Something Beautiful

Each of our lives are filled with many experiences, some of which have shattered us.  We weep as we gather the fragments of our brokenness and beg God, "Can anything good come of this, or is my usefulness finished?"

Over and over again, Jesus shows His love for us, reminding repeatedly that He came to save sinners.  Yet we doubt, and our doubts are mirrored in the eyes of others.

Then we remember to look into the eyes of Him who loves us best, and He says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have made you, and you are mine."

He takes our broken lives and remakes then into something even more beautiful, like this Kintsukuroi (Japanese: golden repair) pot.  May our breakage and repair be a sign of hope to all who struggle to find hope in God.  May our Lord continue to make something beautiful in you and me with the gold of His all powerful love.

Worship the LORD!

These beautiful Diodor Pines line Highway 246 on the way to Solvang, California.  I've always admired this avenue of trees, but never considered the significance of their name until our visit out west this past January.  We were driving back to Buellton with my daughter Jill and grandson Calan after a Sunday afternoon hike.  A casual comment on the name of the trees led to a comment by Martin that the name must mean "Adore God".  I was stunned for a moment! Why had I never considered this before?  Then Mart said, "Look how the branches are like arms raised in adoration.  Wow!  These verses in Psalm 96 seem just right to express this feeling:

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it.  Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth.  He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. (nrsv)

No Yoke!/Double Delight

What a surprise to crack open an egg into the skillet and see a double yolked egg.  When I cracked open the second egg and found it to be a double also, I went and told Martin.  He came and watched, neither of us expecting it, as the third egg was a double as well!  That's when I went a grabbed the camera and took this picture.

No yoke!  Three double yolkers!

Trees & Ice Cream

(To make the connection between "Trees & Ice Cream", see previous post.)  After seeing a few sights in the Finger Lake region of New York, we entered the beautiful rolling hills of Pennsylvania and continued on to Clark's Summit and the home of Uncle Dale & Aunt Dolores.  We had an enjoyable 3 days with them in their beautiful home.

On the front lawn of our dear aunt & uncle's lovely home,
which is enhanced by many stately trees.

This ice cream was so fresh you could almost hear the cows moo!
Aunt Dolores & I chose the "barnyard gravy" flavour (a name
which gave us the giggles) , a mixture of chocolate,
 vanilla, peanut butter, and pretzels.  Yes, we were
on a real dairy farm!

. . .only God can make a tree.

I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest against the earth's sweet flowing breast:

A tree that looks at God all day, and lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear a nest of robin's in her hair;

. . .Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.

This poem by Joyce Kilmer came to mind when I was looking at the photos Martin & I took on a recent road trip through New York state.  We came upon the Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion, a state historic park in Canandaigua, NY, and decided to take the tour.  The mansion, the former summer house of Frederick and Mary Thompson, was elaborate and interesting, but the trees on the estate were awe inspiring!
"Great are the works of the Lord"  Psalms 111:2  

Seasonal Contrasts

We were eager for spring to come after our long cold winter.  Instead we got more snow and cold in April.  But we learn patience when we see that the season's are not always like the clock, but they do eventually arrive.  Today it is warm and we enjoy our tulips and watch the leaves unfurl on all the trees and shrubs in our neighbourhood.  To everything there is a season.

Spring, Brrrr!  April 4, 2014

Spring, one month later, May 11, 2014

Snowed In

Here are a few more photos of our recent drive over to Lake Erie for a Winter picnic.  This is only about a twenty minute drive from our home in Chatham, but being near the lake, they storms hit them a bit harder.  I haven't seen snow like this since the 1950's when I was growing up in Minnesota.

This is what I call 'snowed in'!