Cats

Well, I've had a serious case of writers block the last couple of days, I really wanted to blog but.... nothing. So I decided to break it today and write some interesting facts about cats that I randomly know, or have found on the net.
If a pregnant cat has a litter of kittens, of any number, each of the kittens can have a different father.
Sir Isaac Newton is not only credited with the laws of gravity but is also credited with inventing the cat flap.
Cats see six times better in the dark than humans.
Cats have the largest eyes in relation to their body of any mammal.
A female cat will be pregnant for approximately 9 weeks or between 62 and 65 days from conception to delivery.
Purring does not always indicate that a cat is happy. Cats will also purr loudly when they are distressed or in pain.
The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human.
A cat's heart beats twice as fast as a human heart, at 110 to 140 beats per minute. Incidentally, that's the same speed as the heart of a human baby.
25% of cat owners blow dry their cats hair after a bath. (Ha - why would you admit that?)
The cat's front paw has 5 toes and the back paws have 4. Cats born with 6 or 7 front toes and extra back toes are called polydactl.
There are approximately 60,000 hairs per square inch on the back of a cat and about 120,000 per square inch on its underside. (Who counted?)
(Apparently) Cats wag their tails when it is in a stage of conflict. The cat wants to do two things at once, but each impulse blocks the other. For example: If your cat is in the doorway wanting to go outside, and you open the door to find it raining, the cat's tail will wag because of internal conflict. The cat wants to go outside, but doesn't want to go into the rain. Once the cat makes a decision and either returns to the house or leaves into the rain, the tail will immediately stop wagging.
In 1952, a Texas Tabby named Dusty set the record by having more than 420 kittens before having her last litter at age 18.
A cat will almost never "meow" at another cat. This sound is reserved for humans. (We lucky few)
The oldest cat on record was Puss, from England, who died in 1939 just one day after her 36th birthday.
A falling cat will always right itself in a precise order. First the head will rotate, then the spine will twist and the rear legs will align, then the cat will arch its back to lessen the impact of the landing. (Now that's a strategy)
Apparently cats hate the smell of orange or lemon, so put these where you don't want kitty to go.
Cats have a peripheral vision scope of about 285 degrees. Wow! We see about 170.
Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend 16 hours of each day sleeping. With that in mind, a seven year old cat has only been awake for two years of its life!
Egyptians shaved their eyebrows as a sign of mourning when they lost a beloved cat.

And finally, this is the cat age chart vs 'people years':
Hope you enjoyed - if I can figure out how, I'll put in the chart for cats ages vs people years.

Jonah 4:5-11

This is about Jonah - most everyone knows about the fish part, and Jonah being bad, and not doing what God wanted, etc. But not many people know about the end, where Jonah is angry over God's compassion. The chapter tells about Jonah being mad about God saving Nineveh: the city he was supposed to go preach to in the first place and didn't, and when he finally did and they repented, God had mercy on them and didn't destroy them. Then it goes on to say about Jonah sitting down outside the city, and the Lord "provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head and ease his discomfort," (vs 6) Jonah was happy with this - it's hot and dry, and now he has a plant for shade. But the next morning, God made a worm to eat the vine, and by the time the heat of the day came, Jonah had no shade to take away the heat and scorching wind. So he was angry with God - after all, God took away his comfort. God asked him if he had a right to be angry about the vine. God replied, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow... Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left... should I not be concerned about that great city?" And that is the end of the book. That last line.

I think the point here is that Jonah was angry at the injustice. He thought that Nineveh should have suffered - they were an evil people and Jonah thought they deserved punishment for what they had done. Although God brings justice, he is a God of mercy, and he had compassion on them, and when they begged his forgiveness, he thought nothing more of wiping the slate. After all, he created them nurtured them, and helped them grow. The same, if the lady next door has this great big fruit tree right on the fence, and every now and then you grab a piece that's on your side or has dropped on your side of the fence, it's great. What difference does it make to her? But what if she then chops it down. Does it make you angry? She's taken something you thought should stay - why would she do that? She knew it benefited you as well. But what right do you have to be angry at her? What if she decided to keep the tree, and you thought it blocked her view - not yours, hers - what right do you have to be angry that she isn't doing what you want? It isn't your tree. You didn't grow it, tend it, love it into tree-hood. But if it were your tree, and you chopped it down - that's different. She doesn't have a right to be angry at you.

So take into consideration that things in life aren't yours - they're God's. He created 'your' tree, he nurtured this world into life - he is also the one who made your children, your family. You aren't angry at God when he has mercy on your child, when he has done something stupid, dangerous, criminal. When he forgives your child, you don't hate God. So why do you hate him when he passes judgement? When he disciplines his children? Is it not still love?

Personal bubbles

Okay you all know one - someone that sits that little bit too close, or touches you unexpectedly in inappropriate moments. Or hugs you on the second meeting. That isn't so bad depending on who it is. If it's the opposite sex it's sort of 'socially unacceptable'. And then there are the people who, if you and a friend are out having coffee, will sit at the table right next to yours, when there are empty tables all around you. And yet they sit beside you and either talk extremely loud, or don't talk at all and appear to be listening in on your conversation. Very strange. Don't parents teach kids what is 'socially acceptable' anymore? Mind you, it isn't just the young people. I had a friend in an acting class who would sit right next to me, touching arms. As a female, and he a male, it made me rather uncomfortable - I mean, I barely knew him, and so I would sort of lean away, or wait until he sat down, and then sit a comfortable distance away. He would often shift anyway, and it wasn't just me - he sat that close to everyone, male and female alike. It isn't creepy, just a little... awkward. But you get over it.

God's timing

Wow - my first blog for May! How excitement.

Well this one is about feeling obligated to do something, just because it seems like a good idea, or because it is right. How many times have you seen something on TV, or someone you know journalling, or going to church on the prayer meeting night, and thought - hey that is such a good idea! And then you go and do it, and find there is nothing to journal about, or the prayer meeting is boring and pointless, and you just aren't getting anything out of them. Or those conferences where they fire you up to go and do something with the world - go and life your life to the full, but a week later you couldn't care less and all you have is disappointment that you failed. What is the point in that? And yet whoever got you started in it is great, they keep going and are amazing at what they do. What they don't teach you is that this is what God has asked them to do. It is His timing for their lives - and not necessarily for yours.

Maybe it is a great idea to journal in all your thoughts and God's words for you every day at 5am. (Shudder) But maybe he wants you to go for a 10 minute walk at 3.30pm every other afternoon. Or maybe he just wants you to sit and rest in him, for no particular time, maybe when you are driving even. The point of praying isn't getting what you want for christmas, although God does want us to ask him for things, the point is listening. A conversation shouldn't be one-sided. God likes to talk as well as listen, you know.

So he wants you to do what he wants, in his time. Not what you think is good, in your timing. If it is ordained from him, the success rate goes sky high. You are so much more likely to obey what he has for you if it was his idea in the first place! It doesn't mean don't try the things people suggest, or what you think might be good, just ask him about it first - of course this might be his way of telling you what he wants. Just run everything by him, make sure it's okay. And same with what revelations he gives you - they might not be law for everyone you know, but one out of a hundred might need it in 30 years time, they will remember about how to journal, and it may rekindle their love for God. You never know. So by all means, share it, but don't enforce it - and make sure you remind people they are not obligated to try everything you think is fantastic, just because it works for you.

Incidentally, it's the same with diets - not everything works for everyone. Not that that is entirely related. Just thought I would throw that in. :)