His Eye is on the Sparrows

There is a courtyard where I work that is beautifully landscaped with various plants and flowers and benches to sit on. I go there frequently for lunch. It is quiet, peaceful, serene, and I can enjoy nature and spend some time with God. We talk frequently out there. I admire the nature that is out there and am amazed at how God made everything to work together. I am about to embark on an adventure I have never experienced before. I will be having surgery that could potentially lead to some serious results. It is an anxious time for me. I have always been the strong one for family and friends, but this time it is me. My son, Ethan, came to me the other night and said he had a scripture for me. It was Matthew 10:29-31 where Jesus talks about how God watches over even the sparrows. My son doesn't know that I sit in the courtyard everyday for lunch. He just felt God speaking to his heart and shared what God had given him. I have been praying that God will give me a sign that everything will be done according to His will. The next day I went to lunch, and while I was sitting on the bench, three sparrows came up about 2 feet from my feet. They sat there and looked at me the whole time I was eating my peanut butter sandwich. I gave them a few crumbs because I thought that was why they were staring at me. They would take the crumbs, drop them a ways off, and then come back and stand there looking at me. All of a sudden, I remembered the scripture my son gave me. I bowed my head and thanked God for the sparrows and His great love. I started to hum, "His Eye is on the Sparrow". They stayed until I was done and then flew off. Thank you God (and Ethan) for reminding me how important I really am in your eyes. I know you will be watching over me during this time.

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,

Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,

When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain
I sing because I’m happy,

I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,”

His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Refrain

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,

When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. ---Civilla D. Martin, 1905

Famous July Birthdays

You know how much I love to look up birthdays of famous people. When I was looking over the list for July, I was surprised at how many "old" famous people were born in July and just how old they were. For example:

• Calvin Coolidge - July 4, 1872 - 136 years old
• P.T. Barnum - July 5, 1810- 198 years old
• John Paul Jones - July 6, 1747 - 261 years old
• John D. Rockefeller - July 8, 1839 - 168 years old
• John Quincy Adams - July 11, 1767 - 240 years old
• George Washington Carver - July 12, 1861 - 146 years old
• Henry David Thoreau - July 12, 1817 - 190 years old
• George Bernard Shaw - July 26, 1856 - 151 years old
• Beatrix Potter - July 28, 1866 - 141 years old
• Henry Ford - July 30, 1863 - 144 years old

And the oldest birthday boy is...........

Rembrandt Van Rijn - July 15, 1606 - 401 years old

Rembrandt painted many religious scenes from the Bible. View the SlideShow below by clicking on the arrow in the lower lefthand corner of the first picture:

Take the July Trivia Quiz and see how well you do!

July Trivia


I scored 8 out of 10


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Oh, the Things that Kids Remember!!

I received a call from my daughter the other night, and she was laughing her head off. She began the conversation by saying the reason she was calling was because her husband, Ben, had told her that she needed to tell me what she had said to him. At their house in Strasburg, they have an open breezeway between the garage and house that they can sit in. They were sitting out there this particular evening at dusk and watching the fireflies. I am sure it was a romantic setting since they are still newlyweds. Ben had moved the trash from the garage to the open breezeway because it had developed an odor. As they were sitting there enjoying the evening and the fireflies, my daughter said, "Ben, this reminds me of when we would go camping when we were kids." Ben asked her why she thought so. She continued with, "Because of the fireflies and the smell of trash!" He began to laugh and asked her what kind of camping she did as a kid!! We have all gotten a big kick out of the whole incident. I remember taking the kids camping, and I remember sitting out in the evenings and watching the kids try to catch the fireflies, but I don't recall smelling trash during the event!! It's funny what people remember from their childhood. I guess the old saying that kids are impressionable is really true. It may be many years before you find out what has impressed them or what they remember. The whole thing has made me think......what DO my children remember that I am not aware of? Are they good things.....are they bad things??? What kind of an impression have I made on them? I am not going to worry or fret about it, but I am going to take it as a reminder from God that we are being watched by the children around us. What kind of impressions are we leaving with them? What will they remember years from now? I want to be like Christ was when He gathered the children around him. I want to influence them with the love of Christ before the world gets their chance......for such is the kingdom of God.