Back from "chill'n" on vacation!

The view from my beach chair!

A trip that had first been scheduled for last October, finally became a reality for my wife and me last week. One week ago today, we boarded Southwest airlines flight 1840 at Baltimore Washington International Airport. Our destination? Aruba! Our church, in celebration of my 25 years of ministry, gave us the very generous gift of a vacation in Aruba (and the fact that they gave us round-trip tickets was a real encouraging sign they wanted us back!). Now the reason we were unable to go last October was due to the arm surgery I underwent in September. Although we were quite disappointed at the time, we sure enjoyed Aruba's bright sunshine and warm tropical breezes all the more after the long frigid winter we endured here in the mid-Atlantic. It was indeed an experience worth waiting for! So thank you, Grace Church family and friends for your gift. It means more to us than we can express with mere words.

I learned a number of interesting things about Aruba while there. The weather doesn't change very much from day-to-day (see picture below of the weather forecast). I think it would be quite boring to be a meteorologist in Aruba! Now some of you might look at that weather forecast and noting the real feel temperatures in the upper

90s you might think it would be very hot in Aruba. And you would be both right and wrong in your assessment. Indeed it is hot when you factor in the warmth and humidity. But the consistent trade winds that blow across the island (close to 20 mph sustained with some stronger gusts) serve as a huge fan that makes it feel much cooler than what the thermometer reads. If it were not for these tradewinds, Aruba would not be the popular tourist destination that it is.

I also learned that the island is populated by some very friendly people. Rarely does a person walk by without offering up a cheerful greeting. And the employees at the resort we stayed in would often go the extra mile to help you out. As I thought about that, I thought we as Christ followers can learn much from their example. Being friendly, being willing to serve others to meet their needs, should indeed be a part of who we are! And as we get our focus off of ourselves and onto others, I believe God will open the doors for us to share with those around us the gospel of Christ. So as you go about your day... today, tomorrow, the next day… Remember to put a smile on your face and ... don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.

Thanks for stopping by,
pj