beach lessons
Each year, we go to St. Pete Beach with Mike’s brother and his family. It’s one of my favorite weekends each year.
Now, sure, while I was holding Eliza in the water, a wave knocked me over, and I scraped both shins on the shells on the ocean floor. And yeah, a jellyfish stung me (or a fish bit me, depending upon who you ask). And yes, despite Bullfrog SPF 70, I’m burned a shocking shade of red.
But I am a happy scraped, stung, burned girl.
It’s no secret that the lessons I learn at the beach are all about God. I can’t help but see Him there. I can’t decide if that’s because the His workmanship is on such display there or if it’s just the one place where I’m not able to worry much about work and where I’m completely at peace. Probably the latter.
But I sit on the sand and hold shells in my hand and am amazed by the detail on each one. The lines and the colors and the designs. We were collecting shells for Eliza and Hannah to use in a craft project, and Mike asked me if I only wanted the perfect ones.
I told him that I usually start only picking up the perfect ones, but then I find one that’s really pretty but has a crack in it. Or one of that has the remains of other shells on it. Or a tiny piece of what was clearly a much larger shell. And I remember that God doesn’t just keep the perfect people. He wants all of us, cracks and broken pieces and all. Most of the time, it’s those of us who are cracked and broken who need love most of all.
So I’ve got a bucket full of imperfect and perfectly lovely shells. And I’ve got a renewed sense of gratitude that God loves me regardless of the myriad of imperfections.
And that seems like a reminder that is well worth the scrapes and the sting and the burn.
Filed under Faith | Permalink | Comments (5)Tagged with: beach • Faith • God • shells
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts…
… oh, what a beautiful day we’d have.
My mom used to say that to me all the time when I was a kid. I hated that phrase. Still don’t love it, quite frankly. But I was thinking on the way home from work recently about how groovy it would be if life - or even just some days of life - were like a children’s song or show. (Yeah, we were listening to Laurie Berkner at the time. What of it? I love her with a passion usually reserved for tacky tv.)
I’ve got a magic box
With twenty-seven locks
And inside I keep all my secrets
I pretend that it’s closed so nobody knows
When I get inside and go for a ride
that I can fly higher than everything
Just watch me now, I’ll show you how
My magic box has wings
And I can fly higher than everything
Get a smile on my face
I’m a rocket ship in space
I can do anything
‘Cause my magic box has wings…
Berkner’s “Magic Box” makes me think about what would be in my own magic box. The quick answer, I’m pretty sure, is that it would let me take a nap, undisturbed, whenever I wanted.
But really, if I had a magic box, what would be in it? What would it allow me to do? What would it look like?
The Sunday School answer, of course, would be that God was my magic box, that God was in it and around it, that He WAS the box. But in reality, I don’t know. My mother’s box would be that box. She has the most amazing, unwavering, unquestioning faith. Me? I’ve got some questioning … and some days, some wavering. And I’m way short on amazing. The idea that God could be all that was in my box is a little overwhelming. Maybe I want more in my box.
I know that my God is big enough to be my safe place, that His arms are open wide to me any time I venture toward Him. I’m doing a lot more praying these days (which is really good for me … prayer was the strongest aspect of my Christian life before we moved, but my Florida prayer life has been lacking).
I’m trying to find that safe, comfortable place of conversation with God that I had lost after we moved. But that place wouldn’t be my magic box. I’m pretty sure when my magic box opened, I would be at the beach. The sun would be warm but not burning (I burn easy)… there would be a gentle breeze off the ocean… the water would be warm.
Though my relaitonship with Christ hasn’t been all that amazing these last few years - of my doing, of course, not His - I am more aware of Him on the beach than anywhere else. I am amazed at the precision of His work… the tiny details on a seashell, the way the salt works in the water for the sea creatures. As I let the sand drain through my fingers, I think about how very many people He has loved through the years.
I watch the birds (I’m scared of birds… I keep a close eye on them at the beach) and think about how God created them, each one of them. 
We saw blue jellyfish once, and while I know their stings are more painful than that of clear jellyfish, I was entranced by them. They were this electric blue. What made God think that a startlingly beautiful shade of blue should be given to a creature that spends its time under the water?
He made all of these intricate choices, these beautiful, amazing designs. And if He put that much time and thought and love into something like a grain of sand or a bird or a jellyfish or a seashell, how much more spectacular am I in His eyes? And, if I’m honest, how much more spectacular should I be in my own eyes?
Maybe God is in my magic box after all… just not in the form I’d expected. Maybe I should stop looking for God in the same old ways and start being willing to see Him in forms I don’t expect.
Tagged with: beach • Faith • God • Laurie Berkner • magic box
Beach Fun!
Mike and I agreed to forgo anniversary presents for one another this year in favor of a family weekend at the beach. And it was a great choice! We all had a really good time.
It stormed the first day and a bit on Saturday, but we dropped in at the beach when it was sunny and at the condo when it wasn’t. We played Monopoly Jr. and watched the Olympics and just had fun being together. Sometimes, being in a different place where there aren’t dishes or laundry to do is just what we need.
We did get caught in the rain once, but it wasn’t too bad. Griff did really well walking from the condo to the beach, and he even made reasonably good time in the storm. Not great, but good. I think he’ll do okay once school starts.
The condo was located between the intercoastal waterway and the Gulf, and we went to the Pier on the intercoastal yesterday and saw a dolphin sooo close. It was really great. No photos of the dolphin, of course, as my handsome photog was so into watching the dolphin that he didn’t take any pictures.
In my Chai swap, my friend, Tara, sent these great beach towels for the kids. They’re bright and fun and fabulous.
Can you see her sweet little name on her towel? She’s got quite the pose, doesn’t she?
And my boy… looking way too old for my taste. He and I had such a good talk out in the waves yesterday. There’s something about putting a kid in the ocean that loosens their tongues. I always try to make sure to spend some time with the kids - even when we go with Chuck and Stacy, Hayden and Hannah - in the ocean when we’re at the beach. They tell me the funniest and most insightful things without even realizing it. Those are precious moments for me.
Snacks and Olympics after a fun, sunny day at the beach. Such beautiful fatigue.
P.S. and yes, for those of you keeping score, I did burn. But not as badly as at various times in the past. Still annoying, given I was wearing SPF 70 and reapplied. 
Tagged with: anniversary • beach • kids • love
Beach Bound
Griff’s been begging to go back to the beach this summer, and he’s finally strong enough that I think it’ll work ok. So Mike found us a cheap condo on the beach, and I took today off. We’re headed to the coast in a few hours. I do love the beach!
Filed under Most Everything | Permalink | Comments (4)Tagged with: beach • Griff
Menu Plan Monday
Easy-peasy. That’s the name of the game this week in our house, food-wise. I’m looking for quick and easy recipes that will give us healthy but yummy options. We’ve made Monday night a weekly Brinner night (but I’m getting my hair colored tonight, which is more important than Brinner, so we’ll rearrange this week a bit), and I’m going to add one meatless meal a week in an effort to save a little cash. We just won’t tell anyone else in the family, ok? Shhhh.
Sunday - Fiesta Stack-ups -
Brown ground turkey with onions, bell peppers and garlic. Add taco seasoning, Ranch beans, crushed tomatoes and V8 (a sneaky way to add veggies). Serve over rice and chips. Top with taco toppings. Or serve over chips for nachos. Yummo.
Monday -Crazy Dinner - whatever you can find that sounds good.
Tuesday - Veggie pasta (Whatever fresh veggies we have on hand sauted in a little olive oil with peppers and onions and garlic… a little lime juice & tossed with pasta).
Wednesday - Brinner - I’m thinking a hash brown pizza/casserole sort of thing. Hash browns, sausage, bell peppers, onions, eggs. Maybe a little chopped broccoli. Fresh fruit on the side (That’s one of my favorite things about Florida! There’s always great fresh fruits at the market.).
Thursday - fettucini with corn and bacon
Friday - WE’RE GOING TO THE BEACH!!!
Filed under Recipes | Permalink | Comments (3)Tagged with: beach • brinner • Menu Plan Monday
