Describe one positive change you have made in your life.
Describe one positive change I have made in my life. Creating my website and blog, 100% without a doubt one of the best decisions I have made. I feel I was led here by God’s very hand. He knew what I needed and where I needed to be. Not only can I shine God’s light into the entire world, but I can also share my own personal writings. I can praise God and allow my creativity to flow. What more can I ask from a passion than to call people to God with my words. What a wonderful gift and opportunity God has given me. Glory to God.
This blog not only pacifies my ambitious creativity it also has made me happier and more fulfilled. Writing everyday especially for God has broadened my perspective and strengthens my faith on levels I could have never imagined. This blog makes me filled with joy and helps me stay focused on what’s important. It inspires and grounds me. It fuels personal growth and introspect. In short, this blog is a perfect storm for an uncontrollable addiction, and I absolutely love it.
What is the most fun way to exercise? I would have to say with a partner. I enjoy exercising the most when I have my wonderful husband by my side. Whether it’s going for a walk, playing basketball, kayaking, hiking, swimming, strength training or making babies 🤭. Exercise of any kind is way more fun with a companion.
Welcome back to our In-depth Bible Study. If you are just tuning in, I highly recommend going back to the Genesis 1 post Thanks for joining. May each and everyone has ears to hear and eyes to see.
Genesis 4
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.
21 And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
Genesis 5
1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.
3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
6 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
7 And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:
8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.
9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:
11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.
12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel:
13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.
15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared:
16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
18 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:
19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.
21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
25 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:
26 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:
27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
28 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son:
29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.
30 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters:
31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.
32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
What book could I read over and over again? Well to start with, I would have to say the Bible. It is my most read and beloved book. I have read it many times and continue to read it every day. In the realm of fantasy fiction I would be happy to read Ink Heart on any given day. For historical fiction I love The Island of the Blue Dolphins. I guess I can say I can find a home in several books.
Welcome back to our In-depth Bible Study. If you are just tuning in, I highly recommend going back to the Genesis 1 post . Thanks for joining. May each and everyone has ears to hear and eyes to see. God bless.
Genesis 2
1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.
6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.
11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.
14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.
15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
Welcome again to another post about animals! I truly enjoy writing these and usually learn something new. As always thank you for reading and God bless. If you enjoy reading my article, leave a comment and let me know. I love hearing from my readers.
The Vulture Bee
The Vulture Bee
Vulture bees, also known as carrion bees, are a small group of stingless South American bees that eat rotting meat .By breaking down organic matter and recycling nutrients, these decomposers sustain ecosystems, plant succession, and habitat regeneration.
Their gut prefers carrion over pollen as a protein source. Compared to vegetarian bees, these carrion-lovers had dramatically different microbiomes, according to a study published this month in the microbiology journal mBio. The guts of vegetarian stingless bees, honeybees and bumblebees all contained the same five microbes. However, vulture bee stomachs were riddled with specialized acid-loving bacteria that allow them to digest meat without getting sick from toxins that form on rotting flesh.
These bees do not collect pollen from flowers like most of their relatives. Instead, they ingest the flesh of dead birds, monkeys, lizards, snakes, and fish. Vulture bees have large, pointed teeth, which they use to break into a carcass through its eyes, just like maggots do. They slice off pieces of meat from the carcass and store them in their crops. Back at their nests, bees regurgitate the meat and mix it with honey. In about two weeks, the mixture turns into a paste rich with free amino acids, proteins and sugars. This nutritious pap is then fed to bee larvae.
The flavor of the honey produced is described as a mix of spam and beef jerky, which is not appealing to most human palates. Others describe the thick substance as having,ba unique, potentially smoky, intense, salty, or uniquely sweet flavor, unlike the notes of floral in other honey.
Atlantic torpedo rays can reach up to 6 feet long and weigh 200 pounds. They are found in various locations worldwide, including the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, inhabiting shallow to moderately deep waters. Members of this species are usually found on sandy bottoms around rocky reefs and kelp beds. These rays are solitary, nomadic, and can remain suspended in the water with minimal swimming effort.
Electric rays have two kidney-shaped organs on the sides of their head that generate and store electricity, similar to a battery. These organs are composed of modified muscle cells arranged in a honeycomb pattern. Electric rays use their electric shocks for various purposes, including stunning prey, defense, and possibly sensory location. They can produce electric shocks ranging from 8 to 220 volts, depending on the species. These jolts are used to stun prey and for defense. Electric torpedo rays ambush predators and hunt by lying on the seabed. They then engulf and swallow their stunned prey.
In ancient Greece and Rome, the electric shocks of certain species, like the Atlantic torpedo ray, were used in medicine to treat conditions like gout and headaches. Due to the numbing effect of their electric shock, ancient Romans and Greeks called these rays “numbfish”.
Stonefish are found in the coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific oceans, ranging from Africa and the Red Sea to Japan and Australia. They are incredibly well-camouflaged, blending seamlessly with their rocky and coral reef surroundings. They often rest on the seabed, appearing as rocks or coral, making them difficult to spot. Their skin is rough and covered with wart-like bumps and fleshy flaps, further enhancing their ability to blend into their surroundings.
Unlike most fish, stonefish can survive for up to 24 hours out of water, which is an uncommon trait in the deep-sea animal kingdom.
These weird creators are generally solitary except during mating season, when they aggregate to lay eggs. The female will lay her gelatinous egg mass while swimming across the seafloor. Males will then follow, releasing their sperm as they swim over the newly laid eggs.
Stonefish are ambush predators, lying in wait for unsuspecting prey like small fish and crustaceans. They have a large, upturned mouth that they use to suck their prey in. Stonefish also possess 13 venomous spines on their dorsal fins connected to two venom sacs. These spines can be erected when threatened. When activated, light blue spines protrude from the skin. They then release a blue hued toxin, yet another unique trait as blue is not common in nature. The venom causes immediate and severe pain that can last for days, along with swelling, tissue necrosis, and potentially paralysis, shock, and even death.
The “werewolf mouse,” also known as the grasshopper mouse, is a carnivorous rodent that howls to defend its territory and communicate with others. They emit high-pitched, wolf-like howls, which they use to defend their territory. They are highly territorial and will aggressively defend their home, using both vocalizations and physical confrontations.
These rodents are native to North and South American deserts. They are stocky, with a reddish-tan or gray coat, and have short tails. This species are relatively small, with an average body length of 164 mm (6.5 in) and a weight of around 35 g (0.077 lb). The average lifespan of a grasshopper mouse is 2 years.
Grasshopper mice are carnivorous, meaning they primarily eat meat, unlike most other mice that are omnivores. They are known to stalk and ambush their prey, including insects, worms, spiders, centipedes, scorpions, snakes, and even other mice. On top of these unique qualities, the mouse is also immune to various venoms used by some of the creatures it hunts and usually comes out at night.
The fossa is Madagascar’s largest carnivore. It is a unique predator, related to mongooses, with a cat-like appearance. Well known for its exceptional climbing and hunting abilities, both in trees and on the ground. They are the only predator on Madagascar capable of preying on adult lemurs, even the largest ones. Lemurs makie up a significant portion of their diet, but they also eat rodents, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates.
Their coat is short, reddish-brown, and they have a mongoose-like head with a broad, short muzzle and large, rounded ears. Fossas have slender bodies, muscular limbs, and a tail nearly as long as their body, helping them balance and jump between trees. They can reach nearly six feet in length, with half of that due to their long tails. They weigh 15 to 30 pounds with males larger.
Fossas have a unique mating system where females occupy a tree, and males congregate below, fighting and calling to attract her. Females mate with multiple males during their seven-day estrus period. Gestation lasts approximately three months, and females typically give birth to two to four pups. Fossa live to around 15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.
If you could be a character from a book or film, who would you be? Why?
If I could be a character from a book or film, who would I be? I would be the main character of my novel Ezra. I would want to be Ezra because she is smart, beautiful and bold. Brave, inquisitive and inspiring. To add to the pot, She stumbled upon a life changing adventure and found a whole community of tiny creatures that love and welcome her as their own. She owns a house with a massive underground network of tunnels and has a family that appreciates and cares for her. I created Ezra to be everything I am and so much more. These are the reasons I would want to be her.
Heather Congrove 