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Page 6
2016 Worship Guide
December 7, 2016
A Lincoln Daily News Publication
C
an I start my Christmas article with a
Florida beach story? Is that proper?
Stay with me, I believe you’ll like where it
lands.
I was reminded the other day of a vacation
our family took when our children were
much younger. We’ve always been a family
who has loved vacationing in Florida.
Some of our children’s fondest memories
have been made when the whole family
was together and relaxing far away from
our daily grind. Dad isn’t stressed by work,
mom isn’t struggling to keep everyone’s
schedule, and the children aren’t knee deep
in homework.
That particular year, we went to Panama
City Beach, Florida. We have always
appreciated a nice beach, and Panama has
some of the world’s greatest. For as far
as the eye can see, there is nothing but
white sand and surf. Everything the beach
promised was there; except big shells that
is. The shells my children were finding
were small and broken and left each of
them asking for more. That’s when we
heard about the famous Shell Island.
Just off shore, there is an island that all the
locals call Shell Island. For some reason, all
the good shells were out there along with
many other treasures.
But how does one get to this mystical Shell
Island. Well, one must be transported over.
Fortunately, we had jet skis that year.
So, I loaded up my family and we took off
on a journey to the great Shell Island.
Drum roll . . . it was everything people
had told us it would be. My children found
complete, unbroken, sand dollars, large
perfectly fanned shells, some coral, and
even two large horseshoe crab shells that
now sit in my office.
It was great watching my children run and
laugh while filling their arm with more true
Finding the
good stuff
at Christmas
Ron Otto
Preaching minister -
Lincoln Christian Church
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