
What we didn't realize was how perfect the timing would be. My father passed away a week before the cruise began, and his funeral was three days before we sailed. The Lord knew, though. I was able to sit on the balcony of our stateroom and stare out over the vastness of the ocean and let the memories wash over me. I admit I cried a lot. I slept a lot, too. That's okay - I needed to do both. My only regret is that my sister should have been with me, because she deserves a time of rest and reflection too.
I thought you might enjoy a few pictures from my trip.

In Grand Cayman, I found a church near the cruise terminal, looking out over the beach.

I also visited a turtle hatchery, and really enjoyed interacting with the turtles. I got to hold this adorable little guy. And then...uh... I went into the restaurant and had a turtle burger. Kind of wrong, huh? Of course I enjoyed another memory there, too. Daddy once caught a snapping turtle, and made a pot of turtle soup for my sister and me. Yeah, that turtle burger tasted good, but maybe not quite as good as my memory of that soup.

Of course, I didn't spend the entire week vegetating. I did manage to get a tiny bit of work done. Is there a better place to write than on the deck of a cruise ship, sailing over crystal clear waters and having your hair blown with a warm Caribbean breeze?

We did enjoy the scuba diving in Roatan, Honduras, as we knew we would. All in all, it was a good week. A relaxing week. A healing week. On the first day, I felt like a dry, empty cup. By the end, I wasn't so empty. The Lord poured from His unending supply of strength and refreshment. I've been refilled.