What's Red?

Red is a strong color
Red is a Strawberry
A very juicy red fruit
Red is an apple
Another delicious fruit
Red is a fruit
those small little cherries
Red is a light
The light that means stop when you get to it
Red is a firetruck
The truck that fire people use when theres a fire
Red, Red, Red
What a color

by Favie Erase

[Caption: Red fire hydrant in nearby park. I love the 'pop' of colour]

On Being a Tourist

The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality,

and eventually in one's own.
Susan Sontag

On a jaunt the other day, I saw things that made me want to be a tourist in my own city. A Carnival cruise ship was docked for the day in the city's harbour. Cruise ships anchor just a few accessible steps from our city's historic Gastown with it's many tourist attractions and old town feel.

While snapping the cruise ship, I saw tourists riding by on the city's only trolley. The trolley is an enclosed trolley, not like the ones in San Francisco which are open on the sides. Moreover, it's sole function is to take tourists to all the main tourist attractions in the city. You can embark and disembark, as you desire, all along the trolley's route.

In the bus below, you have a choice between being in the open air or being fully covered. This comes in handy if you are not able to sit in the direct sunlight, or if it happens to be raining and you don't want to get wet!

Sometimes it is just nice to be a tourist in your own city and experience the sites and sounds of where you live, through the eyes of those that have never seen it before.

I might just have to hop on one of these buses before summer's end.

A Little Tired Today

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

After my busier day than usual yesterday, I am feeling a little tired today. I woke up very early after going to sleep late, but managed to chat briefly with two Kenyan brothers before their electrical power went down.

After that, I went back to sleep to try to rest and woke up late to prepare this brunch.

First I sauteed a handful of baby crimini mushrooms
and 4 little half strips of bacon.

Next I roughly chopped a small tomato,white cheese and mint

And folded them into two scrambled eggs.

I found the mint gave the eggs an interesting and nice refreshing flavour and I'll try it again some time as there is only so much tea I can have with mint *smile.

I am spending some time reading, studying and making phone calls.

Tomorrow, I get to meet with the carpet contractor and view some samples of the replacement carpet. This means that restoration work is finally getting underway at my condo.

Please keep the restoration on your prayer list as my main concern is getting rid of all the mold and I see there is still insulation left behind with mold in it. I will speak to the contractors and the strata management tomorrow and see about having it all removed.

Well I'd better run. Last night at church I heard about a woman who lives close to where I am staying. She broke her foot and needs help with buying groceries. If she still needs help I will offer it. It would be awesome to be a blessing to someone in my church body. Someone I haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting.

Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other;
let us really show it by our actions.

1 John 3:18 (NLT)

Vignettes

This is the day which the LORD hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Oh it has been a busy day today.

First, I awoke a bit late so I didn't go to church this morning. I decided to go to the apartment tonight and take in an evening service instead.

I was chatting with a young brother in Kenya and he told me the story of how God miraculously provided money to his father so that his college tuition could be paid. Some of my friends and I have been praying for this young brother, so his testimony was greatly encouraging to me. Needless to say, he was also ecstatic over God's provision for him.

As we were chatting, I received word that my nephew had made an unannounced day trip to Vancouver where I live. It is a 5 hour journey each way by car. He had come down with friends to try and see the Cold Play concert even though he had no ticket and the concert was sold out. I set about readying the hotel suite for guests and getting a parking pass organized for him.

When they got here, his friends decided to go down the street for fabulous Greek food at a well known establishment. My nephew went off with my brother to try and purchase tickets for the show.

The young girl in the photo above is named, "Sarah". She is an international student from Accra, Ghana and it turns out she didn't have a ticket for the concert either. We were able to have a quick visit about her homeland where I visited a few years ago before her and her friends went for their Greek dinner. The young man next to Sarah is Nick, then Joel and my nephew Ryan. It turns out that my brother was able to secure tickets to the concert for both my nephew and for Sarah.

Next up was the evening service where I was treated to some rousing singing by the new choir. This is the first evening service I've attended and I enjoyed enough to want to return.

At my church there are three distinct congregations that worship together in the same building. It is all the same body but each service has its own pastor and worship leaders. Congregants usually attend one of the three services on Sundays and the one I generally attend is the 2nd service on Sunday mornings. We have also started a new sister church on the other side of town, about half way between the church and one of the city's major universities.

I enjoyed evening service and will try to attend again soon mainly because it seems as if they are not having to rush away after service. They spend time trying to build a community of people by having refreshments and mingling. They also do this in the morning but it is harder to do when one service immediately follows the other and the second service ends when most people are having lunch. The evening service has a bit more luxury in terms of time for gathering afterward and this is what I desire.

On my way home, I "ran into" this bull on the sidewalk. The last time I passed this spot an eagle was in his place. I think they change the animal or fowl according to whatever artistic efforts are underway in the city at any given time so it is always interesting to see what you will come across next.

I also passed by our main public library. I love the curves of this building. The library is housed in the shorter circular building. The high rise contains federal (national) government offices.

I got home late and am a little tired but this beautiful scene awaited me. Every night I get to see something this spectacular and I love it!

I forgot to mention that the sermon tonight was on John 17, part of which included how Jesus prayed to his Father to give us, his disciples, joy. How awesome is that?!!

And those my friends, were the key "joyful" vignettes of my day. I hope you also had some "joyful" vignettes in yours. ♥♥♥

Peonies & Cheese

...the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Nehemiah 8:10

What do peonies and cheese have to do with each other, you might ask?

Well probably not a lot unless you've been to the Farmer's Market.

In one of my walks a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find this sign.

I made a mental note to return and today was the day to do so. Am I ever glad I did. Not only did I find some fabulously good food, but I also found a quaint and colourful "secret" path off the main streets. I'm going to blog about it another day when I have my camera ready.

Join me for lunch now with the market finds of the morning.

We are having crunchy green salad,


cranberry artisan bread and some locally made cheese, called "Tilly Jilly". I don't know what's in it but it sure was good.

I also brought these lovely peonies home to enjoy.


I've enjoyed another day in God's beautiful world. I hope you did too.

Summer Comes

[Caption: Palm tree & sand in front of local restaurant]

Summer Poem

Summer brings us nice warm sun
For swimming, fishing, and lots of fun
For finding seashells in the sand
For sunbathing to get a tan
To do all these things and more
At the beach and seashore

Author unknown

I was surprised to go out yesterday and see these scenes of palm trees, sand and Muskoka chairs set out on the street. It is a clear sign that spring is almost gone and summer is just around the corner.

It has been rather hot here already with little rain so far in the month of June and record breaking temperatures. With temperatures this high one doesn't have to go and seek heat elsewhere.

I'm so glad to have air conditioning, and patio windows in my hotel suite. I can get fresh air or cool air and enjoy putting my feet up while I look out over the evening sunsets.

[Caption: Put your feet up and relax]

The sunsets are spectacular every evening.

~ I am blessed ~

Get Involved

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

James 1:27

[Caption: Mother & her children receive seeds, Credit: Pst. Jonah]

Ever since I was a little child I've dreamt of being involved in African missions. Given I was only a child when I had this thought, I was never really sure if it was simply a flight of fancy or a real desire.

Over time, I put these thoughts aside as life got busy and very involved. A few years ago though things seemed to open up to new possibilities and it was as if God was "paving the way" for me to get involved in missions in Africa. My church has made a strategic 10 year investment in Cambodia, so I am basically on my own to try and help these missions. I do what I can as an individual to help missions in Africa, specifically in Kenya since I don't have the backing of a large non-governmental organization (NGO) or a local church body behind me.

Getting involved in missions is really not that difficult. It is simply a question of whether you will be obedient to God's word to practice pure and undefiled religion and help the widows and the orphans.

I've set out some ideas to help you in considering how you can get involved with the Missions of Hope in Kenya. I pray you will consider getting involved and making a real difference in the lives of these precious people. Now here are some ideas to pray about and implement:

* Link your website or blog to http://jonahsmissions.blogspot.com & www.jonahsmissions.weebly.com
* Pray specifically for the Kenyan pastors, their families; the orphans & caretakers.
* Fast for 1 or 2 days if you have no health issues.
* Sponsor, share sponsorship with a friend or find a monthly sponsor for one family ($55/month).
* Sponsor one child's education for a half year or year.
* Sponsor a building project (church, house, renovations, pit latrines). Africans have hands to build but need the raw materials.
* Organize & sponsor pastoral teaching for Kericho's pastors and create pastor's reference kits.
* Tell your church pastors, leaders & friends about these Missions of Hope.
* Get a group of friends to organize specific projects e.g. buy and ship bibles, sewing projects, fund raise for land rental & planting, buy animals and motor bike etc.
* Send funds (large or small) to meet urgent and long-term needs.

I hope you will become as passionate about these on the ground Missions of Hope as I am. God bless.

[Caption: Little boy holds tightly to the precious seeds, Credit: Pst. Jonah]