outside, inside

Outside my window:  The prettiest, wettest snow of the season has fallen in the last twelve hours.  Wet snow lingers on the trees longer, bringing beauty and thanksgiving to all except the most die-hard winter haters.  I love all the seasons, except the mud one.  This snow brings temporary relief to a flooded, muddied yard, not fit for use.

This is an older picture.  We find it so funny that this squirrel decided to use our milk carton bird feeder to give himself shelter from the rain.  Preceding today's snow, we had several days of rain.  

Peter has checked out a myriad of birding and gardening books from the library (he's in obsessive mode with his new interests).  One of the things we learned is that each squirrel will typically eat 200 birds a year, including many bird eggs.  This is becoming a problem as humans change natural landscapes, making fewer nesting areas available to birds.  We simply have fewer birds now, which is a sad and serious problem for us nature lovers. If you and your kids are interested, you can check out books from the library to help you create a bird-friendly backyard.  

Inside my heart:  Peter's various neurological problems occur in cycles.  In the past three days we've moved out of an OCD cycle and entered a stressful ADHD cycle.  The ADHD cycles are the worst for the entire family, leaving Momma clinging to these truths:  God is good all the time.  God only gives good gifts.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.


Inside my head: At the table I've been reading A Child's Garden of Verses, by Robert Louis Stevenson.  Stevenson also wrote Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as other less famous works.  While Stevenson was famous in his lifetime (1850 - 1894), his work was undervalued in the 20th century by Virginia Woolf and others.  Only in the late 20th Century did Stevenson gain respect in the scholarly world.  


Worldwide though, his work was always appreciated.  He is ranked the 28th most translated author in the world.  Here is his biography, which I read this morning.  I am struck by the number of famous authors who had messy, unconventional personal lives.  Does the messiness contribute to genius, or does genius contribute to the messiness?  It's an interesting question I'll delve into more as I continue to study authors' biographies.  Fewer female authors have colorful histories, but perhaps I've just studied fewer women thus far.    


Also inside my head:  My husband used to be a staunch Republican, except that he lacked strong support for big businesses, like the oil industry. Now that we've experienced such low times economically, he has changed his political views, although because of his pro-life status, he will not change political parties, understandably.  The capitalism we have now, he opines, is corrupt capitalism.  It was never intended to be led by monopolies.


For my part, I have become almost apolitical--though still believing strongly in my vote.  I see clearly that politics isn't the answer.  Greed and godlessness are the problem.  Obviously, politics can't fix the heart.  One side thinks the poor should--and can--magically become middle class, and the other side wants to help the poor, while also brainwashing the citizenry into moral relativism.  Jesus says we will always have the poor.  


Matthew 26:10-11
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.


If we were a less godless, greedy nation, government intervention to help the poor wouldn't be necessary; the "haves" would help the "have-nots" within the community, through tithes and offerings.  Waste and corruption in the use of funds would be far less of a problem without governmental involvement.  


Both sides need the Word of God--real Truth.  While many people in America claim to be Christian, few live that way, which explains our descent into godlessness.  Those with a truly Biblical worldview probably number around 10% of the population--something I'll hopefully support with statistics soon.