Perfect time of the year

The temperature has been just perfect. Not too cold, not too hot, just right (like the three bears story). Ray and I took another trip to Stony and caught some more fish and the trees were beautiful but in downloading the pictures - well, they didn't and I deleted them before I knew they were not downloaded... Matt would get me for that! There was one picture that I took of the yellow trees, sun shining on them and reflecting into the water... so nice - now lost forever. One picture was of an owl just at dusk and his eyes were shining...so cool... it's gone too. It was a beautiful time and Ray and I have good memories (as long as we can remember!!)

We started college Bible study up on the 12th and it was nice to have new kids from GPRC (Grand Prairie Regional College - used to be NAIT). We are using the H2O series and Kyle just does a great job of relating the gospel.

Ray took a trip to Edmonton for the Executive Board Meeting on the 17th. He and Dick Hale traveled together which makes the time more enjoyable. But it sure makes for a long day 6 hours down and 6 hours back.

Terry & Darlene (Ray's brother and his wife) celebrated an anniversary on the 13th, Julie Shannon (Ray's niece) had a birthday on the 16th, my brother David Davenport had his birthday on the 17th, nephew David Wayne Smith had a birthday on the 20th and Bailey Davis (my niece Susie's son) had his birthday on the 26th. It helps me to stay focused on all those folks I love when I mention them in our blog.

Ray and I put down another floor in a bathroom at church. We did that on Monday the 20th and then the next two days I painted at church. It is hard to tell from my "paint clothes" what their original color was - sooooo much paint of EVERY color. Things are looking better. The kitchen cabinets got their new hardward - Carmen & Christine did a great job of restaining and updating our kitchen. Thanks girls (ladies).

Heather (daughter-in-law) has inspired me to get off the couch more so I started the "couch to 5k exercise regimen. Now two friends from church, Cindy & Carole have invited me to join them for water aerobics on MWF. Today was my first water ADVENTURE. I am going to be in good shape/health OR be dead!! All of us silver hairs were hitting the water this morning. OK, it was fun - and I am sad to say the first time I have been in that pool ever - and we have lived here over 4 years. Stay tuned for the new and IMPROVED Hope.

Last Saturday, the 25th, we had our ladies fall retreat. The committee did an excellent job of planning and putting it all together. What fun games, skits, singing, and the speaker was excellent - Tanis Harms from Sexsmith. The theme was From Flip Flops to High Heels and everything revolved around shoes... fun day, good food and a challenge to see what shoes God was wanting us to fill right now. {Pictured above is a centerpiece from the retreat and two of the committee members - Mona Wilson and Carmen Enns). We also learned about an initiative called Samaritans Shoes (it has been founded for 26 years but is not related to Samaritans Purse). It is about providing shoes to children who have never known what it is like to wear shoes. It is a very worthwhile campaign. http://www.samaritansfeet.org/ You can check it out.

Ray is still teaching the youth in Sunday school and then preaching. Pray with us about someone stepping up to the plate to love the youth and teach them God's Word and how it relates to their lives. My class is still full of girls - I usually have one boy and 9 or 10 girls (from 2 to 4 years old). We actually worked with sand yesterday as we had the story of Philip and the Ethopian. Thanks to Pauline Friesen for coming and helping or no telling where that sand would be!

I think all the grandboys are doing well except for Cole losing his glasses (which he found after he got a new pair). I feel sure he inherited that "gift" from his Papa. Sorry Cole. Jake got to attend college night where over 150 colleges/universities had representatives available for students to help select a suitable school of higher learning. It is always an exciting time but scary just the same. We will definitely pray him through the next couple of years.

It is fun to go onto facebook and see my brother's boys and all the sports they are into - I love seeing their pictures. Connor is getting married and we would love to meet and get to know Christina. He graduated from college this year and will take the next big step in life next year.

I am actually going to California in October to visit my longtime friend, Nancy Peterson. It will be a catch up time for us as I have not seen her since January of 09 when we went to Maui, HI to surprise her for a 40th wedding anniversary party with renewal of vows. Thank you to sweet, sweet Ed for that trip and this trip in October. Ray and I will drive to Calgary on the 14th or 15th of October for the Midwest Baptist Association Annual Meeting. I will fly out from there on the 17th and then come back into Grande Prairie on the 27th. I am really getting excited. I think Nancy has a lot planned for me to do. She is always thinking of "the other person".

Ray and I are working on extending our visa for a time. Not at all sure what God's plans are for us ...but He will let us know. He always has and He is faithful to His character - so let us hear from YOU, God.

While I am writing I thought I would go ahead and put in my song for the month. One of my favorite singers is Travis Cottrell. He and his group sing at Beth Moore conferences and he writes a lot of his songs. He has a song called "My Passion" and the words follow:

You alone are my passion forever

Song of my soul

Desire of my heart

You alone are my passion

My treasure

I love You for all that You are

To the ends of the earth I will follow

There's nothing that I will not do

You alone are my reason for living

Jesus my passion is You

Jesus my passion is You

My life my love my God

My life my love my God

O Jesus You are my passion

My passion

My passion

(it is off of a CD of his entitled Alive Forever from Hosanna music)

Hope you can find it and listen to it on the net.

I pray that if GOD is not your passion that you will start right now to give Him that place of honor in your life. Lovingly, Hope

Where is 2010 going?

It is so very hard to imagine that it is September of 2010. It has been almost a month since I wrote on our blog and it is just hard to keep up with all the goings on at Cornerstone and in Fairview.

David & Bev Hudson have been visiting our church and invited us out to their farm on August 18th. David used to be a contractor and built the coolest greenhouses for Bev to grow tomatoes and cucumbers. Her garden was beautiful. I want to be like Bev when I grow up (like that's going to happen). She fixed us a yummy meal and we enjoyed seeing their place and finding out about their family. Their dog "Nana" was the coolest.

On the 20th we were invited to have dinner with another family that has been visiting our church. Matt & Allison Clarke (Will, Emma, Danea, Sadie & Ella). What a fun family - a big thank you to both of these families for the wonderful fellowship and food.

The 21st we had the privilege of having the new Nehemiah professor and his wife from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane as house guests. And to think they only lived about a mile from us in Arlington!! Our world really is small. Dan Morgan and his wife Melanie left four grown children in the US to come serve in Canada. Dan preached for us on Sunday morning the 22nd and then we went to Worsley with them on Sunday night for him to share with their church.

The week of the 23rd seemed like it was full of visits from church folks off and on throughout the days and then on Wednesday we drove back to Worsley to attend the funeral of Mel Lubeck's grandmother.

On Saturday we had a work day at church and I ended up in the men's bathroom for about 7 hours painting.... boy does it look good (even if I do say so myself). There was a lot of work going on and we had planned to baptize two folks in the Peace River that afternoon but it was a cold and rainy day so we opted to just have a corn roast and beef on a bun (Thank you Ron & Pauline Friesen for the great food). This was a nice reward for a day of hard work.

We headed to Stoney Lake on the evening of the 29th with Curt & Patty Hale - he had a new fishing method that an old German had taught him.... boy did we catch the trout! (Ray and I even went back on the 3rd and enjoyed an evening of fishing with just the two of us - sorta like a date?) The pictures above are from our trip. My fish is a rainbow trout and Ray's is a brook trout.

We began our new Sunday School year on the 5th and Ray ended up teaching youth. We need a youth teach and preschool teacher. Please pray with us about these needs. We did get to baptize our two on the 5th and it turns out the water was probably as cold as it was in The Peace River. The heater decided to not work!! Hester & Sam were great sports and carried it off with dignity. Ray wears his waders and was no worse for the wear.

On Monday (Labor Day) Ray and I played in the Fairview Ministerial Golf Tournament. It was another cold day and 18 holes never seemed so long. Zenon (one of our music team leaders) and Matt, a young man who has visited our church, played on our team. We finished at -5.

We took the day to go to Grande Prairie today (I looked like a shaggy dog and needed a hair cut). We visited some folks at the hospital and made several stops for various things for church and home. It was a very rainy day. It is supposed to be 2C in the am and we are definitely not ready for this. I am planning to go paint another bathroom tomorrow. I have two down and six to go!!

My niece, Sarah Davis, was in a car wreck on the 29th and we are so very thankful that she was not injured any worse than she was. We are praying for a complete recovery for her.

My brother, David Davenport, is hunting in Wyoming and we are praying for he and his two friends to have a safe trip back to Pennsylvania.

As always remember Ray and I as we truly seek God's direction for each day and that we will honor Him in all things. Ray is preaching out of Ephesians and we will be looking at the armor that we need to put on each day. Ephesians 6:14-18 - Make sure you have your's on!!