Do Women hate snakes more than Men do?

I think so.  At least, they seem more vulnerable to them.  Maybe that's why 'the snake' in the garden approached Eve...not Adam.
One of the first things I do each morning is check-in at:
http://www.challies.com/  My absolutely favorite blog to watch!
His mother recently began her own blog and it's becoming one of my favorites also.  http://gracelookingback.wordpress.com/

A few days ago, she wrote about "the snakes are still in the basement".
That brought back a vivid memory I have of the time I was about 13 and I saw a big Rat Snake in our basement at home.  They're not colorful; long and almost black in color.  We had mice in the house, critters out around it...this one was curled around a pipe through a window from the basement to outdoors.  Just thinking about it makes me feel queasy. (short for Yuk-uneasy).  The window was open...guess he was looking for his dinner.  Sometimes they would lay on the sunny shore at the lake near our house...some had large lumps...maybe frogs hoping to get out?
Her blog entry is how we have sins (snakes) in our life but ignor or hide them (basement)--"many of the snakes are not put to death, but they can be so ‘neglected’ by us that they are rendered ineffective".
http://gracelookingback.wordpress.com/2012/08/31/snakes-and-sanctification/

God is the great Eliminator and Defender...in this life, I'll never be completely free of 'the snakes...sin', but I can run to Him and ask Him to take care of them, eliminate them or chase them away.
"I love you, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock,, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge."  Psalm 18

"If at the cross every sin was covered, Satan's mouth is shut. He has no weapon. He can gum you but his fangs are gone." - John Piper

Here's a mystery I hope to solve:  what kind of bush is this??

I found it yesterday while walking in our neighborhood...very striking!  It's about 4' high and across...must call County Extension, I guess..


I was reminded twice today, in God's Word:
He has placed me where I am, what I am in life...that gives me hope.  I didn't land at this station in life because of MY decisions, but because He has specifically chosen this life for me.  So, I will do my best to live and act pleasing to Him, performing the work He has ordered tailor-made just for me.  The following speaks to me:
"Enjoy life with the (husband) you love, all the days of your (brief) life that He has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your (work)...."  Ecclesiastes 9:9

Adding to our family.

OK,take a breath!  The wedding is over, most of the guests have left.
One of the granddaughters married one week ago today, 9/1, here in Raleigh.  She added another member to our growing family...Yay!  I love big families.  Today, I'm recalling weddings of other children of mine.

After 4 daughters, I had 1 son.  I began my life in Christ during my eldest children's childhood.  I didn't know, or think, of praying for Godly husbands for them.  But with the last 2, I surely did!  And God has answered that prayer...I began to pray for Godly mates for their children.  Pure grace:  He's answering that prayer, also.
Hurricane Isaac barely missed us.  We had a lovely, sunny event next to a small lake:

                                   Farmer's Mkt. Flowers for the event.

No cake, but lots of cupcakes!

(My husband thought this was his table.)

                                        Handsome DJ...(disk jockey)

"I DO!"

"...the LORD God said, "it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."    Gen. 2:18

(That was really meant for Adam and Eve, but I like to think of it for our kids.)

more pests

well, a pest to me, anyway.  I realize there may be readers that love all things of nature, and that's fine for you.  But, anything that's moving on 4 legs or more, furry, covered with stripes...creatures without manners, that I wouldn't invite to my dinner table...nope!  Not for me.
We have these crawly, striped creatures of nature that have absolutely DEVOURED the parsley plants on the deck...look:

He and his hungry friends have eaten ALL our parsley down to stubs!

We were told, "Oh, wonderful!  You're raising MONARCH butterflies".  Um, no...we're not!  And anyway, these are Black Swallowtail butterflies.
Here's the cycle...they eat our parsley, and birds eat them...so many don't ever get to the stage of making their cocoon.  But, for those that do, here's a photo from the web:

So, if you see one of these soon, it might just be escaping our deck!