Beach Reflections

Beach Reflections
I'm elated to share some of the life lessons I experienced when I lived in paradise, Amelia Island, Florida. I hope you can relate and use your senses to imagine that you are at your favorite beach.
If not...
A beach awaits you to stimulate your mind, refresh your body, and renew your spirit.
A million reasons to stay home? I don't want to hear it!

You'll fill your cup overflowing
and many times without knowing,

your thoughts will wander
way back yonder.

To the beach, to relive the days that made you smile,
if even for a while.

When you return home from the beach, instead of just a shell in your pocket and
sand in your shoes,
you'll have a treasure chest of sweet memories so you won't have the blues!

Beach Proverbs for Sharing
I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness;
but you are already doing that. 2 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)

1. And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “sea.”
And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:9-10 (NIV)

5. What do aging and thongs have in common with the ocean?
They both "creep" up on you like the high tide.

9. Come to the sea, and your spirit will be set free.

10. Be still. Close your eyes. Feel the cool breeze tassel your hair and lightly massage your body. Hear the rhythmic waves roar as if to wash your cares away. Smell the salty air intermingled with the scent of coconut suntan lotion. Open your eyes to view a never ending body of water that reaches so far as to extend to other continents. Watch boats bobbing on the horizon. See joyful people of all ages smiling, whether they're walking holding hands, kicking water at the ocean's edge, jogging, or just being still to snag a few shark teeth. Families celebrating life. Building sand castles. Building relationships. Playing with their dogs. Babies eating sand. Dolphins dancing. Seagulls soaring. White foam tickling your feet as you dig your toes deeper into the warm sand to avoid a crashing wave. Appreciate the brevity of sandcastles. The ocean experience involves all your senses. "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Psalms 34:8 (NIV) "Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17 (NIV)

19. Brown fat looks better than white fat.

20. The best treasures are from the sea, not the mall.

32. I enjoy watching other people fly kites. I get the benefit without being "tied down." Kind of like I enjoy the end result of people fishing without having to sit still long enough to catch a fish.

33. It's acceptable to act like a kid at the beach.

34. Sharks spoil the fun! Where there are shark teeth, there are gums!

46. The mysterious marsh draws us with its "here today, gone tomorrow" mirage of land forms, its creepy critters, and with its stillness in contrast to the churning of the ocean.

54. One piece bathing suits would beautify the beach environment, but, hey, with all God's beauty surrounding them, whose gonna notice my bikini? To quote Popeye, "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam!" "I'm okay, you're okay. We're all okay."

58. Beach survival tools include a hat, shades, sunscreen, and deodorant.

67. When the waves pack a punch and have the power to knock you on your fanny, it helps to have a hand to hold. True during life's turmoils, too.

68. Children run into the arms of their dad despite the fact he's standing in the unknown ocean depths which without his presence would be frightening. Their unwavering trust in a father who cares for them with every ounce of his being is so evident as you watch their playful interactions. We have an Abba Father who gave His life for us as our Eternal lifeguard, so we wouldn't drown in our sins. No one has ever done that before. How could I not have childlike faith in a superhero like that?

74. The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruits in their old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” Psalm 92:12-15 (NIV)

76. People smile more at the beach.

82. Too much of a good thing at the beach isn't too much of a good thing.

89. While standing in line to make a purchase at a coastal shop, it tickled my fancy to spy sand-crusted, sandaled feet. I felt a common bond of beach brotherhood.

95. Majestic palm trees sway with tropical breezes and invite you to dance to the rhythm of the waves' percussion.

98. At the beach you notice clouds. God paints the sky to amaze us, and we generally don’t even look up and notice His daily heavenly gifts. Forgive us, LORD. My granddaughter, Ava, told me when she was five years of age that the moon, stars, and Jesus give her peace. “They go with me wherever I go.” From the mouth of babes.

109. Topless is for toddlers and convertibles.

My Morning Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for sleep so sweet
That helps to keep me on my feet.

In your will I want to stay.
Protect me, LORD, throughout the day.

I will be your hands and feet
To anyone I chance to meet.

Help me grow
So I can show,
So many lost the way to go.

I love you, Lord, I hope you see,
I’m glad you died to set me free!
Amen.
Jennifer Harris
JUMP (Jen Under Master Plan)
3-28-11