A generous family from church offered their place in Florida to a group of small group leaders, so my roommate and I were treated to a week at the beach. What a blessing it was to get away and enjoy the sun and waves for a few days!
This godly woman was in charge of organizing our week. Mary supports and pours into the women's small group leaders, and she has ministered to us in ways she doesn't even realize. We're thankful to the Lord for her. Throughout the week, she was purposeful in her time with us, seeking out opportunities to spend time with each of us individually. The week was full of fellowship, reading, relaxing, games, and yummy food!
During our stay, we had access to a beach with a staff that set up chairs, tables, and umbrellas for us to use each day. Talk about pampering! They even had boxes full of sand castle building supplies, which were obviously used during our time there. Below are some pictures from the week...enjoy!
The obligatory toe shot...
Sand castle! Check out the awesomeness. I worked on this with my new friend Hollie, who worked for Habitat for Humanity a few years out of college. Seeing as how she had the construction skills (and seeing as how I knocked over two towers within minutes), I didn't last long in the building process. So I collected shells to make it look pretty. We all have our gifts.
Not sure if you can tell, but Hollie added some sea life to the moat. The seagulls were quick to snatch up this Pepperidge Farm treat for an afternoon snack.
My building buddy! I really enjoyed sharing stories with Hollie throughout the week - it was encouraging to hear how God is working in her life.
So beautiful...
Dolphin sighting! This was actually super exciting...we spotted an injured fish by the shoreline, and this dolphin was determined to have him for lunch. He was relentless in his pursuit...until more and more people arrived on the scene and ruined his plan. He promptly swam off after a crowd gathered in the water around him. Oh, well. There are other fish in the sea.
You might be wondering if I forgot about Cow Appreciation Day since I was on vacation. Ha! I laugh! Rachel and I were prepared for the big day, and we even recruited two new friends to join us!
The last day we drove out to Sanibel Island, where we had lunch and walked along the beach. The water was lovely there!
It was a great week! I'm thankful for the opportunity to get to know Mary better, and I loved meeting new girls in such a beautiful place!
