1st Mate Forum | Sailing For The Son

The Significance of Caesarea Philippi

In anticipation of my pilgrimage to Israel, I hadn’t expected Caesarea Philippi to be one of my favorite places. But it was; I was struck by it’s unique beauty. Israel is full of unexpected natural beauty: the Dead Sea (who would have thought?), the Jordan River, the Judean desert, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Sea of Galilee, to name just a few.

The allure of the terrain wasn’t at all on my mind before I arrived in Israel. I had most been looking forward to actually walking where my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had walked on earth over 2,ooo years ago. And I did that! This picture shows me on the southern steps of the Temple Mount. The Bible records that Jesus taught from these very steps:

Now that I’m remembering that moment, I’m getting chills! I guess that will be my next article!

Twenty five miles north of the Sea of Galilee, at the base of Mt. Hermon, we arrived in Caesarea Philippi and I was immediately attracted to my surroundings: the waterfall and the large cave at the top, the intricate carvings in the immense rock, the sounds of the rushing water, and the overall serenity of the place.

This enticing place was not always peaceful, though. Between 200 and 300 BC this area was used to worship the half-man half-goat god of Pan. The cave was referred to as the “gates of hell” because infants were sacrificed there to the god of Pan. We get our word “panic” from this reference. Yikes. That is certainly a dark past. So why is this spot on our Christian tour of Israel?

The Gospel of Mathew records Caesarea Philippi as the place where God revealed the divinity of Jesus to the Apostle Peter. Mathew 16:13-18: When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you”, he asked, “who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

Wow, that was huge! God spoke directly to Peter. And then Jesus changed Peter’s name and gave him the keys of the church! No wonder I was drawn to this place! Scripture describes many times when God changes a person’s name to signify that God has a new mission or a new identity for that person. I wonder what Peter was thinking that day! I wake up most mornings knowing exactly what I plan to do that day. Most days I’m pretty close, but some days end up being total surprises. I’m guessing that Peter was pretty surprised in Caesarea Philippi.

The waterfall that originates at Caesarea Philippi flows into the Jordan River. I purchased an empty bottle from the gift shop and filled it with water from this river. My mom is Catholic and I knew it would be a good gift for her. I always remember seeing little bottles of holy water in my parents’ and grandparents’ homes.

Back on the tour bus, on our way to the next stop, I look over the pictures I just took on my phone and ponder what next big mission God has in store for me.

Thoughts From a Hammock

My thoughts while enjoying the ocean view of from a hammock in Key Largo.

The hammocks caught my eye as my husband and I enjoyed the beach at the Playa Largo Resort and Spa for our anniversary trip to Key Largo.

According to Dictionary.com the word ‘hammock’ originated in 1545 in Hispaniola. Hmmm…that must mean that millions upon millions of people have rested on hammocks throughout the ages. I assume the majority of them actually used hammocks like we use Serta Sleepers (or waterbeds in the 80’s). But I also assume lots of them simply enjoyed hammocks as a restful place to appreciate an ocean view. That’s my favorite!

Earlier in the week, my husband and I sat on these hammocks for a bit, and, as usual, I fumbled into the hammock kicking sand into the air. Why can’t I ever just get in and out of a hammock gracefully? Truth be told, my husband helped me out of the hammock that day, probably averting a face plant right into the sand.

Our last few hours of vacation, my husband watching the Tour de France in our room, I spent some time alone on a hammock. Miraculously, I settled into the hammock rather easily. Relishing the coolness of the morning, with a nice breeze, resting in the hammock, refusing to contemplate how I was going to eventually get out of it!

One of my first thoughts: I should have painted my toenails. It’s vacation, for crying out loud, why didn’t I get a pedicure? I’m 56 years old (shhh); I should pamper myself a little more. My husband is good to me though, he will rub my feet, or even give them a salt scrub, when I ask. He is a good man.

Thoughts of my friends flood my mind. I text a short video to Kelly and Yolanda, letting them know that I saved them hammocks right next to mine. They are such good friends. Then I realize that I can name more than a dozen friends that I would love to have chatted the morning away with on those hammocks. Wow, I am truly blessed.

I remember our 2015 trip to Aruba with good friends, Tim and Kelly. While walking the beach one night, we saw a hammock that may or may not have been on someone’s private property. Either way, it was irresistible, and soon enough the four of us were all sitting on the one hammock enjoying the starry sky. I think this was the night Tim looked at his tablet and announced that an entire planet had disappeared. I assume that it must have reappeared at some point because that bit of information never made the evening news.

Following a beach walk with Tim, Kelly, Gene and Marilyn in Costa Rica (February 2016), we all welcomed the restful hammocks, covered in shade. I can still taste the ice cold, zesty, grapefruit soda. Awwww…that hit the spot! I also recall that people used hammocks a lot in Costa Rica. I saw hammocks strung between trees for resting upon, spread on the beach to sit on, as well as strung in the trees proving shade. That’s when I decided we should buy a hammock!

This trip was in celebration of our tenth anniversary. Most days it doesn’t seem like we’ve been married for ten years, but when I think of how far we’ve come together, it doesn’t seem possible that we’ve squeezed so much into so short a time. When we married, we both worked full time, each owned a home, and each still had a teenager in the house. Not that it was always easy, but I’m so proud to say that all of our children graduated high school without pregnancies or drug problems and everyone of them is financially self supporting. Yay! Bill and I now find ourselves more in love every day, retired, living on our sailboat in The Sunshine State, so excited about what God has planned for us next.

Please be on the lookout for hammocks, and when you find one, even if it might be on someone’s private property, I hope that you will find rest and count your blessings.

I’d love to hear your thoughts from a hammock!

All Aboard for Alligators

On a recent trip to Key Largo, Florida, we took some time to explore the Everglades Alligator Farm. This little farm is home to alligators of all sizes, over 2000 of them! I really can’t explain myself, but I’ve always been kind of fascinated by alligators. Not the kind of fascination that leads me to want one as a cute little pet (I’m not really a pet person). But more the kind of fascination that makes me want to look at the disturbing things and learn more about them.

As a child, I would see one or two alligators every year at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Nebraska. As a young adult, I attended Immigration Officer’s Basic Training in Glynco, Georgia. I saw lots of “Beware of Alligators” signs, but I didn’t see any alligators on the training base. One weekend I caught a ride to nearby Jekyll Island, Georgia to spend some time on the beach and explore the historic island. I stopped to chat up a father and son fishing in the brackish water. After seeing another “beware” sign, I asked if there were really any alligators in the water. The guy told if that if I wanted to see one I could just dip my toe in the water. Not sure whether or not that was a joke, I thought it best to simply wish them well and head to the beach. It was a beautiful beach day!

In the early part of the 20th century, alligators were hunted to near extinction. Alligators have been sought after for their meat and skin since the 1800s. Alligator skin is used to make boots, belts, and saddles. However, after being listed on the Endangered Species Act, hunting prohibition and protection of their habitat enabled alligators to make a quick recovery. Although removed from the endangered species list in 1987, it remains illegal to kill or injure an alligator without a permit. Except in self defense, of course. Oh yeah, and they still won’t let you have one as a pet!

Enter Liz. At first glance she seemed like a reasonable person. She’s welcoming and friendly…

Then it turns out that she wrestles alligators for pay! What? Then she corrected my husband, she’s an “Alligator Handler”, not an alligator wrestler. Hmmm…that doesn’t sound any safer to me. Because I asked, she did say that her mom knows that she handles alligators for a living. But somehow that doesn’t make me feel any better.

Liz was confident, knowledgeable and entertaining. I learned that when alligator babies are born they are only about 6 inches long. Liz described them as the “chicken tenders” of the Everglades because just about any animal will eat a hatchling. Alligators are fiercely protected by their mothers for the first two years of life. They can live up to 50 years and grow to 15 feet in length, weighing almost 1000 pounds. I don’t think Liz wrestles the 1000 pounders, but she said this alligator weighs about 250 pounds.

Liz’s performance was captivating. Thank goodness it only lasted ten minutes because I don’t know how much more excitement I could take!

Next up: Sheridan. Sheridan was our airboat tour driver. I had never been on an airboat, but it’s a classic Everglades activity, so of course we climbed onboard! Before we were underway I asked Sheridan if this was his first day on the job. He assured me that it wasn’t, but that it was his first day back to work after the accident. I think I really need to quit asking people so many questions.

The ride was exhilarating! Sheridan started out slow, meandering along the shallow river, past the “Please, No Swimming” sign. I’m not always a strict rule follower, but I won’t be testing the limits in this swamp!

Midway through the airboat ride, I think Sheridan got lost, at least, well, I know we were no longer following the road. Ok, maybe I shouldn’t speak for Sheridan, but the multiple high-speed 360’s, muddy water flying, had me screaming with my eyes closed, so I just figured we were lost. Good thing I was wearing my safari hat!

This was a fun-filled day. I’m glad that we went on the airboat ride, and happy to see so many alligators and learn more about them. No worries, I didn’t take any of these little cuties home with me!

What was your last animal encounter?

For the Love of Manatees

September 2020 found my husband and I in Key Largo, Florida. We stayed the week at the Playa Largo Resort and Spa-a truly beautiful place. From day one we kept hearing that a manatee regularly meanders through the swim area of the resort. A bonafide Florida resident for five months now, living on a boat, and always on the lookout for manatees, I think it’s my turn to actually see one!
Day one: no manatee sightings. Day two: a trip to the Everglades followed by swimming off the beach at the Playa Largo, no manatee sightings.

Day three: sailing on a Hobie Wave and swimming off the beach at Playa Largo. My husband said he saw a manatee peek his head up, but I didn’t see it.

Day four: a trip to the Everglades Alligator Farm. This is an awesome “must see”, but no manatee sightings. I vow to swim off the beach at Playa Largo until I see a manatee. Hours later, and a little sunburned, no manatee sightings. Day five, my husband and I did a three mile stand up paddleboard ride, no manatee sightings. Now I’m starting to wonder about the existence of manatees. Maybe there isn’t even such a thing and people are just messing with me! People do that sometimes. My friend, Jan, once told me that she swam with the manatees in Florida. But she fancies herself a standup comic, so why should I believe her? Ready to give up the ghost, we decide to shower, change, and enjoy the Eventide sunset celebration at the Sandbar.

Now settling into the perfect spot to enjoy our last night at the resort, I’m ready to order an umbrella drink when Bill shouts, “there it is”! He grabs my hand and pulls me along as we run down the entire, and I really do mean “run” and “entire”, beach and out onto the boat dock. Bingo! Jackpot! They really do exist!

There is one water hose on the dock that doesn’t turn all the way off and this manatee was sure enjoying a cool, refreshing drink of cold water! And then he turned over, as if he was asking for a belly rub!

I thought that was the cutest thing, until his friend showed up to the party!

Standing on the dock, careful not to disturb them, Bill and I must have watched these two play under the trickling water for the better part of an hour. We missed the sunset celebration, but really enjoyed the show!

Now that I’ve seen them with my own eyes, I am reminded of the phrase from the 1897 editorial in the New York Sun “Yes, Virginia, there is a manatee”. Ok, so maybe I paraphrased a bit…

What is true, though, is that manatees, previously listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act, are currently classified as “threatened”. There are estimated to be only about 13,000 alive today. Harassing, touching, or even feeding manatees is not allowed, as interaction with humans has been proven dangerous to the animals. Manatees are herbivores, and their marine environment provides plenty of sea grass, algae, and other vegetation allowing them to grow to between 5 and 10 feet long and weigh almost 1000 pounds. That makes me wonder if eating a salad for dinner really isn’t the best diet advice ever given!

The bottom line: just like Santa Claus, manatees do exist, but don’t give them hugs, kisses, or cookies.

Costa Rica Wild

February 2016 found my husband and I vacationing in Costa Rica with friends. This was the first trip the 6 of us had taken together, but I hope it’s not the last. Gene and Marilyn planned the trip and they couldn’t have picked a better get away. Tim and Kelly, as well as Bill and I, jumped at the chance to join them because we all love adventure. And, well, I’ll pretty much go anywhere with Marilyn. It was awesome for the six of us to enjoy so much time together relaxing and exploring. Costa Rica is known to be the country with more monkeys than humans. And oh man, saw a crazy number of monkeys!

I grew up in the Midwest where it is common to see black squirrels in the trees, in the yard, running long the fence tops, or just about everywhere else outside. Once, while sitting on the back porch, I watched as squirrels carried nuts from the backyard through the clothes dryer vent and into the vacant house next store. The homeowner later found that the squirrels had filled a hall closet half full of walnuts. Evidently they were planning to winter in this nice three bedroom home!

Black squirrel in Iowa eating a black walnut

I know about squirrels, but monkeys-nope. I have to say that seeing monkeys up close, without a zoo cage between us, was a new experience for me. And it was fascinating. Still, I refer to the experience by saying that Costa Rica has monkeys like Iowa has squirrels-they are all over the place!

Costa Rica has four types of monkeys: Howler, Capuchin (White face), Squirrel and Spider monkeys. I believe we only saw the Howler and the Capuchin monkeys. The Capuchins were so fun to watch. They were very playful with each other, and rumor has it that they can be mischievous, as well. We stayed at the Conchal Hotel in Playa Brasilito, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. This boutique hotel was charming. The rooms featured local decor and were always spotless. The pool was refreshing. The restaurant was the best in town, featuring seafood and tasty umbrella drinks. I highly recommend it. The owners were ever-present and offered a treasure trove of local information. Including that they had recently reroofed the restaurant and trimmed back the trees. Previous to this, the monkeys would wait on the rooftop, watch the guests in the pool, and jump down to steal away their belongings if left unattended too long!

Another animal we saw was not nearly was fun to watch….

Costa Rica is home to 600 types of birds. Not the kinds of birds I grew up seeing in the Midwest; Costa Rica has big colorful birds. Some pretty birds even like to get up close and personal:

The local children are skilled at sighting wild Macaws. One hot afternoon, we even paid a child 50 cents for pointing one out to us. I don’t have a picture of it, and I can’t swear that I really even saw it, I only know for sure that Costa Rica has beautiful Macaws and that we paid to see one!

The six of us enjoyed our fair share of beach time. Marilyn learned to snorkel on this trip. Then she proceeded to search for local fish, dolphin, sea turtles and humpback whales!

I will forever remember this beach as the beach where Kelly refused to get off the massage table. You see, every day two local entrepreneurs walked back and forth advertising massages. Ten dollars for 30 minutes, twenty dollars for an hour. I went every day for a twenty dollar massage and thoroughly enjoyed every relaxing minute of it. I kept asking Marilyn and Kelly to join me, but they kept declining. About day four, Kelly finally decided that she would do a 30 minute massage for ten dollars. On massage tables next to each other, I closed my eyes readying for an hour of luxury. Thirty minutes later Kelly’s beach massage lady gently told her that her massage was over. No movement and no sound from Kelly. A few moments later the kind lady again reminded Kelly that her time was up. No movement and no sound from Kelly. I didn’t want to interfere, but I began thinking to myself “oh man, Kelly isn’t going to get off that table”! After the third reminder, Kelly finally announced that she would be staying for the full hour! I cracked up! I knew it! I mean, seriously, who doesn’t want a full hour massage on the beach?

The sweet fellowship of breaking bread together with friends is always a blessing.

I really meant dinner at Papayas, Conchal Hotel

And of course, all evenings ended with a beautiful sunset. I am thankful for great times with cherished friends. What are you thankful for today?

Sweet Lessons in Charleston

No doubt, God blessed my career beyond my wildest imagination. When I started as a clerk with immigration it never entered my mind that I might one day mentor new immigration officers and even teach at the immigration officer’s academy on occasion. Even so, there I was, in Charleston, at the academy, for the summer of 2018, and then again in 2019.

Already retired, my husband was able to join me. In preparation for our dream of sailing in the Caribbean, and we decided that 2018 was a good time to move our boat, Liberty, from Lake Michigan to the East Coast.

Adjudicating immigration applications was always a complicated undertaking. Even after 30 years on the job, I would often find myself thinking, or actually even saying out loud, some version of ‘I can’t believe I know so much of this stuff, but I didn’t know that!’ There was always something more to learn.

I believed I was going to Charleston to teach new immigration officers how to, well, be immigration officers. And hopefully I did that! However, Charleston also taught me much in return. Specifically, Charleston taught me that, although the value of old friendships is golden, the forming of new friendships is like discovering a treasure chest on a deserted island. Without a map!

Bill and I are adventurous and fun. We spent our evenings and weekends exploring Charleston, sailing, kayaking, and, especially, enjoying watching and learning about the dolphins.

Evidently, people noticed…maybe I talk too much between classes. One afternoon another instructor approached me and informed me that ‘people are saying’ that I’m fun. She went on to explain that she thinks that she, too, is fun, but that she never has the occasion to have any fun. Inviting Cheryl to kayak that weekend with us on Shem Creek was the first step towards a friendship full of fun and excitement to this day.

Cheryl and Angie at Huguenot beach, Jacksonville, Florida

Class content wasn’t difficult for me; however, navigating the technology in the classroom was a different story. I admit that I would have been lost without Julie, Cheryl, Larry, Dave, and the other instructors who helped smooth that over for me. And we all had great fun together on the weekends.

Julie and her husband, Scott, opened their home to Bill and I for dinner on more than one occasion. We also enjoyed dining together at our favorite Charleston restaurants-Lewis BBQ, Swig and Swine, Fleet Landing, and Coconut Joe’s. Although we currently live hours apart, we get together when we can, and we count them among our blessings. The next time you are in Charleston, remember to check out these restaurants. And see if you can get Julie to cook you up something-she’s quite a chef!

Speaking of Julie…I love her, but she is dolphin repellent! Studies show that Charleston Harbor is home to more than 500 dolphins. Dolphins are mammals who have to breath every 15 minutes, so it follows that a person should see dolphins pretty regularly there, right? Well, that’s true, unless Julie is near! She claims to like dolphins, so I don’t know why she is dolphin repellent, but I kid you not. We sailed Charleston Harbor several times every week, month after month, and would see dolphins every time-unless Julie joined us! Trust me: going to dinner, yes; going to the beach, yes; going shopping, yes; dolphin watching, that’s a big nope!

Looking for dolphins in Charleston Harbor with my Student Captains

We’ve had all kinds of fun at Shem Creek. Every Sunday after church we enjoyed lunch (The Shelter was our favorite) and kayaked at Shem Creek. We normally saw a few dolphins and occasionally we would see manatee and shark. One afternoon when Cheryl joined us there were dozens of dolphins! They were surfacing all around us and bumping our kayak from underneath! Cheryl and I were laughing so hard-I told her that I thought we were about to go swimming with the dolphins even though we didn’t pay for that experience!

Although I can’t figure out why, one day Julie and I thought it would be a good idea to go stand up paddle boarding on Shem Creek. Even though I have since mastered the SUP (on still water), what made me think that doing it for the first time in a fast moving creek, subject to a 5 foot tide, crowded with motor boats of all sizes was a good idea? You guessed it, I fell in. Not only did I fall into the murky water, I had to be rescued by a tourist boat tied to the dock! You might think I’d have been humiliated, but I must have outgrown that emotion years ago. I looked around for Julie, because the last time I saw her she was happily standing on her board, paddling, and quite possibly oblivious to the fact that the outgoing tide was taking her into Charleston Harbor, headed toward the jetties and the Atlantic Ocean! I was hoping that I’d see her again someday, but happy that she was looking good on her way out! No worries, soon enough she came back up the creek sitting pretty on the foredeck of another tourist boat. Ok, so she didn’t actually fall into the creek, but we were both rescued nonetheless!

Angie and Julie on a recent aquatic adventure

Proverbs 16:14 reminds us that pleasant words are honey from the honeycomb-sweet to the soul and healing for the body. I am so thankful that God provides sweet friendships for me. What are you thankful for today?

Sunset at Cooper River Marina, Charleston, SC

The Aruban Experience

All of the thoughts I had ever had of Aruba involved beautiful blue water, soft sandy beaches, and very occasionally, Carnival. That all evokes restful beauty and family fun. So, that’s what I expected when planning for our 2015 vacation. I should have known better. Something unexpected and exciting often happens when Bill and I get together with our friends Tim and Kelly. Especially, when we venture outside the boundaries of the continental United States. I can’t figure out why. (But I’m willing to continue seeking the answer!)

I believe it was Bill and Tim who thought it might be a good idea to coax Kelly and I off our beach loungers to take a Jeep tour. They must have been pretty persuasive because the beach was very nice…

The Jeep tour took us to the Bushiribana Gold Mine Ruins. Gold was found on Aruba in 1824 and mined there for the next one hundred years. The name “Aruba” actually loosely translates to “there was gold”. (Save that little nugget of information for the next time you want gold for Christmas or your birthday. If your husband flinches, tell him that you’ll settle for a trip to Aruba!)

What began as just a little off-roading in the Jeep quickly became a crazy, thrilling, roller coaster ride through Arikok National Park. Evidently there aren’t any roads in this park. Or, maybe our tour guide stayed off of the roads intentionally because he didn’t have a driver’s license-I couldn’t tell. The park proved to be a diverse area that began as desert then transformed into a rugged terrain of rock cliffs. Our guide seemed to take great pleasure in driving us right up to the side of the cliffs so that we wouldn’t miss the glorious view of the Caribbean Sea.

Cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Arikok National Park, Aruba

Our next stop was at the top of the Natural Pool. Mesmerizing.

The Natural Pool, Arikok National Park, Aruba. Isn’t it beautiful?

The Natural Pool is in a remote area on the East coast of Aruba. Like the rest of Arikok National Park, it is only accessible by Jeep, ATV, horseback, (or helicopter, I suppose), so it ought to be relatively deserted, right? Nope.

It appears that Kelly and I are not the only adults who believe this pool looks inviting.

Although they should know better by now, our guys don’t look like they are properly supervising us…

Because we just had to experience the Natural Pool (it might be the real fountain of youth):

No, I was just kidding, but Kelly wasn’t!

Our Aruban experience was filled with adventure, relaxation, rejuvenation, and laugh-out-loud fun.

Proverbs 27:9 reminds us that ‘sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy’. Bill and I are so thankful for our good friends. God has blessed us for sure. How has He blessed you today?

Graduates in Isla Mujeres

View from our room at Ixchel Beach Hotel

In the summer of 2017, my daughter, Becky, graduated from the College of St. Mary (a women’s college) with her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. In lieu of a party, she chose to celebrate in Isla Mujeres (the Island of the Women), Mexico. Yay!

Becky and I have often taken girl trips with Marilyn, so having her join us on the Island of the Women to celebrate Becky’s accomplishment couldn’t have been more perfect.

Becky, Marilyn, and Angie enjoying fun in the sun in Mexico

At the time, Becky and I were residing in Nebraska; Marilyn lives in New Hampshire. Becky and I made all of the reservations for this trip and planned to meet Marilyn at the airport in Cancun, from where we would travel together to our hotel.

I hadn’t bothered to relay all of the logistics to Marilyn, because, well, she trusts me to take care of all those ‘little things’. After all, we’ve been friends for more than 30 years, and I’ve proven myself to be trustworthy, right? Unfortunately, a thunderstorm delayed Becky and I in Chicago hour after hour, and I was unable to reach Marilyn to tell her of the delay.

When I finally reached Marilyn by phone, she was sitting alone in a cafe enjoying an umbrella drink and taking in the sites and sounds of downtown Isla Mujeres. I’m so glad she’s resourceful!

As she tells the story, upon landing in Cancun and finding that Becky and I were hours delayed, she devised her own game plan. Marilyn recalled only the name of the island and that our intended hotel had “something to do with the moon”. Admittedly, not much to go on! A taxi fare and a beautiful ride on the UltraMar ferry landed her on Isla Mujeres. Luckily, Marilyn speaks Spanish and was able to explain her moon hotel theory to an “ancient” tricycle taxi guy. In case you don’t know what a tricycle taxi is, well, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: an oversized trike with a gigantic basket on the front, powered by a guy just trying to make a living. It’s actually a very popular thing on the island. Normally, a tourist’s luggage rides in the basket, and the taxi guy leads the way while the tourist follows along behind. But not Marilyn. And, oh man, I really wish I had a picture of this-Marilyn rode in the basket, on top of her luggage! To her credit, she said that the old guy insisted. I nearly wet myself when she was telling me this story. I believe the guy must have endeared himself to Marilyn, because it turns out that she tipped him, in U.S. dollars, the equivalent of an entire day’s wage!

Marilyn is impressive, she found her way to the Ixchel Beach Hotel. That only sounds like it has “something to do with the moon” if you know that Ixchel is the Mayan goddess of the moon and fertility. I’m not well versed on Mayan goddesses, but evidently Marilyn and the ancient tricycle taxi guy are!

The hotel was awesome: beautiful, walking distance to the shops and restaurants on Avenida Hidalgo, and right on the beach. Perfect.

If a tourist has already taken a tricycle taxi, the next most preferred method of transportation is a golf cart. Of course, none of us had ever driven a golf cart, but we weren’t about to let that little issue hold us back-we’re college graduates, celebrating college graduation, right? The ride across the island was fun, bumpy, and just a little bit scary-even when we weren’t lost.

We loved the Women’s Beading Cooperative. The beading cooperative is run by talented local women who come together to practice the art of beaded jewelry making and selling it to tourists for profit. This project supports women by bringing them together in a community where they teach this craft to the next generation, and allows them to earn an income to support themselves and their children. Plus, I just love bracelets!

Cute picture of an anklet…but no worries, I bought some bracelets, too

Our next stop was to check out the Ruins of Ixchel Temple. The ruins are on the southern tip of the island, and were built to honor the Mayan goddess, Ixchel. The Mayan civilization populated Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Belize approximately 3000 years ago. Known for their advances in math and astronomy, they built stone temples and pyramids as worship centers for their gods and goddesses. Although, as a Christian, I don’t worship the Mayan gods and goddesses, I can appreciate the beauty of the Mayan workmanship.

While relaxing on the beach outside our hotel one afternoon, we decided that we each deserved to get a massage. One by one we enjoyed relaxing massages while listening to the waves roll gently onto the beach. Three massages later it was time to pay the piper. Oops, come to find out they only accept MasterCard. I only had Visa. Marilyn only had Visa. Getting desperate, we turned to the broke, recent graduate…did she have a MasterCard, or did we really just get ourselves into a jam? Or a pickle? Quit talking about food because we might have to sing for our supper! Yay, Becky had a MasterCard and she was willing to cover us this time! Whew!

Like all vacations, this trip ended way too soon. Celebrating women on the Island of the Women was awesome. What are you celebrating today?

Mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea. Who knew it was so beautiful?

Have you ever come to a time in your life when you wish you would have paid better attention in History class, or Geography? February 2020 was one of those times for me. I traveled to Israel with a group from my church. (I didn’t know I was going to have to ride a camel!)

2020 Lifespring Church Pilgrimage to Israel, together with our tour guide, Johnny

Oh, man, I saw so much and learned so much on that trip. (Including that the Mediterranean diet is short on french fries!) I have to admit that I had never even heard of Qumran, the Bedouin, or the Essenes. I had, of course, heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but I didn’t know that they are ancient fragments of the Old Testament, thought to have been written between 150 B.C. and 70 A.D. by the Essenes. The Essenes were a small group of devout Jews who lived in Qumran, northwest of the Dead Sea, and dedicated themselves to copying Scripture.

Our tour guide, Johnny, in the Scribes’ Room, telling us about the Essenes

In 1946, while tending his livestock in the desert near Qumran, a Bedouin teenager threw a stone into a cave and heard something shatter. The Bedouin people are Arabs, traditionally desert nomads in what is now referred to as the Middle East. Preferring to conserve their historic way of life, they still maintain their own communities, religious beliefs, and style of dress. They work their land and raise livestock-mainly sheep, goats and camels. I can only imagine the day-to-day life of herding livestock in the desert, so hearing that shattering sound in the cave had to have piqued the interest of the teenage boy. A mystery! Solving the mystery of the shattering sound in the cave had to have ignited an exciting and irresistible quest. Then to find that it was just an old clay jar full of broken tablets. Ahhh…boring. Poor kid! I’m sure he was hoping for something really good, not realizing that he had just stumbled upon the greatest archeological find of the 20th century, and arguably the most significant find in of all of history.

Replicas of the clay jars in which the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

Within ten years, thousands of additional fragments were discovered. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain fragments of all of the Old Testament books of the Bible except Esther and Nehemiah. The Book of Isaiah was found in its entirety. The scrolls also contain previously unknown hymns, prayers, and other glimpses into the lives of the early Jewish people, including the time period when Jesus Christ walked the earth.

Despite what may have been a disappointing find to the Bedouin teen, the Dead Sea Scrolls are priceless. Careful study of the scrolls have proven that the Bible I read today is essentially word-for-word what was copied by the Essenes. The great care they took to preserve and protect these scrolls, for what turned out to be over 2000 years, shows that they believed them to be the inspired World of God.

More caves in Qumran where some of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered

Today, you can see many of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, or in the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C. National Geographic has also published many of the scrolls online.

The Shrine of the Book, Israel Museum, Jerusalem

I am blessed to have seen parts of the Dead Sea Scrolls up close and personal at the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. And I’m forever grateful to everyone who played even a small part in preserving and presenting the Word of God to me in any of its forms.

My friend, Susan, and I overlooking the Dead Sea. I’m thankful for the beautiful Christian walk she models. Oh, plus, she’s fun!

I would consider it a privilege to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with you. Please contact me if you’d like to chat.

The Beauty of Friendship

I’ve seen a lot of beautiful beaches.

And beautiful water…I mean crystal clear, stunningly colorful, see the sea shells on the sandy bottom, water.

I will admit that I’d love to spend all of my days looking at, sailing on, floating on, snorkeling in, paddle boarding on, or swimming in the Bahamian blue water. But life just doesn’t work like that, does it? My sensible side reminds me that I’m not Bahamian, so I can’t simply decide to live there. Hmmm…that was a tough one to swallow! The Nana in me wanted to just move right in with my grandkids-I guess you can imagine what their parents thought about that idea. So my husband and I chose to move onto our sailboat in Jacksonville, Florida, where we are very happy.

Of course, moving across the country meant leaving some great friends and family behind in the Midwest. When visitation opened up at the assisted living facility where my mom resides, we immediately headed to Nebraska. Bill and I so enjoyed our visits with mom, finally face-to-face, in these very restrictive Covid 19 times. My mom is a life-long Catholic, and a more kind person would be hard to find.

Speaking of good people, our friends Steve and Susan, opened their home to us while we were in town-such a generous example of hospitality. In 1 Peter 4:9, the apostle reminds us to be hospitable. In the book of Colossians, Paul instructs us to to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience,and forgiveness. I love to spend time with those kind of people-I strive everyday to be those people! In His goodness, God has sent us so many of His people to do life with.

On day three of our trip, Bill and I took our friend, Mary, sailing on a Hobie Wave at the Lake Manawa Sailing Association. The winds were calm at 7 miles per hour. We had a great time catching up and relaxing together.

The very next day we sailed with Steve and Susan. Same lake, same boat, only now in gusty 15 mile per hour winds! I mean we were screaming back and forth across the lake; waves of water soaking us through and through. Even in my face! In my mouth-eek!

But we had so much fun-laugh out loud fun! I’m blessed to recognize that beauty isn’t in the physical properties of people, places, and things, but rather, the beauty is in the people and the experiences we have with those we choose to do life with.

As we travel back to Jacksonville, Bill and I are thankful for the beauty in our lives; beauty in all its forms.

Who are you doing life with today?