"Life's evening sun is sinking low..."

Couldn't resist a classic hymn reference...

Sunshine

Today is our last full day in Florida.  We have had a great trip and, despite not feeling well, I have enjoyed being with my family.

Last night we went on a sunset dolphin cruise.  Not only did we see lots of dolphin, the sunset was lovely.  One of the positive things about a vacation is that you get to have new experiences in new places.  This vacation has been a relaxing one, but I look forward to being home tomorrow and getting back to a regular routine.

Hope to see you soon!

Timely

I realize I haven't written in over a week and that flies in the face of the self promise I made not long ago to write more.  Oh, well.

I am currently sitting looking out at the Gulf of Mexico.  I am half way through our family vacation and so far am having a swell time.  My sister joined my mom and I today via a flight from Memphis, so now the three of us are going to spend the next few days relaxing.  Tomorrow we are planning to attend worship at the Ft. Walton Beach church of Christ.  I am not familiar with this congregation, but am looking forward to meeting the Christians here.

When we arrive home next week, I will have just a couple of days before performing a wedding for two people who attend worship at Lebanon.  I am looking forward to the rehearsal and wedding of these two folks.

The sound of the ocean is comforting.  The vastness of it amazes me.  I have sat each night until I was the last person on the beach and just listened.  It is truly powerful and unharnessed.  I feel a spiritual presence in the sea.  Goodnight.

The beach

Ever since I was a kid riding around in my dad's truck with Jimmy Buffet's Songs You Know By Heart playing, I have longed to run away to the beach.  St. Augustine, Destin, Garachine Pacific...I have always thought it would be great to live in a little tiki hut and eat coconut shrimp as a food group.  It has been several years since I have been to a warm weather beach and I am looking forward to my upcoming family excursion to the Emerald Coast of Florida.  Jimmy Buffet and Kenny Chesney in the CD player and hours of soaking up sunshine are just the cure after the cold, dreary winter we had this year.

In addition to the sheer fun of being a beach bum, looking out on the ocean reminds us of how infinitely small we are as individuals on this planet.  God's promise to Abraham was to give him descendants like grains of sand and stars in the sky.  Being outside on the beach and feeling a cool breeze mixed with warm sunshine is a great place to see how vast God's creation really is.  Somehow, in that vastness, we each individually are important and cared for.

Excited about seeing the sea!