The Journey

Written by: Carlisle Bilbo There have been several deaths in our family in recent years. Each time I hear of s o meone's pa ssing I cannot help but think of the finality of life ended. What is done is done. There  are no do-overs. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that "sorrow is better than laughter because s ober reflection  is good for the heart."  In these times of reflection, the Bible offers so much insight into the divine nature of God and into the very human nature of people. Reg retting wasted years, I have been thinking quite a bit about  God's plan for my life, but in looking back over those years, I can see God's guidance, protection, and His prov ision. The rain brought growth and the days of sunshine enabled me to stand tall. The years of drought and of plenty taught me stability and the importance of "being content in whatever state I am in." (Philippians 4:11) I see the missteps, too. For a long time, I have felt like much of the heartache I ...

My family and I have just returned from a fabulous vacation in North Carolina to visit family topped off with an escape to the beach for some much-needed fun in the sun! We began the trip hiking in the mountains and ended with the sun and surf on the coast. It was glorious although this trip, as do all our trips it seems, had some bumps. I jokingly told my in-laws on the car ride up that our road trips always seem to bring us closer to Jesus! I did not know that was truly a prophetic statement for this vacation adventure. We had some minor car troubles with an overnight trip to the garage for the Dodge, my hubby lost his wallet for a very stressful ten minutes before remembering where he hid it for safekeeping, and on our first full day at the beach, I encountered a bit of trouble, to say the least.  The Friday before the 4th of July was just gorgeous at Kure Beach! The sun was gleaming on the refreshingly cool ocean water as the pelicans and seagulls soared over us chattering...

Photo by Kyle Sudu For 7 years, I lived in Atlanta, Georgia, with a population of 416,474 (as per the 2000 census population posted by the Mayor's office.) For the first couple of years, I lived right in the heart of Buckhead, sometimes referred to as the Beverly Hills of the East.  We used to say our front door was a revolving one because there were people coming and going all the time. Late-night bar-closers would stumble in at 8 a.m. for a beer and pregame bantering until the bars and restaurants could legally sell booze again around 12:30 in the afternoon.  Our very non-traditional Sunday mornings would involve the early service at one of the most prestigious churches in Buckhead where the pastor told humorous stories about his weekend adventures including one account of the Willie Nelson concert, he attended the night before. Then, we would walk to the trendy eatery around the corner from our house. Finally, after splitting a $12 burger and paying a tab which was usually ...