Friday, August 14, 2009

Diving Cousins

Well, it's been a year since these pictures were taken while in Cozumel, but you can see that our grandkids are following in the footsteps, or fin kicks, of Gram and Grandpa.
They are water lovers and have already begun their diving adventures.
In these photos they are 1 1/2 years old.
Thatcher (l) and Ashtyn (r) make Cozumel even more beautiful.
Thatcher, with mommy and daddy, on his first dive.
Ashtyn, with her mommy and daddy, on her first dive.
(I think mommy is hurting.)
Just after completing his safety stop, Thatcher breaks the surface.

Ashtyn says, "I think I like this scuba diving thing."






Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Leading Children To Faith In Jesus Christ

Often I am approached by parents who ask me to sit down with their children and share with them how they can come to faith in Jesus Christ. While I love to lead others to Christ, and always want to visit with those who have professed faith in Christ prior to their baptism, I would much rather parents personally lead their children to Jesus. Most of the time parents are reluctant because they are afraid they'll say the wrong thing or they simply don't know how to go about it. Here is a link that will help you share Jesus with your children. It encompasses some of the same methods that I have used over the years and is easy to understand. I encourage you to check it out.

http://threethirtyministries.org/Websites/330Ministries/Images/How%20to%20Lead%20Your%20Child%20to%20Christ.pdf

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Divers in the Deep

People have asked, "we love the photos, but how do we know that you and Reva really even dive? We don't see any photos of the two of you." The centurion said to Jesus, "I believe, but help my unbelief."
Well, I guess you'll just have to trust us, but here are a couple of photos to help your unbelief.
This is Reva on our checkout dive in front of the Baracuda Hotel in Cozumel.
This is me, Mitch, diving on Columbia Deep Reef.
This is our divemaster, Julio, wearing his new brightly colored wet suit (so we can identify him easily) diving on Dalila Reef.





Cozumel 2009

Reva and I had the privilege of vacationing in one of our favorite places in all the world, Cozumel, Mexico. Our thanks to David Hammer, owner of Casa Martillo (http://www.cozumelcondos.biz/) and Apple Applegate, proprietor of Dive Paradise (http://www.diveparadise.com/) for making this a week to remember. Of course we'd be remiss if we didn't give a big thank you to Julio, our dive-master extraordinaire. We've been diving with Julio for five years now and highly recommend him if you're headed to Cozumel. Fifteen dives in seven days yielded many mediocre photographs, some that are okay, and a few that turned out pretty good. We hope you enjoy looking at them as much as we did taking them.
All were taken with a Canon SD1200IS with built in flash.


Here we are at Popeye's. The best shrimp cocktail on the island.

We're on the windward side of the island. Check out the sign.


Turtle on Columbia Shallows Reef

Splendid Toad Fish found only on the reefs of Cozumel.
This one was found at the San Francisco Wall.
Spotted Drum Fish (adult) at Punta Tuniche (Rocky Point) Reef.
Beautiful Sponge at Columbia Deep

The "Deadliest Catch" Nice Crab on Columbia Shallows Reef.

Beautiful Color on Delila Reef

Octopus settled down in its hole on Dalila Reef

Reva's favorite fish. A Squirrel Fish. "They're so ugly, they're cute," she says.

I think this may be a type of Rabbit Fish, but not sure. Anyone out there who recognizes it, please let me know. Photo was taken on the French Lady Reef.

Seascape at the French Lady Reef

Queen Angel Fish on Palancar Bricks Reef.
Spotted Eagle Ray gliding over the sands next to Palancar Bricks Reef.

Look closely or you may miss the file fish at the top of San Francisco Wall.

Here's a Lion Fish. They are said to be taking over the reefs and if not controlled quickly they will wipe out all reef fish. They are not indigenous to the Caribbean and have no real predators there. They've been brought in via the ballasts of cargo ships and dumped. All dive-masters are now carrying plastic bags and trying to catch them. They are poison, so you can't touch them. Julio says he is saving them to make ceveche for his mother-in-law!

The sponge is coming back beautifully at Santa Rosa Wall.

A Red Hind blends in with the sponge and coral on Santa Rosa Wall.

Can you find the sea horse hiding at Villa Blanca Reef?

Long Nose Sea Horse on the sands beside Tormentos Reef. Very unusual to see them out in the open like this.
One Eyed Butterfly Fish on Tormentos Reef

Black & White Spotted Moray Eel on Tormentos Reef