"Happiness is neither without us or within us. It is in God both without us and within us." --Blaise Pascal
After missing out on capturing the hummingbirds I wrote about in Staying on Focus, I kept a close eye out for another chance to photograph them. On Thursday the 4th I was able to get one tolerably good shot. A week later I went out to work in the garden and noticed two hummingbirds enjoying my cannas. I ran inside and grabbed my camera.
The little birds were fun to watch as they fluttered from flower to flower, drinking the nectar, and stopping to rest occasionally on branches. A couple times they flew right over me, and I could hear the buzzing of their wings.
These tiny creatures exude energy and beauty! But there are a lot of things a hummingbird can't do. It can't soar effortlessly like an eagle. It can't bark and guard a home like a dog can. It can't fly out to the welding shop and weld some rebar or mix concrete. Poor thing, it can't even play chess. Does any of this bother the hummingbird? No!
The hummingbird does what it can do. It hovers midair flapping its wings about 50 times per second, drinks nectar from the flowers, and delights the eyes of the beholder.
There are a lot of things in life that we may not be able to do or won't have time to do, but that's not what we should focus on. We need to focus on what we can do. God has given each of us talents and abilities in our various fields, and we need to joyfully thank Him and use our talents to the fullest for his glory.
“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” --Thomas Edison
If you're interested in more hummingbird photos, check out these lovely ladies' posts:
Have a beautiful day!
Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday
What a wonderful post. What you said is so true and I love the way you made that point. It reminds me that I need to focus more on my writing... :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I'll be hoping for more posts at your blog--always enjoy it! ;)
Deleteoh beth your images are just beautiful!! wasn't it a wonderful experience?? to be so close and to hear their humming sound?? i adore the fluffed feathers in the first one!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty neat!! I'm usually not able to get so close to hummingbirds, so it was wonderful--left me with a smile on my face for the rest of the afternoon!
DeleteBethany, what a great post! I love the Blaise Pascal quote, it is so true. Your photos are gorgeous! Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeletearen't they just flying wonders? love them! you should link up to wild bird wednesday with these.
ReplyDeletewww.paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll do that :)
DeleteThey're gorgeous! We don't have them here.
ReplyDeleteThanks...ah...that's too bad, but I'm sure you have other species that we don't have here in Iowa.
DeleteWonderful post! And beautiful photographs. I especially love the first one. Great capture! I adore hummingbirds. They are so precious. And they can fly backwards and upside down! How remarkable is that?
ReplyDeletePretty remarkable! We have an awesome Creator, don't we?!
DeleteVery nice captures! Congrats! Tricky little buggers too as they zip around:)
ReplyDeleteThey sure are! Thanks!
DeleteSuperb pictures and wonderful birds.
ReplyDeleteBethany so nice and wise article. And great post. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Gosia!
DeleteHummingbirds are my favorite birds. Ever. Those are AMAZING pictures. I see those cute little birds fly by my window once in a while, and I always wish they'd stay a little longer so I could gawk at them some more! ;)
ReplyDeleteThat's what I wish as well--would love to see them more often! Thanks!
DeleteGorgeous collection of hummer photos! Well done, a great post..
ReplyDeleteThank you Eileen!
DeleteBeautiful Birds!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteGreat photos, Bethany! I'm a amazed at how close you were able to get to them (even if it was with zoom, it's impressive). I really like the Pascal quote you used. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Paige...and yes, the hummers did let me get closer than I expected, but I'm also sooo thankful for the zoom on my new camera!
DeleteYay! :)
DeleteYou took some amazing photos! It's so hard to get hummers to 'pose' for you! Very nice!
ReplyDeleteAgreed, it can be pretty tough! I was really blessed with cooperative hummingbirds Thursday! Thanks!
DeleteI love to watch hummingbirds. I've not been luck enough to capture them in photographs as you have. Very lovely.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen! All the best to you in capturing them as well!
DeleteThese pictures are beautiful! They flap their wings so fast. It's crazy.
ReplyDeleteYes! I read on Wikipedia that they can fly at speeds exceeding 34 mph! Pretty impressive!
DeleteStunning captures of these amazing little birds! I'm presently enjoying their daily visits here- it will be time for them to leave soon.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're enjoying hummingbirds as well! But yes, they need to start flying south! We just had our first frost Saturday morning...Iowa can be a frigid place in the winter!
DeleteI have never seen a hummer with ruffled feathers before...such a beautiful photo, Bethany. The photos, quotes and your thoughts made this an extra-special post. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty neat how he had his feathers--kind of like how our chickens have theirs when they are trying to absorb the sun or just cold and trying to stay warm! Thanks Gracie!
DeleteGREAT post Bethany! I love Blaise Pascal and those photos are truly gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Aimee
Thanks Aimee!
DeleteBeautiful....absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWell said. In all we do let us do it unto The Lord. Like the humming bird photos. I could never get that close.
ReplyDeleteAmen! Thanks...zoom is a big help :)
DeleteObrigada!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! I saw my first ever humming birds this year when I was at a conference in Arizona - I was rather excited to say the least!
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
That's awesome! Arizona is a beautiful place!
DeleteA wonderful post, good quotes, and beautiful hummingbird photography. A pleasure to see, and I would like to follow you to see more.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards.
Your hummingbird photos are beautiful, Bethany. Hummingbirds are such a fascinating bird to me and I love watching them. They are truly an amazing bird created by God.
ReplyDeleteLovely post! Have a wonderful day!
Amen! The Lord is quite an artist, isn't he? Have a beautiful day as well! Thank you Stephanie!
DeleteAmazing little birds!
ReplyDeleteYes! Thanks for visiting!
DeleteYou captured some amazing shots! Those are beautiful little critters!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rachel!
DeleteSo glad you got a second chance to capture these flying jewels! Great shots! I enjoy watching them from my front porch. Have a blessed week!
ReplyDeleteSweet that you get to watch them right from your front porch! Thanks for visiting and you have a great week as well!
DeleteWhat a beautiful post! I love the images.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Beautiful captures and a wonderful narrative.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteBethany, this post was such a blessing to read. What a wonderful message! It is refreshing to hear this valuable lesson the hummingbird can teach us. So true!
ReplyDeleteAnd your photos are without a doubt so incredibly breath-taking. It was such a joy to admire God's handiwork through your beautiful captures.
Blessings to you and I hope you have a wonderful week :)
Thank you Jazzmin! May God bless you with an awesome week as well!
DeleteGreat thoughts and photos!
ReplyDeleteHummingbirds are so fun to photograph! I have fond memories of spending time in our country garden taking photos of the hummingbirds visiting the flowers that were interspersed among the veggies. They are so beautiful and fast moving, which makes them a fun challenge to photograph. :)
Thank you Amy! Sounds like a fun time photographing the hummingbirds in the vegetable garden! They are a true joy to watch!
DeleteThank you Felicia!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, I love hummingbirds... or hummy-birds as my nephew calls them. :)
ReplyDelete