For Everything there is a Season

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven...
Ecclesiastes 3:1


The sun is shining on another beautiful Spring morning, the birds are chirping so cheerfully in affirmation of this glorious day, and green shoots are popping up out of the ground in the gardens.
It truly is exciting to welcome this next season of renewal and rejuvenation as new life stirs beneath the earth, eager to emerge.
It was with this enthusiasm and exuberance, that I began my blog, Seasonal Hearth, last Spring to marvel in, then document my observations and activities, giving glory to God for the beauty in each new season.
Today is indeed a beautiful Spring day as I end on a jubilant note, eagerly welcoming this lovely season. Even the long range forecast is rejoicing with us.
As my dear friend shared with me this week:
"My spirit of expectancy is on hyper alert" Don't you just love that? She is so gifted with words and has expressed so articulately the anticipation that we all have been feeling.
This journey has made me keenly aware of the changing of the seasons and the beauty in nature all around me. Through the lens of my camera and in my spirit,
I have become much more observant of the seemingly insignificant details of life, thus celebrating the 'sacredness of the ordinary'.
Although I will miss blogging about it and will possibly be observing everything around me in blog post format, I know that this is also the right time to conclude my blogging experience to focus on the next exciting season in my life. If I have inspired or encouraged you in some small way, then my blogging journey has truly been rewarded.
It has been wonderful to travel the world over through blogging, from the comfort of my home; an extension of armchair travel. It has been my joy and privilege to 'meet' many of you through your comments here. Thank you for your kindness and for sharing your beautiful blogs of inspiration with others!
This next season of my life will continue with work at the library which I am so thankful for as my job has been such a gift. I love assisting the patrons, and getting excited with them in their discovery of a good novel or new author. The library truly is a pleasant atmosphere to work in. I am also continuing to take the courses which have kept me very preoccupied.
This will be a milestone year for many reasons including a *sweet sixteen* birthday celebration for my youngest daughter, the big 5-0 (yours truly), college graduation for middle daughter, moving our university son to his new place of residence in the city, preparing for an eager reunion with our oldest daughter as she returns from India followed by an upcoming wedding celebration to plan for...so thankful for my family.
There will also be the gardening and home maintenance projects we have planned.
Once again, I have thoroughly enjoyed documenting scenes around me including the Mennonite flavour of this area, the beauty of the rural landscape/countryside, sharing my love of photography, art, poetry, music, quotes, books and movies, along with the resources of libraries, arm chair travel, my love for all things domestic including decorating, thrifty vintage goodies, new found love of knitting, recipes, tea parties, my simple joys, my faith, family and friends, of laughter and love.
It is my prayer that you may all take the time to see the little things in life, the seemingly insignificant, that bring pleasure and beauty to our days and know that they are gracious gifts of grace from our heavenly Father.
My prayer for each of you can be found here

Abundant peace to all of you,
along with Spring Cheer...
♥ Joanne

"Don't let yourself get so busy that you miss those
little but important extras in life - the beauty of a
day...the smile of a friend...the serenity of a quiet
moment alone. For it is often life's smallest
pleasures and gentlest joys that make the
biggest and most lasting difference."

(images found online)

Hope is the thing with feathers...

Hope

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
~Emily Dickinson



A favourite nature artist of mine is dutch artist, Marjolein Bastin, who shares this:

"When you open your eyes and your heart for nature's beauty around you, there is so much joy and love. I see each day as a gift with a possibility to discover something new. Discoveries I want to share with you through my paintings."

"Parents can hardly know or guess what's happening then, or what can happen, when they put their children in the garden or in the grass or in the park," says Dutch artist Marjolein Bastin.

Marjolein's earliest memory is when, as just a toddler, she would lie in the grass outside her family's home near Utrecht, The Netherlands, breathing in the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural world around her. Little did her mother know that when she lifted little Marjolein from her baby carriage and placed her into the hands of nature, she was placing nature into the hands of Marjolein.

As a little girl, Marjolein collected and treasured simple items from nature – pine cones, seeds, and flowers. As soon as she was able to hold a pencil and paintbrush, she began to lovingly capture the beauty of nature in her sketches and paintings.

"It was my way of holding forever the impression I loved so much in nature," she says."
You can read her story and see her paintings here For more of her beautiful artwork you can visit this art gallery here


It is a glorious morning here with an early morning sunrise set in a pinkish sky; tree branches adorned with hoar frost. I am baking for my family as well as putting together a gift basket for another family that I hope to deliver later this morning. It will be a grocery shopping day today as I didn't get far in my errands on Wednesday due to the snow storm which caused driving to be treacherous.
Many of my dear friends have been commenting on this snowy weather, feeling like we will never see indications of Spring as it has been so cold here. I empathize with you and wanted to dedicate this blog post to all of you. I am so confident of the fact that Spring weather is just around the corner as the sun is shining warmer in the sky, the birds continue to sing cheerfully, the days are getting longer, and I have spotted green shoots coming up out of the dormant earth.
A dear friend of mine shared her thoughts in a recent comment left here. I just loved this and wanted to share her perspective with all of you:

"It is almost effortless to cherish the fresh hope and new life of spring - the ample warmth and lavish fragrance of summer - the vivid colours and clear air of autumn - but what about winter? It is a cold and tempermental season, to be sure, but while all around us is covered in the slumber of snow, we are allowed a time of quiet reflection and rest. Winter makes room for dreams to be explored and spirits renewed. A time to feel sad and amazed... lonely and grateful. Strangely enough, winter is necessary... for it is the very thing that sets the stage for our souls to be uplifted the other three seasons through."

Take heart and hope, my friends, your patience will be rewarded with glorious Spring in all her splendour! We'll have to celebrate with a Spring Tea Party:)

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"
~Robin Williams

As I was cleaning on Wednesday, I was drawn to the windows many times to watch the sparrows and the chickadees, as well as the chubby robins as they moved from branch to branch in the trees, carrying on as if they had no cares in this world.
I was reminded of this scripture verse:

Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:26

And in my heart I was singing this song
as a reminder that God is faithful
and He will bring it to pass...

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

There will be a day...

It is a quiet Sunday afternoon. I should be working on my course assignment, but my mind is so preoccupied with the recent earthquake, followed by the tsunami in Japan.
While we are living in peace and safety here, my heart has been so heavy for all those in the world who have been affected by devastation through natural disasters and extreme weather conditions,including the hurricanes and cyclones,tornadoes,volcanoes,
earthquakes, floods,tsunamis,fires, nuclear threats etc.

The Footpath by Mary Dipnall

I stare in shock and disbelief at the fury
and wrath in the power of the tsunami and the sudden destruction in its path.
It grips my heart along with the hearts of all those who have witnessed it on the television, in the headlines of the newspapers and online, but even more so for those who are living in the affected country, in this case, Japan. It is impossible to sit on the sidelines and not be affected by the suffering in this world as we are all globally connected. There is fear and anxiety for those who have loved ones living there. We continue to pray for those who are affected.
* Praying also for all the courageous Search and Rescue Teams; the relief and rescue workers from around the world, praying for needed supplies, praying for comfort...*
May the Lord be near to the brokenhearted, to those who have lost everything, to those who are suffering and grieving, to those who are despairing...
I wanted to share with you this beautiful post, written by Brenda who is so gifted in expressing what many of us are feeling, praying that you may also be encouraged and find comfort and hope in these turbulent and uncertain times.

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart I have overcome the world.”
~John 16:33

Seashore Tranquility by D. Werner

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelations 21:1-4

Creation Calls

He says to the snow,
'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.' Job 38:22

The rain we had yesterday turned into snow later in the afternoon and although I wasn't going to broadcast the fact: there is not a blade of green grass to be found here, and no indication that Spring is just around the corner.
It was, however, a beautiful drive to church this morning with the blue skies and sunshine glistening on the freshly fallen snow as we passed many horse and buggies on the road. It is difficult to capture on camera the beauty of this area, but I don't take it for granted and am so thankful for this little corner of the world that I live in.
The other day my friend M sent me an email with the title:
Magnificent, which I really wanted to share with all of you as it is so beautiful.
You can watch it here: Creation Calls sung by Brian Doerksen

It reminds me of the song that we sang this morning by Chris Tomlin:

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God...

You Never Let Go

"Psalm 23"
Sarah Eley Kagan
Artist for all Seasons

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
~Psalm 23

"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."
~Isaiah 43:2



"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
~Isaiah 41:10

This past week I was weighed down with the cares and anxieties of life, allowing fear and worry to overwhelm and consume me. As I was crying out to the Lord, I was reminded that 'I have not for I ask not.' Although I don't want to share too much here, I do want to be an encouragement to those who may be struggling with the trials of life. I am so thankful that I humbled myself and asked dear friends for prayer, as a great weight was lifted, peace was restored along with renewed perspective. I want to thank all of you who took the time to pray.
It means more than you will ever know and I am deeply grateful to you.
Truly prayer is one of the best gifts that you can give someone!
One of the answers to prayer was a phone call I just received this evening from my son N who let us know that he and his J sister arrived safely in India to spend time with their older sister K&N.
Despite the long flight with two stop-overs, he was so chipper/cheerful it brought me such reassurance.
God is so faithful and I am truly so thankful! Although I do not know what some of you may be going through in your own life, I do want to encourage you to never let go of the Hand that holds yours and of the God who truly loves you more than you will ever know!
Cling to that assurance and rest in Him! He is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think...

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.
Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.
But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
~John 16:33

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
for ever and ever! Amen."
~Ephesians 3:14-21

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(to listen scroll down to pause blog play list)

Thank You!

“Kind words are like honey -- sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Proverbs 16:24

I just wanted to pop in to let all my readers know that I really appreciate all your kind words in the comments left here, the emails and even phone calls over the past few weeks.

Life can get so busy that we neglect to acknowledge the kindness of friends and strangers alike.
I don't ever want to take anyone for granted as each one of you is special and unique, with an interesting story to share.

The past few weeks have been very busy for me as there is a lot going on, but know that each one of you is so special to me but also to God.

Blessings on your week!
Joanne

Happy Valentine's Day

'True love begins with the delight in the whole person and in the gift of each to the other. It matures through the journey of life, with the heart of love beating constant and strong.
And it reflects the One who is the source...'
~Dr. Craig Glickman

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
~Colossians 3:12-14

Romance:
~candles
~music,
~movies
~chocolate
~flowers

Love:

~faith
~trust
~respect
~sharing
~caring
~listening
~commitment

Be kind to each other, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,

just as God through Christ

has forgiven you.
~Ephesians 4:32

Recently we received an invitation to join our friends, J&L, out for a romantic dinner just in time to celebrate Valentine's Day, but more importantly to share our hearts.
As we drove to our destination we were kept in suspense. We had no idea where we were going as we meandered country roads through towns and villages. The hour drive was so beautiful with many farms along the way.
The restaurant they took us to was called Grey Rose in the town of Hanover.

This is what greeted us as we parked in the back of the building:

But a cheerful greeting awaited us inside:


The Foyer...so beautiful!

Our friends booked a place near the fireplace
in the older section of the restaurant,
which was so cosy and beautiful...

Chocolates and Candles:

Amazing Buffet:

The dessert was wonderful,
although this photo won't do it justice.
The decadent cakes and squares were indulged in...

The food and fellowship was truly special
and we are so grateful to you,
J&L for your friendship.
Thank you for a lovely evening!

Favourite Romantic Movies:

1) The Sound of Music
2) Pride and Prejudice
3) Sense and Sensibility
4) Miss Potter
5) Becoming Jane
6) Bright Star
7) Emma
8) Persuasion
9) North and South
10) The Young Victoria

Favourite romantic song of 2010
...from the movie The Young Victoria

Faith, Hope and Love

'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.'
I Corinthians 13 (excerpts)

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

Because of the LORD’s great love
we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

It is another beautiful day here in Southern Ontario; the sun peeking through the grey clouds,
with blue skies on the horizon and the temperatures rising to -8'c.
All good indications that the deep freeze is coming to an end.
I am having a cosy stay at home day today and after some house-cleaning,
hope to complete my knitted project. I will be sure to share with you soon...
I did want to share some photos of this past Thursday with you as my hubby
was waiting for me to come home from my appointment
so that I could join him on a drive to run some business-related errands.
I can't refuse a country drive and was eager to go along on a 'romantic date':)
We went through some of the cutest and quaintest little towns and villages.
I could have told you judging by the names of the villages, that we travelled to
Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, England, Scotland etc.
We drove through villages with the name of:
Dublin, Exeter, Chiselhurst, Cromarty, Donegal, Britton, Monkton, Bornholm,
Carmunnock, Moncrieff, McNaught, Winthrop, Brodhagen etc.
Who needs to spend money on a whirlwind European tour
when you can travel the back roads of southern Ontario?
I took a few photos of winter on the drive....

Seaforth Feed Mill

E. D. Smith since 1882

ice build-up

more icicles

sunshine and blue skies...glorious

Doesn't this sign make you feel like you are near the Ocean?
West Coast?
It isn't far from Lake Huron though...

A stop at our favourite Coffee Shop


Just have to add that the headlines were about Justin Bieber,
the most popular singer with the younger generation.
I took these photos for my niece, K who is a fan of his.
I love what he shares in the article here
Justin comes from the same town
as my blogging friend, Donna.
Some words of wisdom from such a young lad.
My Dad always told me:
'Be humble, lest you stumble'...so true!

and knows how to promote our favourite coffee shop...

driving through quaint Dublin...

Does this not make you feel like you are in Dublin, Ireland?

love the signs

snow piles

great building fronts

beautiful Victorian homes

more icicles

love the sunshine and shadow...
Our lives can be that way, can't they?

The country drive,
spending time with hubby,
listening to inspirational music in the car
and just being surrounded by beauty did me a world of good.
Sunshine puts everything in perspective again, doesn't it?
God's mercies are truly new every morning,
Great is His faithfulness!

Sunshine And Shadow
Life has its shadows, as well as its sun;
Its lights and its shades, all twined together.
I tried to single them out, one by one,
Single and count them, determining whether
There was less blue than there was grey,
And more of the deep night than of the day.
But dear me, dear me, my task’s but begun,
And I am not half way into the sun.

For the longer I look on the bright side of earth,
The more of the beautiful do I discover;
And really, I never knew what life was worth
Till I searched the wide storehouse of happiness over.
It is filled from the cellar well up to the skies,
With things meant to gladden the heart and the eyes.
The doors are unlocked, you can enter each room,
That lies like a beautiful garden in bloom.

Yet life has its shadow, as well as its sun;
Earth has its storehouse of joy and sorrow.
But the first is so wide – and my task’s but begun –
That the last must be left for a far-distant morrow.
I will count up the blessings God gave in a row,
But dear me! When I get through them, I know
I shall have little time left for the rest,
For life is a swift-flowing river at best.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

From the Rising of the Sun

To the place where it sets...

...the name of the Lord is to be praised!
Psalm 113:3

(all photos taken on our drive today to church,
to the Niagara area, and home again)