Happy Garden Elements!

From my mother's garden:

Bird feeder and flagstone path...

Beautiful garden fairy...

Blue gazing ball...

Blue fountain jug and bunny...

Mr. Monk...

Sundial...

English ivy in planter...

Flagstone pavers...

And the cutest little lady bugs...

Travel Back in Time With Me...

Back to July 1994
and Victoria Magazine

And now for the piece de resistance! You can go and view this beautiful ship online here:
Sea Cloud

And the beautful movie!

Along the Garden Path...

Butchart Gardens (Part II: Water Features)

Photos courtesy of Perry & Robyn Granberry

Encouraging Mondays...

Sometimes the best encouragement we can get is the encouragement we give away. One of the mysteries of this life is how we can touch those we've never even met through the power of prayer. Today I'd like to ask you, my reader friends, to encourage a couple of my other blogging friends who are going through some really hard things. First I'd like to ask you to pray for Kari & Kijsa, who have lost their dad. He collapsed at a family cookout last Sunday night and then went into a coma for a few short days. Theirs was a precious and sweet relationship and any prayers or words of encouragement you could send their way will help them through this difficult time. Next, I'd like to ask you to pray for Barb's (The French Elements) family. Just days ago Barb's daughter-in-law walked into her mother's home to find her mom had passed away. Also, Barb's other son has been having some health challenges as well. Please keep them in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. And while you are praying, please lift up my dad who will be having a heart catheterization on Tuesday morning at 10:30. I am sure there are others out there who need prayer. Feel free to leave any requests you might have in the comments. I'd like to pray for you, too.

Grace for the Journey

Stop, Look, & Listen... Amazing Grace!

Fruitful Fridays

ART IN BITS AND PIECES

I've been at it again...

Bits of this...

leading to this unfinished piece ...

Bits of this lovely photo in Victoria magazine...

Leading to this not quite finished piece...

Bits of this...

Leading to this finished piece...

Canadian Geese Day!

Stormy Weather and Peaceful Calm

So, night before last on a very routine trip to the library, we were caught in one of the most intense summer storms I have seen in a while. The wind was blowing the rain sideways, and things began to blow all over the place. The good news was I had taken my umbrella into the library with me. The bad news was the rain was blowing so hard and horizontally that my umbrella did absolutely no good. As we drove along the lightning became frightening! We were trying to pull out from a traffic light and all of a sudden we saw a transformer blow and blue sparks sprayed everywhere. Fortunately, it was raining cats and dogs so nothing caught on fire.



When we arrived home, we realized our power was off. We couldn't raise the garage door to get our car inside nor could we enter by the regular door as the handle was locked and we had no key for it. This meant someone would have to make the 50 yard dash to go and unlock the front door. So hubby volunteered (bless him) and all the while my DD and I waited in the car watching the trees whipping to and fro in the wind. Hubby finally came down and raised the garage door manually so that I could pull the car in. We were very thankful to be in out of the storm.

My lovely DD11 came to me a little later and told me she had already talked to the Lord about this, but she just wanted me to know that she had taken her eyes off Him for a few minutes during the storm. She had become frightened and just wanted me to know that she was sorry for not trusting Him. It was the sweetest thing, and I honestly didn't quite know what to say. I told her that she can always be honest with God and because He made her, He knows her fears. He gave us these kinds of instincts for our protection. But in our hearts we do trust that whatever happens, our lives are in His hands.

And that is where the peaceful calm comes in... whether in times of complete peace and contentment, or whether in the worst of storms, our lives are in His hands. And there really is no better place to be.

Along the Garden Path...

The lovely and glorious Butchart Gardens (Part 1)

Photos by Robyn and Perry Granberry