Random

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On Wings As Eagles

Bald Eagle_BosquedelApacheNWR-NM_LAH_9465-002The bird was soaring far over our heads, so high that I could barely identify it, but its sturdy, broad wings and dark body sandwiched between a white head and tail gave it away. I watched the Bald Eagle as it moved effortlessly across the sky. I knew its “eagle eyes” were scanning the ground for prey—an unwary gopher perhaps, although it would prefer a fish. How could it stay up there so long? Didn’t it ever get tired?

The Bible talks about eagles—they’re mentioned 29 times. Of course, the eagles in the Bible aren’t Bald Eagles. Israel is currently home to nine species of birds in the “true eagles” genus Aquila, and two more hawks have “Eagle” in their common name. Who knows which bird the authors of the Bible had in mind?

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Mountain Plover Photography

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog for a word from our sponsor—my photography business, Mountain Plover. If you’re looking for a gift that can’t be found in stores, or you would like to decorate your own space, check out some samples below, then click over to my website, Mountain-Plover.com. I take great delight in capturing some of the beauty of God’s creation, and hope that my photography helps others to glorify Him as well.

I usually sell my prints and blank cards in person, either at a speaking engagement or at a one of the craft boutiques so prevalent this time of year. However, I’m also happy to ship greeting cards and matted prints anywhere in the United States. (Overseas? Contact me.) I’m still a one-woman production line, so please order by December 10 to ensure delivery by Christmas, although I’ll do my best if you order after that.

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Sick Thoughts

I’ve been unwell the past few days—a bad reaction to a new prescription preceded by either a worse reaction to another new prescription or a 24-hour virus. My mind has been off wandering aimlessly around some abandoned part of town while I got to spend 48 hours in bed, waiting to feel better.

Normally, I’d be giddy with the thought of spending some time lounging around, reading books I’ve wanted to read, with no responsibilities and no interruptions. But when every part of your body is on strike—my skin even protested the gentle spray from the shower, and more so the towel afterward—and the thermometer says 102.3, lying around loses its luster.

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Random Thoughts from the Interstate

It’s a long way from western Washington to central Colorado. Two days on the road. Twenty-two hours of actual driving time. Fourteen hundred miles (give or take a few). Pete wasn’t really on vacation, so I drove while he stared at his laptop worked. Since he was concentrating so hard, I didn’t want to distract him. No inane conversation. No comments on weird things we passed. No music.

I had a lot of time to think.

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Ewww, Gross!

Today I take a break from some heavy topics to settle an issue I’ve wondered about as long as I can remember.

For years as I was growing up, my mother cautioned me against perching my rear on a public toilet seat. It was unthinkable— you never knew who had been there before you. Why, one could pick up all sorts of horrible diseases!

This impression was heightened by those tissue paper toilet seat covers, available in all the finer public restrooms. Obviously, they wouldn’t be there if they weren’t needed for our safety. But they seemed so… flimsy. With my mind full of huge, anatomy-eating microbes, I wondered—could a simple layer of tissue really keep them at bay? Perhaps hovering was the better alternative.

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A Not-So-Extreme Makeover

While the rest of you have been taking it easy over the weekend, Pete (providing technical expertise) and I (providing “motivation”) have been busy. You’ll notice that a number of things have changed here.

Most obvious is the new look, courtesy of a new WordPress theme. (No, I’m not savvy enough to create this sort of thing for myself. Yet.) My Compost blog finally has a look in keeping with its name! We’re still working out some bugs—for example, my “Unreached People of the Day” feature is currently missing, and if you dig into my archives, you might notice blanks where photos should be—but things should be up to speed very soon.

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Four Facts I Learned Lately

Today I’m taking a break to share some things I’ve learned lately. I thought they were interesting. Perhaps you will too.

The World’s Population
We’ve all heard the statement, “Of all the people who ever lived, most are alive today.” It has just enough authority to it, just enough sense of “Huh, that’s interesting” that we all take it at face value. Well, I learned from a short article in the June 2011 issue of National Geographic Magazine that this is not true. As of this year, approximately 103 billion people have ever lived. And only 6.4% of them are alive today. Doesn’t that make more sense?

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Christmas Shopping Suggestions

Thanksgiving is over. While some of us have jumped the gun and started decorating for Christmas, Black Friday acts as the starting gun for the full-fledged marathon. We now have permission to hum “All I Want for Christmas” and other spiritual carols, erect plastic snowmen in our yards, and go shopping!

In general, I do not like to shop, especially for myself. I consider it a chore, not a recreational activity. But with our family’s birthday season in full swing and Christmas only a month away, I’ve been going outside my comfort zone—actually visiting stores and looking through catalogs. I have to admit, shopping for others can be pretty rewarding.

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Seeing Red

What do Minute Maid® or Ocean Spray® ruby red grapefruit juice, Revolutionary War British soldier uniforms, and Almay lipstick have in common? Yes, they’re all red. But there’s more to it than that. They, along with a myriad of other cosmetics, foods, and a few fabrics, all contain a red dye known as cochineal red or its derivative, carmine.

Almost everything these days contains some sort of artificial color. Some people avoid these dyes, while most don’t think twice even if they do happen to read the label. Even better, cochineal isn’t artificial. It’s a natural product that has been used for hundreds of years.

So just what is it, and where does it come from?

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It Must Be Nap Time

It’s two o’clock in the afternoon and I’m sitting at my computer, trying to order my scattered thoughts into a coherent blog post. I’ve been up since before six; we have plans for this evening. Bedtime is hours away. What I really want is a nap.

I’ve never been one for napping much. The problem wasn’t one of falling asleep in the middle of the afternoon. That was easy. The difficulty was waking up again. My college roommates used to go lie down for 15 minutes and come back refreshed and functional. When I tried to copy them, I’d be out for hours and groggy for the rest of the day. I wouldn’t really wake up fully until the following morning. That was not at all helpful for completing term papers or studying for exams.

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