Inspirational Weekend - Fear and Anxiety or Faith and Courage? (Bible Prophecy, Gog of Magog, and More) Photographs and Video

"I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." - Psalm 34:4

This photograph of mine was taken from an overlook which looks out over Hanalei Valley on the island of Kauai, showing the taro fields.   Hawaii is often called Paradise, and indeed it is very beautiful here and if you are spiritually sensitive, it does cause you to dwell on the awesomeness of God and His power and might - and love - to create such beauty.   Areas such as the one shown above give you a sense of peace and faith in a good God.   

But when we feel threatened by anything, our sense of security is shattered and we can give way to fear and anxiety, which is normal and healthy when in danger.   But things such as wars -- like what is going on in the Middle-East right now and Russia increasing troops and cruise missiles and fighter jets and other build up in Syria can make people fear it is leading up to another World War -- and it might be.   In Ezekiel 38 and 39 the Bible speaks of Gog of Magog (which most scholars agree is referring to Russia) and it is a good description of what is beginning to happen right now.   Another related note,  Isaiah 17:1 says, "The burden of Damascus.  Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap."   In other words, Damascus will be completely destroyed, and all indications are that that could happen soon.   Russia is helping Syria and they are close to the Israeli border now.    Isaiah 17:9 tells us that Israel will be the one who destroys Damascus :  "In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation."

Some may feel that what is going on in the Middle-East doesn't concern them, perhaps because they are caught up in the struggle of everyday living and everyday problems and don't see beyond their own immediate needs.   What happens in Israel and the other countries in that area will affect us.  

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring.  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh. "   - Luke 21:25-28

Everyone will be affected.  Unbelievers should tremble at the thought of what is in store for them if they do not turn to Jesus.   Believers should not be afraid, but realize their hope and their Savior will soon take them home to heaven.   Lift up your heads and keep looking up !

I had intended to write more about prophecy in this post....like about the war in Psalm 83 which many believe will occur before the Gog of Magog war ("They have said, Come, and let us cut them (Israel) off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance."  - Psalm 83:4).

Psalm 83 goes on to list the nations that will come against Israel, and some of these nations are not mentioned in the Ezekiel 38 and 39 war, meaning they were no doubt destroyed first in the Psalm 83 war.  God is going to protect and deliver Israel.  I am sure most readers are familiar with how the Arab nations want to destroy Israel .."wipe them off the map"...because to them Israel is the "Little Satan" and America is the "Great Satan".

It is clear to me that I will have to touch on these subjects separately in future posts.  Not only about Bible prophecy, but about fear and anxiety, and faith and courage.  Below are some Scriptures to take into consideration ...and into your heart:

"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe." - 

- Proverbs 29:25

"It is the LORD who goes before you.  He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed." - Deuteronomy 31:8

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

- 2 Timothy 1:7

Following is a video (not mine) of some beautiful landscapes to keep your weekend happy !

You gotta love this happy enthusiasm in the photograph below!   (Internet photo)

May your weekend be a happy one !  Think good thoughts and delight in the Lord!

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"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give to you.   Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. "  - John 14:27

Inspirational Weekend - Encouragement , "Help, I Need Somebody"

"Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you."  -  George Mueller

Happy weekend, everyone!  I hope the beautiful orchids above brighten your day(s) as we share special thoughts together now;  thoughts to encourage you and give you hope.   We all need encouragement and at times a helping hand.

Internet Photograph

Someone to help us hang in there and hold on.   Friends and family are wonderful supporters, but ultimately only the good LORD can give us the exact help and encouragement we need through His Word and the Holy Spirit.   I speak from experience, because  I have been through some horrendous times and only prayer and God's Word and the Holy Spirit have seen me through and given me strength and endurance to ride out the storm.   I am very thankful and give Him all the glory.

One Scripture I have memorized is Isaiah 41:10 =   "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  Another comforting verse is Hebrews 13:5 b  =  ".....I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

What wonderful and encouraging promises from God !     

Bird Of Paradise 

"May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."    .... 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Calla Lilies

Remember, our attitude has a lot to do with how we respond to various trials and tests.   So it is good to be absorbed daily in Scriptures so we will be inclined to always have a Christ-like attitude.   Then we will not be overcome by our circumstances but will triumph over them with the Lord's help.   

"When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."   -  Franklin D. Roosevelt

"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."  -  Henry Ford

Remember, true friends and supportive family is a big plus, but even they can oppose you and turn against you unexpectedly.    If you are  a true believer, the Lord will never forsake you or leave you and, ultimately, He is our true source of help....our counselor, our redeemer, our comforter, our Savior.     Yes, I need somebody....we all do....and first and foremost that is God and Jesus.   

Below is a beautiful video (not mine) with soft music to relax you and to awe you with beauty:

Below is a photograph (not mine) for humor :

Psalm 55:22... Cast your burden on the LORD, and He will sustain you;  He will never permit the righteous to be moved.

Myna Bird Invasion - Photographs of Various Species and Video of White Myna and of Talking Myna

White Bali Myna

(Internet Photograph)

This white Bali Myna is so beautiful and it is my favorite species of Myna birds.  I have never seen one in "real life", however,   I stumbled across it by accident on the internet.  All myna (or mynah) birds belong to the starling family, particularly all those called Myna are in the Indian subcontinent.

Below is a video of this endangered bird.

Below are some of my own photographs that I took of the common myna, or Indian myna, here on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.  

The common myna with the extra white plumage got my curiosity up so I tried to find information about it on the internet, to no avail.   I guess it is a rare case of too much white on this species.   At any rate, that is how I discovered the white Bali myna on the web.  In 2000 the IUCN Species Survival Commission declared the common myna one of the world's most invasive species.   I am not really fond of these birds; they are noisy and have an ugly screech.   There was one myna I enjoyed, though, not long after I moved to Hawaii.   I first lived in Makiki suburb, which was home to a myna that used to give frequent wolf whistles.   I heard it often from where I lived, and it was great to get a wolf whistle from him when I walked down the street !  <Sigh !  Big grin.>  I attended a church not too far from my apartment, and one Sunday that whistling myna was interrupting our Sunday School class so much that the preacher's wife  also interrupted the study and said something to the effect of "Who taught that bird to whistle?"  (It has been several years since that incident so I cannot remember all of her exact words.)   The windows were open in our class so we got a good earful.  :-)

Below is a video of a talking myna bird.  He rather charms me into liking him.

In Hawaii the common or Indian myna is everywhere to be found on all of the islands.  It was first introduced from India in 1865 to control the insect population.   It is about 9 inches and both the male and female look pretty much alike.   When it flies you really notice the white wing patches.

They are very social birds and travel in pairs.   They gather in large groups and roost in trees.   They breed from February to August and they raise one to three broods a year.   They lay two to five eggs in each brood.   Incubation time is over 13 days and the babies fledge  sometime  later between 29 to 35 days.

Below are some photographs from the Internet of other species of Mynas.

White-necked Myna

Brahminy Myna

Sri Lanka Hill Myna

Inspirational Weekend - "Waiting Can Be A Good Thing" (Photographs of Flowers, Animals, and Relaxing Video)

A very happy weekend to you !  Enjoy the photographs and video that follow.

The photograph above is my cat Lika admiring a christmas cactus my son and daughter-in-law gave me about three years ago.    You can see the small pot and the plant was not very large.   Below is how it looked this year when it bloomed in April.

Waiting for it to grow and bloom again took patience....and lots of care and fertilizing.   It bloomed other years as well, but this past Spring was its best show yet.   This is rather like life itself:  waiting teaches you patience and, if you take care and nurture your soul and the souls of others, it will blossom into a thing of great beauty.    Peter Marshall has said,  "Teach us, O Lord, the disciplines of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work."   

I used to be very impatient and when I wanted something, I wanted it NOW.   That is pretty typical of people today.   The good Lord has taught me to have patience by allowing circumstances to get pretty dire at times;  I have learned to wait on the Lord and to look to Him for guidance and direction.   

Psalm 27:14 ...... Wait on the LORD:  be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart:  wait, I say, on the LORD.

Milt. Lennart Karl Gottling  "Hula Skirt"

Milt. Andrea West "Hop"

I remember several years ago I had over 50 rose bushes and I would wait patiently for the buds to open to view the beauty of the fully opened blossoms.   Only thing is, I lived in an area where there were many deer that would roam the suburb and it didn't take them too long to discover my tasty rose buds.   What a disappointment to wake up to after they feasted on them overnight.   I did not know when I planted the roses that deer took a fancy to them.      So sometimes waiting can be full of frustrations in this imperfect world.   Of course,  I have been struck by much more serious circumstances than this about the roses, but I do not want to comment right now about the hard times.  Isaac Newton said, "Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise Physician prescribes because we need them, and He proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires.  Let us trust His skill and thank Him for His prescription."

"If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him.  He is worth waiting for.  The waiting itself is beneficial to us:  it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes.  The Lord's people have always been a waiting people."   - Charles Spurgeon

"Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want.  Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be."  - John Ortberg

True believers have also waited expectantly for the Lord's return and now more than ever, it will be soon.    Hurts and heartaches are easier to bear on this earth when you realize soon there will be no more sorrow and God will wipe away our tears when we arrive in heaven.  Now is the time to get right with the Lord.   That is one thing you do not want to wait for.   Accept Jesus as your Savior now before it is too late.  

Below is a nature video (not mine) to relax you this weekend, and it is complete with soft music.

 

Here is a photograph (not mine) guaranteed to make you smile this wonderful weekend.

Psalm 130:5-6  ....I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His Word I hope;  my soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

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Inspirational Weekend - "Distractions" - (Photos of Plumeria and Hibiscus Flowers, Relaxing Nature Video)

"A man focused on God always knows the direction he is headed."

Gorgeous Hibiscus

Happy weekend to you !  I am a little late wishing you that for it is Sunday afternoon now.  I do sincerely hope you had a nice Saturday as well.   Me?  Well, I have been distracted a lot by necessary errands and it has cut into my painting time and blogging time tremendously.   This coming week will be a slower pace at home for me, I hope.   T. S. Eliot once said, "We are distracted from distraction by distraction."     Do you ever feel like you are pulled in a million different directions all at once?   

At times like that, just getting into God's Word will settle you down and keep things in perspective....that and prayer.   Rest can also help.   Callie, my cat who passed away about 3 years ago, always had the proper view of rest.  See below:

Sleep is one thing cats love to focus on !  I have sleep apnea so at times it is difficult for me to focus if I do not get proper rest.   

The times in which we live require for us to be alert and on guard.   At Walmart a complete stranger who was behind me in line began a conversation about how evil the world is now and I answered back , "It may appear that way, but God is in control."   He then said that God was also evil, at which I instantly felt an uneasy shudder in my soul and emphatically replied, "God is good.  God is holy," and walked quickly away as my purchase transaction was complete.    I was shocked at such blasphemy on his part and wanted to exit the scene immediately.   Later I thought how I should have said that God is also love and He loves you,  but I am not so sure it would have penetrated his darkened mind.

That encounter was a few days ago and it still bothers me.

I try to see the good and beauty in everything.....in my photography and in my paintings.  It is a shock sometimes when that mindset is temporarily shattered.   Let's look at some pretty pictures of flowers!

Rainbow Plumeria/Frangipani Blossoms

Pale Pink Hibiscus

Below is a nature video with beautiful scenery, animal pictures, and soft instrumental music to relax you this wonderful weekend !    Enjoy !

Scripture:

But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which  exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth:  For in these things I delight, saith the LORD.    Jeremiah 9:24

Inspirational Weekend - "What About Love?" (Animal Photographs, Bird Photographs, Famous Quotes, Animal Video)

"Since love grows within you, so beauty grows.  For love is the beauty of the soul."  - Augustine

Loving Spoonbills

Happy weekend to you !  This inspirational weekend post will be a little different as I will mostly use quotes from famous people ..... quotes about love, along with my photographs and a video about how animals can express love.

Most people were raised in a loving and demonstrative family.  Count your blessings !

Meerkat Family

Lesser Flamingo Family

"The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy."  -  Dwight L. Moody.     

"Faith makes all things possible....love makes all things easy."  - Dwight L. Moody

"Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor; act as if you did.  As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets.   When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him."  - C. S. Lewis

"Neighbors"

"What does love look like?  It has the hands to help others.  It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.  It has eyes to see misery and want.  It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.  That is what love looks like."  -  Augustine

"The world is not a play-ground.  It is a school-room.  Life is not a holiday, but an education.  And the one eternal lesson for us all is how better can we love."  -  Henry Drummond

"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us."  -  C. S. Lewis

Below is a video (not mine) showing love between animals:

Below is a photograph (not mine) for humor:

Scripture says:

Matthew 22:37-40=   Jesus said unto him,  Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Endangered Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle (Photographs and Video)

Hawaii Green Sea Turtle

Green turtles are found everywhere in the world, mostly in tropical waters. The "Honu", Hawaiian name for the green turtle, is distinct from other green sea turtles.  In 1978 it was put on the endangered list because people were harvesting both turtles and eggs to the point the population of these creatures was in peril.   Since then, the Hawaii green sea turtles have made sort of a come back.  

The Honu nest, for the most part, in the French Frigate Shoals of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.  This is a protected area and  is largely free of any predators to the eggs or the babies.  The females deposit eggs at night and up to seven clutches are deposited over the course of a week or so.  The usual amount, however, is 2 or 3 clutches in that time frame.   For each clutch, they lay around 100 eggs.   These gentle turtles only breed every 2 or 3 years, and sometimes not that often.

Juvenile green sea turtles have been known to eat cuttlefish, sponges, seaweed, and jellyfish.  But their main diet is vegetarian.  Adult Hawaiian green sea turtles are known to frequent near shore waters in order to find food as well as to come ashore to bask on the beach.  All of my photographs here I took at Laniakea Beach on Oahu's North Shore.   Sometimes there are several turtles at one time resting and basking on that beautiful beach, also called "Turtle Beach".   This beach is about an hour drive from Waikiki and is 1.5 miles from the charming town of Haleiwa, as you head towards famous Waimea Bay.   Green turtles come to Laniakea Beach to feed on seaweed and algae.  

The above two photographs I took of Laniakea Beach.   That sign on the beach in the photo directly above has information on it about the Honu.   There are volunteers at this beach that are helpful and informative when it comes to the turtles.   They monitor the turtles closely and know each one by name.  They also place red tape around the basking turtles to keep people from getting too close to them.

In my photo above, you can see how close the newly arrived  turtles  are to people before the volunteers rope off the area to keep people at a safe distance.

Below is a short video showing the Honu swimming and eating.

Below is a painting I completed sometime back and prints of it are available at   Fine Art America

"Ain't She Pretty"

24" x 24" acrylic on gallery wrap canvas

Available

The artist in me took liberties with color here;  I made the Hawaiian green sea turtle greener than it actually appears in real life.   That was my intention.  

When you make a trip to Oahu, be sure to bring your camera and take pictures of the Honu at Laniakea Beach.   Summertime is the best time to find them basking there, as the waters are not as turbulent and the waves are not as high as at other times of the year.