The Wallen Street Journal

We docked in Cabo San Lucas today and headed out on a shore excursion to view the unique rock formations along the coast of the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. It was a beautiful day for boating. We then headed for a local beach and tried to swim, but the water was too cold for us.

We boarded the ship at 12:30 pm, were herded to the 12th deck to eat lunch, and were then allowed to find our rooms. The food was not great. We walked around to get acquainted with the ship layout and attended the first meeting of our conference. Steve Camp led worship and Hank Hanagraaff introduced the conference. Afterward, we had dinner in the Versailles dining room and shared a table with four delightful people. Helen and Jane are from Independence, MO, and Rae and Allen are from Australia. I do not have much opportunity to get on the internet, but I'll post when I can.

Tom and I are attending a conference called, "Because Truth Matters". It just happens to be aboard the Norwegian Star Cruise Ship, so we are in for a very pleasant week. The conference is with Hank Hanegraff and The Christian Research Institute. We will have daily sessions discussing Bible apologetics. I will be posting photos and comments whenever we have internet availablility. Here is our first photo. It is of our ship as it is arriving at the dock as seen from our hotel window. It is only 7 am, so it is not quite daylight yet. We are in Long Beach, California, a major seaport on the Pacific. The cranes in the backround are for loading international ships. Our cruise destination is the Mexican Riviera, stopping at Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta.

Jade is visiting the Christchild From Tom On July 20th, I was privileged to hold my first grandchild, Celeste Lynn Diaz. After a long day of anticipation at the hospital, Roberto brought her into the waiting room. She looked directly at all of us assembled there, and it was love at first sight. We thank God for a happy, healthy little girl initiating a new chapter in our lives. My days and weeks remain full of travel as I continue my weekly commute to Chicago. After an initial period of adjustment, my career at The Walsh Group has begun to take shape. The work is steady, the people are great, and I appreciate the development of an extended network of clients and partners. I continue to be sustained in the pace of my life by a wife whose grace is matchless by any human standard. Her steadfast faith and service to her family continue to produce exceptional children and grandchildren. Enjoy reading the news, and I pray that you look in anticipation of what our Lord Je...