Thankfulness Challenge Week Three

Last week started with an anniversary of my first date with Shirley 56 years ago.

On October 20, 1962 at CUC on a Saturday night entertainment, we spent our first evening together in a progressive party on the campus. We were both in 11th grade.  All the students met in the chapel to divide into groups of about 20 kids. I made sure to gravitate into the group where Shirley was. We were both 15 at the time... and I thought she was incredible! I am very thankful for the beginning of a most amazing relationship.

A plumber I am not, but I was thankful for the encouragement of a plumber friend who loaned some of his tools... a crimper and pipe cutter, etc. and instructed me how to do this little renovation project. We are putting a shower into the church. Not a difficult job for a plumber who does this kind of work every day... but a real challenge for some one who hasn't done it before.

I learned how to use Sharkbite fittings to connect pex pipe to copper lines. It took us a couple trips to the both Ace and Home Depot to finally get the right parts. 

Working in a dirty cramped crawl space is not fun. Could not have done it without the help of Norm Chabot.  Here Norm is putting teflon tape onto the clean-out plug that we had to remove to make the tie into the sewer main. We worked for more than three days (part days), and believe me, we were both very thankful to get this job done.   We were most thankful to pass the water test without a leak. 

We got the shower valve installed into the new wall we built, and the first coat of mud is on the drywall. This week I will tackle the tile job. I was hoping to find some tile guys who work of us to do this, but they are swamped, so I will do it. I know how to do it.

October 24 was Shirley's birthday. This was the first formal photo that she gave me in 12th grade. It is one of my most treasured memories. I am thankful for my sweetheart. 

I worked this week on some graphics and quotes to update the bulletin boards in the fellowship room where Dr. Sid Kettner and pastor Angelo Nugent will be doing our mini series, LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE. I am thankful to be able to work on the evangelism team and help with the advertising materials, tee shirts and signage. On Friday November 2 the meetings will be under way.

Thankfulness Challenge Week Two

I am thankful for the peaceful view that we have from our deck.

Several mornings this past week we had low clouds in the valley. After the sunrise it was not very long before they lifted. I am thankful for a perfect week of sunny days.

Tuesday afternoon could not have been a more pleasant October afternoon to golf. The view here on the 6th green at Pinnacle has the famous Layer Cake Mountain in the background.  Along with my shadow selfie, is Kevin, Marvyn and Bill.  I am always thankful for an afternoon with Mr. Green.

As I was preparing the advertising for "LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE" I was thankful to find a good picture on Facebook of Dr. Sid Kettner.  It was an answer to prayer when Dr. Sid agreed to set aside the time to come to help our little church in Winfield.

Angelo Nugent, our associate pastor hated to have his picture taken, but when we finally got it done, what a difference. We are so thankful to have him as a part of our team.

We may be a little ambitions with the idea to make Tee Shirts for the event, but the response to the slogan "LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE," has been most encouraging.  I am most thankful how we stumbled onto the theme of the series from an old tee shirt the Pastor Josue had from "Let's move Vancouver."

On the back of the tee shirt we have put a list of the "Eight Doctors." In my first job after graduation from PUC with a degree in Commercial Art, I was hired by Dr. Mervyn Hardinge, Dean of the School of Health at Loma Linda University.  We worked for several years developing these "Eight Doctors" into ten-minute short film strips. This was in the early 70's, long  before VHS videos.

I remember Dr. Hardinge saying that one day medical science will endorse the the counsel the Ellen White advocated in the book Ministry of Healing. Now today we can all see that he was right.

"Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power -these are the true remedies. Every person should have a knowledge of natures remedial agencies and how to apply them.”  MH p. 127 

Many times I have expressed my thankfulness as I looked back at the life changing opportunity to work at Loma Linda in my first job after college. I believe that throughout my life God has opened and closed doors, giving opportunities to do things for Him.

It was great to walk again on the Rail Trail at the end of the afternoon.  What a pleasant October day.  On this exact date in 1962 Shirley and I had our first date at CUC in 11th grade.

It was 56 years ago this evening on a Saturday night, October 20, 1962, that Shirley and I spent our first "date" together. We were involved in a progressive party and we both remember several of the stops as we moved around the campus from one house to another all evening.

Over the course of one's life we make many decisions... some are good decisions and some are bad decisions... but I am most thankful for the decision to spend my life with Shirley. 

31 Days of Thankfulness

This morning we drove to McCurdy Road where the new part of the Rail Trail has been paved. It was great walking on the fresh new pavement... and for the first bit we had it all to ourselves.

There were a few bikers... but then a whole slug of bikers came... Maybe 30 or so.  I missed shooting the first guys.

There were lots of folks enjoying a day off and some family time.  We saw this father and daughter later on their way back.

They stopped to see what Shirley was taking a picture of... and we struck up a conversation. It looked like Shirley was taking a picture of something on the ground. But she had read that to get more interesting photos, don't always take your pictures from eye level standing up. Go down low and shoot up. She was actually taking a picture of graffiti on a nearby building and was shooting it thru the reeds.

I was so impressed at this precious little girl... her polka dot  helmet matched the polka dots on her bike.  I asked her permission to take her picture. She gave me a gracious smile.

But the hike became all the more special as we stopped walking nonstop and started taking some photos of the awesome nature along the trail.  I was amazed at how the snowberries were so plump and plentiful.

And so were the rose hips. Their bright red colour is so beautiful.

I didn't taste these choke cherries... but I was attracted to a single rain drop clinging on for dear life.

When I saw this seed pod burst open, I wasn't sure what it was.

I've seen milkweed earlier in the year with the huge fluffy globes... but I have never seen one this late in the season with all the seeds. It was so unusual I took several shots and then Googled up to find out what it actually was.

Some of these seeds will get eaten by the birds... and a few may actually start to grow next spring.  So amazing how God keeps the native plants all reproducing without us having to do a single thing!

We never get tired of walking on the Rail Trail.  This bridge is over a creek that goes thru Scandia Golf and Amusements... And the last time we walked here...

I took this photo of a couple throwing stones into the creek off the same bridge... Sept 5, 2016.  So you can see the progress that has happened in the development of the Rail Trail.

I picked up a book in the "Share Department" of our Church library... it is called "31 Days of Praise."  

Being a bit of a list maker, I was attracted to the title... so picked it up and gave it a quick read.  

Thankfulness and gratefulness is all related to adoration and praise.  I talked with my daughter last evening about how to get more people sharing the things that they are thankful for.  She did a Gratefulness blog for more than five years where every week on Friday evening she would post the things that she was thankful for.  After five years it got to be kind of repetitive and she wanted to do something different.  I can tell you that I really loved it when she wrote out her new list ever Friday evening.  I never missed reading what my daughter wrote.  

The Thankfulness Challenge!

Whether you feel content with your life right now or you wish things were different, you can make a decision to be thankful.  You may have a hard time believing that thankfulness can make a big difference, but it is the little things that we do every day that pay big dividends.  Before you get out of bed in the morning, thank God for three things in your life.  Write it into your journal and watch the list grow day by day as you start to thank God for the many things that we often take for granted.  As you go thru your day, recognize and vocalize gratitude for the traits and kindnesses of others. At nightfall, offer up a prayer of thanksgiving and praise God for the challenges we are facing. 

Just as I looked forward to seeing what my daughter was grateful for each Friday evening, I believe our heavenly Father looks forward to his children telling Him all the things that we are grateful and thankful for.  So my challenge to each one who reads this is to start a page in your day book or journal... or take a notebook and start to make a list. Make a point of adding to your list something every day that makes you thankful and tell the Lord about it.  This one thing may help you have something positive to share with others and encourage them. We all need to be an encouragement to each other, don't you agree?  Make a point to do it every day.

Let me know if you like this idea and are going to accept the challenge.  Thank you.