April 11, 2012 by johndierckx

Photo Journal: Autumn

Earlier this weekend a walk with my oldest son in one of the many domains in and around Christchurch. It was beautiful in the forest.

A walk with the whole family from Corsair Bay to Cass Bay came with amazing skies as we started in relatively beautiful weather but it turned around with heavy clouds coming in from the sea. Early Dutch painters would have had a field day here.

So here some highlights, enjoy.

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Awaiting autumn (boticca.com)
First signs of Autumn (alexbondblog.com)
Look of the Day: Autumn Leaves (fabsugar.com)
Firefighters called to Christchurch house fire (nzherald.co.nz)
The russets, the purples and the reds of early autumn (ordinarygood.wordpress.com)
The Coming of Autumn ( fr: Autumn’s Grace ). (thepoetvoice.wordpress.com)
Helping Christchurch (pinnaclelife.co.nz)
Jackie’s Travel Diary: The Secret of the South, NZ (myclub.worldmarksp.com)
How (and where) will Christchurch be rebuilt? CERA boss answers readers’ questions (nzherald.co.nz)
Top 10 Autumn Work Wardrobe (johnlewis.com)

December 6, 2011 by johndierckx

Photo Journal: Flowers

Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. Song of Songs 2:12

… See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Matthew 6:29

Summer to me, besides the beautiful weather is together with the spring the season of explosions of color and fragrance, of amazing flowers that never cease to amaze me, new ones that I had never seen before or golden oldies that look even more beautiful than before. Hard to beat beauty, truly royal indeed, whether it is a magnificent big flower or the tiniest small one, they all have something of a very special beauty to be enjoyed while it lasts. The good news, next season WILL come, there WILL be a new summer again and again and again in which very often the flowers come out even more beautiful, in which the plant has grown to produce even more flowers.

And so it seems with my Christian journey, one day a blossoming flower the other day withered, just as Peter explained referring to Isaiah:

“All people are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
1 Peter 1:24

But like I said there WILL be a new summer, in which like the flowers we come out even more beautiful than last season. Maybe that is what Paul meant when he said:

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18

December 5, 2011 by johndierckx

Photo Journal: Love Your Neighbor

“‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:18

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31

⁸ If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. James 2:8 NIV

¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14

November 16, 2011 by johndierckx

Photo Journal: Thoughts on Luke 2:19 head or heart?

Last Sunday after a few very busy weeks I did not go to church and instead I drove out with a Bible, journal and camera and spend some time alone while picking up my son in Cheviot. The route: Christchurch-Kaiapoi-Amberley-Waipara- Waikari- Hurunui-Culverden-Rotterham via Mouse Point- Rotterham-Waiau-via Leader Road to Parnassus-Cheviot. Cheviot- Greta Valley -detour up and down to Motunau Beach-Amberley-Kaiapoi-Christchurch.

Amazing scenery that day.

In Balmoral Forest I stopped for some lunch that I had picked up earlier. Sitting in the back of the truck eating and enjoying my coffee I opened my Bible and Journal. Luke 2: 18, 19 seemed to stick out particularly.

¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 NIV

Now that stuck out to me because as I understood it pondering was something more of a head matter. In the Merriam-Webster it says:

ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter <pondered the course of action>.

It seemed to indicate a head matter. Yet, Mary pondered with her heart? It reminded me of something Santana said before one of the songs during a concert.

If we take the time to see with the heart and not with the mind, we shall see that we are surrounded completely by angels.

Again the heart prevails over the normal sensory course. Maybe there is something there? Could it maybe be that the eyes, the ears, the mind provide order to our sensations whereas it is the heart that gives it meaning, truth.
Is it not coincidental that the heart is as the one place in our body that is associated with love. We speak of knuckle heads the Bible of hardened hearts.

The heart as the place where connect knowledge and meaning, purpose, God‘s purpose by the guidance of the Spirit, the place from where the Spirit speaks, the heart as the pathway to wisdom, the truth about everything and anything, ourselves included.

Lunch turned out to be satisfactory in more than one sense and with a smile on my face I proceeded. Further down the road I was sure God was smiling back to me. Something to further explore and try on my journey of life.