Unexpected Growth and Blessings

(Apologies to those who have heard some of this before, but I know there will be folks who are just seeing this blog for the first time, and a little background hopefully will be helpful.)

There are many ways to be blessed. So often we think of them as the easy ways to receive things that we consider to be good. But just as often, at least in hindsight, some of the most significant blessings and growth are through the trials we go through. In reading various earlier blog posts in Life Is A Journey, you will be aware of some of the unexpected and unwanted challenges I had to deal with over the years. And then, in hindsight, many of them turned out to be amazing opportunities for growth and blessings, and ideally to glorify God by doing what He had planned for me. For example, having my Rondeau job taken away without warning, gave opportunity to be heavily involved in a good way for almost the entirety of my career in saving some of the best natural features of southwestern Ontario, such as Pelee Island, focusing on the needs of so many species at risk, and becoming very involved with Ontario’s Tallgrass Prairie in so many ways. I am totally convinced that this was God's preference for me, rather than just staying at Rondeau.

Endangered Blue Racer

Fish Point, Pelee Island

 

Dense Blazing-star, Walpole Is

Certainly the biggest challenge in my life was to watch my spouse and best friend, Marie, decline in her physical and spiritual health over many years. Not because of anything she did to cause it, but because she was a victim of the devil in her very early days, which just kept dragging her down. And since she passed, getting used to the emptiness in my life has been very much a challenge…many ups and downs since my exceptional life partner of almost 48 years is gone. Yet I have been blessed in certain ways as a result of God rescuing her.

Exploring Zion NP

Certainly believing in my heart that she is not anymore going down the path that the devil was taking her and now being more perfect than ever in the heavenly realm brings joy to me, and helps to overcome the grief. Also I have spent much more time reading about things that God brought into our paths, and a lot more time praying/praising/communicating with Him, knowing that He planned for all of this before either of us were born. In effect, He chose me for this purpose, and what greater honour is there than to be chosen by the Creator of the universe for a specific purpose.  Wow! Hallelujah!! And knowing that He planned for me to be using what I have learned for the unique purpose He created me for, for whatever years I have left on this earth. So amazing; I could never have imagined it, and it’s definitely not easy. Sharing about His creation, sharing about His eternal blessing, sharing about what I have learned regarding the struggles and trauma that Marie (and I) faced, and quite possibly that others who are reading this may have faced, are all very purposeful. I certainly pray that I am listening to the truth of His voice, and not the deceptive voice of the devil who would like me to downgrade any message to his liking. While there are a number of people who are getting this blog each time I post, I can tell there are sometimes at least a few others who are not on the distribution list who must be reading it as well. I always pray that God will direct the heart of those who He wants to hear the message of the individual posts to encounter it, and to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to them for whatever purpose He has in mind.

Dickcissel

An update on some of the canvas prints with Bible verses will probably be in then next blog.

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The onslaught of memories continues

So many great memories of my wonderful spouse in numerous ways, and since she isn't around to do things with, I spend a lot of time remembering: hiking in God’s creation, exploring waterfalls, camping in various places, traveling with the kids, sharing about the natural landscape and the history with them. Fortunately she enjoyed traveling and exploring as I did, which was certainly for the benefit of our kids as well. First off is one time when Marie and I were exploring Rock Glen falls, in north Lambton.

When Tim was a youngster, he enjoyed walking along the beach, as Marie did, and found things he was curious about and wanted to share them.....

....and a bit later, on his first trip to Arizona, we were camping in the Sonoran Desert immediately south of Tucson which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Gardening at home was a popular pastime, enjoying various things, including a multitude of raspberries that she was adept at growing, etc. Unfortunately I haven’t demonstrated the same talent for producing two seasons of raspberries, and the productivity since she has gone, is quite a bit less.

Reading her journals was eye-opening to the things she had been struggling with all her life, as an ongoing victim of the devil. As I ponder more and more about the things she was wrestling with from her early childhood, it is amazing that she was as wonderful as she was. It is so sad to become more aware of what she was dealing with, and I am incredibly sad for her. Could I have done things differently in our years together? Hindsight is interesting, and in one of her journals of many years ago, she made reference to another ‘stupid’ bird count that I was out on instead of being at home with the family. My bad……:-(

 I’ve recently read a book describing some things that Hospice nurses see happening to some of the ones in their care, towards the end of life. In some cases, the book describes the peace and comfort of people who are dying, and what they experience in their last few days or weeks, even being visited by visions of family who have gone on before. It is interesting that that is the experience of some. However I cannot say that Marie had anything remotely like that. In her last couple of days she was barely conscious and not communicating. I often wondered what she was thinking, even while I was praying for her.....

 There is a huge emptiness in my life with her gone, being very lonely of course, and emotionally up and down so many times, and it doesn’t take much to trigger emotions!! They can come on very quickly no matter what I am doing. However I am so, so glad that God rescued her from the trauma and the unfortunate path that the devil was leading her along. One of the songs I featured a few posts ago was one by Phil Wickham called Homesick for Heaven. When it comes on the radio, it usually causes me to pause in whatever I am doing, and it triggers a lot of mixed emotion, including tears, especially when the song gets to the following: To see the ones I love who’ve gone before….there’s an ache in my heart, and I’m homesick for heaven. Here is the link to it again.

When the two become one, as is part of the purpose of marriage, it is more and more a ‘oneness’ after almost 48 years of growing together. When the better half of the two is gone, it leaves a significant emptiness for the survivor. To anyone reading who has a spouse: give them a hug, and love them as much as you can while you still can.

A trio of mergansers at sunrise on Lake Erie

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This world is not my home but....

 …it is where I am being prepared for my eternal home. I have been blessed in so many ways throughout my life, including having a passion for God’s creation, and especially the Creator Himself, and that growth and understanding continues to grow as some of my previous posts describe. My plan is that it will continue to be featured in future posts.

 Some of my earlier posts describe various ways God has allowed me to be involved with promoting and protecting His creation. Opportunities to explore and photograph it has been an exceptional blessing and journey. My camera of one type or another has almost always been with me, even from the days before my career. In about 2008 I joined a newly organized group known as the Canadian Geographic Photo Club. There was a growing number of really talented and enthusiastic photographers from across Canada active on it to various degrees. I was fairly active, as I always liked to see the variety of things posted, and on-line I made friends with a few of the others. One of the highlights of this club was that there was a Photo Of The Month selected. I was fortunate to have one of mine selected for this honour. What I didn’t realize at the time, was that along with that honour, one had the photo made into a 24" X 36" paper poster print by a Canadian company known as Posterjack. It was free of charge, and ultimately it was a great advertising tool for them. Here is that photo, and I still have it, although it is currently rolled up in the tube it arrived in. It features a sunrise on March, 2010, just outside of the village of Erieau. (Click on any of the photos to see an enlarged version)

I was impressed with the company and it was my introduction to its products. As a result, since that time I have had many photos made into various products that they specialized in. Canvas prints are my favourite.

I firmly believe that God had privileged me with exploring His creation and capturing thousands of elements or landscapes with my camera that He has blessed me with, to feature it. I also believe that having so many photos just stored on a hard drive or two is a poor use of them, so to continue my passion with sharing the beauty of it, I have had about 50 (so far!) made up and on long-term loan to the Rondeau Visitor Centre. Many people coming to the visitor centre may only be at the park for a short time, and don’t have the opportunity to see the incredible diversity of fascinating things present at Rondeau. So at least by seeing photos of them in the RVC, it gives them a bit of an idea of what there is, and may encourage them to get out and explore, or come back! A couple of dozen or more canvas prints have also been given to individuals, etc., in their retirement, place of work, or whatever. The ones in the RVC feature rare or sometimes common birds, or some of the many landscapes, as well as moths, other insects, seasonal photos, etc. 

As I said,  I have been enthralled by God's fabulous creation for decades, and have had the privilege of capturing it, so why not praise Him through relating some special scenes or subjects that relate to scripture? 

Here is the first Posterjack print with an example of a relevant verse.

I am always on the lookout for verses in the Bible that some of my photos may relate to. Here are a few more of my favourites that have been made into a canvas print of various sizes, with the sizes (in inches) given below the photo.

12 X 18

Dickcissel, 8 X 12

16 X 24

Next is a photo of the lush woods in spring at Fish Point Prov Nature Reserve on Pelee Island.

16 X 24

Wood Lily, 12 X 18

12 X 18

This next one I got when I was walking the Mitchell's Bay North Shore Trail. Right beside the trail is a water-filled channel, and I noticed this half-grown fawn carefully approaching the edge. When it got to the edge, it squatted down, all the while keeping an eye on me as it took a drink.

12 X 18

16 X 24

This next one was taken at sunrise along the Thames River, downstream from Chatham.

16 X 24

Next is one taken at sunrise, from the cliffs along Lake Erie a few kilometres east of Rondeau.

16 X 24

Next is a photo from Banff NP

16 X 24

This next one was taken at sunset, a few km north of Chatham looking across the Chenal Ecarte at Walpole Island.

16 X 24

A photo of Monarch butterflies, from Rondeau, during their migration.

12 X 18

8 X 12

Prothonotary Warbler, endangered, 12 X 12

Next is a roadside lake, north of Huntsville

16 X 24

Savanna Sparrow, 8 X 12

Some that I haven't had done yet, include the following, and I am always on the lookout for more such scenes, subjects and relevant scriptures!

Brooks Falls, north of Huntsville

Rock Glen, Lambton

Tulip Tree Trail, Rondeau

Tulip Tree Trail, Rondeau

At some point I expect to be donating these, and as to exactly where, is still something I am working on and praying about. Donated to a church where God’s creation is a strong interest, to showcase along the hallways, meeting rooms or office space? Donate to the local Christian school to have on their walls or to be available for a fundraising effort? I am waiting for God’s inspiration, so any thoughts and prayers towards that end would be appreciated!

If you would like to subscribe to Life Is A Journey, send an email to me at: prairietramper@gmail.com