Regional Convention, 2016

July 8-10.  Silkeborg, Denmark.

It was that time of the year again when we had to travel far to attend our annual English Regional Convention for the whole Scandinavia. It's an occasion where we partake in a grand figurative feast and replenish our spiritual well-being, a time when we once again meet with our English-speaking friends, brothers and sisters living in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Faeroe Islands. All of us made sacrifices to make this long journey to Denmark.

Usually, hubby and I traveled by ourselves, as all the other families in our group, but this time, we traveled in caravans, two cars actually, one car conveying a family that just moved in from Australia, and the other, hubby, me and a male friend who also recently moved to our city.

We started off from Umeå on the 5th of July, stopping by the Höga Kusten bridge to eat our packed lunch.

Since our destination was quite far, we had to stop by several rest areas along the highway for coffee and lunch,

...and had to spend two nights in different campsites, first in Sollerön Camping in Dalarna (5th),

pitching our tents

frolicking a little at the campsite ground before checking out

...and then in Varberg (6th).

The following morning, we drove to the harbor and boarded a RORO (roll-on-roll-off) ferry bound for Denmark. There we met some dear friends who were also going to attend the convention. That was a very memorable bump-into-each-other moment for me, as we stayed together on board during the entire voyage.

That afternoon, we arrived at the camping site in Silkeborg where we booked our cottages. I was glad to find our cottage cute and comfy. We shared lodgings with two single brothers who occupied the loft floor while hubby and I slept in the little bedroom.

reception building balcony

campsite reception building

our cabin

The convention started the next day, with the title Remain Loyal to Jehovah, which expounds on the universal truth that our Creator appreciates and loves those who are loyal to him, and eventually rewards them.

Each day has a central theme. First day: Cherish loyalty (Micah 6:8);  second day: Your loyal ones will praise you (Psalm 145:10);  third day: He is guarding the lives of his loyal ones (Psalm 97:10).

Loyalty to our Creator involves love, commitment, integrity. It means doing his will and following his holy standards and commandments under any circumstances. Doing so ensures us of his blessings and his loyalty, for it was said of him, "With someone loyal you will act in loyalty." (2 Samuel 22:26). He is always there to help us and compensate for whatever loss we may have as a result of our sticking to his standards. And if everyone else has abandoned us, he is always there for us.

So, I'm living by this motto that was highlighted at this convention: "Never abandon the One who will never abandon you." And that is a very reassuring and comforting thought in times of adversity!

As always, such yearly convention consists of lectures, dramas, music-video presentations, interviews, singing praises and, of course, spending time with friends. Everyone in attendance always goes back home revitalized.

dining tents where we ate our packed lunch

drama about Jesus

the intermissions gave us opportunities for joyful associations

The day after the convention, 11th of July, hubby, I and a friend who traveled with us in our car left the campsite and moved on to visit a place that I had in my bucket list, which I'm going to blog about  in the future.

I brimmed over with joy for being filled up with nutritious spiritual food that supplied me with the strength I need to keep living amidst this trouble infested world, and for spending lovely moments with happy and loving friends.

...And I'm immensely thankful to the One who made all of this possible out of his great love and loyalty.

The First Snowfall : White Fall Wonderland

Fall is still loping but winter is trying to overtake. And I, trying hard to keep pace with the seasons, always end up falling behind. That is, in terms of chronicling the flow of the seasons vis-a-vis  my life. I simply can't catch up, but that doesn't mean I have to quit. I still love my cyber home and to put into it fresh  stuffs about my life and everything that touches it . Now and then.

Oh, yes, I keep reminding myself that I still have a good deal of summer and autumn memories that need to be stored here. And I'll surely pile them all up even if they are long delayed. But as has been my adapted habit, I'll tell the stories mostly through the pictures I captured.

Although winter solstice will officially be here on December 21,  a lot of snow has already blanketed our city in these remaining days of fall. In fact, at this very moment, clusters of snowflakes are falling densely. It all started last Tuesday, November 1, and kept going on right to this day.

So, I'm going to store a few of my captures of this what I call white autumn wonderland.

These heather flowers in our balcony definitely make a color splash against the outdoor whiteness.

A balcony view of our neighbor apartments

Our neighborhood street

Fall leaves are still firmly clinging to the trees even while the snow is falling heavily.

I just loved looking at and treading on this amalgam of "fall and winter"!

Beside my work place

Train station entrance

At the train station where I work

The hospital-bus stop area 

May this November bring a bounty of lovely things for me and for you, my dear readers! Just hang in there like the fall leaves sticking to the trees!

Linking up with

Mosaic Monday

Through My Lens
Our World Tuesday

The Aurora-Watching Season Had Begun

The aurora borealis season started with a bang! The first visible one with intense brightness appeared on August 23. The lights filled the sky with their gracefully shifting patterns. It's time again to watch these beautiful lights dance and wave across the sky. The images show only fragments of the whole spectacle, which my 18 mm camera lens could cover.

I'd like to explain in a simple way some facts about the northern lights (for those who may have held a common misconception). These lights occur not just around the winter season, but all year round, particularly after the sun undergoes a large explosion that causes a geomagnetic storm which affects the earth's magnetic field. So, even in broad daylight, powerful auroras are in the atmosphere but we can't see them due to the sunlight, as auroras are best seen  in darkness like the celestial luminaries. In summertime, the sky is bright all night long, specifically in our place, so we can't see the lights. This period, the sky gets dark earlier, so we're beginning to see them.

Here are a few photo reps of succeeding aurora sightings that I captured after that onset. There were stronger ones on other nights that I've missed due to the thick clouds that cloaked them.

August 29

August 30

September 1, too cloudy, but aurora tried to shine through

September 2, 3

September 5

September 28

September 29

October 4

Did you know that the auroras protect us from the harmful ultra-violet rays of the sun? Even those in countries who can't see these lights benefit! Our loving Creator wisely created our home planet that way to protect us. And He does protect us beautifully! (Revelation 4:11)

Linking up with

Through My Lens
Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday
Sincerely, Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party

Ah, October!

I'm just spending a few minutes in my cyber home to scribble a welcome note to October. This has always been a month with a special touch for me, something indescribable, yet pleasant.

Autumn equinox has transpired in Sept. 22, and the new season keeps marching with colors that are swiftly fading away. So while the colors remain, I'm trying to stay outside, drinking in the lovely colors and the crisp air and preserving them with my camera.

I still have so many beautiful summer memories to store here, but I'll spend more time jotting them down later when the days become dark and frigid.

"Listen! The wind is rising and the air is wild with leaves,

We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!"

-Humbert Wolfe

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."

-L. M. Montgomery

I embrace the autumnal colors and the month of October!

Linking up with

Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday