Joyful Friendships

Bill and I spent January 2025 in and around Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. We are forever thankful for our time with John and Michele. They have been with us during some of our best and some of our worst sailing adventures. “Worst” referencing my seasickness episodes, fatigue during long crossings, and likely more hard stuff that my mind has blocked out! “Best” referring to the many hours of exploring God’s creation together with awe and admiration, their wise counsel, and taxiing us in their lightening-fast dinghy when they could easily have left us in the dust! We thank God for their friendship.

This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it. Psalm 118:24


Tony and Anne joined us this year for a week at Green Turtle Cay. They are such a sweet couple-like a breath of fresh air. Anne is a little more quiet in her joy and happiness; Tony is full out revelry, excitement and wonder! It is simply not possible to feel Tony’s delight in what God has made and put before us. And that makes me smile every time I see them.

For instance, this is what this beautiful beach looked like before Tony:

Green Turtle Cay

And this is what it looks like with Tony:

Tony doing a pop up in Green Turtle Cay

As Scripture records in Psalm 27:9, “A sweet friendship refreshes the soul”. Thanks, Anne and Tony for being our friends and joining us in our adventures.

Pizza Party, Purpose, and Potential


February and March 2024 found us volunteering at the Grand Bahama Children’s Home again. We arrived later than we had in earlier years and were so happy to see that the garden was doing fantastic! Some of the tomatoes and greens that we planted last year had come up again on their own, and were already being harvested! The children were enjoying fresh tomatoes, lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli. (Note for the future; the cook said the children don’t like bok choy!)


This year we had some new volunteers with us and they brought talent. You know-knowledge and skills! Stefano was professionally trained by Home Depot and Marilyn owns an organic farm in New Hampshire with her husband. Lynden owns his own farm on Grand Bahama specializing in fruit trees. While Bill and I, and the other volunteers, are willing workers, the mastery offered by Stefano, Marilyn and Lynden can’t be overstated.


True story, and totally typical Bahamian: Marilyn and I met Lynden Saunders’ wife (while we were ordering chocolate at Bootleg Chocolate), she told us we should go to the farmer’s market that morning to meet her husband. While chatting up Lynden, Marilyn bought two fruit trees (avocado and soursop) from him to plant at the Grand Bahama Children’s Home. Lynden then insisted on meeting us at the Children’s Home to dig the holes for the trees. Lynden spent two hours of his own time jackhammering the holes and teaching us how to use banana leaves to nourish the little trees.


The gathering together of all these people, from three different countries and varied backgrounds, to labor joyfully under the hot sun reminds me of God’s Word: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Ephesians 2:10

Unfortunately, the funding for Grand Bahamas Children’s Home does not provide for a hot meal for the children on Fridays and Saturdays, so we like to provide a pizza party or two every year while we are there. This year’s party was so much fun. Unbeknown to us, our friend Al had been keeping a secret. We know he is fun, can play several musical instruments, and has a great singing voice. However; we did not know that he is an accomplished yo-yo aficionado! So we brought to the party pizza, soda, Susie’s homemade chocolate chip cookies, and Al’s One Man Band and Yo-Yo Show! Three hours of food, fun and games were enjoyed by all. It had been awhile since I had seen a rousing game tug of war. And now Bill knows that any attempt to win a foot race against elementary school boys ends in a pulled muscle!


The Bahamas is predominately a Christian nation. The mission of the Grand Bahama Children’s Home is to provide a safe, secure and comfortable place for abandoned, abused and neglected children to feel safe and protected. And I am thankful that June, the director, is ensuring that these children experience the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, ensuring that they will rise to their potential.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Sammy Seagull

Where am I going, where did I come from?
Did I walk here, or swim here, or fly here or run?

This beach looks too big, and my legs are so small.
Surely I didn’t walk here, and I can’t run at all.

I’m sure this ocean is deep and too scary for me.
I never could swim. I didn’t get here by sea.

My feet are fine, and my body feels light.
I could lift my wings, but am I ready for flight?

Boldly I face the breeze, and I soar up above.
Looking down I can see those cute grandkids, whom I dearly love!

“I love you Jesus, help me Jesus”


I had been visiting my mom every 3 months at Hillcrest Health and Rehab in Nebraska where she lived for the last two years. At the end of June 2024, following several months of increasing refusal to eat much, even including her favorite foods, we decided mom should enter hospice care at the same facility. My new plan was to visit mom for one week every month.

When I visited her during the second week of July, I was not prepared for what I found. Something happened the day before I arrived that caused her health to significantly decline. When I saw her all I wanted to do was to love on her and care for her. Naively, I thought I could persuade her to eat at least her favorite foods (ice cream, chocolate) along with her favorite nutrition drink so she could regain some weight and some strength. But I was wrong. God had already decided that 82 years was all He had planned for my mom.

I saw so much and heard so much and learned so much as I stayed by her side during the next several weeks. Mom and I spent time reading together every day, as had been our regular routine for years. Who knew my mom loved romance stories? I so enjoyed hearing her giggle like a school girl while I read about a young couple sneaking a kiss. I also read mom some of the hunting and trapping articles that dad wrote years ago.

On July 15th mom told me that she was ready to go to heaven and that my dad will be worried about her until she gets there. That was the beginning of the heartwarming and heartbreaking moments between us that filled the next month.

July 15th was also the first of many times that I read the entirety of Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John out loud to my mom. It begins with Jesus telling his disciples “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am.”

Sometimes Jesus’ promise to come back to gather his followers and take them to Paradise to be with Him was the only comfort – for me, and for my mom. Often, taking mom outside in her wheelchair to see the baby birds in their nest, or to look for bunnies would be enough to calm mom when she was agitated, but sometimes my reading Scripture aloud to her while stroking her hair was her only comfort.

Mom often asked me to take her to Rich. Sometimes she seemed to understand that dad had died 10 years ago and other times she didn’t. I had to tell her, over and over again, that dad was in heaven and that the only way for her to get there was to wait for Jesus to come get her. These conversations involved lots of tears.

One day toward the end of July mom was mumbling something that I couldn’t understand and looking straight ahead. My daughter, Becky, asked her if she was seeing something and she replied, “I see Jesus, and angels, and Rich, and Leonard”. When asked if mom was seeing heaven, she replied “not yet”. (Leonard is mom’s brother who is in heaven.)

Another time mom asked me to “call them, call them right now”, but she couldn’t tell me who to call. Later she sat up, held her arms straight out and said, “come, come right now”. Then she asked me to comb her hair and put her shoes on her. She said she was going to Rich and that he would be mad if she showed up without her shoes on. She wore her shoes constantly for days, she wouldn’t even let me taken them off for her to sleep.

One day mom sat up and stared straight ahead. When I asked her if she sees something she replied, “Can you see her, can you see my Queen?” When I asked if she saw the Virgin Mary, mom said, “yes”. I was so happy for mom. Obviously, I couldn’t see any of these visions, but she sure could. I remember my mom telling me that her mother saw the Virgin Mary before she died years ago.

The funeral home just happened to pick this picture and Scripture verse for the prayer cards at mom’s service. How appropriate!

One day mom told me that dad was standing in the room with us and that he is “so handsome”. I so, so love that!

Mom had many visitors in the last weeks of her life. She loved seeing everyone. Her grandson, Matt, came several times to pray the rosary with mom. Usually, mom would pray along when anyone prayed Catholic prayers out loud. But one time, as Matt prayed out loud, mom folded her hands, bowed her head, and kept repeating, “I love you Jesus, help me Jesus”. After the rosary mom asked Matt to take her to Rich, because “Rich makes everything easier”. I think that is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard her say.

There were a few things that mom said during this time that I really wasn’t expecting. Not that I expected any of this! One day mom awoke saying “ I need to go to Israel to see dad”. I don’t know if she was referring to her dad or mine, but I know I’ve never heard her talk about Israel before.

Another day she said, “there will be sorrow”. That surprised me because “sorrow” isn’t a word Americans normally use. But it is used in Scripture. I reminded mom that she is right, that we will be sad and we will miss her, but we will be happy that there will be no sorrow for her because she will be in heaven and that God has promised to wipe away every tear, and to give her a glorified body free from all this pain.

During all these visions mom never seemed scared, or even surprised. I believe mom really saw these little glimpses of heaven and that she was comforted and longed to be with Jesus and dad, and everyone who has gone before us.

I also want to join them in heaven one day. And I believe this is only possible because God, the creator of the whole world, sent His only son to be born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, died and was buried, then raised from the dead so that all who believe in Him will have eternal life with Him in heaven. I have accepted this, I believe that I will see mom in heaven one day and I pray that you will, too.


A Daughter’s Love


Twinkle twinkle star above-

Reminder of my Father’s love.

‘In before street lights, work hard at school’;

‘Go to church’ was her Golden Rule.

No matter my failings, deliberate or no;

All my days my mom’s love showed.

Now her hair I brush, curl and spray;

I sing and pray over her last days.

So thankful she taught me that Jesus reigns;

I trust in Him-come what may.

Meeting the Requirements

Bill and I spent a week with our friends, John and Lisa, at their mountain cabin in Blue Ridge, Georgia. John and Lisa are fun and easy to be with, so we were excited to take them up on their generous offer.

A month before the trip, Lisa called me to ask if we would do the railroad bikes with them. Railroad bikes? I told her that I had no idea what she was talking about, but that if she and John were doing it, we would too. She told me she didn’t really know what it was, either. So there you go-look at this crazy contraption! And, as it turns out, rail biking 6 miles was the most garden-variety, run-of-mill thing we did all week!


We tubed down the beautiful Toccoa River, we boated on Lake Blue Ridge, we hiked to a waterfall, we bought peaches and apple cider donuts at an orchard. For some reason that no one can explain, we walked right by a fudge shop and didn’t stop.

This does not look good…
Appalachian Trail Approach Trail

When I discovered the Appalachian Trail Southern Terminus was less than an hour from the cabin, hiking part of the official Appalachian Trail became a requirement. Ten years ago I watched A Walk in the Woods. The movie has some bad language, but it is laugh out loud funny. The story is about a 70 year old guy who decides to hike the Appalachian Trail before he gets too old to do it. Since retiring four years ago, I’ve been ticking must-do’s off my list, too.


The Approach Trail was strenuous, just like the sign promised. One and a half miles straight up, climbing over rocks and downed trees on a hot, humid afternoon. It was slow going for me, but I wasn’t about to let the old guy carrying a dog and wearing flip flops pass me up! The view of Amicalola Falls at the top was fantastic. The hike down included 604 steps! By the time I reached the bottom I was wondering why this hike was a requirement for me, and wondering why I didn’t even get to see a bear!


So, did I meet the requirements? With help from my husband (during the really rough spots), and my trusty Tervis full of ice cold tea, I did fulfill my dream of hiking part of the Appalachian Trail. But did I do all that God requires of me on our trip to Georgia? Hmmm…now that’s something I can only do with the help of Jesus. Scripture tells me in Micah 6:8 that God requires me to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. I only know that I’m thankful that His mercies are new every morning.

Planting Seeds at The Grand Bahama Children’s Home

Bill and I, together with friends, continue volunteering at the Grand Bahama Children’s Home.


The last Friday of December 2023 Eric and Nathalie and their sons helped us continue clearing and prepping the garden. Look at the size of the sweet potatoes we found unharvested from last fall! We followed up with a pizza party for the children. And limbo! Everyone had fun, stuffed their tummies and laughed together. So fun!


This is what the garden looked like when we started working on it, verses what it looked liked after weeks of readying it for planting. Ingrid, lovable powerhouse that she is, obtained free vegetable seeds from Kelly’s Freeport True Value. Thanks Kelly’s! Now it’s planting time!


Michele really did try her best to give gardening lessons to these boys. And they listened. And they planted lettuce in this garden bed, maybe not exactly the depth and width the seeds prefer; however, I trust God will reward their efforts!


Bill and John helped the boys plant tomatoes, carrots and beets. June, the director, told us the children are more interested in eating their vegetables when they grow them themselves, so we ensured that the children labeled the vegetables they planted.

As we were just finishing up the planting, God sent a group of enthusiastic young people to pray over the Grand Bahama Children’s Home. They came out to see the garden and one of the boys asked if he could pray for the seeds to grow. How awesome is that! Hearing this little one praying that God will bless the garden he had spent weeks working on was the best.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6-9 Gods tells us “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.”


And three weeks later look how God has answered the prayer of a little boy! I see vegetables growing!

Galatians 6:9 reads, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up”.


I am so thankful to have been given this opportunity to join with fellow believers as co-workers with God and the work He is doing at The Grand Bahama Children’s Home. Hmmm…God’s co-worker, not a bad way to spend retirement!

Christmas Celebration at The Grand Bahama Children’s Home

Love one another. Hmmm…how many times is that theme emphasized in Scripture? This year Bill and I were recruited (is that the word?) by Ingrid to help her garden at the Grand Bahama Children’s Home. Ingrid is an 81 year old powerhouse who has volunteered at The Grand Bahama Children’s Home (GBCH) for 30 years. She’s sweet enough to pick us up and drive us there on Fridays. We have so enjoyed loving on these children (and teasing Ingrid just enough to make her laugh).


Serve one another. That’s another thing I remember reading about in Scripture. Gardening isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to my mind when I wake up in the morning, but I am doing it on Fridays now! I can’t do everything to serve the Bahamian people, but I can pull weeds.


And I can rejoice when God’s children innocently shout our His praise. These boys worked on this part of the garden with Ingrid for hours and then named it ‘The Garden of Eden’. That these little ones are living out their faith every day, even in the little things, sure gives me hope for the future.


Break bread together. I think that means eat pizza together. And Christmas candy! (Please give me an Amen if you agree!) The GBCH does not currently have a cook on Fridays. To meet this one need Bill, Ingrid and I put on a Christmas pizza party on the Friday before Christmas 2023. Pizza Hut delivers for $2-can’t hardly beat that. And I really do enjoy making candy while watching a Hallmark Christmas movie or two. Everyone ate to their hearts content, then ate candy canes while I read “The Candy Cane Fiasco”. Fun, fun, fun.

“I am the way, the truth and the life” proclaims Jesus (John 14:6). I have to tell you that Bill really did spend a lot of time preparing to share the Gospel with the children. However, a 10 year old pretty much summed it all up after Bill’s first question.
Bill: Why was baby Jesus born and why was He so special?
David: Jesus was born to save us from our sins and save us from hell!
Ok then, like I said before, I’m really not afraid about what the future holds because these children got it!

Plugging in on Grand Bahama

Bill and I are happy to be spending the winter on Grand Bahama again this year. The Bahamian people are so warm and welcoming. Ocean Reef Resort and Yacht Club (oceanreefresortmarina.com) feels like a second home.

In late November 2023, I saw a FaceBook advertisement inviting the public to the Grand Bahama Children’s Home Christmas festival which sounded like fun and a way to gather information on how to plug in there. Back in Jacksonville I love volunteering at The Nest, a Women’s Center (thenestjax.com), and I always miss that community connection and opportunity for sharing the love of Jesus when I’m away.

Together with our friends, John and Michele, Bill and I had a great time at the Christmas festival playing Bingo with the children, watching them get their faces painted and jump in the bouncy house. We were barely through the gate when we were approached by a volunteer overzealous to recruit us! Ingrid is an 81 year old Canadian who has resided on Grand Bahama, and has volunteered at The Grand Bahama Children’s Home, for 30 years. She does gardening and landscaping, as well as teaching the children how to crochet. Ingrid also volunteers at a few other places on Grand Bahama. She is a real powerhouse and a genuine pleasure to be with.


The Grand Bahama Children’s Home (gbchildrenshome.org) serves abandoned, abused and neglected children of the Northern Bahamas. They provide housing, meals, love, and support of all kinds in a Christian atmosphere for children 6 weeks to 14 years of age. They strive for every child to feel safe and loved as they learn, dream and laugh.

Ingrid picked the four of us up at 8:30 in the morning on the following Friday. We spent 4 hours cleaning up the landscaping: pulling weeds, trimming edges, and generally sprucing up the grounds. Several of the children were all too willing to help. They mostly kept our weed buckets emptied and dumped the wheelbarrow when it got full. Eventually the boys eyed our tools and asked to use them but the we thought best not to set them loose with our hedge trimmers and pruning shears!


We learned quite a bit about the great work The Grand Bahama Children’s Home provides and we will be back to lend our support. We ended the day with a delicious meal with Ingrid at the Taino Beach Resort.

The Eiffel Tower

September 2023 found Bill and I on a “European Whirl”. The European Whirl is a two and a half week tour through Europe offered by Trafalgar. Our last stop was Paris. I have to say that I was looking forward to Paris and the Eiffel Tower. I knew it would be impressive, but I was truly awestruck.

The Eiffel Tower is a wonder during the day, and exciting to explore, but seeing it light up after dark is truly a thrill.

The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustavo Eiffel for the 1889 World’s Fair. The tower was not initially accepted by the locals, as they didn’t like the design, so it was scheduled to be dismantled in 1909. However, as destiny would have it, the tower’s height proved valuable to the innovations of radio and television, so, thankfully, the Iron Lady was allowed to stand. Today the tower is one of the most recognizable and most visited structures in the world.

The Eiffel Tower stands 1083 feet tall and is the tallest structure in Paris. Theoretically, a person can see the tower from 50 miles away. Interestingly though, while walking through Paris, from The Louvre, my husband and I couldn’t see it until we turned the corner and it was two blocks away.

All of this reminds me of Jesus. He is not universally accepted, He is attacked by those who oppose Him, is often hard to see, and yet He is always there standing as a Strong Tower. Proverbs 18:10 states, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe”.

I was excited to see the Eiffel Tower light up after dark, and I had read that it will twinkle for five minutes every hour on the hour after dark. I thought I was prepared for it. But I wasn’t. I don’t believe it is possible to be prepared for the absolute allure of the Eiffel Tower twinkle. I was taking pictures, I was videoing it, I was literally video calling everyone I know (despite the time difference)! The beauty is quite simply overwhelming. I found myself describing it as “life changing”.

And that was only five minutes of my life. On Earth. Thinking that Jesus, my Lord and Savior, creator of all things, has prepared in heaven for me more than I have heard, more than I have seen or can even imagine is pretty overwhelming (1 Corinthians 2:9). He is a good God. And I’m thankful to be His child.