Did you miss me?

Did you miss me? 

It has been almost 3 weeks since I sat down and wrote a BLOG entry. 

Well, guess what?  WE’RE BACK!!!

Let me start by telling you a little bit about where we’ve been and what we’ve seen. You probably know that Kerry and I took a cruise from Seattle to Alaska with a stopover in Victoria (my old stompin’ ground).

Can you believe it? Mid July and Kerry and I had to wear layers of clothing to keep the chill out. Yes, chill! We saw, and approached glaciers, ice bergs and wintery snowcap mountains. I savored every single moment. My only complaint is the food…there was too much of it (24/7). How can I gain 5 pounds when I ate salad for every meal. Kerry told me that maybe it was all of the other stuff I had on the plate, or the midnight slice (or 2) of pizza. If it wasn’t for the gym and my daily 3 mile run I fear my weight gain would have been far more severe.

Now, for the blessing…since our ship (the Golden Princess) departed from Seattle we got to stay with our son Justin and his family before and after our cruise. AWESOME is all I have to say about that.

Here is the million dollar question…What did we do about Kerry’s mom and dad while we were off dancing upon the northern seas? Tina (Christina), Kerry’s sister came and stayed for the entire two weeks. Tina took over all of our responsibilities and did a mighty fine job. Yes, there were moments of drama, but for the most part, it worked out great for all. 

Now for the irony. While Kerry and I were walking around the town of Juneau, I got a call on my cell phone. (by the way, using a cell phone on board costs $9.00 per minute. I kept my cell phone off until I was walking upon terra firma. You should have seen some of the very upset parents who discovered that there kids spent the entire cruise texting – yes typing messages to friends at $9.00 a minute. One woman was at desk asking why she had over $250.00 added to her bill and it was only the second day at sea).  So, anyways, I get this call and when I answered it I was surprised to hear that it was the new hospice nurse assigned to Kerry’s folks. She called to inform me that she was going to the house later on that day to do a follow up due to the fall. “What Fall,” I asked. She then realized that she had called the wrong number. Kerry's dad didn't want us to know what had happened. The nurse had no choice now other than to fill me in on what happened. She told me about a semi fall Kerry’s dad had while in the bathroom. He actually didn’t fall, but instead sort of lost the strength in his legs and slowly let himself slide down the wall onto the floor. No Injuries. When I was finished speaking with the nurse I called Red to ask him how he was and he told me everything was going along just fine. I then asked him about the fall and he seemed surprised that I knew about it. “How did you know about that?” he asked.  I told him that I knew everything … distance meant nothing to me…lol. 

Here is the good that came out of it. Tina was in no position to pick up her dad. He is just too heavy for her. She called our neighbor (and good friend) Jenene and together the two of them got Red back up onto his feet. It was a relief for me to know that my Plan B (getting help from a neighbor) actually worked. I slept well every noght we were away because I knew our neighbors were there if we needed them...it would all be okay.

Good neighbors are a blessing – annoying neighbors are an opportunity. 

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself…                                                                                          

Eight times in the Bible we are told to love our neighbor -- one of the Bible's most repeated commands.

Loving your neighbor is the opposite of selfishness -- the common human practice. Acting in divine love demonstrates that unselfishness is possible for a human -- showing a reality that cannot be ignored or denied.

Whether they appreciate you, or respond to your love, Jesus's command is still valid: You must show love to your neighbor in a practical way. 

Who Is A Neighbor?                                                                                                                    

When Jesus was asked by someone who his neighbor was (Luke 10:29), Jesus responded by telling the story of the good Samaritan -- who helped a stranger in need by the roadside. Then, in verse 37, Jesus told the man to go and do like the good Samaritan. 

A neighbor is someone who is near-by wherever you are. 

Good Deeds Are A Witness…                                                                                                            

Us loving our neighbors is part of God's plan to evangelize them. Our love demonstrates what God and His kingdom are like.

Here is my prayer;

Lord, and Father of all that is, I bow before you with awe and shame. My awe is in what you have created for me to experience. My shame is in how I have let you down, so many times. I have been blessed by You with the gift of having neighbors who care and are willing to reach out, when needed. Like to good Samaritan, our friends and neighbors are willing to step out of their comfort zone,to bring aide to others, even those they do not know. I ask You my Father for a special blessing for Jenene who came to the aide of Tina during her stay in our home while Kerry and I traveled. When our house needed help, you provided all that was necessary to resolve the situation, as You always do. For that and for our neighbors (both those we know and those we haven't met yet) I give You praise. And I do this in the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.

 

 

Pictures

Top - Mendenhall Glacier calving icebergs

Bottom - Even the bears are friendly in Alaska

Video

While sailing up the Tracy Arm Fjord we passed out sister ship, the Star Princess. As you watch her pass us, you will hear all of her passangeers yelling at us...Then we yell back.