Do Hummingbirds Hum ?

The other day I was standing on my patio, when something swooped down at a high rate of speed just missing my head.  After regaining my composure( bet the neighbors got a laugh)  I determined it was a hummingbird.  A couple of years ago I had planted a butterfly bush in my garden, around July it is the landing point for every butterfly in the neighborhood.  Gorgeous!!

What I didn't know is that hummingbirds like it too.  What fun they are to watch, especially since I haven't seen that many.

Here are a few fun facts about hummingbirds:

Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world.

They can flash their bright colors as well as hide them when needed.

They are very smart, they can remember every flower they have been to , and how long it will take the flower to refill.

They can hear better then humans, and see farther then humans.

They have little sense of smell.

They use their tongue to lap up nectar, its shaped like a "W", it has tiny hairs on the end to help lap up the nectar.

Their heart beats up to 1,260 times per minute.

Their metabolism is roughly 100 times that of an elephant.

They have very weak feet and can barely walk.  They prefer to fly, and they like to perch.

They can fly both forwards and backwards, even upside down.

Their average rate of speed is 25-30 miles per hour and can dive up to 60 miles per  hour.

Their wings rotate in full circle.

Some will travel over 2,000 miles twice a year during migration.

Thinking about this tiny bird and all of its out of the ordinary  accomplishments, I thought how many creatures there are in this world.  Some I still don't know exist. If you have ever watched Animal Planets shows on underwater creatures you know what I mean when I say there are things down there I could not imagine. How creative and wondrous God is!

Genesis 1:1  In the beginning God created the heavens

Genesis 1:21  God created the great creatures of the sea

Psalm 148:5  For He commanded and they were created

Genesis 1:27  God created man in His own image

Of all that God created, He made us in His own image.  What a testimony of His love for us.  Not only did He create us, but He died for us.  We are the only thing He created that has a choice to spend eternity with Him.  When I look around at all He created I am humbled that He loves me with an unconditional love.  Amazing!!!

Psalm 139:4  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well.

By the way, the answer to the question do hummingbirds hum....is NO..their wings flap so fast, they make a noise that sounds like humming.  Although I am almost sure I heard tiny laughing as that one barely missed me. :)

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Everything Is Meaningless!!

My morning bible study was on the futility of life...again from James McDonald.  He started at:

Ecclesiastes 1:3-9  What does a man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?  Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.  The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.  The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes ever returning to its course.  All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.  To the place the streams come from there they return again.  All things are wearisome more than one can say.

It sounds pretty depressing, but if we are honest we all feel this way more than we want to admit.  Mondays only reinforce this feeling, paydays and even special occasions.  We look forward, can't wait and its over before you know it.  No matter what is happening in our life there are more ordinary days than there are extraordinary.  We can't wait until the weekend, weekend comes we start dreading Monday before Saturday is even over.

Ecclesiastes 1:2  Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.

Do you feel your spinning your wheels most of the time?  Your always walking uphill?  There is always something you need to get done?  Welcome to everyday life!!!!  Part of the problem is that our expectations are out of whack.  We want life to be extraordinary  in an ordinary world.

No matter how hard we try, what we do, who we are with, life is still ordinary.  If we are expecting people and the world to make us happy, it will never happen.

Psalm 27:4  One thing I ask of the Lord this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.

There is your answer.  To change ordinary into extraordinary , we have to hang out with Him.  In  His presence there is joy, peace, and a satisfaction you cannot get anywhere else. How do you get in His presence???  First you must "seek" Him...(His Word).  Second hang out with God's people, and Third begin serving Him.  Everyday life will still be everyday life, but you will be living in a not so ordinary way.

My challenge to you this week: 1. Read the following verses several times.

Nehemiah 8:10  For the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Isaiah 51:11  Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away

Habakkuk 3:18  Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in my Savior.

2.  Write them down, put them where you can see them and read them often.
3.  Ask the Lord to show you how extraordinary He is.

YOUR LIFE WILL NOT BE THE SAME!!!!!

Have a wonderful and very blessed week.

Linda

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No Place To Hide...Really?

This is going to be one of those weeks.  I know that sounds like a negative start to a blog that is suppose to encourage, but truthfully that is how I am feeling.  It is jammed packed with everything imaginable.  From painting stakes, cleaning, Live @ 5 (local TV show), pricing, placing flowers...well you get the picture.  In short too much stuff in too little time.

This morning as I was doing my Bible study with James McDonald's podcast, his topic has been freedom from fear, which I know all too well (agoraphobia)  He has been in 2Chronicles 20.  What jumped out at me were verses 15-17.

NIV  This is what the Lord says to you"Do not be afraid or discouraged, because of this vast army.  For the battle is not yours but God's.   Tomorrow march down against them.  They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the desert of Jervel.  You will not have to fight this battle.  Take up your position; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you.  Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.  Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.

Now I realize that painting, cleaning etc.  does not seem like a huge enemy, but sometimes small things piled in big lumps in a short time frame can become in our minds a huge battle.

Until this mornings teaching I  thought I was doing pretty good with the stress, but I realized I have been doing it on my own, fretting, hurrying, stressing when all the time I should be turning all this stress over to Him.  God cares about our battles no matter how big or how small.  He wants to be a part of every bit of our lives.  Looking over the next few days  I wanted to run, find a very comfortable spot, cover my head and vegetate.  When all the time my comfort is as close as the mention of His name.

All of us have days like this.  It would be so much more simple if we would let the Lord fight our battles of stress, fear, anger etc.  There is a hiding place where we can run and find comfort from the storms of life, whether large or small.

Have a very good week!

Psalm 17:8  Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 143:9  Rescue me from my enemies O Lord for I hide myself in you.

Psalm 91:1  He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

Linda

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