About Me

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Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

On Finding a New Church

Cathy and I went to Ladner Baptist Church last Sunday. We walked out of my little cul de sac, turned left and walked the equivalent of one short city block and cut through the church's parking lot to the front door. We were both very impressed with the style of service and we were warmly welcomed. We also discovered that we knew several people who attend.
Today the church was all decorated for the autumn harvest and Thanksgiving, which in Canada is next weekend. The service was again wonderful with stirring music - modern and not all old-fashioned hymns. There was a different group leading the singing, this time with piano, saxophone, guitar, and two different types of drums.
We took communion today, too. For those who aren't familiar with that, it is symbolic of the Last Supper when we come together as one body to remember and celebrate what Christ did for us - die on the cross to save us from our sins and to give us eternal life. As we stood to sing the awesome choruses, I felt myself overwhelmed with joy that finally I've found a new place to worship. God told me this is the one!
After the service, I took lots of photos of the harvest and Thanksgiving decorations and I'd like to share some of them with you now. (I think the Pastor was quite pleased that I enjoyed the service and that I took the time to photograph everything. After all, it must have taken "someone" a long time to set everything up and it's nice to be appreciated.)



Here is what you see when you enter the church at the front door - an old wagon decorated with sunflowers and all sorts of gourds. This shows the bottom part of the wagon and what spilled out of it.














The wagon held an antique milk jug that was all rusted, along with sunflowers, dried grasses, and a pumpkin.










At the front of the sanctuary and on the stairs to the left was a gorgeous display of pumpkins, fresh from the farmers' fields.



















On the ledge to the right of the stairs was a lovely display of gourds.














A harvest basket sat in splendour just above the pumpkins that were beautifully displayed on the steps.
















And on the other side, a giant arrangement of sunflowers sat in an old-fashioned bucket beside a single pumpkin that was adorned with an antique stirrup.










It takes a long times to find a new church. I have been a member of the United Church of Canada, another Baptist church in a neighbouring area, and my last one - Grace Baptist Church here in Ladner. When our former pastor was called to Richmond Baptist Church, Cathy and I went there a few times as we just love Pastor Jeff and his style of speaking. It was a wonderful church and we did know a few people who attend there. But something was not quite right.
So we tried the Baptist church that we'd both been members of years ago, but that really wasn't right for me, although Cathy thought it was fine.
We went online two weeks ago to check out the other churches in our area and decided we might as well give Ladner Baptist a try. And we are both happy that we did. We enjoyed the style of worship, the music, the sermons, and the general "feel" of the church. It has the same doctrines that we've adhered to all our lives and there are lots of ways where we can get involved. And most of all, the people are friendly and welcoming. After all, a church is not a building. It is the people who worship together.
I'll leave you today with a few closeup photos that I took today:








































25 comments:

HeatherDB said...

Funny how you found one just around the corner! :) Think of all the gas you'll save walking to church! Glad you are happy there. - Heather

Leslie: said...

Hi Heather! Imagine I've been driving either south or east to go to church all these years and I could've been walking a block! Hope you're doing well!

Katney said...

Someone really did go to a lot of thought and effort ot decorate for the season.

I am glad you found anew and welcoming faith community. It is that community which sometimes we fail to present to newcomers.

Ruth L.~ said...

Hope the church continues to be a good fit, Leslie. It certainly looks welcoming. You don't so much like the old hymns? I do. :>)

Leslie: said...

hi Ruth - yes I do like the old hymns, but not necessarily all the time. Looks like this church will be a nice mixture. Today was newer choruses, though, and I enjoyed it immensely. :D

jmb said...

What a lovely display. It must be a pleasure to visit that church for the visual pleasure alone, let alone the service.

Petrus said...

A good theme to pick for this time of the year - Harvest Festival ..

Deep bright colours here - they make good pictures.

antigoni said...

Wonderful pictures. What beautiful colours.

KathyB. said...

Happy Birthday to You ! I just finished reading Jo's post and heard her sing to you and I had to read your blog. I am glad I did.

I hope your surgery goes well this year and that you have found a church family, for you mentioned the church is the people and you're so right...we are the church, the living bride of Christ !

I also liked your post about your first birthday with your husband. Wish I had thought of such a positive way to remind my Hubby the first year of our marriage....so again, Happy Birthday to you ! And the church sure knows how to decorate in a way to celebrate God's bounty in the harvest.Pictures are wonderful.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Happy Birthday Leslie, so pleased you found a church that makes you and your friend happy to attend, yes and just a walk away!! :-)

Hope you have a super birthday :-)

Sienna said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLIE!!!!!!

Hope you had a great day, I'm a little confused if I'm a day early or a day late, celebrate it all...I'm also trying to be quiet because even though it's 9pm here, I have a feeling it's wee hours of the morning for you!

I love the way you "showed" by doing ...(the birthday tea), what something means, lead by example.

The photos and information, as always takes me to the place...so beautiful.

I am going to have a glass of cab sav in your honor tonight mate.

Here's to Leslie. Another amazing Canadian and wonderful woman.

Pam

Russell said...

How nice! Sometimes the best things in literally in your back yard! That looks like a lovely church!

Let's see ... today is Monday, October 6... what am I forgetting... let me think ... give me a moment ... I think I got it....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

have a great day!

RiverPoet said...

Leslie - I'm so happy that you found the right church for you! There is nothing like joining in with a community on Sunday for praise and worship. It feeds your spirit!

:-)

Peace - D

Louise said...

How pretty and festive! I'm glad you've found someplace that feels like "home to you." Thanks for stopping by my SWF post! You were not the only one that thought the cloud was "other-worldly!"

Ruth W. said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Leslie!!!

I know how hard it is to find a welcoming Church family and haven't been to successful til visited friends in TN and went to their Church.

I'm not sure what happened, but as soon as I walked through the doors, I felt at home and felt I have found my Church. The problem is that it's 1000 miles away from where I live..lol

Daryl said...

LOVELY!


:-Daryl

Smalltown RN said...

Those decorations are wonderful..it's stuff like that, which makes me love all the fall colours and harvest.

I am so glad you found a church which you will be comfortable with...it's so important to feel connected with the church and not the building.....

Lovely post Leslie...

Smalltown RN said...

Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you....Hippo Birdies Two Yews....Hippo Birdies Two Yews.....

I hope you have a fantastic day....I love the post Josie did in honour of your special day.....you deserve it...

peppylady (Dora) said...

I ind it interesting going to different churches. One thing I learn is to visit it survival times and sit in different part of the pews.
Believe it or not a simple change in pews will let you look at in a different light.

I hope the joy will continue thought the week and beyond.

Coffee is on.

Leslie: said...

Hi peppy...yes that's exactly what we did. First time we sat towards the back on the right and this past Sunday we sat about in the middle on the left. Next Sunday? Wherever the mood strikes I guess. :D

me ann my camera said...

Have a wonderful birthday and thank you for sharing those beautiful flowers from your newly found church.
ann

nancygrayce said...

How wonderful to find a church you can walk to! Our's is close, but not that close. The decorations are gorgeous!

Ellee Seymour said...

What gorgeous, warm stunning colours. I'm going to a harvest festival at Ely Cathedral next weekend.

Liz Hinds said...

Bother, bother, bother! I went to work yesterday morning thinking, 'I'll email Leslie when I get home and say Happy Birthday, because she won't be up yet.' And then I forgot! I am so annoyed.

Happy birthday for yesterday, lovely!!

I am about to dash off to Zac's so will come back later to read this post.

photowannabe said...

Well happy belated Birthday to you and as everyone else has said I am so happy you found a church that spoke to your needs and will give you the things you desire. Now that's close, ours is 6 minutes by car and thought that was close. How nice to just walk there.
I think a person just knows when it all fits.