Week 45: Hanging In There!

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the

crown of life 

which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12)

This captivating photo intrigues me.  How can such a huge tree survive and grow with all those exposed roots simply hanging there and stretched across a vast cavern?  Branches sprawl out like so many bony fingers grasping for life along the beach cliff.  It's twisted trunk mimics the human body in the throes of a long jump. Indeed it's been shaped and redesigned by its environment.  Redesigned by hardship - wind, rain, earth - yet . . .

I'm struck with the sheer raw beauty of this tree - so vulnerable, yet stronger than most to survive the harsh reality of its environment.  Survival . . . erosion . . . triumph over adversity.

I'd like to think that we can all endure, persevere like this beautiful tree.  Fraught with struggles, people and circumstances trying to thwart our progress, our purpose, our hope, our families, our very souls - too many times I feel like giving in or giving up.  Yet . . . this tree clings to life, even seeks life out and goes beyond reason and science to make a way. Am I making a way when there seems to be no way?

Strong roots yield a spectacular crown of life . . . lush greenery, vibrant life, an example to all to persevere, to cling to hope, to strive for joy!

Never give up.  Life is fragile.  Joy is constant.

The crown of life is promised to those who love Him and persevere.

"Say What? Who Me?"

"Yes, you!"

Giraffes are an interesting lot. This little guy's tongue is 18" long! He loves acacia leaves and he can eat 75 pounds of them in a day. And as you will see in a bit he really craves large Kansas weeds. He can drink up to 10 gallons of water in a day and has four stomachs much like our neighbor - the cow. He has a large, loving heart at two feet long and 25 pounds and it pumps about 16 gallons of blood every minute! He has the highest blood pressure of any mammal on earth and that wonderful heart beats 170 beats per minute. Amazing facts for the elegant giraffe. He is definitely one amazing creature. And learning all this now reaffirms what I experienced at the Topeka Zoo on Saturday.

It was a close encounter of the long-necked, curious kind. This little guy (if you can call him "little) entertained Brinna & I for quite some time. Watching his languid movements and his inquisitive, friendly ways was a real treat.

Watch & learn . . . persevere. Show a lot of heart. All the best things are within reach if we just have a little faith. Those expressive eyes - trusting - confident - steady. So full of faith and heart. Just another example of God's magnificent hand in every part of His creation.

If you want to read more about giraffes - I recommend the book Tall Blondes by Lynn Sherr - still in print and available on Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Tall-Blondes-Book-About-Giraffes/dp/0836227697. They are truly amazing animals.

Lenten Experiment - Day 11 (A False Sense of Peace)

Friday & Saturday have been an adventure in patience and perseverence--the larger than life "P's." While I'm not reticent to reveal all the details of the past 48 hours, suffice it to say that life's always full of fun & interesting challenges. And, life can be very messy and crumbly.

And, I'm sooooo glad that God places people in our lives who show us joy and love despite ourselves. Isn't it grand how God does that?

He even places 10-pound, spotted dachshunds in our lives to humble us, to bring us a good laugh every now and then, and to teach us that there's more to life than a spotless house, a well-ordered day and, well, just about anything else I can think of that spells "the perfect life." As you can imagine, that little phrase doesn't fit my life very well and I'm sure it doesn't fit most any of our lives too well if we're really honest with ourselves.

There they are - my three little angels (or three little musketeers)begging to be let in at the back door. I LOVE dachshunds - from their independent spirits to their loyalty and cuddly natures, I have been hooked since I received my first dachshund when I was six years old.

They are comics through and through. And, when they are sleeping their angelic ways can lull you into a false sense of peace--believing them incapable of any infractions.

However, their mischief-makin' ways are legendary and the last three years our family has discovered that our youngest little piebald short-hair named Suubi is definitely full of shenanigans. If meat or any delectable treat is on the kitchen counter, I've seen her jump as high as any NBA star - at least proportional to her 10" off the ground. Her vertical leap many times exceeds the 36" counter height. While she has never had success with stealing a bite from the counter, she has come close - it's like she has springs for legs. She tends to find more success with food left on the dining room table or somewhere nearer her field of scent. Dachshunds are scent hounds and let me tell you this girl can smell - I've never seen anything like it.