My husband and I just got back from a cruise. And, yes, we had a great, relaxing, wonderful time. That said, I also had three "aha" moments or God sightings that weren't courtesy of the cruise line.

The first one: So the last day I'm waiting in line for breakfast (after being pampered and waited on all week). And things are taking a little longer than usual. Okay, by the time I got back to our table, Ray was almost finished. And the line just kept passing me as I stood there and waited and waited and waited.

Then I got a little choked up. Not a lot...just a little.

And I thought...Really? Really? This is what chokes me up? It was a big aha moment. If that's what upsets me in life then God help me!

And I realized that we rise or fall to the level of luxury or deprivation we allow in our lives. I think it would be so easy to become so pampered that every little irritation becomes a big thing--and my flesh craves falling to that level. I had a "come to Jesus" moment where I decided that's not who I want to be. I'd rather rise to a deeper level of doing without so I learn to persevere and put up with hardship. That's where real living is. I don't think that's what the cruise line had planned for me, but it is what God had planned.

What about you? Are you rising or falling right now?