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Ant Lions |
 Ant
lions are ubiquitous. They are worldly because ant lions are found in
almost every part of the world. There are 2,000 species. These ant robbers
are amazing creatures when they are in the larvae stage. They make pits to
trap the hard working ants. The Bible says to go to the ant and learn from
them. They are very busy and hard working. But the ant lion makes traps
for them, steals their food and eats them. |
 The
little larvae of the ant lion will try to dig a hole in the palm of your
hand to get out of sight. It tickles when they move down between the
fingers. I have played with these as a child growing up in Oregon. My
children love to play with them now. Never have we been bitten. However,
some people report having been bitten. |
| The ant lion does not go to the bathroom. Even though he does pass out a little liquid. There is no opening on his body for solid waste to come out. The solid waste is used as a silk to make his cocoon. He lives in the larvae stage for several months. |
 The
ant lions pass cold winters in the dormant state i the ground down
deep. |
 The
ant lion runs around in circles backwards digging his pit. With his head
he throws out the sand. The larger pits do not mean there is a bigger
creature, just a very hungry one. It takes about 15 minutes to make a pit.
These pits are usually made on the south parts of slopes and where it is
sheltered from wind and rain.
It makes bigger pits during a full moon. |
| When an ant slips into their pit, they begin tossing sand or dirt up to bury or knock them down into their mouth. Once they can grab the insect, they can pull it down under and suck out the insect body juices. If the insect is larger than them, they don't worry. They have bristles on the sides of their body that anchor them. They are firmly anchored in their hole and do not come flying out as the insect struggles to be free. |
 Ant lions like
to make their pits in sand or soft soil. They are good for gardens
because they eat up pests. When they have body parts they do not want to
eat, they toss them out of their pit with a flip of their head. |
| Antlions are a family of insects given the zoological classification Myrmeleontidae. The name is rooted in the Greek words "myrmex" (ant) and "leon" (lion). The family Myrmeleontidae is part of the order Neuroptera , translated variously as "nerve wings," "net wings," or "sinew wings." |
| Some ant lion pits serve as "hosts" to the Australian Horse-fly Scaptia muscula. The Horse-fly's larvae actually live inside the ant lion pit, where they share the left-overs from the ant lions' trapping abilities. |
 The adult ant lion usually emerges in the evening
but must wait for its wings to expand and harden before it can fly. After
20 minutes the adult's wings are fully formed. In captivity a newly
emerged adult ant lion may take small flies or water, but its real purpose
now is reproduction, not feeding. Its remaining life lasts less than a
month on average—enough time for it to mate and lay eggs. These and
lions are adults for only 20 days to 45 days. The female chooses warm sand
and places her 20 eggs into the sand after she has tapped on the sand
first.
The adults are not robbers. It is the worm stage or larvae stage that robs the hard working ants. |
| Some people really like the world and do not know that it destroys their friendship with Jesus. Perhaps there are some things in your life that are a trap for you and rob you of your time with Jesus. |
 Do
not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the
world, you do not love the Father. I John 2:15
SONG |
 The
Bible says by looking or beholding, we change. In 2 Corinthians 3:18, the
Bible says when we look at Jesus w are changed to be like Him. By reading
the Bible, we can learn how Jesus lived. Then we can become honest and
loving like Him.
The TV has many programs which we can choose from. Do the things you see draw you closer to Jesus in a loving relationship, or do they make you love the world and its sinful pleasures? Most of the TV programs have violence, adultery, and profanity woven into them. Profanity means that words are spoken which are vulgar or treat sacred things with abuse, contempt or irreverence. The more these are watched, the more we will become like them.
Protection is promised for those who obey. |
 In
Psalms 51:10-13, the Bible writer David asked God to create a clean heart
in him and to renew a right spirit in him. He wanted God to help him think
right. He had just done a terrible sin that he was sorry for. God forgave
him. David promised God that he would set no wicked thing before his eyes.
(Psalms 101:2) In Ezekiel 20:7 God asked His people to throw away
everything that the eyes feast on. They were not to defile themselves with
the idols of Egypt. WE might say with the idols of Hollywood. We are not
to look at magazines or posters with pictures of people with out proper
clothing to cover their bodies. These pictures lead to selfish thoughts.
MUSIC Some types of music give us messages that are not true, honest, just or pure. They suggest that it is fun to break the commandments. This is a trick from Satan. When we listen to his messages, we become changed. God's ways are to turn our eyes and ears from beholding and hearing vanity. (Psalms 119:37) What you listen to is what you are going to become. DANCING Dancing leads to thinking selfish thoughts and to breaking the commandment about adultery. (Exodus 20:14) This makes dancing a worldly thing that leads to sin. The music that many dance to often has selfish thoughts expressed too. |
T hose
who love money become very selfish. All they think about is getting more
things. In 1 Timothy 6:10, God says that the love of money is the root of
all evils. The craving for money often causes people to wander away from
Jesus. A root fees the plant. If all you think about is getting things,
you will not be happy even when you have money because you will want more.
Those who love God above all, even life itself will use money that they are trusted with, to help others learn of God's love. Why not ask God to help you today to avoid all the traps like the ant lion pits. God will help you to be like Him. |
The
best TV guide to selecting a program is found in Philippians 4:8. If the
TV program meets these 8 tests, it is good. If it is true, honest, just,
pure, lovely, gracious and if there is excellence and things worthy of
praise then it would be good to watch.