Thankful Thursday: Vacation

This has been a wonderful week. Quiet, relaxing, and surrounded on all sides by God's creation. I took walks every day, enjoying the views of the ocean and the sound of the ocean crashing on the sand or the rocks, a sound I love. I got to take pictures of this photogenic place, so I can enjoy the memories when life is not so peaceful.

The book I'm reading right now, Captivating, talks about how beauty is important in our lives, that it somehow speaks to our souls in ways that nothing else can. Everyone sees beauty in different things and in different ways, but it has the same effect on us. I have always enjoyed being near the ocean, it's simply one of my favorite places on earth, a place that I can soak up beauty. And a place where I feel closer to God that just about anywhere else.

I like it because to sit in the sand and see nothing but ocean means that for a time, I can turn my back on the world, tune it out and just be. It's as if the shoreline really is the end of earth, and somewhere beyond the horizon where water and sky meet is the heavens, and God is there. His hands created everything I can see and touch and smell in that place.

This week had no agenda, no deadlines, and plenty of time to just be. Soon, my life will moving ahead at a pace I'm not sure I'm capable of grasping. So these days were a gift I treasure.

There are two things for which I am specifically thankful...
First, I thank God for the beauty of His creation. For us to live on earth, it needed only to be functional, not necessarily beautiful, but God gave us beauty to enjoy.
Second, I thank friends who generously shared their home with me to make these few days possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Last Vacation Sunset
~ Sea Pine Beach ~
Sonoma County, California