CAMPING ON HORNBY ISLAND

I LOVE HORNBY ISLAND!

The name is rather unusual but oh well, it is still one of my favorite nearby places to escape to each summer.

Tribune Bay Provincial Park is picturesque!  The beach is known as the Hawaii of Canada.  The aquamarine color and the warm temperature of the water in the summer makes it a popular destination for those who know about this special little place.

Lots of soft, white, sandy beach.  Nearly a mile to be precise.  Shallow water perfect for skimboarding and safe for children.  Sandstone formations that are fun to explore.

Only about a 1000 people live on this little island year round.  Many of them are said to be Vietnam draft dodgers that never left.  The island is full of artists and hippies who enjoy the beauty of nature the island provides.

Hornby Island is an outdoor enthusiast's dream location.  Hiking trails, mountain biking, swimming, boating, kayaking and so much more.  Campgrounds are available to allow ample time to explore all this Island has to offer.  Check out Tribune Bay Campground just a short walk from the beach.

I can't imagine a nicer way to spend a warm sunny day then at a gorgeous beach hide-away on Hornby Island.  That is why I go back every year and Give Thanks!

OKANAGAN SUNSHINE

The Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia is a popular summer destination!  I was blessed to have lived there for 5 years so I know personally how much the Okanagan has to offer for summer adventure.  The outdoor beauty alone will have you saying, "WOW!".

Seldom is the summer weather anything but perfect in the Okanagan.  And there is so much to explore and do while there.

Okanagan Lake is 135 km long and 4 to 5 km wide.  The highway drive beside most of the lake has breathtaking views.  But there are many other beautiful lakes in the valley as well, such as Kalamalka, Skaha, Osoyoos and more.  All of these lakes have fabulous swimming at sandy beaches and various water sports to enjoy.

For accommodation there are many campgrounds either private or provincial.  Most are located either on a lake or very near.  Of course there are also many motels, hotels and even high end resorts to choose from as well.

Restaurants abound.  Whatever your palate is yearning for can be found in the Okanagan.  My favorite is a Greek restaurant in Penticton called Theo's.  Their Moussaka and Mediterranean Ribs are like none other.

Lots of exciting activities await you in the Okanagan Valley.  Fun in the sun is on most people's itinerary while there.  For young children, a free water park is in Summerland at the beach.  In Penticton, many like to take a leisurely float down the canal from Okanagan Lake to Skaha Lake on inner tubes or air mattresses.  Tubes can be rented at the starting point in the north west end of Penticton.  Also at the Penticton Lakeside Resort you can parasail and have a birds eye view of the Valley.

There are countless trails to hike or bike.  One of my favorites is easy for either of these activities and offers glorious views of Okanagan Lake.  It is the KVR Trail between Penticton and Naramata.  The trail head is located in north east Penticton at the end of a cul-de-dac on Vancouver Place.  I also enjoy the hike up Giant's Head Mountain in Summerland when I need a good work out.  More fabulous views await you at the top.

Let's not forget the famous wine tours in the Southern Okanagan Valley.  Most of British Columbia's wine is found in this region and many are award winning.  Fine wineries are located in Naramata, Summerland and between Oliver and Osoyoos.  Popular Wine Tours are available in the Fall Season but stop in for wine tasting any time of year.

If you are driving through Okanagan Falls, don't miss stopping at Tickleberry's for their fabulous Ice Cream Cones and Fudge.

In Summerland, a visit to Summerland Sweets is a popular stop for their specialty syrups and jams, unique fruit wines and delicious ice cream.  Summerland is also the location of my favorite beach on Okanagan Lake called Sun-Oka Beach.  There is even a great dog beach in one isolated section for furry family members to cool down.  Also in Summerland is a great restaurant called Local Lounge.  It is on Lakeshore Drive and has a great outdoor patio to enjoy the great views while feasting on fabulous food.  There are boat and jet ski rentals available here for more adventure.

You will run out of vacation time before you run out of things to see and do in the Okanagan Valley.  It is an extremely popular vacation destination for good reasons.  If you have not yet visited, then start planning now.  The "WOW Factor" is unending!

I just finished a one week vacation in the Okanagan and wonder why I ever moved away.  But I am blessed to be able to return every summer for a visit to this incredible destination!

Give Thanks!

ROBIN WILLIAMS DEPRESSED AND DEAD FROM SUICIDE

The man that made us all laugh suffered from depression.  How ironic.  How sad.

But do we all realize that depression is much more than sadness?

Never equate having a "feeling blue" day as being depressed.  It simply does not compare.  Feeling blue does not even begin to encompass all that real depression involves.  You can't just snap out of depression and choose to cheer yourself up.

Tell me, when you last felt sad or blue, did you also wish you were dead?  Not likely but severely depressed people do.

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a deep pit that was cold and dark and lonely?  The emotional pain was impossible to bear and there was no way out?  You just wanted the pain to go away so suicide seemed like a viable option?  If so, then you do know what depression is.  And I am so sorry you had to experience it.

Many today are still so naive about depression.  Only if you have been severely depressed or know someone close to you who has can you grasp the enormity of the emotion.  It does not matter how smart you are, how rich you are or how many friends you have, depression can still come down on you like a ton of bricks.

I loved watching Robin Williams entertain me from the very beginning with the TV show "Mork and Mindy".  And what about "Good Morning Vietnam" or "Mrs. Doubtfire"?  However, perhaps my favorite movies were not comedies but rather dramas called "Good Will Hunting" and "Dead Poet's Society".

"Dead Poet's Society" is a movie about young students at an elite prep school with Williams portraying their English teacher.  It is a drama full of emotions and even the ugly reality of suicide. 
In "Good Will Hunting" Williams played a psychiatrist helping a young troubled and brilliant mind.  So since he played the role of a psychiatrist, don't you think he knew all about getting help?  Of course he did.  Unfortunately psychiatrists and medications do not successfully help everyone with severe depression. 

There is a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes depression.  The anti-depressant medications attempt to balance that imbalance although they often fall short.  25% of people worldwide have suffered from depression.  That is one in four so you likely know someone who has experienced severe depression at one time.  It is very common yet usually suffered in silence and shame because it is so misunderstood.

Famous people have gone public about their experience with depression to increase awareness and diminish the stigma.  Olympian Clara Hughes has been a recent spokesperson.  Household names have suffered from clinical depression such as Billy Joel, Princess Diana, Jim Carrey and many more.

I would rather have a physical illness then depression.  At least physical ailments are visible and tangible to those around us and easy to understand.  People with depression are afraid to admit their pain for fear of being judged and ostracized for being "crazy".

I know because I have suffered from severe depression.  So I get it.  

I can only hope that many of us will seek to understand it better.

The stigma needs to be torn down.  Those suffering need to feel free to come out of hiding and seek help and love and compassion from those around them.  

Hopefully it will not take a huge spike in suicides to achieve this.

No one is immune to suffering from depression.  Situational depression can happen to any of us.

Today I am grateful that my experience with depression is in the past.

Someone you know has been depressed or is depressed right now.  Find out who it is and seek to understand them and love them.

Give Thanks!

BOREDOM. WHAT IS IT?

I remember when I was a kid I would get bored sometimes.  Even in the summer, having 2 months off was great at the beginning but near the end of the summer it was tough finding exciting things to do every day.  Not that I wanted to get back to school yet, mind you.

As an adult, I don't even know what boredom is.  Like really!  My days are so full of activity there is no time to get bored.  As I cross things off of my "to do" list, I am constantly adding new things to it. 

I am blessed with busyness.  And it is a blessing because I really hate being bored.

So I have to remind myself not to complain when I have too many things to do and not enough time to do them in.  Because it really beats being bored hands down.

For some people (besides children) it is difficult to avoid boredom.  I'm thinking of people sick in hospitals or at home who are unable to do many things because of their poor health, so boredom is inevitable.  After all you can only read books for so long before that even gets boring.

Many seniors get bored even if their health is still good.  For some the solution is frequent napping that they don't need, but what else is there to do since "Wheel of Fortune" is only on once a day.

I think of people I have met in Sudan, Africa that have little to do but sit for long hours every day trying to sell the craft or spices they have so they can then buy some food to eat.  They look incredibly bored and who wouldn't be?

I live in a country of boundless opportunities to be active, to be involved, to be fulfilled.

I am blessed with health and prosperity that gives me the physical and financial ability to do and enjoy most anything I want. 

So today I am grateful that my days are full of people and pets and hobbies and activities that keep me from being bored.  

Life is good!  So get out there and enjoy it!  While you are at, help someone else enjoy it too!

Give Thanks!

NO WORRIES! IT'S ALL GOOD!

One member of my family is frequently heard saying, "No worries.  It's all good."

Then there are other members of my family who worry far too much.

We really are all wired differently.  Some of us have personalities that are just so prone to worry in so many different situations and circumstances.  While others are so layed back. that nothing fazes them. 

I think I tend to sit relatively in the middle of that spectrum.

Did you know that research has shown that 90% of what we worry about never comes to pass.

Worry accomplishes nothing except more worry.  If we don't turn it off, it will grow and become debilitating.   People who worry are more prone to illness and have a poorer prognosis overcoming illnesses.

Worry has been compared to holding a glass of water so long that you eventually must put it down due to fatigue.  Same with worry, the more we worry the more burdensome our fears become weighing us down.

If we have a brain that tends to gravitate towards worry, it takes a lot of reconditioning to change.  But help is out there.  Programs exist to help retrain our brain and how it responds to stressful events in our lives.

One program I know of is "Attacking Anxiety & Depression" from the MidWest Center in Oak Harbor, Ohio.  The program was founded by Lucinda Bassett who had to conquer her own panic attacks, agoraphobia and depression.  Lucinda is now a motivational speaker and has appeared on numerous TV shows such as Oprah, The View and Robert Schuller's Hour of Power.  Her life-changing techniques have been utilized in major companies such as AT&T and McDonalds.

Her steps to emotional wellness have been featured in magazines such as Health, Family Circle and the Journal of Clinical Psychology.  She has also authored several books such as "The Solution", "From Panic to Power", "Life Without Limits" and "Truth Be Told: A Memoir of Success, Suicide and Survival".

I personally have not used this program but I know of someone who has and with very good results.  There are many who credit this program as revolutionary.  Of course, like any self help program, one has to enter it with an open mind and recognize that any improved changes that occur are ultimately a result of the individual effort put into the program.  Our brains can be retrained but it takes repeated, consistent work.  We will never be without some level of anxiety and that is normal.  But debilitating anxiety that affects our day to day living and creates a continuous inner tension is not normal.

Anxiety is worry and it is like a rocking chair, constantly going back and forth but going nowhere.

Corrie Ten Boom (Holocost survivor) said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; but empties today of its strengths.”

For myself, when I start to worry too much, I remind myself that God is in control.  He is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving so there is no point in worrying.  In fact, if I am worrying then my faith in Him is obviously too small.  

I am grateful that as a child of an awesome God, I have no need to worry!

Give Thanks!

CHURCH? FOR OLD FOGIES OR HAS IT CHANGED?

"Church?  Isn't that just for old people, half of which fall asleep?"  This is what a coworker said to me once when I mentioned that I went to church.

Well I'm not old, I don't fall asleep and I really enjoy going to church.

Church has changed over the years.  Today the music is more modern and lively instead of the old fashioned hymns.  Many churches have a full band playing with guitars, keyboard and drums.  People of all ages attend and participate fully in the worshipful music.  Most preachers engage the audience rather then standing still behind a pulpit and speaking with a monotone voice.   Suits and dresses are no longer expected either.  Come in jeans, shorts or whatever is comfortable.

Many churches are very involved in their local community as well.   Various church programs are actively serving the needs of those around them such as Soup Kitchens, Puppet Shows for Children, After School Programs, Divorce Recovery Groups and so much more.

Recently a team of about 100 young people visited our community for one week in a program called SERVE.  The team was divided into groups of about 6 and assigned a different home to visit each day where they would serve the home owners by doing various yard work for them.  The program is designed to lighten the load of the elderly, single parents or anyone else who needs the assistance.  It is a means of serving others while displaying the love of Jesus.  The kids genuinely enjoy the opportunity to help others and the recipients of their volunteer work are blessed.

I think it is sad that so many have never been to church.  There are so many churches to choose from, all of which are happy to have visitors.  Once in the door you should receive a hardy welcome and if you take the initiative to learn about opportunities to get involved, you will soon find a second family.

If you are afraid of people in churches having a "bible thumping" mentality, don't worry I get it.  I have even witnessed it and it turns my stomach.  Don't get me wrong, I believe the Bible, but nobody needs it shoved down their throat. 

So perhaps you have been to church and didn't like it or were somehow offended.  Then try another church.  I honestly believe there is a church out there for everyone that can be a home away from home.  If you do not receive a warm welcome and witness love in action, then look elsewhere.

Perhaps you just don't like Christians.  Many find Christians to be hypocritical, judgemental and unkind.  If you have been wounded by a so-called Christian, I am so sorry!  Even as a Christian myself, I have dropped my jaw in utter shock to hear some appalling stories of encounters that non-Christians have had with Christians.  Although we are far from perfect, we should be known for our love and compassion above all else.

Having a Christian faith gives meaning and purpose to my life.  My Christian friends are my closest friends.  Actively participating in Christian service gives me inner joy.  Church is where my faith, friends and ministry are found.  It's not a once-a-week activity.  It's  a daily existence with God in charge.

My weekly church attendance is a source of rejuvenation.  Life is hard sometimes.  Church helps me get through. 

So what is keeping you from going to church?  Reach out and find a whole new life waiting for you.  Church is not boring.  Check it out for yourself and see.

Give Thanks!