessed nation.

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 

Another tall skinny tree is at the end of the street. I often do not notice it for it is out of place where it is planted and I do not know who planted it. Some say it belongs

 but it definitely is not a native tree.

Ecc 9:18  Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Jdg 9:8  The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them...

Something strange began to happen, the other trees began

to bow to this foreign tree.

Jdg 2:12  And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 

A sinister spirit was in the land and trees began

to lose their bark.

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 

Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 

Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 

Once mighty oaks, like cities, began to die.

John 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

Healthy trees that once thrived, were falling.

John 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

Is this the path we wish to go? Sometimes I see things

that trouble me. The Bible explains  what is wrong

and seeing illustrations from nature help us to see.

By seeing we can do something with God's help.

Ecc 12:12  And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 

Ecc 12:14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 

The Mighty has fallen

A mighty oak at the park has fallen. Some say it is because being on the lawn it received too much water. It was also very old. In 2002 our tall redwood fell and shortly after this my father-in-law Arthur died. He was a mighty fine man, a WW2 Seabee and a very gifted man with his hands and a humble man.

2Sa 1:17  And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son: 

2Sa 1:19  The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 

The Chinese Sumach, or Tree of Heaven, with the many green leaves are invasive. They grow fast and crowd out other native plants.The root bark of this plant is a natural antibiotic used around the world to treat malaria and kill parasitic worms. It is an important herb in traditional Chinese medicine. What we call a nuisance is a blessing to others.

Rev 22:1  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 

Rev 22:2  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

Look but don't touch. This oak tree has poison oak vines on it. They are already beginning to show their Fall colors.

Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 

Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 

These are Blue Elderberries. They are used to make wine or jam. They also have medicinal properties. 

Rev 4:10  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

Rev 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. 

Blackberries are still ripe along the trails. They make a sweet snack. It is hard to beat the flavor of a Blackberry pie.

Pro 30:8  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 

Pro 30:9  Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.