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exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Monday,
February
22,
2021
A sprawling
farm in southern Lancaster County
"The
Ultimate Essential Oil"
Message summary: May
the Lord help us all to be wise and well-prepared!
Keep us stocked with the ultimate essential oil.
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps" (Matthew 25:4).
We are having a raging
battle in our otherwise peaceful neck of the woods
between human (me) and animal (squirrel)
ingenuity. I stock our birdfeeders as Brooksyne
especially likes bird watching, but the squirrels
manage to get into the bird feeders and eat far
more than their share of sunflower seed in my
opinion (probably not theirs). I assure you we
take good care of the squirrels as well with the
thousands of acorns that fall from our two
towering oak trees in the front yard.
I'm determined to keep at least one feeder out of their reach and began with the one in our front yard. I had read that if you take a piece of schedule 40 pvc pipe and use it as a sleeve they can't climb it. I tried that but they just bypassed the climb and jumped up on the feeder about 4 feet off the ground. I tried making a baffle to obstruct their jump but that didn't work either. They were persistent and hungry.
So Saturday I came up with the idea of using a long piece of square pvc left over from my deck railing project and putting the feeder about seven feet off the ground. Surely squirrels can't jump up that high! It looks a bit unsteady and sways now and then, but the birds were back early Sunday morning as seen in the photo to the left and I felt pretty good about my accomplishment. I was away from the window getting ready for church when Brooksyne hollered, "Stephen, you won't want to hear this, but two squirrels are eating their lunch at the birdfeeder." So now I will inform you that squirrels can climb up pvc!
But I
wasn't finished with this battle and recalled a
suggestion from Linda, a reader from West
Virginia, to spread Vaseline™ on the pole. I just
didn't want to slather the petroleum jelly on the
pole with my hands and was musing of a similar,
but touchless, strategy. Then it hit me - why not
use my favorite essential oil, WD-40! Although it
doesn't say anything about stopping squirrels from
climbing poles on the can, among home enthusiasts
WD-40 is used for a lot of stuff "off label" so I
went out and liberally sprayed the pole. Do you
think it will work?
Today let us consider the ultimate essential oil as described in one of the last parables Jesus taught before His death. "The Parable of the Ten Virgins" is recorded in Matthew 25:1-13. Due to vastly different culture practices this is an unusual teaching to most of us living in 2021 but would have been easily understood by Jesus' original listeners.
In the previous chapter Christ had been describing some of the events of the end times, including His second coming (Matthew 24:36–39). He has been warning them that He will arrive with no notice, interrupting the daily activities of those who expect life to simply go on as it always has. Those who follow Him must live in a state of readiness for His return. Jesus could come back, at any moment, as King and Judge.
He now begins another parable to illustrate this point, using a common scene from the daily life of the Israelites in this era. In this, He uses the metaphor of an expected bridegroom. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who went to meet the bridegroom as part of a wedding procession. They took lamps because this part of the celebration took place in the evening.
These
unmarried young women gather to wait for the groom
to arrive during a wedding celebration. They plan
to join in a procession to a great feast when he
comes after dark. Five of the young women
foolishly forgot to bring sufficient oil for their
lights. "The wise ones,
however, took oil in jars along with their
lamps". When the
groom arrives, the foolish scramble to get more
oil but are not admitted to the feast when
arriving late. Jesus urges His followers to be
prepared and watch for His return. *
Early on in our Christian life, even as a child, we exuberantly sang a chorus based on this passage. Some of you will recall it!
Listen
to this message on your audio player."The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps" (Matthew 25:4).
We are having a raging
battle in our otherwise peaceful neck of the woods
between human (me) and animal (squirrel)
ingenuity. I stock our birdfeeders as Brooksyne
especially likes bird watching, but the squirrels
manage to get into the bird feeders and eat far
more than their share of sunflower seed in my
opinion (probably not theirs). I assure you we
take good care of the squirrels as well with the
thousands of acorns that fall from our two
towering oak trees in the front yard.I'm determined to keep at least one feeder out of their reach and began with the one in our front yard. I had read that if you take a piece of schedule 40 pvc pipe and use it as a sleeve they can't climb it. I tried that but they just bypassed the climb and jumped up on the feeder about 4 feet off the ground. I tried making a baffle to obstruct their jump but that didn't work either. They were persistent and hungry.
So Saturday I came up with the idea of using a long piece of square pvc left over from my deck railing project and putting the feeder about seven feet off the ground. Surely squirrels can't jump up that high! It looks a bit unsteady and sways now and then, but the birds were back early Sunday morning as seen in the photo to the left and I felt pretty good about my accomplishment. I was away from the window getting ready for church when Brooksyne hollered, "Stephen, you won't want to hear this, but two squirrels are eating their lunch at the birdfeeder." So now I will inform you that squirrels can climb up pvc!
But I
wasn't finished with this battle and recalled a
suggestion from Linda, a reader from West
Virginia, to spread Vaseline™ on the pole. I just
didn't want to slather the petroleum jelly on the
pole with my hands and was musing of a similar,
but touchless, strategy. Then it hit me - why not
use my favorite essential oil, WD-40! Although it
doesn't say anything about stopping squirrels from
climbing poles on the can, among home enthusiasts
WD-40 is used for a lot of stuff "off label" so I
went out and liberally sprayed the pole. Do you
think it will work?Today let us consider the ultimate essential oil as described in one of the last parables Jesus taught before His death. "The Parable of the Ten Virgins" is recorded in Matthew 25:1-13. Due to vastly different culture practices this is an unusual teaching to most of us living in 2021 but would have been easily understood by Jesus' original listeners.
In the previous chapter Christ had been describing some of the events of the end times, including His second coming (Matthew 24:36–39). He has been warning them that He will arrive with no notice, interrupting the daily activities of those who expect life to simply go on as it always has. Those who follow Him must live in a state of readiness for His return. Jesus could come back, at any moment, as King and Judge.
He now begins another parable to illustrate this point, using a common scene from the daily life of the Israelites in this era. In this, He uses the metaphor of an expected bridegroom. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who went to meet the bridegroom as part of a wedding procession. They took lamps because this part of the celebration took place in the evening.
These
unmarried young women gather to wait for the groom
to arrive during a wedding celebration. They plan
to join in a procession to a great feast when he
comes after dark. Five of the young women
foolishly forgot to bring sufficient oil for their
lights. "The wise ones,
however, took oil in jars along with their
lamps". When the
groom arrives, the foolish scramble to get more
oil but are not admitted to the feast when
arriving late. Jesus urges His followers to be
prepared and watch for His return. *Early on in our Christian life, even as a child, we exuberantly sang a chorus based on this passage. Some of you will recall it!
*Give
me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Keep me burning till the break of day.
Give me oil in my lamp, I pray.
Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
Keep me burning till the break of day.
May
the Lord help us all to be wise and well-prepared!
Keep us stocked with the ultimate essential oil.
Be encouraged today!
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we
pray that you will help us all to be wise and
prepared! Keep us stocked with the ultimate
essential oil, that of Your Holy Spirit that
lights our path, teaches us wisdom and
discernment. We want to live with a heart that
is ready...ready to follow You no matter the
consequence, ready to submit to Your will, to be
set apart for Your service, and to be eagerly
awaiting Your second return. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
Brooksyne's Note: My dad,
having been a driver for Auto Convoy
(hauling new Ford cars) for over twenty
years, was a devout Ford man. So, in
remembrance of him today, let me include
another fun verse we often sang:
"Give me gas in my ford, keep me
truckin' for the Lord,
Give me gas in my ford I pray.
Give me gas in my ford, keep me truckin' for the lord,
keep me truckin' till the break of day."
Give me gas in my ford I pray.
Give me gas in my ford, keep me truckin' for the lord,
keep me truckin' till the break of day."
Brooksyne sat down
this morning in her favorite swivel chair
that she turns around to face the picture
window when she reads her devotional. But
the busy squirrels just outside the window
got her sidetracked and she decided to
videotape video two squirrels
that made repeated attempts to climb the
pole. So far the WD-40 method seems to be
working as the squirrels slide down but we
know how resourceful and persistent they
are! After several failed attempts they
simply came back to the pole, sniffed it
and headed back to the oak tree - so they
know something's up and it's not in their
favor.For handymen (or handy women if that pertains to you) WD-40 is an essential oil. I grew up seeing that old blue and yellow can that I don't think has changed much in appearance my entire lifetime. My dad sure had it on his work bench and Brooksyne remembers the same with her dad in his big truck garage. Also her mom had a ready stash as she was also very mechanical. How many of you have a can of WD-40?
The Family Handyman lists "34 Brilliant Ways to Use WD-40 at Home". Among these 34 Brilliant Ways are "Keep Squirrels Away from Bird Feeders"!
It happens all the time: Just as you fill your bird feeder with seed, the squirrels get into it and eat it all before the birds have a chance. Next time you fill up the feeder, just spray a good coat of WD-40 on top of the feeder and those rodents will slip right off. Check out these hilarious attempts by homeowners to keep squirrels away from bird feeders.
My
brother, Pat, who lives in the Lehigh Valley
about 100 miles northeast of us, has
thwarted the squirrels by wrapping the pole
his bird feeder is on with barbed wire. But
we are "afraid" that might draw the
attention of PETA.* BibleRef.com Assistance with exposition today from this site.
Yesterday we very briefly split up
as a family and attended different churches
since Brooksyne had duties in our home church.
Stephen had promised to take an elderly couple
to a country church in southern Lancaster
County where their son is the pastor.
We
met DJ (Doc) and Anna Mary Paglia shortly
after moving to Lancaster County 20 years ago.
They are now in their mid-nineties and still
living in their own home. DJ has been a pastor
and evangelist and served as a chaplain to
both the Pennsylvania House and Senate.
Their
son, Doug, is the pastor of the church.
We
share the very same birthday, both born on
October 14, 1954!
Another southern Lancaster County
farm in the snow across from the church
Stephen attended.
Finally
today from Brooksyne:
Yesterday Ester and I witnessed a very
touching baptism testimony at Calvary
Church. I was moved to tears as Katheryn and
her mother shared together of Katheryn's
faith. For thirty years the congregation has
reached out to those with disabilities
through the Shepherd's Class and Katheryn is
an example of that. We also wrote in a previous message about
Suzanne born in Viet Nam and adopted by a
family in our congregation. Suzanne also
attends the Shepherd's class. I was so moved
by the entire video of Katheryn and her
mother but the part that really touched me
and will touch anyone with a mother like
heart was when Katheryn's mother said this
about Shepherd's Class: "And Katheryn runs
to the class. I can drop her off. She
independently...runs to this class, and for
a mother, that's wonderful!" See video of Katheryn's
baptism testimony.
Send
a message to Stephen
& Brooksyne
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Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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