Aww Mondays
This past week we spent a few days with my cousins at a vacation home on Bull Shoals Lake, outside of Branson, MO. Two young foxes made regular appearances morning and evening looking for snacks. It was apparent that they were seasoned veterans and were used to being fed by visitors. Both would get within inches of you to pick up a snack. No photo does them justice. They are exquisite little creatures.
The home overlooks Bull Shoals lake, which is the third lake in the White River chain of lakes between Arkansas and Missouri. We live close to Beaver Lake, Taneycomo runs through Branson, Bull Shoals is just east of Branson and Norfork is the last lake in the chain on the eastern edge of Arkansas/Missouri. One spot on the patio seemed especially suited to watching the sunrise with your favorite cup of coffee.
At the end of the same patio this little spot seemed perfect to end the day with a little dessert and another cup of coffee.
Breakfast and dinner were always visited by two locals that had no fear of humans. I am sure they have already welcomed the next set of visitors.
Monday’s Music Moves Me
The theme at 4M this week is free choice. The last time we had a free choice week I picked gospel music and featured some relatively new music. The truth is, I love the hymns of the church and I miss having them as a part of the worship service. Nearly all churches today have incorporated the praise and worship songs and abandoned the traditional hymns. Personally I like both but I do miss the days when hymns rang out from every church in town on Sunday morning. Over the years country music stars have been famous for producing two albums outside of their mainstream music. They will record a Christmas album and an inspirational album and these two albums will eventually out sell all of their other recordings because the music is timeless. So here are a few of my favorites.
As a teen, I attended church camp in Oklahoma. Falls Creek was the largest Southern Baptist camp in the world and each week, for six weeks, over 7,000 junior high and high school students descended on this camp to study God’s Word, hear some great preaching and sing beautiful hymns. Okay, so we went to meet other teens of the opposite sex and play pranks on one another. Still we heard great preaching and sang great songs. Victory in Jesus was an anthem at Falls Creek.
At an early age I learned that I was not going to heaven based on my good works. In fact Scripture specifically tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” There is only one way we will spend eternity in paradise with our Creator and that is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Our sin requires a sacrifice and that sacrifice is required to be perfectly sinless. The only one to meet that criteria is Christ, so “Nothing But the Blood” will do.
The choice is ours. God is not going to drag anyone, kicking and screaming, into His paradise. We must make the choice to accept Christ as our Savior. God does not intimidate us with His call to salvation. He speaks Softly and Tenderly. Have a blessed week.
Driller's Place 
Beautiful scenery. I admit I would have been a bit taken back by tame foxes appearing for a handout. One thing I found in researching this behavior online (i.e. are tame foxes a danger? Not normally, as they rarely carry rabies) is that foxes, apparently, like to eat fruit. Fun fact. I enjoyed Carrie Underwood (remember her well from American Idol) and the short appearance in the middle of the video from another favorite of mine, Glen Campbell. Her voice is so fantastic.
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Yes, foxes do like berries, persimmons, and the occasional apple. Their main diet consists of squirrels, chipmunks, small rodents and a bird, if they can catch it. Another fun fact, they often travel in pairs like I encountered. They may be a mated pair or siblings.
Carrie Underwood has developed a voice that is a true show stopper and her album of hymns is simply stunning.
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What a lovely place to have coffee and you got an extra bonus with two eager foxes waiting for morsels from the humans. This guy looks a bit skinny. There’s a fox that shows up in our yard occasionally but he doesn’t look this thin. I reckon he’s getting plenty to eat. I really enjoyed your selection of old gospel songs. Guy Penrod did a wonderful job on perhaps one of my favorite hymnals “Victory in Jesus”. Thanks for sharing your faith, your love for the Lord. I for one am happy with my decision years ago to follow Christ. Have a safe, enjoyable weekend and a boogietastic upcoming week my friend!
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I think the foxes that visited us were young and possibly siblings. There was plenty of farm land and wooded terrain around that provide great hunting grounds for them. I just don’t they have grown into their full mature adults yet.
There are several great arrangements of Victory In Jesus on YouTube, but I like Guy Penrod and his band for this post. When I was a teen, Victory In Jesus was pretty much the Anthem at church camp. Everyday I am happier than the day before that I decided to follow Christ. We’re going to a gospel concert Labor Day. Have a safe holiday week-end.
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Beautiful fox and I love your views. Wow.
Always enjoy your music videos.
Thank you for joining the Awww Mondays Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous Awww Monday and week. 🙂
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Foxes are stunning little creatures and the views of the lake from the patio was just as impressive. Have a blessed holiday.
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Looks like a fun little getaway. The fox are so pretty! We have them around in our neighborhood but they look a bit more mangy. Some people decided free range chickens would be nice so the fox are hanging out killing their chickens frequently. We don’t know why they keep buying more chickens, but the fox are happy about it! Happy Labor Day!
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That is morbidly hilarious.
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Those foxes are adorable. And no fear of people.
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No fear indeed.
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Beautiful photos of those gorgeous foxes ~ glad you had a good vacation ~ Xo
Living in the moment,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
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It was a relaxing time with the extended family.
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Very nice songs and I love the foxes. Thanks for sharing both.
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Thankful for the opportunity to share the adventure and the music.
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How i love the beautiful old hymns, and the place you stayed was a real winner.
The foxes remind me of a squirrel at Disney that was so fearless it came up to my daughter and tapped on her shoe to get a handout.
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I love the message in the hymns and the beautiful way the love of God is presented through music.
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awww those foxes are so gorgeous- I hope all humans who come in contact with them are kind. Have a lovely day!
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In some areas foxes can be a problem. The will kill domestic chickens, eat wild turkey eggs, and generally alter the balance of nature in a negative way. Still, they are beautiful and irresistible creatures.
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