Ongoing thoughts and emotions……more of the same???

I’ve been meaning to post before this, but have been wrestling with so many ideas and overlapping thoughts, some of which may be in future posts. But before I get to some of them, one of the things that keeps cropping up in my head, especially when I am driving in the van, is so many great memories of being with Marie. We used this van a lot, and it was a great vehicle to have and so far I am keeping it for the memories, and its functionality as we traveled here and there for various purposes:

-just locally doing errands, visiting friends, etc;

-traveling to many appointments in London, for example, or even to Burlington;

-going to Rondeau;

Marie on Tulip Tree Trail

-many trips to North Bay with lots of scenery on the way to the north;

Brook's Falls, north of Huntsville

Kristin & Marie at Laurier Woods CA, North Bay

-longer trips, such as to the west for family events;

Qu'Appelle Valley, SK

 

Overlooking Lake Superior

-or more local trips. The first photo is of Marie enjoying the extensive patch of Wild Lupine at St. Williams Conservation Reserve, Norfolk Co.

Next is of Marie exploring the base of Rock Glen Falls in north Lambton Co.

Regardless of the purpose, it was always great to be with Marie, and even driving this van these days, brings back so many wonderful memories of an exceptional spouse. And sometimes the emotions take over in various ways: praising God for so many blessings over the almost 48 years we were married, thanking Him for rescuing her from the path she was being led down, and sometimes crying out to Him saying ‘it’s so hard to be alone, without Marie; she was such an important part of my life, what am I supposed to do??’

 Some readers may wonder if the grieving period is, or should be, over since it has been more than two years since Marie passed away. However when the two become one in marriage, for so many years and then the better half is gone, it really leaves life being so empty compared to what it was.

 Sure I get out and explore God’s creation as much as I can, and those times are filled with so much enjoyment, some exercise, some photography and of course spending time with the Creator of the universe who loves me so much, and knew the state I would be in at this stage of my life’s journey. But there are a lot of other hours where the loneliness takes over, especially doing so many things around home that were done in part, for her, and now it is just me. The same motivation isn’t there, that is for sure.

One day at a time, and I  know God is with me every moment.

At other times, when I am out and about or even just at home, I can’t praise God enough for all of the blessings He has given me, throughout my life, some of which I have described in earlier posts. Everything I have, has been given to me due to God’s love for me. Recently I was watching a Sunday church service online, and the theme in part was money managing, and how we should be using it for God’s purposes. It was quite good, but I try and take it further.

A few months ago there was a sales person that came knocking at my door, trying to get me to sign up for his company’s internet, etc., and it included some gizmo that would provide security for the home. I told him that this house and everything I owned belonged to God, and I trusted Him to look after it, not some tech company. The sales person left shortly afterwards, without making a sale :-).

Everything I have, and I believe everything, is from God, whether it be my career, my passion for God and His creation, my finances, my home, my photography, etc. I can’t take any of it with me. God has given me these things to use for His purpose, and I try to use them for Him, but probably could/should do even more.

When we moved into this house back in 1988, there were only two very small trees on the entire property, both of which were at the front. Now you can’t see any part of the house from this part of the community park which is on two sides of our lot. (The roof line on the left is the neighbour's house). God loves trees….He created them! I love trees also, and couldn’t plant enough trees, shrubs and various flowers to make the basically empty lot look a bit more like His creation.

Trying to move forward, one day at a time.

 

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God's Longest Speech to Humanity (Part 2)

This is a continuation, more or less, of the importance of God's longest speech to humanity, as begun in the previous post. 

Jesus was an outdoors kind of guy. He does visit the synagogues and teaches in them from time to time, of course, but he spends a lot of time outdoors, teaching from the mountains and along the river and lake fronts.

  

 And when he needs to pray to his father, he goes to the mountains. To know and wonder at God’s creation gives us opportunity to know him and become more and more aware of his perfect love for us.

As I mentioned in my previous post, God is a nature lover, and to spend time with Him in His creation is so joyful and uplifting! I often prefer to explore God’s creation more or less on my own and at my own pace, rather than with others who have a different purpose such as to get a list of things. No question I fully enjoy getting out to see such diversity, and hopefully capturing parts of nature with my camera to share in various ways. But sometimes when I am out on my own, my heart will burst into songs of praise (quietly, I should add :-) such as How Great Thou Art.

I have been fortunate my entire life, to explore so many of God’s fabulous habitat creations throughout North America and even Central America. For example:

 -the lush Carolinian Forest and related habitats at Rondeau;

 -the sub-arctic lowlands along the Hudson Bay coast;

 -the extensive grasslands of the prairie provinces;

-the wonderful tallgrass prairies of the mid-western USA;

 -the deserts of Arizona and Texas;

 -the impressive coastal redwoods of northern California and Oregon;

-the Rocky mountains of Alberta, British Columbia, Colorado and elsewhere;

   -the cloud forests of Costa Rica;

 -the Appalachian mountains of the eastern USA;

 -and more. Most of these places were ones that both Marie and I enjoyed so, so much, visiting them more than once.

 No question that the diversity and beauty of these areas are incredible, and of course there are so many other places across the globe that are equally as impressive. As much as I would like to see them in my earthly life, I also don’t want to contribute to the impacts of global transportation in doing so, especially when I know that in my heavenly life, I will have eternity to explore the wondrous beauty of the heavenly realm which probably includes multi-dimensions above and beyond what we can experience or even imagine here on earth.

 In reading about what many people who have had a near death experience and have gotten to a part of the heavenly realm, have described the beauty of that heavenly dimension which is so wondrous and impressive to the point that the human language cannot even begin to adequately describe its beauty. And that isn’t surprising, since that is God’s perfect realm, whereas the globe on which we live is far less perfect due to the way we have abused it, and the devil has likely had his hands in attacking these parts of God’s creation.

 We don’t need more wonders to examine across the globe, we just need a greater sense of wonderment with what is around us. We can look on the lawns of a nearby park, and watch a robin using the gifts God has given it to hunt successfully for worms on which to feed itself or its young. 

 We can watch the squirrels interact with each other in play, or watch them build a winter’s nest in a tree growing up in the yard in which to survive the wintry elements and have a safe place to give birth to their young. Or we can watch out the window and enjoy the beauty of a sunrise or a sunset, or a multitude of stars in the heavens. Or we can sit out in the back yard with a morning coffee, and watch a colourful moth come in to sip the nectar from a flower, as I did last July.

 If we take even a few moments to consider the magnificence, wonder, beauty and complexity of the world of nature around us which is God’s creation, just remember that it is a mere hint of the love, complexity and magnificence of the Creator Himself! Hallelujah!

We can do what the psalmist says in Ps. 23, to 'lie down in green pastures, beside still waters' and there we can discover God more intimately.

I like a quote from George Washington Carver, where he says: Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God. 

and from Sleeth: We cannot love what we do not know. Get to know God's creation and you will become a friend of God.'

 

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