Susie Vander Vaart

Nov 25, 2024 | thebanner.org | Susie Vander Vaart

While I was living in northern Alberta, one of my favorite places to go was the local beaver pond. I was guaranteed to find not only the beavers hard at work on their latest dam, but all their neighbors too: muskrats running and swimming, countless frogs hopping along the edges, herons stalking through the shallows, ducks nesting on shore, brightly colored dragonflies skimming over the pond’s surface, and birds singing in the trees all around. It was beautiful.

Jul 24, 2024 | thebanner.org | Brian Clark |Victoria Veenstra |Shiao Chong |Susie Vander Vaart

Angelina was beginning to dread the calls. What used to be a highlight in her otherwise horrible days had become a regular reminder of just how much the war in Ukraine had already changed her beloved husband. “His psychological condition isn’t good,” Angelina said.

Jul 10, 2024 | thebanner.org | Susie Vander Vaart

You’ll find it growing on rocks, logs, and trees, in all sorts of colors from splashy oranges to dull grays and bright whites. It can be flat and crusty or look like leaves. Sometimes it looks like hair or like ocean coral growing on the forest floor. There are over 3,600 species of it just in North America. It’s not a plant and not just a fungus. What is it? Lichen!Lichen is a combination of an alga and a fungus that work together to grow and thrive.

Sep 20, 2023 | thebanner.org | Susie Vander Vaart

Often our lives get so busy that we forget about the importance of rest. It is so easy to “take a break” but actually just switch activities instead. Television, phones, computers, and video games easily fill that time we set aside to rest. We often do not take time to simply stop and take a few moments to just be. Boredom is important to help us process what is going on in our day. It helps spark creativity, something we enjoy because we’re made in the image of God, the ultimate creator.

May 1, 2023 | thebanner.org | Susie Vander Vaart

Many famous artists and photographers have spent countless hours capturing the beauty of wild landscapes. Whether it is the colors of autumn, white fluffy snow draped over branches or piled on high mountain peaks, the bright colors of wildflowers in fields or forests, or the desert following a storm, the beauty can take your breath away. Wildflowers decorate scenes with a multitude of colors, standing out brightly from green backdrops.