I love sunny Deep Cove days! One sunny day in Deep Cove is worth a hundred rainy ones. The brilliant green trees, the sun on the water, the sense of being at home, all beckon us back to Deep Cove again and again. Within five minutes in either direction, there is an abundance of beaches, mountains, forests, and parks. There is something about Deep Cove that allows one to feel totally freed from the stress of urban madness, while only being just across the bridge from Vancouver, the third largest city in Canada. Described by one California mountain biker as the ‘sleepy sea side village of Deep Cove’, it was birthed in the early 20th century as a summer vacation resort, only accessible by water. Despite easy road access, the Cove still carries that ‘genetic code’ of ‘letting go of one’s work-a-day world’. Unlike many suburbs, Deep Cove has such a deep sense of roots that it even has a thriving Deep Cove Heritage Society , a Deep Cove Cultural Centre, two Deep Cove history books, and even our well-known annual Deep Cove Daze.
There is something about the Cove that calls forth the artist, the painter, and poet deep within us. Michael Hayward, an SFU Computer expert and Deep Cove resident, reminds us in his striking Quicktime VR Panorama of Deep Cove of the fascination that so many of us experience in the midst of such beauty and peace.
Maurice Jasaak in his beautiful photographic website of Deep Cove comments that “Deep Cove is as much a concept as it is a location.” “There is no community in the lower Mainland”, says Jasaak, ” with more of a mystique. Deep Cove is that place that seems forever shrouded in clouds and mists, getting the highest rainfall totals in the region. It is where two bodies of water meet, Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm. It has more recreational opportunities within reach than most other communities. Residents are very possessive of this image. All things considered it is one of my favourite destinations when getting away for a short while is the goal.”
At the visual heart of Deep Cove is the striking Deep Cove Yacht Club which has been in existence since July 31st 1936. During World War II, the clubhouse was requisitioned as an elementary school and it also served as a meeting place for the local Red Cross and Air Raid Precaution organizations. During its early years, the clubhouse was the focal point for most of the Cove’s social and recreational activities and present Cultural Centre.
Deep Cove is the starting point for hikes along the Baden-Powell Trail that cross the North Shore to Horseshoe Bay, as well as canoe and kayak excursions on Indian Arm. Its waterfront location, only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, makes the Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak Centre defined. a favorite departure spot for people wishing to enjoy the relatively still waters of the Indian Arm. Everything about Deep Cove is laid back and yet pushing the boundaries.
As I wrote in the Deep Cove Crier 19 years ago, “Everywhere I look from Panorama Park, my eyes are pierced by trees, a ring of unending trees like a green cocoon that encircles and protects Deep Cove from the intrusions of that other world. There is a stillness about Deep Cove that grips me and will not let go.” I have been privileged to baptize two groups of people at Panorama Park in Deep Cove. What a beautiful place to worship God. How the heavens declare the glory of God at Deep Cove. (Psalm 19). I thank you, Father, for ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ in this irreplacable setting.
The Rev. Dr. Ed Hird, BSW, MDiv, DMin
-previously published in the North Shore News/Deep Cove Crier
P. S. Click this Amazon link to view for free the first two chapters of our new novel Blue Sky.
“I’m afraid there’s been an accident…”
Sandy Brown and her family have just moved to Spokane, Washington where her husband, Scott, is pastoring a new church. With a fresh start, Sandy is determined to devote more time to her four children. But, within weeks of settling in their new life, the Brown family is plunged into turmoil.
Sandy receives shocking news that her children aren’t safe, which brings back haunting memories of the trauma she experienced as a girl. Then, the unthinkable happens…
A brutal attack puts Sandy on the brink of losing everything she’s loved. Her faith in God and the family she cherishes are pushed to the ultimate limit.
Is healing possible when so many loved ones are hurt? Are miracles really possible through the power of prayer? Can life return to the way it was before?
Blue Sky reveals how a mother’s most basic instinct isn’t for survival… but for family.
If you’re a fan of Karen Kingsbury, then you’ll love Blue Sky. Get your copy today on paperback or kindle.
-The sequel book Restoring Health: body, mind and spirit is available online with Amazon.com in both paperback and ebook form. Dr. JI Packer wrote the foreword, saying “I heartily commend what he has written.” The book focuses on strengthening a new generation of healthy leaders. Drawing on examples from Titus’ healthy leadership in the pirate island of Crete, it shows how we can embrace a holistically healthy life.
To receive a signed copy within North America, just etransfer at ed_hird@telus.net, giving your address. Cheques are also acceptable.
-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
To purchase any of our six books in paperback or ebook on Amazon, just click on this link.
How are your knees feeling today? Are you fit enough for The Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run, a challenging 30-mile foot race along the Baden-Powell Centennial Trail from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove? Running Wild magazine has recognized the Knee Knackering race on the North Shore of Vancouver, BC as one of the 25 toughest races in North America, as it involves some 16,000 feet of vertical climb and descent.
What started as a group run with 8 participants in 1989 has quickly grown into the biggest ultramarathon race in Canada. Since 1994, there has been so much interest that the Northshore Ultra Trailrunning Society (N.U.T.S.) has been forced to use a lottery to select a maximum slate of 175 runners. Raising over $10,000 for various charities since its inception, the Knee Knackering race has benefited the North Shore Search and Rescue team.
Knee Knackering however is not just limited to the North Shore Mountains. Because of the increased emphasis on physical fitness, knee injuries are becoming more common among athletes and the general population. According to the California Podiatric Medical Association, out of the more than 100 million North Americans who will visit the emergency room this year, almost 13 million will be treated due to sports-related injuries. More than 4.1 million people seek medical care each year for a knee problem. James M. Fox MD says ‘The annual cost of these knee injuries, including hospital bills, physical therapy sessions, and hours lost from work exceeds 40 billion dollars!
There is a hit song being played on the local radios these days which gives the advice: ‘Be good to your knees; you are going to need them later’. It’s so true. I remember when I used to jog a mile and a half every day. Some days I forgot to warm up properly and would sometimes injure my knees. I would be in agony trying to crawl up the stairs, only to go out jogging the next day if I felt better. Very few of us, when we are young, think about the long-term damage that we may be doing to our long-term knee joints.
Dr. Richard Villar, a specialist hip and knee surgeon, holds that the knee is the most commonly injured joint in the body. In San Francisco, a sports medicine clinic reviewed 10,000 recreational injuries, and nine activities – basketball, dance, football, gymnastics, running, skiing, tennis, soccer, and figure skating – accounted for three-fourths of the injuries. What part of the anatomy was number one on the hit parade? Knees.
The injured knee is also particularly unforgiving. Knee injuries account for more time lost from competition by young athletes than any other type of surgery. Knee injuries end more athletic careers and disable more athletes in later years than any other sports injury. A severely injured knee is often at risk when an athlete returns to competition, even after surgery.
Of the 187 joints in the body, the knee is, without a doubt, the best at grabbing one’s attention and is our most vulnerable joint, according to James Fox, MD. An estimated 50 million North Americans have suffered or are suffering knee pain or injuries. For an estimated 17 million North American athletes, the injury rate in such sports as football, gymnastics, skiing, and racket sports is projected at over 50 percent. According to sports medicine specialists, the initial complaint of over half the athletes they see is knee pain. Dr. Fox notes that if you’re an athlete, the chances of knee surgery are five times greater than surgery on any other part of the body
One in four high-school football players will suffer some kind of knee injury. According to a National Athletic Trainers Association study, about fifteen thousand high-school football players require knee surgery every year—almost 70 percent of all operations performed on high-school football players. A nine-year study showed that 70 percent of all football players had knee surgery by the age of twenty-six, including half of all running backs and virtually every quarterback.
When a knee is injured, it is vital to get evaluation from a medical expert as soon as possible. The best treatment for injury is prevention, which is why we have many recreational therapists available to guide us in strengthening our knees through exercise at our local Rec Centres.
Immediate treatment of minor sports injuries is called RICE after its four components: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Arthroscopic ‘keyhole’ surgery allows doctors using miniature cameras to repair damaged knee cartilage, resulting in a dramatically reduced recovery period. Up to a million ‘keyhole’ surgeries are done each year. Up to 200,000 knee joints are surgically replaced each year. There are now dozens of websites offering sports braces to reduce and allegedly prevent knee damage. Even the snowboarder websites are offering custom designed knee braces for the active boarder.
As we strengthen our knees physically, it is also vital that we strengthen our knees spiritually. In both the Old and New Testament, we are encouraged to strengthen our tired arms and our weak knees (Isaiah 35:3, Hebrews 12:10). The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines being weak-kneed as ‘the inability to stand firm, the want of resolution’. There can be a danger in our gentle Canadian culture that we may fail to take a stand when a stand needs to be taken. Only passionate persistent prayer in Jesus’ name can free us from morally weak knees.
–previously published in the North Shore News/Deep Cove Crier
P. S. Click this Amazon link to view for free the first two chapters of our new novel Blue Sky.
“I’m afraid there’s been an accident…”
Sandy Brown and her family have just moved to Spokane, Washington where her husband, Scott, is pastoring a new church. With a fresh start, Sandy is determined to devote more time to her four children. But, within weeks of settling in their new life, the Brown family is plunged into turmoil.
Sandy receives shocking news that her children aren’t safe, which brings back haunting memories of the trauma she experienced as a girl. Then, the unthinkable happens…
A brutal attack puts Sandy on the brink of losing everything she’s loved. Her faith in God and the family she cherishes are pushed to the ultimate limit.
Is healing possible when so many loved ones are hurt? Are miracles really possible through the power of prayer? Can life return to the way it was before?
Blue Sky reveals how a mother’s most basic instinct isn’t for survival… but for family.
If you’re a fan of Karen Kingsbury, then you’ll love Blue Sky. Get your copy today on paperback or kindle.
-The sequel book Restoring Health: body, mind and spirit is available online with Amazon.com in both paperback and ebook form. Dr. JI Packer wrote the foreword, saying “I heartily commend what he has written.” The book focuses on strengthening a new generation of healthy leaders. Drawing on examples from Titus’ healthy leadership in the pirate island of Crete, it shows how we can embrace a holistically healthy life.
To receive a signed copy within North America, just etransfer at ed_hird@telus.net, giving your address. Cheques are also acceptable.
-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
To purchase any of our six books in paperback or ebook on Amazon, just click on this link.
As I was taking our three sons toboganning up Mount Seymour, I saw the Baden-Powell Trail, and was reminded again of the lasting impact that the Baden-Powells have on our society.
From the very beginning, Lord and Lady Baden-Powell were committed to making a significant difference in the lives of young people. They saw the effect of our industrialized, urbanized society: the decline in physical health, the erosion of moral standards, the loss of self discipline. Robert Baden-Powell (B.P. as he is affectionately known) returned from South Africa in 1903 as a war hero.
He had bravely defended the South African town of Mafeking with only a small band of soldiers for 217 days. During the siege, he used the boys of the town as messengers, first aid attendants, and other vital jobs. These boys, who were the first prototype of the boy scouts, played a vital part in saving a beleaguered town. The Boer War as a whole was a great embarrassment to the English nation. Their troops performed poorly and inefficiently. B.P.’s 217 day defense of Mateking provided a bright spot in an otherwise dark period.
When B.P. returned to England, he was appalled at the deterioration of morale in English youth. He described ‘thousands of boys and young men pale, narrow chested, hunched up, miserable specimens, smoking endless cigarettes, numbers of them betting.” He was also concerned about the rampant sexual immorality, resulting in disease, poverty, and unwanted children. B. P. the war hero wanted to use his popularity to help rebuild the vitality and dynamism of young people. The amazing popularity of his scouting movement probably surprised B.P. as much as anyone else.
Within one year after writing the best seller ‘Scouting for Boys’, over 100,000 boys had already enrolled as Scouts. The scouting movement quickly crossed the seas to numerous countries around the world. King Edward VII was very interested in scouting and suggested that B.P. give up his army career and devote all his time to scouting worldwide.
After meeting the future Lady Baden Powell on an ocean cruise in 1912, Robert and Olave Baden-Powell were married in a quiet church wedding that same year. The two formed a powerful alliance that has unforgettably shaped the character of countless young people throughout the world. At Robert’s request, Olave took on the leadership of the floundering Girl Guides movement. Under Olave’s loving and capable direction, the Guiding movement exploded with new energy and growth.
Thanks to this remarkable husband/wife team, over 17 million boys and 8 million girls worldwide are now involved in the scouting/guiding movements. Some people mistake the scouting/guiding movements as merely a recreational diversion for rambunctious children, In fact, Robert and Olave B.P. saw recreation as merely one of many tools to build lasting character. B.P. saw scouting/guiding as “… education in high ideals, in self reliance, in sense of duty, in fortitude, in self respect and regard for others in one word, in those Christian attributes that go to make character.”
Robert and Olave B.P. believed that character could not be imposed from outside. Character and self-discipline had to come from within. Character building for the B. P.’s had a lot to do with trustworthiness, honesty, loyalty, duty, responsibility, friendliness, courtesy, thriftiness, and moral purity. Robert and Olave believed that the heart of character building came from loyalty to God and country. That is why in the very first part of the Scout/Guide Promise, they built in “doing one’s duty to God”.
Olave and Robert Baden-Powell were both committed Christians. Olave expressed her Christian commitment by serving as godmother to over 40 baptized children a responsibility she took very seriously. In her autobiography she wrote: “If I have any message to leave, it is this: Believe in God. He guides and protects you all through life …” Robert, when dealing with conflicts in the Scouting movement, recommended that people ” … ask themselves the simple question, “What would Christ have done under the circumstances?” and be guided accordingly.” Character building for Lord and Lady Baden-Powell was a very spiritual activity.
Both Robert and Olave were impressed by the character building impact of taking urban young people away from the city, and back to the great outdoors. At the formal opening of campfire, they had the campers recite Rudyard Kipling’s poem: ‘Who hath smelt wood smoke at twilight? Who hath heard the birchlog burning? Who is quick to read the noises of the night?”
Robert saw camping as a golden chance to bring the boy to God through the direct appeal of Nature and her store of wonders.” He said that “Our aim is to get hold of the boys and to open up their minds, to bring out each lad’s character (and no two are exactly alike), to make them into good men for God and their country, to encourage them to be energetic workers and to be honourable, manly fellows with a brotherly feeling for one another.”
Olave was equally impressed with the beauty of God’s creation. She said: 1 am sure that God means us to be happy in this life. He has given us a world to live in that is full of beauty and wonders, and He has given us not only eyes to see them but minds to understand them if we only have the sense to look at them in that light.”
My prayer for those reading this article is that the inspiring example of the Baden-Powells may encourage each of us to be more thankful for the beauty of God’s world.
The Rev. Dr. Ed Hird, BSW, MDiv, DMin
-previously published in the Deep Cove Crier/North Shore News
P. S. Click this Amazon link to view for free the first two chapters of our new novel Blue Sky.
“I’m afraid there’s been an accident…”
Sandy Brown and her family have just moved to Spokane, Washington where her husband, Scott, is pastoring a new church. With a fresh start, Sandy is determined to devote more time to her four children. But, within weeks of settling in their new life, the Brown family is plunged into turmoil.
Sandy receives shocking news that her children aren’t safe, which brings back haunting memories of the trauma she experienced as a girl. Then, the unthinkable happens…
A brutal attack puts Sandy on the brink of losing everything she’s loved. Her faith in God and the family she cherishes are pushed to the ultimate limit.
Is healing possible when so many loved ones are hurt? Are miracles really possible through the power of prayer? Can life return to the way it was before?
Blue Sky reveals how a mother’s most basic instinct isn’t for survival… but for family.
If you’re a fan of Karen Kingsbury, then you’ll love Blue Sky. Get your copy today on paperback or kindle.
-The sequel book Restoring Health: body, mind and spirit is available online with Amazon.com in both paperback and ebook form. Dr. JI Packer wrote the foreword, saying “I heartily commend what he has written.” The book focuses on strengthening a new generation of healthy leaders. Drawing on examples from Titus’ healthy leadership in the pirate island of Crete, it shows how we can embrace a holistically healthy life.
To receive a signed copy within North America, just etransfer at ed_hird@telus.net, giving your address. Cheques are also acceptable.
-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
-Click to purchase the Companion Bible Study by Jan Cox (for the Battle of the Soul of Canada) in both paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
To purchase any of our six books in paperback or ebook on Amazon, just click on this link.
communities. Residents are very possessive of this image. All things considered it is one of my favourite destinations when getting away for a short while is the goal.”
“Everywhere I look from Panorama Park, my eyes are pierced by trees, a ring of unending trees like a green cocoon that encircles and protects Deep Cove from the intrusions of that other world. There is a stillness about Deep Cove that grips me and will not let go.” I have been privileged to baptize two groups of people at Panorama Park in Deep Cove. What a beautiful place to worship God. How the heavens declare the glory of God at Deep Cove. (Psalm 19). I thank you, Father, for ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ in this irreplacable setting.
Sandy Brown and her family have just moved to Spokane, Washington where her husband, Scott, is pastoring a new church. With a fresh start, Sandy is determined to devote more time to her four children. But, within weeks of settling in their new life, the Brown family is plunged into turmoil.
After meeting the future Lady Baden Powell on an ocean cruise in 1912, Robert and Olave Baden-Powell were married in a quiet church wedding that same year. The two formed a powerful alliance that has unforgettably shaped the character of countless young people throughout the world. At Robert’s request, Olave took on the leadership of the floundering Girl Guides movement. Under Olave’s loving and capable direction, the Guiding movement exploded with new energy and growth.
expressed her Christian commitment by serving as godmother to over 40 baptized children a responsibility she took very seriously. In her autobiography she wrote: “If I have any message to leave, it is this: Believe in God. He guides and protects you all through life …” Robert, when dealing with conflicts in the Scouting movement, recommended that people ” … ask themselves the simple question, “What would Christ have done under the circumstances?” and be guided accordingly.” Character building for Lord and Lady Baden-Powell was a very spiritual activity.
manly fellows with a brotherly feeling for one another.”
Sandy Brown and her family have just moved to Spokane, Washington where her husband, Scott, is pastoring a new church. With a fresh start, Sandy is determined to devote more time to her four children. But, within weeks of settling in their new life, the Brown family is plunged into turmoil.
Edhird's Blog 