With a Quack! Quack! Here...

Yes, it’s time for another post about ducks!

Lately, I’ve become a fan of ducks and have even made a few feathery friends :)

(When I took this photo, the white duck had her eyes half-closed and was opening and closing her smiling beak as though she was singing silent worship to her Creator ^_^)

I absolutely love feeding these three – they are just so adorable and they each have their own distinct personality.

My favourite is the snowy white duck. She’s the boldest of the lot and the clear leader of the trio – wherever she goes, the other two follow. Every time I pull out a slice of bread, she’s always the first one there; so close she’s almost sitting on my lap as she looks at me with her beak curved into what one could almost swear was a smile.

Then there’s the black-headed one (the one furtherest away from the camera in the above photo). He’s the bodyguard of the trio. Whenever they come to the shore, he always keeps a watchful eye on the other two. Not quite as bold as Snowy, this duck enjoys the odd bit of bread, too.

The third duck is the shyest and most hesitant of the three. He is always tagging along behind the other two and prefers to keeps his distance – his love of bread not great enough to overcome his uncertainty of humans.

Then there’s this girl:

She’s perhaps not the prettiest duck around, and has a tendency to scare the others away, but she’s quite friendly once you get to know her. I can always tell if she is enjoying a feed as her tail wags madly after every delicious morsel :)

It’s amazing to think God – our God - created not only these four ducks, but every duck that ever was. And not just factory-made, either. Each glossy feather and individual personality bears the fingerprints of our Creator. In the big scheme of things, ducks don’t really serve much of a purpose yet you can find them all over the place – each one hand crafted by our loving God.

I am always amazed at just how much care and detail God puts into His creation.

God bless,
~KR Ludlow~

“Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds, kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children.”

Psalm 148:7-10

Feed the Ducks, Tuppence a Bag...

Today, I did something I have not done in quite a while – I fed ducks! Armed with a tasty piece of bread, I sat down at the bank of the pond and waited patiently for some ducks to arrive. It wasn’t long till three hungry ducks (and a couple of sneaky Ibises) waddled up for a feed. One particularly bold duck even ventured to take the bread straight from my hand!

The Shy Duck

The Cheeky Bold Duck

The Proud Duck

Please, Miss, Can I Have Some More?

As I fed these beautiful birds, a Bible passage popped into my head:

“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? 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Matthew 6:25-27

Although the ducks enjoyed the bread, they did not need to rely on me for their survival – God was taking care of them. He provided them with plenty of food, water and shelter; He clothed them in beautiful glossy feathers. These ducks did not need to worry and stress – God provided for them. And if God looks after ducks, how much more will He look after us? After all, ‘are you not much more valuable than they?’

In today’s worry and stress filled society, perhaps we can learn something from the humble duck...

God bless,
~KR Ludlow~

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Luke 12:6-7

Camera in One Hand, a Sword in the Other

Hi all,

Once upon a time, God made such a glorious Spring day that a certain young warrior couldn't resist but going outside, reading God’s word and enjoying His Creation (and perhaps taking a few photos of it, too!) So with camera in one hand and her trusty sword in the other, our young heroine boldly marched off on an epic journey that would lead her to a most wonderous place – her own backyard. There, she would come face to face with such dangers as clothes lines swooping in from above to entangle her head; burs lurking in the grass, ready to pounce on unprotected toes; and a particularly vicious (and fluffy) guinea pig known only as ‘Bubbles’...

One by one, the young warrior overcame these obstacles and soon reached her goal, taking many pictures along the way:

A Trusty Sword

A Trusty Double-Edged Sword...

A Trusty, Double-Edged Sword That Really is Quite Photogenic...

Bubbles :)

'Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.' (Psalm 119:105)

Put on the Full Armour of God...

God bless,

~KR Ludlow~

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12

New Religion

Just a short stroy I wrote, designed to make people think.
Enjoy :)

God bless,
~KR Ludlow~

New Religion

Rosie stepped off the bus, clutching her book to her chest as she began walking home. As she walked, she contemplated the ‘new’ religion many of her friends now followed. Well, it wasn’t ‘new’ exactly – it had been around for a while. But compared to other religions, it was fairly recent.

Many of her friends had tried to make her convert – had tried to force their beliefs on her. The girl hugged her book even tighter as she walked – she already knew the truth. She would not convert.

This particular religion had some very unusual ideas indeed, about God; about the origins of the universe; about life in general; and about what happens after death. Rosie felt rather sad about the whole thing, but people will believe what they want to believe. This religion had many leaders, speakers and preachers who told their followers what to believe. They worshipped many different idols. They persuaded others that their beliefs were ‘fact’ and the ‘truth’ and that anyone who didn’t believe were simply ‘stupid’ or perhaps had been ‘mislead.’ They spoke of freedom, of happiness, of living life to the fullest. But in Rosie’s opinion, their beliefs spoke quite the opposite. The followers hung off every word and believed them to be fact yet only few actually lived as though it were true.

This system of belief had also infiltrated schools. Children were being taught these beliefs as though they were fact. They were being forced to learn about them, complete assignments on them and write about them to pass their exams. No wonder so many of her friends now believed it to be true; as true as the law of gravity. Rosie sighed as she stepped over a puddle. Many followers of this religion had closed their eyes and minds off to anything other than what their ’religious leaders’ told them.

“Oy Rosie!”
She stopped. It was Garry. Garry had always been somewhat of a bully, even in primary school.
“Oy Rosie, what ya got there,” he sneered. “Is that a bible.”
“Why, yes it is,” Rosie said pleasantly, knowing what Garry was about to say next.
“Why you got a Bible, Rosie? Don’t ya know? There is no God! Only stupid people believe there’s a God. Why don’t you start thinking for yourself, Rosie? Why don't ya do your research on evolution. There is no God.”
“If that’s what you want to believe, that’s your choice, Garry,” Rosie said as she walked away.

Yes, many of her friends had decided to follow this religion, atheism - Garry included. But Rosie already knew the truth. She would not convert.

The Cheese in the Trap

Temptation comes in all shapes and sizes. It is not some red dude sitting on your shoulder, but rather anything that tries to take your focus off God. It can disguise itself; making itself hard to see or hiding in something that seems good. It is the cheese in the trap; the bait on the hook; the inviting pond filled with hidden crocodiles; the Trojan horse; the lure of the angler fish. It finds many ways to disguise itself - in entertainment; in another person or relationship; in habits; in food or drink; in desires; in the form of a snake...
It is that voice that tells us "God won't mind," "it's not too bad," just this once," "you were born this way," "God doesn't love you," "you'll enjoy it."
The next time temptation comes a-calling, turn to God and focus on the truth instead.

God bless
~KR Ludlow~

Let's Start up a Rebellion!

I'll admit it - I can be something of a rebel sometimes. For instance, my socks never match and I am all for pirates (none of this 'ninja's are better' nonsense). Rebellion seems to be a common thing these days but I find it rather funny that many of those who claim to be rebelling against the world are, in fact, accidentally conforming to it instead!

Anyway, here's a rebellious little poem about rebelling against the world.
Enjoy :)

Be a Rebel
(By KR Ludlow)

All those worldly values
Instilled in us since birth,
All those worldly teachings
Spread right across the earth.

The world tells us to conform,
It tells us what to wear,
It tells us how to act and think...
Go on, be a rebel.

The world tells us to give up hope,
To give up faith and love,
To blindly follow evolution...
Go on, be a rebel.

We're taught lessons of disrespect,
We're taught to disobey,
To think only of one self...
Go on, be a rebel.

We're told and told 'there is no God'
And told to believe it's true,
Discouraged to seek truth for ourselves...
Go on, be a rebel.

We're persuaded into apathy,
Encouraged in self idolatry,
Convinced there's nothing more to life...
Go on, be rebel.

We're taught to buy, to steal, to hoard, 
We're taught to lie and hate,
We're taught to lust instead of love...
Go on, be a rebel.

All these worldly values
Instilled in us since birth,
All these worldly teachings...
Seriously, who wants to be conformed? 

So go ahead, be different,
Go against the flow,
Make a stand; think for yourself...
Go on, be a rebel!

God bless
~KR Ludlow~

"Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."
Romans 12:2

Avocados of Awesomesauceness

If I was a fruit tree, I have to say I would be an avocado tree. There's nothing quite like sitting down to a nice plate of avocado on toast. Or avocado on crumpets. Or avocado in sushi. Or just avocado by itself!
There is always that excited thrill that comes from slicing a knife through the crispy outer shell; the anticipation of savouring the fresh green goodness hidden within. But sometimes the fruit does not hold up to the expectations. Instead of vibrant green, the inside is sometimes plagued with brown spots that must be cut away. Sometimes the fruit is rotten and bruised and is only fit for the bin. Other times it is hard and dry; the result of unreleased potential (i.e unripe) 

Yes, if I were a fruit tree, I would definitely be an avocado tree. While you may never see avocados sprouting from my ears, God has called me to produce fruit (and He has called you to as well). And trust me, this fruit is much better than avocados!

The fruit I am talking about is the fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  A branch that is connected to a good fruit tree will produce good fruit. It does not need to push or strain - the fruit will come naturally as it is connected to the rest of the tree.
If we live in Christ, and grow in Him, we will produce good fruit (whether we are aware of it or not). A branch that has been cut off, however, will not produce fruit as it is not connected to the tree. Instead, it withers and dies on the ground at the base of the trunk and is only useful as firewood. Likewise, if we are not living in Christ - if we do not have that connection with Him - we cannot produce good fruit. 

Like those avocados I mentioned earlier, some fruit we produce may not be good. Some might be rotten and sinful inside and out and must be cut off and thrown away so better fruit might be grown in it's place. Some fruit may bear the bad marks of sin - marks that God can cut away, leaving only the good bits. Some fruit may be hard and bitter and require the help of the Holy Spirit to ripen it up so it becomes juicy and sweet.

God can truly produce some great fruit through us as long as we remain in Him.

What sort of fruit tree are you?

God bless.
KR Ludlow

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23

Getting into God's Word

God is fact. He is not 'likely.' He is not even just 'very likely.' He is certain. And if He is certain, His word is certain. No ifs buts or maybes. Every word of His Word is true - even those passages that make us feel uncomfortable; those stories or events that seem impossible, or at very best improbable; those passages that challenge us; those passages we would rather forget; those passages that require a bit of digging and a lot of wisdom to fully understand. The Bible is filled with God's promises and instructions for life; it is God's word to us. He can use it in conjunction with His Holy Spirit to teach us more about who He is; what He has done and how we can grow in our relationship with Him. It is a book that is meant to be read, not just left on a shelf to collect dust.

God bless,
~KR Ludlow~

"All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness."
2 Timothy 3:16

Armour and Helmets and Swords, Oh My!

Believe it or not, we are at war. Not a physical war, but rather one of a spiritual nature. A furious battle that constantly rages on whether we're aware of it or not. On one end of the battlefield a formidable army charges; wielding black swords of deception, hurling fiery darts of sin and firing catapults of guilt. Their arrows are dipped in poisonous lies and their shiny armoured exteriors hide the decay of death inside. This is the army of worldly values; of the devil and of our own sinful nature. They care nothing for the poor souls they fool into serving them; their deceptive whispers of freedom as empty as their false promises of power. This army has already been defeated and will one day be wiped out completely.

On the other end of the battlefield is another army, led by a captain riding a white horse. This army is clothed in body armour of righteousness with belts of truth. Their feet are firmly encased in shoes of the peace that comes from the gospel and their heads are covered with helmets of salvation. In one hand, each warrior grips a shield of faith to protect them from Satan's relentless attacks. In the other hand each wields a double edged sword of the spirit. This army is a joyful army for their captain, Jesus, has already won the war.

There is, however, another group of people on the battlefield. This group sit, completely unprotected, in the middle of the all the fighting. Some are content to sit back watch the battle around, them but do not wish to join. Some have their eyes closed and their fingers in their ears, trying to ignore the whole thing. Some have given up the fight. Some are confused and do not know what side to join. Others want to join the army led by Jesus, but do not know how to. Whilst some of this group are trampled to death by their own sinful nature, others stand and approach Jesus, who has been calling for them the whole time. Each of these people are lovingly welcomed, enlisted and equipped for battle.

This is a battle that rages everyday. Though we may not physically be attacked with weapons, we are constantly bombarded with the lies of Satan; through the TV, the Internet, those glossy magazines, advertisements, our own sinful desires...
Although we may not physically be running around with swords,we have the full armour of God (although it will not do much if we simply leave it on the shelf to collect dust).
Although we may not be standing on a physical battlefield, we are on the spiritual battlefield each and everyday.

Are you prepared for battle?

God bless,
KR Ludlow

"Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
Ephesians 6:11

ADOS: Attention Defecit... Ooh, Shiny!

I don't know about you, but I know I am easily distracted - by bubble wrap, by shiny things, by avocados, by cows, by... Hey look, 5 cents!

Sometimes it's OK to get distracted, but other times it's not so good. Imagine driving a car and getting distracted by a bottlecap on the road. You take your eyes off the road as you focus on that shiny speck. You cannot focus fully on both the road and the bottlecap; and even a moment's distraction could end in a crash. Or imagine you are running in race. You're coming first and the finish line is just up ahead but suddenly you are distracted by what the guy in last place is doing. As you slow down to look back, you don't notice three other people pass you. That momentary distraction cost you the race!
It's the same way in our relationship with God. Our eyes need to be firmly focused on Him - we cannot let anything distract us from Him or take His place in our lives whether it be popularity, wealth, relationships, alcohol etc. We need to follow God with all we have, not just half-heartedly; we need to give everything over to Him, not be double minded; we need to keep our eyes firmly focused on Him and not be led off the path by the first shiny thing we see. But we can't do this alone - we need God to transform us and renew our minds for in our own strength we can do nothing but fail, but in God's strength we can do anything.

God bless,
~KR Ludlow~

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:1-2

Captain Planet, He's a Hero...

.. gonna take pollution down to zero.

Okay, put up your hand if you ever watched Captain Planet? I know I certainly did! Watching the planeteers combating pollution with the help of their blue skinned leader, Captain Planet... ah, those were the days. Days when, in my opinion, TV was good. Sitting down in front of the TV was like stepping through a portal into a new world. A world where toys came to life when we weren’t looking; a world where friendly monsters lived under our beds; a world where teddy bears and even earthworms could be superheros; where bananas and spinach had amazing transformation properties...

Nowadays, though, TV seems to have become nothing more than mesmerising and mind-numbing images being fed through our eyes and straight into our brains. Sure, there are a few gems that can be found in those fancy flat screened boxes; but there are also an awful lot of worthless rocks to sift through.

Where TV once was a brief escape to another world filled with imagination and wonder, it now seems to simply be a means of filling our minds with worldly views and values. Advertisements scream at us to buy, buy, buy – that somehow we will not be happy, popular, beautiful, successful, complete or valued unless we buy their product. There are shows that feature people tearing each other down just to get those coveted, all important ‘votes.’ Shows where people are encouraged to engage in sinful behaviour for the sake of entertainment. Shows filled to the brim with possessive and lustful relationships. Shows that turn serial killers, vampires, werewolves and demons into heroes. Shows that expect us to laugh and make fun of other people’s failures. Shows that wrap all that is crude, rude and downright sinful in an animated shell and label it ‘comedy.’

Not all shows are bad though (I have a few favourites myself!), and we can filter out some of the garbage by identifying and rejecting values we do not agree with. But if we’re not careful, renegade values can easily creep through the cracks; infiltrating our minds and opening doors to let their friends inside. The truth is, whatever we fill our minds with will sooner or later transform our values, change the way we view the world, and eventually affect our choices.

What are you filling your mind with?

God bless,
~KR Ludlow~

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2

Spiritual Donuts

As my family and many of my friends well know, I cannot drive. At all. I do not have a license nor do I own a car (which, considering my driving skills in video games, is probably a very good thing). I know I should probably start learning soon, but the fact remains if I were to get behind the wheel I would probably end up driving around in circles.

While I have never actually attempted to drive a car before, I often find myself behind the wheel of my life. Sometimes it feels pretty cool being in the driver’s seat. Turning up the music and making loud 'vroom vroom' noises with my mouth, I feel so grown up with the freedom of being able to drive wherever I want. After a while, though, I begin to notice the ring of tire tracks and the smell of burning rubber; not to mention the long line of traffic behind me. Once again I have been driving around in circles; wasting both time and petrol. And as fun as donuts may be, they never seem to get me very far. It’s at these times I realise I need to relinquish the control of my life to someone who can drive. Once again I give the wheel to Christ and resume my position in the passenger seat. Sure, I may not always know where He is driving me, but I know I can trust Him. And He’s a much better driver than I am.


God bless,
~KR Ludlow~

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15

The Meaning of Life and Other Assorted Thoughts

It was only a matter of time before I started a blog. I am already on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/MinstrelBear?feature=mhee) for my music and DeviantArt (http://minstrelbear.deviantart.com/) for my drawings; now I have somewhere for my writings.

I have recently come back from a conference where we were studying 2 Timothy. For those who haven’t read it (or may have forgotten it) 2 Timothy is a letter from Paul to... well, Timothy. It is a letter of encouragement and instruction among other things. Paul was entrusted with the Gospel – the good news and the truth – and was now entrusting it to Timothy. He was passing the baton on so to speak. God has entrusted, enlisted and equipped us with His message and has sent us out spread the word; to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19).

Now you might be saying, ‘that’s really cool and all, k_bear, but what’s it got to do with blogging?’ Well, um... probably not a lot actually. Although it is one of the reasons I decided to start blogging.

Being the creative person I am, I do enjoy writing. I find writing and journaling a great way to grow closer to God – it makes me stop a while and reflect on God’s word; think about what He’s done for me; meditate on who He is; and consider how I can apply His teachings to my own life. So now I would like to share these thoughts and reflections with you and I pray God might use these simple words to bless you and perhaps bring you closer to Himself.

I would like to finish off with a simple truth I have learned recently:
The most important thing in life is to have a strong and personal relationship with God.
The meaning of life is to be used by God.

God bless,
~KR Ludlow~

“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” Matthew 29:37-39