High velocity week followed by ocean-view peace

Just got done with a tremendous week of high-powered church activities. A group of kindly Southerners from Arkansas came up to our neck of the woods to help us with events in a local park here in Salem. We spent two days putting on events for kids: building bird houses, hosting scavenger hunts, painting faces, playing games and sports. Best of all, we got to know a bunch of our neighbors, friendly folks from all over the local area. We were warmly received and one of the people in the neighborhood even went so far as to give us a basket of cookies as a thank-you. What a blessing!

But come the end of the week, we were all exhausted. Melissa, very very pregnant, was on her feet half the week and ready for a serious break. In what was nothing short of a divine blessing, one of our friends offered us a getaway on the beach for one night since her mom (who normally lives there) was going to be out of town. We jumped at the chance, spending a night listening to the waves not far from the cabin and generally enjoying all the peace the Oregon coast has to offer. I can still smell the ocean air even in the midst of another breakneck week. Thank God for the little blessings!