As it was in the days...

Luke 17:26-30

26 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will also be in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

And likewise, we today eat, drink, marry, buy, sell, plant, build...so it will it be in the day that the Son of Man is revealed.

2 Peter 3:10-13

10 But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise; and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Spurgeon on Unbelief

One of the reasons I so enjoy reading Charles H. Spurgeon is that he is able to say in a few sentences what I would want to say and would take paragraphs to articulate. While reading from "Finding Peace in Life's Storms" (1997 Whitaker House) - based on Col. 1:27, I was blessed to find the following:

"The Bible does not praise unbelief nor present motives or reasons for cultivating it. Experience has not proven that unbelief gives strength for life's battles or wisdom for life's complexities. Unbelief is a close relative of gullibility. Unlike true faith, unbelief has a tendency toward being led by the nose by any falsehood. Unbelief yields no consolation for the present, and its outlook for the future is by no means comforting. We find no hint in the Bible of a sublime land in the clouds where people who praise their own intellectual ability will eternally baffle themselves and others. We read no prophecy in Scripture of a celestial hall of science where skeptics may weave new deceptions and forge new objections to the revelation of God. There is a place for the unbelieving, but it is not heaven." (Italics mine)

As Al would say, that puts the fodder down where the calf can eat it.

Thank you C.H.S. and thank you, Almighty God.

millions...billions...tril...?!

Providentially, my next door neighbor has noticed a woodpecker who has claimed a dead branch of her maple tree for his/her own!! He has been rata tat tatting away for several days and has made a hole about 3 inches in diameter so far. Hunting for insects? Chipping out a nest??

These are very unusual birds, though they are found plentifully around the globe. They have an "industrial strength" skull, the heaviest/strongest in relation to their body of any animal. Their brain is super cushioned with cartilege (where do you think they got the idea for sports helmets??). Most of them have "industrial strength" beaks as well. They close their eyes between EVERY peck at the tree trunk - not to avoid getting wood bits in their eyes - but to keep their eyes from being popped out at each peck, by the force of the blow!! So they need to refocus after every peck. Amazing! They have two claws that face to the front and two that face to the back - they can climb up, down, upsidedown, sideways, you name it. Their tails are stiff and spread out when they are pecking away so their claws and tail form a strong tripod to support the bird. Neat!

Most woodpecker tongues are barbed, stab the insect in the hole, have a special glue at the end of the long tongue to stick to the insect. After the woodpecker has slurped the insect into his mouth, another special substance - a solvent - loosens the insect, so the bird can swallow the insect and not his tongue!!!

Finally, there is the European Green woodpecker and his amazing tongue!

Could even trillions of years make the reality of the woodpecker possible??

I have a wonderful video of my neighbor's woodpecker, but have been unable to upload for this post. Will keep working at it and hopefully post it later! Got the link for it, hope it works!