Goodnight World and Goodbye November

We bid farewell to another month and move into the last month of 2018.

These pictures were all taken at the end of summer or very early fall. But does it really matter when they were taken. A sunset is worth watching at any time of year.

Sometimes it's the setting sun that draws my attention and at other times, looking east, I see the beauty of the moon, even when it is not a full moon.

This old tree seemed to be the perfect addition for the setting sun.

The sun slips down behind the trees on the horizon, as the sky turns a beautiful orange.

I love the sunbeams poking through the clouds.

This moon shot was obviously not the same night as the other pictures, but I still like it.

Something to Think About:
May every sunrise hold more promise and every sunset hold more peace.

The Start of Winter

Yes, winter has arrived in southern Manitoba. The following pictures are from earlier in the season, and all were taken on my yard. We have had some more snow and a lot colder weather since then. 

For today, let's just enjoy these first few flakes of snow as we wait for more to come and it surely will.

Snowflakes and raindrops on the same leaf.

When this picture was taken, we obviously ha not had very cold temperatures because even the grass is still green.

I absolutely love the little caps of snow on leaves.

Evergreen boughs with a layer of snow are just as beautiful to me.

That first snowfall brings a special delight for me. I get excited when I see it, and, no,I don't want to spend hours shovelling. I just enjoy the beauty it brings.

Something to Think About:

You’re young and useful at any age, 

if you’re still planning for tomorrow.

Charles Stanley

Raindrops on Leaves

In early fall,I came home from work to find a host of photo opportunities on my lawn.The following photos are all from that one morning. I will add the words to a powerful song that my friends Legacy Five have recorded, called, One Thing God Can't Do. If you  are interested, you can listen to this song at the following link:One Thing God Can't Do

He spoke our very world into existence, 

One gentle breath brought everything to life; 

He is never bound by time or distance, 

Every knee will one day bow before his might.

The storms of life will sometimes try to break us, 

On days when we can’t feel Him in our hearts; 

But He said he’d never leave us or forsake us; 

His love will always find us where we are.

Oh He gave us all He had to give; 

He died for me and you; 

But there’s one thing that my God can never do 

For there’s just one thing God can’t do 

And that’s stop loving you, 

Even when you feel you‘ve gone too far to ever come back home, 

He can do all things impossible, there’s no mountain He can’t move; 

But there’s one thing God can’t do and that’s stop loving you.

Seasons of Beauty

The saying is that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'.
I believe that is very true in nature.Some folks see beauty, where others see nothing extraordinary at all. I challenge you to see the beauty which is right before you.

I don't have to travel far from my home to see the beauty at Lake Minniwasta. That view changes with the seasons and the time of day.
Sunset is sure to add a golden glow to the lake and the surrounding trees.

On a misty, snowy day, this same body of water has a different beauty about it.

Upon leaving the lake area one day,I spotted these berries.I don';t know what they are, but I do know that I like the contrasting colors of the leaves and berries with a few snowflakes as well.

Within two blocks of my home is a research station and this stand of trees is located there.I like how the snow has painted the tree trunks with white and added extra interest.

Back home on my yard the fallen leaves have raindrops on them,  creating yet another kind of beauty.

I captured all this beauty and I drove less than three miles from my home.There truly is beauty all around.

Think About This:
Never pass up an opportunity to enjoy nature’s beauty —It’s the handwriting of God.

The Evening Light

Seasons have changed since the following pictures were captured.
Fall has so much beauty, well, every season has beauty, but fall can be quite colourful.

A stand of trees in the Pembina Valley never fails to delight.I love those white trunks topped with the rich color of fall.

No, the yellow trees are not sick.They are a different variety from the green ones. Together they make for a pretty sight.

Of course Lake Minniwasta usually has some beauty worth sharing. As the sun was dropping lower on the horizon,I got this shot. I know that technically those flares are not what a photographer wants to see, but in this shot,I kind of like them.

While sitting in my car, waiting for the sun to set, I captured a few shots of the golden grasses.

The setting sun highlighted the opposite shore.

One more shot of the shore and the trees richly coloured by the setting sun.

Just a Thought:
Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful.

Something Beautiful

Enjoy the words to a song written by Bill Gaither, 

Something Beautiful, as you scroll through these fall images.

If there ever were dreams

That were lofty and noble

They were my dreams at the start

And hope for life's best were the hopes
That I harbor down deep in my heart
But my dreams turned to ashes

And my castles all crumbled, my fortune turned to loss
So I wrapped it all in the rags of life
And laid it at the cross.

Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood

All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful of my life

Note the Red-Tailed Hawk sitting in the tree.

I am so thankful that God took my life and made it into one that He could use.

When You Pass Through the Waters

Allow me to share from my heart.
Around the end of July or beginning of August of 2010,I was given a special verse.As I was reading my Bible, one verse seemed to jump off the page. To be honest, I did not want to hear what this verse had to say, because it seemed that I was about to go through some very hard times.
I tried my best to put this verse out of my mind, but during the course of the next several weeks, it was always in the back of my mind, especially when things were not going just right.

When you pass through the waters,I will be with you;
And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
Isaiah 43:2

It wasn't until September 18, of that year that I began to realize why I had been given this particular verse. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer and we were told that all they could offer was to keep him comfortable. I felt like the waves were going to overwhelm me and cause me to drown.

It was at this dark time that I needed to turn my eyes to Jesus who is my Lighthouse. At times He seemed distant, just as the lighthouse in this photo

But as I called on Him, he became ever nearer and dearer to me.Yes, the waters were rough, the waves at times very turbulent, but always there was that secure feeling that I was being carried by my Father.

God gave peace to me during the very darkest time of my life and I know He can do the same for each of you. When you and I cast our care on Jesus the waters around us become calm, the storm within ceases. I can honestly say that such was the peace I had when on November 10,2010, Jake took his last breath on this earth and entered his heavenly home.

I share these thoughts, not to draw attention to myself, but to encourage you that those words in Isaiah 43:2 are as true today as they were 8 years ago for me.

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

All photos in this post are courtesy of my son,Steve Hiebert.

Animals,Animals,Animals

This post will have few words, so sit back and enjoy some animals I have seen this past summer.

I have a variety of animals both domesticated and wild.

Something to Think About:

God brings beauty from all seasons.Father, You have permitted this season in my life. Help me to be content in the midst of it, and to recognize Your power and might are at work.