After disappointing summers in 2010, 2011, and 2012, I am pleased that the garden did so well this year. It has given me many hours of pleasure. I wonder what October holds in store. An Indian Summer or early frosts? We shall have to wait and see!
Universalis
Monday, 30 September 2013
Summer in my Garden - 18
As we reach the end of September, it is good to have a final look at the summer bedding in my garden. This photo was taken yesterday morning.
After disappointing summers in 2010, 2011, and 2012, I am pleased that the garden did so well this year. It has given me many hours of pleasure. I wonder what October holds in store. An Indian Summer or early frosts? We shall have to wait and see!
After disappointing summers in 2010, 2011, and 2012, I am pleased that the garden did so well this year. It has given me many hours of pleasure. I wonder what October holds in store. An Indian Summer or early frosts? We shall have to wait and see!
Sunday, 29 September 2013
Summer at Crathie - 7
Sadly, this is the last time we shall be visiting Crathie Parish Church this year. We thank the Minister (The Reverend Kenneth MacKenzie) and Her Majesty The Queen for allowing us to join them for Divine Service.
CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive)
Min: The Lord is risen!
All: He is risen indeed!
Min: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Min: The Lord be with you!
All: And also with you
Hymn 70 Give praise and thanks unto the Lord
PRAYER OF APPROACH and the LORD’S PRAYER
Hymn 782 Lord of life, we come to you
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)
Gracious God, we confess that we have longed too much for the comforts of this world. We have loved the gifts more than the Giver. In your mercy, help us to see that all the things we pine for are shadows, but You are substance; that they are quick-sands, but You are mountain; that they are shifting, but You are anchor. We plead your forgiveness on the merits of Jesus Christ. Accept His worthiness for our unworthiness; His fullness for our emptiness; His glory for our shame; His death for our life. These things we ask in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1
My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick.
Hark, the cry of my poor people from far and wide in the land: “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her?” (“Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their foreign idols?”) “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!
GOSPEL LESSON: St Luke 16:1-13
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Hymn 813 All praise and thanks to God
SERMON
‘Making Choices’
Hymn 509 Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult
OFFERING
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
Hymn 166 Lord of all hopefulness
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
BENEDICTION
Happy Sunday!
CALL TO WORSHIP (Responsive)
Min: The Lord is risen!
All: He is risen indeed!
Min: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Min: The Lord be with you!
All: And also with you
Hymn 70 Give praise and thanks unto the Lord
PRAYER OF APPROACH and the LORD’S PRAYER
Hymn 782 Lord of life, we come to you
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (unison)
Gracious God, we confess that we have longed too much for the comforts of this world. We have loved the gifts more than the Giver. In your mercy, help us to see that all the things we pine for are shadows, but You are substance; that they are quick-sands, but You are mountain; that they are shifting, but You are anchor. We plead your forgiveness on the merits of Jesus Christ. Accept His worthiness for our unworthiness; His fullness for our emptiness; His glory for our shame; His death for our life. These things we ask in Jesus’ name. AMEN.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1
My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick.
Hark, the cry of my poor people from far and wide in the land: “Is the Lord not in Zion? Is her King not in her?” (“Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their foreign idols?”) “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?
that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!
GOSPEL LESSON: St Luke 16:1-13
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Hymn 813 All praise and thanks to God
SERMON
‘Making Choices’
Hymn 509 Jesus calls us! O’er the tumult
OFFERING
PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION
Hymn 166 Lord of all hopefulness
Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy,
be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
be there at our labours, and give us, we pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM
BENEDICTION
Happy Sunday!
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Summer in Perthshire - 6
Here is a view of the Dunkeld House Hotel from Pine Cone Viewpoint.
Discover a highland escape at Hilton Dunkeld House. Once the summer residence of the Dukes of Atholl, the hotel is idyllically set on the banks of the River Tay in the heart of Perthshire's Big Tree Country. Located in the charming town of Dunkeld, just an hour's drive from Scotland's main cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow this country house hotel combines scenic seclusion with excellent proximity to local attractions.
Positioned on a 280-acre woodland estate, Hilton Dunkeld House is home to the Dunkeld Activity Park offering outdoor activities including falconry, fishing, quad biking, archery, and clay-pigeon shooting. Play 9-holes on the hotel's putting course or challenge family and friends to a game of tennis. Treat yourself to a massage at the spa, work out at the fitness centre, or enjoy a swim in the heated indoor pool with whirlpool, sauna, and steam facilities.
Sample Scottish specialty dishes prepared using the freshest local ingredients at the Garden Restaurant overlooking the River Tay and enjoy a single-malt in the Garden Bar. Relax in the cozy atmosphere of the River Lounge with a light lunch or aromatic coffee.
Hold weddings and celebrations for up to 200 guests choosing from a riverside ceremony, indoor event or the outdoor marquee, and rely on the expert team to help plan every detail. Host meetings and team building events in Scotland, taking advantage of the expansive indoor events space and variety of outdoor activities on offer at the Hilton Dunkeld House hotel.
Discover a highland escape at Hilton Dunkeld House. Once the summer residence of the Dukes of Atholl, the hotel is idyllically set on the banks of the River Tay in the heart of Perthshire's Big Tree Country. Located in the charming town of Dunkeld, just an hour's drive from Scotland's main cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow this country house hotel combines scenic seclusion with excellent proximity to local attractions.
Positioned on a 280-acre woodland estate, Hilton Dunkeld House is home to the Dunkeld Activity Park offering outdoor activities including falconry, fishing, quad biking, archery, and clay-pigeon shooting. Play 9-holes on the hotel's putting course or challenge family and friends to a game of tennis. Treat yourself to a massage at the spa, work out at the fitness centre, or enjoy a swim in the heated indoor pool with whirlpool, sauna, and steam facilities.
Sample Scottish specialty dishes prepared using the freshest local ingredients at the Garden Restaurant overlooking the River Tay and enjoy a single-malt in the Garden Bar. Relax in the cozy atmosphere of the River Lounge with a light lunch or aromatic coffee.
Hold weddings and celebrations for up to 200 guests choosing from a riverside ceremony, indoor event or the outdoor marquee, and rely on the expert team to help plan every detail. Host meetings and team building events in Scotland, taking advantage of the expansive indoor events space and variety of outdoor activities on offer at the Hilton Dunkeld House hotel.
Friday, 27 September 2013
Summer in Perthshire - 5
Here we see the fine structure at Pine Cone View Point.
It is an easy walk up to this point, and the views are magnificent. You can see for miles and miles. A lovely spot for spying on life below!
It is an easy walk up to this point, and the views are magnificent. You can see for miles and miles. A lovely spot for spying on life below!
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Summer in Perthshire - 4
Craigvinean Forest forms part of the Tay Forest Park and is situated 1 mile north of Dunkeld in Perthshire.
Forming part of the Tay Forest Park in Perthshire, the Craigvinean Forest is one of Scotland’s oldest managed forests. Created from larch seed planted by the Dukes of Atholl, some 27 million conifers were planted in and around Dunkeld between 1738 and 1830. The lower forest slopes are a mix of Scots pine and beech trees, while the upper slopes include many larch trees.
The name Craigvinean is Gaelic for `crag of the goats`, and the forest has been popular since Victorian times. An extensive path network runs through the forest, which is suitable for both walkers and cyclists. The longer distance routes run from Dunkeld, through Craigvinean, the neighbouring Griffin Forest and on to Aberfeldy.
Spectacular views across Dunkeld and the Tay can be enjoyed from Pine Cone Point, a picturesque viewpoint marked by a unique timber built pine cone structure. The forest is also a haven for red squirrels.
Forming part of the Tay Forest Park in Perthshire, the Craigvinean Forest is one of Scotland’s oldest managed forests. Created from larch seed planted by the Dukes of Atholl, some 27 million conifers were planted in and around Dunkeld between 1738 and 1830. The lower forest slopes are a mix of Scots pine and beech trees, while the upper slopes include many larch trees.
The name Craigvinean is Gaelic for `crag of the goats`, and the forest has been popular since Victorian times. An extensive path network runs through the forest, which is suitable for both walkers and cyclists. The longer distance routes run from Dunkeld, through Craigvinean, the neighbouring Griffin Forest and on to Aberfeldy.
Spectacular views across Dunkeld and the Tay can be enjoyed from Pine Cone Point, a picturesque viewpoint marked by a unique timber built pine cone structure. The forest is also a haven for red squirrels.
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Summer in Perthshire - 3
Here we see the train which is travelling from Inverness to Glasgow Queen Street. You can see the River Tay to the right of the photo.
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui, then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Iubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay in the centre of Scotland, then southeasterly through Perth, where it becomes tidal, to its mouth at the Firth of Tay, south of Dundee. It is the largest river in the UK by volume of discharge.
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui, then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Iubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay in the centre of Scotland, then southeasterly through Perth, where it becomes tidal, to its mouth at the Firth of Tay, south of Dundee. It is the largest river in the UK by volume of discharge.
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Summer in Perthshire - 2
Trees are very good at hiding some of the more unsightly aspects of the physical environment!
Here we see the A9 road and the London to Inverness railway line. You can also spot the River Tay in the top left hand corner of the photo. So here we have three means of transport - boat, car, and train!
Here we see the A9 road and the London to Inverness railway line. You can also spot the River Tay in the top left hand corner of the photo. So here we have three means of transport - boat, car, and train!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)