3 Moose and a Woodpecker

 Last Sunday afternoon we had the pleasure of viewing 3 moose meandering about our property for the entire afternoon and into the evening!  They were in no hurry to leave and two of them bedded down for a Sunday afternoon nap.  As we were viewing them from our living room windows, we realized they could be meat for our freezer if we'd had a bow and it had been hunting season. 

 Yes, even the woodpecker was out Sunday!  It's been warming up and hovering between the teens and upwards towards 30F!  Spring is around the corner..... maybe a long corner, ha!

Moose nibble on anything twig like and can scrape with their hooves for leftover vegetation or even cranberries under the snow.  How is it that these huge horse like creatures survive all winter on this sort of food?  It is amazing that God has created them with this ability to survive.  Gods designs in the animal world are incredible, just think that as He had the foresight to equip them He also equips us.

In the last few months I haven't had to buy meat.  We've been given packages of moose, caribou, black bear, 15 whole frozen chickens, 4 or 5 large fillets of salmon, a whole spiral sliced ham, I'm probably leaving something out.  Isn't this amazing?  I was thanking God for his gifts through His people and sometimes from people who don't know Him yet and thinking about the Israelites and how tired they were of manna so God gave them quail meat.  I'm so glad I have an assortment of flavors to choose from... although, I must admit I was a little worried about the bear meat but surprisingly it was very tasty flavored in a beef broth cabbage kidney bean stew.  It's just the idea that I'm eating a cute fuzzy black bear that is hard to overcome.

There is such a thing in Alaska called the "Road Kill List."  Yes, we signed up to be called.  Whenever someone hits a large animal, the state troopers come out and investigate and then start calling people on the Road Kill List.  When you're next, even if it's in the middle of the night, you drive out to the location and trim, chop and bag it up to take it home!   We haven't been called yet, but we'll let you know when it happens.  I'm sure it will be rather exciting.

We haven't asked for a thing, but people just keep gifting us with meat from all of Alaska.  Have you ever read about George Mueller's life?  We recently watched a video biography of how much he prayed and for everything.  He never verbalized the orphanage's or even personal needs.  He prayed and God answered and His faith was built up as God used Him to provide for the needs of so many orphans.  What a role model, this Mr. Mueller.  We've also studied and learned a lot about Corrie ten Boom and likewise, her prayer life was incredible.  We hope that as we look to these godly examples that they will become true heroes in the lives of our children as well.