Believe it or not, cruising is not only exotic and amazing, 
it’s sometimes one of the most economical ways to travel. 
I became enamored with cruising about 20 years ago when I found a 10-day cruise of the French Polynesian Islands for $400 per person ($40 per day). 
Considering a cruise provides room, board, and transportation, 
if you patiently watch for sales, 
it can often compete favorably with other types of vacations. 
For instance, once (just to prove my point), I spent less per day 
on a Caribbean cruise than Alan spent planning a week vacation in Florida. 
Recently, a friend seemed embarrassed to admit 
that he was taking his wife on a cruise for their 25th anniversary, 
I’m guessing because he assumed I’d think that was too extravagant. 
But, the fact is, it you’re willing to get a sell-out deal for an inside cabin, 
it’s very likely going to cost you less than flying wherever, renting a car, 
staying in motels, and eating in restaurants.
Just sayin’… 
With that intro, I want to tell you about the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Sinfonia, which was our “home base” recently. 
We were looking for a convenient way to spend a week with our kids
who live in Italy. 
Their home is pretty much a 400-year-old palace, 
but Alan has asthma, so he feared that the inevitable molds
(they have their own cave and their home is carved out of a mountainside)
added to pet dog and cat dander would be a recipe for hospitalization,
so we opted for sea breezes instead. 
The MSC Sinfonia was the perfect ship! 
It has a great splash pad and swimming pools for kids, 
a dedicated Lego Room 
that could keep our kids occupied indefinitely, 
a miniature golf course, shuffle board, 
foosball, ping pong tables, a basketball court, and lots of fun activities. 
I found a special where two adults could take two kids free, 
so the four of us could take Mike and Grace’s four kids free! 
Our grand daughters were truly ideal bunk mates 
(not so sure about the two little boys,
who might have kept their parents up at times…). 
Our waiters were incredibly good-natured and kept the fresh rolls, french fries and pasta bianca coming so the kids never got too hungry waiting for dinner. 
Thankfully, the children are very industrious 
and would spend a lot of time drawing and coloring 
so the adults could enjoy 
all the courses 
of the (usually) 2-hour formal dinners each evening. 
The ports were also gorgeous, 
the weather perfect, 
and the Adriatic Sea like glass. 
In all, it was a pretty much ideal experience…
or at least as smooth sailing as possible… 
with little ones. 
So, if you’re looking for an easy way to maximize your bonding time 
while minimizing your work time, 
don’t totally discount cruising. 
(One point of warning: We always watched the kids like hawks to make sure they didn’t fall off the ship from the 15th floor.)
The railings are not kid safe! 
May I share a quick spiritual thought? 
Sometimes we’re afraid to consider something because we think
it might be too spiritually expensive. 
I’ve heard a lot of people say they don’t want to become a Christian
because it would be “too hard” or cost them too much. Really? 
I believe that in reality, becoming a Christian is the most spiritually cost-effective way to attain the goal most people are after: Happiness, love, joy, and peace. 
Because we’re just human, nothing works flawlessly on this earth, 
but salvation through faith in Christ is the best “ship” to travel on
as far as I can tell, hands down! 
If you haven’t looked into it yet, please do!
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:3-5).
(All photos, except the one of Tahiti, were taken a few weeks ago on our cruise of the Adriatic Sea via the MSC Sinfonia.)
There are two communities in Santorini that are especially beautiful. 
Today I want to share photos from 
which is also known as the Balcony to the Aegean, 
because the town sits high up on the cliffs 
with perfect viewing of the sapphire waters and glowing sunsets of the Aegean. 
(We were back on the ship by evening, but even there the sunsets were lovely.) 
Imerovigli is also recognized world around because of the Church of Ai-Stratis, 
which has been loved, photographed, painted, (and even memorialized in a nursery mural) by various family members and friends! 
Imerovigli only has 470 permanent inhabitants, 
but their narrow streets are crammed with many thousands of visitors yearly! 
Homes are built around the caldera amphitheatrically in the “Cycladic” style, 
typified by glistening white homes and blue-domed churches. 
In the late 1800’s, wealthy ship captains built neo-classical mansions 
into the sides of the cliffs, 
and you can still see the succession of homes built above each other.
The houses are painted with white lime wash so that the rainwater 
which falls over them and runs down can be collected and used in their homes.
Of course, they also paint their homes colorfully for aesthetic purposes. 
I was amazed by how clean, new, and beautiful everything looked! 
Our guide explained that in 1956 there was a terrible earthquake 
that just about destroyed everything on the island. 
Rebuilding has been a huge job, but what a beautiful community they have now! 
I would say they met their mountainous challenges and conquered them!
While meandering through the byways of Imerovigli, 
we noticed an irresistibly appealing book shop. 
The shop had words of wisdom written without and within.
And, some words were even written on the bookshop:
Have you met any new mountains lately?
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the 
The Greek Isles deserve their reputation for mythical beauty, 
and of all the Greek Isles, I think Santorini is the most famous and splendid. 
What I didn’t realize is it that Santorini is actually a group of islands. 
It is a volcanic caldera
The steep cliffs are nearly 1000 feet high 
and the lagoon over 1,300 feet deep! 
The day we visited, it was a cloudless 80° with a soft wind blowing—
a perfect (but typical) summer day! 
Temperatures range from about 49-82°F year round, 
and there’s nearly always a breeze blowing. 
In fact, winds from 35-61 mph are not uncommon, so all their grape vineyards sprawl flat on the ground to keep from being destroyed by the winds! 
Our ship, the MSC Sinfonia, anchored in the lagoon, 
and everyone had to “tender” (take a ferry from the ship) to Skala Port.
There is a donkey trail between Skala Port and Fira, 
the town built atop the cliff there, 
but to save time, energy, and Alan’s allergic nose, 
we zipped up on one of their efficient cable cars, 
which gave us breathtaking views of the area for miles around!
Although it would have been pleasant to spend the day exploring Fira, 
the most famous areas are Imerovigli and Oia, considerable drives from Fira, 
so we hired a very good-natured taxi driver
Per hour, this was by far the easiest and most cost-effective way 
to tour a large group (especially with small children), 
and our knowledgeable driver gave us phenomenal driving and walking tours 
of some of the island’s most picturesque places.
Well, I’ll have to share the rest of our adventures in Santorini tomorrow, because my time is up! At noon on Thursdays (EST), I join a prayer meeting at the Aqueduct Prayer Center. If you ever want to join us, here’s the link:
Until my son Joel had a housemate from Dubrovnik a few years ago, 
I’m embarrassed to admit that I’d never even heard of it. 
It is an amazingly beautiful seaport along the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia, 
and as it turned out, this was both Alan and my favorite day of the cruise, 
which is why I’m telling you about it first instead of last! 
Although it only has a population of about 43,000, 
Dubrovnik is a UNESCO World Heritage Site 
and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Mediterranean Sea. 
After visiting…I totally agree with the world of tourists! 🙂
It took us about a half an hour on a bus to get from the ship 
to the center of the Old City, 
and it was such a gloriously balmy day 
that by then it was time for our daily gelato break. 
(Italian gelatos make American ice cream look a little lack luster.) 
Thus fortified, the kiddos were brave adventurers…with one caveat.
As an FYI if you travel there: Stop at the ATM before leaving the town square for some Croatian kuna (about 7 to 1 on the American dollar). Our toilet attendant would not accept Euros and expected payment per person to use the W.C. (water closet), so be advised! A kindly Englishman took pity on our crew, bless him!
So, happily reconstituted, we were all ready for a big day of exploring. 
Just a few blocks up the road from the fortress is a gorgeous maze of old streets, 
and beautiful buildings. 
The streets are lined with shops, 
musicians, and street vendors selling their wares. 
Old City Dubrovnik is clean and beautiful… 
even the pavement shone like glass! 
Like all world-class cities, 
the streets were also lined with beautiful flowers and appealing outdoor cafes. 
In the heat of the day, we decided it was time to find the beach. 
Banje Beach is one of the most beautiful Mediterranean beaches I’ve ever seen. 
The water was cool, clear, and just perfect for swimming! 
It was so warm that we all got to swim for as long as we wanted to, 
and after swimming, we could search for beautiful bits of sea glass on the shore. 
They had lovely, free changing rooms (and bathrooms!), 
and all in all, I think it was a 5-star experience for all of us! 
My mother traveled all over the world, but my mother-in-law used to say,
To each his own! If you ever get a chance to go to Dubrovnik, I hope you take it, but whether or not you enjoy adventuring, I hope you’ve enjoyed sharing our adventure. I hope you’ve also learned a little bit more about this unique and lovely city in the incredibly wonderful world that God has given us! 
With Michael (our second-born) and his wife living in Italy, 
there’s been cause for super fun travel this summer! 
First, Carleen (who is the wife of Aaron, our first-born) 
went to visit with their kids for awhile. 
These are two very brave women, 
touring around with 8 children, 
making home made pasta together, 
and generally having a marvelous time catching up with each other! 
Then, Aaron came to join the party. 
The two families had lots of adventures together 
as well as some double family touring. 
In Rome they were able to visit many historic sites, 
including the Vatican
and various museums, 
and—of course—they feasted on some of Italy’s fabulous cuisine! 🙂 
The day Aaron’s family left, 
Alan and I went on a cruise with Michael’s family. 
So, for the next couple of weeks you may be seeing lots of photographs 
from Italy, Greece, Croatia, and the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea…
as well as hearing tales of travels with four little ones in tow!
We had a truly delectable time, 
and I hope you enjoy sharing in our adventures 
as much as I’ll enjoy recounting them! 
“Only fear the 
At 178,926 square feet, the Biltmore—the Vanderbilt family’s 8,000 acre estate— ranks as America’s largest privately owned home, 
and I’ve wanted to visit for about 50 years, particularly after hearing the rumor that we’re related by marriage to the Vanderbilts (many cousins-removed ago). 
In the early 2000’s (at the height of our family’s musical ministry), I was negotiating with the Biltmore to sing gospel music there one Sunday afternoon 
(which they still do, by the way), 
although one of my closest friends ended up planning her wedding for that same weekend, and being in the wedding preempted everything else! 
Nevertheless, the mystique of America’s grandest estate nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains hovered like mist in the back of my mind, and last May,
after visiting many of the gorgeous châteaux along the Loire River in France, several of which were the French Renaissance inspirations for the Biltmore, 
such as Château de Blois, 
Château de Chenonceau, 
and Château de Chambord, 
I realized that a trip to the Biltmore was still on my unconscious bucket list. 
So, when we attended a conference this May just 15 miles from the Biltmore, 
you can imagine my excitement to see this romantic tribute 
to America’s Gilded Age! 
Yesterday I shared photos from the gardens (in conjunction with thoughts for pondering how to overcome your past and fulfill your potential), 
but today I want to share a few photos from the inside of this grand home, 
which would have made a worthy location for Downton Abbey! 
The Biltmore Estate has 250 rooms, 
including 33 bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 
65 fireplaces, 
a dining room table that can seat up to 64 guests, 
and many novelties for the 19th century, 
such as a 70,000-gallon heated indoor swimming pool 
and one of the nation’s first bowling alleys to be installed in a private residence. 
Only half of George Vanderbilt’s collection of 22,000 books can fit in his library, 
and while we were visiting, their was a special exhibition of costumes 
and information related to movies that have been made 
from some of the many first-edition classic books owned by the Vanderbilts. 
The Vanderbilt family still live in and operate their estate, 
but unlike many European grand estates and palaces, 
the Vanderbilts allow visitors to take photographs of all the home’s treasures, 
including many beautifully preserves tapestries 
and gorgeous paintings. 
On a sunny day, like the day we visited, 
one could easily spend their entire day touring the home, 
enjoying lunch at one of their stable-turned restaurant venues, 
and exploring their vast gardens. 
Although we loved visiting, Alan and I both left thinking
I’m not even sure “I want a mansion, just over the hilltop.” Do you? 
Actually, I don’t care where I live, just as long as it’s with Jesus!
Jesus said, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Tomorrow morning I will be sitting with a lifelong friend while her husband undergoes surgery for cancer. Hopefully, the surgeons will be able to remove the cancer, and thankfully, her husband is not afraid of death. Tom is a man of great faith who knows that he will go to be with Jesus whenever he dies (and we hope that’s not for many years yet!), but I think his peace and confidence are exceptional, not the rule for people. Do you ever wonder what will happen when you die? A friend sent me the following devotional thought, and I wanted to share it with you this morning, just in case you are facing or fearing death.
