I am full!

Today was the first official day of summer break at our house. School was finished May 17 and May 24 for Maiesha and Jeremiah, but last week we were on vacation in South Carolina so I don't really count that. If today is any indication of how our summer is going to go, God is really going to be working on me in the area of patience and self-control. I must look at each argument I have to referee or mess that must get cleaned up as teachable moments for us all.

I am still running a little high on the wonderful week we had in South Carolina with friends and family. I felt the theme of our trip was encouragement. God sent us this specific week to meet a need of encouragement for many of the people we visited with and to be encouraged ourselves by the warm welcome we received.

2 Corinthians 7:13 "...In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you."

I hope we were a source of refreshment. There is nothing better on a hot day when you have been outside working hard in the yard than to sit down with an ice cold glass of water or lemonade or sweet tea perhaps. Sometimes a warm hug or an old familiar face can provide that same refreshment after a person has been toiling long and hard over life's challenges. 

I know our hearts were refreshed as well each time we visited with another old friend. We would just pick up right where we left off the last time we saw each person. I never get tired of seeing the look on someone's face who didn't expect to see us standing in front of them. It was crazy to think we had not visited for two years. We always look forward to visiting some old familiar places too like Riverbanks Zoo, the beach, downtown Charleston, and the Lizard's Thicket. We also try to do so new things and this year "new things" took the form of new restaurant experiences. We ate very well all week long! We took in some "low country" cuisine at Magnolia's and The Dixie Supply Bakery & Cafe. We visited our favorite ice cream shop so I could get "Charleston Mud"and Tyrone his giant caramel and candy coated apple. I am happy to say we did get plenty of exercise every day which helped to offset our wreckless abandonment at mealtime.

The week was filled with some first time experiences for the kids. Jeremiah and Maiesha were overjoyed to experience flying on an airplane for the first time. They were thrilled when the flight attendant handed them each their Delta wings badge. I loved watching Lydia splash and play in the ocean for the first time. I didn't even mind that her diaper and swimsuit were full of sand when we were done or that she liked to eat the wet sand. We got caught in a rainstorm from the outer bands of Tropical Storm Beryl. Tyrone lived through Hurricane Hugo in 1988, but this was as close as I ever hope to come. We drove the kids by our old house for the first time since we left Columbia in 2007. Maiesha was only 8 months old then and Jeremiah not quite 2 1/2 so we didn't expect they would remember. It was really neat to share with them nonetheless. At the zoo, Lydia had her first merry-go-round ride which she was not super thrilled about but made it the whole ride on her bobbing animal. Jeremiah and Maiesha climbed 2-stories up on the Sky High Safari ropes course all by themselves. It was awesome to see them work together and conquer their fears on the obstacles.

I could go on and on. It seems like we fit a whole year's worth of things into 7 shorts days as I recount all that we did. The best part is I feel so full. Not like after gorging myself at the all-you-can-eat buffet, but full as in Psalm 23:5-6 "...My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever." I am incredibly thankful for all the friends and family who welcomed us "home" last week and the amazing experiences we had as a family.