The Nail

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Have you ever stopped to think about where we would be if we did not have some simple inventions — like the wheel? What a different place we would have if somebody hadn’t figured out how to successfully put a wheel on an axle. Right?

But what about thenail? 

Woodworkers would be stuck with tongue and groove or dovetail joints. The construction of our homes and offices wouldn’t be possible without the nail — or it’s cousin, the screw. 

So when did the nail first appear? 

Way back in something like 2500 BC. They were beaten with a hammer, or wrought, from square iron strips. 

Later they were made from metal sheets. 

Then they were fashioned from wire. 

Hand made nail (top) Cut nail (middle) Wire nail (bottom)
The History of Nailmaking

Can you imagine hammering out nothing but nails every day? Makes me glad we came up with machines to do it for us. 

What other inventions do you think are particularly monumental? Tomorrow we will look at another one. 

Psalm 121

Monday, July 30, 2018

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; 

From where shall my help come? 

My help comes from the LORD, 

Who made heaven and earth. 

He will not allow your foot to slip; 

He who keeps you will not slumber. 

Behold, He who keeps Israel 

Will neither slumber nor sleep. 

The LORD is your keeper; 

The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

The sun will not smite you by day, 

Nor the moon by night. 

The LORD will protect you from all evil; 

He will keep your soul. 

The LORD will guard your going out 

and your coming in 

From this time forth and forever.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:1-8‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Marvelous words to start your week. May you be keenly aware of God’s provision in your life. He loves you very much. Don’t forget it!

destination360.com

July 29, 2018 - Memory Verse

Focus this week on the

CHRISTIAN LIFE

No one can serve two masters.

Either you will hate the one 

and love the other,

or you will be devoted to the one 

and despise the other.

You cannot serve both 

God and money.

Luke 16:13

Ningún siervo puede 

servir a dos señores,

porque o aborrecerá a uno 

y amará al otro, 

o se apegará a uno 

y despreciará al otro. 

No pueden servir 

a Dios y a las riquezas. 

‭‭Lucas‬ ‭16:13‬ ‭NBLH‬‬

No one can serve God and something else at the same time. 

• God

           OR

• money
• power
• physical fitness 
• family 
• church
• work
• sports
• nature
• education

Have a wonderful week! 

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Slow-Poke

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Journal Entry for August 2012
by Maggie

When I was a little pup, my mom used to tell me stories about all kinds of fanciful critters. I was never quite sure if they were real or a figment of her imagination. 

One of her stories was about a shellback and a jumper who raced each other across the countryside. The jumper must have had ADD because he kept getting distracted during the race. But the little pokey shellback diligently kept plodding along -- eye on the prize. And, well, you can probably guess how the race turned out. The shellback won!

Well, I have a story of my own about a real, live little girl I call "Slow-Poke." She is a shellback like in my mom's story. And my Alpha and the Girl came home with her one day. (I never know what to expect from those two!) When "Slow-Poke" arrived, she looked about like this — maybe a little bigger. 

tortoisetown.com 

My Alpha and the Girl made a home for her in our big room. It had water and plants and some little swimmers (turns out they were food for the shellback). 

Sometimes they would get Slow-Poke out and let her crawl around. Her little shell would peel every once in awhile and my Alpha seemed to draw great pleasure out of assisting her with this process. She also took care to make Slow-Poke's house bigger as she outgrew the old one. Pretty soon she was just too big for anything we had inside.

So my Alpha spent the better part of two days digging a water hole in the back and filling it up with rocks and plants and bigger swimmers. And Slow-Poke moved outside. 

She loved her new home. She got to eat mosquitoes and crickets and spiders. She loved listening to the sounds of all the critters out there. And she grew even bigger.

In the heat of the summer, Slow-Poke and my Buddy and I often lounged together at her water's edge under the big trees. She asked me often about the water she could smell down the hill from the house. Buddy and I told her all that we knew. Whenever we took our smoothskins for walks, we would pass by the water. It was bigger than 20 houses, I bet. Whenever we got close to it, big ribbeters would leap into it, making water splash everywhere. There were big tall plants growing out of it and shady spots where plants grew beside and over it. Slow-Poke loved to hear about the water.

Then one day it happened. I should have seen it coming. Slow-Poke ran away from home. I heard my Alpha say that she couldn't locate her. I had already sniffed the water hole and knew that she wasn't there. I had a sneaky feeling she had gone off to seek her fortune. 

She was gone for a very long time. It got cold. They put the tree up inside the house. They took the tree down. It snowed. It got warm. It got cold again. Again the tree went up and then came down. Again it got warm. What had happened to the little shellback?

One day last week, my Alpha came running into the house from the front yard calling for the Girl. Together we went out and I could hardly believe my eyes. There coming across the grass was Slow-Poke. Really. It was her. I bigger version to be sure. But it was her. My Alpha picked her up -- only this time it took two paws to hold her. We were all very excited.


my.chicagobotanic.org 

Slow-Poke stayed for about a day. Then, as mysteriously as she had done before, she disappeared into the wild. 

I used to wonder about her. What if a mouser got a hold of her? But now I know that she is a force to be reckoned with. She is not the hunted but the hunter. She is on equal ground with many of the other critters in her world. And she is running her race with great stamina. 

See you at the finish line, little girl.

The Shoebill

Friday, July 27, 2018

The shoebill, sometimes called the whalehead (or "monster-bird" in my book), might look like a funky crane but it is most closely related to the pelican.

someinterestingfacts.net

It has the largest solid beak of any bird known to man. (The pelican has a remarkable beak in its own right but a large portion of it is soft tissue.) 

ranker.com

This critter looks a bit like a cartoon character with its huge bill, little feathers sticking up on the back of its head, and innocent-looking eyes.

Shoebill — Heckle or Jeckle — Kevin from “Up”

But don't let him fool you. This is one freaky feathered fiend.

Shoebills are solitary birds, only getting together to reproduce. To assure that they don't have any sibling rivalry throughout their 35 years of life, the first of the two chicks in the nest to hatch slowly murders the other. And mom goes along with this behavior, selectively feeding and watering the heir-apparent and neglecting the outcast. Then when the chosen one is about 3-4 months old, mom hits the road and doesn't look back.


Shoebill Chick Reveals Darkside / Africa / BBC - YouTube

Because they are alone all the time, shoebills very rarely "say" anything. They do, however, clack their upper and lower bills together in rapid succession making a sound not unlike a machine gun. This video shows a "monster-bird" in captivity making this sound. Late in the clip you will see the zookeeper standing pretty much face to face with the bird, giving you an idea of how big he is.


Shoebill clapping and feeding / Asa Kaplan - YouTube

Shoebills are native to the marshlands of eastern Africa and hunt in the shallow waters. At feeding time a shoebill will stand very patiently waiting for some poor unsuspecting prey to swim up and then will lunge forward and catch it in his beak along with grasses and mud and other smaller fish. Then the bird flings his head back and forth to let the extraneous stuff fall out. With the captive in his beak, he opens his bill slightly to release his grip and to give the prey a chance to stick its head out, looking for a pathway of escape. WHACK! The "guillotine" snaps shut, severing the head from the prey and the "monster-bird" swallows the body whole. Lovely. (Forgive me for not providing a video.) Dinner might consist of fish, ducks, eels, or even crocodiles. 

And if this doesn't make them nasty enough lets add some smell to the scenario. One of the ways these "monster-birds" cool themselves in the heat of Africa is to poop on their own legs. Yes, I said that. 

wall.alphacoders.com

Now don't look at me like that, you fiendish monster of a bird. I don't buy it for one minute. You are NOT cute. Actually I might have nightmares tonight!

Black Sea Devil

Thursday, July 26, 2018

popsci.com

When I saw this freaky-looking creature in “Finding Nemo,” I assumed he was the result of someone’s crazy imagination. As it turns out, he was. God’s!

Introducing the Anglerfish or Black Sea Devil. 

He makes his home deep in the dark, cold ocean. He has a fishing rod-like thing projecting from his head with a strange little light in the end to attract fish. When unsuspecting creatures get close enough, he sort of inhales them into his mouth. And then SNAP. They can’t escape. 

I hope you have a few minutes to watch this video because it is quite fascinating. 

Urban Coyote

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

I was surprised to find out that most of our large cities in the United States are homes to “urban” coyotes (and I don’t mean the pro hockey team). At first that struck me as being just a little bit scary. But now that I understand about these animals, I think it is sort of cool.

First of all, coyotes typically don’t want anything to do with humans. (That’s a relief.) And they aren’t too interested in our domestic cats or dogs — although feral cats would consider them a natural predator — and tiny dogs shouldn’t stray far from their owners. 

I’ve seen several videos from urban homes and businesses showing coyotes in places where people are. Most of the time the people aren’t even aware that they are there. And if they get spotted, either the coyotes just stay put or they retreat to some sort of cover. 

slate.com

Did you know that coyotes mate for life? There have been studies that have shown the same couples together for ten years. Only if one of them dies does the other find another mate. 

Coyote dens usually consist of mom and dad, another grown offspring or two, and a litter of pups. And did you know that moms are able to somehow change the number of pups she has based on the availability of food or the competition for territory? That’s why it typically doesn’t do any good to try to euthanize or relocate some of the coyotes from urban areas because moms can adjust their litter sizes to make up for those lost. 

So where do they make their homes in the city? Well, they like green spaces, of course, but they aren’t too picky as long as they are well-hidden. They are known to make their dens in culverts, under bridges or overpasses, in abandoned buildings, in basements, etc. In fact, it was reported that they even found a coyote den one time in the Soldier Field complex in Chicago. 

knowyourneighbors.net

I mentioned that feral cats don’t want anything to do with coyotes. That’s why they steer clear of their territories. As a result, songbirds are able to thrive in urban parks and arboretums – a plus for keeping pesky insects at bay.

Although Coyotes don’t typically feed on adult Canada geese, their eggs are apparently pretty yummy. This activity tends to keep the goose population in check – something the owners of golf courses and sports fields are grateful for.

And although they might dig around in open trash cans or compost piles, coyotes would rather have fresher things to eat — like rats! Yummy. Or fruit that has fallen to the ground. 

Coyotes naturally hunt during the daytime hours. So spotting one in an urban setting during the day is not necessarily a sign of illness or aggression. They seriously do not want anything to do with humans.

Unless we feed them. Sometimes people feed wildlife intentionally – even though most management personnel highly discourage it. But sometimes we innocently leave food where coyotes can get to it – dog or cat food on the porch, birdseed around a birdfeeder, fruit on the ground under our trees. If they begin to expect food from us and don’t get it, coyotes can become aggressive. Then the only solution is for animal control to “lethally remove them” from the area.

 

So how do you safely walk your dog in a coyote’s world?

1. Keep your dog on a 6-foot leash. No retractable leashes. 
2. If you know of coyote sightings in an area, avoid it. In the spring and summer when pups are small, coyotes are very defensive about their homes. Just avoid them.
3. Stick to trails and open paths and avoid areas with thick brush.
4. Avoid walking your dog at sunrise and sunset hours when coyotes are most like to be out hunting.

If you’re interested in reading more about these unusual animals, here are https://urbancoyoteinitiative.com/10-fascinating-facts-about-urban-coyotes/a couple of websites I found. 

The Urban Coyote Initiative 

How to Safely Walk Your Dog Near Coyotes

VOA video about urban coyotes

Star-Nosed Mole

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

God, indeed, has a sense of humor! And this little guy has a face only a mother would love. He is both intriguing and a little intimidating in his cute-ugliness. 

blogs.discoverymagazine.com

This is the star-nosed mole. 

He lives underground in the wetlands of southeastern Canada and northeastern United States. His crazy nose helps him find and identify food since he is virtually blind. Interestingly enough, his nose is so specialized that he can locate, identify, and consume a morsel of food in something like a fifth of a second. His nose also is capable of smelling under water! That’s crazy!

Here’s how important this strange little nose is to the mole. It is about a tenth the size of the mole but over 50% of his brain is dedicated to the nose. 

Today’s video is only about 3 minutes, but I think you’ll find it to be fascinating. 

the star-nosed mole

To my knowledge, there is not a day dedicated to this star-nosed mammal.  Perhaps we should create one!

Pangolins

Monday, July 23, 2018

I thought it might be a little fun this week to spotlight some unusual animals in our world. Have you ever wondered if God has a sense of humor? Just look at the Pangolin for proof. 

news.mongabay.com

• Mammal (like us)
• Prehensile tail (like a monkey)
• Armor (like an armadillo or a pine cone) 
• Long tongue (like an aardvark)
• Bi-pedal (walks on two feet instead of four)
• Native to Asia, India, or Africa 
• Most highly poached animal in the world (scales used for medicine or to make clothing)

If you have about five minutes, take a look at this video. It has some interesting footage of these little cuties. 

Have you ever seen such a thing?

Is it the cutest animal ever?

Did you know that the third Saturday in February is considered World Pangolin Day? Don’t miss it next year — February 16, 2019!

July 22, 2018 - Memory Verse

Focus this week on the

CHRISTIAN LIFE

Submit yourselves, then, to God.

Resist the devil, 

and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 NIV

“Por tanto, sométanse a Dios. Resistan, pues, al diablo 

y huirá de ustedes. 

Santiago 4:7 NBLH

When we think of submission, we naturally think of it in human terms. 

• children submit to their parents
• employees submit to their supervisors 
• citizens submit to law enforcement 
• slaves submit to their masters

But submission to God takes on a little different flavor. He is the one perfect, loving, all-knowing God who ALWAYS has our best interest in mind. I can’t say that about earthly parents, employers, police officers, or slave-owners. Everybody seems to have their own agenda and perspective. 

Submission to God is what brings maturity to our lives. It brings joy and peace that the world can not comprehend. 

Likewise, by submitting to God and resisting the devil, we protect ourselves from the joy-stealer — the one who brings confusion and despair. 

According to this Scripture, we have two choices: God or Satan. This verse reminds me to live my life focusing on Him. 

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Got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart

Saturday, July 21, 2018
by Jessica McKinnon

Ask a hundred people what they want most in life. Right off the bat, 99 will say, “to be happy!”

Believe me. I have asked hundreds of people this question in life and the answer never surprises me.

If you were to dig in a little deeper and ask, “What does happiness look like you?” there is no doubt you will get varying answers. Happiness is:

• a healthy family 
• being debt free
• retirement
• a new house
• a new boat
• a truck
• to travel the world
• to make so much money that I would never have to worry again….

On and on the answers would come. 

I spent a great deal of time thinking about this subject and I have pressed on with this follow-up question.
“What does JOY look like to you?”

      I wish that for so many people I could take a snapshot of their faces or record the conversation. Not all but many have a blank look -- a quietness in their conversation as if to say, “I just told you how I wanted to be happy. Is this a trick question?”

     Think about this for a moment. Are happiness and joy the same thing?

      I feel that happiness is an emotion that God created for us to experience.
It is such a wonderful emotion. I am so happy when:

• I spend time with friends and family and they make me laugh.
• I see a funny movie.
• I get new clothes.
• I get my hair done.
• I travel somewhere new and try new foods or meet new people.

What I have found, though, is that when I wake in the morning, my happiness is not the same. What I felt the day before is no longer as evident. I have memory of it – I can reflect on it. But the happiness is fleeting. 

Joy
It is a choice -- a lasting fire inside our souls.
Where can we find it?

This is a gift from Abba Father.

He enjoys seeing His children happy.
But it just so incredible that
His joy remains 

when everything else fails.

Joy
Have you ever lost someone you love deeply?
I have lost many loved ones and I knew that my broken heart would mend. But it hurt.
My JOY was always there, though, because I knew the love would never leave me.
They would be safe in God’s hands and I would see them again.
That brings me joy.

Joy
It comes in ways we cannot understand.
If I could visualize joy, I would say it is the LIGHT inside people that can never be put out.
The light of God lights up our heart, mind and soul when we are in a good relationship with Him.
And the outward evidence is Joy.

You know the song… I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy…. HA!!
I knew it!
You’re singing it in your head.

We can decide today to choose JOY or we can choose today to allow the world and all the negativity that whirls around us to steal our joy. What we can always do is to allow God to light the fire that will NEVER be put out, even in times of despair or grief. It is by far the one thing that people really do want most in life. To be filled with JOY. 

What do you choose today?

I want to pass along some joy today if you will accept it. Here are two gifts I share with you. Some bread of life and a song. Today, I choose joy and today I give some of that abundance to you.  

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Please listen to this song. My friend passed it to me and I pass it to you. May it bless you and move you. It is all about JOY!  Be careful. You may find yourself smiling and dancing!

A song from Jessica 

 

Count it all joy....

Friday, July 20, 2018

Consider it pure joy, 

my brothers and sisters, 

whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know 

that the testing of your faith 

produces perseverance.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We’ve spent a few days this week talking about joy. And tomorrow’s blog is from a friend of mine who will wrap it all up.

We’ve said that deep-rooted joy for the Believer comes from the Lord. And that the one behind the joy-stealers is Satan. Today’s Scripture adds a bit of a twist to this concept. 

“Consider it pure joy . . . when you face trials.” Really? Joy? But trials are difficult. How can they elicit joy?

Think about this. If we aren’t in the Word every day and aren’t going about the Father’s business, Satan couldn’t care less about us and he pretty much leaves us alone. 

But when we are the close to the Lord and are doing His will, Satan can’t stand it. He gets all up in our faces and tries to mess everything up. 

So when we experience various trials, that just might mean that we are where we are supposed to be with the Lord. That should bring us satisfaction and, yes, joy. We are getting under Satan’s skin! That’s awesome! 

And, of course, these same trials have another interesting by-product: perseverance. I think that’s pretty cool. We are doing God’s will, gaining some of His own characteristics (joy and patience), and becoming more mature in the faith. 

Lord, when difficulties come our way, help us to consider the good that will come and to rejoice in You as a result. 

wellegance.com

J.O.Y.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

In summer camp when I was a girl, I learned an acronym for joy:

Jesus 
Others 
You

I learned that if I put Jesus first in my life and then looked out for others before I thought about myself, I would find joy.

When you get caught up in the turmoil of the day, make yourself concentrate on the Lord — not on what He has done but who He is. Focus on His awesomeness. 

And when you see other people throughout your day, smile at them — whether you feel like it or not. Do something nice for someone— open a door for them — allow them to go in front of you in line — buy their lunch or their groceries. 

Little by little that ray of joy-shine will cut through the gloom and brighten your day. 

Try it. Let me know what you think.

wellegance.com

Joy-Stealers

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Sometimes we go through a period of joy only to have it dashed to pieces, leaving us empty and emotionless. What are the joy-stealers in our lives? How can we avoid them?

PEOPLE can sure do it. Relationships can be difficult and people in general can be critical, demanding, and disappointing. They can take the air out of our sails in two seconds flat. 

CIRCUMSTANCES can rage out of control — finances, work, health issues, natural disasters. You name it. And joy goes out the window. 

Remember that joy is deeply rooted in the Lord. It doesn’t come and go with the tide. If our joy is being stolen then there’s one sure-fire explanation for who is behind it. Satan. He can’t stand it when we are joyful. So he does his best to weasel his way into the circumstances in order to rip our joy from us. 

He can only steal our joy if we let him. Stand your ground. When it becomes obvious what he is doing, I recommend saying something like this right out loud: 

“Satan, you have no power over me. I am a child of the King. In the name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, leave me alone!”

Lord, thank you for freely giving us your joy. Help us to protect it from those who want to steal it away. 

wellegance.com

Where Can We Find Joy?

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

I think it is safe to say that some people naturally take the "don't worry, be happy" attitude in life. And some are "Eeyores." There are some who celebrate everything and some who seem to thrive on problems. Can you relate to this? Are you one or the other? Or are you in the middle somewhere?

I think we all probably go through phases in life that are happier than others (good relationships, successes, births) and we all experience tough things (illness, injury, loss, defeat). But it is how we face these things that defines us. And it is how we find joy in the midst of the difficult that shows our constitution.

So if we wanted to look for joy where might we find it?

NATURE:
God created the heavens and the earth and they are very good. Whether it is the sound of the crickets in the evening or the brilliance of the fireflies in the meadow, the whispy clouds overhead or the rushing waters of a brook, God's creativity surrounds us every day. But often we are too busy to recognize it or to enjoy it. Pay attention. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you smell? Savor it. Remember that it is a reflection of God's very nature and enjoy it. He made it for you.

I remember saying the blessing at lunchtime in my home one day when I was about 12 or so. It was raining outside and had been for a couple of days. In my blessing for the food I included some things I was thankful for. I remember thanking God for the sunshine because, as I said, "it is shining somewhere." Later, Mother told me that she had been amazed by that attitude about the weather. Sometimes it isn't as pretty as we would like. But all in all, it's pretty amazing.

HEALTH:
Our health can be the same way sometimes. We might not always feel good. We might have to deal with an injury or an illness or the death of someone we love. But usually we can look around and find something to the thankful for and to rejoice over. 

Look at the Apostle Paul. He found himself having been beaten or stoned on more than one occasion. Yet he reminded his readers that he counted it a privilege to be in his situation. He found joy in the Lord.

RELATIONSHIPS:
People are usually pretty social beings. We find joy and fulfillment in our relationships. Now sometimes those relationships are with critters like horses or dogs or cats or something because they give such unconditional love and don't talk back. But in my mind, real fulfillment comes with strong relationships with family and friends. At times we'd like to write them off and move on with our lives. But they probably feel the same way about us. So rather than take our family and friends for granted, we need to pay attention to them and find the things in them that cause us to smile. After all, God gave them to us and we should enjoy them.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Is it okay to find joy in getting things accomplished? Certainly. Whether it is the sense of satisfaction in getting the kids successfully deposited at their various schools with all of their lunches and backpacks or landing that major corporate deal, we should celebrate our accomplishments every day. Yesterday I was able to facilitate getting something stocked in one of the Pyxis stations at the hospital -- something the area had needed for a long time but hadn't known how to get -- and I celebrated the sense of accomplishment. My co-workers laughed at me last week when I made a call to the grounds crew to request that they weed a forgotten flower bed on campus. But how cool it was to walk by it this week and see that it was cleaned up and refreshed. Sometimes it is the little things in life that can bring us joy. 

There are so many things that can bring us joy if we just take the time to recognize them:

• the laughter of children
• fun colors
• strange bugs
• amazing aromas
• smiles
• music
• washed dishes
• a good book
• memories
• a picnic
• a game

Honestly the list can be endless. We just have to make ourselves look sometimes.

And don't forget. "The joy of the Lord is my strength." (Nehemiah 8:10) And joy is a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) Joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30) Christ is the good news that brought great joy to the land. (Luke 2:10

Lord, may we always find joy in you. 

wellegance.com

What is Joy?

Monday, July 16, 2018

Last week I spent some time looking at our American right to “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” as presented in our Declaration of Independence. Little did I know that my husband’s sermon today would be entitled, “Is Joy Attainable.” I thought that was pretty interesting. 

So what is joy anyway?

According to Mr. Webster, joy is the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. 

Elsewhere on the Internet, joy, gladness, happiness, jubilation, exultation, pleasure, delight, and euphoria are all listed as being synonyms for each other. 

Over time, words tend to take on different meanings as described by their culture. Remember when we used to say something was “bad” — and you had to add that inflection in your tone — when we really meant that it was good? 

Well, a more recent definition by Pastor John Piper says that, “Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world.”

I like to think that happiness is a bit superficial or fleeting while joy is more deep-seated or permanent. 

• I’m always happy to see my children and their families. 
• When my parents died, I had inner joy from the Lord although I grieved their losses. 

Bill says that happiness is dependent on people, things, or circumstances while joy comes from God and is independent of those external forces. We need to recognize that joy comes from God and look to Him to provide it. 

Lord, thank you for your joy. Help us to seek it and to recognize it when we find it. 

wellegance.com

July 15, 2018 - Memory Verse

Focus this week on the 

CHRISTIAN LIFE

Therefore, 

my dear brothers and sisters,

stand firm. 

Let nothing move you.

Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,

because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

I Corinthians 15:58 NIV

Por tanto, 

mis amados hermanos,

estén firmes, 

constantes, 

abundando siempre en la obra del Señor, 

sabiendo que su trabajo en el Señor no es en vano.

‭‭1 Corintios‬ ‭15:58‬ ‭NBLH‬‬

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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Saturday, July 14, 2018

by Maggie

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The Second Sentence from the Declaration of Independence

We think it is obvious that nobody is better than anybody else and that God created us to have a good life, to be free, and to be happy.
paraphrase by Patience Fort

Everybody ought to be able to search for happiness in life. Sometimes it is hard to find — but we ought to be able to look. 

A long time ago, I lived with my first family down by the salty water. Although it is all a blur now, I remember being happy and well-fed. I didn’t know how blessed I was until it was all washed away. 

Then I found myself fighting for my life. I was cold, wet, hungry, and afraid. Eventually some smoothskins captured me and some other woofers and put us in cages. It was miserable. At least we didn’t have to wonder about eating because they fed us pretty well. But I was still afraid. I wondered if I would ever be happy again. 

Then my Alpha found me. It didn’t matter to her where I had been or how broken I was. She loved me. She and The Girl took me home and  I became theirs. It took awhile but I gradually let my guard down and fell in love with them. And soon I found it again — happiness. 

I never want to go back to a place where I cannot even hope for happiness. Everybody should be able to look for it. It doesn’t mean we always will find it. But we should be able to search.