1000 Gifts (Part 14): Spring Break Science

During the kids' spring break from school, they got to observe God's handiwork through His magnificent creation.  The week was filled with fun scientific observations which give glory to Creator God.  Father, we thank you for....

220.  Your provision for the lowliest of creatures, even the reptiles, so we can trust You to tend to our needs in ways greater than we could possibly imagine.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  (Matthew 6)

During spring break, we conducted the arduous seasonal process of changing out the kids' closets.  We gave away, donated, sold, or threw away winter clothing they had outgrown and restocked their closets with larger spring/summer clothing that should fit them over the next few months. At the same time, the lizards on our front porch went through the molting process designed by God in which they shed their old skin which has grown too small for them as larger, new skin forms underneath.

We also had the privilege of attending a field trip with our homeschool co-op.  It was the first and only field trip we could attend this year due to school scheduling conflicts.  This field trip took us an hour away deep into the rural outskirts of a nearby suburb to the home of a kind man with a huge heart for petrology, an enormous rock collection, and a head filled with a gazillion rock facts, many of which he gladly shared with us.  He led each student through a rock classification exercise and generously gave out the supplies and rocks from his collection for the students to keep. We were late arriving to his home because my rear driver side tire went flat during our journey there, but he kindly helped us catch up on the presentation.

221.  God's brilliant design in preserving His marvelous creation in sedimentary rock layers 

222.  Evidences of Biblical truth found throughout the many rock layers across the earth, especially the rich fossil layer which point directly to the world wide flood

223.  The enormous variety and intrinsic beauty buried within each rock formation.

224.  Orchestrating my husband's arrival to rescue us as we were stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire just in time to allow us to get there in time to hear the best parts of the rock presentation

225.  This kind man's willingness to invest so much of his time into sharing his passion and knowledge with others 

The next morning, the kids woke me up before my alarm went off eagerly asking me for permission to go dig up rocks in our back yard.

We also took a family trip to a wild animal conservatory during spring break.  After adding a bunny to our family, we've been learning how prey animals think and behave in order to best connect with our bunny and allay any fears he may have of us.  Conversely, at this private conservatory, we learned how predators act and what movements resemble prey to them.  The tour was extremely educational, but  considering that almost every large cat we saw was sleeping, the kids did not get to see how ferocious wild cats can be when all their needs are not met so meticulously.  These cats were very comfortable there, evidenced by the way many of them slept with their belly (an all their vital organs) facing upward.

226.  The majestic beauty of all wild animals

227.  The perfect balance found in the natural order of the food chain

228.  The interesting way those bizarre looking binturongs maintain the tropical rain forest

How wonderfully creative and omniscient is our Creator.  These binturongs play a vital role in the rain forest by simply eating the fruit from these rain forest trees and then excreting the seeds together with the right mixture of nutrients added during the digestive process to replant the trees that provide the rich canopy supporting all life beneath it.

229.  The unity and strength found within a pride of lions as each member fulfills his/her role

Similarly, in the human family, when the husband fulfills his role as spiritual leader, and the woman serves as his helper in a Proverbs 31 way with the children showing respect to their parents, then the family will stay strong and united, prospering according to God's perfect plan.

That old tiger tried to look ferocious, and I suppose those nasty yellow teeth would be a dentist's worst nightmare.

230.  The commitment of this private organization to providing a safe, comfortable, natural habitat for each of these rescue animals while educating the public, all without government funding
 
231.  Generous donors who make this effort to be effective stewards over all of God's creation possible