I grew up with a mom who loves birds. She grew up on a dairy farm, one of twelve children - she spent lots of time outside. I'm sure that has something to do with it. She decorates her house with bird pictures, she has bird feeders all over her backyard, and she knows her birds!
I married a man who read the encyclopedia for fun while growing up. Seriously. He also spent his childhood outside, exploring the woods for much of that time. He knows trees, flowers, critters, bugs, and definitely, the birds.
Somehow, I remained immune to all of that.
It's not that I disliked birds, not at all - I just simply had no interest in them. Kenny would point one out to me and say, that's a "whatcha'ma call-it spotted jigama-thing" - at least that's how I heard it. And I'd say, "Oh, that's nice." I just wasn't into birds.
A few years ago, that started to change.
From February 5, 2010 -
Heard a bird singing outside my window this morning, just as the light of day was beginning to dawn—going from dark night to early, early morning gray—and the bird started singing. Heralding the new day. Praising its Creator. Should I not do the same?
February 11, 2010 -
The song of the bird as the dawn breaks,
Is a call to worship, as the bird praises its Creator;
I have nothing to do with it;
The created praises its Creator;
But I get to hear the song.
February 14, 2010 -
The bird calls to me, draws me in, makes me want to know why he’s singing, Who he’s singing to.
I should praise my Creator and Savior—has nothing to do with anyone else—but others will hear the song—and want to know why I’m singing, and Who I’m singing to.
Birds -
Just felt like gifts of God—gifts of His grace.
- In the car, leaving for church—saw several birds fly up from our front yard—one of them was huge compared to the others—had snowy white tail feathers, I think it was an eagle
- During Sunday school, out the window, over the trees—huge brown bird, soaring—right in my line of sight
From that point on, I started paying attention to birds.
June 15, 2010
What is going on with birds lately?
Sitting in dining room, saw something out on the porch (outside the screen) - it was blurry, didn’t have my glasses on—put them on—it was a big bird, a really big bird, perched on the railing of the outside porch—light-colored (Ben said light brown), big tail feathers—looked so out of place perched there on our porch. So wished I knew more about birds—again! Turned to get my camera—when I turned back around, it had flown off. We saw it flying from our yard to the neighbors, and back and forth—then disappeared. When Ben described it to Kenny—he said it sounded like a hawk. Really cool—thank you, Lord!
February 22, 2011
Yesterday—very, very difficult day—somewhere in the afternoon, kept saying, over and over…“I will not give up”, “I will not lose heart”.
Thought of verses…"do not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season you will reap if you do not grow weary…” “therefore, we do not lose heart, for though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day…” “Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe in Me.”
Today, I’m still saying it… "I will not give up”, “I will not lose heart”.
Saw a flock of birds this morning, heading north I think—I guess it’s time for them to start heading north, but there’s snow on the ground. They don’t seem to care. Even though it’s still cold, they’re heading into where it’s even colder—because they know, instinctively, that spring is coming. There’s no sign of it, not today—yet they’re flying north. I think there’s a lesson there on faith.
Jesus said, “Look at the birds...look at the flowers of the field…”
God said to Abram, “Look at the stars…”
- We are to learn from creation
- Creation indeed tells of the Creator
- And yet, it is by faith (Hebrews 11:3)
December 21, 2011
There’s something about birds...there’s a connection there between me and God anymore…every time I see a bird fly by, like I did this morning...it seems as if it’s a message from God Himself. He controls His creatures...He reminds me of His love and care and steadfast love through them...He reminds me that He’s there...He’s watching...He’s taking care...
Christmas this year (2012) was a real turning point. Kenny gave me a bird feeder, and hung it off of our side porch, right outside the kitchen window. It has been amazing. The amount and variety of birds that it has drawn are just amazing. Every day is like a nature show right outside my kitchen window! And this is where my new interest in birds "dovetailed" (sorry, couldn't help it) with my longtime interest in photography (that's another story - photography, tremor, and Deep Brain Stimulation)...and behold, a bird fanatic is born.
I'm learning so much about birds - identifying the ones that come to our feeder and all the trees surrounding it. At first, it was very difficult - you have to pay attention to every tiny detail! And to find the birds in the trees, to get a picture...you have to pay attention, look for movement...train the eyes to spot the birds, and pay attention to shape, colors, beaks, feet, how they fly, etc...
And now I find myself wondering what each bird sounds like. It all started with the blue jay. There are at least three blue jays that live in a huge tree on the other side of our neighbor's house. I love them - they are so beautiful. They've flown around in the trees in our yard before, but I couldn't wait to get a closer look at them, and pictures of them. They're finally starting to come over more often, and the other day I heard a very distinctive bird call. I looked out the window, and there was a blue jay on the porch roof! (Our bedroom just happens to be right above the bird feeder.)
This morning, well, no need to reinvent the wheel - here's what I wrote in my Bird Journal this morning. Yes, I'm such a bird geek now that I have a Bird Journal.
January 26, 2013
- upstairs in the bedroom this morning, reading the Bible (had already done a logic puzzle and crossword - reading the Bible involves more than just the brain - involves the heart, soul, and spirit!) - heard what I thought was the call of the blue jay - looked outside the window - at first, didn't see him, but then there he was on the edge of the roof - right above the bird feeder! I think I've got the blue jay sound down.
- Then there were two blue jays on the roof - and then, one more flew over from the crabapple tree...three blue jays! That's the most i've ever seen at one time.
- just beginning to learn the bird sounds, like the way they look - heard a bird sound up in the bedroom that was different - that stood out - wonder what kind of bird that was...learning to discriminate the sounds, discriminate the traits...training my eyes to see, training my ears to hear...changing, learning, growing...
There's another lesson there -
"And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 'Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;'...'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'" (Mark 4:2-3,9)
"So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, 'Give glory to God; we know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner.' He then answered, 'Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.'" (John 9:24-25)
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