Leaves

In looking for pictures to share today,I noticed all the leaves I had gotten images of.

I began to think of how each leaf represents a part of my life.

Some days I feel like a plain old brown Oak leaf,not much to look at and left to go unnoticed on the ground.

Many a day I feel like my life is filled with holes.Broken pieces that are no more a part of my life.

Still I see beauty in this leaf.I trust that God still sees beauty in my life as well.

Some days are a little brighter. I may feel more like a sunshine yellow leaf.

Can I still praise God even when the wind has knocked me to the ground? I pray that my life will bring glory to Him.

Many a day I feel like the last leaf on the tree,just barely holding on.Still I know that God has a reason for me to be right where I am

As unbelievable as it may seem,some days I feel like a beautiful leaf which glows with joy found deep within.

A promise given to me by God about three years ago now is found in 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.

These words were true then and I have found them to be just as true today. 

God is my strength.

Baking Day

I had the privilege of spending the day with my granddaughter Kai,on Saturday. We did what we so often do,we baked cookies.

Kai made the decision on which cookie cutters to use,

She is becoming very creative in the decorating. I enjoy watching what she will come up with.

Here is a look at her tools,or should I say icings.

Here she proudly displays a cookie with a B on it for a special friend.

I hope you enjoyed watching our fun. Now if only I could pour you a cup of coffee or tea and serve some of these sweet treats.

The Colors of Sunset

Those of you who follow me on Facebook,already know that I went for a drive yesterday,

November 3,so this is not news to you.

I left town,not expecting to see much of anything,because it was very overcast and the light was fading fast. When I left town,I glanced towards the west and thought that the sunset might be OK.

I found a spot from which to shoot and waited,as the sun was setting.

I was not prepared for the beauty which I saw.The clouds parted just enough to give a spectacular sunset.

I was thrilled that I had not stayed at home.

After taking many shots at this location,I started towards home.When I had a chance to once again look west,I realized that the beauty was not over,so I quickly pulled over to the side of the road and took a few more pictures.

This was looking almost due north,but I liked how the clouds were lit up.

Turning more toward the west,the clouds were a beautiful shade of pink to mauve.After  not taking pictures,except with my phone for too long,I was thrilled to be able to witness such beauty.

Here are two pictures taken around the middle of October.

This first one is in the Pembina Valley,but at a different location from where I usually go.

We have a lot of Oak trees and often they are not very pretty in fall,but I think this picture shows that even the Oak can be beautiful.

As I was driving along some back country roads,I saw this stand of Birch trees.The brilliant blue sky,white tree trunks and the golden leaves,combined to make a very pleasing sight.

Thanks for joining me on a drive around the countryside near Morden.

I am currently in a ladies Bible study,where we are going through some of the Psalms.

I want to share with you  one verse.

The Lord protects you;the Lord is a shelter right by your side.

Psalm 121:5 ( Holman Christian Standard translation)

Textures

In the last post I shared just leaves,today it is textures.

As I was getting ready to share this post,I began to think about the variety of textures and how,even though each one is so very different,each one is beautiful in its own way.

I would like to think that this is somewhat like people. Each one is different yet beautiful in their own way.

The sparkles of sunshine on the water

A gentle breeze creates ripples in the lake.

The hard surface of a cliff shows a rugged beauty.

Soft puffy clouds float in a blue sky.

The falling water of a fountain makes rings in the water.

Textures,each one special in its own way.

I want to try to look at people as each one being a different,yet beautiful texture in the tapestry of life.

Leaves and Thankfulness

I find myself taking quite a few pictures of leaves,so today I will share a few with you.

I have nothing profound or even very interesting to say about each picture,so I will allow them to speak for themselves. I will instead share a few things from an article written by Phil Callaway,entitled Thanksgiving in the Valley.

The lake in the picture is Lake Minniwasta,west of Morden.

I'm thankful that although things aren't what I'd like them to be,they're not as bad as they could be. 

I'm thankful for the valleys.Nothing grows up on the mountain,growth takes place in the valley where the dirt is.

I'm thankful for the dark.It's the only time I can see the stars.

I'm thankful that my hope is not fixed on the stuff of this earth.That I've go more than tomorrow to look forward to.I've got eternity.

I'm thankful for Someone to thank.A God who is in control,who will never take us where He has not been.

In the above picture I was playing in Photoshop and came up with this frame.

Phil Callaway is a Christian humorist who can also be heard on Back to the Bible 

Baking Buns

Today my granddaughter and I baked buns. We had not done this in quite a while and I was thrilled that she wanted to help.

Kai did a great job of forming the buns. The ones she made were much more interesting than what I made. Hers had unique shapes.

Kai decided to try some colored buns. This was a new experience but in the end the pink ones tasted just as good as the others.

Looking at the buns I made,I must admit they look rather boring compared to the ones Kai made.

We had a great time making memories,

At The Fireside

It's been a cool day with a few lazy snowflakes coming down from time to time.It is a typical Manitoba,fall day.No the snow will not last yet,so we don't worry about it.

There is a chill in the air,which foretells of colder days to come.

For just moment,come with me to take one more look at Lake Minniwasta. Oh how I love pretty scenes like this.

While at a friends house a while back,I saw a tree covered with these beautiful red apples.These are not good for eating,but they sure look lovely.Is this what is called eye-candy?I think it might be.

Why don't you pull up a chair and join me at the bonfire.

The warmth radiating from these flames is just what we need today.

 DId you happen to bring some marshmallows for toasting? Yummy!

I can hear the crackling of the fire and smell that wood smoke in the air.These things stir memories that are deep in the heart.Perhaps we can watch the flames and share our hearts for a while.

As the flames die down,we begin to notice the chill in the air again.Thanks for joining me at the bonfire. Your company was wonderful.I think it might be time to move the conversation into the warmth of the house.

Oh how I wish it was that easy to get together and share our stories face to face.

May I leave you today with this Irish blessing,

May the hand of a friend always be near you;

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Nature's Diamonds

As fall is under way and winter is sure to follow,I thought it would be appropriate to share some beauty I have found recently.

The lake west of Morden,is not all that large but I do like going there,because I am assured of finding beauty.

On my last visit there,I was looking for fall colours and did find some,but I found beauty that had nothing to do with fall colours.The sun was shining brightly and scattering diamonds across the water.

The gentle colours of fall add to the beauty seen on the water.I always  feel like someone has taken a hand full of diamonds and tossed them on the water.

In this picture the focus is a little more on the foliage,but take note of the sparkles on the water.

You knew that I would have to zoom in for a closer look.I like diamonds like this.They are free to all who will take the time to stop and look.My response to these is to give thanks to my God for giving these to me.

I found out recently that even a dirty and sometimes stinky marsh can be gorgeous.I guess I always knew this,but this picture really shows that beauty. As the sun was setting at the Kaleida Marsh,it painted a silvery path across the water.The sun itself is one large diamond in the sky.

Canadians have just celebrated Thanksgiving and my friends in the USA will do so in a few weeks.

I believe that each day should be Thanksgiving day,after all,we have so much to give thanks for,that one day is not enough time.With that in mind,I give you the thought for today:

Happiness is waking up and beginning each day

by counting our blessings and kneeling to pray.

Fall Splendor

Time for one more walk in the Morden area,to see the pretty fall colors.

I enjoy Lake Minniwasta most any time,but it is especially pretty in fall.

This is a fairly small lake but it has great importance to the city.We get most of our water from here.

A small park within the city limits is Livingston Park.I went for a short talk here and even though the colour was not spectacular it was still pretty.

The Morden Park,which has a playground and baseball diamond is the most used park.I enjoy it because it has lots of tree and natural beauty.This bridge crosses the creek.Here I like how the railing of the bridge draw the eye to the trees on the far side.

Back on my own yard the Sumac in all it's beauty in fall.This is the only reason I still have this shrub. I love the fall display it puts on.

By now most of the leaves have dropped and so have the temperatures.

The next pieces of beauty will come when we have snow on the ground.

God is our safe place where we can rest and be encouraged.

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my Canadian friends,Happy Thanksgiving.

We have so much to give thanks for,whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving now or in November.

The day is not nearly as important as it is to take time to give thanks to God.

Here is another post filled with iPhone pictures.

 I took this picture today,October 12,2013,standing on my deck.

I love that I have these colourful trees right close to my house.

Still standing on my deck,and only minutes after the the above photo,here is a look at the sky above me.

We had over an inch of rain over night,but the clouds cleared in time to see some blue sky.

I took this picture today,sitting in the back seat of a friends truck.We were on our way to the restaurant for supper.

This is an HDR photo taken through a tinted window.

I close this post with a collage I made with one of the many apps I have on my phone.

Maybe I have too much time on my hands.I actually did this one while I was waiting for a soccer team to be ready for me to take them back to school.

May you find ample reasons to lift your voice in thanksgiving to God,Who gives us all things.

Amur Maple Beauty

The Amur Maples on my yard are finally showing their best side.

I have no explanation as to why one tree is yellow and the other red,but I do like it that way,

I like all the variations of color as well.

Here is a leaf which is still almost green.

The picture quality is not the best because I used my iPhone.

I am also posting this from the phone so we'll see how it works.

Thanks for all your kind comments on my previous post. I appreciate each one of you,my friends.