Here are some pictures from yesterday. We did see the sunshine a few times, which was a blessing and a nice change!

The paths wind through the golf courses and codo areas. You see some interesting things as you ride…

huge trees and Spanish moss swinging from the branches…also

ALLIGATORS! I wan’t nearly as close to this one as it looks – I used the zoom on my camera. Trust me, I kept my distance! We saw a total of four as we rode.

The afternoon ended with a little shopping, then home because of a migraine. Thank the Lord it’s gone this morning. Too bad the rain’s not gone too! No complaining, though. We’ll make the best of it on this our last day at HHI.

The beach was an unpopular place to be yesterday. Off-shore the temperature was just about sixty when our family walked onto the sand. That means that at the oceanfront it was colder than that. The wind was blowing quite strongly – as you can see in the picture to the right. The waves crashed to the shore spraying water high into the air. The poor lifeguards that were on duty made themselves a little fort in the sand out of the beach umbrellas. They were covered in jackets with hoods, long pants and shoes. They looked more like they were working in the freezer section at Kroger than life guarding at the beach!

As we went to lunch I told the girls, “At least it’s not raining today! You know, it could even be snowing, but it’s not! We can be thankful for that!” Allison looked at me and said, “Mom, you sound like Pollyanna.” Whether she meant it as a compliment or not, I took it as one.

Pollyanna was a little girl in a movie that played “The Glad Game.” In any difficult or undesirable circumstance she would try to think of something for which she could be glad. When she found crutches in a box that was sent to her she was glad she didn’t need to use them! She was always searching for something for which she could be thankful.

People that love the Lord should be Pollyanna’s! In every thing give thanks…” is the command in I Thessalonians 5:18. Give thanks in all things. In other words, I am not necessarily thankful for the cold weather, but I need to have a thankful attitude in the midst of it. It’s an attitude that says, “Thank you, Lord, that I am away on vacation enjoying doing things different from my normal routine. Thank you that we are able to have lunch out today. Thank you for health and strength to be here…”

It’s so easy to complain…not so easy to be thankful when things don’t go the way we imagine they should. I’m preaching to my own heart today – my dream about warm sand on my toes and sitting by the pool reading is being traded for a warm jacket and bracing myself against the gusty winds. The forecast is looking not so much like beach vacation weather for the rest of the time we’re here. But I’m thankful the weather’s given me time to work on the new face for my blog! We played a new game as a family last night. I’m reading a library book at night before I fall asleep. All the pictures I’ve taken this week are safely in my computer and put on a scrap blog…all because the weather allowed me the time! This Pollyanna is determined not to whine, but be thankful!

“Our God is in the heavens and he does what He pleases” – Psalm 115:3. Today it pleased God to send rain to HHI, along with cooler temperatures. I don’t believe it ever hit 60 degrees. I read the opening verse in my Bible reading today and said, “Lord, you are in control and you know what we need today and I know we can trust you.” I wondered what would take place today that we would later say, “If it hadn’t rained we would have missed out on…” So I entered the day not especially thankful for the rain, but knowing that my good God sent it and it was okay!

We took the opportunity to do what we wouldn’t want to do if it turns pretty this week, like going shopping! I found some good bargains for my home at my favorite store – TJ Maxx. The girls found Hilton Head t-shirts and other fun things. After several hours of shopping we ended up at Starbucks where hot beverages were ordered to ward off the chill of the 50-something temperatures. As we sat in the coffee shop there were two girls, probably college age, sitting very nearby. You couldn’t help but hear their conversation; they were discussing Catholicism. One was asking questions, the other was trying to answer. I saw her take out her Blackberry and it appeared she was looking for the answer to her friends’ questions.

The other girl, an Asian, mentioned Buddha and said, “He is powerless.” It appeared that the Asian girl was really searching and the catholic girl didn’t have answers…it was obvious. “HHI” came to my mind…”I’m here for Him. These girls need the Truth!” I got out two “Bridge tracts” http://www.cometocalvary.org/thebridge/ As we were leaving I stopped at their table.

“Excuse me, but I couldn’t help but hear your conversation. Can I leave you each with something to read that will answer your questions?”

Immediately the Catholic girl put up her hand in protest. “No! I’m already a Catholic.”

“This isn’t about religion; this will tell you how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.” I answered.

“That says, ‘The Bridge to Eternal Life’ and we don’t need that” she retorted.

“This will tell you how you can know you have eternal life in heaven when you die.” I turned to the Asian girl, “Won’t you read this?”

“She’s Buddhist and doesn’t want that” the Catholic girl said.

I turned to the Asian girl questioning her with my eyes. “Well, no, but thank you” she answered.

“I respect you for what you’re doing,” the Catholic girl said, “but we don’t want that.”

“Okay then.”

I turned and left, my heart breaking for those girls that have been blinded by religion – man’s attempt to get to God. They weren’t rejecting me; they were rejecting Christ. Satan loves it; it’s one of his best hindrances to people being saved.

What are you trusting in for your salvation? Anything apart from receiving Christ’s sacrifice for your sins is not enough. Nothing we could do will ever save us. Christ did all that was necessary when He died on the cross. Being a good person, giving money to a needy organization, or joining a church are all man’s attempt to cross the bridge to eternal life, but they’re not enough. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31 Please click on The Bridge link above, then see each of the seven points to understand clearer how to know you have eternal life.

If it hadn’t rained today I wouldn’t have met those two dear girls at Starbucks. Now I can add them to my prayer list and pray for them to see the Truth and receive Christ. “Thank you, Lord for a rainy day, and thank you for the precious gift of eternal life.”

I’m on vacation this week. We’re at Hilton Head Island (HHI). I stood at the beach entrance Saturday afternoon looking out through the sea oats at the sand, beach umbrellas and the ocean and said, “Lord, You are so good to me. Thank you for allowing me to be here at my favorite place again.” I’ve sighed so many times since Saturday. It’s a sigh of contentment, rest, and pure happiness. Here I am for nearly a week at the most beautiful beach with my family and our daughter’s friend who is also celebrating her graduation. Our condo is perfect, we’re next to the pool, school’s over and a summer of special events is before me. God is so good and I acknowledge Him for His grace gifts that He pours out on His undeserving child.

Today marks the end. After homeschooling my girls for the last twenty years, today is the last day. Allison has completed high school and will head to college this fall. I am melancholy as I reflect on the years behind me. So often it seemed I wouldn’t see the end of that particular school day, much less the end of high school! But here I am with piles of school curriculum, grade books, test banks, ACT scores, dulled pencils and nubby erasers reminding me of busy years now in the past, and a huge change for both Allison and myself that is just around the corner.

• I learned that I desperately needed the Lord every single day if I was to impact my girls for Christ. Sadly, I didn’t do that every day.
• I learned that the Lord is merciful when we depend on ourselves.
• I learned that a child’s heart is so impressionable. What I did my girls imitated.
• I learned that God’s provision for His children is always on time and always enough. Each year when it came time to buy books and curriculum the Lord provided.
• The more I taught, the more I realized how much I didn’t know. I saw that I need to continue to learn.
• I learned that sometimes the best lessons came from unplanned events. Allison was saved as a result of an English lesson. Discipline problems brought opportunities to open God’s Word together.
• I learned that it’s okay to take a break and just have fun. During Allison’s high school years we watched The Andy Griffith Show at lunch. It gave a need relief from the stress of studying!
• I learned that twenty years fly by much faster than a person could ever imagine.
• I learned the truth in III John 4 – “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” If my girls aren’t successful as that world defines it, but love the Lord and walk with Him, I will be happy. I couldn’t ask for more.

As I box up my books and fill out the last grade report my heart is full of gratefulness to the Lord…not for what Allison has learned, but for what He has taught me. I still have so much to learn – I guess perhaps the homeschooling will continue after all.