The annual meeting for Southern Baptist State Executive Directors was in Hawaii! 

This group of state leaders and their wives are amazing. The friendships are wonderful, and we found plenty of time for being “tourists” between meetings–exploring the island of Kawaii, snorkeling, whalewatching, beachcombing, and even ziplining! 

Can’t help but be amazed at every view of God’s beautiful creation.

Below: Ready to zipline at Jurassic Park filming site – Steve and Diana along with Thane and Susan Barnes (executive director, Nevada)

Traveling in the U.K. is phenomenal! 

Our 4-day trip to Scotland had its difficult moments:

- towed car

- lost in Edinborough

- parking ticket

- Accidentally ate haggis (don’t!)

But the pleasures far outweighed the challenges.

We saw gorgeous views for hours–hills and flowers and sheep and castles and cathedrals.  We saw the Beatrix Potter museum and an Alpaca farm and more sheep. The weather was perfect.

We spent a day in the Lakes District of England (could have spent a month there!) Ever heard of the Keswick Convention, an annual Christian conference there? Years ago we had some speakers in our church who were part of that, and it was fun to see the darling town of Keswick. 

We drove up to St. Andrews golf course so Steve could see the British golf museum and the famous course.  We stopped in skate parks for Autumn to try out her new skateboarding skills.  We watched lawn bowling, ate lunch in a church kitchen, toured the John Knox house and the Princes Street Gardens.  We climbed up a really big hill to see the Edinburgh castle (That shop owner who gave us directions is still laughing I’m sure. There’s an easier way.) We enjoyed the Royal Mile and even the taxi ride to the tow storage.   

On the way back to Sheffield, we stayed at a darling bed and breakfast in a border city, Carlisle, and enjoyed its museum and castle and beauty.  We drove to the coast of the Irish Sea and saw Ireland just across the way. 

(This is like looking at someone’s vacation slide show, isn’t it? Sorry!)  I just can’t convey the beauty of this place.

And the fun of driving on the left side of the road.

Love it. But can’t wait to get back to Indiana!

We have planned the trip to visit our daughter in Sheffield England almost a year ago, but the days before the trip were almost a blur.

Steve had meetings all across the state, and a state directors meeting in Ohio and a deacon training in North Carolina. 

I had a book deadline, several magazine deadlines, some volunteer days at the Heartland Truly Moving Pictures, and a conference to lead. 

My father-in-law had major survery and stayed a few days at our home. (He’s doing well. Thanks for your prayers.)

We were at New Life Baptist in Greencastle and Highland Baptist in Georgetown, plus a quick trip to Dallas for our son’s PhD ceremony. 

We spent three days in Crown Point IN for the Crossroads Academy, then drove straight home to Indy and jumped on the plane for England. WHEW! And somewhere in there, we packed.

So you can imagine our relief at actually being off to visit Autumn in England. Each of our flights en route were delayed, and each time we were “running through airports,” barely making our connections.

The good news: we actually made it to London Heath Row airport. The bad news: Autumn was nowhere to be found! After several hours, we discovered that she was waiting in downtown London at the Victoria Station Burger King while we were waiting for her at the airport. Her schedule had been as hectic as ours, and we had failed to communicate.

Can you imagine being lost in London? Looking through 7 million people, trying to find the right one? 

Can you imagine the lost feeling of people who don’t know the Way?  So many wrong answers all around them…trying to find the One and Only?

Well, we’ve found Autumn now, and we’re loving our time together.  We spent three days in London before coming to her home in Sheffield. We’ve met lots of her teenagers and adult friends, and attended her church on Sunday.

Our flat is above West avenue in the bar district of Sheffield. As I stand looking out the window, watching the masses of people — wandering, lost — I pray that Autumn and her missionary team will find a way to communicate with them. To help them find the One.

“The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.” Proverbs 23:24

It’s funny. Even when he was a little boy, we often called Justin “Dr. J.”  It was just a pet nickname–a term of endearment for our second son, but yesterday Justin received his PhD in business at the University of Texas in Arlington. He lived up to that nickname!

Of course, we’re beeming with pride! All the aunts and uncles and grandmother and Pappy and friends came to watch the hooding ceremony and congratulate Justin on his hard-earned accomplishment.

It’s such a blessing to see how God is using him at Ohio University as a teacher and a Christian influence on many students there. Congrats, Dr. J!  

My long-time friend, Cheryl, has cancer.  Sometimes we talk about life throwing us a curve. Well, this one is more of a “switchback!”  Have you ever driven through Colorado? We took this snapsnot last month driving through the mountains near Redstone. The road doesn’t just curve; it makes a hairpin shape–a total switchback.

When life throws you a switchback–like Cheryl–how will you react?

I sat at dinner yesterday with my friend, listening intently as she shared how God has held her up through chemo and radiation, through crisis and pain. How her Christian friends have shown her God’s care. How He has even given her joy during a horrendous circumstance. 

I listened to Cheryl praise God.

Now, Cheryl is one of the best nurses I’ve even known, yet that fact didn’t exempt her from the attack of cancer. Even the amazing fact that we are children of God does not exempt us from difficult circumstances. But God cares deeply about us. And God comes through.

Even when life threw her a switchback, my friend sees God’s love and provisions and power.

Lord, let me trust you as Cheryl does. Let me praise you in the storms of life, and trust you with life circumstances and life itself.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we outselves have received from God.” 1 Corinthians 1:3-4