Last week, during my "Called to be a Keeper" Bible study, we were talking about setting an example. Not just any example but an example for the children. It just made me think about how I was raised and how I want to raise my own children. I noticed that I was raised in a lot of ways that the chapter talked about and it got me thinking about my own ways to raise children.
I could name and explain 4 of the things that my parents did with me that I want to do to my future children not only to pass on the traditions but because it is really meaningful for life too. Here is the first 4 things that I was raised with: Books with great messages, Putting them to bed with the Word and prayer, church was never optional, and making wise use of care time. Some other ideas that would use for me were: Responsibility and Money, purity, and Teach kindness to one another. I might explain all of them or just some of them, we'll see how long this entry ends up being.
The main one I took away from my childhood was: putting them to bed with the Word and prayer. The study gives three ideas on the way to pray with a child and my parents did all three. The two of those three things were: Prayer time at night was a special time at my house and Take turns listening to me pray and allowing them to pray for other people. My memory of this was this: I remember my mom coming into my room and she would sit by me on my bed and first when I was little she would help me pray. Then, as I was growing up, she would listen to me pray. She had a prayer that she taught me or that I kept repeating. Don't really remember which way it was but it went something like this.
Dear God,
Thank you (for everyone in my family in the age order that we were in, oldest to youngest, and I would say their names). Thank you for keeping my house and family safe. Thank you for our food and clothes. Then I guess it would be any prayer requests that would be going on that moment in my life.
I remember that it faded into where I wanted to say that prayer without my mom when I got older and then of course I became a prayer warrior and started to pray for anything and everything. I'll never forget those moments.
The next thing was church was barely ever an option in my house when I was growing up. Of course, I always wanted to follow my mom around so I would do what she did, which was always go to church and help with with the things she did like VBS and children's choir or be in it. I will say in high school, though, there were times that I went but really didn't want to go because of the way I felt at the church I was going to at the time but that didn't stop me. Now growing up on my own, I better find a church that I like when I move places and will look until I do. When I do, I will go every Sunday or Saturday and can tell a change in my week if I don't go.
I have also never been big on like the youth groups or the small groups that churches have or had when I was little or in high school. I didn't do what everyone else my age did so that is probably way I am in a lot of older women's Bible studies instead of the Singles Bible studies. I just never fit the same mold as anyone my age on things like that.
Another thing that I really remember was when I rode with my mom in the car, she would always have the radio on a Christian station especially during my high school years. Still to this day I love the groups from way back when and still listen to some Christian radio in my car on certain days at certain times. I also remember when I started driving that I was so embrassed when my mom would ride with me because I would have my radio station on country music so I would hurry up and change it but now I'm not like that. I do still listen to county but I don't mind changing it to Christian music when my mom or someone else is in the car. I was raised part county because my dad listened to it so you get both sides if you ride in my car with me, just depends on the day and my mood. :)
Then the neat to last thing I'm going to really explain is the books with great messages. I probably did have some books with great messages in them while I was a child but the ones I remember is when I was in high school again and the main mag. my mom brought for me. The mag. started out as "Brio" from "Focus in the Family" and is now called "Brio and Beyond". I also remember that I got some chapter books that were about the "Brio"girls and their life adventures. I was also always a fan of the "chicken soup for the Soul" books.
Then of course, I got an allowance each month when I was young, probably until I was 16 or until I graduated high school, to teach me about money and responsibility. The way my parents did it was they would give me my age in money every month for a year so when I was 8, I would get $8 dollars for 12 months and then when I turned 9, I would get $9 for that year. They said it was for every small chore we did around the house for that month but I don't know how true that was, that might have just been a way to get us to do the chores.
The others that I didn't explain are pretty much self explained. I mean you could guess what my parents did with the others and what I saw them doing like sponsoring a child or helping at a nursing home for kindness and so on. It is just neat when you get to be an adult and you learn about things like this from your childhood. Like you really never understand why your parents did those things until you are much older and you do appreciate your parents and the things a lot more. Like me, you could keep the traditions going too.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Sharon's Quote to Me
This is more for me to memorize so I'm not going to explain anything but I don't mind sharing it while I remember it. She said this quote to me during one night, on the east coast trip, while we were in the hotel room. We were talking about sewing and quilting and even needlework. We were even talking about how talented my mom was because of all the card-making and crafts she does.
The quote is:
"You are creative and really smart but you need to shine like you know that. You have things that are holding you back."-Sharon Kerr
The quote is:
"You are creative and really smart but you need to shine like you know that. You have things that are holding you back."-Sharon Kerr
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Taking the Journey
"When I feel like giving up, I don’t have to comprehend the entire journey. I only need enough strength to take one more step. "- Rachel Wojo
This quote was in one of my devos. this past week from Proverbs 31 ministries and I loved it because it is how I feel sometimes. There are times where I think I have to know and/or plan out the whole Journey but really I don't have to. God has that all taken care of. I just have to trust Him to lead me where He wants me to go. I only need the strength to take one step at a time and I'm happy about that because I can't do more then that. I am human and I will mess up if I try and I have done just that.
That is why we ask for our "daily bread". It is daily for a reason, not yearly, weekly, or lifetime, but daily. I also like to talk about this topic because I felt like this is what the sermon was on last night at church. It was about the purpose that God has for us and how we don't need to figure it all out at once. It was all about Paul's role and his prayer to the couch. He explained 3 graces and they are: mystery, ministry, and perspective. The way Paul uses the word "mystery" in Eph. verses 2-5 is that it can't be understood unless you tell someone about it like God's plan. God's plan is a mystery to those outside of His Love but once you hear about His Love and who He is then you understand that mystery. When you understand what grace really is then you are "enrolled" in God's plans for the world.
The 2nd grace is ministry and Paul describes how in verses 8-12 of Eph. "Ministry is a gift from God, just like Grace is a gift from God." Everyone has that gift of ministry but not in the same way. God gives you your talents and passions for a certain part of ministry that He wants you to do in the bigger picture of the world. A word that I kept hearing was "unworthiness". You have to be unworthy for the gift of ministry because it is a big gift. You have to be the least of all the leaders because it is that big. I love some of the quotes that the pastor said during the sermon like, "unworthiness grows on the cross" and "unworthiness should make you charge after God."
The first quote is just saying that we didn't deserve for Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We were so unworthy but yet He did and those bad things just keep growing because we are sinners but God keeps forgiving us if we ask for it so in a way it does grows. The 2nd quote means to me that the unworthiness that you feel should make you go to God every moment of every day because there is no way we are ever perfect. We mess up even if it is in the smallest of ways. To see the grace and love that God gives us but we don't deserve should make us want to run and grab those two things from Him.
Then the 3rd grace I love and that goes with the main quote before I started to write is Perspective and Paul explains it in verse 13. We have the grace to see what other may not be able to see. We have the grace in a hope that others may not have. There is another quote said by my pastor and I think it sums everything on this grace up perfectly, "If I am discouraged now, then it will only get better because I can use it in the bigger story." It is meaning that if something happens that I don't like or understand I don't get mad at God for it. I just have to remember that it will get better because I can use that experience when things come my way again. I can see how I reacted and change that if I need to. I can trust God more or remember to trust Him if I need to. I can try different things out if I need to. I could even share that experience with a friend or a random person while talking about Christ with them and make their lives better for them because they have learned from me and not themselves.
There were also 2 prayers that Paul talked about and those prayers were: Pray for Empowering Presence and Pray for the knowledge of Christ's Love. I know both of those prayers are important but the one that really got to me was the pray for the knowledge of Christ's Love. I'm only going to share about that one in this entry. I love the verses that Paul wrote and that my pastor talked about with this idea and those verses are Eph. 3:17-19a. Here are those verses:
Christ's Love is another thing that we can try to have perspective and mystery on. It is a great mystery to many. Some people think "well, if I can see or understand it how can I believe it?" Which I would say to that, "You can see it. It in in His Creation all around us and you might not be able to understand all of it because you can understand a little of it and that is enough." I don't think we are capable of understanding all of His Love because if we did then why would we need to trust Him. If you get what I am saying. Another quote from my pastor about Christ's Love that I think explains it somewhat well and what we need to do with that Love is: "Grasp God's Love, don't just know it." That might be a title for another entry this week and then I can write about what that quote means to me because it could mean a lot.
This quote was in one of my devos. this past week from Proverbs 31 ministries and I loved it because it is how I feel sometimes. There are times where I think I have to know and/or plan out the whole Journey but really I don't have to. God has that all taken care of. I just have to trust Him to lead me where He wants me to go. I only need the strength to take one step at a time and I'm happy about that because I can't do more then that. I am human and I will mess up if I try and I have done just that.
That is why we ask for our "daily bread". It is daily for a reason, not yearly, weekly, or lifetime, but daily. I also like to talk about this topic because I felt like this is what the sermon was on last night at church. It was about the purpose that God has for us and how we don't need to figure it all out at once. It was all about Paul's role and his prayer to the couch. He explained 3 graces and they are: mystery, ministry, and perspective. The way Paul uses the word "mystery" in Eph. verses 2-5 is that it can't be understood unless you tell someone about it like God's plan. God's plan is a mystery to those outside of His Love but once you hear about His Love and who He is then you understand that mystery. When you understand what grace really is then you are "enrolled" in God's plans for the world.
The 2nd grace is ministry and Paul describes how in verses 8-12 of Eph. "Ministry is a gift from God, just like Grace is a gift from God." Everyone has that gift of ministry but not in the same way. God gives you your talents and passions for a certain part of ministry that He wants you to do in the bigger picture of the world. A word that I kept hearing was "unworthiness". You have to be unworthy for the gift of ministry because it is a big gift. You have to be the least of all the leaders because it is that big. I love some of the quotes that the pastor said during the sermon like, "unworthiness grows on the cross" and "unworthiness should make you charge after God."
The first quote is just saying that we didn't deserve for Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We were so unworthy but yet He did and those bad things just keep growing because we are sinners but God keeps forgiving us if we ask for it so in a way it does grows. The 2nd quote means to me that the unworthiness that you feel should make you go to God every moment of every day because there is no way we are ever perfect. We mess up even if it is in the smallest of ways. To see the grace and love that God gives us but we don't deserve should make us want to run and grab those two things from Him.
Then the 3rd grace I love and that goes with the main quote before I started to write is Perspective and Paul explains it in verse 13. We have the grace to see what other may not be able to see. We have the grace in a hope that others may not have. There is another quote said by my pastor and I think it sums everything on this grace up perfectly, "If I am discouraged now, then it will only get better because I can use it in the bigger story." It is meaning that if something happens that I don't like or understand I don't get mad at God for it. I just have to remember that it will get better because I can use that experience when things come my way again. I can see how I reacted and change that if I need to. I can trust God more or remember to trust Him if I need to. I can try different things out if I need to. I could even share that experience with a friend or a random person while talking about Christ with them and make their lives better for them because they have learned from me and not themselves.
There were also 2 prayers that Paul talked about and those prayers were: Pray for Empowering Presence and Pray for the knowledge of Christ's Love. I know both of those prayers are important but the one that really got to me was the pray for the knowledge of Christ's Love. I'm only going to share about that one in this entry. I love the verses that Paul wrote and that my pastor talked about with this idea and those verses are Eph. 3:17-19a. Here are those verses:
"so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Christ's Love is another thing that we can try to have perspective and mystery on. It is a great mystery to many. Some people think "well, if I can see or understand it how can I believe it?" Which I would say to that, "You can see it. It in in His Creation all around us and you might not be able to understand all of it because you can understand a little of it and that is enough." I don't think we are capable of understanding all of His Love because if we did then why would we need to trust Him. If you get what I am saying. Another quote from my pastor about Christ's Love that I think explains it somewhat well and what we need to do with that Love is: "Grasp God's Love, don't just know it." That might be a title for another entry this week and then I can write about what that quote means to me because it could mean a lot.
Take the Journey with Christ. Live out of the grace, love, and ministry that He has given you and you will be heading towards the right direction. The direction where God is leading you.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Happy Children Vs. Sad/Angry Children
"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it."
- Proverbs 22:6
"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."- Psalm 127:3
I know the title sounds strange but when you have worked with both, you can really tell the difference. I use to work with just "normal" preschools so I didn't know there was a difference but after working at a children's shelter things are never the same, when you go back to a "normal" preschool. The children at both places have or will touch your life in different ways. Of course, it is more relaxing at a "normal" preschool compared to a children's shelter and the preschools are more my type of relaxation.
One big thing that I can tell at a "normal" and happy preschool is that the children are more happier and if they are not, it doesn't take a lot of work to get them in a happy mood again. Sometimes all you need to do is hold them, talk to them, or even tickle them and they are happy again. They also really don't cry all the time. The classroom is peaceful compared to that of a children's shelter. You would have maybe 3 or 4 out of 12 crying at the same time instead of all 12 of them. Another major thing is that it really does help when you have 12 babies to have at least 3 to 4 teachers in just that classroom.
Another big thing I can tell that is really different is babies do like and have a routine if they are raised and loved on right. Like I said, it is more peaceful in the room with "normal" babies and that is because you know when they are sleepy or ready to eat. They will only cry when they want something instead of that uncontrollable cry. I never thought much of a routine. I know I have been taught that it is a good thing but until I saw the difference between the two "kinds" of children, I never really put that much thought into it. I just thought, "oh! another one of the crazy ideas that the world has." I love seeing the difference because it just helps me say that I am more experience in children then some people since I have seen both sides.
I can honestly say that I never saw or barely seen a baby smile at the children's shelter, even when I would try by tickling or smiling at them and that is really sad. It makes me SO happy when I can laugh and tickle a baby in a preschool and hear them laugh and see them smile. I think, after working at a children's shelter for 2 and a half years, I want to make the "normal" babies smile and laugh more because it makes my day and it is great for them too. I think a hard part was not seeing those children smile as often as they should as a child. Childhood is suppose to be about fun and happy times and for children at the shelter it wasn't and if that is what you believe, it is hard for you and the children.
You can also tell that the babies in the Preschool are in good health compared to the ones at the shelter. It is just strange and amazing how God makes our bodies even and especially as babies. Then to have a mom's thought pattern towards the baby or any women's for that matter is amazing too. The babies and children at the shelter need a lot more Physical therapy, speech therapy, and OT then the babies or children and a "normal" preschool and just seeing the difference in that is really sad too. I mean every children and baby at the preschool I work at now can walk perfectly, while some at the shelter that I had, they were one or almost one and could not crawl yet. They were so behind.
Everyday or time I make a baby smile or see one smile, I think back to the shelter and it just gets my heart sad to even think about "how many times did I really see a child or baby smile there?" Very few times. I think God was right about moving me onto another preschool job. I would love to help out when I can of the "shelter" type children but I know I have my limits on my "compassion scale" and I think 2 and a half years were enough for right now, maybe a little too much if I was honest with myself.
If you have children or ever want children or if you are in charge of some right now like I am, remember this entry. It does make a difference on how you treat a child. I really think having those two jobs will make me a better mom in the future if God Willing. Maybe too good of a mom? I know I have my limits though or I should have them. We'll see when the time comes.
- Proverbs 22:6
"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."- Psalm 127:3
I know the title sounds strange but when you have worked with both, you can really tell the difference. I use to work with just "normal" preschools so I didn't know there was a difference but after working at a children's shelter things are never the same, when you go back to a "normal" preschool. The children at both places have or will touch your life in different ways. Of course, it is more relaxing at a "normal" preschool compared to a children's shelter and the preschools are more my type of relaxation.
One big thing that I can tell at a "normal" and happy preschool is that the children are more happier and if they are not, it doesn't take a lot of work to get them in a happy mood again. Sometimes all you need to do is hold them, talk to them, or even tickle them and they are happy again. They also really don't cry all the time. The classroom is peaceful compared to that of a children's shelter. You would have maybe 3 or 4 out of 12 crying at the same time instead of all 12 of them. Another major thing is that it really does help when you have 12 babies to have at least 3 to 4 teachers in just that classroom.
Another big thing I can tell that is really different is babies do like and have a routine if they are raised and loved on right. Like I said, it is more peaceful in the room with "normal" babies and that is because you know when they are sleepy or ready to eat. They will only cry when they want something instead of that uncontrollable cry. I never thought much of a routine. I know I have been taught that it is a good thing but until I saw the difference between the two "kinds" of children, I never really put that much thought into it. I just thought, "oh! another one of the crazy ideas that the world has." I love seeing the difference because it just helps me say that I am more experience in children then some people since I have seen both sides.
I can honestly say that I never saw or barely seen a baby smile at the children's shelter, even when I would try by tickling or smiling at them and that is really sad. It makes me SO happy when I can laugh and tickle a baby in a preschool and hear them laugh and see them smile. I think, after working at a children's shelter for 2 and a half years, I want to make the "normal" babies smile and laugh more because it makes my day and it is great for them too. I think a hard part was not seeing those children smile as often as they should as a child. Childhood is suppose to be about fun and happy times and for children at the shelter it wasn't and if that is what you believe, it is hard for you and the children.
You can also tell that the babies in the Preschool are in good health compared to the ones at the shelter. It is just strange and amazing how God makes our bodies even and especially as babies. Then to have a mom's thought pattern towards the baby or any women's for that matter is amazing too. The babies and children at the shelter need a lot more Physical therapy, speech therapy, and OT then the babies or children and a "normal" preschool and just seeing the difference in that is really sad too. I mean every children and baby at the preschool I work at now can walk perfectly, while some at the shelter that I had, they were one or almost one and could not crawl yet. They were so behind.
Everyday or time I make a baby smile or see one smile, I think back to the shelter and it just gets my heart sad to even think about "how many times did I really see a child or baby smile there?" Very few times. I think God was right about moving me onto another preschool job. I would love to help out when I can of the "shelter" type children but I know I have my limits on my "compassion scale" and I think 2 and a half years were enough for right now, maybe a little too much if I was honest with myself.
If you have children or ever want children or if you are in charge of some right now like I am, remember this entry. It does make a difference on how you treat a child. I really think having those two jobs will make me a better mom in the future if God Willing. Maybe too good of a mom? I know I have my limits though or I should have them. We'll see when the time comes.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
What God is Teaching Me Now
It is really funny and strange because I felt like God was teaching a lot to me about Love and Trust. He could, also, be teaching me to be happy with who and where I am right now and will be in the future. I had so many talks with people and so many verses pointed out to me yesterday that it was, honestly feeling like God was talking to me throughout the day. I will write the verses and quotes out and see what you all think. It also helps me think right so I can make sense of it because I know God is trying to tell me something.
Here are the verses:
Luke 16:10-
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
1 Sam. 16:7-
"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
This is a way that a person explained this verse in a different way and I thought it was a pretty get way: "Since God looks at the heart of a person and knows it, maybe we should look to God to know that person.:
Palms 18:31-32 (MSG)-
"Is there any god like God?
Are we not at bedrock?
Is not this the God who armed me,
then aimed me in the right direction?"
1 Cor. 15:58-
"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
Psalm 90:12-
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Matthew 6:33-
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Mark 12:30-
" Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
Here are the verses:
Luke 16:10-
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
1 Sam. 16:7-
"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
This is a way that a person explained this verse in a different way and I thought it was a pretty get way: "Since God looks at the heart of a person and knows it, maybe we should look to God to know that person.:
Palms 18:31-32 (MSG)-
"Is there any god like God?
Are we not at bedrock?
Is not this the God who armed me,
then aimed me in the right direction?"
1 Cor. 15:58-
"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
Psalm 90:12-
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
Matthew 6:33-
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Mark 12:30-
" Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
Then one of my favorite authors wrote this in a daily calendar that she wrote and that I have started using everyday or at least try to use everyday:
"Yes, Jesus says we can do all things through Him-but He never says we have to do it all!"-Holley Gerth
It is funny when we see verses like Phil. 4:13 that talks about doing everything in and with Christ. We can take it for real sometimes, when really God is just reminding us that He is there for us when we need to go through a lot of things. We don't have to make ourselves go through a lot. He never says we HAVE TO do everything.
Then I have been thinking a lot about what hospitality and perfection really mean. Here are the meanings from a resource better then me:
Perfection: the state or quality of being or becoming perfect or a quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree of excellence.
Hospitality: the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly,generous way or the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Some Dreams
"Some dreams are worth dropping other dreams for sometimes."- Tiffney Wilson
It is amazing what I come up with while talking to friends whether it is face to face or over the computer to them. I say things to them, sometimes, that I need to take into consideration myself. Those words of wisdom or great ideas don't come out until I can tell or write them out. One of my friends had to give up one of their dreams to do another dream that they want to accomplish. I know that we have all our life to live and that we, hopefully, have time to make all our dreams to come true but we never are for sure about that.
This dream my friend had was a dream that they have been doing for awhile but decided to do something for one day in a different way. My friend had to give something up to accomplish another dream and it was a personal dream. A dream that needed to be done for my friend, not for everyone else. Sometimes we need to do things like that. It is nice to do things for people but often times we forget about ourselves and let ourselves down but we need to learn not to.
When I thought about what I said to my friend, I thought about my life and what I have given up to move onto the dream I really want. The dream that I really want is working at a "normal" preschool and being a stay at home mom. I never really appreciated my "normal" preschool job until I found another different job way off of what I am use to. I really appreciate the job that I have now and I love it. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I had a dream about being a missionary and going to different countries and take care of other children but then lately I have been thinking about something different. Yes, that traveling would be neat to do but we have children here that need that same about of care. Plus I found a job that was kind of like being a missionary and I liked it for the 2 and a half years I was there but it really wore me down as a person. I got really sleepy every night after work, I didn't care about my friends or spend time with them, and I gained a lot of weight because I was stress eating. I had really bad anxiety and I worried about the children non-stop.
I had to leave the children behind at the shelter, when at a preschool, the children leave me to a good home and I know that for a fact. It is just a better feeling that I can live with plus I can spend time with my friends and people that matter to me. I can say the right things to and encourage people again. I can use my energy to get to know people and just invest more in people. I feel more alive with a preschool job. Some dreams are great for a few months or years but sometimes we have to give those dreams up to go where God wants us to go and who He made us to be. I know for a fact being a missionary was on my plan, not God's. Being a preschool teacher at a real preschool was God's plan for me for now. Then next I know it will be a stay at home mom or I hope that is what God has planned for me next.
I gave up a lot when I worked for the shelter and right now I don't think I can give up anymore so that is why I moved on. That is one of the reasons why I found a "real" preschool job. I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over but you all get it.
"Some dreams are worth dropping other dreams for". That quote can also say: "God can lead you off the road and put you on another road" or "We try and know what is best for us but God knows what is better and the best."
It is amazing what I come up with while talking to friends whether it is face to face or over the computer to them. I say things to them, sometimes, that I need to take into consideration myself. Those words of wisdom or great ideas don't come out until I can tell or write them out. One of my friends had to give up one of their dreams to do another dream that they want to accomplish. I know that we have all our life to live and that we, hopefully, have time to make all our dreams to come true but we never are for sure about that.
This dream my friend had was a dream that they have been doing for awhile but decided to do something for one day in a different way. My friend had to give something up to accomplish another dream and it was a personal dream. A dream that needed to be done for my friend, not for everyone else. Sometimes we need to do things like that. It is nice to do things for people but often times we forget about ourselves and let ourselves down but we need to learn not to.
When I thought about what I said to my friend, I thought about my life and what I have given up to move onto the dream I really want. The dream that I really want is working at a "normal" preschool and being a stay at home mom. I never really appreciated my "normal" preschool job until I found another different job way off of what I am use to. I really appreciate the job that I have now and I love it. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
I had a dream about being a missionary and going to different countries and take care of other children but then lately I have been thinking about something different. Yes, that traveling would be neat to do but we have children here that need that same about of care. Plus I found a job that was kind of like being a missionary and I liked it for the 2 and a half years I was there but it really wore me down as a person. I got really sleepy every night after work, I didn't care about my friends or spend time with them, and I gained a lot of weight because I was stress eating. I had really bad anxiety and I worried about the children non-stop.
I had to leave the children behind at the shelter, when at a preschool, the children leave me to a good home and I know that for a fact. It is just a better feeling that I can live with plus I can spend time with my friends and people that matter to me. I can say the right things to and encourage people again. I can use my energy to get to know people and just invest more in people. I feel more alive with a preschool job. Some dreams are great for a few months or years but sometimes we have to give those dreams up to go where God wants us to go and who He made us to be. I know for a fact being a missionary was on my plan, not God's. Being a preschool teacher at a real preschool was God's plan for me for now. Then next I know it will be a stay at home mom or I hope that is what God has planned for me next.
I gave up a lot when I worked for the shelter and right now I don't think I can give up anymore so that is why I moved on. That is one of the reasons why I found a "real" preschool job. I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over but you all get it.
"Some dreams are worth dropping other dreams for". That quote can also say: "God can lead you off the road and put you on another road" or "We try and know what is best for us but God knows what is better and the best."
Saturday, October 17, 2015
God has a Strange Way of Doing Things
Go back to the past 3 years starting in Oct of the year 2012 in my life and you will get why I titled this entry what I did. To me, since then, things I have felt like I'm in the doubting stages of things and have been for awhile now. Things haven't been so great for me in the past 3 years. Yes, things have changed, good and bad, and I have changed a long with those things. I've changed only to become stronger and trusting in God more but it is still strange how God does it because these past three years have been nothing like I have planned.
Go back the Oct. 2012, when my Grandad passed away. This month marked the 3rd anniversary of his passing. and when you think about it that is when everything starting going downhill for me. That is when I lost my first job here in AR that Dec. but I started a new one in Jan. 2013, which I thought would last longer then it did. I think I lost my first job because I was so stress and hurt by the lost of my grandad and thought that was God telling me that I needed to move on to something else. I was happy that I started the job and was really looking forwards to spending a lot of time there.
Then came Nov. 2014, when the farmer that was a grandpa like figure to me passed away. To tell you the truth, it still hurts and will for a long while. After his passing, I could tell things started to get stir up again. I started to look for a new path or a new way of life. Trying to go away from everything I knew if I hadn't already. Things just got worse at the job that I thought I would love and be at for a long time.
Then came July 2015 and I lost that job that I had for 2 and a half years. During all this time, I was trying to figure out how to handle myself and my anxiety about life. If that wasn't enough, after losing my job at the end of July, my last grandparent (grandma) passed away the 1st of August of this year. If that wasn't enough I had some financial things I had to take care of and worry about through all of the things going on since July. I had to fight for something that I was passionate about and lost that. I really had to get back up on my feet because after being put down like I was, I didn't think I could do another childcare job.
I looked at a lot of retail store jobs while looking at more daycare jobs and I would take whatever came first. I felt lost and discouraged. I felt like God wasn't helping me anymore. I felt alone. I changed my anxiety meds because I thought the meds were the problem. Then I would have to say there was a day where I saw a friend's status about how my friend was a dummy. It didn't say why, it just said my friend was one. I honestly felt that same way about myself because of everything I was going through but I knew my friend needed some encouragement right then and there so I emailed my friend and reminded my friend how God was on their side and how God would help with whatever was needed.
After I emailed to my friend, I reread it to myself and I was like, "duh!" that was right on point for me too. I was telling my friend to believe all this stuff and here I was not believing it myself about myself. I took that letter that I wrote and just prayed it to God that night. Then after a few days things started to changed and look up for me. I started to get hopeful again and thought no matter what happened God will put me where He wanted me to be. God does everything for a reason even if we don't know that reason just yet.
The past 3 years for some reason, I have been feeling like I am in some kind of bondage but now I am feeling much freer then ever before. I know I was trying to be someone else for the people around me and things like now but now I don't care. I will live my life the way I want to and be happy with that. I feel like I'm a lot more open to be me. I might not have very many people around me or to talk to but the people that I do have around me and talk to are the people that mean the most to me. I am an introvert so we only have a few close friends and like it that way. We don't like big groups with a lot of people that we just have small talks with.
As my recent Bible studies are called: "Breaking Free", "Breathe", and "Called to be a Keeper". It is also funny how God can put the Bible studies that you need for that moment in your life plus make the titles make sense when you put them in order or that is, at least, what He did for me to tell me something.
God does have some strange ways of doing things but one thing we can always count on from Him is that: It will work out in the best interest for us rather we know it or not. God alway knows what is best! He has things mapped out even before we are born for us so why do we worry. He won't change it when we ask for our own way because He knows what is better for us then we do. Keep trusting Him! :)
Go back the Oct. 2012, when my Grandad passed away. This month marked the 3rd anniversary of his passing. and when you think about it that is when everything starting going downhill for me. That is when I lost my first job here in AR that Dec. but I started a new one in Jan. 2013, which I thought would last longer then it did. I think I lost my first job because I was so stress and hurt by the lost of my grandad and thought that was God telling me that I needed to move on to something else. I was happy that I started the job and was really looking forwards to spending a lot of time there.
Then came Nov. 2014, when the farmer that was a grandpa like figure to me passed away. To tell you the truth, it still hurts and will for a long while. After his passing, I could tell things started to get stir up again. I started to look for a new path or a new way of life. Trying to go away from everything I knew if I hadn't already. Things just got worse at the job that I thought I would love and be at for a long time.
Then came July 2015 and I lost that job that I had for 2 and a half years. During all this time, I was trying to figure out how to handle myself and my anxiety about life. If that wasn't enough, after losing my job at the end of July, my last grandparent (grandma) passed away the 1st of August of this year. If that wasn't enough I had some financial things I had to take care of and worry about through all of the things going on since July. I had to fight for something that I was passionate about and lost that. I really had to get back up on my feet because after being put down like I was, I didn't think I could do another childcare job.
I looked at a lot of retail store jobs while looking at more daycare jobs and I would take whatever came first. I felt lost and discouraged. I felt like God wasn't helping me anymore. I felt alone. I changed my anxiety meds because I thought the meds were the problem. Then I would have to say there was a day where I saw a friend's status about how my friend was a dummy. It didn't say why, it just said my friend was one. I honestly felt that same way about myself because of everything I was going through but I knew my friend needed some encouragement right then and there so I emailed my friend and reminded my friend how God was on their side and how God would help with whatever was needed.
After I emailed to my friend, I reread it to myself and I was like, "duh!" that was right on point for me too. I was telling my friend to believe all this stuff and here I was not believing it myself about myself. I took that letter that I wrote and just prayed it to God that night. Then after a few days things started to changed and look up for me. I started to get hopeful again and thought no matter what happened God will put me where He wanted me to be. God does everything for a reason even if we don't know that reason just yet.
The past 3 years for some reason, I have been feeling like I am in some kind of bondage but now I am feeling much freer then ever before. I know I was trying to be someone else for the people around me and things like now but now I don't care. I will live my life the way I want to and be happy with that. I feel like I'm a lot more open to be me. I might not have very many people around me or to talk to but the people that I do have around me and talk to are the people that mean the most to me. I am an introvert so we only have a few close friends and like it that way. We don't like big groups with a lot of people that we just have small talks with.
As my recent Bible studies are called: "Breaking Free", "Breathe", and "Called to be a Keeper". It is also funny how God can put the Bible studies that you need for that moment in your life plus make the titles make sense when you put them in order or that is, at least, what He did for me to tell me something.
God does have some strange ways of doing things but one thing we can always count on from Him is that: It will work out in the best interest for us rather we know it or not. God alway knows what is best! He has things mapped out even before we are born for us so why do we worry. He won't change it when we ask for our own way because He knows what is better for us then we do. Keep trusting Him! :)
Friday, October 16, 2015
Lessons from my Fall Trip
I learned a lot of lessons on my trip to the east coast. I went with a bunch of older people and they would be like grandmas and grandpas to me. It was a whole bus full of those people so I got a lot of wisdom on the trip but most of the lessons came from my old babysitters. I don't know how much more simple you can get when you are on a trip with a simple country women as a "grandma". I just saw my whole life flash before for eyes on that trip with her.
When I say my life, I mean my childhood again and my future. I really saw that what researchers say about children learning things and their personalities before 5 age of years is so true. Someone that I really cared about, which was my babysitter's husband, we talked a lot about him on that trip. There was something that my babysitter said about him and that was: "He was sweet and outgoing just like his mother." That brought me back to all the times I would go out and do farm work with him or just sit on his lap. She had a mother in law that was sweet and outgoing, if you know what I mean.
My babysitter also said: "He would take things as that came nice and calmly." Now for some reason I missed that part but I would love either to live that way or find people that do. She also said that "no matter where he went, he would always dress up to go there." She also asked me, probably the 2nd or 3rd night, "What do you miss about him?" My answer was "driving in his truck while we were selling and giving things like eggs and milk to people they both knew."
Then there was a lot of things that I did and hear on that trip from my babysitter, herself and here are some of those things. All of them were really encouraging. Every time I see her, she keeps saying those things over and over but they never get old. One of the things were: "that Mr. Right is out there and he is sorry that he is missing you." Another one was: "You are beautiful and smart." Usually, I just shove those two things off but since the things that have been happening in my life, those were things that I really needed to hear especially the "smart" part. She also called me "Sis" a lot on the trip. I think it was more "Sis" then my name.
Those are some of the lessons that she reminded me of and here is some more.
-"Don't ever say I'll do it, just do it because you will regret it as you get older."
-"The only thing that will keep you young is your mind."
-"You know what makes you beautiful? The inside, your sweet heart."
That is it on the talking lessons. Now for the action and personality lessons. There were a lot of things that she did during the trip that made me think of myself now, when I was little, and how I want to be in the future. I will say that she talked to every dog she saw on the trip because she missed her 5 dogs at home. If it wasn't dogs, it was of course, children. She loves dogs and children. It was funny but fun for me because the only things she would watch on the TV when we had time were children shows like "Sophia the 1st" and "The Muppets" and there was another one that she watched but I can't remember the name of it now. Then one the bus one day, she played a little game with me that she use to play with me, when I was a little kid. That game was where she would pretend a spider was climbing up on my arm and it had a saying to go with it and then at the end of the saying it would tickle me under the arm. Guess what!? It still gets me to this day.
I also found out that, when she was going to church and she still is some, she was really involved in the decorating for holidays or just every Sunday, meal preparing, and anything behind the scenes work like that at church. Does that sound like someone? :) The church called the"club"" The Glind". She teased me a lot about taking pictures of the pretty Fall leaves and mountains we were passing on the trip but then I told her that she helped make me that way. Loving the outdoors. I know that comes from all areas of my life.
I also found out that she isn't very sociable and things get awkward for her easily if it's not something she is very passionate about. Hmmm........? Does that sound like someone too? Remember I spent the 1st four years of my life with her during the day. There were mornings that I would just lay in my bed very quietly and watch her read her Bible before I got up. The first night on the trip she read Palms 23 and the chapter about the widow giving all she had to Jesus to me. She explained how the widow had little and simple things but yet she gave everything and I thought that was a really good way to explain "farm life" especially for her.
Then the last thing is the games that we played on the bus while we were riding around. She played tic tac toe with me and we drew pictures, not very good ones though. We, even, looked out the window and looked at the clouds to see if we could see any shapes or pictures in them. I remember my babysitter finding a dog, a horse, and some other things. It just, also, reminded me of the summers I use to spend with her. I use to go to her house for a week during every summer when I was little. Even though we were on the road, without the dogs around and not in my "blue" room, it reminded me a little bit of those weeks. Those weeks when I use to get up at 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning because the dogs would come jump on my bed to wake me up. To tell you the truth, I missed that every morning while on the trip. I missed walking the dogs and doing chores and things on the farm.
To me, the whole trip was about how simple life could really be if we just let it and not worry about anything even how much money we have. To my babysitter, she told me that I showed her how to be content in where we are in life. I guess we both helped each other out then. It took me back to my childhood and how simple things were back then and I want things to be that way again especially for my future children, God Willing, if not just for me yet. It also helped me understand a lot of who I am and why I am the way that I am. The first 5 years for a child does make a huge impact on them.
All this to say: I miss the simple, farm life and I'm, for sure, this kind of life is what I want for my future life.
When I say my life, I mean my childhood again and my future. I really saw that what researchers say about children learning things and their personalities before 5 age of years is so true. Someone that I really cared about, which was my babysitter's husband, we talked a lot about him on that trip. There was something that my babysitter said about him and that was: "He was sweet and outgoing just like his mother." That brought me back to all the times I would go out and do farm work with him or just sit on his lap. She had a mother in law that was sweet and outgoing, if you know what I mean.
My babysitter also said: "He would take things as that came nice and calmly." Now for some reason I missed that part but I would love either to live that way or find people that do. She also said that "no matter where he went, he would always dress up to go there." She also asked me, probably the 2nd or 3rd night, "What do you miss about him?" My answer was "driving in his truck while we were selling and giving things like eggs and milk to people they both knew."
Then there was a lot of things that I did and hear on that trip from my babysitter, herself and here are some of those things. All of them were really encouraging. Every time I see her, she keeps saying those things over and over but they never get old. One of the things were: "that Mr. Right is out there and he is sorry that he is missing you." Another one was: "You are beautiful and smart." Usually, I just shove those two things off but since the things that have been happening in my life, those were things that I really needed to hear especially the "smart" part. She also called me "Sis" a lot on the trip. I think it was more "Sis" then my name.
Those are some of the lessons that she reminded me of and here is some more.
-"Don't ever say I'll do it, just do it because you will regret it as you get older."
-"The only thing that will keep you young is your mind."
-"You know what makes you beautiful? The inside, your sweet heart."
That is it on the talking lessons. Now for the action and personality lessons. There were a lot of things that she did during the trip that made me think of myself now, when I was little, and how I want to be in the future. I will say that she talked to every dog she saw on the trip because she missed her 5 dogs at home. If it wasn't dogs, it was of course, children. She loves dogs and children. It was funny but fun for me because the only things she would watch on the TV when we had time were children shows like "Sophia the 1st" and "The Muppets" and there was another one that she watched but I can't remember the name of it now. Then one the bus one day, she played a little game with me that she use to play with me, when I was a little kid. That game was where she would pretend a spider was climbing up on my arm and it had a saying to go with it and then at the end of the saying it would tickle me under the arm. Guess what!? It still gets me to this day.
I also found out that, when she was going to church and she still is some, she was really involved in the decorating for holidays or just every Sunday, meal preparing, and anything behind the scenes work like that at church. Does that sound like someone? :) The church called the"club"" The Glind". She teased me a lot about taking pictures of the pretty Fall leaves and mountains we were passing on the trip but then I told her that she helped make me that way. Loving the outdoors. I know that comes from all areas of my life.
I also found out that she isn't very sociable and things get awkward for her easily if it's not something she is very passionate about. Hmmm........? Does that sound like someone too? Remember I spent the 1st four years of my life with her during the day. There were mornings that I would just lay in my bed very quietly and watch her read her Bible before I got up. The first night on the trip she read Palms 23 and the chapter about the widow giving all she had to Jesus to me. She explained how the widow had little and simple things but yet she gave everything and I thought that was a really good way to explain "farm life" especially for her.
Then the last thing is the games that we played on the bus while we were riding around. She played tic tac toe with me and we drew pictures, not very good ones though. We, even, looked out the window and looked at the clouds to see if we could see any shapes or pictures in them. I remember my babysitter finding a dog, a horse, and some other things. It just, also, reminded me of the summers I use to spend with her. I use to go to her house for a week during every summer when I was little. Even though we were on the road, without the dogs around and not in my "blue" room, it reminded me a little bit of those weeks. Those weeks when I use to get up at 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning because the dogs would come jump on my bed to wake me up. To tell you the truth, I missed that every morning while on the trip. I missed walking the dogs and doing chores and things on the farm.
To me, the whole trip was about how simple life could really be if we just let it and not worry about anything even how much money we have. To my babysitter, she told me that I showed her how to be content in where we are in life. I guess we both helped each other out then. It took me back to my childhood and how simple things were back then and I want things to be that way again especially for my future children, God Willing, if not just for me yet. It also helped me understand a lot of who I am and why I am the way that I am. The first 5 years for a child does make a huge impact on them.
All this to say: I miss the simple, farm life and I'm, for sure, this kind of life is what I want for my future life.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Mission-like Faith
I know that I am going out of order for a little bit but this is just something that I need to write about and get it off my mind. Something that I feel like God is teaching me but not in the way that I wanted Him to but it could only be better because it is His Way and not mine. It all as to do with my financial situation. I'm not going into detail because that isn't right but it is strange in some ways. It is strange when you see your whole life was dependent on money when you had but when you don't or not that same amount, it really worries you.
You are freaked out all the time and really have to be careful on how you spend it because you don't have that money to waste. For me, it is more time alone in my apartment because I can't go eat out or have coffee with friends. Sometimes I wonder if that wasn't my problem before everything happened that recently has happened to me. I wonder if I got so caught up in money that I just didn't care about what job I got or what as long as it paid good. I will admit it got to the point where I was worrying about getting my raise at work.
It shouldn't be that way, though, should it? You need to trust God and He will get you through those tight spots. Well, now I guess I am paying for that. The title is Mission-like Faith because isn't that how missionaries field while they are on the field. For me, it should have never came to that point and I don't know what made me that way. Still trying to figure that out. I know I needed to be there for the children and just the children so why was money so important to me.
Well, now as you can guess I'm trying to rebuild my bank account with this new job. While I am doing that, it is making me see that money isn't everything and that life can be lived in a simple way. I love the simple way of living when I have the choice of spending the money but when I have to leave it because I don't, that is the hard part. It is a BIG lesson in TRUSTING God with everything even the "little" things like money. I only got a taste of what missionaries feels like sometimes and how they have to trust God and churches to give them money. I, even, understand how starting your own business can be hard when you don't have the money and you have to trust the people around you and God and yes, that would build your faith stronger especially if it is turning out better then you ever thought it would.
Don't know if He is getting me ready for some mission like business or if He just wanted me to see how it feels so I could "relate" to those people. I think my last job was a mission in itself and you know missions sometime have a certain time limit and mine was 2 years and I lost some money in those 2 years and I have to learn to get back on my feet after "coming back" from that mission. I wanted to be on a mission and I asked God and He gave me the whole package but in His Way, not mine. I think it is going to take me the rest of this year and maybe some of next year, just to get settled back down if God will let me.
Another mission thing about it is God knew I was getting too comfortable that so He wanted to move me so I would trust Him again. It seems like that has happened since I have graduated college. Just as I get comfortable, God moves me on to the next thing. I had a mission between my "real" preschool jobs but now I am back and ready to teach again. The funny thing is it was in the states, not in another country. At the same time, though, it is also sad that I can do mission work like I want to in the states where we have all the resources but that is for another rant and another time.
You are freaked out all the time and really have to be careful on how you spend it because you don't have that money to waste. For me, it is more time alone in my apartment because I can't go eat out or have coffee with friends. Sometimes I wonder if that wasn't my problem before everything happened that recently has happened to me. I wonder if I got so caught up in money that I just didn't care about what job I got or what as long as it paid good. I will admit it got to the point where I was worrying about getting my raise at work.
It shouldn't be that way, though, should it? You need to trust God and He will get you through those tight spots. Well, now I guess I am paying for that. The title is Mission-like Faith because isn't that how missionaries field while they are on the field. For me, it should have never came to that point and I don't know what made me that way. Still trying to figure that out. I know I needed to be there for the children and just the children so why was money so important to me.
Well, now as you can guess I'm trying to rebuild my bank account with this new job. While I am doing that, it is making me see that money isn't everything and that life can be lived in a simple way. I love the simple way of living when I have the choice of spending the money but when I have to leave it because I don't, that is the hard part. It is a BIG lesson in TRUSTING God with everything even the "little" things like money. I only got a taste of what missionaries feels like sometimes and how they have to trust God and churches to give them money. I, even, understand how starting your own business can be hard when you don't have the money and you have to trust the people around you and God and yes, that would build your faith stronger especially if it is turning out better then you ever thought it would.
Don't know if He is getting me ready for some mission like business or if He just wanted me to see how it feels so I could "relate" to those people. I think my last job was a mission in itself and you know missions sometime have a certain time limit and mine was 2 years and I lost some money in those 2 years and I have to learn to get back on my feet after "coming back" from that mission. I wanted to be on a mission and I asked God and He gave me the whole package but in His Way, not mine. I think it is going to take me the rest of this year and maybe some of next year, just to get settled back down if God will let me.
Another mission thing about it is God knew I was getting too comfortable that so He wanted to move me so I would trust Him again. It seems like that has happened since I have graduated college. Just as I get comfortable, God moves me on to the next thing. I had a mission between my "real" preschool jobs but now I am back and ready to teach again. The funny thing is it was in the states, not in another country. At the same time, though, it is also sad that I can do mission work like I want to in the states where we have all the resources but that is for another rant and another time.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
My Fall Trip-Part Two
I said that I was going to tell you about my thoughts on this trip because it was the first one that I had in a long time where I actually felt calm but I still have some things to tell you about the places we saw. I will tell you about the cruise first and then tell you about the famous peoples' houses we also saw. Some of the pictures are up on computer if you want to read and compare them. Maybe about half of them are up now and the other half will be up by the end of the week. I promise.
The cruise I was was on was on a small port boat on a lake in Maine. I said on a lake because I can't say or spell the name of the lake to where you could understand it. It was a luncheon cruise so that means we had lunch on the boat. It wasn't a fancy cruise at all. It was a cruise where we just had lunch and heard the captain talk about what we went passed and other things but you couldn't hear the captain very much. I will agree, though, it was just fun looking out on the lake and seeing the land and mountains pass by you. It was also very windy and that wind was very cold so we couldn't stay outside the cabin of the boat for long.
The food on the boat was okay. They had choices to pick from and the choices were: turkey, pasta (which was really good), salad, bread roll, mashed up squash or mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce and also stuffing with a pudding cup for desert. It was like a Thanksgiving meal on a boat. For me, it was just nice a calm, just to get out on a boat and just feel the wind below against you, even if it was cold. It was just the feeling out on a lake again that I haven't been on for so long. Seeing beautiful water and mountains and trees. Just everything around us was beautiful. It was funny because right after we got off, there was a wedding party getting on the boat. I think they were actually having the wedding on the boat. Don't know if I would like that but hey, it's not my wedding so it's okay. That was about it on the cruise.
Now for the famous buildings and houses we saw for famous people. We saw the Bushes' summer home on the port of Maine, almost near where we took the cruise. We saw Paul Revere's house in Boston. We saw the Kennedy's houses, all three of them, while we were on Cape Cod. We also saw the house that Rose Kennedy grew up in and the church that she grew up in and was baptized. I'm sorry but for a history freak like me this was all interesting, whether or not I liked them or knew little about them.
We saw the Old North Point Church where it is said that Paul Revere saw the light from. It was really funny. They still had services in it but they left the inside like it was back then. The pews were actually square boxes. They are free now for anyone member to sit in but back then, in Paul Revere's time, if you wanted to become a member of that church you had to pay for a square boxed pew and the more you pay the church the closer up front you would get to the front. Back then, you could also decorate it however you wanted to but none of them are decorated now. That church had a really old but beautiful organ in back and I think it still worked.
We saw JFK's memorial and it was a pretty and simple one. All it was was: close to the ocean and had a pretty view of it, seemed very calming, and fountain in the middle of this concret slab like a sidewalk to walk around. It also had a small brick/stone wall with his picture in metal on one side and the president seal i mental on the other side. We just saw the old state house in Boston because I think it was still being used as a state house so we couldn't go in.
I think that covers all of the sites that I saw on my Fall Trip. The next entry will be about what I learned on that trip both through everything we saw and just being with the people that I was with. Some very, very, very wise people. I had time to think on this trip so I will write about some of my thoughts. It felt good to get all my thoughts out and/or sorted out but you won't know what they are til next time.
The cruise I was was on was on a small port boat on a lake in Maine. I said on a lake because I can't say or spell the name of the lake to where you could understand it. It was a luncheon cruise so that means we had lunch on the boat. It wasn't a fancy cruise at all. It was a cruise where we just had lunch and heard the captain talk about what we went passed and other things but you couldn't hear the captain very much. I will agree, though, it was just fun looking out on the lake and seeing the land and mountains pass by you. It was also very windy and that wind was very cold so we couldn't stay outside the cabin of the boat for long.
The food on the boat was okay. They had choices to pick from and the choices were: turkey, pasta (which was really good), salad, bread roll, mashed up squash or mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce and also stuffing with a pudding cup for desert. It was like a Thanksgiving meal on a boat. For me, it was just nice a calm, just to get out on a boat and just feel the wind below against you, even if it was cold. It was just the feeling out on a lake again that I haven't been on for so long. Seeing beautiful water and mountains and trees. Just everything around us was beautiful. It was funny because right after we got off, there was a wedding party getting on the boat. I think they were actually having the wedding on the boat. Don't know if I would like that but hey, it's not my wedding so it's okay. That was about it on the cruise.
Now for the famous buildings and houses we saw for famous people. We saw the Bushes' summer home on the port of Maine, almost near where we took the cruise. We saw Paul Revere's house in Boston. We saw the Kennedy's houses, all three of them, while we were on Cape Cod. We also saw the house that Rose Kennedy grew up in and the church that she grew up in and was baptized. I'm sorry but for a history freak like me this was all interesting, whether or not I liked them or knew little about them.
We saw the Old North Point Church where it is said that Paul Revere saw the light from. It was really funny. They still had services in it but they left the inside like it was back then. The pews were actually square boxes. They are free now for anyone member to sit in but back then, in Paul Revere's time, if you wanted to become a member of that church you had to pay for a square boxed pew and the more you pay the church the closer up front you would get to the front. Back then, you could also decorate it however you wanted to but none of them are decorated now. That church had a really old but beautiful organ in back and I think it still worked.
We saw JFK's memorial and it was a pretty and simple one. All it was was: close to the ocean and had a pretty view of it, seemed very calming, and fountain in the middle of this concret slab like a sidewalk to walk around. It also had a small brick/stone wall with his picture in metal on one side and the president seal i mental on the other side. We just saw the old state house in Boston because I think it was still being used as a state house so we couldn't go in.
I think that covers all of the sites that I saw on my Fall Trip. The next entry will be about what I learned on that trip both through everything we saw and just being with the people that I was with. Some very, very, very wise people. I had time to think on this trip so I will write about some of my thoughts. It felt good to get all my thoughts out and/or sorted out but you won't know what they are til next time.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
My Fall Trip
I am back from my week and a half Fall trip on the east coast. I got back a day ago but I have been busy catching up with family. It was a blast and I got to see some pretty neat and dreaming things. I wish I could tell you all about it in one entry but it will take more then one. It might be all I talk about this month or these next two weeks. I went with an old friend that could be my grandma, in fact that is what I called her because I didn't want to explain the whole story to strange people. She was actually my old babysitter and I went because her husband passed away last year.
It was a strange feeling since I just lost my last grandma a couple of months ago but then again it was a good feeling I still had a person that age that could be my grandma if need be. Anyways, I have learned some life lessons from the trip and from her that I want to write about but now I am just going to write some about what we did on the trip. That is easier to understand and it is just the background that might help later one. We saw 4 major landscapes and then a lot of memorials.
The first one we stopped and saw was the beautiful Niagara Falls. I went on the boat called "The Maid of the Mist" and got wet with the mist of the Falls. I had to wear a plastic raincoat to wear on the boat. You know the beautiful pictures of the Falls with the rainbow? Well, I got to see that rainbow and got a beautiful picture of it but it doesn't do justice of the real thing. I took a lot of pictures of it.
Next, we stopped at my favorite place, which was the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Yes, I did buy a teddy bear from there. It, even, looks like a cow but a cute cow. It was just a break from sitting on the bus so we didn't get to do much. There was a tour that we could do but we didn't have time. We just shopped if we wanted to.
Then, after that stop, we went to a place where they made maple syrup in VT. It was out in the mountains and almost on top of one. It was really neat because you could look out and see a long way. It was just pretty because it was Fall in the mountains so there were colored leaves all around this little syrup place. We listened to the main owner, when we got there, about how the maple syrup was made. It was pretty interesting! I also got to take all the grades of syrup too and all of them were good.
We got to stop in Plymouth City at the Mayflower 2 and Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower was like a short museum we went through. They had people dressed up and on the boat like back in the day and they had to talk like that and we had to ask questions that could only be about the 1620s. The top of the boat was fine but the 2nd/bottom of the boat really smelled of mold or mildew like it would have in the days. I thought it was also neat because it had a Bible on one of the tables on the boat. The Rock was just a rock with the year on it.
On the last to 2nd day, we got to go to "The Breakers" House in RI and that was the house that the Vandervilts lived in. It was so amazing and beautiful! I took a listening tape tour of the house so that was kind of different too. It was too decorated to be a real house but it was. I took a picture out of a window where you could see the ocean from. That is the only thing I could take pictures of but it was all so pretty. There were real gold in some rooms. There were marble walls in some rooms. There were pictures on the ceiling. It had a lot of decorations from a lot of different countries that were given to the people that lived there. It was a house that just took your breath away! I could have spent all day there just standing in one place and room and look at everything because it was so detailed!
Then on the last day we went to Hershey, PA and of course stopped at the Hershey Chocolate Factory. We got to ride a little train inside the Hershey building that took us through the journey on how they made the chocolate. It was fast because it was made for little children but it was interesting at the same time. I did buy a bear from there too that had Hershey Chocolate World on it.
I have some other activities and things I want to tell you about that I did but I think it will have to wait until later this week. I went on a cruise and saw some famous peoples' houses/summer homes along with famous buildings and memorials but that is for later this week. There are also a couple of special things that I did with just my friend that I want to share so stay tuned this week for that entry.
It was a strange feeling since I just lost my last grandma a couple of months ago but then again it was a good feeling I still had a person that age that could be my grandma if need be. Anyways, I have learned some life lessons from the trip and from her that I want to write about but now I am just going to write some about what we did on the trip. That is easier to understand and it is just the background that might help later one. We saw 4 major landscapes and then a lot of memorials.
The first one we stopped and saw was the beautiful Niagara Falls. I went on the boat called "The Maid of the Mist" and got wet with the mist of the Falls. I had to wear a plastic raincoat to wear on the boat. You know the beautiful pictures of the Falls with the rainbow? Well, I got to see that rainbow and got a beautiful picture of it but it doesn't do justice of the real thing. I took a lot of pictures of it.
Next, we stopped at my favorite place, which was the Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Yes, I did buy a teddy bear from there. It, even, looks like a cow but a cute cow. It was just a break from sitting on the bus so we didn't get to do much. There was a tour that we could do but we didn't have time. We just shopped if we wanted to.
Then, after that stop, we went to a place where they made maple syrup in VT. It was out in the mountains and almost on top of one. It was really neat because you could look out and see a long way. It was just pretty because it was Fall in the mountains so there were colored leaves all around this little syrup place. We listened to the main owner, when we got there, about how the maple syrup was made. It was pretty interesting! I also got to take all the grades of syrup too and all of them were good.
We got to stop in Plymouth City at the Mayflower 2 and Plymouth Rock. The Mayflower was like a short museum we went through. They had people dressed up and on the boat like back in the day and they had to talk like that and we had to ask questions that could only be about the 1620s. The top of the boat was fine but the 2nd/bottom of the boat really smelled of mold or mildew like it would have in the days. I thought it was also neat because it had a Bible on one of the tables on the boat. The Rock was just a rock with the year on it.
On the last to 2nd day, we got to go to "The Breakers" House in RI and that was the house that the Vandervilts lived in. It was so amazing and beautiful! I took a listening tape tour of the house so that was kind of different too. It was too decorated to be a real house but it was. I took a picture out of a window where you could see the ocean from. That is the only thing I could take pictures of but it was all so pretty. There were real gold in some rooms. There were marble walls in some rooms. There were pictures on the ceiling. It had a lot of decorations from a lot of different countries that were given to the people that lived there. It was a house that just took your breath away! I could have spent all day there just standing in one place and room and look at everything because it was so detailed!
Then on the last day we went to Hershey, PA and of course stopped at the Hershey Chocolate Factory. We got to ride a little train inside the Hershey building that took us through the journey on how they made the chocolate. It was fast because it was made for little children but it was interesting at the same time. I did buy a bear from there too that had Hershey Chocolate World on it.
I have some other activities and things I want to tell you about that I did but I think it will have to wait until later this week. I went on a cruise and saw some famous peoples' houses/summer homes along with famous buildings and memorials but that is for later this week. There are also a couple of special things that I did with just my friend that I want to share so stay tuned this week for that entry.
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