Live Every Second

Fall is here, although these warm temps are not making it feel like fall. It feels like fall in the mornings, but this past week, it has been near 82 degrees every afternoon. Last thursday, I got all the fall decor out.. It seems like I just put it back in storage.. hmmmm.

So much has went on this past month. I feel like this year has really went by in a flash. Chris and I just celebrated our 12 th year of marriage. Seems like we just said those vows... Anyway, we had a wonderful time on our yearly anni  trip. We got to rest, relax, and explore some new places we had never been to. I have a BUCKET LIST.. Do you?? I have several things on my bucket list that I really would like to do before I pass away.. I renamed my BUCKET LIST. I call it my SAND BUCKET LIST.. Why?? you might ask.. I love sand, and I just wanted to be different, a lot of people say I am different, so , there you go... hahaha.. Anyway, I checked two things off my SAND BUCKET LIST recently. I have always wanted to go to the Virgin Islands, and I have always wanted to go on the BIGGEST cruise ship in the world, since it came out in 2009.. We just checked those two things off... We did both.. lol
We had so many things to see on this HUGE ship.. Let me just give you an example of how big this thing is... It is equilvalent to five football fields, and holds 7500 people.. wow.. and yes, it has everything on it. It has several neighborhoods. It has a central park that is really like a park. there are park benches, birds flying , beautiful trees swaying, so beautiful. One neighborhood is featured like a carnival. Hotdogs, carousel, funny mirrors, ice cream. amazing!!.  We spent eight days on the ship and still did not know our way around hardly by the end of the trip. We had ports of call in St. Thomas , St. Marrten, and Bahamas. After the Cruise, we spent 4 days at a beautiful island near Jacksonville, the lovely Amelia Island.. This place was beautiful. It has a beautiful historic district with a gorgeous beach.. I want to go back again there. We went fishing.. I caught several spade fishes and a HUGE turtle.. Here are some of our vacay pics:

 the view of the top of the ship

 Nassau, Bahamas

 Us on top of the mountain looking down to where we were going, Magen's Bay Beach

 Magen's Bay, St. Thomas

the view of the Harbor

 St. MARRTEN  This place was TRUE relaxation

 our HUGE ship 18 decks

 here we are in Central Park

 a view of The jetties, the Ocean meets the sound on Fort Clinch, Amelia Island

 My huge turtle I caught

 a beautiful sunrise over Amelia Island

 I caught a spade..

 he caught a small one

Love the spanish moss hanging from these trees..

We made lots of memories on this trip. I want to thank the Lord for safe travel to and from, and I want to thank Him for beautiful weather. It was near 90 degrees everyday. Several weeks have passed now. Last week, a dear man and friend from our Church died unexpectantly. He had a wonderful wife and a daughter ,and  3 grandchildren. It was such a tough time, and I know it will be hard in the  days ahead. We are lifting them up in Prayer everyday. Yesterday, my sis had surgery . She is awaiting the results from the surgery to determine what is next. I am confident that everything will be fine. We are trusting the Lord. He knows what is best, and we are praying for God's will through all of this. Something I have really known ALL my life, but everyday I am finding out more and more..

LIVE EVERY SECOND

we live sometimes just day by day, and take things as life hands things to us, but sometimes problems come.. and PAIN comes with the problems..We have to realize (or at least I do) that NO pain is ever wasted.. There is always a reason why and if we have pain.The pain OF WHAT IF?? the not knowing what is next, but we have to remember God is the refuge in our pain and weakness. 

Matthew 6:8 Be ye not therefore like unto them:for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask of him. He knows what we need and why we need it and knows when I will ask of it... HE already knows..!!!!!  I need to have a thankful heart. That makes me happy, and to live every second. That's why it is important to pray like never before, and spend HAPPY times with your friends, family, husband, wife.. because you never know what lies ahead..  Choose to make those times happy, and to LIVE EVERY SECOND.