All Things Made New

Spring is a beautiful time of year when new life arises and the beauty of the earth can be appreciated. I have had the privilege to capture some of that and would love to share it with you, along with a few texts for inspiration!  

One day tells a story to the next. 

One night shares knowledge with the next 

     without talking, 

     without words, 

     without their voices being heard.

Yet, their sound has gone out into the entire world, 

     their message to the ends of the earth.  (Psalms 19:2-4 GW)

What have we done to the world 

     Look what we've done

What about all the peace

     That you pledge your only son....

What about flowering fields 

     Is there a time

What about all the dreams 

     That you said were yours and mine....(Earth Song, Michael Jackson)

That's why we're waiting

Waiting on the world to change

We keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change

It's not that we don't care

We just know that the fight ain't fair

So we keep on waiting

Waiting on the world to change (Waiting on the World to Change, John Mayer) 

I'd like to make myself believe

That planet Earth turns slowly

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep

'Cause everything is never as it seems (Fireflies, Owl City) 

 

Gazing through the window at the world outside

     Wondering will Mother Earth survive

     Hoping that mankind will stop abusing her sometime

I'm just a dreamer 

     Who dreams of better days (Dreamer, Ozzy Osbourne) 

 

 

Weekend Away: Birmingham

A bustling city of culture and history, the collision of people and places: Birmingham. I arrived in the early hours of the morning and watched the sun rise over the city. The city came alive around 6am with people rushing off to work or stepping outside to enjoy the sunshine. 

It was also the location for this years Crufts Dog Show and the streets were full of merchants who took advantage of the crowds. The street musicians came to life in the afternoon and played into the evening, with hopes to get a fair bit of pocket change in exchange for a smile and the occasional foot tapping. 

The meeting of two worlds appears at the canal system where you can travel in time to see the path of a well used trade route from inside the city to the outskirts. A lovely walk along the cobblestones of the canal and a hot sun makes it hard to believe what was necessary to obtain what we now so easily take for granted.

 A great challenge in a city such as this is to create space that attracts people for learning about the history while at the same time stimulating the continuation of learning. Such places as museums and educational sites are great displays of this as well as the city streets.

With all this going on no wonder the city is home to the rock band Black Sabbath and the factory of Cadbury Chocolate's! 

Our Faithful Ones

"The Dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord has made His greatest gifts the commonest." ~ Martin Luther 

I don't know where our world would be without dogs, they always seem to make us smile when we need it most and least expect it. 

Every year the worlds largest dog show draws thousands of spectators and dogs from across the globe to witness the many talents of the dogs and their handlers. 

Crufts is a celebration of healthy, happy dogs and gathers the top people in the dog world to select the dogs that are the best representations of their breed. The competitions and displays span over four days, leading up to the judging for Best in Show. 

This year I was fortunate to attend the final day of the show, taking in the Golden Retriever judging, obedience competitions, displays for agility and field work, Southern Golden Retriever Display Team, and the halls upon halls of dogs!

The evening was filled with live broadcasted events to capture the hearts of the spectators, revealing the dedication required to do such a thing. 

 

The Best in Show judging was the height of the day, where Ricky, a Standard Poodle, was selected as the BiS Dog! 

I can say that the time I spent at Crufts was overwhelming and amazing. Each dog and handler had worked so hard to be there, demonstrating their commitment to bettering each breed and striving to exceed the standards set before them. 

Raising and training a dog is hard work, as just about anything else, but with the proper techniques and encouragement much can be accomplished.