“The earth is the Lord’s,and the fullness thereof, the world and all that dwell therein.” Psalm 24:1

Yesterday I received this award from my friend Lynne, at Lynne’s Little Corner of the World. I am very appreciative, Lynne. I think it is amazing and such a blessing that we can become friends with others that we may never meet. We check their sites every day to keep up with them, and share our lives, as well. I think it’s just that when you find a “kindred spirit”…you know it! I am so thankful to have met so many wonderful women in the blogisphere. And Lynne, is a treasure. I don’t know how she does it, but she belongs to about a hundred book clubs (I may exaggerate just a little)…but she is always reading a new book and giving wonderful reviews. And I find that she is pretty much right on target for my taste in books..See? Kindred Spirits!

Is this not a beautiful thing? Are they white with black stripes or black with white stripes? Actually they are black with white stripes. When they are born the stripes are brown and gradually turn black. Their bellies are white and some zebras have a brown stripe in between the black and white ones. Every zebra’s stripes are different, and the newborn and the mother memorize each other’s stripe at birth. A zebra’s stripes are designed for camouflage. Their biggest predator, the lion, is color blind. Therefore, a series of vertical black and white stripes moving up and down as they run away is hard for the lion to focus on. A zebra standing still in tall grass will hardly be noticed.

Zebras have excellent vision…can see color, and have night vision. His eyes are on the side of his head so he has a greater field of vision. He also has extremely good hearing. His ears can turn in any direction. You usually see several zebra acting as lookouts when the pack is grazing.

When my Pop was in Africa with missionaries years ago, they were allowed to go on a sanctioned hunt for zebra. The herd needed to be thinned, for survival purposes. Pop shot one and had the hide tanned and gave it to me. It is the most amazing thing. Can you see how the stripes continue through it’s mohawk like mane? I take it to school every year and show it to the kids during their zoo animal unit. They are fascinated. It is illegal to take the skins out of the country now, so I am very fortunate to have this one…one of my most prized possessions.

The more I look at pictures of these animals, the more majestic and beautiful they become. I feel compelled to show you some of the more beautiful pictures of them in their natural habitat. Isn’t God amazing?

And, in honor of the season, a little ZEBRA LOVE!

“For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the fields are mine….For the world is mine, and all its fullness.” Psalm 50:10-12

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I admit it, friends, I am a quirky soul. I actually like rusty things. The rusting process is a fascinating one to me, and I think the color it produces is beautiful. This pan used to belong to my MIL. I took it outside one day to give the dog some water, and obviously forgot about it. Walking through the yard today, I spied it, next to this tree…no more a dull silver…but a rusty orange and yellow. It was left and forgotten and the nature of the material took over, and it went its own way. It has been left to the elements …the storms, the rainy days, the cold, the harshness of life. It is no longer useful…and some would say it is only fit to be thrown away. I however will keep it around. #1…because I think it’s pretty and #2…to remind me that when things (like our Spirit, our Heart, our Soul) are not looked after and guarded by the Word, they will go their own way and become something that is not useful. If we, who are pounded by the storms, rainy days, and the harshness of life, do not have Someone to hide in, we will become like the pan. Some may still think us beautiful…on the outside, but what we were created for will be gone.