Happy Christmas!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.
Hmmm.... seems like the last time I posted was.... almost 6 weeks ago. And, it's not because I didn't want to, but it's been a very busy season around here.

About this time last year, I had a posting about a message I had heard, based upon a book I had read (and re-read), by Jack Hayford (The Mary Miracle*). I heard the broadcast again this morning. And I thought back to 'where' I was last year and I truly marvel at how God's Divine Design has played out in my life over the past year.

Hayford recounted that several years ago, he was very 'busy' and it came to Christmas Eve, and he didn't have his sermon prepared for the church service. He says he was praying and asked God for a 'word', and God spoke to him saying... "Tell them I wish them a Mary Christmas", ... and the sermon, and subsequent short book, was birthed.

I can't adequately capture the essence of Hayford's message, but it is certainly one of encouragement, hope and joy. In Luke 1:37, the angel tells Mary,... "For nothing is impossible with God." Hayford says that the implication is that no word of God is absent of the power to bring it to pass. He emphasizes that what God did for, in, and through Mary, He will do for, in and through you and me.

It's significant that the miracle isn't only about a virgin conceiving a child. It's about God Himself entering into the midst of our situation, to bring whatever salvation we need to us. Right here, right now. Like a pregnancy, His plan may take a while to grow and develop. For a while, you don't see any 'evidence' of the miracle, and as time passes, you get stretched to the limit. The process of giving birth is hard work, and often intense, seeming to 'take forever'. Yet, God rhetorically says, " Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" (Isaiah 66:9). He will 'deliver the goods', again.

So, as I extend my most sincere wishes for a blessed and happy Christmas season, this year I once again wish you a Mary Christmas.

*The book is published under two titles: The Mary Miracle and The Christmas Miracle.

Crazy For Samantha

I never grow weary of watching my kids use their God-given talents!! This past weekend, we had another opportunity to be delighted, as we watched Samantha sing and dance and make the audience laugh as part of the cast of Grove City College's musical production of Crazy For You.

It always blows me away to hear her sing! She has such a unique and beautiful voice. In this production, she played the part of Irene, and really showed off her acting ability as well. Her character personna was very different from the real Sam, and she really pulled it off exceptionally well! I marvel at how Samantha has blossomed into such a lovely, muti-faceted, talented young woman.

The musical was high-energy, funny, and clever. Everyone was superb! Samantha's roommate, Kaitlin did an amazing job choreographing the entire show. And, there was a LOT of dancing!! This photo is of Samantha (in her red dress) and Kaitlin, after Friday evening's performance!!

Weddings, Part Deux

I've read that our bodies are comprised of about 75% water (give or take, depending on body fat). I've also read that our bodies were fashioned from the earth... around our house, that's mostly clay. So, is it much of a stretch to say that we are big clay pots filled with water??

I'm still thinking about weddings, and still pondering that one so long ago at Cana, at which Jesus and his friends were guests. This is the first of many stories that suggest Jesus was welcome in the midst of people having a fun time. I'll bet he loved weddings!!

However, the 'good time' at this particular wedding was in jeopardy. They ran out of wine. I've read that wine was a rabbinical symbol of joy, and also scripturally symbolic of the influence of the Holy Spirit. So, they weren't just concerned with washing down that dry cake with something. Joy was gone. Spiritual life had taken a hit. So, it is particularly significant that Jesus was the One to fix it.

John 2:6-8 says, Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.

Jesus took the clay jars full of water (us), and transformed them into vessels of joy. In the midst of the wedding celebration, He symbolically gave new life, better life, filled with His Spirit. The old ceremonial washing water was somehow transposed into good wine. The old way of doing things, the old covenant, was made into a new covenant. This event marked the onset of His public ministry, of the path set for our Salvation, and the ultimate Wedding Supper written about in Revelation 19:9.

The wedding master of ceremony tasted the new wine, and he proclaimed... you've kept the good wine until now! God's timing often escapes our understanding. But it's always worth the wait.

John also says that his pals saw this, and they believed. If they were wondering what was so special about this guy, they now had some inside information. It's my guess that the symbolism may have been evident to them as well. God does something great in our lives, and our faith, and joy, is renewed.

I love weddings!!

Weddings

With the upcoming wedding of our daughter, and also due to the fact that Bruce & I are leading a weekly class on marriage enrichment at our church, I've been digging through the Bible, reading passages concerning marriage... seeing what I might be able to midrash.

One of my favorites is in the Gospel of John (2:1-11), the wedding feast at Cana. This is reported to be the first public miracle Jesus performed. John says that it occurred 'on the third day', giving it an almost unspoken spiritual significance. We're told right off the bat the wine was gone, which was a serious social disgrace in a society known to value hospitality.

Jesus' mother told Him about the problem (a prayer). And she left it up to Him how to fix the problem. He cared about it because it was important to her, and to the wedding host. I even speculate that the wedding involved a family member or someone close the the family, because Mary not only was in on the 'secret', but had the authority to instruct the servants to do whatever He tells you to do. Jesus didn't make a big deal about it, and while He could've done it, like..."Poof! Oh, look, here's more wine!"... He instead used men as vessels to connect Heavenly resources to Earthly needs. He didn't pray any eloquent speech or even touch anything. Somehow, beyond understanding, He just provided.

Jesus told the servants, who likely knew of the problem, to take some of the stone pots which were used for ceremonial washing and fill them with water. Wash water! They must have had some expectation, because it says they filled them to the brim... as much as they could fit. Then, He told them to take a cup of it to the master of ceremony... probably a risky thing if the cup still contained water.

But somewhere between their obedience, and the taste test, something suddenly happened. Jesus miraculously turned the wash water into good wine. I've heard it said, "Obey God, and leave the consequences to Him." I've been telling myself that a lot lately as I pondered this passage. Mary surely knew Jesus could do something... He even said to her, "... you know my time has not yet come...". Yet, regardless of what she knew, she trusted that He was compassionate, generous, and willing and able to help.

As I am involved in helping with the planning of this upcoming wedding celebration, I've been doing a lot of praying. I am intentionally not telling God how to answer my prayers. Small acts of obedience and faith have been leading us step-by-step to men and women whom He has tapped to fill the pots with water. And I have been blessed out of my socks, time and again, to witness His provision as we obey, and we see Heavenly resources meet our needs.

Driving Force

When someone greets me, and says... "Hey, howzitgoin'??", I often answer, "Good!" , usually meaning something like, "Oh, it's Ok, you know.... could be better, could be worse". It kind of becomes a patterned response.

I like to drive. And when I drive on highways, where I have opportunity to put my mind on cruise control, my car becomes many things... a think tank, a prayer closet, or where I blog in my head. As I was driving this morning, I was thinking about the word, good. And I realized I really don't have a clue how good good really is. My notion of good has become somewhat generic.

And then, I remembered that good is a word from God's vocabulary.

When God created everything there is, He said it was good. In Hebrew, the word used is towb,and means pleasant, valuable in estimation, and happy. It also stands for excellent, better, and best. While we seemingly have the need to qualify 'good' by degrees -- good, better, best -- God's word for 'good' included them all. Jesus said, "No one is good -- but God alone." That makes being good a pretty high calling, and wishing someone good, a great blessing. In fact, the original Old English word for 'good' was 'god' (lower case g).

So, I am more thoughtful now of what I call good. Telling someone to 'have a good day' takes on greater implications. The term good-looking is even a greater complement; a good-natured person is someone I really want to hang around; good-to-go is a confidence builder.

But, I got tripped up on this one... good-bye. I don't like good-byes. They mostly make me cry and usually don't leave me feeling very, ... good. Except that I've learned the word's origin comes from the Old English phrase, "God be with ye", which eventually became... good-bye. It helps a little.

Risky Business

I've often found myself in situations that really stretch my comfort zone. There are times when I'd rather say 'no' to the offer of doing something that challenges my perceptions of my abilities, or requires me to trust in God's provision, or is just plain hard to accomplish. But when I take a deep breath, give myself a pep-talk, and assure myself it's God's will for me, I'll be like Gumby and streeeeeeeetttttttcccccch.

For example, the first time I was invited to lead a small group at our church, I actually prayed that no one would come, so I'd be 'off the hook'. But some came, and we joined in a lasting and fulfilling relationship for many years to follow. Long story short, I'm glad I did it for many reasons.

So, when I was reading in my Bible this morning, and a parable I've read many times hit me in a 'new' way, I got to thinking... uh, oh. Now what?? The story I read was in the Gospel of Matthew, 25:14-30. Nestled between the parables of the Ten Virgins (some of whom weren't ready) and the Sheep and Goats (some of whom weren't willing), is the account of the man who takes a journey and entrusts his property to some of his servants (all of whom were able).

The guy gives 5 talents (about $10,000) to one servant, 2 talents ($4,000) to another and 1 talent ($2,000) to a third, according to their ability. This means it wasn't a flippant distribution; the man knew something about his servants'... talents... and he gave them what would challenge them, but not overwhelm them. Then, he left them for a long time.

The first 2 fellas took what they were given, and used it. In fact, the effectiveness of the resources doubled when combined with their ability. And even though the first guy had a bigger ROI, the master praised both of them equally and identically, invited them to celebrate with him, rewarded them, and... gave them more to do.

The third guy, who claimed to be afraid of losing the investment, played it safe and buried it. He apparently didn't trust his master's assessment of his ability. His boss berated his reluctance to take a risk. He called him wicked, and lazy. Then he took away what he had given him, and had him thrown off his property, into the darkness where there will be weeping and 'gnashing of teeth'. In New Testament times, the idiom 'gnashing of teeth' signified disappointment and agony of spirit. Kind of what you feel when you realize you missed your chance, and there's no going back.

I know this parable speaks of many things, but to me, today, it was a call to be ready, and willing to take a risk, as I am able. Though I'm tempted at times to dig a hole and crawl in it, thinking I'll be comfortable, or safe, I realize that's being lazy. It's actually wicked to not use what He's given me, and to not trust that He knows what He's up to.

I think Gumby is a bit goofy looking. But, he's always smiling.

Maggie

I really struggled with writing this post.
I hate that I even have to.
But sometimes we do hard things, even when we don't want to.

Some of my previous postings have mentioned our dog, Maggie. I've told some funny stories about her, and how she was impacting my daily routine and life. So, it only seems appropriate, now, to tell that this past week, Maggie died. And I've been very sad, and I miss her much. I confess that I never imagined that losing a dog would impact me the way it has, or that after 5 days, I'd still be tearful about it.

Maggie was 14 years old, ...I'm told that's an equivalent to 98 human years for a dog. And, she was struggling getting around, and needed our help to even get up. At least she struggles no more.

Earlier this year our pastor answered a child's question about pets going to heaven. It made me feel a little better. Can you guess what my prayer is?

Matters of the Heart

WOW! It's been such a long time since I've 'blogged'. Time flies when you're having fun, ... or swamped with work (which is a good thing). I purpose to get back into my blogging on a more regular basis.

But the primary purpose of this blog is to give an update on the health of my mother-in-law, for those of you who know her, and have been asking about her. She had a heart attack over the past weekend, and had angioplasty/stint placement this morning to correct the problem.

She had a blockage in one of her arteries, but that has been successfully cleared and her prognosis is very good. Bruce and I actually got to see the video footage of the procedure showing the inside her heart, and it truly was amazing. Having seen that, I am encouraged that the problem is fixed, and that, indeed, God had His hand upon her to sustain her until the physicians could do their thing. AND that He still has a good purpose to keep her with us, and to keep her thriving. I have no doubt that she'll be back to her vivacious-self very soon.

Thanks, too for prayers on her behalf!!

More to come later.

The A Team??

In the early 80's, one of my favorite TV shows was The A-Team. It was about a team of guys trained as US Army Special Forces, who used unconventional tactics to right wrongs and overturn evil, while overcoming incredible odds and keeping a good sense of humor. Whew! The show usually ended with Hannibal Smith sticking a stogie in his mouth, smiling a contented smile, and saying... "I love it when a plan comes together!" I felt that way this past Friday evening as I was sitting in our family room, (minus the stogie), observing and sharing in the joy of plans coming together.

Friday evening, after weeks of thoughtful and creative planning, Brad Leach proposed to our daughter, Leah. Because he knows she loves surprises, he arranged a delightful evening of one surprise after the other, beginning with... him! They hadn't 'planned' to see each other that weekend ;) Brad secretly enlisted the help of a few close friends and family to keep the secret and get her where she needed to be, and truly, it was PERFECT! In fact, it was 'over the top'!

As a mom, I can't express how special it was to me to watch Brad cook (really!) and create a romantic atmosphere for a moment in time which would set the course of a lifetime. His desire and his mission was to delight Leah, and watching him prepare and bring that to pass blessed me beyond words.

Brad secretly gathered Bruce and me, his parents, Samantha, Ashley and Nate to all be here as a surprise when he and Leah returned to our home Friday evening, and it was so much fun!! I honestly have never seen my daughter so happy.

But I think the best part is knowing beyond a shadow of doubt that this is all part of a bigger plan coming together. I know that God sovereignly aligned their paths to meet and fall in love, and the 'backstory' is full of heartfelt prayers, incredible odds, and uncoincidental coincidences. I've been so thrilled to watch it unfold, and I'm so in awe to witness God's handiwork and planning bear lovely and good fruit. The more I know Brad, the more I know that he is an incredible, talented, gifted, charming young man. He's the Ephesians 3:20* answer to 28 years of praying for my daughter's life partner. He's clever and funny, and you can see from this picture, he's a real 'looker', too!

When Bruce, Samantha and I met with Brad's parents for dinner Friday evening, his dad greeted us with a smile and said, "Will you marry us?" It was such a fun moment! God's plan includes a wonderful extended family for Leah and for all of us. Could be the beginning of a new A-Team. I love it when a plan comes together!!

*Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Far Far Away

I was reading on CNN this morning about the discovery of a new planet. I am interested in things astronomical, and often visit the Hubble Telescope site to see what's cookin' in deep space. I love to look at the photos taken by the Hubble and other orbiting telescopes. Some of them look like something you might see under a microscope and I am humbled when I realize how huge they really are, and how far away they are. I really can't adequately wrap my little mind around it.

This CNN article is about a new planet, just 'discovered' in a solar system far, far away. It always makes me... chortle... when 'objective' articles make it sound like mankind should take some kind of credit for the discovery, and minimize the magnitude and plan of creation. It kind of has the sense that, if we don't know it's there, then it isn't. Here's a quote from one authority on the sighting: "It's just letting us know that nature has some surprises for us ... a much wider range of possibility than we could imagine." Astronomer, Alan Boss

While it's daunting to even try to imagine the realm of 'outer space', I take comfort that it's way beyond my ability to grasp. Because I know The Creator, and the heavens are just another bullet point on His résumé. It just reinforces to me the value of faith over sight.

Here's a quote from another authority: "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." Jeremiah (32:17)

There's a Name for It

I like mysteries. I like to read mystery novels, and watch mystery movies. I like to pick up on the subtle 'clues' along the way to try to determine 'who dunnit' before the plot is actually revealed. I knew that Dr. Nichols murdered Richard Kimble's wife in the first 5 minutes of the movie, way before Tommy Lee Jones did.*

I do that sometimes, too, when reading my Bible. Something I read will strike me as obscure, or unusual, like a 'clue' to something I need to know. And so I'll do a little 'digging' to try to learn more, and sometimes I uncover a nuance that speaks directly to me and/or a situation I am dealing with.

I read the other day that there's actually a name for that! Midrash. In Hebrew, it means to search out, and it's a Jewish tradition that invites deeper exploration of Scripture. Judith Kunst (The Burning Word) describes it as reading the Bible "not for what is familiar, but for what is unfamiliar, not for what's clear but for what's unclear... Midrash views the Bible as one side of a conversation, started by God, containing an implicit invitation... to keep the conversation going." Nothing in the Bible is there by accident, so Midrash motivates us to take the oddball verses or inconsistencies and, with God's help, to try to discover why they are included in His Word. Often, I take my queries to Bruce, or to our kids, and we continue the conversation, bouncing ideas off one another or sharing our thoughts.

Proverbs 25:2 says, It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Sounds like Midrash to me.

*(Uh, hope you've already seenThe Fugitive; if not, sorry I spoiled the ending)

Good Readings

I've read some good books lately, two of which are noteworthy and so I thought I'd share...

Leaper, The Misadventures of a Not-Necessarily-Super Hero, by Geoffrey Wood, is a very funny and yet introspective novel about a journey of faith. The hero one day discovers he has a super-power of 'leaping', and this is the vehicle to help him learn about relationships... with other people and with God. Sounds trite; it's anything but. It begins with the ending, and then the pieces are filled in via a combination of laugh-out-loud and 'ah, gee' moments.

I'm going to read it again, not just because I liked it, but because the ending isn't the ending, and I'm not sure what it all means. And, I don't want to just 'jump' to conclusions.

Another good book, which I read much more slowly, with lots of time to reflect, is the organic God, by Margaret Feinberg. She takes a look at God's character in a fresh way and in her words... is seeking a relationship with God... that is stripped of all pollutants and additives of this world. Not sure that's entirely possible, but there were moments I was reading, and I thought... I've never thought of that :-)

It's kind of like a king-sized blog, and she blends stories of her Jewish heritage with her unconventional upbringing and her Christian faith. Some of the attributes she ascribes to God are: bighearted, outrageously generous, surprisingly talkative, and deeply mysterious. My favorite... wildly infallible.

Peace, Out

In the movie, Miss Congeniality, the character of Gracie mocks the contestants in a beauty pageant for what she perceives as an airhead answer to a deep question. When asked, "What is the one most important thing our society needs?, the contestants all reply, "World peace." And the audience cheers.

When I was a little girl, I remember one day sitting next to my mom on our couch as she was handling some correspondence. She was actually sending a contribution to a missionary organization, which had also invited people to send them prayer requests which they would undertake in prayer. The reply card invited people to list their one most heartfelt prayer (if you could ask God for one thing, what would it be?). As a child, I had witnessed the power of prayer, so I was very excited about this prospect, and asked her... what did you ask for??? I had visions of millions of dollars, or a baby sister, or a puppy. So, I was disappointed when she told me that she had already written her request.... Peace.

Peace? Huh? You sure about that, Mom?? And I remember the peaceful look she gave me, as she said something like, if we have the Peace of God, everything else will fall into place. Puzzled, I figured that my mom blew the chance to be rich, and I ran off to play.

I realize now that my mother was wiser than I knew.

I was reading in my Bible this morning about peace. The first thing Jesus said to his disciples when He appeared to them after His resurrection was, "Peace be with you!" They were together, with the doors locked, in fear for their lives. And He said, "Peace". Having a 'dead' person appear before them might have added a bit to their fear, but He didn't say, "Don't be afraid". He offered them peace. His friend, Thomas, wasn't around that day, and for whatever reason, he doubted it. So, Jesus repeated the scene about a week later, when Thomas was there. Again the first thing He said was, "Peace be with you!"

Sometimes, when Jesus healed someone, he told them, "Go in peace". (Mark 5:34, Luke 7:50, 8:48). And when the angels declared the birth of the savior, they annnounced..."Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." The reason we need a savior was because sin alienated us from our Creator, Jesus's sacrifice on the cross reconciled us to Him, and brings ... peace. God's intended world was not one of sin, destruction, sickness and death. Reconcilliation with Him, the Prince (and source) of Peace, brings the promise of restoration of His original intention for us.

Jesus's answer to fear, doubt, sickness, and death was ... peace. His peace. The Hebrew word shalom (peace) conveys tranquility, wholeness and completion. To enjoy shalom is to enjoy health, satisfaction, success, safety, well-being and prosperity.*

This is significant to me, because something was troubling me this morning. I needed peace. I prayed, and His peace became the answer to my fear and doubt. One of the last things Jesus said to his friends on earth, the thing He wanted them to remember was this: "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 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.

World peace? Maybe it's not such an airhead answer afterall.

* Ann Spangler, Praying the Names of Jesus

"Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?"*

I was baptized as a baby, and subsequently publicly 'confirmed' years later what was said on my behalf as an infant. However, having fully committed my life to follow Christ as an adult, I came to believe that I needed to be baptized again, intentionally and of my own volition. At that time, baptisms at our church were part of the church services, and each person being baptized gave a brief testimony of why they were being baptized. While I truly wanted to be baptized, the thought of doing that in front of all the people in the actual service terrified me, and that fear was winning the internal battle I fought each time the Baptism services were announced.

One summer, years ago, we were vacationing at Heritage, USA, and they happened to have Baptisms in one of their swimming pools one afternoon each week. I decided to take the plunge while we were there. Although I thought the relaxed 'pool atmosphere' was the answer to my 'fear factor' and somewhat of a 'comfort zone', I nonetheless was sincere in my heartfelt desire to be baptized, and like the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-38)*, I didn't think it was a 'cop out' to not have a 'crowd'. Afterall, who would bother to hang around the indoor pool on a sunny, uneventful, Tuesday afternoon???

The venue was a large indoor pool in the main lobby of the hotel. I arrived at the appointed time for the pre-Baptism teaching and preparation, about 1 hour prior to the actual event. The pastor talked with each of us to be sure we knew what we were doing and why. There were about 20 of us sharing our 'testimonies' with each other in the little gazebo next to the pool, and while I was a bit nervous, I was very glad to be getting baptized, and happy that courage finally kicked in and suppressed my fear.

I knew that Bruce and our 3 daughters were going to 'watch' from one of the 4 balconies which surrounded the hotel atrium/lobby and pool, so I looked up to try to locate them, and realized that ...a rather large crowd was assembling. And over the next 20 minutes or so, it grew to a gathering much larger than I would have faced at one of our church services (it was a big lobby). So much for my desire to avoid attention! I could picture in my mind, God smiling at me, and saying, "GOT YA!" And I smiled and thought, "Yes, you did!" He gave me the opportunity to do something which He wanted me to do, and I wanted to do, but needed a gentle push.

Surprisingly enough, as the crowd grew ... and grew, ...my anxiety dwindled. I blocked out the people, and focused on my Baptizer. It was a special moment, and a cherished memory.

I was thinking about this today, because in a few weeks, our church is having a group Baptism, in a big swimming pool, in our church lobby! It's part of our Take a Stand Weekend, and will provide a wonderful opportunity, and maybe a gentle push, for many people to take this important step right then and there!

The Hawk and the Crows

The other day, Bruce and I were sitting on our deck watching a hawk soaring above our backyard. Suddenly, a bunch of crows started harassing the hawk, diving at it, making that annoying noise that they make. The hawk flew around a bit, trying to avoid the harangue of the black birds. And after just a few minutes, I was surprised to watch the hawk give up, and fly like crazy, leaving its territory for the crows to settle.

Hawks are 'raptors', bird of prey, ...with powerful wings, sharp beaks, and powerful deadly talons. They can spot their prey from a lofty perch, or often catch it while flying. With a wingspan of 4 to 4.5 feet, and a body of almost 2 feet in length, the average Red-Tailed Hawk is a tusker compared to the crow. I wondered why the hawk, turned-tail and fled, rather than just fight them off.

Maybe, the hawk was having an identity crisis.

Occasionally, so do I. Sometimes, it seems like I am being 'ambushed' by a proverbial bunch of lousy crows (I'm the majestic hawk ). Expectations flee to doubt, hopes fade to disappointment, and fears settle my territory. I may fly around a bit, thinking they'll leave, but sometimes they are so noisy.

Neil Anderson (Victory Over the Darkness) says, that an individual will never consistently perform or behave higher than he perceives himself to be. At our church, we have a Spiritual Breakthrough Retreat every three months. The key to spiritual breakthrough is knowing our identity. As a believer in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, my identity is in Him; His victory and authority are my victory and authority. When confronted by my enemy, I need to act like a 'raptor'.

The Bible says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7). The Word of God is a tool to that end. Often, specific scripture verses have become my weapon for chasing away the crows and holding the territory God gives me*.

Hawks are a protected species. Crow are pests. And in most states, there's no bag limit on how many crows hunters may kill. I am protected by God Almighty; there's no limit to the power He wields on my behalf.

"...I will throw my net over them; I will pull them down like the birds in the sky. When I hear them flocking together, I will catch them. Hosea 7:12

*Psalm 5:11-12, Psalm 124:7, Eph. 1:19, Luke 10:19, 20, Malachi 3:17, 4:2