Our vacation this year was at the beach of South Carolina.

Our vacation this year was at the beach of South Carolina. It was a first for us down there, having each son, his wife and two or three of our grandchildren join us. Every four days we shared our vacation time with a new family. For us, this was the greatest joy for a parent to have. We are a close family and I thank God for this. Although we have had many trials and a lot of illnesses God has kept us all together in love and care. In Matthew 7:9-11 Christ speaks of our gifts to our children. I love how He uses the examples of contrast: if our son asks for bread would we say, �Here is a stone�? or if he asks for a fish would we give him a serpent? Of course we wouldn�t: we love him! Jesus adds, �How much more will your Father who is in heaven give you good things to those who ask�. He is my heavenly Father, and I am His child, because I asked Him into my heart and life at the age of nine (John 1:12). My earthly father is no longer here, but my heavenly Father remains with me forever, giving me eternal life.
As I sat on the beach, I watched my children and their children enjoying the waves with my husband. Most of my time is spent sitting on a beach chair due to a muscle disease. However, I enjoyed the whole day! I get special treatments such as buckets of water for my feet, an umbrella to keep me in the shade and just �being there� with them brings joy.
One day God sent me a little visitor while I sat there all alone. A sea gull came up to me, right next to my chair, with just one good leg and only part of the other. He hopped up close by and tears came to my eyes. I began to feed him crumbs from my bread; I even talked to him � he didn�t fly away! You probably can figure out what happened as other sea gulls flew down. The little bird with his crippled leg was able to fly away without help.
I felt God was speaking to my own heart as I realized that one day I too will not need my wheelchair or special help to walk. I�ll be taken by God to heaven � I�ll somehow �fly away� to heaven! What joy!

Come. Fly with me!

Dottie