We had an amazing time in Italy.

Since you couldn't come with us, I want to share my trip with you with a few favorite photos. 

We arrived in Venice, taking a water taxi to our hotel which was on the Grand Canal. We visited Doge's Palace and Cathedrals, as well as a glass factory. 

We traveled by bus to Florence. On the way, we stopped to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Later, we stopped to have lunch at a Tuscan farmhouse restaurant. 

Florence was filled with beautiful artwork and Cathedrals. Amazing! 

We traveled by bus to Rome, stopping to see Assisi, home of St. Frances, one of my all time heroes. 

Rome was amazing. So many churches, so many cathedrals, and the largest church in the world: St. Peter's. The Vatican museum was filled with treasures--gorgeous maps, paintings, tapestries. The churches were brimming over with beauty for our King of Kings. Old Rome was full of history with the Colosseum and ruins. As a history buff, I was in Heaven. 

Everywhere we went the food was delicious. Everything was beautiful and there was so much art! We are so grateful that God allowed us to go and will treasure the memories forever. 

God bless you. 

Love, 
​Meredith Curtis

It turns out attending religious services can be good for the body and soul.
 
In fact, at least one study suggests attending church can even help extend a person’s lifespan.  As part of the Nurses' Health Study, researchers examined data collected from nearly 75,000 female nurses in the U.S. and found those who went to church more than once a week had a 33 percent lower risk of dying during the study period compared with those who said they never went. Study subjects who attended services once a week or less than weekly had 26 percent and 13 percent lower risk of death, respectively.
 
Churchgoers had higher rates of social support and optimism, lower rates of depression, and were less likely to be smokers, but researchers factored out those differences when calculating the lower mortality rates. That left scientists to speculate that attending religious services might promote self-discipline and give people a greater sense of meaning and purpose in life, according to a story from CNN.
 
Church Offers a Support System
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