Author Archives: Patricia Ann

Can a Leopard Share Its Spots?

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One of my granddaughters loves anything leopard print so whenever I see something that even resembles this pattern I immediately think of her. While lunching with a friend yesterday a woman wearing a dress made in this print walked by our table. I jokingly said to my friend, “You hold her down and I’ll take the dress.” My granddaughter would have loved it for sure. However, we were content to tell the lady how much we admired her outfit.

Needless to say when this photo came my way I had to post it in the hopes that it will catch my granddaughter’s eye. But, it does pose the question, can a  leopard share its spots? And what would you call this guy…a leopbird?

Leopard and feathers images - Google Search

Let’s Play Pretends

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One of my earliest childhood memories is playing a game called Let’s Play Pretends. You could be anything or anyone you wanted to be and were never questioned about it; from princesses to movie stars to singers and dancers and acrobats. Pretending was such fun.

On a mini vacation a few weeks ago with some friends, I found myself behind the pulpit in a very old Presbyterian church in New Glasgow, Ontario. I was pretending to be a preacher. (Call it my second childhood…after all I am eighty-one!) It was a beautiful church with lots of character and for fun I had this picture taken.

I didn’t have a sermon ready and just as well or my friends would have left me there talking to myself, I’m sure.

It goes to show that our imagination can stay with us as long as we are willing to entertain it in games like “Let’s Play Pretends”. Here’s the sermon I would have preached. Happy Sunday.

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

 

 

 

 

Praise the Lord and Ride Your Bike

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This is a tribute to yet another of our St. Andrew’s members who took up residence in Heaven a week ago today.

Barbara was a quiet, unassuming lady in her early seventies who loved to praise the Lord and ride her bike. Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall would see her pedaling away whether to Church, Bible study, supermarket, or wherever a need would take her.

Barbara loved her Lord with all her heart and would never let an opportunity go by without striking up a conversation about Him with someone, stranger or not. She was not eloquent by any means but humbly shared the Gospel with whoever would take time to lend her an ear…and many did. And she knew her stuff. Her Bible was a well-worn Gideon of years gone by and I’m sure she knew most of it by heart.

What we’ll miss mostly about Barbara is her fervent, “Praise The Lord” whenever our choir closed the final chords of a Sunday anthem. Some were not in favor of her outbursts but most of us considered where they came from…a heart filled with passion for her Jesus. I for one was happy that our anthems could move her to render outspoken praise. But perhaps she was moved even more by Psalm 134:2 – Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. 

Whether or not Barbara is pedaling away on Heaven’s gold-paved streets or resting in the arms of her dearly departed husband, George, I just want to say, “Barbara, continue to Praise the Lord and ride your bike.” And have a happy Saturday.

Independence Day

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Just as we here in Canada celebrated our July 1st Canada Day, so our neighbors to the south in the USA are celebrating this day, July 4th, their Independence Day.

Happy Fourth of July to my American friends, relatives, and fellow bloggers. Be blessed.

Hand drawn Happy Independence day brush script lettering on the background of United States flag. 4 july - Independence day. Stock vector illustration

 

 

 

Reminders

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Seeing this little black capped chickadee being quiet among the blossoms reminds me to also take time out to be still and quiet.

We all need reminders in the ordinariness of life to take time out to reflect on our purpose for being here, our connectedness to each other, our need for compassion and tolerance, and most of all our desire for all things good and our need to combat all things that are not good.

Reminders are important because without them we tend to forget that we are our brothers’ keepers…and our sisters, daughters, sons, parents, grandparents, spouses, neighbors, countrymen and humanity in general.

So, like this little black capped chickadee, let us sit among the blossoms and let it be a reminder to breathe in the scent of life as we would have it be.

Jen O'Donnell's photo.

Happy Canada Day!

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Flag of Canada    We’re having a heat wave but it won’t stop us from enjoying our long Canada Day weekend. Day two is expected to be another scorcher and I’m on the hunt for more “cool” pictures. Happy Sunday.

“While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Genesis 8:22

Church Iceland Scenic West Coast Isolated!                 

 

Keeping Cool

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We in Canada are celebrating our country’s one-hundred-and-fifty-first birthday this weekend…tomorrow actually, July 1st. There will be fireworks, parades, parties, continuing into Monday. It’s extremely hot here in Southern Ontario, but many of us will only have to think of our great Canadian winters to stay cool. Happy Saturday.

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Sunshine In My Heart

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Poetry is another pleasant pastime of mine. It’s been quite a while since my poetry muse has paid me a visit but yesterday she came along and told me to write about the sunshine in my heart. And so I did.

SUNSHINE IN MY HEART

Though the day be dull and dreary

There is sunshine in my heart

Though I’m sometimes weak and weary

There is sunshine in my heart

When the world seems so unfair

With sadness everywhere

With families torn apart

There’s no sunshine in my heart.

When someone says, “I love you tons”

I have sunshine in my heart

When healing hugs replace doldrums

I have sunshine in my heart

When people care and show compassion

When coldness is replaced with passion

When these give life a brand new start

Again, there’s sunshine in my heart.

 

 

Remembering a Guide Dog

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Here is another lovely poem by my sister about one of the guide dogs she trained and sent out into the world to help the blind.

Sam, a Guide Dog

I walked beside you one last time

though you didn’t know that it was I

along a path of autumn gold

beneath a brilliant azure sky.

Another walks beside you now

The one that you were chose to guide

I watched as you strolled along

Older now and still so wise

Memories came and in my mind

I saw you as the pup I raised

Happy, leaping, full of fun

You were the easiest to train

Years have past and here we meet

Quite accidentally and to my surprise

Even though I smile with pride

I feel the tears in my eyes

Time cannot erase love that’s shared

And even though we had to part

And you belong to someone else

Still you live within my heart 

©Mary Frances Martin