The Wilkes Team

One Sunday afternoon, not too long ago, I sat outside on our patio, enjoying the beauties of nature while studying a very interesting book. All was peaceful and calm with hardly any distractions. That is, until I recieved a visitor. Who, because of his singular personality became a close, mind capturing, but unfortunately unfriendly companion.

First I must explain his means of arrival, and to say the least, they were quite unique. Using the powerful force of gravity he situated himself directly in the middle of my book within close proximity to my face. I quickly increased distance from face and book as I looked at this obtrusion to my peaceful setting. My suprise turned to interest as I realized what he was.

A Praying Mantis! The book quickly lost the center of attention as I observed this unique insect. Everything and anything he did filled me with interest. I assumed he must of been perching in the tree branch above me and had decided to enter a new enviroment. So, with a releasing of his powerful leg’s grip he dropped downward, consequently, landing on my book.

As I observed his movements it was easy to see how perfectly created he was for hunting and capturing fellow insects. To begin with, his color was a greenish brown; a perfect color for his usual enviroment. Furthermore, He moved as if he was a blade of grass or a leaf on a tree blowing in the wind. He would slowly manuever his head sideways, upwards, and then downwards, closely studying his surroundings. His every step and every move were stealthily taken, it seemed, with a purpose of finding prey. After a while, in expectation of his reaction, I decided to take a pen and slowly direct it towards his head. He, upon identifing it, poised himself on his hind legs and then with deadly accuracy and speed attacked the pen with a strike from his two powerful front legs.

Later, when he had moved onto a tall flower stalk, I once again took the pen directed towards his face. He quickly but smoothily faced it, held on the stalk with his hind legs and prepared his front legs for what looked like a deadly strike. I kept moving the pen closer and closer when all of a sudden he plummeted to the ground like a rock from a catapult and disappeared into the grass below. I tried to find him again but the search proved fruitless. I went back to my book, amazed at this incredible creation of God but also with a mind contemplating some analogies between the praying mantis and our greatest enemy Satan. 

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1Peter 5:8

If any analogies came to mind while reading this post feel free to briefly relate as you leave a comment.

4 Comments » | posted in Family News, Outdoor Adventures

Do you ever feel as if you’re light is shining bleakly or perhaps has a very limited audience? Maybe the cross you are bearing, based on the circumstances you are in, appears unusually hard. This simple message by Rev. George Douglas Watson brings great assurance that simple obedience and quiet contentment in the Lord, regardless of circumstances, is the key to a fulfilled life. We can still shine, ‘You in your small corner, and I in mine!”

Dad read us this inspiring message during Wisdom Search this morning. I think you will be encouraged!

Others May, You Cannot

-by G. D. Watson (1845-1924)

If God has called you to be really like Jesus He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put upon you such demands of obedience, that you will not be able to follow other people, or measure yourself by other Christians, and in many ways He will seem to let other people do
things which He will not let you do.

Other Christians and ministers who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull wires, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do it, and if you attempt it, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.

Others may boast of themselves, of their work, of their successes, of their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing, and if you begin it, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.

Others may be allowed to succeed in making money, or may have a legacy left to them, but it is likely God will keep you poor, because He wants you to have something far better than gold, namely, a helpless dependence upon Him, that He may have the privilege of supplying your needs day by day out of an unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and put forward, and keep you hidden in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.  He may let others be great, but keep you small.  He may let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil on without knowing how much you are doing; and then to make your work still more precious He may let others get credit for the work which you have done, and thus make YOUR REWARD TEN TIMES GREATER WHEN JESUS COMES.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch over you, with a jealous love, and will rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting your time, which other Christians never feel distressed over. So make up your mind that God is an Infinitely Sovereign Being, and has a right to do as He
pleases with His own.  He may not explain to you a thousand things which puzzle your reason in His dealings with you, but if you absolutely sell yourself to be His love slave, He will wrap you up in Jealous Love, and bestow upon you many blessings which come only to those who are in the
inner circle.

Settle it forever, then that you are to DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes, in ways that He does not seem to use with others.  Now, when you are so possessed with the living God
that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this PECULIAR, PERSONAL, PRIVATE, JEALOUS GUARDIANSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OVER YOUR LIFE, then you will have found the vestibule of Heaven.

7 Comments » | posted in Tid Bits

In our house when boys reach the age of 12, Daddy begins preparing them for manhood. A few weeks ago Daddy and I flew to Denver, Colorado for a Father and son retreat with Vision Forum. The retreat took place at the ’Crooked Creek Ranch.’ The purpose of the trip was to strengthen my relationship with Dad and for me, as the next 12 year old, to learn how to be a Godly young man.

While up there, we listened to Godly Fathers such as Doug Phillips, Pastor Scott Brown, Pastor Brown’s Father (a WWII vet), Lew Sterrett, and others. Mr. Phillips encouraged us to spend time asking questions and listening to the stories of our Daddy’s lives. 

During the retreat, Daddy and I went on a mountain bike ride. The mountain which we road up went quite high. The views were beautiful.

Lew Sterret was my favorite speaker. He trains horses and relates the process of training horses to the Christian walk. I enjoyed watching and learning. I am grateful for the Godly young men in my life and appreciate their examples.

Details on the rest of the trip will be coming soon.

8 Comments » | posted in Family News, Outdoor Adventures

Brrrrriiinnngg! Beep,beep,beep,beep! Internal and external alarm clocks began their barrage at 4:30am. Several bleary eyed, smiling people tip,toed out of bed, proceeded downstairs and out to the post of observation. Why, you may ask, would one forgo sleep after going to bed at the late hour of 10:30? An event seen all too little was about to occur.

Sunday afternoon (two days prior), young Colin, from church excited us all when he told of an event happening this week that transpires usually only once or twice a year. Anticipation built when Grandma called Monday afternoon with the final details on what was to be the total eclipse of our moon between 4:50 and 6:15am the following morning.

A Lunar Eclipse occurs when the earth completely hides the moon from direct rays of sunlight. One’s first thought may be that this would make the moon appear completely black; however, the atmosphere around the earth contains water. As the sun shines upon the earth, rays of light are caught and bent within the earth’s atmosphere (water) and sent around the earth where they reflect off the moon. This gives the moon an appearance of maroon, orange, or yellow during the eclipse.

From where Virginia is located, this particular eclipse was not completely visible. The Lord did answer our prayer by moving the clouds away from the moon so we could watch a portion of the eclipse before the sun began to rise.

The next total eclipse will take place on February 21, 2008. For more fascinating pictures and information on lunar eclipses, visit MrEclipse.com.

As we watched the eclipse that morning, Dad brought up several reminders of how great our God is. The precise line up of heavenly bodies thousands of miles apart emitting such intrinsic and intricate beauty shouts aloud for the glory of God. We serve a big God, yet He knows each one of His chosen intimately and has a specific, divine plan for each. Wow – Praise the Lord!

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” Psalms 8:3-4

6 Comments » | posted in Outdoor Adventures