Footprints in the Sand and other Poems by famous authors

 One night, a man had a dream.

He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky, scenes from his life flashed.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:
One belongs to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
He looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He noticed that many times along his life's path, there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,
There is only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why, when I needed you most, you would leave me."

The Lord replied,
"My son, my precious child, I love you, and I would
never leave you. During your times of trial and
suffering, when you see only one set of footprints,
It was then that I Carried You."

A Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time.

The Objects of Life by George Wyte Melvin 

To tell of the great example, the Man of compassion and woe;
Of footprints left behind Him, in the earthly path He trod,
And how the lowest may find Him, who straitly walk with God.

The Education of the Sons of God by Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

And did you ever walk out upon that lonely desert island upon which you were wrecked, and say, "I am alone, — alone, — alone, — nobody was ever here before me"? 

And did you suddenly pull up short as you noticed, in the sand, the footprints of a man? I remember right well passing through that experience, and when I looked, lo! 

It was not merely the footprints of a man that I saw, but I thought I knew whose feet had left those imprints; they were the marks of One who had been crucified, for there was the print of the nails. So I thought to myself, "If he has been here, it is a desert island no longer."

Arthur unknown 

An elderly man, who had lived his life and had left this world to meet his Maker, asked the Lord a question.
"As I'm looking down on the paths I've trodden, I see two sets of footprints on the easy paths.
But down the rocky roads, I see only one set of footprints.
"Tell me, Lord, why did you let me go down all those hard paths alone?"
The Lord smiled and simply replied, "Oh, my son, you've got that all wrong!
I carried you over those complex paths."

By Robert Schuller 

The pilgrim arrived in heaven, and God said to him, "Would you like to see where you've come from?"
When the pilgrim responded that he would, God unfolded the story of his whole life, and he saw footprints from the cradle to the grave.
There were not only the pilgrims' footprints, but another set of prints alongside.
The pilgrim said, "I see my footprints, but whose are those?"
And the Lord said, "Those are My footprints. I was with you all the time."
Then they came to a dark, discouraging valley, and the pilgrim said, "I see only one set of footprints through that valley.
I was so discouraged. You were not there with me. It was just as I thought–I was so all alone!"
Then the Lord said, "Oh, but I was there. I was with you the whole time.
You see, those are MY footprints. I carried you all through that valley."

Author unknown 

A young woman who was going through hard times ... began to pray to God for help.
Suddenly, in her mind's eye, she saw two sets of footprints side by side on a sandy pathway.
Immediately, her spirits lifted, as she interpreted this to mean that God was with her and walking beside her.
Then the picture changed. She now saw the footprints in a vast desert wilderness, and instead of two sets, there was only one.
Why was God no longer beside her? As despair settled back over her, she began to cry.
Then the inner voice of God softly spoke and said, "I have not left you. The one set of footprints is mine.
You see, I am carrying you through the wilderness."

2025 Christmas Letter/Journal

 Dear 

Hope this year has been kind to you.

We spent fourteen days on a Carnival Cruise from January 18 to 30. We visited Grand Turk, Aruba, Curacao, Ocho Rios, and the Grand Caymans.

In February (16-22), we went on a seven-day bus tour to San Antonio, Texas, with the Club & Diamond Tours. We had a guide the whole time we were there. We visited the Witte Museum, the San Antonio missions, the LBJ Ranch, watched an IMAX movie about Freedom, and then visited the Alamo. 

It was around 30 degrees when we took the River Cruise along the River Walk in San Antonio. 

We stopped to shop at Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas. 

On March 14, we took an all-day bus trip to Scottsboro with Backroads Tours  LLC. 

In April (7-11), we took a five-day bus trip to the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum, with the Club and Diamond Tours. 

At the Cincinnati Museum, we watched an IMAX movie about National Parks and toured the museum. We were supposed to take a riverboat cruise along the Ohio River, but it had rained so much that the trip was cancelled. 

We saw houses, land, and trailer trucks covered in water. 

From April 27 to May 3, we took a seven-day bus trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Travel Lady, Lawrenceburg, TN. 

We visited Mount Airy, home of Andy Griffith. 

We did the Wild Horse Adventure tour. We visited several lighthouses, the Graveyard of the Atlantic, Wright Brothers National Park, the Village of Mantle, and Festival Park Living History Museum. 

On May 9, we did a mystery bus trip with Backroads Tours LLC.

On June 21, we took a bus trip to Nashville for a Dinner cruise on the Andrew Jackson Showboat with Backroads Tours LLC. 

In July (12-20), we took a nine-day bus tour to Cape Cod & Martha's Vineyard with the Club and Diamond Tours. 

We visited Martha's Vineyard, Hyannis, Sandwich, toured the Outer Cape, Provincetown, Chatham, JFK Museum, and the Foxwood Casino in Rhode Island. 

One of our members had a UTI infection and had to spend several days in the Hospital, and they had to fly home. 

Another member fell inside her room, and she had deadbolted her door. She could not get up, so we had to call the fire and police departments.

She was taken to the hospital, but later joined us. 

We had another couple who were not happy with the trip, so they flew home. It was still a good trip.

In August, (2-10) we flew to Denver, Colorado, and then took a guided bus to ride several trains with the Travel Lady from Lawrenceburg, TN. 

We rode the Georgetown Loop and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, with lunch in between. 

We rode the Pikes Peak COG RR.

We were going to ride the Durango & Silverton RR, but there was an accident on the Million Dollar Highway. A couple with a child in the backseat went over the edge. The road was closed the whole day. A helicopter was called to get the car. Both adults were killed instantly, but the child survived. 

We had already started up the mountain on the Million Dollar Highway. We had a great driver; he turned the bus around, and we went back down the hill.

We saw a forest fire, and everyone kept getting alerts, but we were heading away from it. 

We stayed in a hotel that had a winery and orchard around it.

We stayed in the Durango Hotel, which was like a museum. 

We stayed at the Cliff House, a hotel within walking distance of downtown Manitou. We visited Garden of the Gods, Mesa Verde, and Manco, CO. We toured several towns and museums. 

On August 23, we took a bus tour to North Georgia Junkbox Review. We were entertained with a musical. Backroads Tours LLC.

In September (3-15), we took a thirteen-day trip to the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. We spent three nights at the Flamingo Hotel, with Bean/Smith Travels & Diamond Tours.

We visited the William Clinton museum in Little Rock, AR. We visited the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK, and the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and Boulder City, AZ.

We visit Grand Canyon National Park, the Route 66 Museum in Kingman, AZ, the Mohave Museum, the Petrified Forest National Park, and the Quarter Horse Hall of Fame Museum in Amarillo, TX. We visit the Fort Smith Historic Site in Fort Smith, Arkansas. 

We stayed in ten different hotels. 

October 13-19, we flew to New York and spent one night there. There we ate dinner and walked the streets of NY.

We boarded the NCL Getaway for a seven-day cruise.  

A deadly storm slammed the East Coast with winds, waves, and floodwaters. Waves pounded beaches, and storm surge flooded coastal roads. So, the ports in New York were closed. We sat in port for two days, missing several of our excursions. 

We did visit Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John Bay, New Brunswick; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

On our return trip to New York, we took a bus tour of New York, where we saw 59th Street, Columbus Circle, Lincoln Square, Central Park, 49th Street, Times Square, the Garment District, 34th Street, Penn Station, Macy's, Trump Tower, the Apple Store, Rockerfellow Center, Hershey's, and the University of NY. We stopped to tour the Grand Central Terminal and go up to the Summit.

The Summit is a three-level multi-sensory art immersion. 

The first level was on the 91st observation floor. (All Glass)

The second level is on the 92 observation, where you are standing on a glass-bottomed ledge that extends 1,000 feet over Madison Ave. 

The third level is on the 93-observation floor with an open-air terrace.

From October 30 to November 5, we took a bus trip to Washington, D.C. with the Club and Diamond Tours. 

We visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Roosevelt Memorial, the MLK Memorial, the WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam Memorials, and saw the Capitol, the White House, and the Lincoln Monument. We took a trolley through Arlington Cemetery. We visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Nov 19-21, we took a bus tour of the Biltmore House Museum and stayed on-site. 

We toured the grounds, the house, and Antler Hill Village with Backroads Tours LLC.

We stopped at the Bush Bean Museum and Restaurant in Danville, TN.

We visited Sweetwater Farms in Philadelphia, TN.

Dec 5-7, we took a bus tour to Eufaula with Backroads Tours LLC. 

We enjoyed dinner, lunch, and hors d'oeuvres with entertainment at the Shorter Mansion.

We toured eight homes, including the Shorter Mansion. 

We visited the movie town of Spectra and Wetumpka.

This was our last cruise and bus trip for the year. 

I have already planned cruises for February, March, and October. 

A trip to Greece to follow the Footsteps of Paul in April. If the Lord's willing and we have good health. 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 

Time Travel

 My thoughts have been about time moving forward and backward.

 So Time travel is not something we think about. It is just something we do. 

When we are children, we want to grow up. This is time-traveling into the future. 

When we are in our prime, we are thinking about retirement. This is also time-traveling into the future. 

When we watch movies about time travel, we do not think of ourselves as time travelers, but we are.

As we grow older, we begin to think about the past, and our minds take us back. 

My son and I were talking about time travel and the Bible. 

When you look into the Bible, you see many people traveling through time. 

Psalms 90:4 

For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

Ecclesiastes 1:9  

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

John 8:57-58: 

So the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."

People who were raised from the dead.

Time Travel:

1 Kings 17:24: We read that Elijah raises from the dead a widow's son. 2 Kings 4:18-37

Israelite Man 2 Kings 13:20-21 

Widow of Nain's son Luke 7:11-17 

Jarius' Daughter Luke 8:49-56 

Lazarus John 11:1-44 

Jesus Matthew 28:1-20 

Tabitha or Dorcas Acts 9:36-42 

Eutchus Acts 20:7-2

In Luke 16:28, we learn of a man who had five brothers, and this is what he said:

Let me warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

Joshua 10:12-13

“On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.’ So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.” – Joshua 10:12-13

2 Kings 20:10:11

 "Hezekiah had asked for a sign to prove his recovery, and Isaiah said, 'This is the Lord's sign to you that the Lord will do what He has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?' 'It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,' said Hezekiah. 'Rather, have it go back ten steps.' Then the prophet Isaiah called upon the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz." – 2 Kings 20:10-11

Exekiel 12:27 

"Son of man, the Israelites are saying, 'The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.'" – Ezekiel 12:27

Whether we travel by plane, car, on our feet, in our dreams, or in our thoughts, we are traveling in time. 

Just a little Food for Thought!

2025 Dec 5-7, Christmas Tour of Homes Trip to Eufaula, Al with Backroads Tours LLC

 Day 1: Friday, December 5:

Today we traveled to Scottsboro, a two-hour drive. 

We stopped at McDonald's in Huntsville for breakfast, where we bought a sausage and Biscuit, and a Sausage, egg, and Biscuit, and spent $6.74.

We traveled US 72 to Huntsville and then to Scottsboro. We stopped at McDonald's in Scottsboro to use the restroom. 

We boarded the Eagle bus out of Rome, Ga, number 1031 at 7:15 and were on the road by 7:30 A.M. 

We pick up passengers in Fort Payne (8:10 A.M.)and Springfield (9:15 A.M.)

We stopped for a Restroom break at a Travel Center.

We arrived at the Old Mill Kitchen in Opelika at 12:07 P.M.

Old Mill Kitchen Opelika 

Key Lime Pie 

Baked Chicken, creamed potatoes with gravy, Peas, and cornbread.

I ordered baked lemon pepper chicken breast, with field peas & snaps, Mashed potatoes & gravy, cornbread, and for dessert, Key Lime Pie. 

The bus was too tall, and it was raining, so we just stopped for a look at the 

drive-thru Museum of Wonder in Seale. 

Drive-thru Museum

We checked into the Hampton Inn by Hilton Hotel around 3:30 P.M. in room 206. 

At 5:30 P.M., we were served a private welcome dinner at the Shorter Mansion.

Table setting 

Homemade  bread pudding with white Chocolate Sauce 

Salad Spring Mix with fresh fruit and a raspberry vinaigrette 

Smoked pork tenderloin with Jezebel Sauce, green beans, and creamed potatoes

The meal consisted of a salad, pork tenderloin, roasted haricot vert (green beans), baked loaded potato, and chocolate bread pudding. 

Before we sat down to eat, we toured the Shorter Mansion. 

We returned to the hotel around 7:30 P.M., took a hot bath, and went to bed. 

Iphone photos

2153-2157 Old Mill Kitchen Opelika @ 12:07 P.M.

2158-2169 Downtown Opelika at 1:40 P.M.

2170-2177 Drive-Thru Museum of Wonder @2:17 PM

2179-2188 Eufaula @2:50 PM

2192-2248 Shorter Mansion Tour @7:05 PM

2249-2253 Meal at Shorter Mansion @6:05 PM

2272-2274 Hampton Inn at 7:32 P.M.

Steps 8,298, Zone 32, 3.11 Miles, Cal 1,555

Day 2: Saturday, December 6:

I walked to Walmart to buy Hubby a couple of diet Mountain Dews and a white top for myself. And spent $25.47. 

At breakfast at the hotel, I had scrambled eggs with cheese, a biscuit, cream cheese, grape jelly, and apple juice.  

We boarded the bus around 8:30 A.M. and began our tour of eight homes decorated for the holidays.

We had lovely weather up until noon. 

We toured the Stinson House, Fendall Hall, and Gatty-Arnold Home and Kendall-Utley before returning to the Shorter Mansion for a boxed lunch. It contained chicken salad, pasta, broccoli salad, and a cookie with water to drink. 

Getty-Arnold House 

Fendall Hall 

The Stinson House 

It had begun to rain, so everyone returned to the bus to get their raincoats and umbrellas.

We had two more homes to tour. The two homes were close by, but it was pouring rain.

We toured the Martin Cottage and the Bray-Bennet Home, then returned to the hotel to change clothes and rest before heading downtown to shop.

Bray-Benton House 

Martin Cottage 

Kendell- Utley House 

Later that day, we loaded onto the bus and headed to the Church Bazar and downtown shopping. 

The rain had stopped by now.

I bought a small bag of White chocolate pretzels at the Big Mouth Store. 

We returned to the Shorter Mansion for entertainment, hors d'oeuvres, and wine.

It was dark when we returned to the hotel. I took a hot bath and wrote in my journal. 

Iphone photos

2275 Breakfast @7:15 AM

2276 Hampton @ 7:33 AM

2277-2291 Downtown Eufaula @8:50 PM

2297-2328 Toured the Stinson Home @9:13 AM

2329-2379 Toured Fendall Hall @9:54 AM

2380-2381 rode passed the Holy Redeemer church @10:42 AM

2382-2410 Toured Gatty-Arnold House @10:48 AM

2411-2425 rode passed old building with windows out and more homes @11:222 AM

2424-2447 Toured the Kendall-Utley House @11:29 AM

2449-2453 We stopped for lunch at Shorter Mansion at @12:20 PM

2455-2497 Toured the Martin Cottage @1:16 PM 

2498-2518 Toured the Bray-Bennett House @2:06 PM

2519-2525 We rode downtown to the Christian Bazar and downtown shopping at @4:05 PM

2526-2537, we toured Eufaula at 4:22 P.M.

2530-2533 We stopped at Large Mouth Store @7:27 PM

2534-2535 Martin Theatre @5:04 PM

2536-2537 Lights @5:06 PM 

11,169 steps, zone 60, 4.11 miles, cal 1,728

Day 3, Sunday, December 7:

I ate white chocolate pretzels with a Diet Coke for breakfast, which I had bought the night before.

I walked to Walmart, where I bought three Christmas soaps and a large bag of hot chocolate, and spent $29.89.

I gave the soaps to Angie to give away during Bingo.

We loaded onto the bus at 8:15 and were on our way at 8:30 A.M.

Our first stop was a Travel Center in Montgomery, where we spent $10.64.

We stopped to see the town of Spectre, which is a movie set on a private island on Jackson Lake.

During the rainy season, you cannot reach the town of Spectre. We crossed over onto the island after paying an entrance fee. 

Several of our group were trying to throw a pair of shoes on the pole where other shoes were hanging. 

The Movie Town of Spectra, Shoes hanging on line, and goats 

I began walking around, taking pictures, and was returning from the lake when a truck pulled up next to me. I said I was with the bus tour, and he asked me if I wanted a couple of bags of carrots to feed the goats. 

When the goats saw that we had food, they came running. They loved the carrots but would not eat any that were dropped onto the ground. 

We ate lunch at Copper House Deli in Wetumpka, where we bought a Hoogie with a moggie two chip and two diet Cokes, and spent $22.40. 

It was a small restaurant that was usually closed on Sundays but opened just for us. 

After everyone finished eating, we walked around Wetumpka.

The Grinch & Max 

Santa and Reindeer 

Bought 10 silver charmsnand a bottle ottle of Necked Bee lotion, spent $18.48.

I took photos of the historic and Military markers at the courthouse. Took pictures of the town, the Santa and his two reindeer, some metal art, and the Alleyway murals full of art, culture, and the history of Wetumpka. 

Alleyway Murals 

Wetumpka has been the film location of "The Grass Harp" (1995), "The Rosa Parks Story" (2002), and 

"Big Fish"(2003), "Sons of the South" (2019), and HGTV Hometown Takeover (2021). 

The Big Fish 

The Big Fish House used 

Big Fish Movie 

The Rosa Parks Story was filmed at this location 

We played bus bingo on our ride home. 

We began our journey home, stopping in Springfield to drop off several passengers, then in Fort Payne to drop off more.

Finally, we arrived in Scottsboro, loaded everything into our car, and began our journey home. 

We stopped at Krystal in Athens for some Krystal Cheeseburgers and fries.

We ate then on the way home. 

It was late when we arrived home. 

Iphone Photos

2538-3541 Bus and Hampton Inn @6:57 AM

2542-2543 Traveling at 10:31 A.M.

2544-2552 Coosada @11128 AM

2553-2567 Town of Wetaumpka 12:36 P.M.

Canon EOS R6

6636-6686 Town of Spectre @ 12:18 Bigh Fish Movie 

6689-6849 Town of Wetumpka @1:25 PM

8,045 steps, zone 79, 3.01 miles, 1,589 cals 

There were six governors from Barbour County

1. John Gill Shorter

2. Willima D. Jelks 

3. Braxton Bragg Comer 

4. Chauncy Sparks 

5. George C. Wallace

6. Lurleen B. Wallace

The Homes we toured:

1. Shorter Mansion 340 E Eufuala Ave 

2. Bray-Bennett 413 N Randolph St 

3. Wilde-Gray House 703 N Randolph St 

4. The Martin Cottage 119 Shorter St 

5. Fendall Hall 917 W Barber St 

6. Gatty- Arnold House 125 Cherry St 

7. Kendall Utley House 238 Sanford Ave 

8. The Stinson House 148 Anderson Dr.