Tuesday, July 29, 2014

God Wants YOU Well

We Must Receive
by Andrew Wommack

Luke 13:16 "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"  (Read Luke 13:10-17)

This sickness was the work of Satan - not the work of God. Jesus said it had bound her - not blessed her - for eighteen years. The teaching that says that sickness is actually a blessing in disguise, because the Lord is working His plan in one's life, is not found in scripture. As Acts 10:38 says, Jesus "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil," not "oppressed of God."

There are 17 times in the Gospels when Jesus healed all of the sick that were present. There are 47 other times when He healed one or two people at a time.

Nowhere do we find Jesus refusing to heal anyone. Jesus said that He could do nothing of Himself, but only what He saw the Father do. His actions are proof enough that it is always God's will to heal!

Jesus provided for physical healing as well as forgiveness of sins. The very word "save" (Gk.-"sozo") is translated "made whole" in reference to physical healing in Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, and Luke 8:48. James 5:15 says "the prayer of faith shall save (Gk.-"sozo") the sick." Many scriptures mention the healing of our bodies in conjunction with the forgiveness of our sins.

Healing is a part of our salvation, just as much as the forgiveness of our sins.

It is God's will that no one should perish, but many do because of their unbelief. Likewise, it is God's will that we all be healed, but not all are healed because of failure to believe. It is a mistake to assume that whatever God wills will automatically come to pass. We play a part in receiving from God. Believe His Word today.

Visit Andrew's Website.


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Sodas and Fructose Dangers

Here's Why Soda Is Even More Unhealthy Than You Thought

On nutrition labels, sugar is just sugar. But when it comes to how the body metabolizes that sugar, there are two very different molecules that make up what we think of as table sugar.

There's glucose, the more easily metabolized of the two that provides most of the body’s energy, and fructose, which can only be processed in the liver and is associated with Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

But that's not to say you should swear off sugar entirely. Naturally occurring fructose in fruit is fine -- it's the large amount that's problematic. And according to a new study published in the journal Nutrition, we may be consuming more fructose than we bargained for when we drink sweetened beverages.

"The human body isn't designed to process this form of sugar at such high levels," the study's main researcher Michael Goran, director of the Childhood Obesity Research Center at USC's Keck School of Medicine, said in a statement. "Unlike glucose, which serves as fuel for the body, fructose is processed almost entirely in the liver where it is converted to fat, which increases risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver disease." Take a look to compare your favorite soft drinks.



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Water Striders In Our Pond

by Donna L. Watkins
Water Striders In Our Pond

When we decided to put in a small pond for frogs in 1994 we never knew how entertaining the water feature would be. We've seen fish ponds with filters to make clear flowing water so you can watch the fish, but we wanted a natural woodland pond that we didn't need to fuss over and definitely didn't want fish to worry about being eaten by the raccoons and raptors.

What a delight it has been. Besides getting to see all kinds of frogs mating and growing from egg to frog, we've seen a host of other little critters that inhabit woodland ponds. I never realized that ponds had bugs that lived in them, but we have discovered a variety of bugs in our pond and one of those is the Water Strider.

The Water Strider has many names, such as Pond Skater, Water Scooter, Water Skater, Skimmer, and Jesus Bug, due to its ability to walk on water. There's a lizard in Costa Rica that has been named Jesus Christ Lizard because it walks on water. The long, middle legs are used like paddles to move this bug across the surface of the water. The long hind legs are used to steer them and also act as brakes. The front legs are used for catching prey.

This bug lives in ponds and slow-running streams. Since the underside of the body is covered with water-repellent hair it generally stays on the surface of the pond. They look like huge water-walking mosquitoes when they are moving about on the surface. Most Water Striders are over 0.2 inch (5 mm) long. They live on or near the surface and may even dive below before emerging again to breathe air.

Without water, a water strider can only move about 25 yards across land to find another water-filled area. They are very vulnerable on land and become easy prey to larger insects and birds.

You'll consider Water Striders a beneficial insect real fast when you realize it eats mosquito larvae from the water's surface. They are extremely sensitive to vibrations on the water which helps them to locate their meal and suck it dry.Water striders feed with a part called a rostrum, which is used similarly to a mosquito's probiscus, which is inserted into prey to sucks out the juices inside.

A typical water strider habitat is a pond, marsh or very still area of a river's edge. Water striders feed on the larvae of mosquito's and share the same still water areas. Water striders are often seen in small groups. Water is one key element they need to survive. Without water, a water strider can only move about 25 yards across land to find another water-filled area. They are very vulnerable on land and become easy prey to larger insects and birds.

When we skim our pond we use the "compost" nearby for plants and bushes. It allows the water striders to get back to the pond. If you want to discard the skimmings, then it would be nice to leave them there for a day to allow anything within to climb out and get back to the pond.

Their ability to walk on water has been studied greatly and originally it was thought that the bugs got momentum in the water by the creation of capillary waves on the surface. But a scientist named Mark Denny showed that would require the Water Strider to move faster than the bug can move its legs.

So this contradiction became known as Denny's Paradox because the bugs beat that theory by generating hemispherical vortices instead of capillary waves. These vortices carry backward momentum which propels the bug forward. They can stand effortlessly on water due to their legs having chemical properties of a waxy coating.

However, biophysicists Xuefeng Gao and Lei Jiang wrote in Nature Magazine that the water resistance of the legs is due to the “special hierarchical structure of the legs, which are covered by large numbers of oriented tiny hairs (microsetae) with fine nanogrooves” which is much more important than the wax coating.

There's a lot of science behind many things, but for me, it's the creativity of our God the Creator that amazes me. The more I see and learn about the incredible Creation we have all around us, the more the I realize that it will take an eternity to know all there is to know about our Heavenly Father. We are His workmanship also and are created in His image, so we are His crowning glory. We need to remember that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and value ourselves as God does.

Don't miss the little things in life ... they are all around us.


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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

God Is Not Mad At You

by Clint Byars

Audio Message Available
Why do we use this phrase? Why do we make such a bold claim? Let’s let the Word of God speak for itself.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah - not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord : I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Isaiah 54:5-10
For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the Lord has called you, Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused," Says your God. “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer. “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

1 Corinthians 4:20
For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

Romans 1:16, 17
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Power doesn’t necessarily mean miracles although miracles, signs and wonders follow those who believe Jesus preached the kingdom which is the message of the new covenant.

Jesus preached the Kingdom which is the message of the new covenant. He preached that God’s wrath would be satisfied and God would no longer hold people’s sins against them because of what he was about to do. If you don’t see that, go back and read these passages again.

Repent believe the gospel
Spread the Gospel so Jesus' Kingdom will increase. The Gospel of the Kingdom is that God is not holding your sins against you, he’s judged them in Christ, now repent and believe the Gospel because God is not mad at you.

Check out this sermon for even more explanation.


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Alternative Therapies for Pet Joint Problems

by Dr. Sarah

In this episode of Pet Talk, Dr. Sarah explains how laser therapy offers a ray of hope for dogs and cats dealing with the pain associated with degenerative joint disease.

Be sure to share this important message on alternative therapies with your fellow pet parents!

View Dr. Sarah’s video now ... …

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Worm Composting

By Amy Grant

Vermicomposting is the term for worm composting bins.  It's an environmentally friendly way of reducing food scrap waste with the added boon of creating nutritious, rich compost for the garden.

One pound of worms (about 1,000 worms) will eat about ½ to 1 pound of food scraps per day. It’s important to know what to feed worms, the vermicomposting do’s and don’ts, and how to feed composting worms.  Worms love to eat and spend most of their time doing so. So what to feed worms and what should you avoid putting in the worm bin?   Read the entire article.


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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Newsletter - 7/15/14


View This Newsletter On the Website.



 Hello Dear Friends!

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Wild Blueberries in Backyard
See More Blueberry Photos
We have been blessed by having a lot of wild blueberries in our back yard near the edge of the woods where the sun gets in.  They don't produce the bigger blueberries that we buy at the market, but they're about half the size and all kinds of wildlife love them.

We see birds eating them, the deer nibbling, the fox and the rabbit eats them but also loves hiding in that area where they can't be seen by the hawk.  Each year the area grows.  We've never had to do anything with the bushes.  They just take care of themselves.

That's what I love about native plants.  They are just there.  Even in a bad year the wildflowers may die off from drought, but they come back stronger the following year.  Native plants cost a bit more initially when you buy them, but all the fuss over them is not required.  Choosing the proper location is the most important decision. Soil enhancements (peat moss, fertilizer, top soil, compost) don't need to be added to the planting hole.

Native plants do not require fertilizer if planted in the right place. They will respond to sunlight, rainfall, soil temperatures, and humidity and grow at a naturally sustainable rate. To encourage faster growth fertilize lightly but only four to six weeks after planting. Keep in mind that new tender growth attracts hungry insects. It's a trade off.  If you choose to fertilize use a slow release organic fertilizer or better yet use your own compost.   
Learn more about native plants here.
Find a native plant nursery near you.

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Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird
on Blue-Black Salvia
 View More Hummingbird Photos
Anybody traveling to Maine this summer?  Maine has a statewide birding trail mapped out so you can visit natural areas no matter where you land in the state.  Get more information and event dates at www.mainebirdingtrail.com.  I think Maine is an awesome state in the summer, but I sure can't imagine living there with so much of their year being winter.

Do you have hummingbirds fighting for your feeders?  Why do they have to be so selfish?  You would think they thought that they had something to do with the provision of food for them the way they fight over the feeder.  But then don't we seem to be the same way?  Somehow we imagine we've had a hand in our daily provision when everything good is God's blessings upon us.  We must always expect good from Him so those blessings and promises will flow towards us, not away from us as when we expect bad to come into our lives all the time with negative things we speak over ourselves.

One thing you can do to space your feeders is to put one in the front of the house and one in the back.  If you want them all in the same area, you could use a trellis and grow peas or flowers on the trellis with the feeders spread apart so that the peas hide each of them so more than one bird can feed at a time and not be seen by another.  Wasps are also a problem with hummingbird feeders.  You can dip your finger in cooking oil and rub it around the ports.  No more wasps!

I'm really excited that I am back out in the garden touching leaves and dead-heading flowers and looking for all the little wonders that appear out of nowhere in the garden.  How delightful it is.  My whole body is in smiles when I'm out there.  We've been blessed with plenty of rain so our plants are doing well.

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Pretty Red Mushroom
View More Photos of Mushrooms
The rain also allows fungus food to do well too, so we're seeing all kinds of mushrooms.  We have quite an array of them and I can't believe how beautiful some of them are.  The wildlife love them.  I've seen deer and squirrels eating them and can only assume our skunks, raccoons, possums and fox enjoy them too.  God gave them an instinct to know what's edible unlike humans who have died because what they ate looked like a non-toxic mushroom, but turned out not to be.

Speaking of watering .... anybody need an idea for an old garden hose?  What about repurposing it into a door mat?  I saw the idea in Birds and Blooms and there's a step-by-step how-to video to see how it's done.

How about a few more repurposing tips?  Pantyhose can be used for a variety of things, but they do really great on the bottom of pots so that the water can pass through the overflow holes, but it keeps the dirt in the pot.  Use them in the food garden to stuff melons into them so they are off the ground to eliminate rot, mold and insect invasion.  Waiting for one of your favorite flowers to produce seeds, but the birds are eating them all up?  Slip a toe of pantyhose over a few heads and twist tie to secure and then let the leaves dry and fall inside your little pouch.

What about a sandbox that is no longer being used.  Children too old for it?  It will make a great herb planter.  Just add a few drainage holes to the bottom.  The sides of an old crib makes a great trellis.  Paint it and lean it up against something.  You also use the sides of a crib to cover something unsightly in the garden, like an electrical box or maybe an air conditioner.  Paint in a color that blends with your home.  Here's an article with 30 crib uses.

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Montezuma Oropendulas in Banana Tree
Finca Luna Neuva - Costa Rica Lodge
Thanks to Charlene in California for sending a link to a You Tube video on Harvesting Bananas.  Being a fan of Costa Rica, where this video is taken at one of the Dole banana plantations, made it even more interesting.

My visits to Costa Rica have always been in areas where bananas grow wild.  They provide so much food for the wildlife, and we're not talking just monkeys.  Many species of birds love bananas and there's even a beautiful bird in Costa Rica called a Bananaquit.  Actually there are several varieties of these birds. The link is one that I took while at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica.

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Cultivated Pineapples
Finca Luna Nueva Lodge and
Organic Sustainable Farm
Knowing that Dole also has a pineapple plantation in Costa Rica, I did a search on You Tube and found a video on Growing Pineapples.

There's a science to buying local pineapples in Costa Rica.  The gal that purchased the food for Finca Luna Neuva Lodge would choose pineapples that would successively ripen as each day went by.  Pineapple was on the menu every day and it was so amazingly delicious when picked only a few days before.

Enjoy the videos and be sure to have your children or grandchildren watch also.  These days most kids have no idea that food comes from fields and dirt.  They only know you get it at the grocery store.

Speaking of children ... how many young children have been told that the person they loved that had just died was taken by God?  What does this do to the mind of that child and the view of God?  When I was 9 both of my great grandparents died within hours of each other, so when I came home from school they were both dead.  It was a traumatic time for my grandparents (who raised me) because we had always lived with them or right beside them.

I grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country and generations were used to living together and helping to raise the children.  I was very close to my Papa and he was the one who always had me at the parks feeding pigeons, other birds and squirrels.  He loved to bake and I loved to eat bread dipped in hot Hershey's Cocoa.  That's a powerful memory even today.

From Stuff Jesus Never Said
As are the comments from people at the funeral, such as "God needed them in Heaven."  I remember saying my prayers every night, loving my First Bible Picture Book, going to Vacation Bible School and Sunday School ... but after that experience I don't remember ever going back to church.

My image of God had certainly been changed by an idle comment from somebody struggling to help me make sense of death when they never understood it themselves.  The Bible tells us that Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy.  God doesn't have any part in it.  He tells us to choose life.  I used to say that God doesn't kill people or make them sick, but He allows it for our good.  That's before I really knew God.  What Father would put death and disease on His children and call it good?

James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."  God is love.  That never changes.  He doesn't just love ... He IS love. We may try to justify in our minds that being God we don't understand it all, so we can accept disease and early death as some kind of badge to wear, but our minds lose that father-child connection in our hearts.  We may still say we love God, but it's with our minds, not our hearts.

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Squeek aka Kitty Girl
Enjoying Her Cozy Cuddle
View More Photos of Squeek
We celebrated our kitty's birthday yesterday.  Squeek (aka Kitty Girl) is now 18 years old which is pretty good for an FIV (similar to HIV in humans) kitty.  She still enjoys playing and purring.  She loves her head rubbies and was happy to have as many as she wanted for her birthday.  She, like me, couldn't think of any "stuff" that she wanted, so that was simply enough.

At the end of last summer Randal discovered we had mold in our crawl space.  After studying online and having a few estimates of what could be done (with a variety of ideas that only served up a bit of confusion), we decided to put a fan down there to circulate the air until we knew what we wanted to do.  One method required you leave the house for 24 hours and it would kill any living creature in the crawl space.  My take on that was could 24 hours really provide safety for something so toxic?  Or was that just to get the smell out of the house without getting the toxic gases out.

Mold and mildew are a concern with summer in humid areas.  You don't want to share your house or crawl space with these spores which will only multiply and cause health problems.  Rather than choosing one of the toxic mold remover products on the market, there are natural ways to kill mold that won't hurt your family and pets.  Here's some simple solutions.

Last but not least, I am excited to report that I have lost 30 pounds in 12 days.  That's the water/stored fluid that has been pouring off my body since July 4th.  What a holiday weekend we had.  I made the choice to go in to the hospital early July 4th at 1:30 AM and was finally moved to a room at 10:30 AM and stayed for 57 hours to move this fluid off.  Had not stayed in a hospital since I delivered our only child, which was 35 years ago next month. What a blessing on the big private room I had with a view.  All rooms were private in this hospital.

View From My Hospital Bed - What a Blessing!
Things were looking pretty grim with that much fluid on my abdomen and I wasn't able to eat or drink anything without pain.  As you know I'm not fond of hospitals and the recent experienced reminded me why.  It's sad how many "mistakes" are made.  For one who is alert and checking behind what is logged on charts you can get it all straight, but most folks don't go to that detail. And most folks don't know you don't have to accept all the tests they want to put you through.  I was blessed with a few great nurses, a not-so-great night nurse, and a nice doc that listened to my input.

Have a blessed time with the Lord this week.  Be still and know Him!
Donna

P.S. Anything in here that might help somebody you know?
Here's a link to the online version of this newsletter:  
http://www.thenatureinus.com/2014/07/newsletter-71514.html


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written by Donna

Posts Since Last Newsletter

Prozac for Pets Grows in Popularity

God's Kind of Love

Benefits Of The Black Gum Tree

Newsletter - 7/1/14 (DLW)

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6 Best Headache-Healing Foods

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Pet Safe Fertilizers for Lawn & Garden

Abba, Daddy, Papa and God the Father (DLW)

Natural Way to Get Duckweed Out of Your Pond (DLW)

Newsletter - 5/15/14 (DLW)

You Are Wired For Love

Our Abba Daddy

The Ethics of Native Plant Gardening

Doctor Speaks on Vaccination Indoctrination

Believing Is More Than a Choice

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 Heart Health for Humans and Pets

 I Can't Is Not A Good Decision




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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Prozac for Pets Grows in Popularity

From Care2.com

Animal pharmaceuticals are a booming business. Salon also reported that the pet pharmaceutical business has grown from $6.68 billion in 2011 to a projected $9.25 billion by 2015. Zoetis Inc., once a subsidiary of Pfizer, is at the top of the pharmaceutical chain, with yearly sales of Pfizer’s animal pharmaceuticals worth roughly $3.9 billion.

With the July 4th holiday coming up in America, veterinary practices are expecting their busiest week of the year. People are seeking anti-anxiety drugs for their fireworks phobic dogs and cats.

Incidentally, the busiest day of the year for shelters in the U.S. is July 5th, as sound sensitive dogs left outside during fireworks escape, seeking safety and quiet.

One in seven dogs has an anxiety disorder that has been treated by a veterinarian. Reconcile is an FDA-approved just like Prozac, except it comes with a beef-flavor and is chewable. The company “Lilly” funded a study in 2007 that reported 17 percent of American dogs have separation anxiety.  Read the entire article.

Additional Resources
Thunder Phobia Dog Uses Herbs


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God's Kind of Love

by Andrew Wommack

Matthew 8:9-10, "For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."

Reference:  Matthew 8:5-13, Luke 7:1-10

There were only two things in all of scripture that caused Jesus to marvel. They were (1) the Centurion's faith and (2) the Jews' unbelief (Mk. 6:6).

A faith that made Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, marvel is worth examining. This centurion believed that the spoken word of Jesus was sufficient to produce his miracle. He didn't need Jesus to come to his house. He had faith in Jesus' word.

Therefore, we can see that the person who simply believes the written Word of God is operating in a much higher form of faith than those who require additional proof. Compare this centurion's faith with the "little" faith of Thomas in John 20:24-29!

Thomas refused to believe what He couldn't see or feel. Our five senses were given to us by God and are necessary to help us function in this life. But if we do not renew our minds to acknowledge the limits of the five senses, they will keep us from believing. Faith can perceive things that the senses cannot (Heb. 11:1).

The type of faith that Thomas operated in was a human or natural faith that was based on what he could see. Jesus said there was a greater blessing to be obtained. That greater blessing comes from using a supernatural, God-kind of faith that is based only on God's Word.

Jesus and God's Word are one (Jn 1:1, 14). Believing God's Word is not just putting your trust in some printed words on the pages of a book we call the Bible. There is much more involved. It is a relationship with a person, the person behind the words. Get to know Him through His Word.

Visit Andrew's website.



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Benefits Of The Black Gum Tree

View Enlarged Image
Our View of Black Gum Trees at Breakfast Area
© Donna L. Watkins
by Karyl Seppala

Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica, aka Black Tupelo) – There is not much to complain about it as a shade tree – it’s a beautiful addition to a wildlife garden, low maintenance and works well in an ornamental landscape. They have proven themselves to be hardy, tolerant of different soils, sun and water and all around easy to have on my property.

If watered well when young it can develop a deep root system that can be useful as erosion control for slopes and banks.  As an ornamental choice, Black Gum works well by providing beautiful foliage spring through fall.

In the spring the new growth is red tipped so the entire tree has an outer layer of color, adding a bright, interesting spot in a landscape. The autumn color is simply WOW. Bright yellows to reds will light up a landscape. This is when Black Gum shines the most – it is a stunner.  Read the entire article.



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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Newsletter - 7/1/14


View This Newsletter On the Website.



 Hello Dear Friends!

View Enlarged Image
Okay, Who Said I'm a Bit Chubby?
More Squirrel Photos
Another holiday weekend coming up.  I remember Fourth of July as a special time because of the fireworks.  We never cooked out, but we would always go where ever we could see fireworks.  They were magical to me as a child.  As was anything outdoors.

Teaching your children to love nature is a terrific experience for the whole family.  As each new member learns something else, it is shared and the knowledge base grows and grows.

You might have a wildlife garden where you can discover new things on a daily basis.  Visiting nature centers that have classes and trail walks is a great way to instill a broader base of knowledge.  Camping out in a state park, or renting a cabin, will give your entire family plenty of time to discover the wonders of nature.

What somebody loves, they will want to protect so it's an important foundation for children who may become our future naturalists, environmentalists, scientists or the many possibilities connected to preserving the world of wonder that God created for our enjoyment.

You will want to limit TV time and electronic gadget time, replacing it with outdoor play or even indoor learning about something in the natural world that is of interest to the child. Here are a few links for more information:

Inspiring Children To Love Bees And Nature
10 Fun Ways To Enjoy The Great Outdoors 
Teaching Our Children To Honor The Earth

On the topic of Creation which related to the environment ... there's some new findings. NASA and NOAA Now, in what might be the largest scientific fraud ever uncovered, NASA and the NOAA were caught altering historical temperature data in a political attempt to rewrite history and claim global warming is causing USA temperatures to move upward, when in reality the data shows we're in a cooling trend. (See charts and read more in the article at the Real Science website.

One night I stayed up to read and have some Jesus time and I heard something hitting the window.  Not an unusual sound since we have June Bugs now and the moths are also doing that, but it wasn't a June Bug sound and it would've been a huge moth if it was that.  So It got me interested.  The window in there is one of the really tall ones since it has a cathedral ceiling so it has a half-round window at the top.  When I got close enough I was so excited to find out that it was a Little Brown Bat. 

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Photo Credit: BatWorlds.com
I could see his face and cute beady eyes and those widespread wings.  He was trying to reach the light that he saw through the window which was directly ahead of where he kept bumping the glass.  What a late night blessing to have seen that.  We have a bat box up since we moved in, but no bats have ever roosted in it.  I found out pretty quickly that the main bat in this area is the Little Brown Bat and they like to roost in trees.  Bats are the only mammal that can fly.

Virginia has 17 of the 1,000 bat species in the world.  This is one of the most abundant insectivorous bats in Virginia. They are found in all forested regions.  The Little Brown Bat, along with the Big Brown Bat, are the species most likely to be seen in Virginia.

We see them at dusk flying about.  They forage about 10-20 feet over trees, lawns, water and pastures and may sweep down to get a drink from a water source.  We consider it a big blessing to have them in our habitat eating mosquitos since they can eat up to 3,000 insects a night.  An adult averages 3-1/2 inches long and wingspread is 8-1/2 to 10-1/2 inches which matches up with what I saw.

I know many people have grown up with a fear of bats because of lack of knowledge.  So many would say this cute little guy is absolutely ugly.  Well ... I guess there are others who say the same thing about spiders.  It's amazing how many people now have a fear of spiders after the movie, Arachnophobia.  But my next "cute little guy" is a spider but you sure can't tell it.

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Unusual Looking Spider on Front Porch Railing
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I was sitting on the front porch while Randal was scrubbing down the rails and posts and over where the rail ended there was a bug on the inside portion of the top rail. It wasn't even a 1/2-inch wide but looked quite unusual to me, so I thought the camera could get a macro and we could see what it was.

I've taken photos of these types of spiders before. They look like they've got armor on their heads with eyes peering out at whatever is above them. Maybe this is where we got the idea that mothers have eyes in the back of their heads.

God's creativity in His Creation is simply amazing and especially when it comes to man and woman.  He called everything else "good" but He called us "very good." 

One of the greatest differences between the Old Testament believer and the New Testament believer is the fact that we as New Testament saints are now the temple of God. The God of the Universe dwells in us, not in a building made of brick and wood, but within the very spirits of those who make Jesus their Lord (Romans 10:9). We must have a revelation of this within our hearts and mind.

If we had a real heart understanding of Christ in us and what He has done for us (Col. 1:27), our lives would be so different. Our actions and reactions to our circumstances would be far from what we see of the unsaved which is for the most part no different than the saved.

Photo: StuffJesusNeverSaid.com
You are the ultimate of God’s creation. He made an entire universe for us to enjoy and gave us promises that are received simply by believing ... but believing doesn't come simply if we don't understand and KNOW the love of God.

We were created for relationship so when we connect to God on an intimate level, we connect to all that He has provided for us before the foundation of the world.  The problem is that we've been told our sin comes between us and God.

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."  Acts 10:38

Jesus healed ALL who were oppressed of the devil, sickness is NOT of God.  Sickness is a result of the satan who seeks to destroy mankind spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Praise God Jesus Heals, for "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8).
 
God dealt with sin on the Cross.  All sin.  Past, present and future.  Jesus isn't getting back on the Cross to forgive sins.  All sin was placed on Jesus.  Now God is no longer reckoning sin to us as 2 Cor. 5:18-19 says,

"And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and has committed to us the word of reconciliation."

The dictionary states that to reconcile means “to reestablish a close relationship between; to settle or resolve” (American Heritage Dictionary). God does the reconciling, and man is the one who is reconciled.  The English word “reconciliation” was translated from the Greek word “katallage,” and this Greek word means “exchange (figuratively, adjustment), i.e. restoration to (the divine) favor” (Strong’s Concordance). God took our sins and gave us His righteousness. What an exchange!

Some people can’t accept this because they know themselves and see the bad things they've done.  They know their thoughts.  But in your spirit, if you are born again, you have been reconciled to God. Whatever God’s Spirit is like is what your born-again spirit is like. Praise the Lord!

Our spirits are reconciled to God, and now we have to reconcile our minds to what the Word says about our spirits.  The way God was able to reconcile us to Himself is that He didn’t impute our sins unto us. He imputed our sins unto Jesus (Romans 4:22). The payment for sin had to be paid and the Father sent Jesus to pay for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:2).

Photo: StuffJesusNeverSaid.com
Just like He created the trees and plants to reproduce on their own, gave the earth the right air mix for them and us, had all the details in place for us to live and for life to go on. He's not creating trees after each one dies. He considered all our needs from healing to finances and provided for them.  We get hung up thinking our sin keeps us from God.  If so what was the benefit of Jesus' payment on the Cross?

Our attitudes would change towards ourselves (condemnation) and others (judging) if we understood how important we are to God. If we understood the meaning of the Cross, The Power of the Cross, we would begin to see how God looks upon us.  In the New Testament, He chose the name Father for us to relate to Him.  What a term of endearment, and actually it's Abba, Father.  Abba means Daddy.

"So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when He adopted you as his own children. Now we call Him, "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15

Addtional posts on His chosen name:
Abba, Daddy, Papa and God The Father
Our Abba Daddy

Abba, Daddy, Papa and God the Father
All of our emotions could be comforted by the reality of Christ's love for us. So much love that no matter what happens we can run into His arms and be totally comforted. Connect to this reality of who you are through this audio entitled, Valuable You, by Clint Byars.

Have a blessed time with the Lord this week,
Donna

P.S. Anything in here that might help somebody you know?
Here's a link to the online version of this newsletter:  
www.thenatureinus.com/2014/07/newsletter-7114.html


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