"The Cruise" Part III

Land Ahoy!

The United States of America!!

How sweet to see the beautiful view as we approached

Key West, Florida!

I know we weren't explorers by any stretch of the 

imagination, and we hadn't voyaged from far across the sea,

and we hadn't suffered at all during our voyage...

but for just a moment I felt just a vapor of what 

the early settlers must have felt!

We watched with wonder and amazement as we approached!

 The immigration officers waited patiently far below as our captain maneuvered this huge ship sideways to our dock.

 The immigration officers came on board and we were assigned numbers and times to go through customs.  

We had to have our papers in hand, Sea Pass cards punched, 

and then we were free to go out and tour Key West.

It was rainy so we chose to rent these limousines

for our tour of Key West.

We rented two of them and they served us perfectly!

 Much of what happened here will have to stay on the island!

We walked through a lot of shops with crazy things for sale,

we ate lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, 

we saw the southern most point of Key  West,

and tasted the tropical drinks.

We raced to return our limousines

 in order not to miss our last call back on the ship.  

It was good to be back in our homeland again.

Back on the ship, we quickly clean up,
 and were off to the dining room for dinner

where we received a special number from the chefs, 

waiters, and waitresses.

They sang and marched around the room for us while

we all applauded them for a job WELL DONE!

 I loved how this Amish man swung his white napkin in honor and applause for the serving staff!  I was so blessed and impressed through this whole trip with the Amish and Mennonites.  They offered their friendship to  any and all...regardless of race, color, and dress.  They took pictures and greeted by name their staff each evening.  They made friends with them and invited them to their homes if they should ever visit their state and country.  They sat with people from all over the world and many shared their faith.  What an opportunity and blessing!  We, too, had numerous people from all over the world ask...and we were able to share about our God!

 We cherished our dinner chats with

 Marv & Sharon and Lloyd & Sandra .

 Our evening table servers.

The last night was the latest of them all!

We stayed up til the wee hours of the night

chatting over coffee and tea.

Lots and lots of luggage as we wait to depart the ship in Miami.  It was such a good experience and we would do it again!  We would highly recommend the Sail and Sing Christian Cruise to whoever may be considering it...to have Christian entertainment was worth so much on a ship that is definitely geared for the world.  The last evening we noticed different times the ship's entertainment staff coming in and out of our Christian gathering...they were trying to figure out what was drawing hundreds of people to these gatherings every night.  If only they would come to know our Jesus, too!

After finding all our luggage, the van, etc. we headed to Marathon, Florida for a fish fry and visit with some friends of the LaRaviere family.  It was some of the best fish we have had and we all ate until we were stuffed full!  Back to Miami where we delivered Isaiah to his Pollard family and then set out to find a hotel for the night, with plans to explore the Everglades the next day. Interestingly enough we made several trips through toll booths without knowing we needed to stop until it was too late, and feared there would be an alert on the evening news for a white, 15-passenger van passing through numerous toll booths  without paying (and the tickets did catch up with the driver at a later date!).  We called and called and called and called hotels... desperately searching for a hotel with rooms available.  The cheapest one we found that had rooms available was priced at $700.00 per night per room!!  "Uh, thank you but we'll keep looking."   What's with Miami on a Thursday night?!!  

The later it got the sillier the people in the white, 15-passenger van got!  With all due respect, we'll have to close the story now before it's actually finished....

because what happened in Miami that night

will have to stay in Miami!  

We had an amazing time!!

 ...but we still don't know who the person or persons is/are 

that blessed us with this incredible gift!!  

We feel incredibly unworthy of such a gift, 

it far exceeded any expectations we had,

and we pray God's blessing upon 

whoever the donor was!  

May God return 100-fold what was 

so graciously given to us!

We will always treasure the memories of this trip!

THANK - YOU!!

"The Cruise" Part II

Nassau, Bahamas

After enjoying a delicious dinner served in a style I could easily get used to, we visited with lots of people, and got to know new people.  We had no problem with sea sickness, in fact, you hardly knew we were moving!  Yay from me!

Each evening we were treated with different singing groups and a comedian ventriloquist.  We enjoyed each of their programs a lot although we usually visited so long at dinner that we had problems finding seating at these events.  (That's us!) The programs always had its serious moments and its hilarious moments! 

This special cruise was called "Sail and Sing Christian Cruise" and was hosted by different groups of singers, actors, and musicians, most who also happened to be personal friends of ours.  There were approximately 450-500 Anabaptists on this cruise of about 3000 people.  Yes, we got a lot of attention!  It was really neat though, because it gave us many opportunities to witness about Jesus. Many of the staff and fellow travelers wanted to know who we were and what we believe.  We were able to share with people from all over the world and also learn about their culture.  Different testimonies were shared of how they could tell we were Christians by the countenance on our faces. 

Our first morning we awoke arriving in the port of Nassau, Bahamas.  A small tv screen in our room let us know our speed, depth, and location.  After enjoying the breakfast buffet we packed our day bags and prepared to see Nassau.

 Tours were a little pricey so we decided to do our own guided tours through the city.  Following signs we found the Straw Market where we purchased some souvenirs and soon learned to turn our ears away from everyone who wanted to sell us something.  Each vendor seemed to talk to us 'quietly and confidentially' to let us know how much cheaper they would sell things to us then their competitors.  It took discernment to know who to buy from and who not to.

 This police lady seemed pleased that we were taking her photo and waved and posed for us.  Notice the little wheels under her podium so she can move it wherever she needs it.  

 Looking at this traffic jam and the dents in vehicles makes me think the police lady's job may have been a risky job!

 Tired, hungry, and hot we went back to the ship for lunch and then the youngers of the group went to tour beautiful Paradise Island. The 2 "older men" of our group thought they should have naps. We ladies decided it was a good time for some quiet, sun time up on the top deck.  Later the revived men and their ladies toured the mighty ship.

The kids returned in time for dinner (well, okay, several guys had to clean their room before the porters would allow them to have dinner!!)  After another gourmet meal, an evening of worship and some entertainment, the night was still young (not!) but there is never enough time to visit, catch up on friendships, drink more coffee and tea, eat, and eat a little more, and then head for bed quite early in the morning...... to meet your son knocking on your bedroom door as you round the corner of the hallway.  His eyes get big and he's wondering what we are still doing up when he thought we were in bed already!! ( ....and we're wondering why he is still up!!! lol)

After a short night of sleep, (while the ship traveled on to CocoCay, Bahamas), we packed our day bags, ate breakfast, and got on our ferry to the island.  Royal Caribbean had several ferries, each held 250 people, so it didn't take too long to get us ferried over.  We were assigned different times to leave, according to our Sea Pass numbers.

 It seemed like a dream! 

 Suddenly it seemed like we were standing in the middle of pictures we've seen for years!! 

 It was amazing!!

 Somebody was supposed to watch our backpack so they "hid" it under an Angry Bird beach towel!! 

 While the guys went scuba diving, the girls soaked up the sun.

 They loved it and eventually talked the girls into going, too.

 A huge buffet lunch was served on the island, compliments of Royal Caribbean.  Then while the kids went for the second round of scuba diving, Matthew, Becky, JR and I went on a Glass Bottom Boat Tour.  It was fairly windy and tossed the boat around enough that the driver wouldn't take us too near the rocks and reefs.  He was afraid everyone would lose their lunch.  He did a great job of keeping us entertained and we enjoyed the tour a lot.  He let us touch a lot of under water sea creatures.

Dinner that evening was formal.  It was fantastic and once again we enjoyed chatting with our friends from here and new friends from Mexico.  There were so many people on this ship that the only time we could catch up with our dear friends from Sarasota was over dinner.  Other than at dinner, we only saw each other in passing. Crazy, I know!!

 I was privileged and honored to be escorted to dinner 

by this handsome man a.k.a. the Love of my Life!!

 ...the romantic view of the sea at night!

 At midnight, as if anyone could possibly be hungry, the staff served a buffet of delectable foods.  Of course, we had to see what there was to taste and enjoy.

 ...followed by an even later night/morning!

By now we understood even better how little time you spend 

in your room!  Too much to do, too many people to enjoy!

"The Cruise" Part 1

Majesty of the Seas by Royal Caribbean   

Some undisclosed person or persons chose our associate pastor and his wife to be the messengers of some incredible news.

Our pastor's wife visited with us one Sunday morning after church and asked us what our plans were for Feb. 24-27.  JR was telling her how he was planning to run someone's lawn business that week while the owner and his wife

 (who also happen to be very good friends of ours)

were going on a Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas

with Sail & Sing Christian Cruise.

Our pastor's wife visited for awhile and said she had been sent by someone to see what our schedule was over those dates.

OK....?!

While we knew there was a cruise leaving from Miami in February, and our son, his girlfriend and her family, along with many other people we knew were going on a cruise.  We had talked earlier of how we would enjoy going, 

had prayed about it, but it appeared that financially,

 it was not an option.

On the way home from church we discussed the possibility that those dates she quoted might possibly be the same dates of the cruise and briefly mentioned the possibility of someone sending us on a cruise but quickly dismissed it as not too apt to happen and also knowing JR had committed to running a lawn business! 

When we got home we asked Derek about the dates of the cruise and interestingly enough, the dates matched!

 A week passed in which time we left for Ministers' Enrichment Weekend in Lancaster, PA. where we had a very enjoyable time. We were barely home when again, the phone rang...

the same message bearer with more news.

I got goose bumps up and down my arms as I was informed that "someone" had purchased 2 tickets for JR and I and we were to be ready to leave on in three weeks!!  I had to sit down and pinch myself to see if this was actually happening!

Sure enough, arrangements had been made, another worker had been lined up to run our friend's lawn business 

and confirmations were sent of our reservations!

WE WERE EXCITED!!

JR had mentioned through the years how he would love to go on a cruise sometime!  It never appealed to me that much because I don't like being on things I can't get off of and, while I love water, I wasn't too sure about not being able to see land. 

 Extra money was never in abundance, so a cruise seemed like a 

"maybe someday we'll go" thing.

But this time... I WAS AS EXCITED AS JR!!!

Travel documents were gathered, bags were packed, arrangements were made, and one early Monday morning the LaRaviere family stopped in to pick us up so we could all travel together to Miami 

in a 15-passenger van.

(more to follow on that!) 

As we neared the Port of Miami we were all eyes...

looking for the first glimpse of our ship.  

It didn't take long until we spotted it.

It was gargantuwa!!!  HUGE!

It was like a city on the water!

Matthew unloaded us all at the dock while he went to park the van.  Before we even left the dock and entered the ship, the porter recognized us as Christians and had asked for prayer. 

With opportunities like that, we knew this was going to be a

 God-trip and it was...over and over again!

Approaching the ship...

We entered Customs having no idea what we were doing but tried to look like well-seasoned travelers.

Derek (our son) ran into problems at Customs because he was under 21.  He pointed the attendant to us, his parents, so she sent him down to our line where they approved his travel abroad, and we all breathed a sigh of relief as we moved on through.

We walked through all the pass-ways and bridges with wide eyes...

we felt just a smidging like "Amish in the City"!

This is the middle of the ship showing all the different levels, stairways, elevators,  and shops.

And then we were off to find our room.

We were on the fifth floor in an inside room.

It was small but had plenty of room for two people.

I thought not having a window might bother my problem

of being claustrophobic but it didn't at all 

and it didn't take us long to realize how little time

is spent in your room on a trip like this!

Derek and his friends roomed right next to ours,

 right across from us was the Pollard family 

and scattered across the ship were many people we knew.  

Smiling, friendly porters from all over the world were available at all times to see if we needed anything. 

 Our rooms were cleaned twice a day. 

I think I could get used to this quite quickly!

 This little character was waiting in our room one night when we got back to it.  He was wearing JR's glasses and holding the remote control for us.  Different of his friends greeted us when we came in.

Departure from Miami was announced so up on top deck we all went to bid farewell to the United States of America.

 Last minute phone calls, texts, and facebook status' were done before we lost our cellphone service.

 Ahead lay open seas and lots of water!  Breath-takinglyBeautiful!

It felt surreal!  We were on a cruise! 

My first voyage out of the U.S!!

Sometimes a beautiful Hallelujah, sometimes a broken Hallelujah

Sometimes life is so good, it’s beyond your earthly comprehension. You stand and marvel at the incredible goodness of God. You rejoice with people as they open their hearts to the truth of God’s Word. You watch people pour their lives and love into each other. You watch people hunger and thirst for God. You watch them grow in their relationship with a loving God. You watch people forgive each other, overlook each other’s wrongs, and stand in unity and peace. You watch those incredibly hurt rise up with unexplainable grace. You watch a brotherhood of believers surround the weak, the poor, the needy, the sick, the lame, the helpless and you praise your Father for being privileged to be a part of this Family of God. Sometimes you sit alone and look around, your mind can hardly comprehend the blessings you have received, so far beyond your expectations and dreams, and you wonder, Why me, Lord? Why have I been so incredibly blessed? Your blessings are innumerable. Sometimes there are no words to describe the emotions of your spirit but a “beautiful Hallelujah“.

Sometimes life just hurts. You watch people suffer terrible loss. You suffer terrible loss. You watch people face rejection. You reject. You face rejection. You watch people judge others’ wrongly. You judge wrongly. You are judged wrongly. You watch friends lose loved ones in death, bent low with unspeakable grief. You watch relationships separate. You watch people hurt each other. You watch people leave, close friends, people you love and care about, and it leaves a hole in your heart. You suffer for following Christ and His Word. You watch people reject Christ and His Word. Sometimes the waves of pain go over your head. Sometimes your body shakes with overwhelming pain as you sob, crying out to your Heavenly Father to release you from His calling on your life. Sometimes it would be so much easier to forsake the cross of Christ and walk away from the pain and rejection of being a follower of Christ. Sometimes the only song you have is a “broken Hallelujah“.

Life holds both extremes. Both broken and overwhelmingly blessed. We all have experienced both. I’ve fallen on my face before God, begging Him to release me from His calling. I’ve waved my white flag of surrender before Him telling Him I was finished! He wouldn’t accept it. He merely smiled. He held me tight, reminded me of how much He loves me, and all He had suffered for Me. He reminded me of all the things He had suffered because of me. He didn’t give up. He didn’t wave a white flag of surrender. He kept His eyes on His Father, the goal, the purpose of His life here on earth. And He turned my eyes toward Himself, his goal, his purpose for my life here on earth. Following Christ does include carrying His cross. He says I need to take up my cross and follow Him. His cross means suffering for being His follower. His cross will become heavy, so heavy that I might almost stumble and fall beneath the weight. But His cross leads to eternal life. His cross represents His death, His suffering, His love. He carried His cross. He asked me to carry my cross.

When I pass through the valleys of life and wearily climb the mountain ahead, suddenly I look around and my strength is renewed. I see the sun shining so beautifully again and my breath is almost taken away at the incredible goodness of our God. I marvel at His blessings. The valleys before somehow don’t seem so deep and so dark. I marvel at how He uses people, sometimes people we don’t even know, to bless us with things far beyond what we expect or dream of.   Notes, cards, words, spoken and given at just the right time, not knowing how they were needed.

Prayers. There is nothing so simple and yet so profound and powerful as prayer. Even a child can pray. Aged people can pray. The handicap, weak, poor, rich, and weary can pray. We have yet to tap into the power of prayer, mainly because here in America we don’t really know our need for prayer. How sad. We are so busy, so independent, so proud, so self-sufficient that we don’t really know how much we need prayer. We don’t know how many miracles are done through prayer. How many needs are met, how many burdens are lifted, how many feet are kept from stumbling and falling, because we are too busy to pray. I am humbled by the prayers of people for me. I recognize that if it weren’t for the prayers of fellow believers I may have stumbled and fallen, the cross of Christ may have become too heavy, the suffering too great, the rejection and pain too deep, and I may have laid it aside and walked away. I am indebted to my brothers and sisters in Christ who have interceded for me, who have lifted me before the throne of Grace, before our gracious, merciful and loving Father, where I did find grace and strength in my times of great need. I recognize the debt I have to others to lift them before that same Father and that same throne of grace, and I am ashamed of my excuses for my lack of prayer. And once again I challenge myself to pray, pray, pray. Pray like never before, knowing the enemy of our soul is killing, destroying, and stealing souls. There is a falling away from Truth like I have never seen before but there also seems to be a turning to Truth, a turning to His Word in miraculous ways, too. There is a real battle going on because the devil’s days are being numbered. His time is short.

So if you, too, have pulled out a white flag of surrender, if you have stumbled beneath a heavy cross…put your flag away, stand up again and march strongly as a soldier of Christ.

When I am disappointed by others...Pray!

In my quiet time with God I have been going through a book

"A Woman's Call to Prayer"

by Elizabeth George

and have been challenged in quite a few areas of my life.

 

Today I studied on 'being disappointed by others'.

 

As much as I know that it will happen...

it always hurts when it does happen.

My heart wants to close the door on that hurt,

and sometimes I do for a short period of time,

but I know the day will come when Jesus will ask

to journey with Him into that room of my heart,

and talk about the hurt and disappointment.

For the most part, I love people. 

but sometimes it hurts to love people.

it hurts to care, and it hurts to be rejected.

I know that I could shut off my emotions,

 and sometimes I do that, too,

for a short amount of time,

because it hurts too much to feel, to care,

to be rejected and disappointed.

I also know that if I shut off my emotions

for too long the devil will sow his seeds

of bitterness and it will result in me

becoming hardened emotionally towards others.

Sometimes when Jesus and I walk into that room

and we talk through the pain,

He points out a root of bitterness that is trying

to spring up and grow in my heart.
He knows that I don't want it there so He uproots it

and throws it out.  Uprooting can hurt, too,

but in that hurt He pours love and forgiveness.

 

 

Moses was disappointed with his brother, Aaron. 

While Moses was up in the mountain

 meeting with God and fasting,

Aaron led the children of Israel in making a golden calf to worship.

God was so angry with His people that He wanted to destroy them,

and Moses must have felt deep disappointment.

He had invested so many years and so much time

teaching them the ways of God,

and so quickly they turned to idol worship.

But what was Moses' response?

He "fell down before the Lord",

explaining "for I was afraid...so I prayed." 

(Deut. 9:18-20)

What did Moses pray?

'Oh, these people have committed a great sin...

yet now, if You will forgive their sin--

but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which

You have written."

(Ex. 32:31-32)

Moses was willing to offer up not only

fasting and prayers on behalf of the people,

but also his life rather than see them

rejected, disowned, and destroyed.

 

Job prayed for his friends

after they wrongfully charged him with sin. 

 After receiving much criticism from his close companions,

 he prayed for them.

He had just endured the loss of basically everything that he had-

family, health, and wealth,

and was suffering from terrible pain.

Yet he was patient and humble!

 

Samuel, the prophet, priest, and judge whom God had designated and established to lead His people was soundly rejected by the people of Israel.  Yet in spite of their many unkindnesses and their ingratitude, Samuel could still pray for them because of his unselfishness and forgiving spirit.

What was his response?

"God forbid that I should sin against the Lord

 in ceasing to pray for you."

 

Could...would... I have done what Moses did for his brother Aaron, who knew better than to sin in the way that he did?

And would I have been able to do for my "friends" what Job did for his, to pray for them... after they had disappointed him,

 turned on him, let him down,

and raked him over the coals in wrongful judgment?

 

It is important that I grasp the meaning, the honor, the privilege, the seriousness, the duty--and the difficulty-- of this marvelous call to pray for others when they fail.

 

I must forgive.

"If I regard iniquity in my heart,

the Lord will not hear."

I cannot carry a grudge toward a person, or allow bitterness or resentment to take root in my heart.  If I do, I forfeit the opportunity to minister to that person through prayer.

My natural response is to write off those I am disenchanted with-- to no longer have anything to do with them, to distant myself from them.  But God's Word has a word for me here...

I am to "forgive as I have been forgiven."

I am also to help them.

I must set aside my disappointment, forsake the lectures, forsake the judgment, forsake the shock, and go to work helping and praying for them, "taking heed lest I fall." 

Correction, instruction, restoration, and rebuking are also biblical and necessary, but first I am to pray and help.

"If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."  Gal. 6:1

 

I must check my prayer list:

Am I praying regularly? daily?

Prayer is the sacred act that keeps my heart pure and right,

guileless and humble, no matter what a person has done

 to harm or disappoint me.

 

I must check my heart:

If there anyone I am failing to forgive?

A forgiving heart is one that can pray for others.

And if I can't/won't forgive, consider this:

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

"Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."

"Forgive us as we forgive others."

 

I must check my relationships:

God calls me to love others-- even my enemies.

                   LOVE your enemies,

                   DO GOOD to those who hate you,

                   BLESS those who curse you, and

                   PRAY FOR those who spitefully use you.

 

I must also remember:

that just as I have been disappointed in others,

I am sure I have disappointed others.

I must pray "Search me, O God, and know my heart....

see if there be any wicked way in me."

If you are reading this blog and have been

disappointed or wronged by me,

I beg you to forgive me.

 

Samuel, Moses, Job

Could I be added to such a list of pray-ers?

or forgive-ers?  of pure-hearted intercessors?

of helpers?

That's God's call to me and to you. 

We are to pray for others. 

 We are to pray for those we love...

and for those who don't love us.

We are to pray for those we appreciate...

and for those who have

disappointed us and failed in their love.

We are to pray for those who faithfully serve God...

and for those who have stumbled in their walk with Him.

We are to "bear one another's burdens,

and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Gal. 6:2

 

What a high calling!