I grew up in the country, but it was more than thirty years before I could return and take pleasure in the open spaces, fresh air, gorgeous views, wild flowers, and wild animals. Something spiritual occurs when a stately deer stands against the forest or the first burst of yellow violets peep out from beneath last fall’s fallen leaves in the woods, and you are privileged to witness it. These joys are always tempered by the fact that nature was here first, and I am only an intruder. That is why we have a dog.
When Kriket, our family hound, barks inside the basement, it is a signal that our life has infringed upon nature, and there is trouble brewing.
The basement door remains open when we are home to give easy access to Kriket and our cats for shelter and food. At the same time, the basement is vulnerable to other critters. We have encountered a variety of visitors such as several mice, a rat, birds, a ground hog, toads, a couple of raccoons, and of course, skunks.
Although not true hibernators, for the duration of the cold winter months skunks hunker down to a sluggish dormancy. Snow covered the ground for two months, and as the days began to lengthen, hunger drove one little beauty into the basement in search of food. A few days earlier, he had come inside and helped himself to Kriket’s food, which is parked by a small refrigerator and a defunct freezer currently used as a pantry. Between the two appliances is a space approximately four inches wide … wide enough for a hasty retreat. I first saw him there. He was a real good looker.
Kriket barked with serious intent; she tucked tail and guarded her dish, taking staid exception to the intrusion by Peter Pooh upon her supper. The skunk left a reminder that he had been there and departed. Deodorant sprays and scented candles little by little dissipated the scent of Pete’s aftershave, and we thought we had escaped for the duration.
Larry, my husband, was in the bedroom, and I settled down to watch an intense cop show and crochet. In the quiet of what we hoped would be a quiet evening, Kriket announced the return of her visitor. I dropped my crochet hook and tiptoed to the basement steps. Sure enough, Pete was there to bum again. Kriket cornered him in between the appliances to keep him from her food. She would grab a bite of food and eat it, always keeping her eye on the skunk.
Larry has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and uses oxygen 24/7. He was already hooked up to his oxygen concentrator and in bed for the night. I alerted him to the situation.  The only solution would be to shoot the critter, but in my seventy-two years, I have fired a gun five times, none of which were pleasant experiences.
“Can you go to the basement and kill the thing?” I asked kindly.
“Well, yes I can, but … but we’ll have to use bird shot. If I use a regular bullet, it might hit the concrete and ricochet back on us. Bird shot might not kill it. Then we’d have him stinking up the place. But, yeah, I can do it.”
I went and got the pistol and all the ammunition … I don’t know one bullet from another.
Meanwhile he moseyed out to the kitchen and refilled his portable oxygen fanny pack and sat down to catch his breath.
I brought him his slippers, hat, and coat. “This is taking too long! Pete will be gone only to return again and again.”
Next we had to remove the bullets from the pistol and replace them with bird shot.
“He’ll be gone or hide back behind the junk under the storage shelves. We’ll never get him,” I worried. 
Finally, Larry was suited up. He almost never does the stairs. He crept down the steps as I followed him with a flashlight and a long pole.
Larry’s history of marksmanship is second only to his love affair with firearms. He is the one who, mellowed out on pain pills for his jaw surgery, shot a blue jay dive-bomber in mid-flight, as he chatted with our brother-in-law. I had no fear that he would miss.
I shined the flashlight into the skunk’s hiding place. All we could see was the black and white tail fanning out from the refrigerator. He had crawled inside the motor housing. Larry got within three feet of the back of the refrigerator and aimed in the general direction. He shot all six chambers. The first shot frightened the skunk out into the space between the appliances; the second shot was effective; the other four were insurance. Larry is my hero.
Thank goodness Pete didn’t spray his methyl and butyl thiols … that notorious after shave he uses. I pulled the refrigerator out and dragged him out. Using my garden gloves, I picked him up. Such a tiny fellow he was, but his long hair flowed with beautiful grace over his body and made him appear much larger.
As Larry slowing climbed back upstairs, I took the skunk out to the porch. I slung it as far as I could. I heard it hit a rhododendron bush at the edge of the lower driveway, and hoped it would be far enough not to perfume the house.
The next day I went to look for it. Nowhere in sight. That concerned me a little.
I shared my thoughts. “Maybe it was only stunned and walked away.”
Larry said, “No, it was dead. I’m sure of that.”
I found him with his head caught in the fork of the branches of the rhododendron bush. Again, I tossed it. It landed in the Christmas tree field. Good fertilizer.
So long Peter Pooh. Kriket can now get back to her job of barking at deer, raccoon, horses on the lane, and other dogs who dare to invade her territory. We can only hope that the Mephitis Mafia will not seek revenge.

My Floridian friend suggests
that I should honor his requests
to write a verse or two about the snow.
I disdain to meet his plea
although he may vicariously
enjoy a snowy day with all its glow.

After two full months of cold
that shoveling out gets rather old
and I’ve considered move to Mexico.
Now its piled both high and deep,
and I have tossed it in a heap
as far as futile efforts I can throw.

Sure, it’s pretty, I’ll admit,
but I would like it now to quit
so once more I can travel to and fro.
I am grateful for each day…
look forward to the month of May
when “snowbirds” from the south will north-ward blow.

No shadow today for ol’ Blackberry Ben…
There’s hope for an end to the snows.
There’s hope in the rain and the fog and the ice
That winter will give up its woes.

“This funny”, he says, “that six weeks of the cold
Does on my ol’ shadow depend…
And six weeks of snow, ice, and wintery mix
will come before winter shall end.

“The first day of spring, in case you didn’t know,
Is more than six weeks from today,
But I say that hope in my shadow is vain:
‘Tis weather or not anyway!”

There is a bit of controversy floating about among Christians in the aftershocks of the earthquake in Haiti. It shouldn’t be, of course. Rather, we should be praying, giving, and/or going, and leave the theology to God, but…

Some say that God is punishing the country of Haiti for their Satanic activity; others say that Satan has caused the disaster; still others say that it is merely an event that God will use for His glory; and others tell us that it is caused by global warming, natural phenomena, or any of a variety of reasons.

I wonder if we aren’t looking at this all wrong. In the history of God’s people from the beginning of time, more often God has used events of both nature and supernatural means to bring His own people to their knees. Is it as simple as that? Or as complicated? Perhaps.

When I hear that believers are praising God in the midst of this disaster, I know that God is being glorified. When I hear of Christians leaving the comforts of their homes to go and help, I know that God is being glorified. When I hear others praying to God for these people…for their safety and their souls, I know that God is being glorified. When I hear the appeals for funding by Christian organizations that can provide relief to the victims, I know that God is using this for His own greater glory.

Do we rejoice, then, that the tragedy happened? What a horrible thought! No, but we praise God that He is working for His glory and then consider how we can work out our own Christian faith in the mix.

Pray…give…go … This is the missionary mantra that we have heard over the centuries, and it still remains the appropriate response to the needs of the world about us, including the present tragedy. Pray for that one soul who will renounce his denial of Christ and follow the Savior; give to help rebuild the necessities of life for those who have been made in God’s image; go, if you can, to bring life and light to those who may remain in darkness both physically and spiritually. Leave the theology of the event to God.

The following occurred to me while driving the roads during our recent snowy events: I need to drive in accordance to my religious beliefs. No, I do not mean that I should feel guilty if I go a couple of miles over the speed limit, or if I make an unintentional minor infraction of driving regulations. What I mean by the statement is that I should drive understanding that, yes, I have a license to drive, but the license does not assure me that I will be safe or that I will arrive at my destination. My license says that the Department of Motor Vehicles has allowed me to drive as licensed in our state. I’m legal; I belong. If I drive according to the rules of driving and safety, I will not be compromising my chances of arriving at my destination safely. As well, I do not necessarily have to drive safely in order to arrive safely, but of course it is expected of me. There is no assurance that safe driving will keep me safe. The truth is that out of respect for the law, the integrity of my driving character, and the effect on my fellow drivers and passengers, I drive safely. It is in the scope of Providence whether I arrive safely or end up in a ditch with my head wearing the steering wheel for a hat.
Although this is not a perfect analogy and may be a big stretch, I will carry it over to my religious beliefs to illustrate a point. Our eternal destiny is not dependent on whether we obey the Commandments, follow the Golden Rule, join the Church, or any other system of works. We can do all these things and remain lost from God…never arrive at our hoped for destination. Our goodness will not redeem us. On the other hand, we can’t look back to a single act on our part of shaking hands with the preacher, being baptized, or signing a pledge card, and then go about with a life unchanged and continuing a life of pleasure and self-serving. Some say, “OK, I accepted Jesus as my Savior, but I’m not ready for Him to be my Lord.” That is like getting a license to drive and then driving irresponsibly.
When we come to faith in Christ, the true way to live is to live to our best ability and knowledge of the Scriptures because we have reverence for the Savior, because we know it will give us a fullness of joy in our lives, and because it will be an influence on the world around us.
The big difference between having a driver’s license and being right with God is in the faith placed in the heart of a believer by God’s Holy Spirit. When we pass our driver’s test or renew our license, there is no faith involved. The analogy stops here. There are no permanent driver’s licenses, but God calls us, loves us eternally, brings us to faith, and preserves us until we reach our ultimate destination.

2 heads of brocolli, cut into small bite size pieces
1/4 c. black olives, slices
1/4 c. green olives and pimento sliced
1/4 of a large red onion sliced thinly
2 Tbs.  sherry vinegar
1 Tbs. honey
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
1/2c. craisins
3 sections of hearts of palm, sliced
1/2 tsp.  salt

mix well and refrigerate several hours before serving

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup pumpkin pie mix (already sweetened)
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped English or California Walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Grease loaf pans with solid shortening within 1/2 inch of rim
Preheat oven to 350 F
In large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the flour with brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices; work with fingers until fine and meal-like texture;
add pumpkin pie mix, milk, eggs, and oil; beat with mixer on low setting until well mixed; increase to high speed for 2 minutes; add remaining flour and mix well; add nuts and raisins;
bake in 1 9×5x3″ loaf pan 50-60 minutes, or 4 mini loaf pans 40 minutes; cool on rack for 10 minutes; remove from pans.

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For several days there has been a growing concern in my mind over the vitriolic comments about our current government in power. To my horror, much of it comes from those who call themselves Christians. Obviously, if the government enacts policies that are against God’s commands, Christians should stand up against them. That is a given. The diatribe these days is political and not always on moral grounds. What is the Scriptural injunction? It is to obey the laws of the land, to respect our leaders, and to pray for them.
Our obedience to the laws of the land needs to be run through the grid of God’s Law. Only when there is conflict between the two, do we stand against the law of the land. For instance: God’s law says, “You shall not commit murder.” Abortion would fall into that category. It is right to take a stand against abortion. If we cannot get such laws repealed, we must rightfully speak out against it, and we can refuse to obey it on a personal level. To judge and condemn those who disagree with us is not our prerogative; it is God who will do this in His perfect time.
The harangues I hear these days are not only disrespectful, but are done in the name of patriotism and (perish the thought) religion. Political cartoons show our leaders as buffoons, off color jokes are told about them, and elaborately constructed e-mails portray them as ogres. These people have been elected, and if we are unsatisfied with their policies, it is our responsibility and privilege to tell them what is on our mind. If we disagree, we vote against them when the opportunity returns.

We are to pray for our leadership. It is difficult to pray for someone that you have otherwise treated in a non-Christian-like manner. A few days ago a friend sent me a refreshing prayer for our leadership. The prayer asked for God to give “optimum health, mental clarity and political prosperity” to our president, and that “what he lacks in political ‘experience’ (God) make up for with supernatural wisdom and power.” If we would so pray, no matter which side of the political fence we travel, we will be doing as well as we should.

Yes, we should be discerning when we vote, we must scrutinize the actions of our law makers, and we must speak out against immoral laws or that which is not good for our country. What we should not do is slander our elected leaders.

I had hoped “Soar Above the Yesterdays” would have been released by Thanksgiving. It is a little behind schedule, but we have high hopes that you will be able to have your very own copy within two to three weeks.

To refresh your memory on the book, it is a sequel to “All Things”, and takes Susanna into some more decision making. Old characters are revisited; new characters introduced; there is mystery, history, and romance to add to the excitement. Susanna has two paths she can follow. Does God have a role in His perfect plan for her with her musical talents, or is there an entirely new and different path for her to travel?

For autographed copies of either “All Things” or “Soar Above the Yesterdays”, contact me at: jwb@junebarebooks.com