Record breaking rains in our part of Colorado! 8.12 inches in the month of May broke the all time record for May and for the wettest month, period. We have streams and ponds where there were none and might be breaking the drought!!! Wild flowers should be super this year!

PRAISING ADONAI

My new book, Praising Adonai, will have a release date in late June - the publisher will be doing a wonderful pre-release sale in mid- June - stay tuned for a great hardback book full of Colorado photos and praises to the Lord Jesus Christ!!!

Springtime in the Rockies, the Iris War

 

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

My iris need water and fertilizer so I am braving the winds. It is 46 degrees after being in the 60s over the weekend, those rascals on our online weather “channel” are saying an inch of snow this afternoon, more overnight.

I glance over my shoulder to see the snow capped ruggedness of Pike’s Peak against the cerulean sky filled with puffy white clouds. Looking down, I see my tulips in yellow and flame finally blooming in spite of the weather forecast. Contrasting with the tulips are the brilliant purple hyacinths and two toned yellow daffodils.

Then I see what I have feared since we live trapped one of our two rabbits a day ago. Nimrod, the hunter I am married to humored me buying a “live trap”. We caught one of the bunnies and transplanted him about five miles away in a lush field with some rocks and a culvert for hiding places. With one down and one to go, I could only dream they were both boy bunnies. As I get ready to water my flower beds, I now realize my grave mistake. There is a tiny little heather gray little rabbit looking at me with great brown eyes. It is the size of my open palm. I am thinking kitten, only this is no feline. This is an iris munching herbivore with huge front teeth. Oh, no, maybe both of our “guests” are female.

Some things I consider vermin. It doesn’t bother me in the least to dispatch them with a shot gun. Now before you have a tizzy, let me remind you I am referring to the Richardson ground squirrels better known as “picket pins”. They dig tunnels under the concrete which supports our propane tank.  A couple more holes and splat-boom the propane tank would hit the ground possibly blow up. These squirrels carry bubonic plague in nearby Colorado Springs. They are so prevalent that they run all over our roadways. You see them flattened every few feet this time of year. They eat their own buddies who have been run over and look like rats. OK?

Back to the bunnies, notice I am not referring to them as rabbits. Our orange tabby was that size when we brought him home, he fit in the palm of my hand. I am getting all misty eyes thinking of Hooney as a kitten relating that to the bunnies. Not good. I glance over at what used to be a healthy iris leaf and is now a nub. Whose side do I take, the flower or the bunny-rabbit?

I have called Nimrod “Happy Father’s day honey, we have more bunnies!” We are both thinking out loud. “What if we relocated their mother? How will they survive?” Hum, judging from the looks of the garden they seem to be learning really fast. No one else has gone into the trap to get those apples either since our first catch.

Then I see another little one. How do I know I am not seeing the same rabbit twice? This one is smaller than the other. Oh, no. Now I am pretty sure they are both females, hence the difference in size of the babies.

I look at the ponderosa pines across the road, dark green, swaying in the wind, exuding peace. My tummy is tied in knots. I close my eyes seeing our five acres bounding with bunnies. Did I mention we also have a jack rabbit. The other night at dusk I saw a huge critter loping across the yard and wondered if some neighbor’s dog was out, no, the gait was strange. Oh, my goodness, look at those ears! It was like a small kangaroo. I could see my iris garden going in one night with him around. Yes, all rabbits are HIM until I sadly find out otherwise.

Back to those babies, I have now seen four of them. They scurry back into the fenced propane tank area. I catch one going into cardboard tube with some rubber matting material wrapped on it. Hum, about twelve feet long and eight inches in diameter, great bunny warren, bet Mick, ah, Nimrod is going to wish he’d stored that in the garage.

Well, we are going to have our work cut out for us. We didn’t buy the live trap so we could exterminate the bunny clan. What is next on the agenda, how to catch those babies, the other mama and reunite them with our exported Mama Bunny.

BAM! Nimrod is home. No it wasn’t a bunny, he got one of those pesky ground squirrels. And to think I thought springtime in the Rockies meant fertilizing my iris. Sigh.

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved... you may always repost something of mine so long as you list me as author...

Love is Calling

Back up, back off, and see the wonderworking power of the Lord Jesus Christ on your behalf today, tomorrow, and right through the calendar. Are My ears too deaf that I can’t hear? Is My arm too short that I cannot reach? Not in the least. You are precious in My sight – I have plans for you – I delight in you – I set you free and want to RUN with you through meadows of flowers and on your daily path. Come run with Me.

God hears. God hears us! No busy signals, no appointments needed 24/7. He holds us in His arms and blesses us, and they are more than available, we are precious to Him. Yes, we can run with Him and run after Him; let’s stop running from Him, and let’s put Him first in our day.

Psalm 18:6

“In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.”

DIGGING DEEPER

Read the following scriptures. Before you run out of the door, sit with Him a few moments and hear what He is speaking to your heart this morning.

Mark 10:16

Song of Solomon 1:4a

Numbers 11:23

1 Peter 3:3-4

Isaiah 43:4

My commitment:

Prayer: Your love for us, Your children, jumps off the pages of Your Word. You draw us closer and closer to Your heart. Lord God, we Your people are Your heart. My head is shaking slowly in disbelief yet how can I not believe when Your Word speaks this love repeatedly. There is nothing we do, it isn’t earned but You give your love so freely. Thank You! Amen


(C) marijo Phelps all rights reserved - use giving proper credit only.

Stormy Blue - Adding Another Cat to the Household

 “Yes, we are looking for a blue eyed Himalayan sort of kitty. OK where can we come and see him?” I was on a pay phone at the library and this lady didn’t live too far away. The plan was to get a kitten so the “old lady kitty” could stay young.

“Honey, she said we could come and see him but they aren’t even showing him yet because he isn’t “socialized”, my voice was showing the excitement of finding a blue eyed “baby”.

We got in the truck and drove over to Lois’s home. “Have a seat in here and I’ll bring him out”

We both looked around. There were cats and kittens everywhere, in chairs, on sofas, on bookshelves and there was one older dog looking like a misfit. “But I was here FIRST,” his expression seemed to say.

“Here he is, can you just smell the fear on him, I had to get him out from under the bed with a vacuum cleaner wand.”

The only “fear” I smelled was, for lack of a better word, Tom cat pee. He was a five month old cream short haired Siamese type kitty with seal point markings and startling blue eyes. As Lois handed him to me, he grabbed my knee with both his claw-paws and clung tightly.

He really was not what I had in mind, being a short haired cat, but we stayed and listened to his story.

“You know the blizzard we had several weeks ago? Well, someone dropped him and his two sisters off at the vet’s on Friday, outside in a kitty carrier. By Monday morning they were nearly frozen. The vet couldn’t even get their temperatures to register on a thermometer.” Lois began to tell Elisha Blue’s story to us.

We were there about 45 minutes and the kitty finally calmed down and fell asleep clutching my knee in his claws. He might have settled but I was still sitting at attention and very alert. Even asleep his claws didn’t relax. Oh, my knee.

We told her we’d call her either way in a couple of hours to let her know and left her house.

“Well, what did you think? What would we have to pick up today if we were going to take him home. Oh, I just know you liked him and those incredible blue eyes.”  Hum, seems like my husband was in love with a cat.

“I don’t know, I really wanted a long haired Himalayan type kitty.”

“Oh, did you see the way he sat in your lap? We wouldn’t have to get too many supplies, would we?”

By that time we were on the other side of town going to hike in the mountains and there was a Pet’s Mart. For some reason the truck was turning into the parking lot all by itself, I am sure.

My hubby’s idea of cats when we married was “the only good cat is a DEAD cat…” He’d come a long way in 12 years but I could tell this kitty has captured his heart. Why, I didn’t know but decided, once again, to let him pick our feline companion.

“OK, guess we aren’t going hiking, maybe I should tell Lois so she doesn’t give him another home.”

“ I just KNEW you loved him the moment you saw him!” was hubby’s reply.

“Actually, he isn’t really what I had in mind,” by now my protests were subdued and we were inside Pet’s Mart.

Back to Lois’s pet rescue house and she put the partly grown kitten into a box for us to transport him home. We decided to let him out in the master bathroom.  Our older cat needed one more shot and three weeks to develop immunity before she could “meet” the new addition.

“OK, honey, the door is closed I am going to let him out.”

There was a flash of fur and the little guy climbed – straight up the wall in the corner and was hanging from his claws and the sheetrock.

“Whoa, guess this is a little more upsetting for him than clawing onto my knee…”

My husband is a builder and this was a “spec” home we were living in, the bathroom was 17 feet long and a great place for our blue eyed boy to calm down and get adjusted. We cleared out most of the items from the linen closet and placed a German shepherd sized cage in the closet  bottom complete with litter box, rug for a bed, water and “crunchers”. Up top we left a pillow and some toilet paper rolls and a few other soft bathroom things on the shelves.

When we were in the bathroom Stormy Blue (as we renamed him) scurried for the shelves of the closet behind the pillow and toilet paper rolls. We knew he came out when we weren’t there because food disappeared and the litter box was being used. For which we were mightily thankful!

“Let’s get one of those jungle bell balls and roll it across the floor for him”

And we’d each sit at opposite ends of the bathroom and roll that ball back and forth.  One night he actually came off the shelf and onto the top of the dog cage to watch.  That’s as far as it went.

Stormy got so he’d play with a “swizzle stick”, the wand for cats with mylar shreds on one end.  You had to have a toilet paper roll between you and him and put the stick through the roll first. No direct contact with that cat. I did put on leather gloves and take him out to sit in my lap several times a day… and we repeated the clawing onto the knee routine.

A week went by and then two without him coming into the bathroom proper while we were in there.

He really perked up when he heard the thumping of the swizzle stick and would be ready and alert, behind the toilet paper roll, wanting to play. If you tried just the stick he’d run behind the pillow and hide.

What other trauma must this beautiful boy have endured before we rescued him?

About 2 ½ weeks after bringing him home we were on our tall captain’s bed. I had the kitty wand and began thumping it as my husband and I talked.

“Don’t move! Stormy Blue is on the floor in the bathroom!!”

Pretty soon the little guy came running across the bathroom floor and the carpeted bedroom as he jumped up with us. The kitty wand swizzle stick had become irresistible and he was actually on the bed chasing the stick and playing. Nowhere in sight was that toilet paper roll!

Mitzi, our older kitty would stick her paws under the bedroom door with much hissing and growling.  Stormy wanted a friend and we never heard a hiss come out of his little mouth.

Finally came the day to place Mitzi in an enclosed area and allow Stormy to explore a little more of the house. Oh, the stealth, and caution but he made it to the living room and sniffed all over the place.

“Well, maybe it is time for them to meet face to face….” My husband, always the brave one.

The living room seemed like neutral territory. Mitzi was posturing and fluffing and puffing and hissing and growling. Little Stormy said nary a meow and just sat looking at her.

Several days later the only thing which had changed was that Stormy went up to her trying to touch her with his paw.

Mitzi was having none of this partially grown kitten and four months later was still smacking him to the ground when he got too close and speaking only with hisses and growls.

We’d gotten Stormy to keep her young and she looked like she was ready to have a heart attack.  Stormy had come a long way but her continual rejection was not helping him to settle in.

What could we do? We called Lois and found another blue eyed baby to play with Stormy. After Katy Dancer came upon the scene Stormy had a buddy and Mitzi had her peace and quiet once again but she never did get her house back.

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved.

My Reigning Ruler

My Reigning Ruler

Month of March

Full of lions

Gusty gales

ROARING, raging

No lamb laying

In mountain meadows

Golden grasses

Frosted freeze dried

THE LAMB lives

Lord within me

Master mighty

Healer of heart

ROARING, raging

Not empty wind

Savior reigning

O’re me, my sin

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved. Use with proper credits.

Have You Ever Broken God’s Heart? What is Sin?

Have You Ever Broken God’s Heart? What is Sin?

What comes to mind when you hear the word “sin”? I found some notes in my Bible and am sorry to say that I don’t know who the speaker was. Those notes were so good it prompted me to study and write this article.

When I am writing or speaking I most often use the phrase “breaking God’s heart” for things that are sin. Why? Because I think it gives an apt word picture of what our not-so-good choices do to God. He loves us so much that some of those choices we make do, indeed, break His heart.

Webster’s says sin is “to violate the divine law by actual transgression or neglect, An offence in general; misdemeanor, to violate human rights, law or propriety; to transgress. To do or commit wrongly.”

Strong’s Concordance has the familiar “miss the mark” and “trespass” for the word used in Romans 3:23

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. There are definitely other definitions of sin, sinner, sinned etc. found there also.

Have you ever been around a person who is all wrapped up in him or herself? Selfish SELF rises to the top in capital letters. Everything revolves around them. They are scheming and angling to make that so. Contrast that with someone who is all wrapped up in God, their Father, who has special plans for their life and time here on earth. Which one is more encouraging to be around? Which one gives you a glimpse of Jesus? Which one do you enjoy spending time with?

The essence of sin is building life around or all about one’s SELF. Sin draws us away from God and into rebellion then unbelief. Unbelief basically makes God a liar in the eyes of the unbeliever. If that person doesn’t believe Him then His promises aren’t true.  I wonder if the person filled with unbelief ever considers that maybe they haven’t grasped truth and reality, that maybe they are incorrect in their conclusions?

Sin could also be exemplified by an inner feeling of “wrong”. Our conscience, our heart and the Holy Spirit all do a good job, even when we are very small, of letting us know when we have crossed over that line. Yes, a person can choose to harden their heart and that seems to be hand in hand with rebellion. The choice is ours.

Hebrews 3:15

while it is said:“ Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Sin is simply putting something else before God.

Many times it has been explained as missing the target or missing the mark. Those who shoot rifles, pistols, arrows or even sling shots can relate to this good word picture.

Our sin against God leads to alienation and separation from God, not because He leaves us but because our actions and choices as a sinner made it so.

God is love, perfection and holiness. Why would we chose to be distanced from Him? He is perfect love who came down to die on that horrible cross for you and for me. He was perfect and holy enough to be able to offer Himself in that way giving us His righteousness. All we need to do is ask.

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That is great news, I frankly can’t think of any better news to share today. If you are separated from God because of your choices why not take care of it right now.

Payday is coming and you have a choice: Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I implore you today to choose life. The liberator has come and he wants to set the captive FREE. How do I know? Because He has truly set this captive free!!

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved. Use with proper credits.