Continued

This is a continuation of last week, as there were lots of pictures from our trip to the island (South Padre)  with friends. We decided to go to the birding center, as this area of Texas is the birding center of the world due to all the migrating birds who use this as a flyway. There were not lot of birds present, perhaps due to the time of the year but the ones there were spectacular. The guide at the center told us the walk was about 1/2 mile, but I do believe we walked 3 miles - lots of boardwalks and different areas a person can explore. 

entrance to the birding center 

beautiful colors on this turtle's back

a sand art creation

kite flying - I would love to do this as long as I am anchored to a boat

butterfly garden - there were a few white and brown ones - the rest must not be migrating yet

surveying his kingdom

he was busy watching for supper

fishing - he did catch some

a small alligator but still dangerous

a big family of ducks

lots of these huge catfish swimming around

funny furry feet - guess they are really feathers

A very large bird

and his partner

it looks like a pile of rocks but really is an oyster bed

this guy came running when I called him

he and his friend checking us out

another oyster bed

fishing downstream

pretty coloring

a bit larger alligator

you can take pirate ship trip- complete with sword fights, water fights, tattoos, etc. 

no trip is complete without time to feed the sea gulls

they must have recognized us, because as soon as we arrived they came flying in

bread was gone so they are now looking for the next hand out

leaving the island in the distance

I am starting this Saturday morning as Fred and a neighbor are trying to track down an electrical problem. I so much dislike electrical stuff - actually dislike when anything does not work correctly. I especially dislike it when the electrician says"oh oh you have a problem", or "I sure don't like this" Please, just quietly do the job!!. PS: Finally finished late Sat afternoon - all is well again - just need to clean up the mess now!

Saturday afternoon we made it to CHI's fund raiser - which is really a lot of fun. A really good dinner (pulled pork or fantastic chicken salad with grapes and all the trimmings), Gospel music with The Ambassadors of Grace, a silent AND live auction, homemade goodies, all sorts of fun stuff. I love the live auction - most folks know how much they are going to donate and just bid outrageously on items - $150 for a pie, $175 for a birdhouse, etc. The only problem is that we who cannot do so just don't get a chance to win any lower bid. But it is fun to watch and see those bidding against each other.

Things are beginning to wind down here in S Texas as far as the Winter Texans are concerned - coming home from church this morning we saw quite a few RV rigs headed northward - perhaps not to their homes but making their way via various detours to places of interest or places to visit.  We attended church at Mission Bell again this morning with Jim and Shirley Maxson, who are leaving in about two weeks. They have decided to stay in the Valley Next year, so they will be back. Hooray!! Jim's sermon this morning again seemed to fit perfectly with our morning
devotions -- "Sowing the Gospel Seed" based on Matthew 13:18 and 23. It is true that only a willing heart can receive the Seed, because they had prepared the soil. If the condition of the soil (heart) is not ready, it cannot receive the word. The gospel seed needs to fall on prepared soil. So who prepares the soil?? The sowers do. The sowers mission is to plant the seed - to get it into the soil. God's requires us to do this - to sow the seed for His glory. He will tell us when and where to go and spread His word. Perhaps not in actual words but though the Holy Spirit. We need to plant this seed everywhere, far and wide. To share the word does not mean to go out and "thump the Bible", but to tell others about Christ and what He has done in our lives. We need to plant the seed, others will water it, and God will harvest it. We know that we are successful because we have sowed all our seed and all of the field. Some people sow, some water, and the Lord harvests1 The level of the harvest is our crown in Heaven.

As we have entered the Easter season, let us concentrate on what God has done for us - He gave His only Son so that we ,too, may have everlasting life.