Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Owl Update

Wow! I cant really fit everything in here, or it would take too much. Well, just wanted to say that I never imagined it would happen the way it did, but I actually saw the owls! Yeah, there's atleast 2 of them. Jenn and I were walking through the woods behind my house around dusk last night and noticing that lots of birds were making noise in the trees (more than usual), then we heard the owl. We stopped, and then I realized that 10 feet away just a few feet above eye level another owl was sitting in a small tree looking at us. So close!!! It wasnt making noise though, its friend up in the trees was making noise. When Jenn saw it there was only a few seconds more before the close owl decided to get some distance, but it only flew a little further away, we watched it, and saw the larger (probably male) owl up in the trees moving around. We watched them fly back and forth and make noise for a bit. They would sit up there and just yell. Not sure if its because we were there, or because of the birds, or they were hunting.....but it was so cool. Face to face with an owl. I love nature, can you tell? (and yes, it was definitely a Barred Owl)

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

sleep deprivation

I've had trouble sleeping recently, and in the process have been enjoying the company of one of my wild friends, a Barred Owl (strix varia) thats been prowling around the woods near my house, and even the tree outside my window. We got a glimpse of it yesterday evening before dusk actually, though Steve saw more of it than I did. I actually saw it in the darkness later on as it flew past my neighbors white house. Pretty cool, it's a big bird and made absolutely NO sound at all as it flew. Listen to the "typical call" found on the following web page (thats what I heard for about an hour and half straight last night)

http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Strix&species=varia

I cant tell if I'm staying awake because of him, but he's certainly been noisy.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

April 20

Happy Birthday Jenn!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

....

ever have one of those days where you just can't get ANYTHING done? Not because of laziness...but because it seems like the whole world is conspiring against you (or they all seem like they're out to lunch).

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Wake up!


It's time for a healthy breakfast!

Friday, April 14, 2006

Darkness

Matthew 27:1-2
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

22-26
Pilate said to them "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
Then the governor said, "Why what evil has He done?"
But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it"
And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Mark 15:33-34; 37; 39
Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus crited out with a loud voice, saying "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated "My God, My God, why have You Forsaken Me?"
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Prayer

Mark 14:32-36
Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and he began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."

He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Judas

Mark 14:10-11
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when the heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12:29
Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Monday, April 10, 2006

The Temple

Isaiah 56:7
"Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Jeremiah 7:11
"Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it." says the Lord

Mark 15-17
So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changes and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then he taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves'"

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

the times they are a changin

my last few weeks have been quite a ride....back and forth, up and down....let me see if I can explain.

-the weather just wont make up its mind....its cold, then hot, cold....back and forth (weather can definitely mess with your head sometimes)
-I've been to two different hospitals and two other clinics helping Jenn solve the great mystery of her appendix-like pain (shes "okay" right now). I've taken more than 5 days of sick leave in the last two weeks. It always gets worse on wednesdays, so I havent been able to connect with my smallgroup for a while.
-despite the setbacks of hospital visits we've managed to get out to Virginia over the weekends for wedding stuff. We have been over in Virginia each of the last 3 weekends for appointments in Reston, Ashburn, Herndon, Fairfax, Vienna, and Springfield. The comforting part is that we're actually getting things done.
-I have a constant list of people I need to get in touch with. As the more important things happen, I dont always call who I need to....I'm missing some of my friends that I don't see all the time. Buddies from college, or from just last year....that's just weighing on me hard right now.

What I've learned: Jenn is always there, no matter how crazy things are...she's always there to support me (its funny how she helps me support her too). We've learned we can really make a kickin breakfast together...that's always fun.