Ponce Inlet

Recently, we were able to introduce yet another friend to Ponce Inlet and the Lighthouse. This is one of our favorite places to go. It is close by, beautiful, not very busy and there is a lighthouse on top of all of that! So, making up for not really taking any field trips during the school year, we got together with Melissa and her 3 children and headed to the coast. I have posted about the lighthouse before, so I won't go into huge detail, but we toured the grounds with all of the old keeper's homes, the garden that we helped plant on another trip, and of course - we climbed the 203 steps to the top of the lighthouse!

All of the children at the top - (L to R) Andrew, Tyler, Caleb, Holly, MaKenna and Delaney:


This little squirrel was very used to people - he was eating my bread right from my hand! He liked the homemade bread best! Smart squirrel!


After leaving the lighthouse, we wanted to walk over to the beach, but a storm was coming. We waited a short time and it seemed to be going around us (after a downpour!), so we decided to chance it.

This is looking the direction AWAY from the storm:


Here is the other way. Notice my children going toward the water with that storm in their future??!! It was actually nice above us and the storm did pass around us.


Caleb and Andrew playing in the water:


Holly, MaKenna and Caleb on the jetty rocks:


Me and the kids:


My good friend, Melissa and her children - Delaney, Tyler and Andrew:


OK, I thought this was so neat and had spiritual value. As we were walking along, we looked over to our left and here is the picture we saw:


Do you see the storm all around with one spot in the middle that has no storm? In the middle of those 2 storm sections was a huge house (if you look close, you can see it!). So, all around it, the storm was raging and here is this house sheltered and protected right in the midst of the storm. Isn't that how it is for us when we follow after Jesus? The storms of life may rage around us, but we are sheltered under His protective hand. Sometimes we may feel the effects of storms and sometimes, they may even hit us, but if we can see our life like this picture - HIS hand covering us and sheltering us through it all - oh what peace we can have!

To make it even better (was God helping me with my blog post?? Hmmmm, I don't know, but it did minister to me!) when I looked the opposite direction from the house, here is what we saw:


He brings beauty from ashes. It is so great to know the Lord and trust in Him no matter what life throws my way. It is more than a bumper sticker - No Jesus, No peace... Know Jesus, Know Peace! I would not want to go through the storms of life without knowing Him.

And, in spite of the storm, we had a great day at the lighthouse and the beach - walking, talking, laughing, playing. Friends are definitely one of life's great blessings!