Look....

I shall simply remain silent.............

Structures....

We have some pretty significant structures in our fair city. Bridges. Churches. Historical buildings. New buildings. City Hall....as seen through the early morning reflections of the Forest Centre Building.

It's really fun being able to capture some of these on camera. I think I would love to visit other places so I could do more with my handy dandy Olympus. I think I got the bug of taking pictures many, many years ago when we were standing at the foot of the Seattle Space Needle. I remember lying down on my back and pointing the camera straight up and caught the outer round edges at the top and the enormous steel girders holding it all in place. I'll have to try and find that one. After that, I found great pleasure in finding the soul of a building in its architecture. What manner of person would come up with a specific design and why? How would that design meet the needs of the people who would enter it and use it and care for it. How would that structure give meaning and purpose to those who used it - just by how it was built?

Interesting to think on.....

It's a good thing husband is good at navigating and doesn't mind me telling him where to go, so to speak. I think he has quite a bit of patience with me actually, when I ask him to stop here and go there, just so I can get my camera clicking.

Perhaps one day we will see more than the soul of Prince Albert...perhaps somewhere like London U.K., New York, SanFrancisco, Moscow, Budapest..........Saskatoon, Regina, Wakaw, Northside.......I must be realistic too! Besides, any place where there are people , there are buildings with "souls".

Maybe I'll begin to pray that one day I'll be able to do some serious photography.....I think I'd like it.

Inside....outside....and a fight with the elements...

(You can click on the pictures....any time you like.)

Walls make all the difference. I think you will agree.

I work in an office where, if you don't look outside, you could visualize yourself being in the tropics. Plants are blooming or waiting to bloom, and you can almost smell the musty aroma of rain, as it drenches the parched ground.

Setting your eyes to the outside of the building however, you are thrust into a totally different mentality - one of harshness and crispness and cutting cold. Minus 35 to be exact.

The air hovers in crystals and smothers trees and steel girders alike. No mercy. Life outside the walls is caught in frost's encompassing death grip, with no hope of letting go. But it's beauty is enticing me to follow.......and I do. Mitts off, I begin my bare-fingered fight with the elements.

Click....a sunset is captured. I won.....this time.

A "no fun" night...

And I felt like a silly goose.......

Leaving for a meeting in the dark - 7 p.m. - taking your humongous 4X4, driving the speed limit down 22nd Street and in the darkness you notice cars driven up on snow piles by the side of the road, some cars stuck, some parked and unable to turn around....and you find yourself in the middle of over 2 feet of water. You try and slow down somewhat but S-P-L-A-S-H.....and you don't dare slow down any more as traction is becoming extremely difficult so you plow your way through a water main break situation.

Oh, did I mention.....the temperature is nearing minus 30C.......

I manage to get through but other vehicles are not so fortunate.

Get to meeting....but wondering all the while if the truck will freeze up before I get home!!??

Grab honkin' big minute book bag, and since I don't drive this truck all too often, I have to be thinking about where this and that is on the dash board and all that stuff.....and begin to eventually descend.

Not thinking about the outside of the vehicle too much, I take a looooong step down from this brawny half ton and place my foot on the running board and........

Foot slips off running board and down goes me with back landing on running board and hind end in a pile of ice.

I guess the running board was icy!!!

Have over two hour meeting in hard chair.

Come home.

After explaining to husband my ordeals he enthusiastically states:

"You mean you didn't think that the running board would have ice on it!!!???"

He's in my baaaaaaad books.....and I've got a soooooooore back.

The art of pouring cement.....

These two fine young men are in the business of concrete. Cement, that is. Readying the houses for concrete. Making forms. Pouring cement. Removing forms. Next job...and so on.

Matthew and Greg. Buddies through school....graduating together. Bible College together. Both living now in Winnipeg.

Now the two are pouring cement for the same company....in an effort to raise some much needed cash.

Hard labor is good for body, mind and soul....not sure about the spirit.

So, Mother (that's me) phones son (that's Matt), and the following conversation ensues:

Mother: Hi Dear. How's the first concrete day?

Son: Oh, pretty good.

Mother: There's a wind chill for Winnipeg. Did you dress warmly?

Son: Oh sure.

Mother: Were your feet warm?

Son: Yes.

Mother: Do you have steel toed boots?

Son: Yep. A hundred dollar boots.

Mother: Did you wear a toque? Ears are the first to get frostbite.

Son: Uh-huh...

Mother: What about your hands? You know how cold your hands get.

Son: Ya, pretty much warm. They got a little cold after I got my gloves wet though.

Mother: You should carry an extra pair of gloves, don't you think?

Son: Probably.

Mother: Do you have to work when it's really cold out? They really shouldn't allow that.

Son: No, not if it's really cold.

Mother: Well, I'm glad about that.

Son: Ya, me too!

Mother: Are you working on a guitar right now? (as great music is heard over the phone)

Son: ........(more great music being played)

Mother: Well, that's how I'll be able to hear you play your guitar from now on....when you're repairing them.

Son: .......(more twangs and all kinds of musical miracles are played with great gusto and passion)

Mother: Just give me a call next time you're fixing another one of those things. I do love to hear you play.

Son: ......chuckle.....sure.

Mother: Well, sounds like you've had a hard, busy day doing concrete things and now you're repairing guitars all evening. You probably need some rest.

Son: I'm nearly finished the guitar now (followed by a loud peel of stringed vibrato!!!)

Mother: How was Kim's first day back at school?

Son: She had one lab today but she's in for a huge workload in that class. She's fine though.

Mother: I hope she will do fine in it.

Son: Oh, I think she will.

Mother: I'd better leave you to your repair work dear. I love you, dear.... and say hi to Kim.

Son: I love you too. I will.

Mother: 'Nite.

Son: 'Nite.

I wonder if all mother's are as "interested" in their children's comings and goings as I am?

Probably.:-)

Now, to phone daughter......they're having a snow storm in Regina.........

Relationship...

Somehow, I can't get past this "relationship" thing with God. It is infusing me....can I say that??? It's constantly on my mind and in my thoughts.

We talked about it tonight at our "book reading gathering". Over and over again we brought up the subject of how important relationship with God is. We can't make it a one time thing, a one time decision to love him and then leave it at that. We can't say we know God and simply stop. It's up to us as to how we are going to keep that relationship growing.

It's the same when we get married. We say our "I do's" but we don't leave it there. If we did, we would have simply a relationship of just that - of saying our vows, in words only. It takes us getting to know each other and developing that relationship, really working at it that keeps it growing and evolving into something better, something more beautiful and more real and true.

So, in the same way, in order to keep on with our relationship with God, it takes work and dedication and an acting out of what we have initially said to Him - our vows, as it were. In the beginning we said we would follow Him and love Him and do what needed to be done to grow our relationship with Him.

If we all kept growing in our relationship with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit, we would be where we are supposed to be in our faith and in our walk with Him. Sometimes we falter, and stumble and actually stop, but it's up to us to continue on in that walk. We must make the choice to go ahead.

I pray for my (our) relationship with Christ to grow and become something beautiful and pleasing and fruitful...like a seed changing into a beautiful plant, complete with fruit, fruit that will last.

Health...

As we at Gateway, end our "Week of Prayer", I have had ample time to consider what exactly constitutes the health of a church? I think it's many things.

Loving - putting the other person before myself.

Having someone care about me even when I'm unlovable, do stupid things, speak rudely and when I'm a total jackass.

Have people take enough interest in me to set me back on a good path, if I've wandered off, even if it means swallowing a bucket of pride in the process. I need a reality check at times!! We all do. But if I find myself in the middle of a mess, I need to be accountable for my mess to those I have hurt and those I love and repent of it.

Also, prayer comes in handy... (tongue in cheek). Actually prayer is the main ingredient here.

When I talk to God about the people I love and care for and the things that concern me, that is what shows that I have a relationship with Him. If I didn't believe that, it would be like talking to a gum wrapper and lives wouldn't change or grow. There is something in relationship with God, that makes true relationship with others possible. He started it. He created us. He wanted to know us and for us to know him, and in that relationship, trust is built and we begin to know and be known.

So, when a church comes together, with whatever gifts they have been given by God, and these gifts are used to help and encourage and care for and love each other in honest and true relationship, that is where we can begin to be fruitful and healthy. I say begin, because it doesn't stop there. A whole world outside the church walls waits for us to care for them and provide for their needs and offer them hope.

We've got a good grasp of health within the church.

Now we must expand our horizons. I wonder what our next steps will be to bring health to a very needy world.

Just keep us in good health God.....physical AND spiritual.