Jane Hinrichs
Jane Hinrichs
  • Home
  • How to Become a Believer
  • Mental Illness
  • Jane's Beliefs
  • Caregiving Tips
  • Disabilities/Student Disabilities
  • Personal Stuff

Meow, Meow, Meow -- the things we learn through creatures

4/24/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
kDid you know animals can talk?

And did you know plants and stars and trees and flowers have voices too? 

Okay, they might not be speaking in human language (though honestly sometimes it sounds like one of my cats says "Mom"), but they speak all the time. All of creation speaks through noises, movements, their faithfulness in living (imagine how long life is for big old redwood trees -- humans must seem like butterflies to them); their reaction to us humans.

See the picture above? That's Harry -- well, that's what we call him. His real name is Mittens. He isn't our pet. He belongs to a lovely family from our church but he lives at the place we rent. Daily, Harry is at my door waiting to sneak in. He does this all the time. And he usually gets in at least once a day, sometimes more often. This morning after church we got home and found he figured out how to get through the back door! He is persistence with four legs. I don't mind at all. I think my cats might mind a bit but that's because cats can have uppity attitudes. I honestly believe my female cat sits beside the door watching him from inside the house just so he knows he isn't privileged like she is.

Now I'm not saying created beings are in need of a Savior like humans are, but I know they are alive and I know that in their living they are praising God when they do what they were created to do. I kind of think when birds sing they sing about their Creator (or where to find food or where the cats happen to be).

Last August when we moved to this little farm house there were absolutely no songbirds around. Hawk and I would sit outside and not hear any birdsong. We'd hear the rush of wings as flocks of black birds fly in unison -- they look like smoke in the distance. Hundreds of birds rise up together and move as one. It's pretty amazing -- but they aren't singers. I missed the singers from our old house. 

But now this spring there is all sorts of birdsong surrounding our little place. Maybe I just missed the birds last August but I kind of think they came looking for me. Or maybe God sent them for He knows how much I love to hear the birdsong (call me kooky if you like -- often I am). I don't know. I take it as a blessing from Father God to me. 

We live in cowboy country up here. Just a few days ago I saw a neighbor riding one of his many horses loping across the plain with saddle bags behind the saddle; a couple coyote skins tied to the saddle flapping on the side of the horse; while a couple of his cattle dogs ran alongside him. He wasn't on a joy ride (though it looked like fun). He was working.

For many ranchers up here, horses are integral working members of their ranch staff. 

I love seeing people on horseback.

We have five horses but you couldn't call them working members of any staff. They are part of the family (and not to offend any ranchers or cowboys - most likely they all have their horses they are closer to than people). They each know their name and will come when they are called. I know I humanize them too much but that's how I see animals. God uses them in my life. God uses them like He uses people sometimes. Horses are large animals that are often great listeners.

What is the point of this post? you may ask (I may ask this too).  When I remember that God is always present and always communicating to me (and I am not unique in this -- He will do the same with anyone), I hear Him in the birdsong. I sense His peace in the horse's gentleness. I see Him in Harry's persistence. I feel His touch in that gentle breeze and the warm sun. There are times I deal with mental illness (yes, I admit this), but I know that I know that I know what I say is straight from God. He is always reminding us He is here with us. He might not use animals in your life, especially if there are no animals around you. But He will use whatever is part of your environment to speak to you. You just have to say as Samuel said, "Speak Lord, Your servant is listening." 

Or you could say, "Hi God. Help me please. Help me Believe."

Or whatever you want to say to Him. And then listen. Listen with your mind, your soul, your spirit, your heart. Listen with every single cell. If you aren't sure if it is God you hear, read Proverbs 8. That's often called the Wisdom Proverb. God is Wisdom. God is love. God is God. God is the Great I Am.

​


0 Comments

In Honor of My Birthday

5/11/2015

4 Comments

 
Yep. Today is my birthday -- May 11.


Today I am 47 years old. 

And in honor of my birthday I wanted to post on this blog but I couldn't think of anything truly. God is doing a lot of stuff these days in my life and in the lives of those who live with me but none of it is ready to be written about (I've found if you write too soon about what God is doing you sometimes get the perspective wrong or what is really going on or..well, I don't know...something like that anyway). 

And so I am going to post part of a blog I wrote November 2, 2013. It is about elephants and it seemed appropriate because I love elephants. I think the elephant is my favorite animal. The giraffe is a close second. And then I love cats and dogs and horses and fuzzy cows are nice (the highland variety) as are goats and ...well, I guess I love a lot of animals. I will edit the blog a bit -- but it will have the same message and I might even add something in the end. We shall see (by the way I got this idea of reposting from Blog Writer Tim Fall.

So, here we go:



11/2/2013

I love elephants. 

I love to watch them.

I love to touch their wrinkly hide.

My son and I are even reading a book on elephant communication which is making me love elephants even more!

So, because I do a lot of drawing and painting, I decided to do some elephant sketches yesterday (I deleted the oriinal pictures -- I'll try and post one at the end).

OK, why am I showing these pictures to you? This isn't my Doodling blog.

Because I want to share something I learned while drawing and painting elephants.

If you draw some kind of trunk and two flappy ears most people will be able to figure out it is an elephant. The trunk and ears can be misshapen and look nothing like a real elephant's trunk and ears, but the viewer will still be able to guess the drawing is an elephant. 

How does this relate to us spiritually?

I don't know really. 

Maybe it is that there are marks and clues that are left by God when He works -- that if we notice His touch we will know it is Him.

If you don't know what His touch is like though you won't see Him.

If you don't know an elephant has a trunk and two floppy ears you won't be able to tell a picture is an elephant (even if it is a photograph of one). 

So, I guess here's what we gotta do -- get to know God and how He works. Then, we will notice Him in our daily lives.

Because He's there.

He's all around us.

"in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17b

"in Him we live and move and exist" Acts 17:28a

Picture
I guess I didn't have anything else to add except that sometimes when God is working in you and the ones you love it can be exhausting emotionally. Maybe it shouldn't be -- if I was totally resting in Him it wouldn't be exhausting but I'm awfully human these days.


4 Comments

Do you want to hear God?

2/13/2012

0 Comments

 
Some of the most beautiful passages in the Bible are found in the book of Job. Chapter 38 and 39 are full of creation imagery that I know must contain secrets we have not yet understood. Read both chapters if you can sometime this week, butt until then let me share some of 38 with you:

"Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, 'Who is this that darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, And I will ask you, and you will instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements, and since you know? Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who enclosed the sea with doors, When, bursting forth, it went out from the womb; When I made a cloud its garment, And thick darkness its swaddling band, And I placed boundaries on it, And I set a bolt and doors, And I said, 'Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop'?'" Job 38:1-11

I've included the link below to the rest of this chapter and 39 if want to read it. Beautiful, beautiful imagery straight from the mouth of God!


http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038-39&version=NASB
0 Comments

    RSS Feed

     Who is Jane Hinrichs?

    Jane is a wife, a mom, a writer, an artist, a lover of the Word of God. She has been studying the Bible since 1987 and has been writing about it almost since then. She loves to hear from her readers. Email her at:
    JaneHinrichs@mail.com

    Categories

    All
    1 Timothy 4
    Abimelech
    Abundant Life
    Accountable
    Activities
    Addiction
    Admonish
    Adult Children
    Agabus
    Agenda
    Aging Gracefully
    Alabaster Vial
    Alchemy
    All Things
    Always
    Amazed
    Amaziah
    Amos
    Angels
    Anger
    Animals
    Answers To Prayer
    Apple Of His Eye
    Aroma
    Art
    Aslan
    Assume
    At Ease
    At The Gate Beautiful
    Authority
    Available
    Bad Stuff
    Balance
    Bartimaeus
    Bathsheba
    Bear Fruit
    Be A Tree
    Beauty
    Being The Hero
    Belief
    Believe
    Believing
    Be Strong
    Bethlehem
    Betrayal
    Bible Benefits
    Bible Study
    Bird In The Hand
    Birthday
    Bitterness
    Blasphemy
    Bless Yourself
    Blindness
    Blood Money
    Boast
    Body
    Bondage
    Bones
    Boredom
    Bottom
    Bragging
    Brain
    Brain Clutter
    Breath
    Brokenness
    Brother's Keeper
    Builder
    Burden
    Burnout
    Busybodies
    Cain
    Calling
    Callousness
    Caregiving
    Caretaker
    Caring
    Cat
    Cease Striving
    Center
    Challenges
    Change
    Changes
    Chaos
    Chief Cupbearer
    Chief Priests
    Child
    Childlike
    Children
    Choice
    Choices
    Christmas
    Church Family
    Circumstances
    Cliques
    Closer Than Your Own Breath
    Clothes
    Clouded Eyes
    Clouds
    Coffee With Jesus
    Colors
    Comic Strips
    Commitment
    Community
    Compassion
    Complaints
    Condemnation
    Confidence
    Confusion
    Connections
    Conscience
    Consequences
    Content
    Contentment
    Continuously
    Contradictions
    Conversations
    Cops
    Coughing
    Counselor
    Counterintuitive
    Courage
    Course
    Cowards
    Crazy Cat Lady
    Creation
    Creation Imagery
    Creativity
    Creator God
    Criticism
    Cry Out To Jesus
    C.S. Lewis
    Cursed
    Cyrus
    Darkness
    David
    Dead Leaves
    Death
    Debt
    Deceived
    Deceiving Ourselves
    Deception
    Defile
    Defiles
    Delight
    Deliverance
    Depression
    Desert
    Desires
    Despising Others
    Digging Deeper
    Dignity
    Dirt
    Disabilities
    Disciple
    Discipline
    Discontent
    Discouragement
    Discussion
    Distraction
    Dogs
    Do Not Grow Weary
    Doubt
    Dreams
    Drought
    Eagle Butte
    Earn Your Way
    Easter
    Effects
    Electric Razor
    Elijah
    Elisha
    Elizabeth
    Emotions
    Enabling
    Encounter
    Encouragement
    Endurance
    Envy
    Esau
    Ethiopian
    Eve
    Evil
    Examinations
    Examine Yourselves
    Exercise
    Exhausted
    Expectation
    Expectations
    Extremes
    Extrovert
    Eyes
    Face Of God
    Faery
    Failing
    Fairy Tales
    Faith
    Faithful
    Faithfulness
    Falling
    Fall Out
    Fame
    Family
    Fantasy
    Father
    Father God
    Fathom
    Favor
    Favorite Passage
    Fear
    Feeble
    Feeding My Flesh
    Fellowship
    Fence Sitting
    Fighting
    Finances
    First Nations People
    Fishing
    Flesh
    Flesh Thinking
    Flexible
    Flies
    Flowers
    Flying
    Food
    Fool
    Fool For Jesus
    Foolishness
    Forever
    Forgetting
    Forgiveness
    For The Beauty Of The Church
    Fragrant Offering
    Freedom
    Freely
    Free Will
    Friend Closer Than A Brother
    Friends
    Frodo
    Fruit
    Frustration
    Future Generations
    Gabriel
    Garbage
    Gather
    Gatherer
    Gathering
    Generosity
    Ghosting
    Gideon
    Gifts
    Giving
    Gloating
    Glory
    Go!
    Goals
    Goat
    God
    God's Love
    God's Promises
    God's Voice
    God's Ways
    God's Will
    God Is In Control
    God's Love
    God Speak
    God's Plan
    God's Promises
    God's Voice
    God's Ways
    God's Ways
    Gods Ways
    God's Will
    God's Will
    God's Word
    God's Work
    God With Us
    God Word
    Good
    Good Lives
    Good Thing
    Good Things
    Gospel
    Gossip
    Grace
    Grass Spider
    Gratefulness
    Gray Areas
    Greed
    Greedy
    Grief
    Growing In God
    Growing In God
    Growth
    Grumblers
    Grumbling
    Grumblings
    Grumpy
    Guard Duty
    Guilt
    Habakkuk
    Happiness
    Harlotry
    Harvest
    Hates
    Hatred
    Healer
    Healing
    Health
    Hearing Aid
    Heart Break
    Heaven
    Hebrews 5:14
    Helpless
    Herod
    Hidden
    High Calling
    Hilkiah The Prophetess
    Him
    His Yoke
    Holidays
    Holiness
    Holy Spirit
    Home
    Honesty
    Honor
    Hope
    Hopeless
    Horses
    Horse Training
    Hosea
    Hospitable
    Hot Summer Days
    Humbleness
    Humility
    Humor
    Hurt
    Idle Word
    Idols
    Imagination
    Immovable
    Impossibilities
    Impossible Situations
    Incense
    Inclusion
    Inheritance
    Innkeeper
    Introvert
    Iron Furnace
    Isaiah
    It Is Finished
    James
    James 4
    Jane Hinrichs
    Jerusalem
    Jeshurun
    Jesus
    Jesus Road
    Job
    Jochebed
    John Mark
    John The Baptist
    Jonah
    Jordan
    Joy
    Judas
    Judging
    Justice
    Kids
    Kindle
    Kindness
    Kingdom Of God
    Kingdom Of Heaven
    King Josiah
    King Of The Jews
    Kitchen Table
    Knowing God
    Lacking Love
    Lake Of Fire
    Lame Limbs
    Lamp Of The Body
    Laughing
    Law Of Liberty
    Leaders
    Leah
    Leaven
    Lens
    Leper
    Leprosy
    Lessons
    Let Go
    Letter Writing
    Lies
    Life
    Life Breath
    Life-breath
    Life Happens
    Life Long Learning
    Life Today
    Light
    Listening
    Little Jane
    Little Things
    Living
    Look For Him
    Lost Stuff
    Lot
    Love
    Love Of Learning
    Love Of Money
    Luke 12:2
    Luke 14
    Luke 17
    Mad Hatter
    Manipulation
    Mantra
    Marie Curie
    Marriage
    Mars Hill
    Mary
    Material Stuff
    Matthew 25
    Matthew 5
    Medicine
    Medicine Creek
    Memorable
    Memorial
    Memorial Day
    Memories
    Mental Glitches
    Mental Illness
    Mercy
    Messing
    Midlife
    Midlife Crisis
    Miffed
    Mighty
    Mind Of Christ
    Ministering
    Ministry
    Miracle
    Miracles
    Missed Opportunities
    Mistakes
    Misunderstandings
    Misunderstood
    Moabites
    Mocking
    Monday
    Money
    Mother
    Motives
    Mountain
    Mountain Lion
    Mules
    My Cross
    Mysteries
    Naaman
    Nahum
    Naked
    Names
    Native Americans
    Need
    Needing A Break
    Needy
    Neighbors
    New Testament
    New Year
    Nineveh
    Nit-picky
    Noble Person
    No Partiality
    Not Forgotten
    Numbers 14
    Nurturer
    Obedience
    Offering
    Opportunity
    Oppression
    Orders
    Ordinary Things
    Others
    Our Job
    Overcoming
    Owls
    Ownership
    Pain
    Panic
    Parables
    Parent
    Parenting
    Patience
    Patterns
    Paul
    Pause
    Peace
    People
    People's Stories
    Perfect Gift
    Perfectly Blunt
    Perseverance
    Personal
    Personal Interest
    Personal Space
    Pharisees
    Philip
    Philippians 1:21
    Philippians 2:3 4
    Philippians 2:3-4
    Picking Battles
    Pictures
    Pilate
    Places
    Planning Evil
    Plants
    Plastic Bags
    Plato
    Pleasures Of This Life
    Plowshares
    Porcupine
    Power
    Practice
    Praise
    Praises
    Pray
    Prayer
    Preparation
    Present
    Pride
    Prince Caspian
    Priorities
    Problem People
    Process
    Profit
    Profound
    Promise
    Promised Land
    Prophets
    Protection
    Proverbs 8
    Providence
    Provision
    Psalm 119
    Psalm 12
    Psalm 139
    Psalm 145
    Psalm 19
    Psalm 41
    Psalm 51
    Psalm 94:17-19
    Pure Words
    Purpose
    Pursuits
    Queen Of Sheba
    Quick Tempers
    Rainbow
    Reason Together
    Rebellion
    Reconciliation
    Redeemer
    Refreshment
    Refuge
    Relationships
    Religion
    Remember
    Renoir
    Responsibility
    Rest
    Restored Fortunes
    Resurrection
    Revelation
    Rheumatoid Arthritis
    Rhythms
    Riches
    Righteous One
    Rispah
    Rivers
    Rivers Of Living Water
    Rocks Hear
    Rogue
    Romans
    Romans 16
    Roots
    Routine
    Rules
    Ruth
    Ruthie And Marcie
    Sacrifice
    Sad Verse
    Safety
    Salt
    Salvation
    Sampson
    Samson
    Sanctification
    Sanctuary
    Satan
    Satisfaction
    Savior
    Scandalous
    Scatter
    Scattering
    Scent
    Scheming
    Science Class
    Scribes
    Scripture
    Seal
    Seasons
    Secret Name
    Security
    Seductress
    Seeking
    Self Consciousness
    Self-Consciousness
    Senses
    Servants
    Service
    Serving
    Setting Your Heart
    Shadow
    Sharing
    Shepherd
    Shooting
    Shrink Back
    Sign
    Signs
    Silas
    Silence
    Silvanus
    Simon The Pharisee
    Simple
    Sin
    Sinful Woman
    Singing
    Sinners
    Slack
    Slavery
    Slay Me
    Slighted
    Smiling
    Snare
    Snow
    Social Media
    Sodom
    Soldiers
    Solomon
    Songs In The Night
    Sons Of Ammon
    Sorrows
    South Dakota
    Sowing And Reaping
    Spider
    Spies
    Spirit
    Spiritual Fruit
    Spiritual Gifts
    Spiritual Warfare
    Spring
    Staying Power
    Staying Silent
    Steward
    Stewardship
    Stick
    Stinginess
    Stoning
    Stories
    Story
    St. Patrick
    Strength
    Strengthen
    Stress
    Strife
    Struggles
    Stubbornness
    Stuff
    Stumbling
    Stumbling Blocks
    Success
    Suffering
    Sugar Cookies
    Suicide
    Sun
    Supplies
    Swindle
    Sword Of The Spirit
    Symptoms
    Taking Every Thought Captive
    Talent
    Talents
    Talk
    Teenagers
    Temper Tantrum
    Temptation
    Temptations
    Testimony
    Testing
    Thankfulness
    Thanksgiving
    The Believer
    The Catch
    The Church
    The Devil
    The Devil's Work
    The Flesh
    The Good Samaritan
    The Last Word
    The Message
    The Mind
    The Mind Of Christ
    Theology
    The Poor
    The Spirit
    The Spirit Life
    The Spy
    The Temple
    The Unknown
    The Voice Of The Martyrs
    The Widow Of Zarephath
    The Word
    The Word Of God
    Thief
    Thorns
    Threat
    Time
    Timing
    Tongue
    Tools
    Too Small To Ignore
    Top
    Traditions
    Tragedy
    Train Your Brain
    Transformed
    Trapped
    Trash
    Treasure
    Treasures
    Trials
    Trusting God
    Truth
    Trying
    Twig The Fairy
    Ugliness
    Unbelief
    Understanding
    Unity
    Unknown
    Unlikely Sources
    Unseen
    Unseen Enemies
    Unseen Person
    Unusefulness
    Uriah
    Uz
    Victory
    Violence
    Visits
    Waiting
    Wal-mart
    War
    Weakness
    Wealth
    Weaned Child
    Weapon
    Weariness
    Weary
    Weeds
    What This World Needs
    Why
    Wicked
    Wilderness
    Willfully Sin
    Wineskins
    Wings
    Winter
    Wisdom
    Within
    Witness
    Woman Caught In Adultery
    Women
    Wonder
    Words
    Worker
    Working Outside The Home
    World System
    World Thought
    Worries
    Worry
    Worship
    Yemen
    You Can
    Your Beginning
    Your Enemy
    Your Job
    Zaccheus
    Zacharias
    Zeal
    Zinger

    Archives

    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010

    Follow JaneHinrichs on Twitter
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.