Because the Medicine Makes Me Feel Hazy

Writing a haiku

Is easier said than done

And is also hard. 

Pink elephants dance

Joyfully around the man

Holding peanut bags. 

Hearing my loud call

My dog comes running happily

To receive her treat. 

I sit at work and

Feel rather out of the loop

When discussing math. 

People's faces pass

By my window as they walk

Into the cold night. 

No apparent theme

Has emerged so far; but I

Am a fan of that. 

Dragons and castles

Capture imaginations

With colorful tales. 

Hanging upside down,

For now a caterpillar;

A butterfly soon. 

Inside the dark cave

Sleeping giants will soon rise

To look for honey. 

Thank you for reading

These haiku's I have written 

Hope you enjoyed them. 

Tonight

Tonight we donned our hoodies and track jackets and sweatshirts and cardigans and coats to keep warm against the slight nip in the air. Tonight we stepped into our tennis shoes and sandals and TOMS and high tops and Converse and flats and walked to the Activities Center for something called "Inter-Society Prayer & Worship." Tonight we sipped free hot chocolate and stood in circles and laughed with our friends. Tonight we sat in cold metal folding chairs on the hard concrete floor and heard formal-sounding prayers and Bible verses quoted in a style we're used to but don't normally use. Tonight, we listened. 

Tonight we stood next to our friends from the dorm, next to the people we see in society on Friday, next to the guy who cleans the bathroom and the girl who sweeps the sidewalks. Tonight we stood next to the people from the row in front of us in History of Civ and the people who sit behind us in chapel. Tonight we stood next to that guy from that one society and that girl who plays soccer for the Bruins. Tonight we stood on the concrete floor and sang songs that we know and songs that were new. Tonight, we praised. 

Tonight it didn't matter what state we were born in, or what church we grew up in, or what society we joined as freshmen, or what major we switched to last semester, or how old we are, or when we first trusted Christ. Tonight we turned our cold metal folding chairs to form circles and found out the name that went with the face beside us. Tonight we bowed our heads and hearts with our new friends and lifted our voices to God. Tonight, we prayed. 

We prayed that God would be glorified and that the love of Christ would be real to us. Tonight we gave God the honor for His work in our lives. Tonight it didn't matter who we were. Tonight it mattered who God is. 

Tonight, we worshiped. 

"Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last,
'Til safe in glory my anchor is cast;
Through endless ages, ever to be,
Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee,
Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee."

September 6th, 2012

A distant thunderstorm rumbled across the horizon as the BJU Bruins took on the Freed-Hardeman University Lions in what would soon become a historic match.

The first half was filled with multiple goal opportunities for both teams as Matt Moore lead the charge for the Bruins and Christopher Campbell fired away for the Lions. Bruin goalie Cam Newton barely got a finger on a vicious shot that banged off the post in the 16th minute and the Bruin faithful held their breath as the ball rolled across the gaping mouth of the goal before going out of bounds.

BJU seemed anxious to score but could not find a way to put the ball past the Lions’ goalie. The Bruins’ Joel Cave showed excellent poise at the center back position, relentlessly defending with poise and determination for the entire game despite the physical play of the other team. Cave’s strong play in the first half carried over into the second half, and when the Lions made one last desperate attempt to score as the clock wound down it was Joel who put his foot on the ball and cleared it away from danger. The physical nature of the match led to 8 yellow cards being distributed between the two teams.

The teams entered halftime tied at 0. The second half started much the same as the first. But in the 66th minute the Lions’ Campbell fired a free kick straight through the BJU defensive wall to give Freed-Hardeman the lead.

The Lions showed signs of their eight-hour bus ride as fatigue set in and many of their players began cramping. Freed-Hardeman also lost their captain after two Lions collided and the player on the bottom had to be carted off the field. The Bruins took advantage of the Lions’ misfortune in the 77th minute as Jordan Allen stabbed a loose ball into the back of the net to equalize the score at 1-1.

            Distant bolts of lightning punctuated Bruin scoring opportunities throughout the second half, but unlike the lightning, the Bruins were able to strike twice.

With just less than 10 minutes left on the clock Travis Woodham charged the net with the ball and threaded a cross through the defense. Mark Bonikowsky took the shot but a Lions’ defender deflected the ball away from the target. Realizing the ball had returned to him, Bonikowsky didn’t hesitate to send the ball straight back to the goal and put the Bruins in front to stay.

“It feels really good. I’m thankful the Lord gave me the opportunity to play and the opportunity to score a goal” was Mark’s take on scoring the first game-winning goal in Bruins’ history. Coach McCormick was excited to get the first win early in the season and gave the Lord the praise and the glory for the historic event.

As the game clock reached zero the Bruin faithful began to rejoice. The Narwhals lined the edge of the field singing and cheering wildly as the Bruin players ran over to acknowledge the fans. Coaches, players, family and friends all lingered in conversation in Alumni Stadium until the lights began to turn off. They just didn’t want September 6, 2012 to ever end.

New Opportunities

Dear Friends,

I have not forgotten about this blog. I've been very busy these past few months. I also have been given a new writing opportunity! I will be reporting on intercollegiate and intramural sports for the school newspaper at Bob Jones University. Being a sports reporter is truly a dream come true for me and I plan to enjoy every minute of it. 

For those of you who can't pick up a hard copy of The Collegian each week, you can read the articles I write by clicking on this link. My article is headed "Questions raised over the future of intramural sports." I even use the word "Popsicle," so you will not be disappointed. 

If you're still reading this, thanks so much! Its a privilege to be able to use the gifts the Lord gave me and I only hope to honor Him with what I write. 

In case you missed it the first time:
http://www.bju.edu/collegian/index.php?issue=204&content=sports

Got It

Romans 8:16 is the reason I'm writing this quick post. 


In the summer of 2011 I had the privilege to be a counselor at a Christian camp. The Lord allowed me to witness the Holy Spirit convict several campers of their sin, and then watch the Spirit allow them to grasp their need for Christ, and then own the decision to trust Him fully. 


There is nothing better in the world than watching what I just described. 


We always counseled the campers through these decisions, but then we would ask the camper to write their decision in their own words. We want the kids to own it. Plus, it helps the camp staff gauge whether it was a genuine decision or not. 


One camper that trusted Christ wrote: 


"To ask forgiveness and to accept Christ as my father and savior and to love Him forever" - Week 4


The next week a camper described his decision:


"To repent of my sins and become a part of God's kingdom" - Week 5


A weeping camper who had "been 'saved' before" wrote:


"To become a child of God, no fakes, no pretending, for real" - Week 6


I had the amazing privilege of watching these campers listen to the Gospel with clouded, confused eyes. They heard the words, yet didn't understand. And then the moment would come when their eyes would clear. The Spirit would somehow, supernaturally, make the Gospel "click." The camper's eyes would become bright, big, and shiny. You didn't even have to hear it from them. You could see it in their eyes. They understood. They comprehended their need for a Savior and the abounding love that Christ has already shown them. They "got it."


The camper that really "got it" wrote this:


"To ask God to forgive my sins and the way I wanted to go" - Week 8


"The way I wanted to go"






He got it. 

Now What?

On June 21, 2012, the Miami Heat won Game 5 of the National Basketball Association Finals, defeating the Oklahoma Thunder 4 games to 1, and winning the NBA Championship. 1 team from the NBA wins the championship every year during the month of June. "David, why is this such a big deal?" Well, I'm glad you asked. 


The Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals was Lebron James. Lebron James grew up in Akron, Ohio. He played many sports as a child. Upon graduating from high school he was immediately drafted by an NBA team to play for them. He is a gifted athlete. If one were to look at his physique without knowing anything about him as a person, they would immediately know that he participates in athletic events and performs at the highest level. 


Lebron came into the NBA as a highly touted player. He went straight from high school to the highest level of organized basketball. Only the best do that. There were immediate expectations from the sporting industry's talking heads. Is Lebron the next Michael Jordan? Will he ever be as great as the greatest player? 


On June 21, 2012, Lebron won his first NBA title. At the end of his ninth year in the Association, the King finally earned his ring. The look on his face at the end of Game 5 was priceless. 


My friend Marcus said, "he looked like a kid in a candy store." 


My brother Mark added, "he looked like a sixteen year old who had been handed the car keys for the very first time." 


I agree with both Marcus and Mark. 

However, I would like to propose another option: 

The look you see on Lebron James' face in the picture above, is the look a man wears when he has just achieved his life goal. The one thing his entire life has been about and the reason he woke up every single morning and the purpose behind every set of crunches and every hour of ball-handling drills and every afternoon shoot-around and every time he said no to sugar and yes to protein and every postgame film-session and every single drop of sweat. Lebron has accomplished what he set out to do. 

He won Olympic Gold a few years ago. He won a high school national championship. He never played college basketball, but one can only dream of what he might have accomplished in the NCAA. He won the NBA regular season MVP. He was named the NBA Finals MVP. He was handed the NBA Finals Championship trophy. And just like that, he did it. Congratulations, Mr. James. 

Now what? 

No, seriously, now what?

Do you ever feel like that? Have you ever reached a point in your life where you looked around and said "now what?" I'm sure you have. But I would like to challenge you to avoid this question

As believers, we should never be in this position. We are always growing. Look at what Paul says in Philippians 3.

Paul counted himself not "to have apprehended." He acknowledged that until he reaches Heaven and is given a glorified body, he will never need to say "now what?"


Stay hungry for the Word, Christian. Don't get comfortable in the phase of Christianity you're in right now. Keep growing. 


It is not "Now What?" but 


"What's Next."

Why?

It happens to all of us. Unexpectedly our lives change. Most often the change is deemed "bad." I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. 


For some of you, this change comes in the form of an accident, an illness, an unexpected financial crisis, or death. For others, this change comes in a severed relationship, a unfulfilled personal desire, or the wrong answer to prayer. Or maybe you're effected by a dramatic change for "bad" in a relative's life, or your closest friend. 


The circumstances are bleak. The change is stupid. You are inconvenienced. You are hurt in a way you have never been hurt before. Your head is full of questions without answers. 


Why God? Why did my friend roll their car at 3 a.m. and leave this world without saying goodbye? Why is my grandpa bedridden when he's barely sixty years old? Why do I have to spend the rest of my life putting up with this stupid insulin pump? Why did my brother leave home without telling anyone, only to show up 2 years later in worse shape than when he left? 


Why?


Why God? WHY??

"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. ² And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? ³ Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." (John 9:1-3)

"...but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

Why? So that God will be glorified. That's His plan to begin with! Every situation in your life is working toward His glory. The problem isn't with God. The problem is with you! 

If you focus on circumstances, your view of God will be effected. For the worse. 

If you focus on God, your view of circumstances will be effected. For the better. 

Why? 

Because God. 

Dear Music Majors

This is just a short note from me, to my music major friends. I don't have much to say. Many times I speak without thinking. It's one of my biggest weaknesses. A man of many words will often regret many of his words. That being said I hope you'll take this note with a grain of salt. Enough about me, let's get down to business.


First, I would like to thank you. Thank you for deciding not to waste the gift you have been given by the Lord in His kindness. Thank you for devotedly studying the wonderful thing we humanly call "music." You dedicate countless hours to practice and performance with the goal of doing your absolute best for the glory of God. You aren't satisfied with the talent you were born with but desire to wake up every single day better than the day before. You lose sleep, hair, weight, and sanity in your quest for musical perfection. Keep it up! Do not be discouraged by critics but strive to do better in the weaknesses they expose. Do not be saddened by the less-than-best performances but be glad for the opportunity to perform in the first place. Do not be disgusted by the imperfections in your playing but be grateful you have the ears, eyes, fingers, and breathe to even play at all. Thank you for doing what you love and loving what you do.


Second, I would like to challenge you. Challenge you to step up and face the task at hand. You will be the musical leaders for a generation of believers that is in transition. Our generation faces some important decisions as we look to the future. We must choose between what is good, and what is best. Our peers want to know why they believe what they believe, instead of simply being told what to believe. This is great! We ought always to be ready to answer those who ask us what we believe and why. But this means that you must be able to defend your convictions with a solid Scriptural foundation.

Third, I would like to exhort you. Colossians 3:16 says "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." This verse is great! Teach other believers with songs, exhort them in psalms and hymns and songs, sing with grace, sing from the heart, and sing to the Lord. But you cannot have the second part without the first. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." You must know God personally before you can worship Him openly. You must talk to God privately before you can praise Him publicly. You must follow God whole-heartedly before you can lead others to Him. You must have the Word in you before you can share the Word with those around you. 

Let the Word dwell in you. Study Psalms, the greatest hymnal ever written. Get to know your God and you will learn to praise Him appropriately. The arguments about melody, rhythm, style, lyrics, artists, and instruments will sort themselves out if the Word dwells in you. As you allow the Word to blossom and grow inside of you the Holy Spirit will govern your heart. He will guide you as you go on your musical journey. 

Love music. Lead boldly. Live Christ. 

The Perfect Decision

Have you ever discovered The Perfect Decision for your next "life step?"

Maybe you found a job in a far-off city spanning the short three months of summer break that brings in a paycheck big enough to pay for the entire next school year. Yet for some reason you don't get the job and end up working the graveyard shift at Dollar General in your hometown for $8 an hour.

Maybe you met this really great person who is responsible, caring, supportive, sweet, and really, really good-looking. You just know they are The One. Yet for some reason they don't feel the same way and two weeks later you're listening to Taylor Swift while drowning in kleenex.

Maybe you heard about this volunteer position as a camp counselor at a camp in Hawaii that is specifically designed for handicapped campers from single-parent homes in third-world countries that don't have a good church to attend...

(I probably shouldn't have gone there.)

But you get my drift. It was a great opportunity! They are a perfect match! It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to "give of yourself sacrificially!" You will definitely be doing great things for God and pleasing Him by choosing the best option available. You probably even showed initiative and went out and found the job, person, or opportunity. None of this "sitting around forever and waiting for God business" for you!

Why didn't it work? Why did God shut the door on The Perfect Decision before you even had a chance grab hold of the handle?

King David had a "The Perfect Decision" moment. In 1 Chronicles 17 he said "Hey, I know! I'll build a real temple for the Lord. Why should I live in a real house while God dwells in a tent? I have resources, I know people. I'll build Him a temple that will make even Pharaoh jealous. Israel can finally have an official building to sacrifice and praise the Lord in! This will be The Most Perfect Decision ever!"

Sounds like a great plan. God gets glory, Israel gets an official temple to sacrifice in, and David does something for God. But what does God do? In verses 4-14 God tells the prophet Nathan that He doesn't want David to build the temple. God says "I don't need you David. I will build My house. Look at all these things I've done for you. I defeated your enemies, I have been with you every step of the way, and I have made your name great. Only I could have done that. Your family name will live on. I will bless your house and establish it forever. I have plans for you. Leave the temple building project to Me."

I want you to read David's response after hearing the message the Lord sent through the prophet Nathan. It's only 11 verses long. Click the link here, and come back when you're done. I'll be waiting. Promise.

Done? Good. You didn't cheat and just keep reading this post, right? I'll give you another minute to go back and read it in case you didn't.

What does David do in this situation? When God shuts the door, David doesn't whine. When God says no, David doesn't throw a fit. When God denies his attempt at a good investment of time and money, David doesn't throw his hands up and yell about how the best laid plans always seem to fall apart. He doesn't pound on The Perfect Decision door as God closes it, hoping to slip through and still get his way before it shuts completely.

David sits down before God and says, "God, you've been so good to me. You've given me more than I will ever deserve. You give me Your word and you never fail to keep it. You shower me with kindness. You've given me a huge blessing from a human perspective, and yet from Your perspective it is nothing. Thank You so, so much. Blessed be Your name forever and ever."

That is, by human estimations, a pretty good response. Good job David. Let us follow David's example in our response to similar situations in our lives.

Here's the tricky part for us though: God doesn't send Nathan the prophet to our dorm room to tell us the future. Our azalea bush in the backyard doesn't burst into flames and start uttering promises in a booming voice. We don't have visions in the night that reveal what God has in store. We can't see through the other door that opens when The Perfect Decision door closes. Sometimes, we can't even see that there's another door!

Regardless, we ought strive to respond as David did. Give God the glory, acknowledge that He knows best, and look forward to what He has in store for us.

"God, You have promised good to Your children. As a believer in the shed blood of Your Son on the cross that covers all my sin and His triumph over death three days later, give me the patience to wait on You. Give me the passion and desire to earnestly fulfill the duties You have called me to in the present. Grant me the discipline to prepare myself the best I know how for what You have in store. And allow my will to be yielded to Your plan for me, so that when my Perfect Decision gets taken away, I'll know it is because You have The Best Decision waiting for me. Amen."

Greatly Commissioned

A text from my friend at 10:59 p.m. EST finished with these words: "...what is the thesis of the Great Commission, what purpose does it serve?"

This is one of the biggest things I have learned in the past few weeks. Ultimately, everything we do must be designed to honor God. I just want to share one aspect of the Great Commission that I have realized recently.

One of the reasons for the Great Commission is so that believers become more perfect in Christ. I cannot get saved and then just coast through my relationship with God for the rest of my life. I'll become stale and stagnant. I have to be giving out.

When I start reaching out to others with the Good News I begin realize my spiritual shortcomings and am forced turn to Christ in order to grow stronger in Him. I must be filled with Christ in order for His love to flow out of me.

The Great Commission compels me to learn about my salvation through faith in Christ's finished work on the cross. The more I learn about Jesus' love for me the more I cannot help but go out and share the love of Christ. Only when my life points to Christ can I begin to point others to Him as well.

God commanded me to go and tell. I must go and tell. Others love Him more as a result of their belief, I love Him more as a result of drawing closer to Him, and He is glorified as a result of my obedience.

Worship is a lifestyle. Not an event. Go, and praise the Lord. 

A Single Word of Encouragement Goes a Long Way

@daviDLBaral Absolutely. If motives, goals, and family are kept in given proper consideration and prioritization, it's incredibly rewarding.

— paul whitt (@pwhitt) January 19, 2012

Bury Me A Bruin

On March 23 2012 Bob Jones University revealed their official intercollegiate athletics mascot. Fog, lights, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, growling, cheering, yelling, crying, chills running up and down spines, and epic music all came together to create the most energetic experience I've ever been a part of at Bob Jones University. Best of all, I was part of the team that unfurled the new BJU logo when the mascot hit the floor. I was ONTHEFLOOR!

I figured that since we were making history I should definitely take my camera. Here are some of my favorite shots from last night.

Sammie, Mareena, and a creepy murse

 

Jon Clute is the most intense person I know

We had only been wearing these for about 45 seconds

I think this is Tabitha's "surprised" face

The Field House was packed to the rafters!

Getting ready for the unveiling of the logo

Like I said, there were a bunch of people there

The new banners in the Davis Field House

I think we were trying not to smile.
Also for some reason I did a lot of pointing last night

Paul and Sammie

The super-intense Student Leadership Council

I'll be a Bruin 'til my final breath

The Unnamed Mascot

Bury Me A Bruin

Hope

This is a poem I wrote in high school. I've been meditating on the principle of hope lately and I remembered I had written this for a competition or some other such thing. I have edited it slightly from the original form. 

What makes

Children shout with joy 

And 

       Run

             Down 

                       The 

                             Stairs

On Christmas morning?

Hope.

What causes

A young couple 

To 

    Pray 

            Without 

                        Ceasing

For a little one

Of their very own?

Hope.

What motivates

Those who sit beside the phone

Waiting 

            To 

                 Receive 

                              Assurance

Of safety for loved ones?

Hope.

What inspires

Men 

To 

    Stand 

              And 

                    Preach

To those 

Who need His Love?

Hope.

What brings

A lost soul 

To 

    His 

         Knees

                   Repenting

Of his sinful deeds?

That Blessed Hope.

What keeps

An old lady smiling

Even 

        As 

            She 

                  Slips

Into Eternity?

That Glorious Hope.

What holds 

Us responsible

To share 

With 

       Everyone

                      We 

                            Meet

This Good News?

Hope.

Five-Year-Old Questions

I had the opportunity to teach a Sunday school lesson to 5-7 year olds this past Sunday at a family camp. They were kids who went to church regularly, so I knew I had some Bible background I could work with. I decided to walk them through the Israelites being rescued from Egypt, wandering through the wilderness, fighting through the Promised Land, finally having completed everything the Lord had commanded them to do. I wanted to point them to Joshua 21:43-45 that tells us that everything the Lord promised His children came to pass. I wanted them to know that God keeps His promises to those who obey Him. That was the phrase we repeated. “God keeps His promises to those who obey Him.” Not really heady stuff right?

But in the process of reviewing the Israelites travels through the Wilderness someone mentioned the fact that Moses was supposed to talk to the second “water rock.” This stumped one little five-year-old girl. While the rest of the class kept traveling to the Promised Land, Annmarie was still standing next to the rock with water flowing out of it.

“Mister David?” she asked, “I thought Moses hitted the rock?”

“Yes, he did the first time. God told Moses to speak to the rock the second time, but Moses disobeyed and hit the rock with his staff.” I tried to get her back on track. “That’s why Moses didn’t go into the Promised Land, because he disobeyed God. Remember what we said? ‘God keeps His promises to those—”

“So if he spoke to the rock, did the rock use its mouth to speak back? Or did it just sit there while sound came out of the rock?”

Annmarie had me stumped. I finally resorted to looking at her solemnly and saying “Well, the next time you meet a talking rock, you’ll have to let me know whether it has a mouth or not.”

Timeout!

Please take some time to watch this video. Or at least watch the first three minutes.


Having done that, take some time to pray for this family and keep this in mind.


It's the middle of the semester. There are two or three weeks of "tax time" left. You need a break.


Call a timeout. Get on your knees. Lift this family up in your prayers. I don't know them. You might know them, you might not. It doesn't matter.


These children of God need prayer. Why are you still reading this?


Get on it Christian.


Pray. 

Bring It

A single Thought has been running through my head all day, repeating over and over and over and over. I can’t wrap my mind around it no matter how hard I try. It’s a puzzling Thought that turns the gears of my mind in opposite directions and grinds them on each other until they are tempted to turn into dust piles.

This persistent Thought sits in the corners of my subconscious and lurks in the shadows of my cranium. The Thought causes sadness as I reflect on my current state of being in light of the ramifications of the outcome of the Thought. The Thought also brings me great joy and gladness and makes me want to raise my hands and cry out to everyone who will listen to the wondrous Thought that fills my head. And then it hits me:

The Thought is in truth a Reality. A Promise. A Hope. A Motivation. But I like Promise best. A Promise to me from the One who gave me physical breath on September 13, 1990, and then gave me spiritual breath the day I trusted in the power of His death, burial, and resurrection. A Promise that is so eternal, so secure, and so unmovable.

Come at me. I dare you. I have a Promise that trumps all others. I can’t be silenced. If my praise is snuffed out there will be others who take my place, whether these witnesses be animate or inanimate. All of your threats are idle and empty when you compare them to my Promise.

I’m Heaven-bound y'all.

Bring it.

An Ornithological Expedition

emphasis on "a.m."

The alarm clock in my room read 3:49 a.m. My friend Ethan woke me up barely 4 minutes ago. I stumbled around finishing packing the necessities for the day ahead. Why am I up at 4 in the morning on a Saturday in the middle of a college semester? One word: birds.

This is my theory: unless it's illegal or immoral, you should try everything in this life at least once. You never know what lessons you might learn or people you might meet that you wouldn't have if you had been afraid to try something new. So there I went, at 4 in the morning, heading off to look for birds.

Ethan drove for about 2 and a half hours to the Santee National Wildlife Refuge in Santee, SC. The refuge is situated around Lake Marion, which is named after Sir Francis Marion or the "Swamp Fox." We arrived a little before 7 a.m. The official "bird walk" was not scheduled to start until 7:30. When the others arrived we started out.

There were three target birds: American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, and a Le Conte's Sparrow. This species of sparrow is not commonly found in SC and is a great addition to any dedicated birder's bird list. We spent about 2 1/2 hours looking for the pelicans and cranes in one area of the refuge, and then went to another area of the refuge and spent 2 or 3 more hours looking for the sparrow.

We did not see any of the birds we had hoped to. However, we saw many other birds along the way. 

A song sparrow

I feel like a badger wearing a suit should live in the hole in the tree above...

The image in my mind when I hear the word "swamp"

My friend Ethan and his Nikon friend

While we were looking for sparrows one of the group found a deer antler. I wanted to keep it, but then decided to donate it to the Wildlife Refuge for the "Touch" table display. 

Lake Marion at sunrise (facing SW)

Look at the thickness...of the antler I'm holding...

So far, no pelicans, cranes, or Le Conte's sparrows. The group disbanded and Ethan and I decided to go check out the Native American burial mound. The mound is 30 feet high, 30 feet wide and almost 50 feet long. 

To give you a perspective, that's 5'9" me up there at the top

We decided to head out to where the pelicans were supposed to be one more time. It was around 2 in the afternoon and it was just Ethan and me this time, so we went quietly. We saw a lot of brush sparrows along the way. We arrived at the dock seen in the third picture of this post. We looked out across the lake, and lo and behold, pelicans!

Three pelicans, some ducks, a seagull or two (not pictured) and some cormorants (Photo credit: Ethan Chaffee)

There they are! We were about 500 yards away looking through binoculars and a camera lens, but we found the pelicans nonetheless. This fact made the three hour drive and the insane waking hour completely worth it. 

On the way home Ethan missed a turn and was driving down the detour when he spotted a "Loggerhead Shrike" on a power line beside the road. We shot several pretty good pictures of it. To be honest the shrike was my favorite bird of the day. I love the simple black, gray, and white design. 

He was very curious as to why we wanted his picture...

...we told him it was simply for research. 

There's no moral today dear friends. Just a few pictures of birds, bird watchers, and bird brains. The last photograph is to remind you to try new things. 

You never know where the path you've always wondered about will end up taking you.

"...and I— I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference."

For the Birds

Today I got up at 4 a.m. to drive three hours to Santee, SC and go bird watching. Now, I know that your first reaction is probably along the lines of "Bird watching? Like watching birds? That activity everyone makes fun of?" Maybe you took the polite approach and said "Bird watching, wow, that's, neat, yeah, welllll I guess I'll be going now..." Quite possibly you simply said "Bird watching, how boring and lame!" Or maybe you actually thought to yourself "Bird watching, I should try that sometime..."

I will be posting later this week with pictures and such from the events of today. In the mean time I have a thought for you. There are over 140 known species of sparrows. Each species has its own distinct habitat, song, mating ritual, nesting technique, migration habit, and plumage. Every bird is unique from the others and all of them lead individual lives. I often find myself looking up at a bird and thinking, "Hey look, a bird" and then continuing on my day without considering all of the factors making that one bird different from the rest of the birds on the power lines next to it. 

I realized that I often look up from myself and see a person and think "Hey look, a person" and then continue on my day. I don't stop to consider all of the factors that make that person different from all of the rest of the people on the sidewalk. Each individual has his own habits, favorite songs, ways he looks for love, place that he calls home, drive to work/school, and style of clothing. Each person leads a distinct life.

Matthew 10:29-31 says, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." 

If God cares about little tiny sparrows so much that He keeps track of how many there are on the planet at any given moment, think how much He must care for each individual person. God loves us! He gives us what is best for us.

How can we help but love Him in return and reflect His love to the individuals around us?