Questions (John 7)

Sometimes reading Scriptures simply leaves you with questions.  I don’t know that all my questions will be answered in this life.  But it may be that I’m not supposed to have some of the answers, though I am supposed to have the questions. 

Reading over the beginning of John 7, I found I have a couple of questions.

1st- Jesus said to His brothers in v.6-

 “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.”  

I wonder what exactly He meant with the end of that statement. 

 .

The second question that came to mind after reading vs. 12-13

“There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, “He is a good man”; others were saying, “No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray.”  Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews. “

We know the leaders were opposed to Christ.  So why was it then that those in the crowds who opposed Jesus were afraid of the Jews?  Why wasn’t it only those who spoke highly of Jesus that were afraid.

Just something to chew on.  Feel free to reply with any insights you might have.

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Mt. Rainier- Cascade Red Fox

 A big thanks to Whittaker Mountaineering for helping to make this series on Mt. Rainier possible!

There are many cool animals on Mount Rainier.  Some of them are not exactly “cuddly” looking.  They’re big, with big teeth, or dangerous claws, or maybe they’re dirty and they stink.  You don’t want to pick them up and pet them.  You don’t even want to be near them.

But animals like the Cascade Red Fox are a different story.  They look more like something you want to pick up and play with.  Unique among foxes, they have bigger ears, softer thicker coats, and bushier tails that are quite large compared to their bodies. 

Unfortunately, too many visitors to Mt. Rainier have let the “cuteness” of these unique foxes get the best of them.  While people aren’t picking the foxes up and taking them home, they have been feeding them.  And there’s a good reason why that’s against the park rules.

Mt. Rainier has a lot of traffic flowing throughout the year.  When people throw food out to the animals from their cars, it draws the animals closer to the road.  Sometimes the foxes will even build their burrows close to the road for this very reason.  And it’s not hard to figure out the problem there.  The foxes aren’t so cute and thankful after being hit by a car.

Feeding the foxes has also created a “pest” problem at campsites and visiting centers.  The foxes have begun snooping around camps and getting into cars, looking for food.  This puts both the fox and the campers in a dangerous situation.  Each is capable of harming the other.

The population of Cascade Red Foxes is already a concern on Mt. Rainier.  Feeding the foxes not only ruins the wild element of the park, a big part of what makes one desire to visit the mountain, but it makes it even less likely that one will be able to see these foxes in the future.

Please remember to respect the Park and its inhabitants.  More information on the problem of feeding Cascade Red Foxes at Mt. Rainier can be found here.  For general information on wildlife in Mount Rainier National Park check out this field guide, available from Whittaker Mountaineering.

Time to Write- December ’08

The votes are in!  Thanks to everyone for your participation.

Here are the final results:

 

Genre:

Post apocalyptic earth where nuclear war has destroyed the environment and killed billions of people. Life on earth has been forever altered, but a group of survivors has hope and sees it as an opportunity to start again. 60% (9 of 15 votes)

Settings:

Pacific Northwest, United States of America 64% (9 of 14 votes)

Mood:

Adventurous & philosophical. 43% (6 of 14 votes)

Plot:

Survivors band together to build a new society founded in Christian values. Along the journey, they uncover how the loss of Christian values contributed to the end of the world they knew. 71% (10 of 14 votes)

Characters:

Female Warrior (modern warrior? Maybe war hero??) 21% (3 of 14votes)

Tied with another.  Decided with a 20 sided die.

Items:

A bible that in the binding holds a knife 69% (9 of 13votes)

 

Look for the completed short story on December 31.  You will be able to read and rate the finished piece then.

The next Challenge starts January 1st, and will run just the same as this one did.  Tell your friends.  I hope to see you all back again!