Exceeding Abundantly Trip to Ireland

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Eph 3:20
We have just come back from two weeks in southern Ireland. We made the decision early on not to try to see everything, but to thoroughly enjoy what we did see. This was not a marathon, but a vacation to celebrate 30 years of marriage.
Writer Frank O’Connor said, “It would take more than one lifetime to discover the reason for all the ruins in Ireland, but it sure makes for a diverting tour of discovery trying at least to scratch the surface.”
It was a dream we had as a couple since day one.
We were met at the Dublin airport by a dear friend. John lives and works in Dublin and for the next 72 hours showed us Dublin's highlights from the Ha'penny Bridge to The Hole in the Wall. He took us to Newgrange which is over 5,000 years and to my first castle.
John lives in Phoenix Park, Europe's largest urban park - five times the size of London's Hyde Park, double the size of New York's Central Park. Aras an Uachtaráin,
the residence of the Irish president is also in Phoenix Park.
John lives in the Bailiff's Manor, an 1835 stone manor. Very grand, but at the same time simple. His job affords him this luxury. We stayed there at the beginning of the trip. it is surrounded by more than seven miles of solid stone walls, access is via the eight major gates and six smaller (pedestrian) gates. One of those gates is round to allow the ladies access with their full petticoats over a century ago. Phoenix Park was the old hunting grounds of King Charles II and was stocked with deer in the 1700's. Descendants of these deer(about 600) still make their home there. In fact, when we came home Thursday about midnight, we were surprised to see over 50 of them literally yards from the road sprawled across the lawn.
John heads up Cursillo for Dublin. It was at Cursillo that my husband met the Lord 29 years ago. So we went to his group gathering Thursday evening to share our testimony about Cursillo. It was one of the sweetest moments of trip. There was a lot of healing that night.
Over the next week, I will share more of our trip.
We just give God all of the praise and glory. We could have never put together a trip like the one He planned.
To see a a few pictures from our first three days in Dublin, go to:
http://partoftriptoireland.shutterfly.com/