Pastor Claude Thomas Online Blog

By Ronald F. Patterson

Fall brings football and the World Series. Pumpkin patches. Crisp fresh air. Brilliantly colored leaves are impressive. Yard and garden clean up. But I think, migrating birds are Autumn’s real signature event. Don’t you? Think about it for a moment. You may have to travel to find autumn foliage, a pumpkin patch or a football game.

But I’m sure you can find a spot to observe migrating birds near where you live, if not right in your backyard. Every autumn, more than 5 BILLION birds migrate across North America, crossing the U.S. and Canada at rates of tens of millions a day. Now those are some serious numbers. So, lets get on with the migration talk and experience. It’s late September/early October…Do you know where your birds are?

People have been fascinated with this annual migration of birds for thousands of years. The great Aristotle wrote about the wintering habits of birds 3,000 years ago. He noticed that some birds traveled to warmer places to spend the winter. He also mistakenly believed that some birds like swallows hibernated to survive the harsh winter weather. This theory persisted for 2,000 years! As you know, not all of your birds migrate. Some birds stay where they are. Scrub jays, Northern cardinals and Chickadees are an example of local and native birds that stay year round. Some birds have irruption years where they show in great numbers. Last year was an irruption year for Common redpolls and Red breasted nuthatches.

Birds that traveled several hundred miles to find a source of food. These birds were popping up in many regions where they normally aren’t seen. Not true migrating birds, but birds that move around some years are the Bush tits of the Pacific coast region. You may have other birds in your area that don’t really migrate, but move around some (within a couple hundred miles) as they follow the food sources. Some birds, while not a migratory bird, become almost as intelopers. Vagabonds as they wonder around from place to place. Cedar waxwings fit this bill. Often small and even large flocks of waxwings will appear from no where. They strip your berry and fruit trees, never to be seen again for the rest of the season. Some times they gorge themselves into a drunken stupor on fermented fruits and fall off the branches they are clinging to. Novice birders may think their American goldfinches have migrated. When, before their eyes the Male goldfinch has moulted from his brilliant breeding yellow and black cap, to a dull olive green. You will discover, they never left. But, American goldfinches can and in some locations do migrate short distances some years 100 to 200 miles. However, a recorded migration of a single, banded goldfinch in Ontario, Canada, ended up in Louisiana, USA.

A typical Goldfinch migration may consist of your birds moving a 100 miles, but they are replaced by more northen goldies a week or two later. So much for hard and fast rules of migration. Then again…Many of us get fall and winter visitors like White crowned sparrows and American tree sparrows. Birds from northern Canada that winter over in our backyards or at least visit us on the way to their winter homes in the mid to southern United States. Other Northern birds like Dark eyed juncos and Snow buntings become winter favorites or a sign of Winter’s coming when you see your first junco. Many birds don’t bother to migrate until December or stay put in a mild winter. While some birds begin fall or summer migration as early as July and August, October is the big month for migration. Day light grows shorter each day.

Time clocks are ticking. Something inside tells billions of birds to fatten up. But the weather is still nice and there is plenty of food, why must they go now? Or it could be…It is snowing and blowing, why are you silly birds still here? Contrary to popular belief, birds migrate not because the weather becomes too cold, but because food supplies will run out. With the coming of winter, insect life dies down, snow covers the ground, water freezes over: Nature’s cupboard is becoming bare. Birds that can find something to eat will frequently stay put, such as city pigeons or carrion-eating crows. Many robins remain in the North country as long as there is food enough for them to survive. Many birds change diet habits from fruits and insects to fruits and seeds or seeds and insect eggs etc. Some birds we are familiar with, like our beloved hummingbirds. You know what they feed on.

You may keep records of the day you first see one and when the last one leaves. Daylight hours dictate over 95% of departure time, though weather conditions can add on to or take away from departure time. For instance, On average my hummingbirds stay till September 24th/25th. I still have plenty of flowers in bloom and the weather is still warm enough to provides insects. Yet, some years are unusually cool and an early frost may come before departure time. If the cool temperatures persist, they will leave early because food supplies are lacking.

When the weather is unusually warm, the might, just might hang around a few more days. This is more typical juvenile that hasn’t gone through the rigors of migration. This is also why you want to keep your feeders out a couple of weeks longer. Three years ago, I had hummers into the second week of October. Unusual? Yes, but it does happen. Often these birds leave within the same week every year and return with in the same time frame in the Spring. Without a warning or a simple good-by, they are gone. Like clock work, swallows come and go. Get while the getting is good. Weather conditions are favorable, food sources are plentiful. What are they waiting for. Many species of birds congregate in fields, marshes, lakes, ponds and other areas waiting. These areas are known as staging areas. Adding body fat and waiting for cool nights and possibly a northerly wind to aid in southerly migration. Some birds are loners (hummingbirds) and head out on there own. While many of our migrating birds travel at night to avoid predators, some birds travel during the day. The day migrants include some of the ducks and geese, loons, cranes, gulls, pelicans, hawks, swallows, nighthawks, and swifts. Soaring birds, including Broad-winged Hawks, storks, and vultures, can only migrate during the day because their mode of flight makes them dependent on updrafts created either by thermal convection or the deflection of wind by topographic features like hills and mountain ridges.

Swifts and swallows feed entirely on flying insects, and circling flocks of these species are frequently seen in late summer feeding as they travel gradually southward. Catching your meal on the fly so to speak. Similarly, large flocks of Franklin’s Gulls in the Great Plains feed on insects caught in thermals. Using these updrafts as a source of food as well as the means permitting soaring flight that carries them on their journey with minimal expenditure of muscle power. Large flocks of Swainson’s Hawks also migrate in the Plains States by thermal soaring. In the East, flights of Broad-winged, Cooper’s, and Sharp-shinned hawks are regularly seen along the Appalachian ridges, soaring on the uplifted westerlies passing over the crest of the mountains. Because many species of wading and swimming birds are able to feed at all hours, they migrate either by day or night. Some diving birds, including ducks that submerge when in danger, often travel over water by day and over land at night. Strong flyers like Snow Geese can make the entire trip from their staging area in James Bay, Canada to the wintering grounds on the Louisiana Gulf coast in one continuous flight. Snow geese have been recorded leaving James Bay and arriving on the Gulf of Mexico coast 60 hours later after a non stop flight of 60 hours and over 1,700 miles at an average speed of 28 miles an hour.

Try that on a tank of gas. Because most birds are creatures of daylight, it seems remarkable that many should select the night for extended travel. Smaller birds like rails, flycatchers, orioles, most of the sparrows, the warblers, vireos, and thrushes are typical nocturnal migrants. It is common to find woods and fields on one day almost barren of bird life an on the following morning filled with newly arrived migrants that came during the night and may spend several days as they re-fuel their fat supplies. Around me, marshes and wetlands are filling up with Red-winged-blackbirds as they are on countdown. Often I see and hear flocks of waterfowl during the night and I can hear other avian friends flying over head. Observations made with telescopes focused on the full moon have shown processions of birds, and one observer estimated their passage over his area at the rate of 9,000 per hour. This gives some indication of the numbers of birds in the air at night during migratory peaks. Radar observations have shown that nocturnal migration begins about an hour after sundown, reaches a maximum shortly before midnight, and then gradually declines until daybreak. Bird echoes during peak migration periods may cover a radar screen. It is suggested that small birds migrate by night to avoid their enemies.

To a certain extent this may be true because the group includes not only weak flyers, but also the small insectivorous birds, such as wrens, small woodland flycatchers, and other species that habitually live more or less in concealment. These birds are probably much safer making their flights under the protecting cloak of darkness. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that night migrants also include sandpipers and plovers. Most shorebirds are usually found in the open and are among the most powerful flyers, as some of them make annual nonstop migratory flights over 2,000 miles of open ocean. Night travel is probably the best for the majority of birds chiefly from the standpoint of feeding. Digestion is very rapid in birds, and yet the stomach of birds killed during the day almost always contains food. To replace the energy required for long flight, it is essential that either food be obtained at comparatively short intervals, or stores of fat be laid on prior to migration. If the smaller migrants were to make protracted flights by day, they would arrive at their destination at nightfall almost exhausted. Since they are entirely daylight feeders, they would be unable to obtain food until the following morning. The inability to feed would delay further flights and result in great exhaustion or possibly even death should their evening arrival coincide with cold or stormy weather. By traveling at night, they can pause at sunrise and devote the entire period of daylight to alternate feeding and resting.

This schedule permits complete recuperation and resumption of the journey on a subsequent evening after sufficient fat deposits have been restored. Banding studies have shown that the number of days an individual lays over during a migration stop is inversely dependent upon the amount of its fat stores upon arrival and weather conditions. It has also been hypothesized that nighttime migration is advantageous because environmental temperatures are typically cooler. The effort involved in migratory flight generates considerable heat. The primary way in which flying birds loose heat in order to maintain an optimum body temperature is through the evaporation of water from air sacs that are part of its breathing system. Indeed, dehydration resulting from regulation of body temperature rather than the amount of fat stores probably limits the distance a bird can fly nonstop. Thus, by flying in cooler air, which increases heat loss by conduction and convection, less cooling by evaporation of limited body water is required and flight distances are extended. These marvelous, feathered, flying machines are to close to perfect. Our Creator’s nature is a marvel to behold and we should be in AWE of his works. Even when they don’t stay year round for us to enjoy. Be sure to read parts 2 and 3 on migration.

By Annette Labedzki

This article focuses on some easy tips to draw Nature. Nature has constantly provided ample elements and motivations for artists to ponder and express. Nature offers the mesmerizing sceneries, landscapes, and the other rudiments of nature that one wants to captivate on a Canvas. Perfecting Nature Drawing is a long, meticulous, and tough lesson, which requires patience, experience, precision, and a lot of practice. The ensuing discussion details some tips to Draw Nature.

Elements. Zero upon a view, (plains, hills, farms, etc) you wish to present through your Nature Drawing. Once you have done that, decide the elements you wish to cover such as, wide Landscapes or Seascapes, or precise flowers, leaves, tree, birds, etc.

Drawing Level. Trees, Mountains, Sky, Grass, and Water Body to name some, are usually the core backdrops when drawing Nature view. Sketch initially a broad overview of your Nature Drawing, later going into the miniscule details.

Shapes. Draw the various shapes of the different elements of Nature. For example, Leaves are drawn with fast & broad strokes at their outer edge.

Texture. Take care of the texture of the subjects of your Nature Drawing. The different elements of Nature possess different textures. Some may be twisted, some skinny, some rough, while some may be smooth. For example, the age of tree is textured with Hazy & Slanting Lines. Similarly, a mix of Bold & Soft Lines reflects Fresh Leaves, whereas the Dry ones are shown with Thin & Sharp Lines.

Initiation. Decide the starting point of your Nature Drawing. Frame a basic plan in your mind from how to draw what and in what order. For example, the Veins of Leaves are drawn in their perpendicular centre, starting from the leaves’ end towards Stem, right up to the tip of the Leaf. Similarly, to draw a Flower, its Shape and Outline are marked first on the Canvas. Next, the Petals are added with Curves. The Flower’s Leaves and Stem then follow.

Lines & Curves. Strike a blend of Lines & Curves to yield a complete real picture of your Nature Drawing. For example, the Branch of a tree is a mix of Horizontal Lines and Curves. Leaves come in many different shapes and sizes and their drawing should be started off by outlining their shape. Use loose Hands to draw the Curved or the Crooked Lines of the Leaf. Flower Petals are usually rounder in shape as compared to the Leaves in general.

Precision. Once you have the big picture sketched, you need to define the basic contours of the subjects of your Nature Drawing, in order to impart a right shape and precision to it. For example, the Branches of a tree are spread upwards in all directions. They are drawn small towards the top of the tree to reflect the new growths. Each huge low Branch has to be split into some small branches, which further split into the finer ones.

Shadows & Highlights. Once you are done with shapes and textures, impart Shadows & Highlights to the elements of your Nature Drawing. A mix of Line and Shading are the two key vitals of Shadows & Highlights in your nature Drawing. For example, the closely placed Leaves are drawn darker than the far ones, while dull and gloomy Nature views have neither strong Shadows nor bright Highlights.

Colors. A careful selection of Colors Scheme is vital when painting Nature. Be it large-scale views or a close up of the various elements of nature, right selection, mixing, shading, and the application of Nature’s colors is important to deliver the right connotation. For example, the Sky can be reflected as a Clear Blue Sky, an Overcast Sky, a Sunset, or a Sunrise Sky. A Clear Sky is pictured with the blending shades of Blue and White, while an Overcast Sky is symbolized with dull Off-White shades and gloomy colors such as, Gray. A Sunset or Sunrise Sky on the other hand, requires the use of deep, Warm Colors (Red or Orange) on the Clouds to get the feel. This creates depth. Techniques like Lifting Off with a Kneaded Eraser can be used to show Sunrays. Clouds are mostly shown in Whites, Off Whites, or Gray shades.

Author: Pastor Claude Thomas

A four year old boy was at the doctor for a check up. As the doctor looked down his ears with the instrument he uses, he asked, “Do you think I will find Big Bird in here?” The boy was silent. Next, the doctor took a tongue depressor and looked down his throat. He asked, “Do you think I will find the Cookie Monster down there?” Again, the boy said nothing.
Then, the doctor placed a stethoscope to his chest and said, “Do you think I will hear Barney in your heart?” The boy looked up and said, “Oh, No. Jesus is in my heart. Barney is on my underwear”.
That’s it! Jesus is in my heart regardless. He will never abandon me regardless of how I feel or what the circumstances are! That is what He said and I believe Him. That’s faith. And faith in Him gives me hope regardless of the circumstances.
When Fanny Crosby was six years old she was blinded by an instance of medical malpractice. She lived more than 90 years, and she was no stranger to hardship. During her life she wrote more than 8000 hymns.
One of them says…
All the Way my Savior leads me; What have I to ask beside
Can I doubt His tender mercy, Who through life has been my Guide?
Heavenly peace, divinest comfort, Here by faith in Him to swell!
For I know what’re befall me, Jesus doeth all things well
For I know what’re befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

By Pastor Claude Thomas
I awoke to my father’s voice as he gently shook me. “It’s time to go to the mountains, bud.” I got out of bed, pulled on my clothes, and prepared myself for the day. Over the roads in the misty morning, my brother and I traveled with dad to the mountains for a day of trout fishing. Dad taught me how to catch those trout. I watched as he cast that lure so gracefully in the ripple of the stream or in the eddy of the current and reeled the trout in with strong carpenter’s hands. I learned how to catch fish watching and listening to him.
My father birthed within me a distinct affinity and love for the mountains and the trout stream. He developed and nurtured that love through our frequent trips, and I learned the joy of fishing.
He left me a legacy that will last. However, the legacy is more than learning how to make my way along a trout stream. It is one of giving. He not only provided me the opportunity to discover the wonder of the mountains and trout fishing, he did more. He invested himself in me. His greatest legacy was that he gave.
My father’s influence on my life has inspired me to instill in my four sons an appreciation for the wonder of the mountains and the joy of fishing along with teaching them the lessons that my dad taught me so well. I have learned that legacies that last are those that are birthed out of love, inspired through commitment, and solidified in sacrificial giving.
What is it about a lasting legacy that is so appealing to us? The answer is that it implies that we are making a difference now in such a way that it will have lasting affects. With that in mind, I am convinced the idea of a lasting legacy motivates us to Christian giving for three reasons.
First, I am persuaded people want to make a significant difference in the lives of others now. When you give in the name of Jesus you are making a difference in the lives of others for time and eternity.
Second, I believe people need to know what they are doing is right. So, from time to time, teach a series of lessons on the Biblical basis for giving.
Third, I believe people want to follow the example of people they admire and love. When Christian leaders are givers in the name of Christ they set an example that will inspire others to give.
And finally, and most importantly, look to Jesus, our supreme example, a see how He gave Himself for us and made the difference in us. We point to Him as our example.
You and I are never more like Jesus than when we are giving. And the inspiring example is a legacy that lasts!

Author: Karl Augustine
All children are different and respond differently to divorce. Depending on the characteristics of the children - age, emotional maturity, happiness, resiliency to trauma - the easier or more difficult it will be for children to weather a divorce.

As a parent, you should know your children better than anyone…use your best judgment with your children during considering divorce. This “divorce and children” article is for parents who are certain that they would get a divorce if they didn’t have children and want to decide what to think about regarding the effects a divorce would have on their children.

This article on this web page does not suggest that divorce is the correct course of action for you and it in no way should be taken as a form of counseling to you. This article is merely to spark you to think logically and then make your own decision about divorce and your children.

As previously stated, every child is different and subsequently, every child responds to divorce in a different way.

If you think there’s a definitive answer about how divorce affects children, you are mistaken. There’s been hundreds of books written about this subject and a plethora of studies done regarding divorce and children, all citing differing opinions and using different statistical constraints and inputs. But, statistics can only go so far…if you know your children better than anyone else, you will know best how they’ll be affected by a divorce.

How divorce affects children and what you should do if you’re staying married solely because you have children is complicated issue.

Here’s some things you may want to consider if you’re a parent who is staying married just because you have children:

Children and divorce consideration 1: Make sure that you are, in fact, only staying married just because you have children. Often times people use the children as an excuse not to get a divorce because they aren’t really sure that they want a divorce or have some other fear regarding divorce. Those fears can be present due to finance, self-confidence, living arrangements, or other personal issues.

Before you really take the next steps in deciding whether or not to get a divorce because of your children, rank your reasons for divorce and make sure that you’re really certain you’d get a divorce if you didn’t have children.

Children and divorce consideration 2: Make sure ‘guilt’ isn’t the real reason that you aren’t getting a divorce.

The ‘guilt’ referenced above is the guilt brought on by thinking that your divorce will hurt your children. In and of itself, this feeling of guilt is a selfish one if you haven’t really examined carefully if a divorce will have an adverse effect on your children. If you aren’t getting divorced because of guilt in this regard, but you still have an unhappy marriage that is affecting your children, then you aren’t really staying married for them, you’re staying married for you because you feel guilty…this is selfish.

Children and divorce consideration 3: Once you’ve clearly defined that you are in fact, not getting a divorce solely because you have children, examine why you think divorce will adversely affect your children.

Remember, divorce can have a negative effect on children initially, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a divorce will be a negative influence on your children forever. Decide whether or not your children have the resiliency, the intelligence, the emotional health, and the support they’d need to mitigate the adverse effects that a divorce would have on them. Will they be happy after the initial shock of the divorce is worked through?

Children and divorce consideration 4: Once you’ve really defined what you believe to be negative effects on your children due to divorce, think about what your children’s life will be like in the immediate and distant future if you do actually go through with the divorce.

Ask yourself, “Can I create and maintain a healthy environment for my children if I do get a divorce?”

One thing that is a critical factor in this decision is the feasibility of you and your spouse getting a divorce amicably. If you and your spouse can go through a divorce amicably, and you both can agree to always put your children’s welfare above your own, you will be one step ahead.

Again, make sure you are certain a divorce is necessary to create the right type of environment for your children. Assure that there is absolutely no way you can rekindle your marriage.

Usually, divorce represents the first real trauma of a child’s life. Keep this in mind when your making your divorce decision. Divorce is a serious step and nothing should be done until your’re certain that divorce is the best course of action. Getting a divorce without making sure that divorce is the right thing is selfish on your part and is the wrong thing to do to your children… after all, they deserve your best effort!

One thing should remain constant…that you and your spouse will always be there for your children, no matter what.

Author: Amanda Fain
So you have decided that you want to adopt a child but how do you go about it? What is going to happen between your decision to adopt a child and eventually actually receiving the child? In this article we are going to look at the adoption process and how you can go about adopting a child.

The first thing to consider once you have decided to adopt a child is what type of adoption you want to go for. Do you want a domestic adoption (adopting a child in your home country) or an international adoption? Do you want to work through a private adoption agency, a public agency or work independently? Take some time to consider your various options and determine what is going to work for you. For the rest of this article however we are going to focus on domestic adoptions through an agency.

Once you have decided on a domestic adoption through an agency the next step will be to contact a few agencies in your area. If they have orientation nights then go to these and get to know the agencies. The orientation nights and visits or calls to the adoption agencies should be able to further inform you about the adoption process and where you will feel most comfortable. Once you have got to know them then decide which one you want to work with.

Once you have decided on the agency you are going to work with you will need to fill in an application form and probably pay a fee to join. After this there will be a number of interviews with social workers or counselors, a home study to check whether your home is suitable for the child and also to help you prepare for a new child in the home, as well as a number of other checks including medical checks and criminal record checks. Although the adoption process is quite involved and can take up quite some time this process is important to ensure the best for you, the adopted child and to ensure the birthparents, if any, that their child is being raised in a safe, loving home.

A number of different factors will determine how long you need to wait for a child including the race of the child, whether you have chosen international or domestic adoption and the age of the child you want to adopt. You should speak to the adoption agency you are working with to find out roughly how long the adoption process will take and how long you can expect to wait for a child.

The legal processes involved also vary depending on your home country, and whether you are going for domestic or international adoption. When you are speaking to your adoption agency find out from them what is going to be required in terms of legal processes, visits to court, etc.

In conclusion, the adoption process can be a fairly lengthy process, although the exact length of it will depend on a number of factors. The first thing involved is to decide what type of adoption you want to go for and then to choose an adoption agency which provides these services. Once you have given your application and fee to an adoption agency you will start the process of interviews, home studies, and checks. Legal requirements will also vary depending on your home country as well as the type of adoption you are going for and you should discuss these with your adoption agency.

Author: Analeese Burnabaker
Are you hoping to expand your family by adding a child or children to your home? If so, then you are probably busy considering all of your options for becoming a parent. Of course, there is the option of having your own biological children, which most people go for, but then there is also the option of adoption.

Quite honestly, I had never seriously considered the option of adoption until quite recently. I have been married for many years and have had no problems getting pregnant, and I always just assumed that adoption was only for people who had trouble having biological children of their own. I am so grateful that my perspective was expanded recently by a friend.

I guess it was ignorance that led me to believe that adoption was only a backup plan for couples who were trying to have a family. Perhaps because I didn’t know anyone who had gone through an adoption for a child simply because they felt like they wanted to. That is, until I met my friend Kate.

Kate and her husband have been married for several years. They are able, as far as they know, to parent biological children, yet they have decided instead to go with adoption for building their family. As Kate told me this over coffee one day, I couldn’t help but stop her and ask why. Why would she and Mike go through the somtimes awful process of adoption when they could get pregnant on their own? And why, more importantly, would they put themselves through all of the emotional trauma that comes with adoption when they could just have their own kids?

Kate laughed and then began to explain the process that she and Mike went through in deciding on adoption. She explained to me that they simply have become overwhelmed with the amount of need in the world and they have determined that adoption is one small but significant way that they can contribute to making the world a better place. Kate and Mike believe that everyone has a role to play in making the world better, and for them, they are committed to adoption. They are committed to taking children into their homes that might otherwise bounce from home to home in the foster care system and never actually be adopted.

If you are looking for a way to do something great for a child, for your family, and for the world, consider adoption. Of course, it is a much more complex issue than I can discuss here. Do some research, talk with your spouse and anyone you know that has gone through the adoption process.