DEARLY EMBRACED ...

I have many thoughts about my precious deer family and truly hope this upload of my video of them works so you too can deer-ly EMBRACE ... FREEDOM and the FULLNESS I've found

Only in Him

"BE STILL and KNOW

that HE is GOD"

I DO

God seems to know exactly how seeing any of our deer crew delights my soul and when I need a sweet reminder, all of a sudden, one of them appears ... and I know that God sees me, knows me and loves to delight me with these little ones. As I go out to bring them food (and all the other critters that rob what they can), I try to calmly near them and repeat this verse "be still..." 

They look just like this photo on this Character Booklet I treasure. I love that deer along with horses exemplify "attentiveness"... and  even like dogs, all 3 show their attentiveness by the use of their ears. After discovering my own loss of hearing, trying to get use myself to hearing aides now ... with years of seeing how the loss of hearing affected someone I observe closely, but now I experience this on a lesser degree, I too have learned that I need to lean in, and focus when someone is talking and be attentive, pay attention better. I find any other noise easily distracts me. I love how this booklet begins with clarifying "attentiveness vs. distraction".

"Attentiveness is showing the worth of a person by giving undivided concentration to their words."

The Hebrew word for 'attentive' is qashshab, which means "to prick up the ears," as in the action of a horse, donkey, deer, dog ... The Greek word for 'attentive' (I can't type out the Greek word pronounced (ek-KREH-mah-my) means "to hang upon the lips of a speaker; to listen closely." The Latin root of 'attentiveness' is tendere (I think that's like tender and I also see deer ... ok, I'm stretching that a little,or tend like a deer) however this Latin root means "to stretch or strain, as a horse straining forward."

I definitely have noticed how I need to do this intently to hear or listen now as I compensate for my loss of hearing, because I, like the other person, have a hard time adjusting so I tend not to put my hearing aides in ... until I really need them. Often I have to take them out because they bother me or the sounds I hear are way too loud. The reason is not their volume control, it's because by using them you train your brain (supposedly) what it needs to listen to and what isn't necessary noise. Of course, all the unnecessary ones, are the ones you hear very well and too loud. I'm very concerned currently with one of my fur babies, Chiqui with her loss of hearing and watching closely after treating her for a bacterial ear infection. The vet thinks it may be just stubbornness. (Hmmm?, I get that lesson too)

God places importance on hearing and attentiveness by the fact that the ear is the first of the five sensory organs to function in the womb and the last to stop functioning at death. Sadly, it took the loss of hearing for me to pay attention to the importance it plays but also I am now keenly aware of how hearing people don't realize how difficult it is for those who can't hear. You don't necessarily need to speak louder, but clear enunciation helps. It saddens me that many who can hear, don't. (Rev. 2:29: Mark 4:9; Matthew 13:9). I wonder how often I'm guilty of turning a deaf ear to God and His warnings. God has been teaching me how to hear Him better, even in a whisper ... yet there are so many times I don't think He hears me or I don't think I hear Him, then He gives me a sign.

God took the time long ago to help me be sensitive to loss of hearing, and fortunately I began learning sign while deaf students lived in our home. By His Holy Spirit, I began to flow to music with signs, I had not yet learned. 

You can see how these lessons apply to me from the animals, linguistics, signs to God's Word, as in -

Deuteronomy 30:10; Proverbs 1:8; 1 John 3:18-20; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 2:13; Colossians 3:22

Also Jesus demonstrated ATTENTIVENESS as He listened to God, His earthly parents, His conscience, elders, rulers, and in His family business (employers) Matthew 20. We need to develop "spiritual ears" just like the deer by "being STILL.." and knowing God and balance attentiveness with alertness, discretion and love.

"Be swift to hear and slow to speak."

How I needed to learn this lesson very early in my life!

Isaiah 66:4 from Love God Greatly

... But GOD ...
who
dearly EMBRACED me 

anyways as

I EMBRACE Him

dearly and deerly

spending time with Him and seeking Him

for another Friday date

*many of these facts came from what I learned in this booklet, with my added spin to it.