Monk's Musings: Life and Death come to all

“He heard my cry… He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”  Psalm 40:1-3

A new year 2025 begins! Who knows how many more God will give us? A couple of days before this Christmas my father, Peter Nunn, went to be with the Lord. On Christmas day, the mother of a close friend also passed into God’s presence. On the Sunday after my father’s passing, I noticed behind the table on which stood the bread and wine, symbols of Christ’s death, was a manger, symbol of his birth. Life and death, close together. Jesus experienced both, just as we do. The question is, are we ready to pass from this life to the next? They were both trusting Jesus as their Saviour, so we know they are now seeing Him face to face. Will you? Are you ready to give an account of your life to Him?

Not long before my father passed, we were sharing about the three verses above. He said God had taken him “from the mire to the choir”, by which he meant God had saved him from his sin, put his feet on the solid rock, which is Jesus, and given him a new song to sing and a new life to live, one that would praise God. He did not consider himself a great man, but he knew he trusted in a great God, and that made all the difference.

And so, as we face another year, with its uncertainties, with our hopes and fears, may we also trust in the Lord Jesus, for salvation yes, but also for guidance and strength to sing and live for Him. Perhaps God is calling you to come to Beacon as a camper, or perhaps as a volunteer. Be encouraged to step out in faith! We serve a great Master, who delights to use weak and fallible servants such as you and me, so only He gets the glory.

May the Lord bless you and yours this year!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Shrike strike

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…” Colossians 3:23

There has been a shrike visiting our backyard bird feeders several times already this winter. Unlike the chickadees, goldfinches and other small birds that are looking for birdseed, this robin-sized grey, black and white songbird is actually a raptor and is after the birds themselves. When it suddenly appears in the backyard it causes a big stir, with the smaller birds flying for cover and sounding the alarm.

Like many raptors, a shrike must get as close as possible to its prey. It first uses the cover of small bushes and conifers to sneak up on the unsuspecting birds. Then it waits for an opportunity and flies out for a quick chase, using an aerial dive to force its chosen victim down to the ground, where it pummels it repeatedly with its beak to injure or kill the small bird. Shrikes don’t have the sharp talons and beak of a hawk or owl, nevertheless, they still hunt small birds, as well as mice, and insects in the summer.

Despite these disadvantages, the shrike is still capable of carrying its prey in its beak or claws, though its weak feet and claws prevent it from tearing apart its prey to eat it. Instead, a shrike hangs its victims on the thorn of a hawthorn or other ‘spikey’ bush so it can manipulate it. Sometimes it lets the prey ripen a little, so it comes apart more easily. This rather gruesome trait has earned the shrike the nick-name of ‘butcher-bird’.

Seen around camp and in Muskoka only during the wintertime, the northern shrike moves much further north come spring, to its breeding grounds. It is replaced by another shrike, the loggerhead shrike, though this species is now rare, and not often sighted in our region. These two shrike species are members of the larger shrike family, which boasts over 30 members, most of which are Eurasian or African. There are no shrikes in South America, Australia and Antarctica.

So, is the shrike a raptor or a songbird? Or both? It can sing, unlike most raptors, with both sexes vocalizing throughout the year. But it hunts other birds and small mammals, like a raptor. Even though it doesn’t have the size or strength or equipment of a hawk or owl a shrike is a formidable predator and behaves as such to make its living.

In some ways, it’s comparable to me trying to do a task for which I am not trained or equipped. Yet, with the Lord’s help, and my cooperation and commitment, it can get done.

Into the Woods with Curio: Porcupines are Loners

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?... If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”
Psalm 139:7, 11&12

It sounded like a small child was fussing, but it couldn’t be. Arriving home in the dark, I heard it as soon as I exited the car. What a strange sound. I grabbed a flashlight from the house and looked around, still hearing it, but not finding the source. It was a mystery. The next morning the answer was sitting in the neighbour’s tree – a large, black porcupine!

Now that the leaves are off of the deciduous trees, there is a better chance of seeing a porcupine.

They are not uncommon in Muskoka, and at camp. November is also the month that porcupines breed, hence the sounds – it was a female looking for a mate. Breeding season is the only time porcupines purposely meet other porcupines. Porkies are loners by nature.

They can survive on their own because of their impressive defence mechanism -- over 30,000 quills, extending from the top of their head to the tip of their tail. Any would-be predator, (or overzealous dog) that tries to attack a porkie usually ends up with a painful surprise. Porkies don’t shoot their quills at attackers, but simply keep their backs to them, letting the loosely attached quills come away if the attacker is too aggressive. While it is dealing with the nasty shock of quills embedded in its face and body, the porky makes its escape up a nearby tree.

The list of potential predators of porkies is a short one, and includes bobcats, lynx, mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, great horned owls and fishers. In Muskoka they only really have to worry about fishers, and people. Because their defence strategy has no effect on cars, porkies are often hit when crossing roads at night. They are actually nocturnal because there is more nutrition from trees at night, biologists have discovered.

They spend a lot of time in trees, not only for safety but for food, feeding on leaf buds in season, acorns and apples, and the tree’s inner bark at this time of year. They’ll also eat canoe paddles, wooden-handled tools, and even gnaw on the wooden siding on a house. They don’t hibernate, but try to stay off the snowy ground, as, like their larger cousin the beaver, they don’t move fast on land.

Come spring the female gives birth to just one little porky. By next November that young one will be on its own. If it’s a male it may stay around the neighbourhood, though will be chased off by larger, older males, including his dad, during the breeding season. That may be the only time it sees its dad, as Mom is always a single parent. If the young one is a female she has to venture out on her own to find her own territory, as her mom won’t tolerate her sticking around. Porcupines really are on their own.

While we may choose to be alone, or sometimes we may feel alone, we don’t have to be, as Christ has promised to always be with us, no matter where we are.

Into the Woods with Curio: A Hiding Place

“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Psalm 32:7

Mice are always looking for a place to hide. It could be in the hollow of a tree several metres above the ground, (mice are good climbers) or in a birdhouse, in a woodpile, on a shelf in the toolshed, or in as unlikely a place as an empty compartment in your lawn mower, or even in your car!

They need a safe place because there is always someone hunting them. Foxes, coyotes, weasels, skunks, raccoons, owls, hawks, snakes, domestic cats and dogs, as well as squirrels and chipmunks, and even shrews all want to make a meal of a mouse. No wonder mice are always trying to hide.

I’m referring to deer mice specifically, which are the dark brown mice with big eyes and big ears that you might see by chance when at camp. They are called deer mice because their colour pattern of brown upperparts, lighter sides and white tummies resembles a white-tailed deer. And they are as agile as a deer. The white-footed mouse is almost identical to a deer mouse but usually lives further south. Two species of jumping mice are also found at camp but hibernate from the late fall right through the winter. Meadow mice are actually voles, and look different, having much smaller ears and eyes, and short tails. It is voles that make tunnels under the snow and may be active during the day, while deer mice are nocturnal, and prefer to stay above ground.

At this time of year, the deer mice start looking for a place to stay safe and warm because they lose their cover when the frost kills the vegetation. This is why you may hear the pitter-patter of very little feet in the ceilings of your house, or during your stay at camp. Somehow the mice find a way inside these buildings, being able to
squeeze through openings less than an inch wide. Once inside your house, they hide in a corner of the basement or crawl space, in the walls, or sometimes in a corner of a cupboard. And they search everywhere for food. Outside, their usual diet is seeds, nuts, berries, grasses, insects, and spiders. Inside your house, they eat whatever is available.

With food and shelter taken care of they then proceed to make a cozy nest for themselves, using whatever soft material they can find, such as tissues, rags, or the stuffing from a couch.

This nest is home to both parents and their family of one to nine pups. That’s right, the young are called pups. These youngsters only stay in the nest until they can take care of themselves, which is at about 5 to 6 weeks of age.

Once the pups leave Mom starts another nest somewhere else, (mice aren’t good housekeepers) where she’ll give birth to the next litter about three weeks later. She may have four or more litters between early spring and fall, while the young themselves start producing families not long after they have left the nest. The math shows it doesn’t take long for the local mouse population to increase dramatically. However, that long list of predators helps keep their population in check.

That’s why most deer mice never live to see all four seasons of the year, though some may live as long as 18 months. There are just too many dangers, and not always enough places to hide.

God provides a safe place for us to hide from the very real dangers we also face every day in this world.

Monk's Musings: For such a Time as this!

Mordecai tells Esther: “who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

We are now halfway through our Fall Season of Beacon camps. The leaves are turning colour, mushrooms are popping up and the days are drawing shorter. The nights are getting colder and it takes a bit of courage to dive into the lake! The Lord has been so faithful, orchestrating the details of each of our lives and bringing us to our present circumstances and positions. Many centuries ago, a young Hebrew maiden was made queen over the empire of Persia & Media, married to King Xerxes. He was a pleasure-seeking proud despot who ruled by inspiring fear, so her royal position was a tricky one to be in. And when the king carelessly signed an irrevocable decree to exterminate her people, her position went from delicate to desperate. Should she try to hide? Or flee? Or lie about her ancestry? Mordecai convinced her to use the position God had given her as queen to risk it all and seek to save her people from death. It’s one of the great Old Testament stories which is exciting each time one reads it! Eventually, God DID use Esther and Mordecai, in miraculous ways, to bring about salvation for the Jewish people.

I don’t know what position God has placed you in. But it’s true to say that each one of us is in the middle of a sphere of influence where others look to us as an example, role model or friend. And these folk may be going through critical times or are about to face suffering or tough decisions. Who knows but that God has put us in our unique position “for such a time as this”? May we pray and fast as they did, but may we also put our trust in God and courageously initiate that sensitive conversation that God wants us to have. Let us not shrink back in fear, but bravely step forward and trust the Lord will use us to further His good plans in the lives of those around us.

And once again, may we encourage you to make Beacon a part of that plan! invite a friend or a family member to come with you to one of our Fall or Winter Camps. Look up the details on our website, and register this week!

May God powerfully use each one of us in the “little corner” He has positioned us in!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Goldenrod- Not a weed

“Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

John 7:24

When goldenrod starts to flower it is as much of a sign that fall is coming as when the leaves start to turn colour. Their tall stalks of bright, plumed gold flowers are a common sight in the fields and along the roadsides at Beacon, and throughout Muskoka and southern Ontario. This year they seem to be especially abundant, and because I always thought of them as something of a weed, I started to pull them out of my garden. However, I have learned that goldenrod is not a weed, but an important part of the local ecosystem.

A late bloomer, goldenrod provides a much-needed source of pollen for many insects well into the fall, after most other flowers have gone to seed. Ecologists have discovered that it is a vital food source for monarch butterflies as they make their way south. Bumblebee queens need it as food as they prepare for their winter hibernation. Many other bees, and even some pollinating wasps also rely on goldenrod as a source of food to help them prepare for their upcoming hibernation.

There are at least 30 species of goldenrod native to Ontario, though not all are commonly found in Muskoka or around camp. Two common species are the Canada goldenrod, which has spreading blooms that are about 12 to 24 cm long, and the Showy goldenrod, which has more feathery blooms that grow to about 15 to 20 cm long.

These two species, along with several others are now being encouraged to grow in residential gardens rather than being treated as a weed, as I was doing. They are being planted to attract pollinators, including some specialist bees, which are bee species that are only able to use the pollen from a few species of flowers, including certain kinds of goldenrod. Hardy and adaptable, goldenrod also serves as a host plant for many moth and butterfly caterpillars, which in turn provide many birds and other animals with a significant source of insect protein.

All of the above are good reasons to plant some goldenrod, if you have room, and are not worried about goldenrod as a possible cause of hay-fever. Goldenrod is often confused with ragweed, which is famous as a problem plant for hay-fever sufferers. Goldenrod doesn’t cause hay-fever because its pollen is too heavy to be carried in the wind. Its flowers look quite different, as well. The smaller ragweed plant’s green flowers produce profuse amounts of wind-blown pollen, causing many allergy sufferers much grief.  At one time Muskoka was a haven for allergy sufferers from the city because the region was ragweed free. Unfortunately, ragweed eventually made its way into Muskoka, and the region’s ragweed-free status was lost.

Regardless of whether it’s in your garden, along the roadsides or out on the fields, goldenrod is an undervalued but essential late-blooming plant, providing sustenance for many at a critical time of the year. I missed understanding the worth of this common ‘weed’ because I based its value solely on outward appearances.

Monk's Musings: Job Well Completed!

So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month of Elul… They realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:15-16

As I write these lines, yesterday was our last day of the last camp of the Summer Season at Beacon. The Lord has helped us complete the task He gave us to do this summer! When the Jews completed rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem about twenty-five centuries ago, they, and all the nations around them recognized it was because God had helped them. And we also freely admit that it has only been possible because God has helped us. In addition, Nehemiah only succeeded in completing the wall because many volunteers worked wholeheartedly until the project was completed. And the same is true for Beacon. More than 200 volunteers joyfully gave a week or more of their time to love campers, challenge them to trust in Jesus and build them up in their faith. We thank God for each one of you.

Now that life returns to “normal”, God has other projects for us all to work on. He wants to use each one of us to build up our family, our friendships and our local church. Perhaps you are facing “ruins” similar to the ones Nehemiah had to deal with. Take courage, God is powerful to restore and rebuild. He specializes in bringing beauty out of ashes. But He chooses to work through you and I. Let us do as Nehemiah and his contemporaries did: pray and work together. Don’t let the enemy discourage you, for “greater is He who is within you than he who is in the world”. God has promised to complete the task, so let us “trust and obey” Him.

So may we all be encouraged, as we enter this next chapter of life, to continue serving the Lord where He has placed us. And we encourage you to make Beacon a part of your “building plan”: Invite a friend or a family member to come with you to one of our camps, whether as a couple, or as a family, as a single adult, as a senior, or indeed encourage and sponsor someone else to come to Beacon. Look up the details on our website, and register this week!

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew ‘Monk’ Nunn

Into the Woods with Curio: Berry Time

“And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Mark 16:15

Plants have some ingenious ways to distribute their seeds. Some, such as burdock seedheads, are designed to catch on the fur of a passing animal, (or a pant-leg). Others, such as milkweed pods, open up and release their seeds into the wind. One of the most important and effective seed dispersal methods that plants, especially trees and bushes, employ is with berries.

Blueberries, strawberries, bumbleberries, blackberries, pin and choke cherries, mountain ash berries and many other berries all contain seeds. And all of these are eaten, with fervour, by robins, bluebirds, waxwings, woodpeckers, grouse and other birds, as well as squirrels, mice, bears and many other animals. It’s a ploy the plants use to distribute their seeds away from the immediate area. The delicious, bright-coloured berries serve as a lure for the animals to literally swallow, becoming unwitting participants in the process.

Scientists refer to this process as endozoochory. It goes like this -- a robin eats a mountain ash berry, which then passes through its digestive tract and is eventually excreted, usually a good distance away from where the robin first ate the berry.  Et voila – the plant has succeeded in getting its seed dispersed, and there are even some nutrients from the excrement to help the seed germinate. Many, many, many bush and tree species expand their ranges this way.

Berries are an essential part of many bird’s and animals diets in the late summer and into the fall. It’s more than just breakfast, lunch and dinner for them -- it’s the protein needed for the immature birds and other young of the year; the fuel that many birds need for their upcoming migratory trip; and the fat some animals need to make it through the upcoming winter, or hibernation. Bears especially need the satiation that blueberries, one of the earliest berry crops to ripen, provide. As each successive berry crop ripens the bears start to gain the weight they need for their upcoming winter’s hibernation.

Birds don’t build fat reserves the same as mammals, or they can’t fly the distances needed for their migration. But they benefit nutritionally from these additions to their diet as each berry crop ripens. The birds that don’t migrate, such as chickadees and bluejays, cache many types of seeds for the winter, (because berries are perishable they aren’t cached for later use). Some of these stored seeds are not found again, so end up germinating where they were left, which also serves to help the plants with their seed dispersal. Blue jays are noted as an important agent in the establishment of oak forests through their caching of acorns. Squirrels, mice and chipmunks also build caches of maple keys and other seeds to help them through the winter. The remnants or forgotten portions of these stored seeds contribute to still more seed dispersal.

It is all part of God’s amazing plan for His Creation, to be fruitful and multiply. And God wants me to be doing the same, that is, dispersing His good seed that I have ‘eaten’ and understand.

Into the Woods with Curio: Found Feathers

“You were taught, ABOUT your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:22-24

The middle of summer is a good time to find bird feathers while out on a walk or hike. A small blue feather from a blue jay, a long, dark brown feather from a Canada goose, or a cryptically coloured feather from a turkey. It’s always fun to pick them up and try to work out which part of the bird they came from – is it a secondary flight feather from the left wing, a tail feather, or a smaller covert feather?

These lost feathers aren’t random. They are the result of the annual moult that many birds go through at this time of year when they lose their old, worn feathers and grow new ones to replace them. For most songbirds, this takes place over a one to two-month period. It takes that long simply because birds need to keep flying, so they only lose a few feathers at a time. Larger birds, such as ravens and turkey vultures, take up to six months to complete their moult.  They start in late spring by losing one flight feather at a time from each wing, which is noticeable when they fly over. Other birds, such as ducks and geese, go through their moult in a shorter time – about one month -- temporarily losing the power of flight during that time.

Moulting is a complicated process for birds. Some go through a complete change of feathers, while others go through only a partial moult. Other birds delay their moult until after the nesting season but still complete it in time for their fall migration. Moulting also takes a lot of energy and requires a lot of protein. Feathers are made from the protein keratin, which also explains why most birds feed insect protein to their nestlings, so they leave the nest with strong feathers.

Once a bird’s moult is over and it has a new set of feathers it’s ready for the fall migration, or for winter’s cold weather. Goldfinches have up to 1000 more feathers in their winter coat compared to their summer garb.

Other animals besides birds change their coats with the seasons. Foxes and many other fur-bearers shed their long winter coats for shorter summer coats. Snowshoe hares and weasels even change their colour to brown in the summer, and back to white in the winter, for camouflage. Snakes regularly shed their skins as they grow. It’s always exciting to find the papery, shed skin from a snake. Even insects shed their skins. A dragonfly larva sheds its larval shell when it changes into its adult form. The same is true of cicadas. Because caterpillars grow incredibly fast, they shed their skin 4 or 5 times before forming their final chrysalis or cocoon to metamorphize into a butterfly or moth.

These changes of skin or coats are a reminder -- have I shed my old ‘skin’? that is, my old nature? God’s Word encourages me to ‘put on the new self’, and to be constantly growing spiritually.

Monk's Musings: Don't be Afraid

And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. “Don’t be afraid,” he said… 1 Samuel 23:16-17

A new summer has arrived! Beacon Bible Camp is in full swing into the summer 2024 season. We are so thankful to the Lord for all the campers who are already here as well as for those who have signed up for the rest of our summer camps. We are also incredibly thankful for all the volunteer staff who are here and for those who will come up each week to serve at Beacon this summer.

And this is what brought the verses above to my mind. For some campers and staff, this will be their first experience of Beacon. And perhaps you may also be facing a new situation in life which gives you some anxiety. In David’s case, he was fleeing for his life from King Saul, not knowing where to go or what tomorrow would bring. And that was exactly when his closest friend Jonathan came to him to help him “find strength in God”. He encouraged him to not be afraid but to find guidance and strength in the Lord. May we be encouraged in the same manner? And may God also use us to encourage and strengthen others that God puts in our lives!

If you are serving here at Beacon in some capacity, may you also be encouraged! Find strength in the Lord to serve with all your heart and love. And whatever God calls us to in life, in our family, work, study, relationships, and church service, may God strengthen each one of us and help us to find joy in all the challenges and new experiences that He brings into our lives. Finally, may we also be “Jonathans” to others: let us seek out and encourage those who may be going through rough times. Let’s help them to look to the Lord always.

On behalf of all the Beacon Staff,
Andrew “Monk” Nunn