Smiling Sally is starting a Blue Monday post.  Here is what she says…

 

Every Monday, I’ll have a blue post, and I’d like to invite you to participate. To participate all you need do is:

1. Post about something blue. It can be pretty, ugly, funny, old, or new as long as it’s blue.

2. Drag the Blue Monday button from here and place it on your blog.

3. Return here and leave your name (it can be a first name or a code name), your URL (blog address) in the comment area.

4. Visit other blue participants by clicking on their links.

Sound like fun? Gather up your blue items and we’ll play together.  

To start my first Blue Monday. here is a blue bouquet for you…

Now head on over to Smiling Sally’s and check out some more Blue Monday posts!

What a difference a few months make at the Chateau vineyards!  In May the vines looked so sparse like they had recently been pruned; they were just beginning to show signs of life.  Yesterday, they were lush and full of grapes and leaves.  In May you could see the fountain clearly. In August you could have asked, “Fountain? What fountain?”

All during the time I was taking these pictures at the vineyard, these verses kept going through my head from John 15…

(May)

1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

(August)

 5“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

 9“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

How are my branches looking? Am I bearing fruit? Is it still “May”?  What did or will my “August” look like? 

I WANT TO BEAR FRUIT!  I want August!  How about you? 

Jientje from Heaven in Belgium is hosting a new Photo Challenge called Opening Doors.  Here are the details…

The idea is to post pictures of doors, or details of doors.
It has to be your own picture, no stealing from Mr Google!
that’s the only rule!
You can dig in your archives of course, it doesn’t have to be a new one.
Be creative, and show me your doors!
Of course, I’ll show you mine as well!
It will start tomorrow up until Saturday, Saturday included!
So if you want to join in, please do!
I’ll have a new Mr Linky up every day, so you can sign in whenever you want!

Here is my first entry for this challenge:

These are the doors of the The Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago founded in 1871.  While I was in Chicago on a business trip, I went exploring and this was the first stop on my adventures. It is a beautiful church located on the magnificent mile.

Check out the handles of the doors. 
It appears that most people open these doors with their right hand!

The doors are open – let’s go in…

Head on over to Heaven in Belgium to see some more doors!