Thinking of Santa Barbara...

The last two summers I had the awesome experience of traveling to Santa Barbara with two of my best friends, Janene and Roberta. Roberta is a native of Santa Barbara and owns a vacation home there-soon to be her permanent residence. Roberta knows how to encourage a person to relax! We took long walks to the beach, listened to good music, window shopped ( I don't remember any of us BUYING one thing), except for the ingredients for that night's dinner! After walking in Santa Barbara, sipping our coffee we would head back up the hill to Roberta's house, stopping at her cousin's Bed and Breakfast to say hi. Her cousin's name is Marie, but they call her sis(I'm not sure why) but even that is a quaint reminder to me of Santa Barbara. Sis would offer us food, water, coffee, and probably anything else we might want! The hospitality of this quaint little town is a breath of fresh air.

At night we might go out to a restaurant-has to be mexican, and sit outside listening to great music and eating too much..after dinner another walk on the beach. I know, it sounds like heaven doesn't it?

One evening after dinner we walked out to the beach, looking at the millions of stars and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the ocean, and all of those twinkling lights in the sky and my thoughts turned to God. I realized how thankful I was to be having this "heaven" like experience but I also realized there is more to come, this isn't it. As wonderful as life here on earth can be, there is a yearning for more. How can a person stand on a beach as beautiful as I did that night and not wonder, " who designed this, what is out there yet to experience and taste?" Is this it? The bible talks about an emptiness, a God shaped vacuum in every man's heart. So, I guess my conclusion on that beach that night was this..this is a taste of what is to come. This isn't the best it is going to get. Knowing Jesus brings me a hope of better things yet to come. In 1Corinthians 2:9 it says, "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those that love Him"

But He gives us glimpses, doesn't he? He gives us appetizers here on earth. So, this summer when I travel to Santa Barbara again, I will thank God for what is here and now, and then thank him for what is yet to come!