Life in the Sticks: The Owl

We started our building project in the fall of 2007, shortly after David began working out here he spotted "the biggest owl" he'd ever seen. Over the years he has spotted the owl several times, flying around the house, perched high in the trees, once it even sat on the bushes watching him while he worked outside. I, on the other hand, had never spotted the owl, not once. I was beginning to think it was a figment of his imagination, surely I would have seen it after 3 years of living out here! Well, this morning I did finally see it and it.was.awesome! The boys and I watched it fly back and forth in the back yard, I assume looking for little rodents to make its breakfast. Three times it stopped and just perched on a bush (or a snow pile) looking around, turning its head this way and that in the crazy cool way owls move. We were fascinated but it and it total awe of how HUGE it was!! Seeing it I was even comforted slightly because, despite it's large size, I do not think it is quite big enough to carry off my oversized mini- dachshund, especially with his added "holiday weight" lol. It was SO neat to practially jump up and down in my giddy excitement see the excitement on my kid's faces while watching the owl, and to hear my their shrieks of joy when it looked our way. I love living out here in the "sticks", I know it's not for everyone but I LOVE encountering nature on a near daily basis...except for that stinking muskrat...that blog will be coming soon. I actually want to start a "series" of 'Life in the Sticks' blogs about the random things that happen on 30 acres of "wild land" 20 mins from town,  an idea I got after my run in with a muskrat, so I guess this is the first. I kept forgetting to post the muskrat story, so that one will be from the "archives" of my mind but it's a good one, and a good laugh...now...

In the meantime, try not to hold your breath for in anticipation & enjoy the few pictures I snapped of our elusive owl friend this morning. 

"What are you looking at?!?"

This was crazy cool to watch but hard to photograph with a point & shoot

I wish you could see this better, you can sort of see how long his wing is in relation to his body. It was SUPER impressive!

Exodus..

     I am currently on a "read the bible" in a year plan. It surprised me when I realized I had never, in 26 years of being a christian, read the bible in it's entirety. I've read the new testament a few times, but never all of the old testament. Anyhoo, I am currently reading in Exodus, about the Israelites, their departure from slavery in Egypt and their journey to the promised land. In my reading I found myself, more than once I hate to admit, passing judgement on them. Reading their story I want to holler or shake them, "why can't you just see?", "Uhhh God just saved you from slavery, why are you whining?!, "what more obvious signs of God's presence do you need before you will trust him?"...those kinds of things. Similar to the way I shout at or question character's in a movie that are just.not.getting.it. I just couldn't understand their lack of vision or their easy forgetfulness. God delivered them from Egypt, showing many signs & wonders before they actually departed (Exodus 5- 11). After they left when Pharaoh changed his mind and went chasing after them, God parted a sea for them to cross on dry land (Ex 14 & 15). He sweetened bitter water (Ex 15:22-25), provided manna & quail (Ex 16), actually appeared to their leaders (Ex 24:9-11) and yet time and time again they complained, grumbled, failed to trust, even built an idol to replace God (Ex 32). When the time came to cross into the land God promised (Numbers 13 & 14) they failed to trust the Lord and ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. It seems so crazy from this side of things, the miracles, the signs, the never-ending faithfulness of God, even when they complained-how could they not trust him? I mean seriously people...
     While mulling this all over one day, subconsciously asking the Lord how it was possible for them to have lost faith over and over, the Lord spoke to my heart. I am thankful that, even when pointing out things in my life/heart that are not in tune to the heart of the Father, he is so gentle. There was no condemnation, simply a reminder of the times in my own life I have been just like the Israelites. I was saved at 5, I think, I can't remember the exact age it was so long ago. Some of you may think that means I couldn't really have made that kind of decision for Christ, I assure you that my heart was changed and touched by the God of the universe and my decision was real and permanent. Regardless of all that, the point is I have known God most of my life, I grew up in church, my parents are Christians. I have known people miraculously healed, seen lives totally changed, heard testimonies of God's incredible goodness many times over. In my own life I have felt his presence, had prayers answered, been reassured over and over again that God was with me & God was for me. Yet I found myself, not so many years ago slowly pushing back from all I knew about God. I stopped attending church regularly, stopped reading my bible, I began to make compromises in my life, in my heart. I allowed bitterness, anger, depression, fear, take root. It wasn't a speedy rebellion, it was a slow decent, giving in here and there until my heart was no longer recognizable to me. The Lord spoke to me often during that time, I still loved him, I've always loved him but I just didn't want to have to do anything, I wanted change but not really. I was comfortable in my slavery to those things, especially fear, anytime I made headway away from it I kept going back. Just like the Israelites would likely have done (they surely wanted to many times) had they not been so far from Egypt.
    Thankfully, I serve a persistent God who loves me, who wants more for me in this life than the life I was living. He was faithful to walk alongside me, occasionally nudging me, waiting, hoping, longing for the day when I would simply turn and say "yes Father". That's all it took, I reached a place of desperate longing, my wilderness had gotten the better of me, as it did to the Israelites after those long 40 years of wandering. When I did finally acknowledge my desperate need, was finally willing to truly trust in the Lord, He was there to bring me through my wilderness and into the land he had for me. There were giants in the way, enemies determined to keep me from reaching it, but just like he did for those wandering friends of mine, he gave me the ability to destroy them one by one. The view from this side is so much more glorious then I could have imagined. So, you see? I am not so different then those grumbling Israelites, not different at all and the God I serve is the same wonderfully faithful one they finally trusted to bring them into the land he promised...and I am so thankful.