--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shoulder to shoulder 

 
Hi there ,
 
Today's Text:
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8. 

 
There is one large grazing animal, more than any other that is especially intriguing.  With its huge mound of ill fitting, shaggy, matted hair, its looped horns and apparent love for freezing cold climates, the musk ox begs us to have a closer look!
 

It gets its name from its smell.  When the musk ox gets excited, a substance is secreted from small glands around its eye that smells like musk - similar to that of the musk deer.  However, the Eskimos of the Northern Slope of Alaska call the musk ox "oomingmak", which means "animal with skin like a beard" and it doesn't take much to see why.

  

Their fur consists of two layers - an inside layer made of thick, tightly knit underfelt and an outer layer made up of hollow guard hairs, which look like long drinking straws.  This outside hair grows up to 60cm long and is quite a sight. Hanging from their 1.5 metre high shoulders almost to the ground, they look like a shaggy carpet on legs.

 

In the summer months the musk oxen prefer to live in the valleys near a water supply, but in winter they usually go to places of higher elevation - to places of more intense wind and more intense cold.  Why?  Because it is in these places where the snow is the thinnest.  In places where the winds howl the snow cannot collect in deep deposits, making it easier for the musk oxen to paw through the snow to get their food.  So when a good portion of the animal kingdom head for warmer climates or the low lands - the musk ox head for the hills.

 

Musk oxen like to headbutt.  The males particularly are very headstrong, literally!  The oxen travel in herds of up to three dozen and have a dominant male and it is when another male approaches the herd, the headbutting begins.  The males separate themselves by about 50 metres and then gallop at full speed towards each other for an almightly collision - on par with an average size passenger car colliding with a brick wall at 30 km/ph.  Their 10cm diameter horns, backed up by nearly 8 centimetres of solid bone, protect their brains from the formidable whack!  The oxen have been known to charge people, cars and even birds.

 

This butting also comes in handy when warding off predators.  The main predators of the musk oxen are polar bears, brown bears and wolves.  Their babies are particularly vulnerable weighing only 13-14 kilograms at birth.  When the herd is threatened by an unwelcome predator, the little ones run for the centre of the herd while the older oxen back up, shoulder to shoulder with their horns facing out - ready for the butt.  For wolves this is virtually impenetrable and bears think twice also.  Together the musk oxen keep their offspring safe.

 

When we think about mankind and families, these animals speak to us as parents.  There are certainly many "wolves" seeking to have a piece of families and particularly our children.  In today's society it is increasingly becoming the product of choice for children at younger and younger ages to be left alone with or without friends, cared for by someone other than mum or dad or be babysat by a host of media and electronic entertainment, many times without adult supervision.

 

In essence, children are being exposed to sights, sounds, morals, values and concepts without mum and dad to guide them through the process.  Often they are exposed to concepts and situations far more mature than they are capable of processing in a healthy way.  They spend their most vulnerable years without the protection that God knew they needed and has provided for them in loving parents and a united family circle.

 

The wolves are prowling and where are we as parents? 

 

Are we backing up, shoulder to shoulder to protect the innocence of our children, to nurture them, to guide them through the difficult transitions from infancy to adulthood, or are they on their own, left to fend for themselves.  

 

The adult musk oxen sometimes spook and run rather than huddle and protect their youngsters, and it isn't long before the wolves and bears get just what it was they came for.  Is it much different in the human world?

 

I believe that God is shouting out to us through the example of the musk oxen to back up, to press together and to protect our precious children from the wolves that roam our planet and guide them into a friendship with our best friend Jesus.

 
To see a musk ox click here

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
What's New from...

 
Check out our new CD - FROZEN CHOSEN
Hot off the press!!! Another great album for kids.  Ranger Dan and Mrs Tammy head off on an adventure into the Arctic region to meet the Frozen Chosen- the animals on the ice.    
They learn many lessons from God's creatures and ultimately discover that no matter where you go you know God is there, cause He is everywhere!  Featuring authentic animal sounds and a helicopter ride!
 
 
Click here to purchase 
   
Did You Know?

baby hippos are born underwater, where their mothers help them to the surface after birth. 
A mother hen turns her egg approximately 50 times in a day. This is so the yolk does not stick to the shell.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!
 

Tammy's Tips 
Beginner's Sabbath School Ideas - ages 0-3
Children of this age love stickers, gluing, glitter, stamping and printing - not so much colouring.  Use these activities in crafts. 
Have all craft templates precut, so children don't get restless while waiting for mum to cut out. 
Collage box - box filled with all sorts of odds and ends for crafts is a good Sabbath School resource - let children create what they want. 
Playdough is enjoyed by this age group - provide it as an alternative to craft, or as an activity for early craft finishers  
Rice play - a clean alternative to sand play.  Fill a large container with white rice, place pouring containers, funnels, scoops etc.(items similar to water play).  Use this activity before Sabbath school starts, or as an activity for early craft finishers.  
 



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like This?
 
Why not forward it to your friends, so they can learn more about God's love through nature too.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Was this Forwarded to you?
 
If you'd like to receive more emails like this one simply click on the link below and subscribe to Nature's Love letter.
 
www.goddidcreations.com/subscribe.php


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Add Us To Your Address Book
 
To help ensure that you receive all email messages consistently in your inbox with images displayed, please add this address to your address book or contacts list: goddidcreations@yahoo.com.au
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have A Topic Idea?
 
We'd love to hear it! Just reply any time and let us know what topics you'd like to know more about.