A Lighthouse on Spring Break

"Happiness is an attitude.  We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong.  The amount of work is the same."  - Francesca Reigler

Last year our family spent our spring break volunteering at Lighthouse Family Retreat.  The retreat gave us the opportunity to serve a family who has a child battling cancer.   Our "chores"  included doing laundry, making/serving meals, and giving the parents some time off to have "date nights."  But our chores aren't what we remember most about the week.  What we talk about now is how great it was to be around families who in the middle of pain were choosing joy.  The week was remarkable.  Yes, we served, but we did so much more.

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There was plenty of time to play.

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And time to hang out on the beach...

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And read a few good books...

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And, of course, bond with our new friends.

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I received a text from the family we "hosted" last year saying they were back in Florida this year at the retreat.  Our Hodge-podge spring break schedule didn't allow for us to volunteer this time, but we're thinking about all of our friends this week and can't wait to hear about their experiences.

If you have the chance to serve with your family in an environment like Lighthouse, go for it!

That week was filled with so much joy that we're still talking about it.