It’s that time of year again. Over the weekend I was up in the attic getting down the Fall decorations. I got most everything put out on September 1st, but wasn’t finished with the front porch. (I know Fall doesn’t officially start for a few more weeks but I enjoy the change) There were still a few things left to put on the bakers rack on the porch, so I set them on the dining room table until I could get that done.
This morning I asked Ron if he would remove the dove nest that has been empty for a couple of months. The nest is where I put my scarecrow and with each season I always change the flowers in the pitcher. Ron went outside but came right back in and said , “The bird is back”. I was like, “Seriously this is the third time this year!” I had moved the bakers rack back to its normal place so I can’t see the nest from the window. When I went out to water my flowers, sure enough Momma Dove was back on hr nest. Geez! We might as well name our porch Nesting Dove Inn I accidentally scared her and she flew away. I figured I’d at least change out the flowers in the pitcher and put a mini scarecrow in there since my sitting scarecrow lost its spot to Little Miss Dove. Oh well, in a few weeks I can put out some pumpkins and I guess that will have to do for the Fall. Surely she won’t still be there at Christmas. But who knows….. she’s an unpredictable little thing. She does make my heart happy though so we will let her hatch her squabs in peace. It looks like there will just be one this go round.
God’s creation is a beautiful marvel. “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV) Apparently that includes raising more squabs. I can’t really blame the little Mamma. The weather has become so nice and comfortable. Happy September to you all! Be blessed Www.shannonkhinson.com
This is one of those spontaneous blog posts. I did not plan to write again this week. One blog per week suits me just fine. However, I wanted to share with you all some things that brought a smile to my heart. This morning I was so surprised when I opened the dining room blinds and discovered the mourning dove is back. There it was sitting in its previous nest. I was planning to clean the porch soon but I guess it will have to wait. I love that this little dove family keeps expanding on our bakers rack on the front porch. God’s creation is so amazing.
The second thing that made me smile was noticing five flowers on Nanny’s peace lily. Nanny passed away in 2015 and this peace lily was sent to the family. In the nine years since she’s passed away I’ve never been able to coax more than a bloom or two from this plant, but there are currently five flowers on it. It’s the little things that make me happy.
Nanny’s Peace Lily.
The last “God wink” today is seeing how our little cedar raised planter is doing. We have two tomato plants and there are fifteen tomatoes growing on them. I also planted three colored pepper plants but so far I don’t see any peppers coming in yet. The last plant is a cantaloupe plant. I had no idea it was a vine and it was trying to take over the planter. I did manage to adjust it on a very short trellis, which I hope works. There are about six little flowers on the vine and God willing, I hope each will mature to a sweet cantaloupe. This is an experiment as we have never grown anything before. It is rewarding to watch things grow as we water them faithfully.Nature is so captivating. There are so many lessons we can learn from just observing creation. Just like the dove family that finds a safe place to nest on our porch, God guides us daily in the safe path He has prepared for us. When the peace lily had two blooms, I prayed for three and God gave me five. Just these little things make my heart happy. As for our little garden, I am amazed at how well it is doing. Even though I don’t see peppers or cantaloupe yet, I hope they will come in. I love the “raised garden” idea because it keeps the weeds out. I can’t wait to make some meals with these fruits and vegetables. Just like these plants, God also “tends” to us each day. He waters us and adjusts us so that we grow better. He sees us begin to bud and watches as fruit appear in our lives. I’m thankful for the little lessons. It’s good to be content with where God has you in life and learn from the different situations He places you in. Moment by moment, piece by piece, bloom to bloom and more doves likely coming soon. Thank you Lord! You certainly declare Your glory through your wonderfully complex creation.
Over the weekend the baby mourning doves (called Squabs) hatched. My heart was so full when I realized that the doves had made a nest again on our bakers rack on the front porch. I slightly moved the bakers rack in front of the window so I could observe the nest from inside. I was hoping to get a look at the eggs but the Momma and Pop Dove diligently took turns sitting on the eggs, never giving us a little peek.
Every morning when I opened the blinds I would check on the nest. Saturday was busy with a gender reveal party and spending the day with my Mom. That morning I did not check the nest. At the party, like most social gatherings, I felt kind of lost in the chatter of conversation surrounding me. I don’t comprehend speech well in noise but seeing the little babies made me happy. A little while after the party, Mom and I were at the mall and my husband Ron sent me a picture. The dove eggs had hatched and he sent me a picture of Momma Dove with her two Squabs. This brought such a lightness and joy to my heart. At first I could not see them but after zooming in close I finally did see them. They are precious. I’m going to name them Grace and Peace, because they remind me of God’s grace and peace that He lavishes on us.
Thinking on the hatching process: Life was taking place in that nest under the protection of the Momma and Pop Dove even though we couldn’t see the eggs. Grace and Peace were forming and appeared at the proper time. Life is happening around us when we can’t “see” it. We can be sure that God is developing things in His perfect timing. We just have to trust Him.
We are’t sure exactly when they hatched but Ron noticed them for the first time Saturday. Yesterday we noticed the Squabs alone in the nest. I’m sure Momma and Pop were close by and keeping an eye on them. God is like that. He might be “out of sight” but He is close and keeping an eye on our safety. We just have to trust Him.
Why is it so hard to trust and fully submit everything to Him? As I prepare for our last Bible study lesson in our current book, it’s about being submissive. I waited a few days to make notes for our last meeting, because we skipped meeting last week with two girls out of town. Let me just say, God’s timing is so perfect. When I sat down to study , God did some much needed work in my heart. Jesus is our example and we should totally surrender every hurt, falling short, let down, and frustration over to Him because He loves us so much. There are so many worries and cares in life but the Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 , “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. (NLT) Pastor told us yesterday in church that worship was also obedience. When we submit and obey God that is an act of worship. It’s so amazing how God ties it all together; seeing nature, Bible study on submission and Pastors words. Thank you Lord for grace and peace. Thank you Lord for gently teaching me Your mighty ways. I am humbled and so beyond thankful. Continue your wonderful work in me as You continue to examine my heart and mold me into the woman you desire me to become.
On a side note, I’d love to get a little camera to view the Squabs when they learn to fly. I’m going to talk to Ron about that idea. Not sure what he will say but oh the joy tha would bring, seeing the young ones gain their independence to become all God has called of them. That’s just like us. There are more lessons here. Now if I can get Ron to get that camera.
This is actually my 200th blog post! I love sharing what God puts in my heart. I pray it’s a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to subscribe and pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations. God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing. Www.shannonkhinson.com
Sometimes life throws some awe struck moments when you gasp at unexpected surprises. One of those moments came yesterday. For months we have had a bird that builds a nest on our bakers rack on the front porch. In the Spring, I was cleaning and rearranging the porch and found a nest in a wall planter. I figured it was from last year so I threw it away and moved things around. The bakers rack is in the exact area thot planter was previously in. Yesterday we found nest number four! This is a messy little momma and has made the top shelf of our bakers rack her nesting place.
I don’t know much about birds. Each time she’s hatched her young, we figure she’s finished with the nest, to discover another mess in the making. She’s an unwavering little momma, determined on having her nest there.
Yesterday after book club meeting, mom and I went by Hobby Lobby. I saw the birdhouses were 66% off. Looking over the selection I picked a nice bigger one. I wasn’t even sure if the bird was still around but if she was it would be much cleaner for her to nest in the birdhouse rather than make a mess for us to clean up. Arriving home, I took the birdhouse out to the porch. As I reached to move the decorative watering can, I startled little momma and she flew up startling me! I can’t see her when she’s sitting on her nest because she’s the same color and it all blends in.
Later when Ron got home I asked him to see if she was on her nest and try to get a picture. I wanted to zoom in and see what she looked like. Technology is marvelous when you cannot see well. Ron took the picture and sent it to me. Zooming in, I took a screenshot then posted it online to find out what kind of bird it was. It turns out that it’s a mourning dove. To think that dove has been nesting on our porch for months made my heart so happy. My eyes filled with tears as I thought of the biblical significance of a dove. The Holy Spirit and hope came to mind.
Truth be told, I can’t live without the hope God gives me. Living with low vision and hearing loss can be utterly frustrating. People do not understand and that is okay. Some understand hearing loss and some might understand low vision but combining them together is puzzling even for me. I see some and comprehend some. Some times the “wheel of fortune” life experience of trying to fill in the blanks is draining. I need to learn from our little momma dove. Each time we threw her nest away thinking she was finished, she just built another one. May I have her unwavering resolve to try again. When I’m trying to listen and miss chunks of the information…try again. When people don’t care to understand.. . try again. When I make so many typos sometimes in text that friends say they understand my “Code”… laugh and try again. When I use voice to text and AI can’t understand me and I’m talking clearly…. try again. I don’t need to worry about tomorrow. God is already there. God cares about every little detail, including bringing joy and encouragement to my heart by discovering a dove nesting on our front porch. Thank you Lord for hope that is renewed everyday. You are faithful.
If you liked this blog post please subscribe and share. I’m thankful for this gift to share when God puts something on my heart. Speaking engagements are always welcome. It God opens a door, He will give me what’s needed to walk through it. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. (Hard cover soft cover, and e-book formats.) I pray it gives you great hope and courage to surrender to Jesus. He is all you really need. All for the Glory of God. Be blessed!
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