Watching and Waiting

When the things hoped for are ‘not yet’ we wait, and walk, in steady confidence that God makes all things beautiful in His time.  Knowing every season does in fact have its beauty.

I have been watching and waiting for the little branch I redeemed from the burn pile to show signs of life…

One day there came a peep of redness at the tips of the buds:

The next, to my surprise, came catkins creeping…

When they had dried up and begun dropping off the branch was nearly relegated to the garbage when lo…

And behold!

Against a wintry backdrop green began emerging!

…unfurling to my delight into dainty green leaves

defying the snowfall outside the window…

So we continue to weather a fickle spring–with sunny warmth and clear sidewalks one day and mini-blizzards the next.  And we continue to put in exercise time after work at the Nordic Center rather than on the tandem which waits under a snowy tarp for warmer weather…

 

And I keep children’s books on hand for the sweetness they exude and the smiles they inspire!

This one sits open on my desk these days:

[illustrations by Lisa McCue in M. Wise Brown’s Bunny’s Noisy Book ©2000]

–LS

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Rom 8:22-25 ESV)

Busy B’s in the Bow Valley

I’m excited! I got an upgraded ‘phone’ which also means an upgraded camera!  So I’ve been snapping pictures at every chance!

 Of creatures that bumble about in my flowers…

 

 And Buffalo berries that draw bear-ies and cause trails to be closed for human traffic at this time of year…

But this one by the Bow River stays open…

Thankfully.

Closer to home… we went scavenging for Wild Raspberries and were rewarded with a pound of berries, various stickers in our socks, a refreshing dip in the chilling pond! and the beautiful light of early evening outback…

There’s no better pastime for a day off work than a quiet nap in the park in Banff while clouds compete with sun overhead on a record-breaking hot day!

 

We don’t take clear skies for granted right now though. There is a great wildfire blazing just over the  mountain range. Some days ash is falling and you’d rather not have to breathe.  Others we sneak away on the tandem in search of cleaner air to fuel our exercise…

And that’s the latest of summer in the Bow Valley.

–LS

May the glory of the LORD endure forever; May the LORD rejoice in His works.  

He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the hills, and they smoke.

Ps.104:31-32 NKJV

A Summerific July!

I’ve let the pictures collect for too long.  Now I don’t know where to start… July has been summerific! Beautifully hot and peppered with…

bike excursions…

 

 

 

a hike or two…

 

 

a fair–the legendary Calgary Stampede…

 

 

Family from out of town!

and of course flowers!

Enjoy the smorgasbord!

–LS

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.

Ps.95:1-4