Vacation

OK...so I haven't written in over a month. Yep, a long time. See, it didn't SEEM like a long time, because every day I was going to do it the next day, and then I would put it on the list for the NEXT day, and...well, you know how that goes. It has been a wild time with all kinds of good things and God things going on (a flat-out fantastic LEAP week at church--serving more than 2000 people, lives being changed on a weekly basis, missions involvement at an all-time high), encouraging family developments (daughter Rachel and son-in-law Aron just bought their first home, adorable grand-daughter Skylar is crawling and cruising, son JL and his fiancee Jessica plus my sister-in-law Cathy and nieces Melinda and Sara returned from a super missions trip to Russia), and some personal challenges (two very difficult oral surgeries and a raging case of poison ivy--my first ever!).

So, the lack of blogging has not been born of boredom. This evening, in approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes, we leave on vacation. Ah, yes. Blue skies, ocean breezes, sand, sleep. Books to read, movies to watch, waves to ride, and did I mention sleep??

I know I will love the week, and I know when it's over I will love home again, too. Best of all, wherever we are, the Father is with us.

Oh, what a beautiful mornin!

This morning at 5:45 the kids whispered me awake and we headed for the beach to catch the North Carolina sunrise. One lone lady was there besides us. I reflected with her, "Last night the beach road was packed with thousands trying to buy a memory at a putt-putt course, the movies, one of the undreds of souvenier shops, or a restauarant. The best is right here for free!" A smile lit up her face and she exclaimed, "Isn't that the truth?? Isn't that the truth!!!"

The best things in life truly are free.

They require effort, but they are free.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17