Turtle Walk

Last night Hannah, Lydia, Miriam and I got away to learn about some of the most amazing creatures, sea turtles.

We traveled back to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge for another walk on the trail where we spied an alligator and turtle. The vegetation is breathtaking.











At 8 pm we attended a workshop by the National Park Ranger about the three types of sea turtles currently nesting on the Space Coast. These are currently either threatened or endangered.

This turtle would be considered on the smaller side.

It is currently nesting season here. At night these turtles, ranging from 500 to 1500 pounds, make their way from the ocean to the shore and then up a sand dune. With their bellies they test the sand. If it is the right temperature and consistency of wet and dry then they make a "bed". They use the smooth underside of their shell to smooth out the sand and make a pit by rubbing it back and forth for about 20 minutes.

Next ,they dig a perfectly cylindrical hole with their back flippers and pile the excess sand to the side. When the hole reaches it's complete depth anywhere from 5 to 10 feet she begins to lay the eggs. Each turtle will dig the exact size hole for the number of eggs she will lay.

The eggs which look like ping pong balls are are jelly like in consistency. Therefore, they do not break on as they fall. In one night she will leave behind as many as 100 eggs. When finished, the mama turtle in an opposite motion uses her back flippers to cover over the eggs with the sand from the piles. After packing the sand down firmly, she makes her way back to the ocean to return another night to do it all again.

In about 60-70 days the baby turtles will emerge from the eggs, climb over one another, break through the sand, follow the sounds and white of the nighttime surf and crawl into the sea. From there the babies will swim for 48 hours to an ocean stream where they will protected by the sea grass and grow to adulthood.

1 in 1000 hatchlings make it to breeding age. The female turtles will return to the same shore on which they were born and continue the process. Incredible.

After the class the ranger took us down to the beach. No lights. Untouched beach. Bright moon. The Big dipper. A million biting bugs. (Note to self: Organic bug repellent tastes good to many kinds of flying bugs. Beware.)

We saw a turtle that had begun making her bed. But when digging in the sand she found it too wet. She returned to the sea. This is called a "false crawl". We waited for about another hour hoping to see the real thing only to have another false crawl. This was likely due to the wetter then usual conditions and the lightning in the distance.

Watching her going out to sea I couldn't help but be astounded by the fact that God's creation is perfectly designed. Every night all over the world in places that are unseen by human eyes, animals as these fulfill what God has created them to do for His purposes and for His pleasure.

I felt it a privilege to see last night just a glimpse of how it is that His World brings Him glory.

A red head's perspective

We overhead Elizabeth talking to herself while selecting a banana.

" I think these bananas have been in the sun too long, they have freckles."

Are you a reader?

I'll be working on my blog roll here this next week. I did this once and somehow it didn't work. That was a frustrating waste of time.

But since I have some time right now, I'd like to try again. Just so you know, being on my blog roll is not likely to bring you a lot of traffic. But I would like to share you with others, with your permission.

So if you'd like to be linked from here, leave me a comment.

Times of Refreshing

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints." -Philemon 6-7

Although we are 18 hours from home we had an amazing time this weekend in the company of fellow believers. Our friend, Heather, took a weekend off from her duties at ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) to drive across Florida and play with us for a while. She is interning at a working farm which is developing seeds and plants for various climates, as well as serving as a resource and training center for missionaries. Through teaching small farmers how to be successful, ECHO is doing their part in the name of Christ to feed the world. We had a great time together playing games, catching some waves, taking a much needed nap and just having time to talk together.

On Sunday we all drove to Orlando to attend worship. We were invited over to a family's house for lunch. Little did we know that lunch would include not only delicious food, but a relaxing afternoon with a total of 21 kids and 11 adults. Yes, I said relaxing.

While the kids were occupied with playing, the adults sipped tea and spent the hours in conversation. No barriers. No pretenses. No expectations. Just the common bond of Christ and His love joining us together. It was genuine and sweet. It was a beautiful picture for me- one that I've been asking the Lord to show me for some time.

Recently, my blog friend, Mindi, shared her isolation within her own church. This has caused me to step back and examine my own heart and actions among God's people. I've been praying about this and God really used yesterday to answer many of my questions.

During the afternoon, about every cell phone in the room was paged from an out-of-town church member who was being admitted to the hospital. While visiting with family, she was experiencing complications related to her pregnancy with twins. With heart-felt concern and wet eyes, the people gathered and prayed.

I also observed the care of an older lady in the congregation. She has been having health issues that cause her to faint. More than once she was being supported on the arm of another or fanned in the back of the church by a young father. Her every need was met. She told me in detail about her love for this congregation and how they never stopped loving her even after she left the church for a few years. When her home was destroyed by a hurricane, they helped raise the money to rebuild it.

Later, we attended the evening service and shared yet another meal. A chaplain came to speak about the local prison ministry. When the offering was taken nearly $400 was collected for this ministry from this small group of people. Again, the generosity overflowed.

The pastor just began a series that morning on love. He said that he felt like he was "preaching to the choir", but yet that God was calling them as a church to an even deeper commitment to love one another and others. Wow.

On the drive back, Sean and I discussed how full we were. Not full of food, but full of love. The love of God's people is like nothing else.

Time to think

We have been keeping ourselves busy and on "schedule" to meet the requirements of the Lilly grant.

We've been to Kennedy Space center a few times where we enjoyed a 3-D movie about the Space Station, some of the kids participated in a stage performance and we toured a few exhibits.



Yesterday, we had a great time exploring the Astronaut Hall of Fame.



My favorite so far has been the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. It was like walking into another world with the tropical plants bending over the walkway and the animals all around. I'd like to go back there at some point for some quiet time and sketching with the kids.

Although we've been actively sightseeing, there have been some afternoons of rest, sunrise walks and evening exercise. My mind is beginning to feel freed up slowly but surely from the cares of my daily routines and regular responsibilities.



I've been working my way through the book of Esther doing homiletics on each chapter. This is something I learned through being a Bible Study Fellowship leader. This type of Bible Study is pretty in depth and I have not done this in quite some time.

I decided specifically on the book of Esther for two reasons. First, the girls, together with their neighbor friends, are working on a play based on Esther. They have written scripts, have made costumes and hold rehearsals regularly. I pray that God will use this particular story in the hearts of these girls to grow them up in Him.

Also, I've been struggling quite a bit recently with my own perceptions of beauty. I've never been a beauty queen, but I was able to attract a really hot guy. That counts for something I think. Sean's love is enduring and amazingly he doesn't seem to see me any differently than when we first fell in love fourteen years ago.


But when I look in the mirror these days or see a picture of myself I don't recognize the person I see there. I know that having seven children in ten years will change the landscape. I recognize that the I am 36, not 26. And I accept that I am not in optimal health due to inconsistent exercise and excess weight. But I have been at a loss regarding what to do with this perception of myself. My natural bent is to compare myself to others and be covetous. I have had to work hard not to do this.

When people meet me and find out that we have seven kids they will comment, "You look so good." This is a complement that I simply can not accept, because I know that I am not completely comfortable with who I am on the outside.

I know some women who go through their whole lives trying to someone they are not. I know some that let themselves go and never turned back. And there are others who know who they are and exude beauty in all they do. I want to be like them. I'm just not there.

These thought have been in the back of my mind for some time. I've been putting off thinking on this matter until now. And now is now.

So I will keep praying and studying Esther. I'm asking God to give me His perspective on beauty as well as encourage my spirit related to my struggle. More than anything, I want to be of use to the Lord- not self focused, but a true reflection of Him.

Talkin' on the beach

Betsy: Where are we going?

Me: We are going to a place to find out how to earn a patch (Cape Canaveral National Seashore).

Betsy: What will we have to do?

Me: Well, probably you will go to a class, do some worksheets and pick up trash.

Besty: Pick up trash? We need to pick up trash. Yesterday in the ocean a wave ran me over and landed a plastic bag on my head. Not a big bag, but kind of bag that you have to use you fingernails to close it for sandwiches.


Joseph discovered this morning that little crabs are all over the beach. When he stood still he could see them going in and out of their holes in the sand. Later I watched him dig with his little shovel about 50 of these holes. With each one he would say, "Nope, nobody's home here."


Besty walking along with her hands full of shells:
"If a cwab jumps out of this shell I think I'm going to scweam!!"

Voyage

O LORD OF THE OCEANS,


My little bark sails on a restless sea,
Grant that Jesus my sit at the helm and steer me safely;
Suffer no adverse currents to divert my heavenward course;
Let not my faith be wrecked amid storms and shoals;
Bring me to harbour with flying pennants,
hull unbreached, cargo unspoiled.
I ask great things,
expect great things,shall receive great things.
I venture on thee wholly, fully,
my wind, sunshine, anchor, defense.
The voyage is long, the waves hight, the storms pitiless,
but my helm is held steady,
the Word secures safe passage,
thy grace wafts me onward,
my haven is guaranteed.
This day will bring me nearer home,
Grant me holy consistency in every transaction,
my peace flowing as a running tide,
my righteousness as every chasing wave.
Help me to live circumspectly,
with skill to convert every care into prayer,
Halo my path with gentleness and love,
smooth every asperity of temper;
let me not forget how easy it is to occasion grief,
may I strive to bind up every wound,
and pour oil on all my troubled waters.
May the world this day be happier and better because I live.
Let my mast before me be the Saviour's cross,
and every oncoming wave the fountain in his side.
Help me, protect me in the moving sea
until I reach the shore of unceasing praise.

From The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions edited by Arthur Bennett