Thursday

I Love Unusual Fountains - Travel






I love fountains! 

BUT

 I have seen so many over the years in various countries where we have lived 
or gone on holiday 
that I now like to look out for unusual ones.


Maybe it is just because I love watching moving water 
or prancing about in waves. 
 I wonder - does paddling in cold ripples on the beach 
also qualify here?



When we lived in Belgium we were in a Village called Tervuren and it was a lovely village with a royal castle and the gardens were open to the public as a park.

There was a roundabout in front of the castle and a long road leading up to it and shortly after we arrived there they started to work at the roundabout.






It was a mystery as to what they were going to do with it because it was obvious soon enough that it was not just going to have nice flower beds.  Well you can probably guess it must have had a fountain because that's what I'm writing about today but for the story and to see just what type of fountain was involved you will need to read Tervuren Fountain



We have lived in America and Belgium as well as our homeland of Northern Ireland and we have also visited several places on holidays over the years so I've picked out some of the more unusual fountains in those places as a representation of


 "Fountains throughout the World".






From Top Left going round Clockwise we have:

  1. Washington D.C.
  2. Singapore
  3. Geneva, Switzerland
  4. Manneken Pis - Brussels, Belgium
  5. Paris, France
  6. Las Vegas, USA
  7. Seoul, South Korea
  8. Old Faithful Geyser - Yellowstone Park, USA


These are all beautiful fountains but my heart lies firmly with the one in Tervuren which is more unusual than these and as I would pass it on almost a daily basis it continued (over all the years we were there) to put a smile on my face each time.

Tervuren Fountain  will always be special to me - you really need to go and have a look.

About halfway through my time in Belgium I was fortunate enough to be in a ladies group which managed to arrange to visit the workshop of the man who created the Fountain.  This workshop was at his home and all around his large (very large) garden were many more sculptures of many different animals and people and objects.

I remember telling him that I already knew then that The Fountain at Tervuren would be the thing I would miss most when I left Belgium and it is true, although I do miss the friends I made there as well.

It took Tom Frantzen a long time to design, get all the materials necessary and then to create this beautiful feature.

This always makes me think of my wonderful creator who did not even have to gather together materials because He made the world from nothing.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed 
by the word of God, so that things which are seen 
were not made of things which do appear.
HEBREWS 11:3


Tom Frantzen is a very gifted sculptor and has made beautiful things but even though we use the word create in this context he really made them out of other things whereas God is the true creator because he made the world and us and everything in the world from nothing.

Oh how marvellous is my God.

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: 
for thou hast created all things, 
and for thy pleasure 
they are and were created.
REVELATION 4:11



Have you acknowledged God's wonderful creation?

You should, because you are His wonderful creation.






Our daughter now lives in South Korea and of course she took us to see a lovely waterfall on Jeju Island on one of our trips to visit her but also while we were there 

 I found another lovely fountain; 
quite small but I loved the idea of it 
so I'm adding it in for you to see here.






 Have you visited any of these places and admired these fountains?

Let me know in the comments







Sunday

Sunday Scripture - 1 Thessalonians 5 v 11 - 24



Sunday Scripture is just simply a thought or two on a 
Bible verse 
or short passage 
that may have struck me afresh 
or maybe for the first time 
or has always been special to me.


Today I am looking at 

1 Thessalonians 5 v 11 - 24






This is one of the longer passages that I have included in a 
Sunday Scripture 

But that doesn't mean this will be a very long Blog Post.





In this passage we see the responsibilities we have as Christians, believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.


These are two-fold


1.  Relationship between us and God


2. Relationship between us and other people





1 Thessalonians 5 v 11 - 24 

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 
And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 
Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 
Rejoice evermore. 
Pray without ceasing. 
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 
Quench not the Spirit. 
Despise not prophesyings. 
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 
Abstain from all appearance of evil. 
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

 

 

Relationships

1.  Relationship between us and God

Rejoice always

Pray without ceasing

Give Thanks Always

Do not quench the spirit



2. Relationship between us and other people


Comfort & encourage others

Respect others

Be at peace with others

Help the weak

Be patient with everyone




The start of our passage jumps right in with verse 11 which almost sums up how we should treat others.



It continues through to verse 15 considering relationships and attitudes towards those who have a leadership role and those who need more help than others, stressing the patience and care needed and advising of the right attitude to all people doing good and not evil to any.


The next section of our passage starts with verse 16 giving instruction in a very simple way as to how we need to behave towards God and continuing on to verse 22.






Perhaps we should remember that a part we often overlook is a very important phrase giving us the reason we need to keep these relationships right.

 

       "For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

       concerning you"


To NOT keep these relationships as stated here is to go against the will of God.


But we are not at the end of our passage just yet.

To finish off Paul leaves us with a blessing in verse 23







and

some of the best encouragement we can have in verse 24


"He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."

We have a faithful God who does what he promises.