Full Moon at Noon

While we were in St. Vincent we had a surprise party for my mom’s 50th birthday. We went to a beach to have a picnic and met a fisherman who sold us some freshly caught fish. Then I took Mom out snorkeling while the rest of the family decorated the pavilion with streamers and balloons. When Mom and I got back to the pavilion she was so surprised. Some of my parents’ friends were at the party too and we were all having a great time.

Shortly after lunch however, our pleasant little party was crashed. Some European vacationers decided to have some fun at the beach too, which was fine, until they started to undress inappropriately right in front of us. One of the ladies in our group went down to them and respectfully asked the ladies to put their tops back on or go farther down the beach out of site. (St. Vincent has no nude beaches.) There was a language barrier but they understood what was being asked. One of the ladies started to redress but one of the men in her group (who was photographing the ladies) came forward to put up a fight. Mom went down to try to figure out what language they were speaking and better communicate with them. The man got very angry and acted like he was going to shove my mom but she backed off. He started yelling at us in his language and we decided to ignore them. A little while later they were getting ready to leave. Apparently the man was still angry with us because he decided to come over and yell at us one last time then he turned around and mooned us before storming off to his taxi.

How rude! Some people are so immature that all you can do is shake your head. But don’t stoop to their level. Looking back, I find the situation kind of humorous.

The rest of the party was great. We ate fresh fish cooked over an open fire, enjoyed chocolate cake, drank from coconuts, snorkeled for hours, and had a great time. One of my parent’s friends brought his boat and we were able to snorkel while holding on to the side of the boat as he took us on a tour of the reef. That was so much fun and we saw so many fish and other sea creatures. My husband, dad, brother, and sister even snorkeled in a bat cave.

It was an exciting day. Mom, I hope you enjoyed your party. And I promise, we really didn’t order the strippers.

Stories from the Caribbean

I recently returned from a trip to the Caribbean with my family. We spent two wonderful weeks in St. Vincent visiting with my parents, brother, and sister. St. Vincent is a beautiful island with sandy beaches leading to clear blue water, beautiful mountains, palm groves, and cool waterfalls. Every day was an adventure, whether we were snorkeling, hiking, walking the busy streets of Kingstown, or just driving around the island.
Driving on the narrow windy streets of St. Vincent is like riding a rollercoaster; up and down steep hills, around tight corners, abrupt stops. They drive on the left side of the road and their traffic laws are very different from here. But the drivers seemed a lot more patient than drivers here. They didn’t seem to be in a hurry and their honks were to let others know they were on the other side of a blind corner, not out of anger or impatience.

We met some really sweet people who welcomed us to their island and made us feel at home. They introduced us to many new things and delicious foods. I really enjoyed the fellowship with them.

So much happened while we were in St. Vincent that I cannot fit it all in one post so I will share more stories from the Caribbean in posts to come.

The Voice of an Angel

The lights dimmed, a hush fell over the crowd. Instruments started playing behind the curtain and a deep voice filled the place, seeming to come from everywhere. As he sang, the curtain slowly rose revealing a band and a small orchestra on a beautiful hardwood floor. Cheers erupted as Josh Groban rose up through the floor, his powerful voice crescendoing. I sat on the edge of my seat feeling the music with every part of my being. I was speechless. All I could think was “wow!” No words could describe what I was feeling. I had never heard anything so beautiful. His voice is so rich, pure and dynamic, and he sings with such expression and passion.

The first time I ever heard of Josh Groban was a few years ago when my husband told me to listen to this song on the radio because the guy had an incredible voice. So I listened to him sing “To Where You Are” and was very impressed. However, as I listened to the voice the first time I pictured an older fat man, kind of like Pavarotti. I was quite surprised when I saw his picture and he was a young good-looking man. He soon became my favorite singer.

For Christmas, my husband surprised me with tickets to a Josh Groban concert. I was so excited and finally, last Wednesday, we got to hear him live. It is an experience I will never forget. He was really funny, especially when he tried to dance and got distracted by the chicken dance. I enjoyed every song and held on to every note.

There was a violinist that caught my attention too. She was very good. At one point she played a solo. The music was pretty but I couldn't help laughing at her expressions. She looked very angry and seemed to attack the music as she played (which was fitting to the music she was playing). I leaned over to Stephen and asked if her boyfriend had broken up with her right before the performance. She looked like she was trying to kill someone.

As the concert ended, I sat quietly trying to absord the memories, his voice still ringing in my ears. It was the best concert I have ever been to. He really has the voice of an angel.

Thank you so much, Stephen, for taking me to the concert. You are the most wonderful husband in the world. And don’t be jealous, I think you are more handsome than Josh and I like to hear you sing too. He may have an incredible voice, but you have everything else, including my heart.

My Most Precious Gift

I have found what many people have spent their lives searching for and some never find. Not only that, I have found it twice, in two different ways, by two different people. What is this amazing thing that everyone wants; that those who have found it consider themselves most blessed, and those who have not found it spend their lives searching for? And how did I find it twice?

What I have found is simply love. Not temporary, conditional, selfish, false love. But the real thing; true, unconditional, faithful, eternal love. Where did I find this kind of love?

I will tell you about the second place I found this love first. I found true love in my husband, Stephen. He loves me unconditionally, in spite of my faults, and helps me grow. He loves me faithfully, staying true to the vows we made on our wedding day. He loves me eternally; I never have to fear that he'll leave me because I know that he won't. He loves me in the rough times as well as the good. He taught me what true love is and I know that I can trust him. He is also very handsome and irresistable. He loves me with the most perfect kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. This type of love is extremely rare and valuable and I am more than blessed to have found it.

But there is another true love I found long before I ever met my husband and it is a love that is still alive today and will last forever. It is a love even more precious and important than the one I share with my husband. (Don't worry, he's not jealous because he has this love too.) The love I am speaking of is a love with my heavenly Father and my Savior. It is a sacrificial love. I was lost in my sin and on my way to hell. But Jesus, God's own Son, died for me, paid the penalty for my sin, and then rose again from the dead, breaking the curse of death. By trusting in what He did for me, I became a child of God and have a special relationship with the One who created me. I am now complete. The void in my life is gone. And I am sure of my future after I die: an eternal home in heaven with my Savior. I can't wait to see Him face to face!

I hope that everyone finds true love. It is a precious gift. Not everyone will find true love in the sense of a soul mate. But everyone can have the second love relationship I talked about. God offers that love to every person on earth as a free gift. All you have to do is accept it.