A Dream Come True

Back from Alaska ...

As parents whose nest is empty, we recently fulfilled a long-held dream ... our very first cruise. What made it even better was visiting Alaska, the "Last Great Frontier."

What a beautiful place it is! The sky seems clearer, the air cleaner, the ocean bluer. Being there was like being in a different world altogether... especially when leaving the humidity and triple-digit temps in the southeast for the northwest and cool temps in the low 50's!

It's not every morning you get to sail past icy-blue glaciers that loom 250 feet above the ocean and extend another 100 feet beneath its surface. We were overwhelmed by their beauty and stood in in awe of the way their Master Designer "tucked" them effortlessly between snow-capped mountains.

It's difficult to judge their size from a distance when you don't have a reference point. I would have guessed we were 500-1000 feet away. With nothing between our ship and the glacier to give us perspective, none of us knew we were miles away from it.

How does one describe such a massive presence? How does one capture its color and splendor? Not even the best camera can do justice to these rare beauties, yet dozens of us stood in cold rain with our cameras trying to do just that.

Back inside, I stopped in the Crow's Nest - a window-wrapped lounge on the top floor of the ship. Dave, the guest guitarist, was strumming the song, " How Great Thou Art. " He looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "What else is appropriate when an awesome glacier is just outside your window?"

He was right, you know. A glacier puts things in perspective, even if only for a few moments. It's a testimony of how small we really are in comparison to a glacier. It's a reminder that years were invested in the formation of that great big "chunk of ice."

It's also an opportunity to pause and reflect on the One who formed the glacier and how He holds all things -- big and small -- in His hand. It's good to know we have a great big God that can handle all our concerns.

Visiting Alaska was a dream come true for hubby and me. I've got lots of photos to share -- from Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and other spots of interest. I'll be writing more about our trip in the days ahead and hope you'll ...

... stay tuned.