Bye Bye Blackbird!

Sometime ago I came across an Australian Raven or Crow (as a lay person they are hard to tell apart, but for convenience I will call it an Australian Raven). It was sitting on top of the rubbish in an open garbage dumpster behind a shopping centre tucking into what was left of a bag of hot chips. Its feathers were askew, with his unkempt looking bunch of feathers at the throat and while it looked like it was enjoying itself the whole scene looked really evil. Especially when you hear their mournful cry (courtesy of YouTube) . Charles Dickens’s raven, Grip, who had an impressive vocabulary, appears as a character in the author’s fifth novel, Barnaby Rudge. Dickens found Grip inspirational.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150820-the-mysterious-tale-of-charles-dickenss-raven

However, since then I have been reading up on ravens and learned what intelligent birds they are, with a really big brain and the ability to reason. They are indeed very clever.

I was watching a fledgling from a family of ravens who live in trees on the waterfront in front of our home recently. He arrived with a large piece of bread, much too large to eat. IF he were to put it down, he would not doubt lose it to another bird.. So he sat on our fence for a time, thinking.

I laughed when he dropped the bread in our neighbour’s bird bath. I became very curious when he left the bread in the water, and sat patiently watching over it. What was he doing?

After a minute or two he began pulling the soaked bread apart into smaller pieces that could fit into his mouth. How clever!

He continued until the bread was totally consumed.

So I began having a read up on Crows and Ravens and was amazed at their intelligence. They are probably the most intelligent of birds. They were kept as a pet by some in times gone by.

I Also discovered that the amount of golf balls, (five to date that we’ve found in our garden) have likely been brought by ravens that regard them as eggs and drop them from the roof our home hoping the shell will break so they can eat the contents.

There are so many tricks they can do! Some have a number of steps they must work out for themselves to achieve their goal. They also show great ingenuity when it comes to nest-building. They have been seen pulling the rubber strips out of car windscreen wipers to line their nests and stealing letters from letter boxes to shred.

As I like to look for scripture about what I write, I was surprised to find that whilst ravens were listed amongst the birds we are told not to eat, that God used them powerfully.  In His Word,  He instructed the ravens to feed the prophet Elijah whilst in hiding.

• ^“So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan.  The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. (1 Kings 17)
  
• “Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp.
  ⁸ He covers the heavens with clouds,
  provides rain for the earth,
  and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.
  ⁹ He gives food to the wild animals
  and feeds the young ravens when they cry.” Leviticus 11:13

God compares His love and care for us to ravens and birds in general.

“Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!” Luke 12:24

As you start your day, give thanks to the God who loves you, and will never leave you or forsake you.

Blessings,

Marilyn xx

FRIENDS

I love this scripture. It is a lesson on how to treat and keep friends. 

Be merciful as you endeavour to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. ¹³ Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. Colossians 3:12-14 TpT

So often, rifts occur with friends. We take them for granted. We may over think things that have been said and take offense. Our spirit becomes overwhelmed with unforgiveness. We become sad and depressed as the poison of unforgiveness eats us up inside.

We can learn so much from Birds!

 You never see a depressed, miserable bird unless they are ill. Mostly they spend their time looking for food, hanging out with each other having fun, participating in the occasional territorial skirmish with another species who dare to enter their territory, finding a partner and having babies.

Our garden and bird bath attracts many species of birds. They are forever bringing us joy just watching their antics and interaction.

We have five species of the parrot family who pay us regular visits. They are exceptionally uplifting and full of fun. They are all different to look at, and have their own personalities and habits.

The Australian Corellas arrive in flocks or small groups. It’s all about fun, crowding each other, pushing each other out of the way – no manners here! But none of them appear to go off and sulk or withdraw.

They may go looking for seed until their turn comes to drink or do a trick on the clothesline or a branch. Nice one! Don’t try this at home!

Pink and Grey Galahs are very similar to the Corellas in size and features, bar their colouring and sometimes travel with them.

This one below was patient, as he was on the birdbath first, but happy to share with some lorikeets. Not sure the lorikeets would have been happy to share with him by their expressions.

Rainbow Lorikeets do not like interlopers. Noisy Miners (below) is just a baby. Noisy Miners are native birds who enjoy nectar from the red buds that ripen on the umbrella tree. The lorikeets love them too and there is much squabbling over them.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

This is my favourite, I call him Mr Cocky. He very manly and announces himself with a loud squawk  on arrival. He is a poser (very obliging with photos). He normally comes alone, although he does have a partner and two young ones he brought along at one time. Great comb!

 The last is the Australian Rosella who arrive in pairs. (Photo on previous blog).

God made us a little different, we have the ability to reason and have a free will. Because of this we are free to take offense over any slight, something that was said or happened. As a result friendships can become very volatile and when a friend moves on without explanaion it may result in much pain.

I found this on Bible Study Tools website.

It tells us:

• “Scripture offers much guidance when it comes to choosing friends.
• God knows our desire to be known and to be loved! He made us for companionship.
• If chosen right, our friends can be the greatest source of love, healing, joy, and encouragement.
• It also gives advice on how to forgive others when you are hurt and how to handle difficult situations within friendship.”

https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/friendship-bible-verses/

I suggest you take a look some time.

Sometimes we can have too many ‘friends’.  It’s nice to feel popular, but many so-called ‘friends’ are fickle and don’t stick around long. These fair-weather friends may vaporise when they chips are down and you never hear from them.

The Bible brings encouragement when this happens to you.

By yourself you’re unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round-up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 The Message (MSG)

Even  better when that third strand is Jesus standing in the midst!

I love this:

Some friendships don’t last for long,
    but there is one loving friend who is joined to your heart
    closer than any other!

Proverbs 18:24  The Passion Translation (TPT)

That’s what I call a friend! When Jesus is in your life, the Holy Spirit will always be with you bringing love and comfort.

Have a wonderful weekend.

God Bless,

Marilyn

and meet Millie our precous little rescue dog

This is my first post for a long time. Last year I was diagnosed with breast cancer which necessitated three surgeries in just over three weeks. Then there was a settling in with a drug which hopefully prevents the cancer returning. It all took time, but am back on track to share with you the beautiful creation which inspire me each and every day.

Looking out on the works of God’s hands every day and night is indeed a blessing. I feel forever in His presence.

Read the words of King David who describes it more beautifully than I ever could, followed by the words of Paul.

“God’s splendor is a tale that is told; his testament is written in the stars
Space itself speaks his story every day through the marvels of the heavens.
His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky, showing his skill in creation’s     craftsmanship.
Each day gushes out its message to the next, night with night whispering its knowledge to all.
Without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard, Yet all the world can see its story. Everywhere its gospel is clearly read so all may know.” Psalm 19:1-4 (TpT)

“….from the creation of the world, the invisible qualities of God’s nature have been made visible, such as his eternal power and transcendence. He has made his wonderful attributes easily perceived, for seeing the visible makes us understand the invisible.” Romans 1:20(TpT)

Every day I find inspiration in this beautiful place. The birds provide entertainment, the landscape an incredible canvas covered with amazing hues.

I find it interesting, how we as mere mortals follow the design of our Creator in the things we invent and build.

God created flying things. Beautiful birds, not so beautiful flying insects, although I do love the many colorful butterflies. Then there are bats and flying foxes  – although very fascinating and ‘cute’ in their singular form, not so in their colonies, as they turn the sky black, leave a terrible mess whilst feeding off the fruit on trees and do carry deadly viruses.

Living beside a lake I see many man-made flying things.

Aeroplanes – this one is a sea plane, landing far on the other side of the lake.

We also have ultralight aircraft with their colourful wings, soaring high above.

We’ve even had a drone on one occasion.

All these creationa have a functional and necessary purpose, but what I love the most is what God has made. The beauty and purity of His feathered creatures. So many varieties, so many colors, their uniqueness and grace. Below is a corella – so pristine. I think how much finer and graceful can the wings of angels possibly be?

The vivid colours of this swimming rainbow lorikeet, so rich! Colours man has struggled to duplicate.

An Egret, pristine and alert with a neck that unfolds and a long bill to fish with. He is rather ungainly with the long legs, he needs to paddle out into the lake. I’ve even seen these remarkable birds perched in the tops of sixty feet trees swinging in the wind!

And we have many, many black swans, amongst all the water birds and garden varietys who grace our outlook. On occasions we have been able to get a glimpse of the tiny cygnets closely guarded by Mum and Dad.

The phrase exists, ‘smell the roses’. I say ‘look closely at our feathered friends and be entertained by their behaviour and beauty, and see God’s creation, proof of His existence.

Enjoy the sunshine,

Blessings Marilyn xx

Singing up a Storm!

2017 has brought storms and wind to the Quiet Side of the Great Lake. Just about every day has been windy and one of the storms in particular was like a hurricane it hit with such force and created lots of damage.

I’ve noticed that when the storms loom, and they can be particularly scary our native birds seem to act in a less threatened way than we humans do. Amidst the heavy black clouds and rising winds, birds still call and sing, swans move toward the shore.

The storm we had last week was a particularly nasty one. I really thought we may see a dangerous water-spout from this one! Praise God we didn’t.

Then, as the wind rose, part of the lake literally turned black, it was one of the scariest phenomenons I had seen. Just as passengers are told in a distressed aircraft to ‘brace!’ We braced.

We have a family of Butcherbirds living in our vicinity. Dad, Mum and Junior. We have names for them all, Bill, Willie (Wilhelmina) and Little Bob. Here they are in more clement weather. Their birdsong and bird calls are beautiful.

Below is Bill, keeps watch over his family as they drink.

While the world was going mad with the storm bearing down on us, I could still hear Bill warbling in the trees with his adorable melodic birdsong, as if nothing unusual was happening.

Here I was praying for deliverance, and Bill was out there praising his Creator singing away. Oh for his faith, through trials and scary events! He puts his simple trust in his Creator to see him through, giving it his all, while I’m sending out SOS’s to God and making preparations for just in case”. Lord help my unbelief!

So here is what I learned from Bill and his family and only the psalmist can say it so beautifully.

Lord, you are my secure shelter. [I will not fear] My loving God, the harp in my heart will praise you. Your faithful heart toward us will be the theme of my song. Melodies and music will rise to you, the Holy One… I will shout and sing your praises for all you are to me— Savior, lover of my soul!

Psalm 71:1, 22-23 (The Passion Translation)

I will praise Him through the storms. When the Lord is with me, I will not fear, neither will I be shaken.

May your week be blessed, Marilyn

We’ve been having a heat wave in New South Wales. Temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius in some parts of Sydney. Up to 47 degrees Celsius in the west of the state, and 42 degrees Celsius here on the lake.

We really know it’s hot here on the lake when the Rosella’s come to bathe in our bird bath. Beautiful colourful little birds, they are also very shy and very wary.

When they come around there is often not even enough time to pick up the camera and focus before they are gone.

Usually they will just stop briefly to drink.

For them to stay and repeatedly and actually swim we know they must be hot!

As humans, the constant heat and humidity experienced in heat waves make us feel parched, dry and exhausted. But sometimes the same thing happens with our prayer life and our relationship with God. When this happens we find ourselves pleading:

“Now, Lord, do it again!

Restore us to our former glory! 

May streams of your refreshing flow over us

until our dry hearts are drenched again.”

Psalm 126:4 (The Passion Translation)

And Our Good, Good Father does not disappoint. Like the Word tells us:

“Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness,

streams flow in the desert.

Hot sands will become a cool oasis,

thirsty ground a splashing fountain.” Isaiah 35:5-7

Sadly as is usual at the end of the constant hot weather on the East Coast of Australia we often receive a drenching from the heavens as well. This one that arrived was more like a mini cyclone bringing down trees and washing away the ‘kingmaker’. The supreme perch. It was levelled, nothing left to salvage

However typical of our bird life the creative Egret managed to make the best out of a piece of debris left by the storm, which afforded him a perch even it was even just six or so inches above the water. The cormorant that had shared his previous perch (above), didn’t see the value of this small gift and hasn’t returned.

This reminds me of God’s gifts and,we so often miss the small ones, just as the cormorant did.

“Every gift, God freely gives is good and perfect,

streaming down from the heavens

with no hidden shadow or darkness.”

James 1:17 (The Passion Translation)

So as an old Sunday School song says,

“Count your blessings, count them one by one

Count your blessings see what God has done!”

Johnson Oatman, Jr., pub.1897

Marilyn

Sometimes I look out at the birds on the lake before me and marvel at the simplicity of their lives. Looking at it in regards to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, they never appear to transcend beyond the 3rd level. Their needs revolve around the necessities for life, food, water, shelter, safety, family and a sense of connection etc. The last two levels of Self Esteem and Self Actualization probably don’t apply. Or do they?

Over the past months we have observed an unusual happening on the lake.

My husband named it ‘the kingmaker’.

What is the kingmaker? Well, it’s just a bough that had broken off a tree and settled itself in the shallows on the edge of the lake. Just a piece of debris.

A Cormorant found it first. It was the ideal perch on which to sit in the sun, reflect on life and dry his wings. These birds fish by totally submerging under the water, so their feathers get very wet which compromises their flight. They need to dry out.

The other birds noticed the Cormorant on his perch, and came to check him out.

He appeared to sit there with great pride, cutting a dashing figure as he looked down on those around him.

“Why did only the cormorant have the privilege of standing taller than all the other birds? Why did he get to see so much further than anyone else?”

The ducks were curious.

Then came along, a young Great Egret. He was a tall bird and stood head and shoulders over the others, but he discovered you could see much further standing up on the perch. Better still, he was much higher than all those around him.

Then there came the Oyster Catchers to try out the perch.

But the Oyster Catchers didn’t have the right kind of feet to hold on, so they couldn’t ascend to the top perch, they could only stand on the bottom. Disappointed they left.

A duck had a try, but he too lacked the right kind of feet to be able to grip the perch, so he had to settle for standing on the bottom. There was no enjoyment in that.

So, it became a tussle between the Cormorant and the Egret. Who would be king and occupy the highest perch on the lake?

There came an altercation as the Cormorant posed on the top perch and the Egret stood on the lower branch. The Egret found even on the lower branch he was the king. No one was taller than him.

But he found he had no one to share his new-found fame with. No one really cared. So the Egret and the Cormorant came to the understanding they would share the perch. When it was free it was first in, first on. The ducks decided they didn’t really care, and the Oyster Pickers moved further around the lake as they were want to do.

So, I guess Self Esteem is not an issue – it was just pure curiosity.

The whole thing was nothing but a storm in a tea-cup!

Isn’t that what we find in life? We strive to be the best. To stand above the rest. To stand out. To be special. To enjoy the adoration of others. It’s called pride, another version of greed, wanting to covet things we don’t have. But in the long-term, pride lasts for such a short time and pride can bring us to a very lonely place. Ultimately we find we are really happier just being one of the crowd, being a part of the family, being accepted and valued for who we are.

I think we can learn from this little story. Jesus said: “What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?” Mark 8:37 (Message)

Jesus also said, “Be alert, and guard your heart from greed always wishing for what you don’t have. For your love can never be measured by the number of things you possess.” Luke 12:15 (The Passion Translation)

Blessings,

Marilyn

All photos are the work of the author.

AUSTRALIA DAY! THE GREAT SOUTHLAND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Yesterday was Australia Day! January 26th. The day we celebrate the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove in 1788. We turn out the bunting, Aussie flags, barbecues, fireworks, entertainment (ferry-boat races, concerts, hot air balloons etc.). Many of us dress up in our national colours,  but all in all its mostly a day of celebration.

This morning I saw Rosellas in my garden. So colourful! So vibrant! God certainly brought out his palette to paint these birds.  They are a work of art.

The Australian Rosella is one of our national icons. We all grew up with Rosella Tomato Sauce and on Australia Day with barbecues everywhere – there was tomato sauce a plenty, slopped on sausages, chips etc.

Australia Day is a day of giving thanks for our beautiful country and celebrating its history,

The chorus of the song written by Geoff Bullock entitled “The Great Southland of the Holy Spirit” reminds us of our heritage:

This is the Great Southland of the Holy Spirit,
A land of red dust plains and summer rains,
To this sun-burnt land we will see a flood,
And to this Great Southland His Spirit comes.

Australia’s birds are beautiful creations, and the Bible tells us we can learn from the birds.

“…..let the birds tell you what’s going on.
Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics.
    ….Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
    that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand—
Every living soul, yes,
    every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
    
Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom,
    that you have to grow old before you understand life?

“True wisdom and real power belong to God;
    from him we learn how to live,
    and also what to live for. ” MSG

Have you noticed how many birds hang around in flocks or groups? This too, is another lesson we can learn. You don’t see too many depressed and lonely birds when they are a part of a flock or family group.

I call our bird bath – the ‘water cooler’. It reminds me of the office water cooler where everyone gathers around, to swap news and chat.

This is what the Message Bible says about needing others in your life.

^” It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.
Share the work, share the wealth.
And if one falls down, the other helps,
But if there’s no one to help, tough!

 Two in a bed warm each other.
Alone, you shiver all night.

 By yourself you’re unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 MSG

If you are feeling isolated, find yourself a friendly church. Brothers and sisters in Christ care about each other. Loving God, leads to an overflow of love to such a degree it runs over into others. Jesus made is simple when He said:

“love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” Mark 12:30-31 MSG

Blessings,

Marilyn

Nature photos are the work of the author

“DO GOOD AND TO SHARE WITH THOSE IN NEED”

The residents of the Quiet Side of the Great Lake are used to sharing. By the name ‘resident’ I include the bird folk and creatures of this beautiful region.

The Bible tells us: …don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. Hebrews 13:16 (NLT)

Our palm trees have excelled this year. Many trees have at least one bunch of fruit and we have nearly one hundred palm trees in our garden – it all looks very tropical. But so many bunches of fruit! Ultimately the bunches will all be cut down, but in the interim the fruit is being slowly demolished.

In the early morning the Rainbow Lorikeets dominate the bunches. They come in pairs, and one guards from the top of the bunch while the other feasts on the fruit.

At the same time the little Noisy Miners attack the bunch from the bottom. Occasionally there are skirmishes, but it is all a part of the fun. As said in the movies, “no one was hurt in the process”.

At night, the flying foxes attack the tree, and by morning we have a lot of half eaten fruit all over the ground. If we shine a torch on the tree we can see them hanging upside down swinging gently in the breeze or upright feasting away on the fruit.

It’s amazing how God has engineered His creation to sustain itself!

We have a broken branch that sits on the edge of the lake. Depending on the tide and the wind direction sometimes it is surrounded by water, other times it is part of the shore. For months the perch belonged exclusively to a pied cormorant.

What is interesting is all of the creatures share unselfishly. Occasionally there will be a friendly skirmish between the Noisy Miners and Rainbow Lorikeets, but mostly they tolerate each other. The Egret and the Cormorant don’t challenge each other for the perch. They only settle on it when it is vacant. They don’t covet.

Today’s revelation? “……do good, ….be rich in good works…be generous and ready to share…..”1 Timothy 6:18 ESV

We can all learn something from this!

Blessings,

Marilyn

Photos are the work of the author

A MOTHER’S LOVE!

You may look at this photo and wonder about it. What is it? What is the subject?

Actually what looks like three feather dusters in a tree are three sleepy Australian Tawny Frogmouths. Some people call them owls, but they do not belong to the owl family.

Here we see two juveniles and the mother together. Mum is the one closest to the tree trunk. This photo was taken at dusk on a rainy night, where the whole family are cuddled up together for warmth and protection. Like humans their youngsters obviously feel secure with their mother. There is nothing like a mother’s love. It’s never-ending.

I like this quote: “A Mother thinks about her children, day and night, even if they are not with her and will love them in a way they will never understand.”

1 Corinthians 13 in the Bible says this about love:

“Love is large and incredibly patient.

Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. V4

Love is not easily irritated…V5

Love is a safe place of shelter. V7

Love never stops loving…V8″ (The Passion Translation)

These Tawny Frogmouths are a timely reminder of a mother’s love and patience.

Mum is on the right. The other juvenile appears to have already left the family unit.

Tawny Frogmouths are nocturnal animals and feed on nocturnal insects, worms, slugs and snails. Also small mammals, reptiles, frogs and birds. I had wondered what had happened to our noisy frogs!

The male and female participate in the incubation of the eggs. The male sits during the day, but both sexes share sitting at night. We can learn from the birds. It’s good to see the dad’s pulling their weight!

Watching the mother birds feed and raise their little ones is intriguing. They are great parents. I came across a quote which says: “A mother’s job is to teach her children not to need her anymore. The hardest part of that job is accepting success.”

I wondered how mother birds go from cuddling up to their babies to see them moving away. They are certainly not helicopter parents! Within weeks the babies will all be gone and the cycle will start all over again.

However this says it all: “A Mother holds her child’s hand for a while, their heart forever.” I wonder if their offspring visit periodically and if the mothers hold fond memories of their young. As a Mum you can’t help but wonder.

Blessings to all Mum’s today!

Marilyn

Photos are all the work of the author.

Just as God brings us into a new year (2017), the Quiet Side of the Great Lake is filled with new life, with an influx of baby birds! From first light every morning  the air is filled with chirping, squeaking, chattering baby bird calls.

Our resident Frogmouth (who looks like an owl, but isn’t) has had two beautiful babies. They seem to be about the same size as their mother (on the right) before we get to see them. The juniors are very fluffy. Mum has the look of a martyr. Feeding young birds of this size would be quite an exercise, especially when you’ve got to go hunt for it in small increments.

Below is the other fledgling.

Then we have a baby Butcherbird. These little birds have the most tuneful and innovative birdsong creating their own signature song.

Now this was an unusual shot. Australian Ravens (below) are rather scruffy looking birds with a rather dismal and plaintive cry. But this photo shows joy between a youngster and its mother.

There are also lots of young Australian Magpies chasing their mothers squeaking for food

and Noisy Miner chicks who squeak constantly.

“Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
    It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is!” Isaiah 43:19 MSG

God has great things in store for us all in this New Year. So I Wish you all a bounteous new year full of good things.

From all of us at the Quiet Side.

Blessings,

Marilyn

Photos are all the work of the blogger

The New Year Graphic courtesy of  Graphics Factory