Sunday, June 29, 2014

SVCC Tour: Day Three, Part One

The first post in this series is here.  The second is here.  The third is here.  The fourth is here.

Since we've returned from tour, I've asked myself--particularly when I spend time working on blog posts about the trip--which day out of the four was my favorite.

Guess what?  That's a REALLY hard question to answer.  :)

All during the trip, it felt like treat upon treat was coming our way...delight upon delight being served up to us...golden moments like a beautiful string of pearls, each one lovely and treasured.  Choosing a favorite day would be a little like choosing a favorite pearl in a pearl necklace: they're ALL wonderful!  :)

With that in mind, I wouldn't exactly say that Sunday was my favorite; but I really, really loved this day.  :)

Our schedule in the morning was relaxed, and I think we were all grateful for the chance to sleep a little later than we had the previous morning.  After breakfast, those who wanted to had the option of gathering on the beach by our hotel to participate in a brief devotional...or to take a walk on the beach...or to simply soak in the sights and sounds of a part of Virginia that is so different from our home area.




My own dear Josiah had brought his Bible along.  What joy it gives to my heart to see him soaking in the words that bring LIFE!


Joy Anderson, our assistant director, and Maurita Eberly, our accompanist--my respect and admiration for these two is sky-high.  The SVCC wouldn't be the same without them!
Tonya led the devotional, and shared an interesting story about, among other things, George Lucas getting in a car accident and how that changed the course of his life.  She encouraged us to meditate on God's plans for our lives--plans that are not always obvious to us at first.









Shortly before we left on tour, a kind and generous lady, Wendy, who reads the things I write on my Alzheimer's page on Facebook, bought this bracelet (part of the proceeds went to support Alzheimer's research), and she surprised me by giving it to me.
I wore it gratefully all during the tour, and smiled when I thought of her kindness!


 It was a deep joy to me to be able to go on this tour with Josiah.  Watching him grow and mature and handle himself in new situations makes me a proud mama, that's for sure!  :)
 "My" girls - Kate and Angela.  I loved getting to know them better!  :)
 I really liked staying here, away from the hustle and bustle of the Virginia Beach strip.  I was amused, as well, when I realized that several years ago, when Jeff and I had brought the family to the beach, we had ended up staying here, too!  Just like at the BBQ restaurant on Saturday evening, I felt like, quite by accident, I was retracing my earlier steps in the Virginia Beach area.  :)
 Well, after our relaxed morning on the beach, we headed to the Freemason Abbey Restaurant for an early lunch.  This was SUCH a neat place!  The food was delicious, the building stunningly unique, and the conversation with the chaperons who sat near me was fun and inspiring.  A+ all around.  :)








The time at the beach and the meal at this restaurant really were delightful, but the best part of Sunday was yet to come...  :)

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