Things That Creak, Groan, Wiggle, Howl!

Picture is of those noisy pipes.This morning I saw a BIG mouse on my back deck. As usual, during the fall and winter months the mice come to raid the bird feeders. I am thinking this mouse probably has brought mousie friends over by now too. As I walked along the back deck (to see if my son was down at the shop) this mouse ran right along beside me just as if he was my puppy! I had my sandals on and bare feet under those so I felt totally vulnerable. SHOO!

It's been getting colder at night and I've heard different noises. The heating pipes have been creaking and groaning as they move the hot water to heat our house. While I was playing games the other night the pipes in this rooms closet started to make louder noises. I stood up and moved away, watching the pipes and wondering if they were going to explode.

My husband was sleeping by then so I quietly crept into our bedroom and gently tapped on his foot - enough to wake him but not enough to wake him. If you can understand that ---we must have a lot in common! He lifted his head and I quickly said, "The heating pipes are making strange noises!" He says, "Yeah, I will check them tomorrow." He turned over and tried to go back to sleep. I went back to my computer.

My game induced reverie was rudely interrupted when the pipes now sounded like they were not only creaking and groaning but now were also wiggling? AND getting even louder too. Again, I stood away from them - never know but they could possibly burst and spray me with hot water, I thought to myself. This time, Doug got up quickly and came in to check on them. He fiddled with them a bit then ended up shutting the heat down and quietly said something about the in-floor heating gear going bad? Or a seal? Or something that is in a bad pump? I don't remember, whatever it was - it has to be fixed.

Sometimes noises that I don't understand or know where they are coming from can kind of give me the creepies. These creepies can be spiritual, the enemy of Christ's heirs (me) would love to keep me in fear, but I don't have to be afraid. I have Christ in me, He has defeated all the enemies of God, including fear. I am so thankful - as I used to be a very fearful person, afraid of the spirit-world.

Last night as I played (later than I should have been) I heard a loud howling. It was not Chevy (my big dog) and I can't believe that it would have been Chewy (my little dog), now I am thinking that maybe ----it was that BIG MOUSE!!!!

This morning, I've informed Dougie that he needs to do some serious mouseketeering.

Here is something you may be interested in and want to do:

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1: 37

This is the verse at the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church which will be happening on Sunday. We need to be in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ who face increasing persecution in other lands. Read more about them at Mission Network News and be in prayer everyday for them. Sunday, November 11, 2007 has been a day set aside to be in prayer specifically for them. We are so blessed in USA to be able to worship God freely. May God help us to be good stewards of His Word.

"Imagine Christians in Bhutan, Sierra Leone, Finland, China, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Germany, Cuba, Venezuela, Australia, Belarus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Uruguay, Denmark, Sweden, USA, UK, Vietnam, Laos and many, many other nations praying together — not only for the persecuted church but with the persecuted church. Surely this is a day pleasing to God himself when his children unite in love and prayer." Johan Candelin, Global Co-ordinator, IDOP.

Christian's in persecuted worlds have seriously decided and have chosen to follow Jesus Christ, the Truth. They will do so - even to the point of death, something that no people ever want to face. They have overcome fear to cling only to Christ and many will face death for their choice.

May God bless and strengthen them and fill them with joy unspeakable. Someday we will meet these strong followers of Christ and their families. Right now, we should be praying for them every day. Read the news from persecuted churches at Mission Network News and pray while you do.

Marriage Monday - Submission

Submission, is it a dirty word?

Submission in the Christian family structure is beautiful. Submission cannot be a dirty word in a Christian setting. I have read the passage in Ephesians and love the word picture of Christ loving the church, us. If all relationships were filled with the Holy Spirit, it is not a difficult thing for a woman to be submissive towards her Christian husband or even another Christian. To submit in such a loving relationship is like watching the give and take of a windmill in the wind; the sand sliding on the beach, ever changing, but remaining the same as the ocean rolls; the clouds dancing to the highs and lows of the atmosphere; a flock of chattering birds following the edge of the lake; a well-trained dog on a leash. Beautiful. It is no wonder that we are encouraged to do so. When done properly it is like poetry and what a testimony to the Savior that we know.

Hupotasso --- hoop-ot-as-so the Greek word for submission --in an ungodly situation ---ends up with a woman jumping through hoops for an a*****e! Excuse the awful word-picture definition - but that is exactly what I imagined when my lips formed the pronunciation that e-Mom has posted on her Marriage Monday blog. Perhaps I have seen one too many times where a Christian woman has married an ungodly man that I have to say - in this place - that woman will have a horrible life as she jumps through hoops trying to please him with his ungodly demands, his ungodly ways.

Christ and the Church and submission. This truth - lived out vividly for me through the husband I have been so blessed to know and love for 34 years. He is the one that taught me - he should love me like Christ has loved the church. "Christ died for the church," he's said so many times. (Many times I have probably made him feel like he was dying too! Sorry Husband.)

We, as the Church, submit to Christ. Christ loves us and it's not difficult to say yes to Him. I, as Doug's wife, submit to him. Doug does not demand me to submit. He does not ask me to submit to him by doing stuff for him, or to have dinner prepared and hot for him when he gets home from work. He does not ask of me anything - but I do like to do things for him that I think that it would make his day great. It is the same as when we want to do the things that please Jesus Christ. There have been situations when my heart said... be quiet, listen to him, he has the final word. You know what? I totally trust that his decisions will be best for me, because he loves me! I see that submission can be a rest to me by leaving those decisions in his hands.

My heart aches for the Christian woman who has found herself in a situation where to submit will include continuing physical and emotional abuses, not only towards herself but also her children. These women have, either knowingly or blindly believing themselves to be loved, married an ungodly man. In these situations, submission is a "dirty word." Why? Because this woman's life will include submitting to the dirty things of this world which her husband has not given up.

I don't believe a Christian woman has to stay with an ungodly man - but that could possibly be another subject for another Marriage Monday.

Check out the other Marriage Monday Blogger's that have posted blogs on submission by going HERE.

Maggie

I am so happy to say that Maggie was moved out of Alaska. I worried about her whenever I would see her at our twenty-five acre Alaska Zoo. It is too cold here during winter for her. When an ol' girl gets cold ---- IT HURTS!!! It? Yes, it --- or everything hurts. I can only imagine a girl that is not endowed with fur would be in bad shape since she was meant to live with sunshine. (Maggie came to Alaska from Zimbabwe, Africa as a baby.) Now she does live in the sun!

Also watching Maggie's every move were Ruby, Seventy-One, Mara and Lulu, four African elephants living at PAWS that everyone hopes Maggie will eventually bond with. KTUU Alaska's News Source.

I watched the evening news with tears as they loaded Maggie into her specially built crate and she trumpeted. Thankfully the Air Force stepped up to help move her after her caregivers finally decided to let her go. Maggie made her journey successfully to sunny California on Doug's birthday, November 2. She is now getting settled in. The PAWS organization will be reimbursing the Air Force for all costs incurred from moving Maggie, which are estimated to be between $200,000 and $300,000.

To all those who made her move successful, including the active supporter of animal rights, Bob Barker, THANK YOU. Mr. Barker came up to Alaska to visit Maggie and with his promised $750,000.00 contribution towards "Operation Maggie Migration" his generosity has helped to make her move even possible. Today I joined the thousands that screamed this during his long-running (35 years) television hosting of "The Price Is Right," (Mom's favorite CBS television game show)--- "I love Bob Barker!"

30 acres for Alaska's elephant, that's more land than our zoo even owns. We will miss her but - wow! Thirty acres with nine other elephants she will get to know. The only thing I've read negative about this move is that Maggie does not like the artichokes, which they have a lot of in California.

I am so happy for Maggie. Yes, we will miss her when we visit the Alaska Zoo, but then for Alaskans .... California is not that far away to visit and ---it's warm down there too! Read more about Maggie's move.

Here is a video of Maggie's journey.

Alaska had another elephant that Maggie (African elephant) hung out with before. Her name was "Annabelle" (Asian elephant) and she passed away in 1997.

Live a long and warm life - Maggie!

Halloween At Our House

Awww, they were all so cute but tired by the end of their adventures. Enjoy!