Pretty Bird

I like birds. 

I notice them. I get excited when I see uncommon birds flying around.  Because of that, I realized one day that I didn't have much of an affinity for Robins. 

They were just so common around my house as a child.  I'd see them every day. So as an adult I didn't think they were all that special, or even very pretty. 

 

But one day I was looking at a Robin in my yard, and I realized something.  I LOVE the color turquoise.. always have.  And those ever-so-ordinary Robin birds have magnificent turquoise eggs!  Why?! What makes Robins so special? That splendid color, seemingly has nothing to do with them.  

I thought about this a lot over the next few weeks.  

I happen to be simultaneously learning about the tradition of animal totems.  An almost foreign concept to me at the time.  So I used my google-fu skills and looked up the Robin.  I found an enchanting story about that little bird...

"Medieval Europe lore often depicted the robin attending the Christ child, an emblem of the Passion to come. The tiny robin flew to Jesus’ Crown of Thorns, striving bravely to pluck the thorns away with his beak. Unfortunately, the bird only tore his own breast on the thorns. Since then it was thought that robins wore red feathers on their chests as a badge of honor."

I loved that sweet story.  And whether or not it's true, I've never looked at a Robin quite the same. And come to think of it...  (Meaning I literally just thought of this as I posted that picture) That nest really does resemble a crown of thorns--encompassing a precious treasure! 

Sign in the Heavens

There was a sign in the heavens last night.  Crescent moon, Venus and Mars in conjunction.

What does it mean? Your guess is as good as mine.

Someone pointed out to me a possible relation: Countries with Islamic populations often use the symbol of The Crescent and Star.

Someone else made an interesting blog post about Baghdad a couple of days ago. I don't know if these things are related or not.  I can think of other possible meanings of Mars, Venus and The Waxing Crescent Moon being in conjunction. 

So who's knows.  Just some thoughts swirling around in my head.  

Edit:

I just read this blog post. I'm adding the link--as it relates. 

Orion and Ishmael

Last fall I was driving east towards the mountains one night and Orion was rising. I had the thought that it was symbolic of something pertinent.

Then, because I've been somewhat obsessed with the moon the past year or so. (I think it's speaking to us symbolically) a few full moons ago, it was situated directly above Orion the whole night. I thought again that Orion has an important story for our day. I've watched and thought about it a ton since then. I have two thoughts. But I'm actually going to call them guesses because I don't *know* any of this. It's just speculation at this point.

First thought is, its a map.
Second thought is, that it's symbolic of Ishmael and his people. 

The map:
Orion looks much different when it's on its side beginning to rise. Like this:

A map of what? I don't know. Some future place.. Zion maybe? Who knows. But maybe a mountain peak, and a river... If it is a map I think it will make more sense later on.

Ishmael:

Orion is known as the Hunter or the Archer. 
Gen 21:20
And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

His story is a very interesting one. 

How he came to be:
1 Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

3 And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

4 ¶And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

5 And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee.

6 But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face.

7 ¶And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.

9 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

10 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.

11 And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction.

12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.

13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?

14 Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

15 ¶And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael.

16 And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram.
Genesis 16:1-16

How Abraham feels about Ishmael:

23 Then Abraham fell on his face and rejoiced, and said in his heart, There shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old, and Sarah that is ninety years old shall bear.

24 And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live uprightly before thee!
JST, Genesis 17:23-24

I find it interesting that Orion starts out on his back, then stands "uprightly" as the night proceeds.

Then Hagar and Ishmael are banished, Ishmael almost dies:


Genesis 21

12 ¶And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

Then this very interesting post of Denver's:

"Abraham's Sons
Last night I was awakened by this:

Did not Ishmael and Isaac mourn together and bury their father Abraham? Was not their father's blood precious unto them both?

Does not the blood of Abraham run in both Isaac and Ishmael? Does not the blood of Abraham run in both Esau and Jacob?

Let Ishmael today find the blood of his father, Abraham, precious still. Let Isaac likewise today find the blood of his father, Abraham, precious again. For Abraham's sake, let all the brothers who descend from Abraham now mourn when Abraham's blood is spilled by any of his descendants.

If Abraham's sons do not find his blood to be precious still, there remains nothing between them but the shedding of Abraham's blood. For all his sons who fail to find Abraham's blood to be precious will be held to account by God, who will judge between the sons of Isaac and the sons of Ishmael, the sons of Esau and the sons of Jacob for father Abraham's sake, with whom God covenanted.

The sons of Abraham will not be permitted to continue this disregard of their common father's blood without provoking God, who will soon judge between Abraham's sons."

There's a few more cool things that spill over into the Jacob/Esau saga.

27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

Anyway, I'm not sure about this. Just some ideas.

2 Nephi 19

Here's Nephi going out of his way to give us Isaiah. Maybe because it's important for our day..

15 The ancient, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

And this blog post copied in it's entirety:

Follow and Receive

We should only "Follow" Christ. See, e.g., Matt. 4:19; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21; Mark 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Luke 5:27; 18:22; John 12:26; 21:19.

Prophets are not to be followed; only "received" or, in other words, to be heard. See, e.g., Matt. 10:14; Mark 16:11; D&C 76:101. If sent by Him they testify of Him and not of themselves.

If you will not receive Christ's prophets and apostles, you will be condemned. See John 3:10-11.

But you are under the burden of determining whether a man is a true or false prophet, true or false apostle, because following a false one will condemn you. Christ will expose the false prophets and apostles. D&C 64:39. But that will be by-and-by, for they must be given their season to claim falsely to be prophets and apostles.

If you will not hear a prophet, you will be rejected. See D&C 1:14.

Those who claim you should "follow" them put themselves in the place of Christ. They are, in effect, a false Christ. We were promised they would come in the last days to deceive the "very elect" as false Messiahs. See, JS-Matt. 1:22.

The trial is underway. The world must choose correctly.