Sometime ago we lost our little Maltese to liver cancer, she was a couple of months short of her eighth birthday. It was sudden and we were left with a big hole in our hearts and our lives. Our first thought was “no more dogs”, but as time went on we knew that wasn’t what either my husband or I wanted, so we started looking around.

As we are getting older we thought about the possibility of taking a dog (rather than a puppy) from Pet Rescue. There are so many pets surrendered for numerous reasons who are in danger of being euthanized. Most are not cute puppies and many are old dogs whose owner could no longer care for them. Here in Australia we have many organizations who work with the R.S.P.C.A. to arrange foster care in homes for these animals until they can be placed permanently with owners who will take them and love them.

And so we found, Millie a four-year old female – I’ll let you decide the breed. She has a silky terrier head and a black and white fox terrier body, but is very cute!

Millie’s story was sad, coming out of a puppy farm where she was simply used for breeding. She was emaciated and neglected when she was first placed in a foster home. It took her time to get used to walking on grass! She was quiet when we first met her. Now she is a fit, happy, healthy, fun-loving little dog. She loves to explore the garden, go for walks and sit with us at night. Millie loves her food and lots of pats.

I’m sure her prayer to God her Creator would have been something along the following lines:

“Vindicate me, God, and defend my cause ….rescue me from the deceitful and unjust man.” Psalm 43:1 (Holman Christian Standard Bible). Puppy farming is a despicable practice! There is nothing good about breeding for the sake of making money without consideration of mixing breeds that may lead to genetic problems and charging a motza!

Just as we have rescued Millie from an uncertain future, Jesus Christ died to rescue us. It’s good at this Easter time as we celebrate the resurrection of Christ to give thanks that not only did Jesus die for us but He also overcame the grave that we may live and have eternal life. Not only will we spend eternity with Him, but He is always there for us through every trial during our earthly existence. He loves His children. He will hold us fast! He will never leave us or forsake us.

Happy Easter!

Marilyn

I love rainbows.

In the photo below we can see both ends of the rainbow. It’s a pity it was low tide and distance makes it difficult to discern all the colours of the rainbow.

Whenever I think of rainbows I can’t help but remember Kermit the frog singing the “Rainbow Connection”. As a mum and a singer, I used to sing it to my children when they were young. Take a trip down memory lane and see Kermit and Deborah Harry singing a duet on the Muppet Show.

Rainbows feature in the Bible. Not only did God use the symbol of the rainbow to strike a covenant with man, but a rainbow also features in the heavenly throne room.

“Look, for I am now going to make a pact, a special covenant, with you and all your descendants. This covenant also extends to every living creature in the world—the birds, the domesticated animals, and every wild animal on the earth—as many as emerged with you from the ark.  As part of this covenant, I promise you I will never again wipe out all living flesh by means of flooding waters. Never again will a flood destroy the earth.  As a sign of this perpetual covenant I now make between Me and you and all living creatures along with you, as well as all future generations,  I will hang a rainbow among the clouds. When that rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember this eternal covenant I have made with all living creatures.
Look for the rainbow, and remember My promise. With it I sign the covenant I have made between Me and all the living creatures residing on the earth.

Genesis 9:12-17 The Voice Version

Same rainbow – closer view of colors

How do we get rainbows? (this is the simple answer)
Rainbows are spectacular rays of color. Sunlight looks white, but it’s really made up of different colors…red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The sun makes rainbows when white sunlight passes through rain drops. The raindrops act like tiny prisms. They bend the different colors in white light, so the light spreads out into a band of colors that can be reflected back to you as a rainbow.

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-optical-illusions.htm rainbow

God is a great artist and loves color. Just look at the flowers and trees, sunrises and sunsets….

Even God’s throne in heaven has a rainbow around it.

Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.
Revelations 4:2-3

Someday we’ll find it the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me!

Blessings,

Marilyn

I love to listen to the wind! When I do I can’t help think of our awesome God.

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8 ESV)

My bed is between two windows which I have open on hot nights.

Our Summers produce some really hot weather and heatwaves. Currently we are going through one of these where our temperatures are 35 degrees plus (Celsius) – over 100 degrees in Farenheit. These are “the lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer” that lead us to craving for relief.

After a hot day or a series of them we are often gifted with a “southerly buster”.  We literally crave a southerly buster. These winds from the south are blustery, refreshing winds which usually eventuate at night or in the early hours of the morning.

One of Australia’s most celebrated poets, Henry Lawson wrote about just that – entitled “Southerly Buster”. Below is an excerpt.

Oh, the city is baked, and its thirst is unslaked,
Though it swallows iced drinks by the score,
And the blurred sky is low and the air seems aglow
As if breezes would cool it no more.

Old Southerly Buster! your forces you muster
Where seldom a wind bloweth twice,
And your ‘white-caps’ have hint of the snow caps, and glint of
The far-away barriers of ice.
No wind the wide sea on can sing such a paean
Or do the great work that you do;
Our own wind and only, from seas wild and lonely—
Old Southerly Buster!—To you!

You can find the entire poem on Poem Hunter.com

It is such a buzz to hear this powerful wind coming from afar.

The fearsome clouds gather in the darkness.

Then far away there is a lonely distant sighing. My ears prick and hope soars. Is it the southerly I hear? Within the space of 15 – 30 minutes the sigh becomes a moan. As it picks up speed the moan becomes a series of powerful gusts setting the leaves on the trees outside to rustle. A slight cooling breeze finds its way through my windows. Yes it is coming! And then in all its power the southerly buster arrives with a howl rushing unimpeded across the lake which is at the rear of our house and blasts through my window. Instant relief!

Sometimes this cooling balm takes the form of a strong cooling wind, other times it is gale force and may be accompanied by a severe storm with crashing thunder and forked lightning. At times there may be hail. These are times where you heart thumps in your chest and you begin counting the seconds between the lightning flashes and thunder.

Job describes it well in Chapter 37:1-6,11-12 (ERV)

37 “The thunder and lightning frighten me;
my heart pounds in my chest.
2 Listen to God’s thundering voice!
Listen to the sound coming from his mouth.
3 He sends his lightning to flash across the whole sky.
It lights up the earth from one end to the other.
4 After the flashes of lightning you can hear his roaring voice.
He thunders with his wonderful voice!

God’s thundering voice is amazing! he says to the rain,
‘Pour down on the earth.’
He fills the clouds with water
and scatters his lightning through them.
12 He orders the clouds to be blown all around the earth.
The clouds do whatever he commands.

It is as though God is making us aware of his power before he brings the cooling rain and provides the relief in temperatures. Everything cools like a refreshing wave of forgiveness as His mercy and grace wash over us.

Amazing!