ISLANDS IN TIME: CHERISH THE MOMENTS (December 5 - 15, 2018)

Wyndham Reef Resort

Grand Cayman Island has been a regular destination of ours since we visited in 1994 for our 25th wedding anniversary.  We always look forward to a stop on our favorite island.  This year, after no problem with "stand-by" flights, we landed in Georgetown and headed for East End.  East End is on the far side of the island and is less commercial than the 7 mile beach area near Georgetown.  We enjoyed the relative quiet of two resorts there.  Our first 3 nights we stayed at the WYNDHAM REEF HOTEL AND RESORT thanks to our Wyndham Reward miles and the next week was spent at the neighboring, MORRITT'S TORTUGA CLUB RESORT.







Let's just say that, once again, we were not disappointed.  Both resorts were decked out for Christmas
and one of the schools on the island sent their children over for a Christmas concert.  Even though the 85 degree temperatures didn't lend themselves to it feeling like Christmas, it was apparent that the blessed holiday would soon be upon us.

WRECK OF THE 10 SAIL

We enjoyed visits to RUM POINT, WRECK OF THE TEN SAIL PARK, STARFISH POINT, the BLOW HOLES and our favorite island restaurant, OVER THE EDGE.  The remainder of the time was spent just laying on the beach soaking in the warmth of the Caribbean sunshine.  The ten day respite ended way too soon and we found ourselves back in the air headed to Kissimmee, Florida where we will, Lord willing, spend the next 11 weeks at the WYNDHAM CYPRESS PALMS RESORT.

REFLECTIONS

Every time we leave Grand Cayman we say that it might be the last.  Thus, we try to cherish every fleeting moment.  The final morning's sunrise is treasured and the early sun illuminating the sand is amazing.  The gentle waves licking the shore while the ocean waves crash on the not to distant reef are etched in my mind.  One last look before closing the door behind us and heading to the Owen Robert's airport and it is finished.  Another wonderful time in paradise.

As I sat in the back of the Delta Flight (Row 30, Seat F) I was reminded that that is really the way it should be with all of life.  Especially as we grow older, we should cherish each parting; each change.  Every time we are with family or friends we should drink in all the wonder and joy of the occasion.  We never know if it will be our last visit.  We should pause and drink in the moments that we have been afforded.  Life is too short to just rush past the places and people we love.

We must be careful not take our "islands" of time and relationships for granted.  We must determine to pause and take one more look around us and understand how blessed we are.

BLOW HOLES

A TIME FOR DEER AND THOSE DEAR TO US (November 9 - December 4, 2018)

We winged our way from the resort at Fairfield Glade,Tennessee back to Missouri and our son's home in Republic.  We would spend the time, before heading to Grand Cayman Island, visiting with his family, enjoying a family Thanksgiving in Branson, Missouri (Wyndham Mountain Vista), and, finally, in Indiana executing doctor and dentist visits and visiting Sherry's mom.

Nearly every day at Aaron's home, I spent some time in the Wilson's Creek National Battlefield.  Sometimes hiking the numerous rustic trails and other times driving the 5 mile Loop Road looking for white tail deer.  Most of those drives were shared with my youngest grandson, Ethan.  We, also, saw him march in the Republic Holiday Parade.

Thanksgiving saw my daughter and her family drive in from Indiana.  We spent four days with everybody at the Wyndham Mountain Vista Resort in Branson.  We shared a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, watched both Indiana and Michigan lose football games, worked a giant crossword puzzle, and just hung out together.

We rode with Autumn's family back to Indiana and stayed a week before leaving for Grand Cayman Island. 



REFLECTIONS

As I sat in the van and watched the numerous deer graze in a recently harvested corn field, I reflected on how much I love the outdoors.  I have always been one that would rather sit on the porch or walk in the woods.  Hunting and fishing have been long time hobbies.  But, with the implantation of a pacemaker a decade ago, the hunting aspect of my outdoor enjoyment ceased.  The recoil of a shotgun to my device could be lethal.  Now I hunt with my camera.  It's not quite the same.  It doesn't provide meat for the table. 

Yet the hunt is the same.  Trying to figure out where the deer will be and where a good spot would be for the best shot (picture).  The excitement of seeing a big buck emerge from the woods right where you thought he'd be and knowing that your scouting and planning had paid off is still a rush.  And it's something I should be able to do for a long time.

I am reminded that when things change it is not time to just pout and give in to self pity and resignation.  It is time to explore other options and chances to continue to live a full and rich life, enjoying all that lies before you and never forgetting that "the best is yet to come".

PLATEAU PONDERINGS (October 21-November 10, 2018)

Our standby flights took us from St. Louis, Missouri, through New York City, and back to Knoxville, Tennessee.  The long way around, but when we fell into the king size bed at the Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Glade we knew that the next three weeks would be a great time of relaxing and enjoying the autumn beauty of the Cumberland Plateau.  We have been visiting this awesome location in Tennessee since 1982 and knew that the hospitality of the people and the spectacular scenery would make for a wonderful time.

The comfortable condo with the wood burning fireplace (firewood provided) was centrally located,
making it easy to access many of the varied walking trails that meander through the wooded landscape.  The fall foliage did not disappoint.  The valleys and hillsides were ablaze with bright reds, yellows, and oranges.  Streams and cascades provided sounds and sights that reminded one of the beauty of nature all around us.

Good friends, Mike and Elizabeth Adams, joined us for six of these and it was good to reconnect and share time together.  There really are few things as special as long time friends.


REFLECTIONS

Autumn is an amazing time of the year.  The stunning colors of fall on the Cumberland Plateau make for many moments of just standing still and allowing yourself to drink it all in.  It all comes together perfectly to cause one to catch their breath and pause to allow the images to be captured in their mind.  Captured, to be recalled from time to time, in memories of bright colors, crisp air, and the smells of the forest as it drops its decaying leaves to the moist ground.

Even the few rainy days that we experienced during our stay brought an additional beauty to the surroundings.  While the wind and rain caused the trees to shed their changing leaves in great numbers, it also filled the many rivers and streams to overflowing.  The increased water flow provided the resource to bring waterfalls and cascades to life.

Out of the rainy, windy, overcast days came a freshness in the air, the sound of flowing water, and the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet.  Out of what could be seen as wasted days came additional blessings.

It would be wonderful if all of life was filled with sunshine and blue skies; but it's not.  It has its rainy days. It has dreary days that seem to be wasted and long.  Always reflect on the memories of good days past and remember that even the dreary days can produce beauty and a resource for better days to come.

INDIANA AND MISSOURI BOOKENDS (September 17-30, 2018) (October 7 - 20, 2018)

Indiana Morning Woods

The bookends around our time with friends in Tennessee were times spent with family in Indiana and Missouri.  They were times of laughter and of enjoyment.  There is nothing more special than being able to spend time with family.  There are few things more important than making lasting memories with those who will remain when we have exited this temporal realm.  After being gone to Alaska for three months it was awesome to reconnect with those who are closest to us.

Watched the girls compete

Our front-end two weeks in Indiana were spent between Bloomington and Avon.  Sherry's mom, Lois, remains in an Alzheimer Facility in Bloomington and our daughter's family live in the Indianapolis area.  These days were spent visiting Lois, closing up the cabin, attending volleyball and soccer games, and running to the dentist and doctor.  Not very restful but good days in the Hoosier state.

Baptized Ethan

Our back-end two weeks, in Missouri, were spent in Republic where our son, Aaron, and his family reside.  They were days spent enjoying our four grandsons and doing nothing.  They were relaxing days.  I spent some time about every day at Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (about 2 miles from Aaron's home) hiking and looking for wildlife.  I, also, was able to baptize my youngest grandson, Ethan.  I have now baptized all six of my grand children!  A trip to Lambert's (home of throwed rolls)was made, where fun was had by all and a lot of food was consumed.

Christian, Justin, Ethan, Austin at Lambert's (Home of Throwed Rolls)

REFLECTIONS

I want my "senior" years to be lived in such a way that I am challenged by new adventures and places.  I want my "senior" years to be years of wonder and wandering!  I want my "senior" years to be spent loving Jesus and others.  I want my "senior" years to be long enough to ensure that my grandchildren remember me with at least some degree of fondness and respect.  I remain excited to see what the Lord has in store for us and excited to watch my children and grandchildren explore His plans for their lives.

Missouri Red Barn Deer

TOGETHER AGAIN (October 1-6, 2018)

The Dicers, the Smiths, the Moores, the Halls, the Solomons, the Rosses

Nottingham Villa

The Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Glade, Tennessee was the site of this year's "Friends Retreat".  Six couples met for five days of coming together and enjoying our sameness and our differences.  Five days of sharing life.  Six guys met six gals in the late 1960s while attending Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois.  Twelve individuals became six couples.  Those six couples will all celebrate their 50th wedding anniversaries in the near future.

This was our second "Old Timers" get together and "the Glade" served as a great host.

They were days filled with lots of memories, golf, hikes, and lots of foods.  They were days of remembering and days of reflections.

REFLECTIONS

Fred Hall, Keith Ross, Alan Dicer, Bryan Solomon, Ken Moore, and Eugene Smith

A lot of water has passed under the bridge in the past 50 plus years but none of it has dampened our friendships and our relationships.  Six couples still married in a day when marriage has lost its "til death do us part" component.  Six couples who have refused to allow miles or differences to divide their connection.  We concluded that we were all extremely blessed.   

I am blessed to know that every day there are those upon whom I can count; those who will be praying for me.

There have been good times and tough times in those years passed and I am sure there will be more of both in the years to come.  We have scheduled a repeat visit to "The Glade" next October.  I am praying that the number will still be twelve.

I hope that you have these long standing friendships in your lives.  If you do, don't take them for granted.  Find a way to get together, to connect, to enjoy the memories and treasure the moment.

Even old folks can be silly!

ALASKA FINALE (August 27- September 16, 2018)

Lake Eklutna

                                                                 

Eagle River Nature Center

Our eighty eight days in the "Final Frontier" drew to a close as we boarded the Delta jet to wing our way back "outside" to Indiana.  The final three weeks were spent wrapping up ministry work and taking a final lingering look at all the beauty that is Alaska.  They were weeks of preparing the church for the days ahead, weeks of saying goodbye to so many new friends, and weeks of soaking in the wonder of our northern most state.

Day outings were made to Peter's Creek Park with its roaring river and winding trails, Reflection Lake with its scenic views and tall tower, Eagle River Nature Center, and Lake Eklutna with its panorama of jagged mountains and glaciers.

Peter's Creek Park

Now it will be two weeks in Indiana before starting our fall and winter schedule with time at Wyndham Fairfield Glade in Tennessee, Wyndham at the Falls in Branson, Missouri, Wyndham Reef on Grand Cayman Island, and Wyndham Cypress Palms in Kissimmee, Florida.


REFLECTIONS

Reflection Lake

It is always difficult to leave a favorite place; a place that has captured your heart.  Alaska is such a place for me.  I love her people and her landscape.  I love the freshness of her breezes and the dazzle of her northern lights.  I love the bright yellow Aspens that brighten the mountain sides as summer gives way to fall. 

However, as much as I love her, I have not seen all of her.  I have never experienced her crazy cold winter months with its 20 hours of darkness.  I have never experienced the separation that engulfs those who have chosen to live there.  I have never had to deal with the high cost of living there year around.

And while I shiver at the thought of those cold winter days, there are those who long for them; for the chance to dog sled or snow machine.  And while I worry about the cost of living, there are those who rise to the challenge of subsistence hunting and fishing.

We are all different and love different things.  We have discovered that even the things we love the most have their downsides, their disappointments.  It is as we learn to accept the good with the bad that really learn to live and love.  Learn to say with the apostle Paul: "I have learned whatsoever state I am in to be content."

So while I find it difficult to leave Alaska I am content in the knowledge that there will be memories and blessings to be had in the next place and the next and the next and the next.

FIRE WEED AND "FLAG STOPS" (August 4 - 26,2018)

Alaska has now been our stopping place for 66 days with 21 more to follow.  We have made so many new friends while serving as Interim Pastor at the Eagle River church of the Nazarene.  We have found them to be typical of the Alaskans that we have met in the past; industrious, strong, independent, kind, and generous.  We have been made to feel right at home.  They have loaned us vehicles so that we could see the beauty around us, they have invited us into their homes, and they have taken us out to meals.  We feel so very blessed that we have been given this opportunity to serve these wonderful folks as they go through the process of calling a full-time pastor.

The past three weeks, since our last blog, have been filled with church activities and adventures.  The adventures aren't very hard to find.  They are all around us.  The mountains, the water falls, the wildlife, and the grandeur of the land continue to cause us to stop and gasp our amazement.  This is truly a land of many faces.  In our over two months here, we have seen the bright fire weed blossom its' way to the top of the plant.  This is an Alaskan indicator that winter will soon be upon the state and that it is time to start getting ready for the harsh days ahead.  Daily highs have already dipped into the fifties and sixties.

Good friends, Terry and Janice Edwards from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, were our guests for several days.  Sherry and Janice were college room mates at Olivet Nazarene University in the mid 1960s.  They now pastor a church in the inner city of OKC.  We took day trips to the Girdwood area, the Portage Glacier, and, a full day train trip on the Alaskan Railroad to Hurricane Gulch.  Memories were made at the same time that memories were recalled.

This train, that runs daily from Talkeetna to Hurricane Gulch, is the last "flag" train in the United States.  Homesteaders, along this wilderness route, can flag the train down anywhere along its' journey.  The engine will throttle down to a stop and the train will even back up, if needed, to pick them up.

REFLECTIONS

As I have reflected on these past weeks weeks, I have been reminded once more, by the fire weed, about change and how along our life cycle there are indicators that our lives are changing.  Like the fire weed, it is, many times, the top of our plant (body) that let's us know that we are nearing the winter season where things will become much more difficult.  Our mind doesn't work the way it used to and the hair on our heads either disappears or changes color.  Remember "change happens"; embrace it and cherish each moment.

The "flag" train caused me to think about how quickly our lives tend to move.  Like the train, barreling along the clinking rails, they move rapidly from station to station.  What we must remember is that there are needy people alongside the tracks of our lives that may need to flag us down.  I am trusting that there are a few "flag" people remaining.  We must be willing to come to a grinding halt and even back up if needed in order to help someone along the way.  I serve a man who many times stopped to help someone along his track.  Let us be patient enough to do the same.