SEASCAPES AND SUNSETS (February 3 - February 24, 2017)

The stand by flights from Tucson, Arizona to Atlanta, Ga. to Panama City, Florida all were accomplished without any problems and we arrived at the Wyndham Vacation Club Resort on Panama City Beach late Friday night, February 3rd.  This 24 story beach front resort was to be our home for the next three weeks and our front yard was the Gulf of Mexico.  Lots of long walks down the white sand beach and, frankly, lots of time just looking out our 9th floor window at the ever changing scenery below.
The sunsets were magnificent, every one just a little different, and each one brought a sigh as the orange orb seemed to crash into the watery horizon.  What a way to end each day.

REFLECTIONS

Our first morning's view of the Gulf of Mexico was as a shimmering, quiet, peaceful body of water with waves that could hardly be heard as they gently kissed the shore.  Peaceful, tranquil, and inviting are words that come to mind to describe its demeanor. However, the next morning, upon pulling open the curtains, revealed a frothy. restless, surging body of water with waves that crashed loudly as they aggressively bit into the sandy shoreline.  Foreboding, intimidating, and harsh are words that come to mind to describe its demeanor that second day. We talked about how quickly it changed.

In our lives.....things change and sometimes they change quickly.  Situations and people change.  There are times when everything is going along smoothly with little disturbance and the next thing you know there's chaos.  That's life; ebbs and flows, kisses and bites.  People who you labeled as a friend become an antagonist, smooth sailing becomes a rough ride. Count on it.  And counting on it, be prepared for it.  Trust these sudden changes to the One who calmed the raging sea, the One who knows what it feels like to be betrayed.

As you pull back the curtain on each new day, remember to trust Him no matter what the day holds.  

And then there are the sunsets.  Each evening as we sat on our balcony or on the beach and watched the sun descend below the horizon, we remarked; "Wow, once it gets close to going down, it goes down in a hurry!"

That, too, seems to be true in life.  The closer we get to our "sunset" the faster everything seems to go.  I don't know about anyone else but, as for me, I want my sunset to be awesome!  I want people to say, as my earthly life passes from view, that was beautiful.  I want my "going down" to be a blessing to those viewing.

I have learned, as I've photographed so many sunsets, that their beauty is, many times, determined by their surroundings.  Therefore, I choose to surround myself with people and things that will bring beauty and meaning into my life.

It will happen quickly, this "sunset".  But please remember that for the Christ follower the BEST IS YET TO COME.

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PRICKLY PRAISE......CACTUS AND CANYONS (January 20 - February 2,2017)

The stand by flights from San Antonio, Texas through Salt Lake City, Utah to Tucson, Arizona went without problem and an Uber ride took us the rest of the way to Oro Valley and the Wyndham Rancho Vistoso Resort.

Nestled between two mountain ranges, the resort, on the desert floor, was lovely.  We had never stayed in the desert before and found it to be starkly beautiful and the ideal place for hiking.  We visited Honey Bee Canyon and the Sabino Canyon National Park.  Both were outstanding but Sabino was unreal. Our TWO WEEKS in the Sonoran desert were unique and most enjoyable.  Even the trail, in the wash, behind the resort provided surprises with rabbits, quail, deer, and Javelina sharing our hiking space.

REFLECTIONS

The Saguaro cactus is exclusive to the Sonoran desert.  These huge cacti can grow to be 70 feet tall and weigh many tons.  Their "arms" stretch toward the sky, as if in praise to their creator, and they make the desert landscape come alive with shapes and color.  They climb the canyon walls, sometimes, seemingly, rooted in the rocks and boulders that abound.

Sometimes we, also, are forced to grow in rough spots,in less than favorable situations. Might we, like the Saguaro, take root where we are and, with arms stretched high, provide a reminder to those who might pass by that we can make a difference to the landscape around us. Might we, in the canyons and stark places in our lives, always be people of praise. One thing, however, I didn't like about the Saguaro was that they always held you at "arms" length.  You can't put your arm around them without feeling pain.  As I heard a native hiker tell his hiking companion from "up north"; "You can look but don't touch!"

Therefore, might we, while trying to bring the beauty of Christ to those who pass by, never be so "prickly" that they feel kept at arms length. Let us reach both up to Him and out to others.

Be blessed, bloom where you are planted, and remember that the best is yet to come.