Wisdom for fathers
Mark Twain, noted author of past years, commented regarding his father and wisdom: “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished to see how much he had learned in 7 years.”
King Solomon gives recommendation to men. “A wise son heeds his father’s instructions,” Proverbs 13:1.
Gen. Douglas MacArthur gives heartfelt insight in regard to influencing his son. “By profession, I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder — infinitely prouder — to be a father.
Hope that Helps Rev. Paul Killingsworth
A soldier destroys in order to build: the father only builds never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle, but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, “Our Father who art in heaven.”
James, the half-brother of Jesus, was the pastor of the New Testament church in Jerusalem. His affectionate title was “Camelsknees.” The characteristic name was earned. He prayed so consistently that very noticeable callouses formed on his knees. His words on wisdom: “And if anyone longs to be wise, ask God for wisdom and He will give it! He won’t see your lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold you over your failures but will overwhelm your failures with His generous grace,” James 1:5.
God that created the world is a father that cares. Combining the creative power of God with the compassionate care of a loving father assures, “Hope that Helps.”
If you have ever driven through the sand dunes, you may have noticed an oddlooking object resembling a bird cage half-buried in the sand. You might be surprised to know that this dried “skeleton” is all that is left of a once-lush plant called Birdcage Evening Primrose, Oenothera deltoides.
A Birdcage Evening Primrose begins life as a small mound of leaves that eventually can stretch three feet. Its branches radiate from a center mound and can be six to 20 inches long. Each branch is dotted with fragrant, white flowers that attract night-flying white-lined sphinx moths. As the moths sip nectar, they pollinate the flowers.
Birdcage Evening Primrose is found in the Mojave, Sonoran and Great Basin deserts of southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Mexico. The Great Basin desert is the largest desert in America and covers about 190,000 square miles. It is bordered by the Sierra Nevada Range on the west, the Rocky Mountains on the east, the Columbia Plateau on the north, and the Mojave and Sonoran deserts on the south.
Birdcage Evening Primrose flowers begin opening in late afternoon and fully open during the night. With the morning sun, its blooms close and new ones open the next evening. As the flowers age, they change from white to light pink. Blooms appear from February through April, with up to a thousand flowers produced during the plant’s lifetime. Each bloom produces a seed capsule filled with seeds that scatter over the desert.
Once blooming is done, the plant’s branches begin to die and slowly curve upwards until their tips touch in the center to form a basket-like structure that resembles a birdcage. This dried birdcage remains in the desert until wind and the elements destroy it.
Birdcage Evening Primrose is an herbaceous annual that belongs to the Onagraceae family (evening primrose) which includes 18 genera and 655 species. Some varieties flower during the dark of night, while others bloom during the day.
The Onagraceae family’s group of plants each have their own distinct flower and color. One variety has small flowers covering a cone-shaped center, another has blooms resembling daisies, while another has flowers that look like miniature petunias. It would be hard to find a more diverse-looking group of plants.
The variety most people are familiar with is Mexican Evening Primrose, Oenothera speciosa. This plant has light-pink blooms that darken in color as they mature, earning them the nickname “Pink Ladies.” Along with Birdcage Evening Primrose, Mexican Evening Primrose tolerates the desert’s warm weather and can live in zones 10-11. Other evening primrose varieties grow in zones 3-9.
Common EveningPrimrose, Oenothera biennis, is another variety with bright-yellow flowers clustered on a stalk. This bi-annual plant lives for two years and grows from Canada to South America in zones 4-9. Its blooms attract all types of pollinating insects and hummingbirds from spring through summer. Like Birdcage Evening Primrose, Common Evening-Primrose blooms during the night and attracts white-lined sphinx moths for pollination. The moths’ larvae feed on its leaves.
In the past, several southeastern Native American tribes used the plant for both food and medicinal purposes. Its roots were boiled like potatoes, the leaves served as cooked greens, and a tea was made from the leaves to relieve a variety of ailments.
Even today, Common Evening-Primrose seeds are pressed to make evening primrose oil used to treat a variety of ailments. The oil contains gamma-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid not found in most plants.
The next time you see a strange-looking tangle of branches resembling a birdcage sitting in the dunes, you’ll know it is the skeletal remains of a Birdcage Evening Primrose.
Happy gardening.