Lighthouses

I never intended to collect lighthouses. I bought one or two and had them displayed in my house. I guess when friends saw them they thought, "Oh, she collects lighthouses! When I need to get her a gift, I'll get a lighthouse." So my collection started without me even buying that many myself.
We first went to a real lighthouse back when our children were all home and we camped in order to be able to take a vacation each year. We went to the Outer Banks of North Carolina one year. We camped near the Cape Hatteras lighthouse. So one of the things we did during that vacation was to visit that lighthouse and climb the stairs to the top of it. I never liked high places like that. Did not even enjoy being at the top of the Washington Mounument years ago. I felt like my father-in-law expressed his thoughts---"This thing is going to fall someday and I don't want to be on it! Lets start down the stairs." I don't like the take off in an airplane either. Ok, back to lighthouses.
I don't remember if we went to other lighthouses on the Outer Banks that year long ago or not. I do know that now we have visited all the lighthouses of the Outer Banks except Cape Lookout. That one you have to get the North Carollina authorities to take you there. If they are still doing what they did a few years back, they take you to the lighthouse and leave you all day. Of course you have to take your own food and water. I used to want to do that, but as I have gotten older, I don't think I do. I would like to see that lighthouse, but I can enjoy it from a distance now.
In the last few years I have received several lighthouse replicas. I have most of them on the top of my husband's computer desk. I have one of a lighthouse replica of Bishop Rock Lighthouse in Scotland. And I have one of McQuiddy lighthouse in Maine. Those I have never visited. I really wanted one of the lighthouse in Peterhead, Scotland but the shop did not have any.
The lighthouse in Peterhead is just across the street from the house the preacher lives in there. His office window faces the bay and the lighthouse. I told him I would never get anything done in his office. I'd be looking at the lighthouse all day.
I watched via the internet the moving of Cape Hatteras lighthouse when they moved it inland a few years ago. The waves had eroded the beach and the ground the lighthouse had sat on for so many years caused the lighthouse to be in danger of being destroyed. That was some feat, to move a standing lighthouse intact inland! I was quite interested in seeing the progress that they made every day on that move. I would like to see that lighthouse again now that it has been moved just to see the positon of it now, compared to where it previously was.
We should be like a lighthouse. A lighthouse light shines through the night guiding ships or warning them of dangers in the coastal waters. We should let our lights shine to show sinners the way to Christ. Is you light shining? Of course, it is, everyone's ways are seen and noted by everyone they come in contact with. Are people seeing your light for good? I hope so. We have to watch what we say and do so diligently, because as Christians we do not want to leave the wrong impression on someone that we could be able to lead to Christ.