Shelby County Today

June 19, 2017 - My nephew Dale Fincher has Eastern Screech Owls nesting in a water bucket on the porch of his shack near Ironosa Creek. We went out last week to photograph the mother and her babies. The mother is about 8 1/2 inches tall and her babies are white and fuzzy.

Dale called again yesterday saying he had been attacked by the mother owl that afternoon…an attack that left him bleeding in two places on his face and scalp. "I am keeping my hat on for protection and have to carefully sneak when going in and out of my shack", he said. (Dale had picked up one of the baby owls and as he put it back in the bucket, the attack occurred.) It was late in the evening and Pam and I hurried to get to his place before dark. We examined his head and saw that his wounds were as he had described.

We spotted the male owl in dogwood tree about twenty yards from the porch and could hear the female "screeching" from a tree behind us. "Yall just sit here on the porch and you'll see them feeding the babies before long", Dale said. Pam didn't have a cap on so she laid on the floor to avoid an attack. About fifteen minutes later the mother flew to the bucket rim carrying a large moth in her beak. Pam suddenly hollered, "She got me!" and when she stood up we saw two attack marks on the back of her head. Since we had gotten a number of good shots, we decided to go home but couldn't figure how Pam could safely get back to the car. "Here…wear my hat", Dale insisted…"I've got another cap here on the porch". With the hat on, she slowly eased to the car with no further incident.

Our visit to Dale's turned particularly nostalgic when we heard the coyotes, owls and "Chuck will Widows" blending in their nighttime harmony … but when we go out to visit the owls the next time … even if we forget to bring our cameras next time …

…. we definitely won't forget our hats.

June 15, 2017 - In 1997 one of the largest earthquakes to ever hit Russia occurred. There was massive damage to buildings as well as many lives lost. There was a story that came out of that tragedy however that I have never forgotten. It is the story of a young preschool girl named Anna who was dropped off at daycare by her Dad that day just like every other day.

Every day when he dropped her off she would begin to cry and he would promise her that no matter what happened he would come back for her. She would stop crying and he would leave making sure that he was there to pick her up every day after school. The day of the earthquake the building where the daycare was, collapsed. The local authorities began searching for survivors. The father was there as well, digging day and night, he would not stop.      

The officials stopped the search after 3 days concluding there were no survivors, but the father refused to leave. Day and night he continued to dig through the rubble with his bare hands. Officials tried to get him to leave, but he refused saying, "I have never left my daughter and I will not stop until I bring her home." After another 3 days of searching he heard a weak voice in the rubble and began to cry out his daughters name. He heard a weak reply. The authorities were summoned and an area about the size of a small office was uncovered with several adults and yes, little Anna was still alive. When the dad picked the girl up she said, "I knew you would come for me. You have never left me."  The adult survivors stated that when they lost hope that Anna  would encourage them, never giving up hope her Dad would come for her. They commented she repeatedly encouraged them with the words. My father would never leave me here.

You see,  that's what daddies do. Any man can father a child but only real men are "daddies." Real dads never leave their families alone and protect them with their lives. Real dads always provide for, always participate in, and are always quick to praise their wives and children. Real Dads try to leave a legacy for their sons and daughters to follow.

Know matter how your father on this earth has treated you, remember you have a Heavenly Father that loves you that way. He is not a distant father but one that is with us day and night. He's a real father. In Romans 8:14-15 Paul says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out "Abba (meaning daddy) Father."

This means we have a God that has brought us into His family as children and loves us just as we are. So no matter what situation you may find yourself, know that your Heavenly Father has your back. He says, "I will never leave you or forsake you." (Hebrews 13.5). He will not leave you when you need Him most.

He does that, not because He has to, but because its just what daddies do!
                                         
                                              Just Sayin,
                                          Mike Belgard

June 13, 2017 - Can we ever have complete trust in anything of this earth?

The Prophet, Micah tells us; "Do not trust in a friend, Do not put your confidence in a companion" (Micah 7:5) "I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God shall hear me" (Micah 7:7)

Micah says we are to trust in the Lord and not in things or people of this world. President Reagan had a famous saying, "trust but verify" I think that is a good reminder for us. We see and hear so many things each day which are professed to be the truth, but are they? How can we know? Only by calling upon God in His wisdom can we truly know the truth, only by study in His Word can we discern the truth from the lies.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding". (Proverbs 3:5) In order to survive this life and yet prepare for eternity we must learn to trust in Him alone. We must not only trust in the Lord, but that we must trust only in Him and to; "lean not on your own understanding." To me, this means to ask Him for His guidance in all things, first, before going on our own.

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make straight your paths". (Proverbs 3:6)

If we can learn to completely trust God with our lives, then we can walk with confidence, we can be assured that He will direct our paths and that we will surely walk in the paths of righteousness as God would have us to do.

We must be careful to never feel that we are wise or think that we have all the answers to life's questions. "Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil." (Proverbs 3:7)

Any time we begin to feel secure in our own wisdom we are surely destined to fall, for only God has the wisdom to direct our paths in the proper direction each day.

"It will be healing to your flesh, and refreshment to your bones." (Proverbs 3:8)

We will experience difficulties; we will most certainly have illnesses and pains, that is a part of life, a part of our testing, of  our purifying, by our difficulties we are made pure and ready for God's presence.

Jesus told us about trusting anything "of this world " when He said; "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

Clearly, Christ is telling us not to trust or depend upon the things of this world, for in time, all we will have will be our knowledge of His Word to trust and hang on to.

(Psalm 32:10) sums it up very well; "Many, are the sorrows of the wicked; but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord." 

If you do not know the joy of living in the Lord Jesus, open your heart and accept him today, allow the Holy Spirit to fill your soul with the untold joy of knowing the Lord. Ask him to forgive you and cleanse your heart of all sin and he will.

May God bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you this day...

June 11, 2017 - Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church will be having revival services Monday, June 12th- Wednesday, June 14th at 7:30 p.m.  The evangelist will be Bro. Kevin Windham.  Please come and enjoy this time of fellowship with us!