California Christmas Part 4

Here is another installment from our California Christmas vacation.  If I don't finish this project, it will soon be Christmas again!  ha-ha!.

On the Wednesday of our week in Escondido, CA, we headed to San Diego to see the USS Midway.  This was awesome.  It is the actual ship that has been docked in San Diego Bay and turned into a museum.  It was cool to walk around the ship and see all the areas.  You are given a set of earphones and a remote device and the numbered areas provide you with a recording of what you are looking at and the history.

 The following is the Internet link to the web site.  http://www.midway.org/

Here are some of my pictures from our visit.

It was great to go through the ship and have my own Navy man give me his personal experience being on board a ship.  John was in the Navy and did two tours of duty during the Gulf War.  He was stationed aboard the USS Mississippi.  http://www.navysite.de/cg/cgn40.htm 

California Christmas Part 3

I just knew I couldn't spend time at a Welk Resort and not go golfing, so we took my clubs along to California.  On the Monday after we arrived at the resort, John, Ivan and I headed to one of the two 18 hole courses.  We chose the course where every hole was a Par 3 and what fun we had!  It had been a long time since I swung a golf club but I didn't do too bad!  I really need to do this more often.  After all, I live in a place where I can golf all year round. 

Phoenix Heart Walk 2010

Yesterday was the Phoenix Start! Heart Walk.  This is a yearly event to raise money for the American Heart Association.  Our company has participated the last couple of years with the walk and an internal walking competition.  Our company issued pedometers to all who wanted to participate, and we started logging our steps the first of January up to the week of the Heart Walk.  They kept track of our steps as we "walked around the United States."  Then, we all received t-shirts to wear to the walk at Tempe Town Lake.  It was cloudy and cool but nice for walking.  John, Ivan and I walked the whole 5K.

California Christmas Part 2

I really didn't intend to have such a long stretch talking about our trip over Christmas, but it looks like that's what's happened.  So here we go with part 2. 

We arrived at Escondido, CA on Saturday afternoon.  I couldn't wait to see the ocean, so that's where we headed on Sunday-to Oceanside, CA.  It was a bit cloudy and cool, so we didn't take along any swim wear, but that didn't stop Ivan from frolicking in the surf.  We ended up with a drenched, sandy boy!  It was Ivan's and my first visit to the ocean.  I have flown over the Atlantic Ocean, but have never actually been to either one.  I can't wait to go back.  It was so neat to just sit and listen to it. 

I walked along the beach keeping my eyes open for shells and I found a sand dollar.  

It was so fragile and difficult to get home without breaking.  You can see a crack and that part did end up breaking off, but at least I was able to get a picture of it.  How amazing is that design? 

After our ocean excursion, we headed back to our resort and enjoyed the amenities there.  What a great start to our California Christmas.

Stay tuned for part 3 coming soon!

Love For A Lifetime

With Valentine's Day arriving a week from today, I thought I would share some of the message we received in church this morning. 

Usually, when a couple gets married, they are professing to be together for the rest of their lives.  We don't enter into the union planning a divorce.  Well, the information I am about to share with you are the six ingredients for a lasting marriag.

1st Ingredient:  Acceptance.  "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted  you, in order to bring praise to God."  Romans 15:7

2nd Ingredient:  Attention.  ..."Love one another deeply, from the heart."  1 Peter 1:22

3rd Ingredient:  Adjustment.  "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."  Ephesians 5:21

4th Ingredient:  Amnesty.  "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against on another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you."  Colossians 3:14

5th Ingredient:  Appreciation.  "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."  1 Thessalonians 5:11

6th Ingredient:  Affection.  "Greet one another with a holy kiss."  Romans 16:16

Believe it or not, sex is even addressed in the Bible.  To paraphrase Paul's advice on sex in 1 Corinthians 7:3-5, it is a legitimate need; it is not to be ignored; it is a vital part of your relationship;  it is for mutual benefit and it is a spiritual responsibility.