On a Sunny Thursday

LAMENTATIONS 3:22-25
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

I think of this verse often when I am tempted to look negatively at others and their failures/successes. I think it is human nature that causes us to criticize others when they may be going through a particularly difficult time due to their own sin and failure. I think of this verse and realize that “but for the grace of God” I would be in the same place and it causes me to pray more compassionately for that person. Sometimes we see people profit from their sin… again it is only the grace of God that we do not participate in this type of greed. Thank you Lord for your mercy and saving grace. If it were not for the Lord Jesus I would be so lost and full of sin. I hear at work those around me using foul language and taking God's name in vain. Oh how they need the Saviour to rescue them from that life. I pray the Lord will help me be a light to show them the way. I know in my own self there dwelleth no good thing, but Christ in me is that "hope of glory" and I pray He might be visible through me today. I don't deserve this gift. There is nothing that I have done to merit salvation. It is only through Christ Jesus who clothes me in His righteousness so that when God looks at me, He sees the righteousness of Christ. and not my own "righteousnesses" which are like filthy rags before a Holy God. Thank you Lord for your mercy!

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It is a beautiful day here in New England. We have sunshine for the first time in a couple days and it is going to be warmer. Our little ducks are now in their big duck house, so they are out of my care now. I hope the chickens will be in the chicken coop soon. They are really too big for their current housing and they are starting to pick on each other. I have put the hens in one side and covered their box because they like to fly over the wall and pick on the lumbering meat birds. If the meat birds are by themselves they don’t pick on each other. They are a docile breed and as they grow so quickly all their energy goes into growing and there’s little left for any other activity. They love to eat. The make all kinds of noise and then you put in the feed and all you can hear is little beaks pecking the food and small contented noises.

I didn’t get a picture of the chickens today, but will try for tomorrow. I did stop at the duck house today and get a couple pictures of them. When you open the door they run into the corner and then as you talk to them they come out due to curiosity… they will actually nibble on your fingers. Their voices are changing so once in a while you hear a authentic "quack", but most of the time it's "peep, peep". Not nearly as humorous as the chickens when they get their adult voices, especially the roosters. My sister-in-law thought her neighbors were strangling their chickens... and that's what it sounded like. Her neighbor only had some chicks going through adolescence.

"Quick, get into the corner! Who is that person looking in the door at us?"

"Hmmm, maybe she's got some food or water for us. Let's see what she's got."