"The LORD remembered her..."

Please enjoy this slideshow with a few of my videos from the incredible whale watch excursion at Icy Strait Point!

Yes, I used MJ's song from Free Willy... and yes, I played that (along with several other songs) during the actual experience. lol  Love it!!

We were parked out there for over an hour, and they put a hydrophone into the water to amplify the whale sounds - it really was a rare, awe-inspiring, once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience all around for most everyone on board to see and hear these massive, powerful whales so close to us in the immense wild ocean - some of them swimming up a little too close for comfort. lol

And there was a sacred layer on top of that for me - an answer to prayer and an undeniably holy and meaningful moment with God that I want to be careful to honor as time moves forward.  I don't want to trivialize or cheapen it by over-sharing or making it all about the PhD, the whales, the rainbow, or anything entirely tangible on that day.  It was about knowing with a renewed faith that God sees my heart and cares enough to be invested in my future, that He will go to great lengths to "make known to me the path of life," that I can trust Him deeply and trust this next step even after a lot of seeming failure, career confusion, and loss.

...After seeing the orcas, I thought quietly to myself "the only thing that might've made that better is if there were seven of them."  (I was incredibly grateful and reeling with the meaning of it all, but I'm a numbers girl, and that fleeting thought crossed my mind after we saw five of them.)  While resting in my room two days later, lazily looking out the balcony window, I unmistakably saw two orcas jumping in the distant north Pacific Ocean!  It was awesome, and once again, it felt personal - like divinely-ordained timing.  *Again, not about the whales themselves, but about God knowing my heart and caring enough to come through in big and small ways -- He is kind and playful, and He is powerful and personally invested, and I needed those reminders on this trip!  (I'm writing about this because I cannot verbalize it well yet, and most people aren't interested in this level of detail anyway.)

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John Eldredge writes about how God shows up through creation in ways that are both epic and intimate.  I felt both of those on this trip.  The ocean views were vast and powerful, a bit overwhelming, but calming and centering at the same time.  I thought several times about the disciples saying, "Even the winds and waves obey Him."  The mountains and glaciers were breathtaking, and waterfalls are among my favorite things in all of God's creation.  Seeing the otters, sea lions, eagles, orcas, and humpback whales in their natural environments was amazing.  Then there was the intimacy in the colorful detail and stunning variety of the gardens on my first and last shore excursion - I adore yellow roses, and this is one of my favorite pictures (taken after nightfall in Butchart Gardens) - the level of precision and layered detail in a single flower speaks something very comforting to me about God's heart and how He values small things and makes them uniquely beautiful. ❤

A verse that rings true and feels extra-significant to me right now:

In spite of the lovely photos, my first two days on the ship were a bit rough and lonely - day two was a full day "at sea" with no planned excursions... I knew no one but Sarah and didn't have her number yet - I didn't understand where to go for dinner, so I was on my own for every meal...  no social media apps and no reception to make phone calls mid-ocean... I felt tired and more isolated than I had expected... and I was a bit disappointed to learn that Beth was teaching on Leviticus (historically one of my least favorite books - but obviously, God led her there for good reason).  I grabbed my blanket and sat on my balcony and journaled and prayed - I reluctantly forced myself to turn off the movie and tune into Scripture - praying with some level of desperation through the discouragement for real connection with God and with others on the ship, for clarity about what is next for me, that the week on the ship would not be wasted, that my life on earth would not be wasted - for a story with a greater Kingdom impact.  ...And God heard me and took notice.

Looking back tonight, it feels really encouraging to see the first thing I wrote down from our first session on 7-25-26.  Ironically, I had forgotten about this...

My paraphrase from Beth's first teaching on Leviticus:  

When Scripture says "the LORD remembered" someone, it may be a distressing thought to us that He would ever have forgotten them in the first place... but that's not what it means in the Hebrew context.  When we see "the LORD remembered," it means the LORD responded or acted on their behalf.  God always hears us, so this is not God recalling someone He forgot or lost sight of; this is Him being moved to respond with "decisive, compassionate action" to fulfill His promises.

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It often meant physical pregnancy when God "remembered" women in the Bible (Hannah, Sarah, etc.).  At the heart level, it was God opening doors and answering their prayers, bringing more hope for their future, new life, and a renewed sense of purpose and legacy for these women He loved.  God is strengthening my faith to see what that pattern might look like in the context of my own story and walk with Him.  

"...Anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."  ~Hebrews 11:6

316-7-828

The details are clear in my heart,
and I believe with humility, gratitude, and confident faith

that God "remembered me" this week.

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A quiet and compelling start to a long story with a profound and multifaceted ending - and God is faithful to complete what He begins.  I cannot waste the profound grace of God or let it be in vain.  I believe His promise that we will find Him when we seek Him wholeheartedly, and I am determined to press into that more deeply from this day forward.  That means repeatedly choosing courage over comfort, trusting God enough to allow Him to cut away any entangling sins, harmful soul ties, and/or worldly comforts that would hold me back.  1000 times easier to say than to live out.  I do not want to get complacent and settle in the metaphorical wilderness; I want to push through the fierce opposition and take possession of God's promised reward for those who earnestly seek Him.  The race marked out for me feels a bit clearer, but the journey of intense spiritual formation and the work of Christlike leadership feels daunting.  It's as if I have a compass rather than a clear map of everything that lies ahead, so union with Jesus is vital!  I'm reminding myself that I am not in this alone, and God will guide and strengthen me as I continue to seek Him and abide in Christ.

*I didn't know this until yesterday, but this week is "desk week" at the OCC - one of three weeks each year that is set aside with no court hearings so that we can catch up on transcripts (and sleep). ;-)  Another well-timed gift, seriously!

On that note,  I took this screenshot as I absorbed this song on our way back from the whale watch excursion:
"You are the light and rest for my soul.
You're God, and I will be still and know."

Song of the Week = Be Still and Know by CeCe Winans

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Seattle Grace

And now, blog post #5 recapping my 7-day Alaska cruise, although the following pictures are all after leaving the ship! =)

We returned from our Canada shore excursion at 11:30 Friday and were expected to have our luggage tagged and in the hallway by midnight - yikes.  That night was an absurd comedy of errors.  After locking myself out of my stateroom for the first time all week (giving my neighbors their luggage tags which were mis-delivered to me) then traipsing down to Guest Services for a new room key in my pajamas (past the chaotic frenzy of the crew rapidly transporting everyone's luggage from all the hallways to the various elevators)..... then picking up one of my two key cards to go out in the hall and weigh my suitcase, quickly realizing they'd already removed the luggage scales, then finding out the hard way they'd turned off my old key card when they created the new one - UGH, what a treat - (I repeated the same PJ-clad journey across the ship to Guest Services on Deck 1)... after all that, I got my suitcase out there around 12:15 - they were kind enough to still take it.  I had to throw away my flip flops the next morning because my purse and backpack were crazy full and my carryon and suitcase were gone - whatever, those shoes had a good, long life. lol  In the end, the luggage thing was fairly pointless, as I picked it up right after getting off the boat the next morning, but whatever - you live, you learn!  I was relieved it was under the 50-lb weight limit when I got to the airport the next day (48.5 - yessss)!

Mmkay, so after that ridiculousness, I finished my movie to calm down, then got a tiny bit of sleep, put on a bit of makeup after realizing I'd packed most of it in my carry-on that was carted away after midnight, grabbed a final free breakfast on Deck 9, then got off the boat around 7:30 AM.  My real final "shore excursion" was a "Best of Seattle Highlights with Airport Transfer" - Mom and I were both very pleased when I learned about that offer mid-cruise!  (My original plan was dropping off my luggage at the hotel then taking multiple Ubers to see the Space Needle and Pike Place Market with the first Starbucks - literally the two places this tour was going, and being with a group from the cruise that carted me and my luggage to the airport afterward felt much safer.)

Our first stop was the Space Needle - I'm a big fan of Frasier, which features the Seattle skyline silhouette in its logo, so I felt nostalgic finally seeing this iconic gem!  We took the elevator to the very top floor where you can step outside and get a great view of the city...

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It was chilly outside, so after a quick trip around, I came back in and grabbed a fried apple pie - fun!

There was a child having an intense meltdown with parents trying-and-failing to calm his newfound fear of heights, so I promptly went down one level to enjoy my pie whilst also loving the revolving glass floor experience - so cool!  The number of people shying away from stepping onto that glass was entertaining to me.  There are plenty of things I won't try, but heights are really not a fear of mine - (the revolving motion would be far more likely to make me sick or be problematic, but between the scopolamine-patch and the bonine pills, I was pretty numb to that).

Speaking of Seattle shows, thanks to our driver for pointing out that this is the helipad used in Grey's Anatomy for the Seattle Grace/Mercy West/Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. =)

There was a Chihuly glass exhibit next door (love his work!), but I couldn't risk being late for the bus, so I had to settle for these colorful glass vases in the gift shop!

I also grabbed this fantastic dusty pink hat and an expensive commemorative water bottle (the only water they were selling).

I don't believe I mentioned it here yet, but the first night of the cruise, I ordered the bottled water package - six 1-liter glass bottles that were stupidly hard to open, but I'm thankful I had them!  Not a drop of it was wasted!

View from below before stepping back on the tour bus!

Out of place in this post (although it does go nicely with my Grey's-inspired "Seattle Grace" title), but this = one of the verses Beth taught on that I included on her card.  It was one of my favorite verses in 2007/2008, and I still love it - I love most of Paul's letters!

Mmkay, back to Seattle.  Our next and final stop was Pike Place Market.  The driver gave us an hour and a half to explore and grab lunch, and that was perfection!  I got a couple pics of the original Starbucks - (crazy long line, so I didn't bother getting a drink there).

This delightful stand didn't have a line, so I very much enjoyed my grilled cheese lunch! lol

Followed by a delicious free sample of strawberry apple cider - this stand was kinda like H-Tea-O with various flavors of apple cider (Peach, Strawberry, Blueberry, etc.)  I love the red gingham - so cheery!

The lovely flower market - so delightful!!  This whole pedestrian market area was very cool and fun!

This made me think of Chettles in NYC, circa Christmas 2010!

I made a quick stop in "The Purple Store" - they only sell purple items, and it's both fascinating and a little bizarre. lol

Yay, Pike Place Market Center and Farmer's Market!

Loved the ocean view background here!  The major hills on these streets reminded me a bit of San Francisco - still very thankful I backed out of that marathon - yikes!

I grabbed a brownie at Three Girls Bakery (our tour guide recommended it, and it did not disappoint).  Took this pic from the bus thinking of Tulsa! =)

We also saw Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park, along with the original Amazon headquarters - all things I would've been oblivious to had I been with an Uber driver rather than a guided tour!

Side note:  I just learned today that Donald Miller and fam were also exploring Seattle on Saturday - I would've adored seeing them, but it's fun just to know we were at the Space Needle on the same day! ❤

After all of that, they dropped us off at the Seattle-Tacoma Airport around 1:30, then I made the short skybridge walk to my hotel across the street.  I was very pleased that they allowed me to check in early, and it was a fun God nod to get Room #828.  ("All things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.") =)

While checking in, I saw a DoorDash delivery drop-off... it had never occurred to me that they could deliver to hotels, but what a delightful thing to learn! lol  I showered, put on PJs, and spent the rest of the day in my cozy hotel room blogging + making a slideshow of my whale watch excursion + enjoying my Shake Shake dinner... yus, please!!!

A delightfully peaceful end to a unique and amazing trip!!

Asleep around 10:30, caught the 5:30AM shuttle to the airport, checked my luggage, then boarded my Alaska Airlines nonstop flight to OKC...

Mom picked me up and I was home by 3:30 (1:30 Seattle time - you lose two hours coming back).  She helped me unpack and get some laundry started, then I screen-mirrored my photos to the TV and gave her the detailed play-by-play trip recap (which I've now given most of here). lol

That's all for this ultra-detailed post.  Whale watch slideshow next!

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Thanks, Canada

*Post title courtesy of Ted Mosby from How I Met Your Mother:
Robin:  "A marathon!?  That's like 42 kilometers!"
Ted (with all the sarcasm):  "Thanks, Canada - I'll take it from here!  That's like 26 miles!!" lol

They had this fun frame set up for people to pose for photos, but it also held a perfect view of our ship from that spot! =)

Yay for the Canada photo op, even if the angle of the sun kinda messed with our photo! lol

The Christ Church Cathedral - it's very pretty inside, according to Google.  (My original plan was to tour it, but not enough people signed up for that excursion, so it got cancelled and refunded.  Then I decided to join Megan and Theresa for the Butchart Gardens instead!!)

It was a 30-minute bus ride there and back, and we arrived there around 8:30pm... they have little lights placed all around the gardens, but we would've loved a daytime tour here!

Night mode photos keep things interesting.  "Hold still for 4 more seconds" over and over - I finally started videoing and/or turning on the flash.

This space is called "The Sunken Gardens," and it's really beautiful and colorful!

Some close-up flower pics - I stopped and smelled the roses repeatedly - it was hard to miss the inviting floral scent everywhere you went there!

Lots of floral archways - almost as good as being under a tree bridge! ;-)

The dragon fountain with lavender lighting

Our stepping stone pathway to the Italian Gardens

Sunken Gardens sunset selfie! lol

We witnessed a live proposal there, so that was unexpected and fun!

Megan got this great pic of the British Columbia Parliament buildings on our bus ride back to the ship!  LOVE the lighting!!

Email from Christine Caine early in the cruise that feels like a timely word from God on both sides (the doors He has closed and the doors He is opening).  Between that and the whale watch prayer, I feel like I got answers to some questions my mind has been circling around for quite a while.

Speed-writing is not my gift, so I'll write the Seattle post after Dad's birthday dinner... off to Saltgrass to meet the fam!!  Thanks for stopping by, and hope your week is off to a great start!  "God is with you and for you in every decision, leading you into your destiny!"

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Beth Moore Cruise, Part Three

Okay, friends!  I have 45 minutes before I need to leave for Dad's Birthday dinner, and I'm attempting to finish three blog posts in that time.  This post = Alaska - Part 3, then Canada and Seattle will get their own separate posts. =)

Pic with Beth Moore and Travis Cottrell - Friday, July 31, 2026 ❤

I had room service delivery twice for breakfast on the balcony, but most days, I went down and grabbed a table for one - it felt pretty awkward to me at first, but there were so many others doing the same thing that I leaned into it and started to enjoy it - I adore breakfast foods and fantastic ocean views, and that morning, I stayed at the table a bit longer to write this card I'd bought for Beth.  (I failed to get a photo of the back side of it, and there were two more verses I included on the insert).

Verse for the day - I was feeling the renewed strength this verse speaks about, and the reference to eagles made me happy after seeing a few of them in the wild! ❤

We had morning devotions with Curtis, Beth's son-in-law.  He taught on Matthew 16, and my notes include "Be responsible with the responsibility God assigns you" and "Never stop asking God for more understanding of Jesus."

Standing in line for the photos with Amy Switzer, my new friend from Ontario, Canada - yay, God for connecting me with her and Megan!!

Cool painting of our ship =)

"To Lindsey - Jesus is life - Love, Beth" ❤

I've been a fan of Beth for almost 20 years, and I feel like I know Travis thanks to Melanie and Sophie's podcast, where they've both made guest appearances!  So much love and respect for both of them - and I'm very grateful to have these photos!!

The Dive In is an obscure little poolside restaurant that I found out about on our second to last day on the ship - they serve great cheeseburgers, fries, and hot dogs.. yay!  I grabbed that, along with a slice of cookies-n-cream cake at the random "Cake Me Away" party - you know I'm in for that invite! lol  

Ran into Megan and Theresa and joined them for lunch before my 1:30 hot stone aromatherapy massage at the Greenhouse Spa!  I very much enjoyed my massage and my mani/pedi, BUT Holland America needs to back all the way off on the aggressive sales pitch!!!  Gracious - I bought (and then returned!!) over $300 worth of spa products I knew I didn't want bc I couldn't say no to them for the 15th time.  Didn't love that - we're paying enough for the spa treatment, thanks.  But yay for easy returns!

My view of the canoe shore excursion coming back to shore -- on the Sitka tour bus, I sat by a woman named Joyce who was also there to see Beth Moore.  She was in her 70s and came with a friend who was 83, and they did the canoeing excursion!!  Impressive and inspiring to me - I so applaud that activity level and sense of adventure!  Zero interest in white water rafting, but I could try this next time on calm waters!

This and the above pic are out of order in this post, but whatever.  I was in the ice cream line right behind Beth and the Cottrell family, and I got the pineapple sorbet in a cone, same as Beth. lol  Yay! 

I finished the Bourne Trilogy (love it!) over the first 4-5 days, then watched this gem (About Time) while I packed all my things back up!  Such a good movie!

Travis sang a solo - the lyrics were about the wonders of God's creation, and they included several pictures of things we'd just seen in Alaska - very well done and powerful!

Amy saved me a seat near her up front for Beth's final teaching - and I was also able to grab a free copy of her Aligned: 31 Days of Prayer devotional.  Grateful for this chance to unplug and hear from Beth and hear more clearly from Jesus - it really was a gift!  And I'm excited to get started on that study soon!

Our final worship song together was In Christ Alone, one of my all-time favorites.

"No guilt in life, no fear in death.

This is the power of Christ in me.

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home, 

Here in the power of Christ, I'll stand!"

Final dinner that Friday with Amy and Megan and the Table 316 crew!!

I was the outsider they invited in, and by that last night, I felt comfortable enough to ask for a group pic! =)  We had an 8pm shore excursion, and the three-course meal was slow, so I asked our waiter to bring my banana pudding dessert at the same time he brought my eggplant parmigiana (technically my first time trying that - yum!)  Anyway, he misunderstood and brought everyone's desserts along with their dinner, and some of them had ordered ice cream. lol  My bad, but I'm sure they brought them another one after Megan and Theresa and I got off the boat in Canada... more on that next!

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