Harvey Travel Arts

I thought about calling today's 9/11 post "Looking Back" but then thought, what about those who have to look forward? Those whose lives will never be the same, whose families changed that day, who have memories, but who had to unexpectedly charter a new way of life. They had to draw on their faith, their strength, and somehow plan for future. *** We'll never be able to grab those precious moments again, so cherish them now. Embrace your spouse, hug your children, call your parents, friends, and spend time with them. Time is guaranteed to no one. For tomorrow is another day, a day that we are not promised. *** "'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 hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Brian and I recently took a driving tour of England and Wales. We love doing these drives, as we get to see a bit of the countryside and things that are off the beaten path. However, we started with a city that is familiar to many. This is Bath. Home of Roman history, Roman baths, a temporary stop for Jane Austen, and a city of spires and structures like most of their historic cousins, pointing toward the heavens. Brian and I can't get enough of the inspirational architecture we encounter on our vacations. Although I am a fan of modern day clean lines, I can't help but be inspired by the things that were created by men with their hands. How much more impressive is the creation, the heavens that churches direct their children to, the Heaven those in Christ will see, all this by our Creator and Savior.

A couple of weeks ago, Brian and I took a daytrip to see the wild ponies at Assateague Island. Their exact origin is unknown. Whether the descendants of horses from the Spanish shipwreck, or those left behind by other settlers, we'll never know. This little guy in particular won me over. He was such a sweet pony, there next to the road with his family. At one point, he pranced up to a vehicle, and began nuzzling it. So precious! The mother was there, and ever so watchful over her young. I am reminded again of how precious each and every life is to God. For even a sparrow has a nest.

A recent weekend trip took Brian and I to Hamilton, Ontario. My mom had just been in town for a ten day visit, and we had just dropped her off at the airport. Instead of returning to a quiet, lonely house, we decided to go out of town for the Memorial Day weekend. When research proved that places in the US were quite expensive, we decided to return to Canada. We'd already been to Toronto and Niagra, but what about lesser known places of beauty? One such place is in Hamilton. With 100 waterfalls, 30something of which are public, the small city is a nature lover's paradise. We only saw three of the falls in our short visit, each having just a little different scenery, and all beautiful for different reasons. People are like that, you know. We have different abilities, different gifts. Some are like the fast moving waterfalls, others meander along at a different place, filling another role. But we're all part of the package; part of God's creation.

Let's talk about this tree. From our hallway in St. Lucia, my husband and I could see this majestic creation. The roots have taken hold, deeply plunged into the soil. Over time, water and wind have eroded part of the ground, but the roots remain firm. This tree isn't going anywwhere. As new life springs up around it, the tree remains strong in its resolve. What about you, my friend? Have you planted roots in good soil? Is your life where it should be? When the rain of life comes swooping down, eroding away at your comfortable surroundings, will you remain strong in your convictions? Strong in your faith? Putting faith in Christ will allow your roots to take hold. Those roots will grow stronger as you develop a relationship with Him. Troubles are still approaching. Why not take the first step to keep yourself from falling?

Rain happens in beautiful places. Just let that statement sit in the air, while you think about the lush grass and colorful flora. The rain that trickles down from the sky, even in the hottest of climates, cools the air just a bit. Brings a new freshness to the grass. Makes beautiful landscapes like the one above. If rain creates all that beauty, then why do we complain about it? Sure, it slows us down on the roads. But we're probably traveling too fast to begin with. What about the rain in our lives? The difficult times that we experience, where things aren't as cheery as they could be? Think about it. Perhaps the challenges we face are there to make us grow. We can, with God's help, overcome the rain in our lives. We can live another day to see the beauty He has created.

On a recent trip to St. Lucia, Brian and I arrived to the usual warm welcome from the Sandals staff. This welcome included two t-shirts, cookies, coupons, and all the information we needed for our stay. We were glad to be there. The day long trip took us through three airports and a car ride. The car ride is the most telling part of the trip. You see the world as the locals see it; from the large banana trees shrouded in blue netting to the cars left by the side of the road. Once on the resort, it looks something like the picture below. This picture was taken the morning after our arrival. Sometimes it rains. We didn't mind. It kept the temperatures in the 80s, which was just perfect. Not too hot so that our energy was taken out of us, but warm enough to enjoy the pool, sand, and fresh air. This is the view we had from our balcony. We really were spoiled with the upgrades. If you travel to Sandals, I recommend signing up with their Signature Guest Program. It's...