My husband and I just returned from a cruise to the Western Caribbean. We’ve been on this cruise before, and in fact we’ve been on this ship, the Carnival Legend, several times. That was actually one reason we wanted to go – we knew the ship and the crew were terrific, and we were looking forward to scuba diving in Honduras.

What we didn’t realize was how perfect the timing would be. My father passed away a week before the cruise began, and his funeral was three days before we sailed. The Lord knew, though. I was able to sit on the balcony of our stateroom and stare out over the vastness of the ocean and let the memories wash over me. I admit I cried a lot. I slept a lot, too. That’s okay – I needed to do both. My only regret is that my sister should have been with me, because she deserves a time of rest and reflection too.

I thought you might enjoy a few pictures from my trip. This first one was taken one morning from the balcony of our stateroom. Isn’t that a beautiful sunrise?

In Grand Cayman, I found a church near the cruise terminal, looking out over the beach. I slipped inside and enjoyed a peaceful few minutes praying.

I also visited a turtle hatchery, and really enjoyed interacting with the turtles. I got to hold this adorable little guy. And then…uh… I went into the restaurant and had a turtle burger. Kind of wrong, huh? Of course I enjoyed another memory there, too. Daddy once caught a snapping turtle, and made a pot of turtle soup for my sister and me. Yeah, that turtle burger tasted good, but maybe not quite as good as my memory of that soup.

Of course, I didn’t spend the entire week vegetating. I did manage to get a tiny bit of work done. Is there a better place to write than on the deck of a cruise ship, sailing over crystal clear waters and having your hair blown with a warm Caribbean breeze? (No cracks about my hair, either. I challenge you to look good after a day in the sun and wind!)

We did enjoy the scuba diving in Roatan, Honduras, as we knew we would. All in all, it was a good week. A relaxing week. A healing week. On the first day, I felt like a dry, empty cup. By the end, I wasn’t so empty. The Lord poured from His unending supply of strength and refreshment. I’ve been refilled.