Do you have pecking chickens? – 4-14-2022
One of my chickens is a little mean to me. When the hen sees me stepping into the part of the coop containing the egg nesting boxes, it will start hissing and making sharp cries at me. My other chickens act the opposite. They will coo and cluck softly as I check them for eggs. They allow me to pet them and scratch their chests and necks.
I try to talk to the hen who is having a fit with my presence, but I have little success. As I reach towards her, she will strike my hand with her hard beak. I believe she is not a mean chicken. Instead, I think she fears me. She is not protecting the eggs like a “brooding chicken will do.” Why does this bird strike out at me, I wonder?
This hen grew up together with all the other chickens, so why is this one different? Maybe it’s because of the trauma she suffered when she was younger. That is when that possum entered the coop and killed one of her sisters. This may even be the chicken that the red-tailed hawk tried to haul away last summer.
Maybe she’s jealous of the attention I give to Gertrud instead of her. I have given this some thought over the days, for when she pecks you, it hurts. However, this chicken just wants to go its own way. It desires to live by its rules. So even though I provide this hen with protection, food, and water, the chicken does what it wants, including the rejection of my hand and help.
I could whack this chicken and make it into a nice dinner. However, I feel a responsibility toward her. I committed to taking care of her without considering how it felt towards me. Maybe she will change her heart over time and allow me to pet her someday. I do hope so.
We have relationships like this within our families. We may have a child, brother, sister, or even a father and mother that rejects us for no apparent reason. What can we do for our actions and words seem to have no effect in reconciling the relationship that has gone wrong?
The gap you may have between the one you love or care for may only be bridged by understanding the whys of this break in trust between you and them. Humble yourself and seek answers you can act upon. As many of you know, prayer can change things, including other people’s hearts. Seek the Father for the answers you need.
Our heavenly Father had a similar problem with humanity itself. Our sinful nature would not allow Him to have the relationship He had created us for. To mitigate this, our Father sent His Son Jesus to Earth to pay the price for our sin.
This Easter, know this truth. His followers found the tomb to be empty. The Father’s Son had risen from death itself. REJOICE, and again, I say REJOICE! Our Savior now sets upon His throne and intercedes for us before the Father. Jesus, our Redeemer, has paid the price for you and me. We have a new relationship with the Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit through this saving act.
Happy Easter to you all, and Be Blessed!
Peter D McPheters
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Do you feel everyone is getting a little odd? – 3-16-2022
Alaska in March. The locals and the Winter over-stayers often become stressed by the long months of cold and snow. The days have become longer, and we all appreciated the sun on our faces as we went about our daily tasks. However, we hungered for warm breezes and a day of not wearing enough clothes that made us look like shuffling penguins. We desired to see the end of snow and ice. Bright green wood’s and flowing water is what we needed.
March is closer to the end of the Alaskan Winter, but you are still not there. We often would start acting a little odd. Taking risks traveling long distances over icy roads for no real reason. Snowmobiling, going into places we shouldn’t have. For some, it was an excuse to drink and eat too much on a regular basis.
We were aware of our unsafe behavior we just did not care to control it.
I am seeing similar behavior among neighbors and people I meet during the day in Mississippi. Especially while driving around town. People are just not thinking. Taking more risks than ever as they drive. I believe it’s not the Winter’s lasting touch bothering people but the war in Ukraine and the uncertainties that surround it weighing on people’s hearts.
It is a tough time for people seeking answers to why such a war is being fought, how bad it will get, and will it involve the rest of the world. These thoughts often stir up anger, fear, and sadness.
Gas prices, inflation hitting food costs, house rents etc… is a large concern as well. Having to cut back on spending to make sure basic needs are met for a family is not pleasant.
The only comfort I can find lies in the bible and prayer.
The bible reveals the truth of man’s heart. How men and women will fill their hearts with hate, jealousy, and wickedness instead of love and mercy one to the other? This is our time not to be as our flesh tempts us to be.
As believers in Christ, we are called to show what we were created to be. We are to be full of grace and mercy to those we meet each day. This will help others who suffer from fear and loss of hope during times of stress. I fall short of this, but I know what I should be doing and I pray for a change in my own heart.
We live in a broken world. We often face difficult situations and pain that appear to have no answers. Still, we can rest on God’s Word and the firm truths found within. If you’re seeking answers in hard times, speak these encouraging bible verses over your life. These verses are for you today and every day after.
1. 2 CORINTHIANS 1: 3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
2. ROMANS 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
3. PSALM 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
4. ISAIAH 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
5. 1 PETER 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
6. JOHN 14:27
Peace, I leave with you; my peace, I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Spring is here for us in Mississippi. Let us embrace the new green leaves and warm sunshine. Let our hearts not be troubled, for He hears the cry of His beloved and will be with us all the way till we are home with Him.
There is a great need in our world for those with hearts of mercy for others. Pray for those in need around you.
Peter D McPheters
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What makes your heart burn? – 2/22/2022
I was facing a dilemma. My hens were laying less and less with each passing day. I was concerned that the cold had stopped the girl’s laying ability altogether. The chickens were putting all their energy into staying warm versus creating and laying eggs. I was flummoxed on what to do next. I tried to increase their laying time by installing a light in the coop. But the hens stayed out in their chicken-run up on the rafters. Which was unfortunately outside of the newly installed lighted area. No joy with this idea.
However, by chance, I met a fellow chicken lover and enabler. What he shared with me was a little different. When his chickens became cold and slowed down their laying, he gave them hot pepper flakes mixed into their feed. He assured me it does not harm them. They do not feel the heat in their mouth as their tongue and sensory glands do not respond the same way as ours do. They only feel the heat in their body after they consume it.
So, I have tried it with the girls. Egg production has increased measurably, but not dramatically. We will see what the impact is.
I started thinking about what makes me burn in my stomach or brings me heat. I know Indian curry can do this with me to the point of sweating. I expect that is the reaction the chickens have as well.
A bible verse popped into my head as I was thinking about heat being generated within my body from an outside source.
Luke 24:32 – And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
How wonderful it must have been to have the risen Savior share scriptures with you. The Lord may have revealed the words they needed for their walk ahead in life. To embolden and comfort them all at the same time. I love hearing how their hearts burned as he spoke to them the word of God.
I recommend if you have needs and burdens, praying to the Father and His Son is always a wonderful way to go. But, to help strengthen your faith, read the words of God. The bible gives us the answers we need to deal with temptation, attacks from others, or our own fears.
Psalm 91 is a good chapter to go to ponder upon. It has sixteen verses that speak to how God is your refuge and your fortress in life.
Everywhere you read the words, I, me, and you in Psalm 91 substitute it with your name as you read the verses. This will help remind you of the personal relationship you have with the Father.
The chickens may burn from the heat of peppers, but your heart will burn with the Father’s wisdom and love for you each time you read God’s word.
Be Blessed and do well for others. There is a great need in our world for those with hearts of mercy.
Peter D McPheters
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Are you finding it hard to function today?
Fishing and hunting are over for the moment as the deep cold has ended even the most committed sportsmen or hunter-gatherers. The spring salmon are still far away, swimming and feeding in the North Pacific.
An icy silence has fallen upon the frozen lands of central Alaska.
It may be hard to believe, but in central Alaska, even with the worst of the cold, people desire to live as normal a life as possible. People are the same all over. We will overcome adversity, whether it’s from the environment, the people we deal with, or even from the failures of our own bodies.
One of the most exciting events during an Alaskan winter is sled dog racing. The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race is a top event held in Feb of each year. I was able to witness this event twice. It was amazing to see the start of the 1000-mile race through the harshest of environments. The dogs were the most exciting. They could not wait to race. I took this picture below when the temperature was negative forty-four degrees. The dogs and drivers could have cared less. The race was on!
Watching the start of the race was great fun for all of us who watched it.
It was dark by five o’clock and it was time to go home. We had a one-hundred-and-ten-mile trip back to the base to drive. I went to start the car in the parking lot we were using. I was halfway across the lot with my car in sight when my feet suddenly pointed to the starry night sky.
I lay on the ice for about three minutes, considering if I had broken anything. I told myself that I was all good and returned to my feet.
Once again, I tried to defy gravity, and I failed. The third time convinced me to crawl to the car. I could not maintain any sense of control on the ice. I hoped no one was watching me when I remembered the webcam for Fairbanks shows the parking lot. (Click on the link below). I hope I gave someone a good show.
https://www.newsminer.com/arctic_cam/
As the saying goes, “That was then. This is now.” Today, with all that is happening to you and your family from higher costs, work interruptions, COVID mandates, etc., etc., it is hard to function with any of the past’s normality. Life for many of us has become a lot harder.
The devil and his associates are trying to take full advantage of the travail that humanity is going through. The devil will do what he can to have you live in a state of helplessness.
The same feeling of helplessness that I went through on the ice may be what you are feeling with the turmoil that surrounds you.
Helplessness is just the beginning. The devil wants you to live in fear of what is coming next. He would have you give up on those you care for and yourself as well.
Remember, the devil is a liar. Only God knows what is coming next in your future. God will be there waiting for you to help you with whatever issue or problem you may have.
Thankfully, the Bible speaks about how to overcome the devil and his hunger to destroy you and the ones you love. His words tell us to have faith in Him. To trust in Him:
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
God wants us to live a life of joy of freedom from fear. Seek Him when the devil comes against you.
He knows your heart and your needs. Call out to Him for the peace you need.
Be Blessed and do well for others. There is a great need in our world for those with hearts of mercy.
Peter D McPheters
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Who is interceding for you?-12-10-21
Every night is the same at my house. As soon as it is dark, my two dogs start whining to go out. The chicken patrol is ready to go. I
grab my flashlight and coat, and start making my way across the yard to the chicken coop.
The girls are on their roost, and I do my evening headcount. Meanwhile, the dog’s Lady (my German Shepherd) and Dixie (my Australian Shephard / Border Collie mix) are looking for rats in the coop. Unfortunately, the rats are attracted to the chicken food in the feeders. Between the dogs and me, we have made short work of the rats.
The chicken patrol – ready to go
After the rat hunt is over, the dogs shift into patrol mode. They have not forgotten their primary duty. They race together into the woods behind the coop and start running their security circle, barking as they go.
They are searching for possums, raccoons, foxes, and coyotes, all the usual suspects. If they cross one’s trail, they will stay in the woods barking and running about, hoping to find it.
The dogs are very attentive at night, even when in the house. If the chickens start crying out, the dogs commence barking and
demand to be let out to deal with whatever predator has come after the hens in the coop.
The dogs are the chicken’s intercessors against those that would devour them. Yet, the chickens just ignore the dogs and
show no sense of gratitude for what they do for them. I remind myself; they are just chickens. Kindness and appreciation are not a typical attribute given forth by a chicken.
I consider humanity not being much better most of the time. We have no excuse as our heavenly Father has placed within us all the emotions our hearts can handle. But, unfortunately, we as people are often focused only on our self-serving needs. Humanity struggles against the Father to this day.
Christmas is coming, and it is a reminder of what the Father has done for us to redeem us back to Him. He sent his Son Jesus to be born in earthly flesh in the little town of Bethlehem in what is Israel today. Jesus grew to be a man and preached His gospel of salvation for three years. He was then crucified and raised from the dead by His Father who had sent him. Even now, Jesus intercedes for us every day before the Father. This is so that we would be saved from eternal death. The word tell’s us:
Romans 8:31-35 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (32) He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (33) Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. (34) Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. (35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
I pray you recognize the gift of God’s Son from the Father to you. Consider how we have been redeemed through the sacrificial blood of Jesus. Let us sing a song of praise of thanksgiving to Jesus and the Father during these days of Christmas celebration. Let us recognize the gift of eternal life that has been freely given to us. The Father wants us to be with Him forever in heaven.
I pray your family, and friends will be Blessed by the Father during this Christmas season. Share His love for you with others you meet along the way.
Be Blessed and do well for others.
Merry Christmas to you all!!!
Peter D McPheters
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So, Are You Becoming Weary? – 11-24-2021
My sister-in-law saw a young coyote crossing near the property the other day. I am sure the scent of the chickens was bringing the varmint in. Hopefully, my chicken pen will keep the animal from getting to my hens. These cold nights have stirred up all the predators. They are hunting for easy calories to fight off the frosty nights of fall.
I have noticed my hens are eating extra food. The cold seems to make the girls drink more as well also. They know what they need to do to fight against the hard winter days ahead. Fatten up!
Gertrude is being unique again. She always meets my expectations. Gertrude has taken up residence in one of the laying boxes. I am not sure if it’s any warmer, but she thinks it is. Gertrude is not hurting the other hens, so I leave her be. I think she is one of my chickens who has stopped laying. I never find eggs in her box, so Gertrude is not brooding on any eggs. Hopefully, Gertrude is still paying her way by eating bugs in the yard and the surrounding forest.
I wonder if the other chickens pick on Gertrude, or if it’s the other way around. She may be the one doing the harassing. She always seems to be the first to water and food. Hopefully, she will fit in better with the other hens as the cold pressures them to rely on each other to stay warm.
The Creator, our Heavenly Father, gives the animals the knowledge needed to survive drastic changes in severe weather, hot or cold. Wet or dry. Thankfully, He has given us the Bible and the Holy Spirit to guide us through the daily worries we may face.
As I read His word today, the verse that strikes me is- Psalm 3:3.
Father God, I praise You, Lord, because you are a shield about me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high when I am weary and despised.
We expect the society we live in now to reject us and demean us for our beliefs. As we walk our path as Christians, the stands we take are often misunderstood. Those who live according to the flesh alone often attack people who try to live a righteous life. This is how things are today, and we need to grow stronger in our spiritual life to deal with it head-on.
It is harder for us when those we call friends or family do the same to us as normal society does. The Father knows what you are dealing with. His word speaks to His understanding of your situation, and He will intercede for you. Call out to the Father for His justice in your life.
The word weary moved me in the above verse. In my far past, this was how I felt when struggling with my self-worth, when I felt rejected by others I respected. I was weary, to the point my bones were heavy within my flesh. I was losing hope and felt alone. I prayed for help and wisdom to deal with my situation, and He was faithful.
His word reminded me I could trust in Him. He provided me the peace and wisdom I needed to understand my failings, but also, those who called me a friend I could now see were not at all. So, it was best for me to move on. Hopefully to develop relationships with those who honored the Father.
That is the benefit of attending a church where you can be with like-minded people. They can encourage you in your daily walk. Most of all, you will feel the love from His son Jesus through the members of His church.
He knows your heart. Call out to Him for the peace you need.
Be Blessed and do well for others. There is a great need in our world for those with hearts of mercy.
Peter D McPheters
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How do we know what is truth?
Winter is no longer coming to Alaska; it is here. In central Alaska, just past the Alaska Range, the cold has set in. A deep quiet has fallen upon the woods. The animals are asleep, waiting out the long passage of winter. Now and then, a small branch may break from snow and cold, but otherwise, the stillness is unbroken.
The starkness of the landscape compared to the lush beauty of the long daylight hours of summer is dramatic. It is an unforgiving environment. The winter does not care if you meant well, and you just wanted to see what the cold was like. It will kill you mercilessly with no compassion as it drives cold into your bones until you give up your life.
Walking about these inhospitable lands, one must remember you are living in another world. Your spacesuit is the layered clothing, goggles, boots, and gloves you must wear to endure it.
Nevertheless, the icy beauty of the landscapes stirs up feelings of wonder in the traveler’s heart, whether it is young or old.
Long before the Russians and later Americans came to Alaska, the Inuit were living in Alaska. This rugged land became their home. The ecosystems they found there shaped their culture. They learned quickly to adapt to the weather and the extreme difference between the summers and winters.
Food was abundant for these early intrepid explorers. They did not tame the lands they discovered. They became aligned with them instead and spread across the vast inland regions of Alaska.
In the frigidity of winter, most tribes would move to warmer coastal regions where food was still abundant.
The religion the Inuit followed had a lot to do with the setting surrounding them. I am not here to explain their faith and criticize it. However, I would say the Inuit are a very spiritual people. They understand that there is more to life than what we can see in the world that surrounds us.
Traditional Inuit religious practices include animism and shamanism. Today many Inuit follow Christianity, but traditional Inuit spirituality continues as part of a living, oral tradition, and in contemporary Inuit society.
A sight that those of the far north often witness in winter is the Northern Lights. What makes them different from any other metrological event you might see is how the lights appear alive to the watcher. The shimmering lights appear to carry intent in their actions.
The moving sheets of green collapse and expand, descending to earth to touch the observer. They come and go during the long nights with green, light, yellow, and sometimes red colors. Words cannot express the emotional impact one has after seeing an extensive showing of the lights. The watcher often feels insignificant compared to the beauty and magnitude he or she has witnessed.
I understand how the Inuit would consider such demonstrative displays were of spiritual creatures filling the night skies.
I am thankful that I have the word of God to tell me clearly what the truth of matters in this world is. He has taught us we are not to worship His creation. However, we can respect it and praise Him for its beauty and power that is still ongoing to this day.
The word tells us:
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
With the word, we can discern what is spiritual and what is not. So, we should read the word every day to help us know the truth in our life. If you are unsure where to start, pray about it and ask the Father to show you.
My quick thoughts are: One place is the book of Psalms. Reading a Psalm every day will help you see the personal relationship He desires to have with you. Reading the book of Genesis, the book of beginnings gives one insight into the people God reached out to become His. You will see how these people of the Bible were NOT perfect and how He still desired to redeem them and make them His own.
Read the books of the Gospels. The Gospels include four books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Here you will see Jesus’s sacrifice and His love for you.
Finally, three more books. The books of Acts (The Acts of the Apostles) Hebrews, and Romans. Here, you will find the bedrock to build your faith upon and see God’s plan revealed ever deeper.
But again, you should go where the Holy Spirit prompts you to go to meet your spiritual needs.
Be Blessed and do well for others. There is a great need in our world for those with hearts of mercy.
Peter D McPheters
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Is it best to be first or last?
For chickens, it seems it’s always best to be first. When I open the coop’s
exit door, a cluster of five hens will make a run out the door and across the
yard. They cannot wait to get to where they can find the sunflower seeds fallen
from our bird feeders.
Gertrude is one of the first runners, of course. She always sprints the
hardest for the seeds. When the stragglers show up, Gertrude fusses at them and to bully them away from the seeds.
They ignore her and pursue the black seeds that fall
from the sky, like manna.
In the end, they all get what they want and even more than what they need.
Some of my chickens are still not laying. At least three or four hens have
stopped. There is a way to check their bottoms where their eggs come out. If
the egg orifice (vent) is shrunken in size, the chicken is no longer laying.
I have decided not to cull out these nonlaying hens. Instead, I treat them
the same as those who are laying.
They all eat the bugs on my property, and they make me happy. So I will keep
them as my pets, whether or not they lay eggs.
Thankfully our heavenly Father does not regard us as chickens and does not
see us as His pets. His love for us is much deeper and personal. His desire to
bless us is unbounded for those who love His Son.
Jesus shared the parable below with His disciples. It is a perfect example of His love for us.
They always remind me of golden bowling balls with tiny legs a blur as they race across the lawn. Their fat little bottoms waddling as quick as they can go. They cannot wait to clash over the seeds they find.
The rest of the flock trails behind, but they find plenty for all once they catch up. It is funny how some chickens know there is no need to hurry, while the others must be first.
Gertrude is one of the first runners, of course. She always sprints the
hardest for the seeds. When the stragglers show up, Gertrude fusses at them and to bully them away from the seeds.
They ignore her and pursue the black seeds that fall
from the sky, like manna.
In the end, they all get what they want and even more than what they need.
Some of my chickens are still not laying. At least three or four hens have
stopped. There is a way to check their bottoms where their eggs come out. If
the egg orifice (vent) is shrunken in size, the chicken is no longer laying.
I have decided not to cull out these nonlaying hens. Instead, I treat them
the same as those who are laying.
They all eat the bugs on my property, and they make me happy. So I will keep
them as my pets, whether or not they lay eggs.
Thankfully our heavenly Father does not regard us as chickens and does not
see us as His pets. His love for us is much deeper and personal. His desire to
bless us is unbounded for those who love His Son.
Jesus shared the parable below with His disciples. It is a perfect example of His love for us.
The Parable of the Workers – Matthew 20:1-16
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 About the third hour, he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 ‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.
He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
6 About the eleventh hour, he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.
7 ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
So he told them, ‘You also go into my vineyard.’e
8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’
9 The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came, and each received a denarius. 10 So, when the original workers arrived, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.
11 On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’
13 But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
I believe the above parable reveals His heart towards those who have repented and believed in His son, Jesus as their Savior. He desires them all to come into heaven. Not because you have earned your way, but because the depth of love the Father holds for us is unmeasurable. His grace and mercy towards us is an outward expression of this love. Rejoice and Be Blessed in all that you do in the days ahead. Peter D McPheters Please share this post with those whom you feel would enjoy reading it. If you desire, at the very bottom of this post, you will find a place to enter your email address. Then, all future posts are automatically sent to your email account for you to read.Fall is here. Can Winter be far behind?
Fall and Winter are almost the same in central Alaska. It just becomes a matter of severity for those who experience these seasonal changes.
Weather today for Delta Junction, AK shows a high of 33 degree’s and a low of 14 F. With snow showers coming tonight. The daylight hours are shrinking. Every day, six and a half minutes of visible light are stolen away. The rate of light deprivation is increasing rapidly, bringing its stresses to all that abide upon the soon to be frozen landscape.
The animals of the far north have given up on the Summer. They no longer are on a continuous search for food to fatten up to fight off the cold. It is now too late.
Most of the birds have departed as well. The black-winged ravens have stayed though and are still flying about. Contrary to the other animals that are hiding from the coming winter, they are always on the hunt seeking food.
The cycle of life is ongoing within the fast-flowing rivers of Alaska that feed into the seas and oceans.
The summer salmon adults have finished spawning and laid their eggs. Soon the tiny salmon fry will hatch and feed on the decaying bodies of their parentage. Come Spring the little fry will start their trip to the ocean to preserve their species by feeding and growing in the deep ocean of the North Pacific.
The Creator has put within his creatures the wisdom to survive, even in the severest of cold of central Alaska.
It is a time of waiting in the North for the animal kingdom. For some a time of sleep. For others, a time of saving energy for the hunt of scarce food in the frigid weather.
When I would walk, the cold ground covered with its light covering of snow, I would remember the past summers adventures. However, your mind quickly shifts to the coming Spring and what will come again.
New life in the Spring. A land restored to a young, fresh and growing glory. The power of creation revealed before your eyes. It is wonderful to observe and experience. These are the words of praise that come to mind as I look at the cold lands about me:
Oh, taste and see, the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Psalms 34:8.
The animals can only depend upon themselves to survive the harsh days ahead. The nights of 60 degrees below zero without the nourishing light of the sun.
We have our Father who helps us through our hard times, the times of emptiness, the times of need that never seem to be met. He is faithful, and full of mercy for those who love His son Jesus. We can put our trust in Him forever.
look to Him in your days of want and cry out to the Father and Be Blessed by your relationship with Him.
Peter D McPheters
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