By the Rev. Dr. Ed Hird

At 5:34 a.m, a shaggy grey and white St. Bernard wanders along. Two black-necked geese are gliding overhead. One solitary shining white cloud awaits the rising of the Summer Sun over the Deep Cove Bay.

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.

Thirty fuzzy grey baby geese, with their adult protectors, casually swim up to the Panorama Park beach, and begin voraciously pecking on the grass by the beach. All is silent, all is still, all is at rest. Not a human is in sight. Not a car can be heard. The only sound is the unending swirl of water crashing down over the rocks in Panorama Creek,

At 6.00 a.m., the Summer Sun is now bursting forth over the nearby mountains. The warmth of the blinding rays touches my park bench, and my heart soars. How jaded we’ve become to the miracle of the returning sun. How grateful our ancestors must have felt to welcome back the day after a dark fearful night.

As I sit on my Panorama Park bench, I am reminded of the well known song Morning has Broken.. “Morning has broken like the first morning. Black bird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the Singing, Praise for the Morning, Praise for them springing, fresh from the Word.”

How easily I become jaded to the beauty of Deep Cove. How hardened I can be to the wonderful gift of God’s natural beauty. How busy and distracted I can be in the rush and hub-bub of the daily frenzy. Thank you Jesus, for Deep Cove, for Panorama Park, for the beauty you have put right here in our neighbourhood to draw us back to You, to Your peace. Happiness is seeing a beautiful sunrise and knowing who to thank!

The Rev. Dr. Ed Hird, BSW, MDiv, DMin

-author of the award-winning book Battle for the Soul of Canada

-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.

-Click to check out our marriage book For Better For Worse: discovering the keys to a lasting relationship on Amazon. You can even read the first two chapters for free to see if the book speaks to you.

-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.

In Canada, Amazon.ca has the book available in paperback and ebook. It is also posted on Amazon UK (paperback and ebook), Amazon France (paperback and ebook), and Amazon Germany (paperback and ebook).

Restoring Health is also available online on Barnes and Noble in both paperback and Nook/ebook form.  Nook gives a sample of the book to read online.

Indigo also offers the paperback and the Kobo ebook version.  You can also obtain it through ITunes as an IBook.

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 

Indigo also offers the paperback and the Kobo ebook version.  You can also obtain it through ITunes as an IBook.

-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