Tag Archives: summer

I wanted to share a few photos taken in my garden this summer. The flowers may seem ordinary, but when viewed up close, their intricate beauty inspires a sense of awe and gratitude to the One who gave us such simple things to enjoy.

At a time when everything seems more complicated than ever and on the verge of falling apart, it is simply the real Truth that brings me back to the peace I’m seeking.

Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

John 14:6 AMP

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence or anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:7-9 NASB

Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].

Colossians 3:15 AMP

Then Jesus said, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 NLT

I am leaving you with a gift–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 14:27 NLT

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call on you.

Psalm 86:5 NLT

Happy New Year! I can hardly believe we’re changing our calendars for the start of 2025. The years roll by faster each time and I choose to remember that the remaining years ahead are not up to me, but are in His capable, trustworthy hands.

And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.

Daniel 2:21 NKJV

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted;

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NKJV

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NKJV

You have set all the borders of the earth;
You have made summer and winter.

Psalm 74:17 NKJV

‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

Jeremiah 32:17 NKJV

This summer, I have a daily walk scheduled to take in the colorful sky filled canvas.

Sometimes the sky is clear without a cloud to be seen. Other times there are so many clouds I am surprised by a last minute peak that the sun makes at the horizon before it disappears for the night.

One thing you can count on, the sun sets right on time every evening, never looking the same twice.

An eager group of people showed up at this historic one room school house on Star Mound at dusk. After having our fill of hotdogs, cupcakes, and coffee the Canadian national anthem was sang followed by a fantastic light show! Happy Canada Day!

My light will shine out for you just a little while longer.

Walk in it while you can…

John 12:35 NLT

We will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,

his power,

and the wonders he has done.

Psalm 78:4 NIV

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:6-8 NIV

For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8 ESV

The summer has officially begun and the temperatures are beginning to soar. It’s hard to believe this area gets down to -40 C in the winter when it’s hot and muggy like it is now.

…Like the rose that comes alive every spring,

You are so faithful. Lord, You are faithful…

…I see the cross and the price You had to pay,

I see the blood that washed my sins away.

In the midst of the storm,

Through the wind and the waves,

You’ll still be faithful, You’ll still be faithful,

When the stars refuse to shine and time is no more,

You’ll still be faithful,

You’ll still be faithful, Lord.

Lyrics taken from “You are so Faithful” by Bob Fitts

I’m so thankful for good memories, ones that warm my heart and remind me that God has been good to me. These pictures bring a smile to my face so thought I’d share them with you.

This one reminds me of all the work and love that I put into my garden. I love spending time getting my hands dirty, planting the new seedlings, and watching it grow. I look forward every spring to doing it all over again and seeing the fruit of my labor.

This one reminds me of summers gone by, over 12 years ago, when the boys were young and I still carried my youngest around on my hip. Those days were busy, trying to keep two little boys out of trouble, but they were precious years too.

In Alberta we enjoyed a white water rafting trip down the Athabasca River. The water was very cold, even in late August, and the view was unforgettable.

We drove over to Old Fort Point just before sunset to check out a scenic lookout up a hill that overlooked the Athabasca River, Twin Lakes, and the small town.

Whistler, BC is known for it’s ski hills but we visited in the summer, when the snow is replaced with green and a smattering of wild flowers as well as hikers, exploring the steep trails. We purchased some tickets and rode the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, the world’s longest unsupported span at 3.024km (1.88miles), and enjoyed the view.

My family rented two tandem bicycles and rode them around Stanley Park in Vancouver. Having locked up our bikes, we also ventured inland on foot to walk around Beaver Lake where I took these pictures.

If you’re asking, I rode on the back of the bike and just held on for my life. But when I stopped being afraid of crashing, I found I had a great view riding the seawall bike path.

I have so many pictures from our trip that we made this summer and want to share some of the highlights with you. We drove through Banff National Park, driving our Jeep and glad we invested in new tires before we made the trip.

We stopped by the Columbia Icefield Skywalk and saw the Columbia glacier. I’d definitely recommend driving through this area and even taking a few days or weeks to see all the sights and hike the trails, which we didn’t do for lack of time.

We then traveled south down BC highway 97, through the mountains, stopping several times to take in the view.

After over a year of staying home and following regulations, we finally had the chance to take a family vacation. I wanted to start by sharing two of my favorite photos from the trip, taken on a cool morning while watching the sunrise.

Every evening a live masterpiece of a sunset dances across the sky, there for all to enjoy, if they would just stop to take it in.

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;

    where morning dawns, where evening fades,

    you call forth songs of joy.

Psalm 65:8 NIV

It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.
That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it;
you spread his love to everyone;
you want to pass it on.

“Pass it On” written by Kurt Frederic Kaiser in 1969.

This is two photos combined into one. I used the sky from one and the foreground from another and placed one over the other. The dramatic effect I got was exactly what I was looking for, minus the random people standing in the middle and on the far right. In the end I decided I kinda liked the silhouette people, giving the photo a more authentic feel.

I love sunsets! I have to admit I have seen many more sunsets than sunrises since I happen to not really be much of a morning person. (Seriously, don’t ask my husband how many years it took to get me to roll out of bed early enough to make breakfast for the family.)

Taking advantage of the long weekend before school started, we went camping at our favorite spot. It doesn’t feel like camping without a camp fire and, of course, I can’t enjoy a camp fire without my camera! These were a few of my favorites.

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” -Helen Keller

…and send it soaring!

On Sunday we had strong winds so we decided to make a spur of the moment run to the toy store to buy two of their best kites. Sometimes a little spontaneity makes for the best memories… and photos.

Parked outside Grandma’s old house is this nostalgic camper with a 1964 Michigan license plate. I can’t help but wonder about it’s glory days. I’m sure, long ago, a young couple must have owned it and traveled across the “Great Lake State” making many memories.

Out on a hot summer drive, thankful that our car has an air conditioner.

This year we had the best seats ever to watch the fireworks. Happy 4th of July!

My pictures didn’t turn out quite as good as I had hoped but that’s what happens when you neglect to bring a tripod.

One of my top most favorite flowers since high school has been daisies. They grow wild all over the place but their simplicity and bright yellow centers make me smile.

I like the translucency of the petals in this picture.

While traveling through Ontario I stopped to snap a few pictures. I was surprised, and yet pleased to notice that I hadn’t taken very many but that they turned out just as I had hoped. I guess it’s a sign that I’m getting better with the camera. Yeah!

My patience paid off with these great pictures. Though, I think this would have been a good opportunity to use my remote rather than get a cramp in my finger. I sat for a long time with my shutter button held halfway down so it was focused, ready at any moment to get the perfect picture. The trick is to sit still enough so you don’t scare them away!

This was the first time, thanks to my husband, that I got to try out the new healing brush tool in Gimp 2.8. It worked like a charm on the wasp and house fly who also wanted their own taste of liquid sweetness.