Happy Birthday Canada

July 1,2017 marks the 150th birthday for the country I call home,Canada.

I count it a privilege to live in this country.Do I always agree with all the decisions this country and government makes? Most definitely not, but it is still a good place to live. So far we have freedom to worship as we choose and we have decent health care, education opportunities and so much more.

Mandevilla flower about to open.

We were once called The Dominion of Canada and that came from the book of Psalms,chapter 72,verse 8,where it reads,"He shall have dominion from sea to sea".

One of my flower pots.

It is great to know that this country was founded on the Word of God. Unfortunately,today we have strayed far from that standard.

God's Word says that by their fruit you will recognize them,Matthew 7:20

Those of us who profess to follow Christ need to be bearing fruit.

I am proud to be a Canadian,and today as this nation celebrates it's 150th birthday,I whisper an added prayer for the leaders and for all in authority in this fair land.

The words to our National Anthem

O Canada!

Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,

The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Flowers and Photo Fun

June is fast coming to an end.I am counting down the days to the end of school.Friday will be the last day for this school year. I look forward to two months of not watching the clock so carefully.

Today I have a few flowers from on my yard to share with you.

The Peonies are such a gorgeous flower.I love the full flowers and the deep colors.

I am trying a new plant this year.Not new in general, but new to me. This is a Mandevilla. I think it may be some sort of hybrids it does not vine very much at all, which I thought others did. Nevertheless the flowers are quite striking.

Now for some special shots, maybe not because of what it is, but because these were taken by granddaughter,Kai. This first one is the Mock Orange at the height of it's flowering.

She has a creative eye and got a couple of interesting pictures of the evergreens.

Attention to detail will be a good thing to hold on to. These are focused and the lighting is good.

Closing Thought:

A flower doesn’t think of competing with the flower next to it. 

It just blooms. 

Spring Sunset

On a beautiful evening on May 9 of this year,I went to one of my favourite sunset spots,Lake Minniwasta. It was one of those evenings where all is well. It was calm, no bugs yet and a lovely view of the setting sun. I was there all by myself, but not for very long.

Can you see the speck in the middle of the picture? Is it aliens, or spies,what can this be? 

Actually I knew very well what it was as the operator, my son,Steve was standing beside me.

He had come to fly his drone over the lake and get a sunset view that way.

 The drone has a unique look when in flight. I liked how it looked against the sunset.

Bringing it in closer so that the drone is the only object in the picture.

Here is what Steve got from the drone.It gives a whole new perspective.

Yes,the sunset was beautiful.I was very happy that I had taken the time to go to the lake that evening.

When I turned around,I saw the full,or at least almost full moon in the eastern sky.

Closing Thought:

The wonders of the universe compel us to worship our wonderful God.

Seeing the Little Details

Raindrops,or for that matter, any water droplets, mean that the camera must be put to use.

Either a quick rain shower or when hand watering the plants, those droplets beg to be photographed.

Such was the case with these Lupin leaves.

 After a rain the evergreens are adorned with tiny jewels.Each little droplet suspended at the end of one of the needles,looks like a jewel.

Obviously these pictures are not very recent, but the beauty is timeless. The Fern Leaf Peonies are all done with blooming for this year, but I enjoyed them from start to finish.

I am always amazed at the beauty of water on the foliage.

After a trip to the grocery store, the fruit must be washed and you already know what happens next.A bright and sunny day was the perfect setting for taking these fresh washed grapes outside for a mini photo session.

These are Muscat Grapes,some of the sweetest grapes I have ever had and so pretty as well. It sure would be fun to walk through a vineyard and find clusters of grapes like this on the vine.

Closing Thought:

We don’t need to feel unimportant when the God of the universe is that interested in us!

Be Encouraged

Each day is a chance to start over.

One of the most encouraging things about new years, new weeks and new days is the word "new".  

 Even storms bear a message of encouragement for us.

Deep roots make for stronger lives.

Others won't care how much we know until they know how much we care.

You can have fun and still be efficient. In fact, you will be more efficient.

The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10

Look for things to laugh at-- and laugh out loud.

It's Biblical!

A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

Closing thought:

Thank the Lord,it is His love that arranges our tomorrows— and we may be certain that whatever tomorrow brings,His love sent it our way.

All quotes either from the Bible or from Charles Swindoll.

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder so I am wondering what you see when you see a Dandelion. The early spring Dandelions,are a welcome sight to me. That bright yellow is so refreshing after the white of winter and the grey after the snow melts.

Please put aside your dislike of the Dandelion for just a few minutes and marvel with me at the beauty of this simple, yet complex flower.

The Dandelions are in bloom when not much else is and so are a welcome source of food for the bees.

Tell me that I am not the only one who has picked a Dandelion seeded and with one big breath, sent those seeds flying.

Even at this stage these flowers are exquisite.Take time to look closely at those tiny seeds and the detailed little 'parachutes' they have to send them on their way with the slightest breath of air.

In this picture,I focused on the partial seedhead,so you could see the details even better.I am in awe of a Creator who would take the time to design each little detail in, not only this flower but, in all flowers.

Closing Thought:

The same God Who designed the flowers, is interested in every little detail of your life and mine.

Stoves and Sunset Scenes

Sometimes we get to be involved in areas where we can be an extra blessing to others.

Such was the case a few weeks ago. On May 25,I together with the rest of the members of the Mission Board and some other friends, got to make a very special delivery.

I am not sharing this to make us look good, but rather too give praise to God for allowing us to have a hand in this day.

As a Mission Board we received some money to use as we saw fit. We were made aware of a need at a local camp and felt we could help out.

We were told that the Pembina Valley Bible Camp needed two new kitchen stoves.The board decided that this would be a worthwhile projects we moved ahead.

We purchased the stoves and set about to deliver them.The camp did not expect us to delivery the stoves, so it was a nice surprise. I should add that this camp is located at the edge of the Pembina Valley.All the buildings are nestled in among the trees.

The director,Chris Harms,was eager to unpack the stoves.

The guys took out the old ones and put these new ones in place.They are now ready to cook delicious meals for the campers that will attend this summer and,hopefully for many more years to come.

Of course we had to pose for some pictures.Here is the Mission Board with camp director Chris.

In the picture are from L-R,Chris,Arlene,Carrie,Ruth,Colin and Bryce.

The fella at the left side of this group and his wife, in the green,Dave and Kathy,were instrumental in getting this whole thing started, so they needed to be on the pictures as well. Dave and Kathy,first made me aware of this need.

 When all was taken care of, we as a board were ready to head back home, but not before God blessed us with the most amazing sunset. This camp also has a horsemanship program, which explains the corral and barn.

One more shot from the corral area. It was beautiful, but the best scene was still to come.

When we got to the Pembina River,the scene was breathtaking.We stopped our vehicles, got out, took some pictures and had a brief time of worship as we praised God for this scene and for who He is.

WHAT AN AWESOME GOD WE SERVE!