By my husband:
I want to thank the Lord for blessing me with his incredible presence today at work!
I think the presence of His Holy Spirit is the most incredible experience available to anyone in this life. It's like a paradise in your heart; feeling God's love and resting in God's peace.
It makes you love God more and see how good he is!
Some might wonder how to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I think personally all you have to do is welcome the Holy Spirit into your life.
The more you make the Holy Spirit feel welcome in your life, the more you can feel him.
You can then love God more, with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself.
The more you welcome Him, the more of Gods presence you can feel.
Just thank God that you're alive, and that He loves you.
It says in the book of James, "Draw near to god and he will draw near to you!!" :
Keep your heart thankful for all the good things you have and remember things could be worse.
If it seems like you can't feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, don't worry about it, just keep having faith that God will bless you and make Himself known to you if you seek Him.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Working with Kids
I AM SO EXCITED! lol :)
I'm about to have the coolest job I probably will have ever had. This nice, newish church by me is hiring part time child care workers and I'm pretty sure I will be hired. I can pick up up to 30 hours a week and work with ages anywhere from infants through 5th graders. I am so excited. :)
I think this job will work out even after I have the baby cause I can just opt to work with the infants and have my kid there too. That will solve the problem of being a lonely and bored stay and home mom lol. I have never thought just staying at home with my kids would be all that fun. I knew I would need some adult time and time to get out and socialize. This is the perfect way to do that. :) I think being a stay at home would feel like being on house arrest. lol So I'm glad I found a job I can still do even after I have kids. :)
And how cool that I found a job to do what I already want to do. I would almost do this job for free just to have something to do while my husband is working. I've had nothing to do for long enough now. But the fact that it pays too is so cool!
I like the idea of switching around in age groups too. That was the issue in pre-schools that I've worked in was that it is just too much time with the same people. I love meeting new people and doing different things all the time. I like change, so this really is the perfect job for me.
Hopefully I will start next week!
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you." The things being a pay check again woohoo :), fun at work, fellowship and having more purpose and meaning to my life in general. Which nothing provides more meaning I think than working with kids and helping them grow up the right way, helping steer them on the straight and narrow path. :)
I can't wait to start helping get all these kids saved! lol I hope to work with the 4th and 5th graders a lot because that I think is when kids can finally really get it. I think the age of accountability is probably about 9. Meaning if a kid dies before 9 or so I think they automatically go to heaven but after that if they have not made the choice on their own to make Jesus Lord of their life there is no guarantee where they will go. So therefore that's the perfect age to work with. Get them right when they need to make the decision. Also, they are more likely to make Jesus the Lord of their life at that age because they are more open to it. :)
When I was working at a Salvation Army camp one summer a leader told of how William Booth's goal was to pull people out of the water that had jumped off a cliff metaphorically and were drowning. He said, "Wouldn't it be cool if we could build a fence for these kids so they never jump off the cliff?" I was like amen! That has always been my goal in working with kids, to help prevent them from making some of the dumb choices I made as a pre-teen etc.
I also benefitted a lot from growing up in the church and going to Awanas etc. I think most of the verses I have memorized are thanks to Awanas making me memorize them. But they made it fun. I loved going to Awanas and getting more jewels on my little pin thing. I loved doing the game sports and singing the songs.
So I want to help give kids the same great experience in church. And I think I will. :) I can help make it fun for them. :)
The lady I interviewed with today, the head of the kids program, told me she said to her co-worker, "You will not believe this girl and all she has done with kids." haha
I suppose it is pretty crazy all that I've done. Since I was 14 I've been working with kids, so 14 years. My very first job when I was 14 was as a summer camp counselor. I had a lot of fun going to the pool with the kids and letting them climb all over me lol. I remember playing a lot of sports with them and watching movies.
Then when I was in college I did a lot of tutoring with kids. After college I worked at an after school program helping kids with homework. There were three kids I picked up from school every day in 2nd and 3rd grade. They were so cute. :)
Then my next job was at another summer camp. I worked at a Salvation Army right by my house with their Junior High camp. That was tons of fun, getting paid to go to Disneyland with them and the aquarium. I was always like, "How is it that I'm getting paid to do this job?" lol But God provides.
Then I worked in a private school, Carden Heights. I was first just an after school daycare person from 2-6 pm. Then when a teacher quit I took over the Junior High English class as well and "taught" composition and literature. I didn't really teach, I facilitated lol. I've never been big on lecturing, getting lectured at or lecturing others. But man was I excited when the principle asked me if I wanted to do that. I was jumping out of my skin I was so excited! lol :) It had it's ups and downs though. It was definitely a challenge that's for sure.
Then the next summer I worked with the Salvation Army kids camp again and this time with the younger kids 1st-6th grade. I had a lot more fun with that one. I was in charge of the 4th grade group and they were all just so wonderful. I had so much fun hanging out with them all the time. :) We got to do really cool stuff again like go to Knotts and kayak in a bay and water parks. It was the best job ever! Again I was always like, "I get paid to do the best job ever wow!" lol
The next job I had was in a pre-school. I loved that job a lot more than I thought I would. At first I was like, "Why would I want to change diapers all day? Ewe." lol but then I got really attached to the kids and found that I absolutely loved working with toddlers. Then I worked in the two year old room and then floated around to all the rooms. That was also one of my best jobs ever. :)
Then I worked on the cruise ship with kids. I either worked with 3-7 year olds, ages 8-12, or ages 13-18. It changed each week what I was assigned to. My favorite was the 8-12 year olds and doing games like Charades and Pictionary with them. I had tons of fun with that age group. The younger kids were a bit harder and the teens were really challenging.
Then I worked in a few more pre-schools but thought I would try out being a waitress. I had fun doing that too. I loved working at Chilies but it's just as tiring and stressful as it looks lol. :) Then I worked in a student loan call center. That was fun getting paid to just talk to people all day and help them. :) And then my last job was in another pre-school. Two's have become my favorite age. They are by far the cutest and it's exciting to help them learn how to talk.
I think God would most be able to use me with the 4th and 5th graders though. I think all that I know about the Bible would benefit them and I know a lot of games for that age group. When I worked at the Junior High camp I was in charge of coming up with the games the whole summer. The most fun one we did was probably Spoons with cards. Dodge ball was a lot of fun. And we played a lot of Frisbee. :)
I also really like leading worship for this age group. I like coming up with motions to worship songs and leading all the kids in worship that way. Kinesthetic worship lol. I don't know why adults don't do this too. I guess because we generally are more self-conscious and don't want to look like an idiot. But kids don't care about that so you can have a lot more fun with them and do more in worship. :) I think worship is meant to be a full body experience but for some reason it has become very rigid. That is why Jesus says we are to come to him like a child, because kids are uninhibited. They don't care what people think. They can be freeeeee. So nice. :) And so nice to watch and be a part of this freedom that they have. Kids are great. :)
I'm about to have the coolest job I probably will have ever had. This nice, newish church by me is hiring part time child care workers and I'm pretty sure I will be hired. I can pick up up to 30 hours a week and work with ages anywhere from infants through 5th graders. I am so excited. :)
I think this job will work out even after I have the baby cause I can just opt to work with the infants and have my kid there too. That will solve the problem of being a lonely and bored stay and home mom lol. I have never thought just staying at home with my kids would be all that fun. I knew I would need some adult time and time to get out and socialize. This is the perfect way to do that. :) I think being a stay at home would feel like being on house arrest. lol So I'm glad I found a job I can still do even after I have kids. :)
And how cool that I found a job to do what I already want to do. I would almost do this job for free just to have something to do while my husband is working. I've had nothing to do for long enough now. But the fact that it pays too is so cool!
I like the idea of switching around in age groups too. That was the issue in pre-schools that I've worked in was that it is just too much time with the same people. I love meeting new people and doing different things all the time. I like change, so this really is the perfect job for me.
Hopefully I will start next week!
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you." The things being a pay check again woohoo :), fun at work, fellowship and having more purpose and meaning to my life in general. Which nothing provides more meaning I think than working with kids and helping them grow up the right way, helping steer them on the straight and narrow path. :)
I can't wait to start helping get all these kids saved! lol I hope to work with the 4th and 5th graders a lot because that I think is when kids can finally really get it. I think the age of accountability is probably about 9. Meaning if a kid dies before 9 or so I think they automatically go to heaven but after that if they have not made the choice on their own to make Jesus Lord of their life there is no guarantee where they will go. So therefore that's the perfect age to work with. Get them right when they need to make the decision. Also, they are more likely to make Jesus the Lord of their life at that age because they are more open to it. :)
When I was working at a Salvation Army camp one summer a leader told of how William Booth's goal was to pull people out of the water that had jumped off a cliff metaphorically and were drowning. He said, "Wouldn't it be cool if we could build a fence for these kids so they never jump off the cliff?" I was like amen! That has always been my goal in working with kids, to help prevent them from making some of the dumb choices I made as a pre-teen etc.
I also benefitted a lot from growing up in the church and going to Awanas etc. I think most of the verses I have memorized are thanks to Awanas making me memorize them. But they made it fun. I loved going to Awanas and getting more jewels on my little pin thing. I loved doing the game sports and singing the songs.
So I want to help give kids the same great experience in church. And I think I will. :) I can help make it fun for them. :)
The lady I interviewed with today, the head of the kids program, told me she said to her co-worker, "You will not believe this girl and all she has done with kids." haha
I suppose it is pretty crazy all that I've done. Since I was 14 I've been working with kids, so 14 years. My very first job when I was 14 was as a summer camp counselor. I had a lot of fun going to the pool with the kids and letting them climb all over me lol. I remember playing a lot of sports with them and watching movies.
Then when I was in college I did a lot of tutoring with kids. After college I worked at an after school program helping kids with homework. There were three kids I picked up from school every day in 2nd and 3rd grade. They were so cute. :)
Then my next job was at another summer camp. I worked at a Salvation Army right by my house with their Junior High camp. That was tons of fun, getting paid to go to Disneyland with them and the aquarium. I was always like, "How is it that I'm getting paid to do this job?" lol But God provides.
Then I worked in a private school, Carden Heights. I was first just an after school daycare person from 2-6 pm. Then when a teacher quit I took over the Junior High English class as well and "taught" composition and literature. I didn't really teach, I facilitated lol. I've never been big on lecturing, getting lectured at or lecturing others. But man was I excited when the principle asked me if I wanted to do that. I was jumping out of my skin I was so excited! lol :) It had it's ups and downs though. It was definitely a challenge that's for sure.
Then the next summer I worked with the Salvation Army kids camp again and this time with the younger kids 1st-6th grade. I had a lot more fun with that one. I was in charge of the 4th grade group and they were all just so wonderful. I had so much fun hanging out with them all the time. :) We got to do really cool stuff again like go to Knotts and kayak in a bay and water parks. It was the best job ever! Again I was always like, "I get paid to do the best job ever wow!" lol
The next job I had was in a pre-school. I loved that job a lot more than I thought I would. At first I was like, "Why would I want to change diapers all day? Ewe." lol but then I got really attached to the kids and found that I absolutely loved working with toddlers. Then I worked in the two year old room and then floated around to all the rooms. That was also one of my best jobs ever. :)
Then I worked on the cruise ship with kids. I either worked with 3-7 year olds, ages 8-12, or ages 13-18. It changed each week what I was assigned to. My favorite was the 8-12 year olds and doing games like Charades and Pictionary with them. I had tons of fun with that age group. The younger kids were a bit harder and the teens were really challenging.
Then I worked in a few more pre-schools but thought I would try out being a waitress. I had fun doing that too. I loved working at Chilies but it's just as tiring and stressful as it looks lol. :) Then I worked in a student loan call center. That was fun getting paid to just talk to people all day and help them. :) And then my last job was in another pre-school. Two's have become my favorite age. They are by far the cutest and it's exciting to help them learn how to talk.
I think God would most be able to use me with the 4th and 5th graders though. I think all that I know about the Bible would benefit them and I know a lot of games for that age group. When I worked at the Junior High camp I was in charge of coming up with the games the whole summer. The most fun one we did was probably Spoons with cards. Dodge ball was a lot of fun. And we played a lot of Frisbee. :)
I also really like leading worship for this age group. I like coming up with motions to worship songs and leading all the kids in worship that way. Kinesthetic worship lol. I don't know why adults don't do this too. I guess because we generally are more self-conscious and don't want to look like an idiot. But kids don't care about that so you can have a lot more fun with them and do more in worship. :) I think worship is meant to be a full body experience but for some reason it has become very rigid. That is why Jesus says we are to come to him like a child, because kids are uninhibited. They don't care what people think. They can be freeeeee. So nice. :) And so nice to watch and be a part of this freedom that they have. Kids are great. :)
To God
Father I surrender to your will. I submit to all that you want me to do.
Have your way in my life. I am yours forever.
Help me to be a good mom. Keep my baby safe.
"You are God in heaven and here am I on earth, so I'll let my words be few. :)
Jesus I am so in love with you." :)
Have your way in my life. I am yours forever.
Help me to be a good mom. Keep my baby safe.
"You are God in heaven and here am I on earth, so I'll let my words be few. :)
Jesus I am so in love with you." :)
God Speaks
I love you.
Don't be afraid. I am always with you.
Be at peace. Let me wrap my arms around you and love you.
I am sorry you have had things so hard. I have not forgotten about you.
Tell these people how much I love them. Tell them that they are not alone.
Tell them that I am coming back soon so don't be afraid.
I am their shepherd. I will guide them.
Listen to my voice. When you seek me you will find me.
Follow me along the quiet waters. Rest.
I will bring about new things. Wait for me. I am coming.
Don't be afraid. I am always with you.
Be at peace. Let me wrap my arms around you and love you.
I am sorry you have had things so hard. I have not forgotten about you.
Tell these people how much I love them. Tell them that they are not alone.
Tell them that I am coming back soon so don't be afraid.
I am their shepherd. I will guide them.
Listen to my voice. When you seek me you will find me.
Follow me along the quiet waters. Rest.
I will bring about new things. Wait for me. I am coming.
A Mystery
“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church." Eph. 5:31-32
I always wondered why Paul threw in the "I speak concerning Christ and the church" relating to this verse about a man leaving his father and mother. But think about it, Jesus Christ left his father in heaven, God the Father, to come be with his church, us, to pursue his church. The mother part is interesting but it could be seen that the Holy Spirit is/was Jesus' mother. The Spirit is usually thought of as feminine. So in a sense they are like a nuclear family. God the Father is not a single dad, but he has the Holy Spirit. Perhaps that is the great mystery that Paul was talking about. He doesn't explicitly say this but it is inferred.
Secondly the two shall become one flesh. How did Jesus become one flesh with the church after he came down to earth? Well he became fully man. He fully identified with us. Jesus' death broke down the wall between us and God of sin. After Jesus left the Holy Spirit was sent to enter and empower believers. This is the most powerful way that God and the church became one flesh. God now dwells inside of us. He is a part of us. Paul says, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" and "Your lives are now hiding with Christ in God." We have become one. The church and God have become one flesh. Just as God is three but one, we as the church are many but one together with God.
I always wondered why Paul threw in the "I speak concerning Christ and the church" relating to this verse about a man leaving his father and mother. But think about it, Jesus Christ left his father in heaven, God the Father, to come be with his church, us, to pursue his church. The mother part is interesting but it could be seen that the Holy Spirit is/was Jesus' mother. The Spirit is usually thought of as feminine. So in a sense they are like a nuclear family. God the Father is not a single dad, but he has the Holy Spirit. Perhaps that is the great mystery that Paul was talking about. He doesn't explicitly say this but it is inferred.
Secondly the two shall become one flesh. How did Jesus become one flesh with the church after he came down to earth? Well he became fully man. He fully identified with us. Jesus' death broke down the wall between us and God of sin. After Jesus left the Holy Spirit was sent to enter and empower believers. This is the most powerful way that God and the church became one flesh. God now dwells inside of us. He is a part of us. Paul says, "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" and "Your lives are now hiding with Christ in God." We have become one. The church and God have become one flesh. Just as God is three but one, we as the church are many but one together with God.
Free Indeed
I'm going to this new class at Mid Cities church called Free Indeed, inspired by the author who wrote Born to be Free. It was great! The guy last night talked about how much power we can have as Christians. How we are already seated at the right hand of the father and that means we have as much power as him. I've always known this logically but I think it sank more into my heart last night. I was thinking "Yeah that's right we can do more!" lol Like cast out demons etc. Wouldn't that be an adventure haha. Jesus lead on.... I will follow.
The speaker also talked about his struggle with smoking and was praying about why he kept putting the chains back on, why couldn't he be free? He said he could hear God say to him, "Because you don't know who you are." And that is why most of us struggle with anything isn't it? Because we don't realize who we really are in Christ. But once we know for sure who we are we realize Satan can't have power over us. We realize we can resist Satan and he will flee from us just like that. We are stronger in Christ than Satan is. "Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world." He used a lot of good analogies like with Jesus we are like a UFC fighter and Satan becomes like a weak person and we can conquer him easily. But when we try and do things in our own strength it's the other way around. Very true. "I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing." But "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Amen? Amen :)
He also talked about fixing our gaze on Jesus and how all the other things will appear very small. It made me think of the song, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace." Another thing we need to do more; behold the glory of the Lord. That made me think of the song I loved in H.S. "I see the Lord seated... on the throne, exalted, and the train of his robe fills the temple with glory. And the whole earth is filled....with his glory. holy, holy, holy....is the Lord." Our worship leader Ron at Main Place would always sing that and I would always try and visualize the lyrics. Like that scene in Hercules when he meets Zeus as a statue and he is HUGE. That's kinda what I picture lol like what God would look like if I was before his throne.
I will say also, and I'm sure this was a God thing so I would understand my husband better lol, a guy at my table was so excited to share that this past weekend he prayed and sang in tongues for the first time and it made him cry like in a happy way. :) It made me think more about all of that. I'm not opposed to that happening to me. Well maybe somewhat, cause I think it might scare me a bit lol. Which I guess it why it hasn't happened to me yet. :) God doesn't give us more than we can handle, in bad things and good things I think.
I wrote the author of Born to be Free about tongues and he said it happens to some but not all and it doesn't make the person it happens to more spiritual than the rest. It is just a great experience for those who have it. I liked that response. lol :) It made me not feel bad that it hasn't happened to me. :)
One thing that bothered me a bit though was the leader at our table asked if he thought he had been baptized in the Holy Spirit before this experience or if he was then. At first he said he thinks he was before but then said maybe it was then that he was. This concept I don't like because we all as believers have the Holy Spirit. "If anyone does not have the Spirit of God he does not belong to God." Romans 9. And Eph. 1 "In whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." All Christian are full of the Spirit already. It is not that those who pray in tongues are baptized in the Holy Spirit and the rest of us are not. That just does not sit right with me in my spirit.
So what happens when people pray in tongues for the first time? I think it is just receiving a spiritual gift, the gift on tongues. According to 1 Cor. 12 there are several spiritual gifts and we will all receive different ones. So though I somewhat wish I had the gift on tongues, on the other hand I am good with what God has already given me. When I asked God a few months ago why he hadn't given me tongues I felt him say to me, "I have given you so many gifts already." lol like aren't you satisfied with what I've already given you? And yes I am. Quite satisfied. Thank you Jesus! lol :) I believe my primary spiritual gift is teaching and secondly evangelism. Thus why I love to write so much. When I feel the closest with God and in tune with what he is saying to me he seems to flood me with ideas of what to blog about. It's like a fire inside of me and I just have to get it out. :)
As a side note, I want to say thank you to whoever you are reading my blogs. It is encouraging when I see that 100 people have read my blog in a day. It has given my life meaning and purpose really and I hope my writing is benefitting you and that God is blessing you. :) Thanks for reading :)
So don't let anyone who has prayed in tongues tell you that you are missing out or that you are a less than Christian or less spiritual. We all have different spiritual gifts and all of them are needed for the building up of the church. There are certainly some Pentecostal bullies out there so watch out for them. Some even want to say if you don't pray in tongues you aren't Christian, which has always made me very angry. I know for a fact I am Christian and that I am saved and no one can tell me that I'm not.
I heard in a sermon once being a Christian is like being in love. You just know you are. You know that you know. Do you know? If you have any doubt ask God about that and why you have that doubt. It is probably Satan talking to you or you may need to make sure that you are. I heard a quote once, "A lot of people miss heaven by 12 inches." Meaning the distance from their head to their heart. So many people get it in their head, but that's not enough. I saw a lot of this at the Christian college I went to; people who knew all the head knowledge in the world, but they seemed to be lacking the heart. Check your heart. Check your fruit. Do you have love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? Not perfectly of course but generally? That is how you will know. "You shall know them by their fruit." And secondly what you believe about Jesus is key. "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved." Is Jesus Lord to you? That is the ultimate question to ask yourself to see if you are saved or not. Who is Jesus to you? Is He your Lord or is something else Lord of your life?
Think about it.
May God bless you! :)
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
How to Be Happy
"Ways to Naturally Increase Happiness:
-Listen to music.
-Hug someone you love.
-Take a nap.
-Go shopping."
This is very true. Music always makes people happier, well depending on the kind of music. Oldies are always a bringer of joy. :)
Hugging someone you love will definitely bring more joy. That's why I always loved working with toddlers, cause you get to hug them all the time. :) "Do what you love."
Taking a nap is key. Often times depression and grumpiness comes from just being tired. I almost always feel better after I take a nap. :)
And shopping. This can lead to more unhappiness though if you spend too much. But the idea is get out and do something. Be around people. Walk around. I prefer walking around parks if stores are really crowded though.
A store that has brought me the most joy is Hobby Lobby. I LOVE that store. :) So much to look at and I like reading the quotes on the plaques they have there. Also, one time I saw the cutest baby outfits there. :)
So go take a nap, hug a friend and listen to music while you drive to Hobby Lobby and you'll have a great day. lol :) Hopefully :)
God bless!
-Listen to music.
-Hug someone you love.
-Take a nap.
-Go shopping."
This is very true. Music always makes people happier, well depending on the kind of music. Oldies are always a bringer of joy. :)
Hugging someone you love will definitely bring more joy. That's why I always loved working with toddlers, cause you get to hug them all the time. :) "Do what you love."
Taking a nap is key. Often times depression and grumpiness comes from just being tired. I almost always feel better after I take a nap. :)
And shopping. This can lead to more unhappiness though if you spend too much. But the idea is get out and do something. Be around people. Walk around. I prefer walking around parks if stores are really crowded though.
A store that has brought me the most joy is Hobby Lobby. I LOVE that store. :) So much to look at and I like reading the quotes on the plaques they have there. Also, one time I saw the cutest baby outfits there. :)
So go take a nap, hug a friend and listen to music while you drive to Hobby Lobby and you'll have a great day. lol :) Hopefully :)
God bless!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
The Root
Why do people do what they do? What is the root cause of our actions? There is always a reason; what might the reasons be?
I was thinking about Sunday's sermon, about the various way people act in a toxic manner at times. Each tendency has a root cause. This is like seeing what is under the water on an ice berg. Don't just look at the surface. Look at what is underneath.
The top is what we see. What is under the water is where what we see comes from.
The Critic is the critic because they themselves were criticized. I know my mom was criticized by her mom and felt like she was conditionally loved based on what she did.
My grandma was big on performances and acting, literally. She was a drama teacher for a couple years and throughout my mom's whole child hood my grandma was trying to get her on stage and in plays, the very thing she really did not want to do sadly. :(
My grandma has always been big on appearances. When she was younger she wanted to become a movie star. She was quite beautiful. But beautiful people sometimes can be the most critical.
Also, since she was a teacher I'm sure she was very critical with her children when it came to school work. I'm sure they had to excel in everything they did.
On top of that she was into sports and was very talented in tumbling, dancing and gymnastics. So perhaps she pushed her kids to be athletic as well even if they weren't particularly athletic.
As if that isn't enough my grandpa was a Southern Baptist Choir director for 30 years or so, so they were heavily involved in Baptist churches. So then there is the pressure of being a good Christian on top of all that.
Talk about high demands from a mom and from parents.
I felt some of that pressure being her grandchild. That she wanted me to be pretty, smart, athletic, performing in choir and have a good spiritual relationship with God. She wanted me to be social and happy and outgoing even if I didn't always feel like it.
My grandma did help me become all that I could become, but I think I learned a little of what my mom had to go through, that I was loved based on what I did. I passed this on to how I viewed God for the longest time too.
Until about 5 years ago it hit me when I was reading a book in my room that God loves me for me, not based on anything I do. That was very comforting. :) Finally, I got it! :) I hope you have gotten it too. :)
Secondly, the Downer is the downer because usually they have had to take on too much responsibility at a young age. They did not get to be a child and had to grow up too quickly. They are usually very mature and smart adults, because it's like they have been adults since forever.
My mom has traits of this as well which was also caused by my grandma. My grandma had a mental breakdown when my was 12 leaving her to care for her two younger siblings. My mom essentially became a mom way too early.
So The Downer's outlook on life is somewhat gloomy because things have generally not been good for them. You can't really blame their pessimistic attitude when you understand where it came from.
My brother is also a bit of a downer but he has had life really hard as well. My dad picked on him his whole life; told him things like he would never amount to anything or go anywhere, very negative stuff. My brother struggled in school since he had ADD. He always had a hard time with sports. He just didn't seem to fit anywhere. So that caused him to have some Downer tendencies, but one can see why.
Thirdly there is the Bully. The biggest Bully I have ever known was my dad. I know why he was that way though; it was because his whole life he was picked on by his four older brothers. He was the youngest of five boys and they were quite mean to him. I think they always called him a mommas boy. It was kind of like the story of Joseph how he was the youngest and his brothers were all jealous of him. My dad was a pretty cute kid so I could totally see my grandma paying more attention to him than the others.
So he was picked on and that in turn resulted in him picking on his own son all the time, my brother. Hurt people hurt people. I have always known a bully becomes a bully because they themselves were bullied. They felt powerless and weak before so they then want to feel powerful and strong at the expense of another person.
I can see the cycle repeating somewhat in how my brother interacts with his son. Very sad. :( I pointed that out to him; how he hated it when our dad did the same things to him. Like he bugs his son about eating to slowly or just about everything he does he gets on his case. History really does repeat itself. No matter how much he may say he wants to be nothing like his father, our father, he is just like him in so many ways. So ironic. Generational curses, or generational tendencies, are real. We live out whatever is modeled for us. What we learn as children is branded into our subconscious and we end up living out old family patterns without realizing it.
Lastly there is the Sponge. Why does the Sponge become a sponge?
It is simple. They were neglected by someone at some time. They did not get the love they needed and so their water well is empty basically. They are looking for anyone else to fill up their well that should have been filled up when they were a kid or by someone who loved them.
These people come off as the most annoying and needy. The people that just won't go away. The people that always want to talk or want something from you.
They are this way as a result of neglect. Perhaps a parents or someone in their family neglected them. Think of how you feel when you are incredibly thirsty and you have not drank water for quite awhile. That is how these people feel emotionally.
The answer for this sponginess is of course Jesus because he is the Living Water. He can help us to never thirst again. He can fill up our well and fill in the hole inside of us. He can make the sponge so sopping with water that they cannot take on anymore. :)
But most sponges do not realize this and that is why they are sponges. So be patient with them and pray for them. :) Jesus would have compassion on them and so should we. :)
And have compassion on all the negative defaults of people. Once you understand where they are coming from, that will be easier. :)
Peace to you. :)
I was thinking about Sunday's sermon, about the various way people act in a toxic manner at times. Each tendency has a root cause. This is like seeing what is under the water on an ice berg. Don't just look at the surface. Look at what is underneath.
The top is what we see. What is under the water is where what we see comes from.
The Critic is the critic because they themselves were criticized. I know my mom was criticized by her mom and felt like she was conditionally loved based on what she did.
My grandma was big on performances and acting, literally. She was a drama teacher for a couple years and throughout my mom's whole child hood my grandma was trying to get her on stage and in plays, the very thing she really did not want to do sadly. :(
My grandma has always been big on appearances. When she was younger she wanted to become a movie star. She was quite beautiful. But beautiful people sometimes can be the most critical.
Also, since she was a teacher I'm sure she was very critical with her children when it came to school work. I'm sure they had to excel in everything they did.
On top of that she was into sports and was very talented in tumbling, dancing and gymnastics. So perhaps she pushed her kids to be athletic as well even if they weren't particularly athletic.
As if that isn't enough my grandpa was a Southern Baptist Choir director for 30 years or so, so they were heavily involved in Baptist churches. So then there is the pressure of being a good Christian on top of all that.
Talk about high demands from a mom and from parents.
I felt some of that pressure being her grandchild. That she wanted me to be pretty, smart, athletic, performing in choir and have a good spiritual relationship with God. She wanted me to be social and happy and outgoing even if I didn't always feel like it.
My grandma did help me become all that I could become, but I think I learned a little of what my mom had to go through, that I was loved based on what I did. I passed this on to how I viewed God for the longest time too.
Until about 5 years ago it hit me when I was reading a book in my room that God loves me for me, not based on anything I do. That was very comforting. :) Finally, I got it! :) I hope you have gotten it too. :)
Secondly, the Downer is the downer because usually they have had to take on too much responsibility at a young age. They did not get to be a child and had to grow up too quickly. They are usually very mature and smart adults, because it's like they have been adults since forever.
My mom has traits of this as well which was also caused by my grandma. My grandma had a mental breakdown when my was 12 leaving her to care for her two younger siblings. My mom essentially became a mom way too early.
So The Downer's outlook on life is somewhat gloomy because things have generally not been good for them. You can't really blame their pessimistic attitude when you understand where it came from.
My brother is also a bit of a downer but he has had life really hard as well. My dad picked on him his whole life; told him things like he would never amount to anything or go anywhere, very negative stuff. My brother struggled in school since he had ADD. He always had a hard time with sports. He just didn't seem to fit anywhere. So that caused him to have some Downer tendencies, but one can see why.
Thirdly there is the Bully. The biggest Bully I have ever known was my dad. I know why he was that way though; it was because his whole life he was picked on by his four older brothers. He was the youngest of five boys and they were quite mean to him. I think they always called him a mommas boy. It was kind of like the story of Joseph how he was the youngest and his brothers were all jealous of him. My dad was a pretty cute kid so I could totally see my grandma paying more attention to him than the others.
So he was picked on and that in turn resulted in him picking on his own son all the time, my brother. Hurt people hurt people. I have always known a bully becomes a bully because they themselves were bullied. They felt powerless and weak before so they then want to feel powerful and strong at the expense of another person.
I can see the cycle repeating somewhat in how my brother interacts with his son. Very sad. :( I pointed that out to him; how he hated it when our dad did the same things to him. Like he bugs his son about eating to slowly or just about everything he does he gets on his case. History really does repeat itself. No matter how much he may say he wants to be nothing like his father, our father, he is just like him in so many ways. So ironic. Generational curses, or generational tendencies, are real. We live out whatever is modeled for us. What we learn as children is branded into our subconscious and we end up living out old family patterns without realizing it.
Lastly there is the Sponge. Why does the Sponge become a sponge?
It is simple. They were neglected by someone at some time. They did not get the love they needed and so their water well is empty basically. They are looking for anyone else to fill up their well that should have been filled up when they were a kid or by someone who loved them.
These people come off as the most annoying and needy. The people that just won't go away. The people that always want to talk or want something from you.
They are this way as a result of neglect. Perhaps a parents or someone in their family neglected them. Think of how you feel when you are incredibly thirsty and you have not drank water for quite awhile. That is how these people feel emotionally.
The answer for this sponginess is of course Jesus because he is the Living Water. He can help us to never thirst again. He can fill up our well and fill in the hole inside of us. He can make the sponge so sopping with water that they cannot take on anymore. :)
But most sponges do not realize this and that is why they are sponges. So be patient with them and pray for them. :) Jesus would have compassion on them and so should we. :)
And have compassion on all the negative defaults of people. Once you understand where they are coming from, that will be easier. :)
Peace to you. :)
Monday, August 26, 2013
Things I've Seen
I've seen this, and even got to walk on these lava rocks in the picture about a mile out from where the lava flows into the ocean. They were a bit rough and sharp. Like if you walked on them with bare feet you would probably get a bit cut up. This is on the big island of Hawaii near Kona. It is right by a National Rainforest park there too. Very cool :)
I may have driven up that street, or one near it. This is in San Francisco, CA. Why anyone would keep building on and over these hills is crazy to me. My goodness. I remember anywhere I parked there I made sure my emergency break was on hard core so my car didn't roll down hill lol :)
The sunsets in Hawaii like the ones I always saw. I never saw them from this view point though lol. Someone must have taken this while surfing. :)
This pic is just completely amazing! from Thailand. I've been to Thailand but didn't see anything like this. I was only there one day. Too bad I couldn't stay longer. :)
I've gotten to go swimming here. This is where I hiked when I was 18 with my future college room mate and her family and a ton of their friends. The best waterfall in the Grand Canyon. We slept under the stars pretty close to this. And my goodness I had never seen so many stars! It was quite a trip for sure. :)
I got to go here with a college class. The Shakespeare festival in Ashland, Oregon. :)
I've seen this in Yellowstone National Park with my mom and brother. :)
This is basically what you see from the cruise ship when docked in Juneau, Alaska.
I got to ride this up the mountain to the right in the first picture and hiked down. :)
I got to hike through here. The Tongass Rainforests in Sitka, Alaska. :)
That's the waterfall or river looking thing I tried to hike up when I was in Juneau, Alaska. :)
I got to see this lake in Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake. :)
I saw a lot of streets like this in India when I went there at 14.
The rice fields in Guwahati, India I saw when we were there. We got to visit some local Christian churches out in the country.
The night market in Tai Chung that I went to.
Banner Church in Taichung where I went with my youth group when I was 17 and again with Rock Harbor church when I was 22. :) Great memories at that church.
I saw this jellyfish in Key West, Florida. So cool! :)
I just got to go here about a week ago. :) This is the river walk in San Antonio. Definitely one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a city in America. :)
A waterfall in Hawaii that I got to see. :)
I've gotten to see the Grand Canyon a few times. :) When I was 14, 18 and 25.
This is what hiking through the bottom of it looked like. :)
Here's the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on and probably ever made, X2 in 6 Flags, CA. I thought I was going to die and my whole body was literally shaking when the ride was over lol. :)
Cool shows I've gotten to see at Sea World. :)
Lightning bugs! the coolest thing to see ever!
I got to see lightning over the ocean on our last cruise. :)
Several ocean sunsets in Newport Beach or Huntington. :)
Isn't God's creation completely beautiful! Yes it is amen. :)
I got to see and hold one of these little guys when I worked at Petco. A coworker brought it in. Coolest and cutest animal ever! :)
I saw a pod of dolphins and it looked much like this off the cruise ship I worked on down to Mexico. We saw a lot again on our last cruise.
The trees around my apartment looked like this after the last few snows in Kansas City. I had never seen trees so thickly covered in snow. It was completely amazing! :)
I went ice skating a few times when I was a kid on a lake by my house that would freeze a lot in the winter. It looked somewhat like this, only with houses around it. The way the water is frozen is the same. I remember it felt odd ice skating on it because of how bumpy it was. :)
Estes Park, Colorado. I got to hike around there for a week with my college room mate and her family. It was so cool. :)
Got to see the Grand Tetons outside of Yellowstone park.
And these pics really are all things that remind me of my childhood lol :)
http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/things-that-look-just-like-childhood
State and World Debt
This is old data but interesting....
This one shows debt by countries. Ironically the U.S., Europe and Australia are all the worst off. And oddly enough Africa, China and India look like they will have the brightest futures. But that has been the goal of some people, I heard at least, to pull the wealth away from the first world countries and bring it into the third world countries.
If you have not seen the movie Looper there is a really funny line in that movie. The kid says he wants to move to France and his boss says, "I'm from the future, trust me, move to China." haha And this is a good reason why. I have been thinking for awhile that a move to China would be the most wise. Of all the countries in green that would be my first bet on things panning out well. Crime is significantly lower in China than India and of course Africa. Education in China is probably the best in the world and the job market in China is probably the best in the world.
Oh wait, this one is a big wow and almost makes me want to cry lol.....
This scares me about the future of America needless to say. :( This map is pretty current. It reflects Feb. of this year. God bless America, cause we're going to need it, holy cow.
According to this one China may not have the best future either. hm.....
Papa New Guineau might be the place to move. Or Cambodia! :) hm....or possibly New Zealand but they aren't doing to well either.
The funny thing is looking around you wouldn't see any of this as a reality. I wonder when the numbers will start showing through in our real and tangible world? When is the s....gonna hit the ceiling? And what will that look like?
Empty grocery stores? Who knows. All production just comes to a stop? Massive lay offs and job losses? I wonder what the future will look like.
If I had the gift of prophecy I might be able to tell you. May God open our eyes to see and give us wisdom to know what to do.
If any of you reading this have the gift of prophecy feel free to comment what God is telling you about the future of America and the world thanks :)
May God be with you all! :) Grace and peace be with you :)
This one shows debt by countries. Ironically the U.S., Europe and Australia are all the worst off. And oddly enough Africa, China and India look like they will have the brightest futures. But that has been the goal of some people, I heard at least, to pull the wealth away from the first world countries and bring it into the third world countries.
If you have not seen the movie Looper there is a really funny line in that movie. The kid says he wants to move to France and his boss says, "I'm from the future, trust me, move to China." haha And this is a good reason why. I have been thinking for awhile that a move to China would be the most wise. Of all the countries in green that would be my first bet on things panning out well. Crime is significantly lower in China than India and of course Africa. Education in China is probably the best in the world and the job market in China is probably the best in the world.
Oh wait, this one is a big wow and almost makes me want to cry lol.....
This scares me about the future of America needless to say. :( This map is pretty current. It reflects Feb. of this year. God bless America, cause we're going to need it, holy cow.
According to this one China may not have the best future either. hm.....
Papa New Guineau might be the place to move. Or Cambodia! :) hm....or possibly New Zealand but they aren't doing to well either.
The funny thing is looking around you wouldn't see any of this as a reality. I wonder when the numbers will start showing through in our real and tangible world? When is the s....gonna hit the ceiling? And what will that look like?
Empty grocery stores? Who knows. All production just comes to a stop? Massive lay offs and job losses? I wonder what the future will look like.
If I had the gift of prophecy I might be able to tell you. May God open our eyes to see and give us wisdom to know what to do.
If any of you reading this have the gift of prophecy feel free to comment what God is telling you about the future of America and the world thanks :)
May God be with you all! :) Grace and peace be with you :)
Major Cities
Been to Seattle, a city in Oregon. It was Ashland though not Portland. Sacramento, San Francisco, Big Sur, L.A., San Diego, Phoenix, Vegas, Salt Lake City, Denver, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Topeka, Lincoln, Omaha, part of South Dakota, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Miami, Honolulu, Juneau, Key West,
What I want to see eventually.....Santa Fe (which did u know is the oldest city in the U.S.) Portland, St. Louis, Boston, Washington D.C., Nashville (cause my mom grew up there a bit), Orlando, and Dallas. woot! :)
God's will be done :)
World major cities I want to see before I die.....
Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, London, Dublin, Paris, Cape Town, Cairo, Jerusalem, Athens, Bali, Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Auckland. :)
Seen Sydney, Cairns, Canberra, Taipei, Calcutta, and Guwahati, India, and Mexicali.
Vacations!
My husband just got a new job where he will work two weeks on and have one week off. And he will be making enough for us to do some fun things and travel. I am so excited!!! Granted I am 5 months pregnant, but I think I can still get around just fine. For the most part I don't even feel like I'm pregnant, which is nice.
So here are my goals:
I am hoping we can drive out to the Guadalupe Mtns. I think they are in New Mexico right by us. That can be our first trip on a week off.
Maybe we will fly to the Grand Canyon and hike around. He has never seen it so that will be cool. I hiked to the bottom after high school with some friends. I don't think we will do quite that much though since I'm pregnant. :)
We might fly to Yellowstone and rent a car to drive around in. I drove through it with my mom and brother and it was really, really cool. I hope we can stay at this hot springs hotel again that we had stayed at. There is a pool there that is like 90 degrees. It was so cool to swim in it. :)
My all time dream has been to see New York, so hopefully we can fly up there at some point before the baby comes. That is the only major city I have not been to in the U.S.
I have been to L.A. of course since I went to college in L.A. county. I've been to San Diego many times since my uncle lives there and my grandma was there. We went to Sacramento for a state youth conference when I was in high school. I had a summer class up by Berkeley and got to drive all over San Francisco when I was there hiking etc. I haven't been to Portland hm....ok so that's another one. I've been Seattle many times. Our ship docked there that I worked on so I got to walk around down town a few times. I got to go up the needle tower thing too. It was $17 just to ride the elevator to the top. I almost didn't do it cause I thought that was too pricey lol.
I've been to Vegas a lot. I have an aunt that lives there and we went every Christmas to see her in a play she would be in at her church when I was in high school. Very cool city for sure. :) Just as cool as it looks in the movies lol :) But not the best place as far as how it influences people I think.
I've been to Miami. My family flew there before a cruise. We played mini golf the day we got off the cruise and I remember thinking to myself, "Wow I would never live here. It is way too humid." I was like sweating constantly. :) I've also been to Honolulu, HI; Sydney; Omaha; Kansas City; Oklahoma City; Lincoln; Salt Lake City; Denver; Topeka; Des Moines....and I think that's it so far.
And just last week I got to see Houston, San Antonio and almost Austin. Eventually we will see Dallas, TX I'm sure. :) I've been to Chicago with my mom. But the four cities that really matter I think are L.A., Chicago, Houston and New York :) Those are the biggest I think. So New York is next on my list. :)
We might do another short cruise before the baby. We just did one to the Bahamas but maybe something closer next time.
Eventually we want to do a cruise around the Hawaiian islands. That has always been a dream of mine too. It was to just do a cruise with someone I love. But also to do the Hawaii cruise with someone I love. Hawaii is very romantic and beautiful for sure. :) The prettiest place in the world I think. :)
A huge dream of mine also is to do a cruise in the Mediterranean that hits Rome, Italy, but that might be more like something we do in the next 5 years.
A cruise around Asia would be cool that goes by Japan and China etc. :) I love, love, love Asia and Asian culture etc. I've been to Taiwan twice and loved everything about that place. :)
Cruising really is the best way to travel. It's the safest and the cheapest. All your food is already paid for. You get to meet tons of new people, especially if you do open seating, so you can always sit by new people at dinner. That was the best part of our last cruise for me. :) I loved meeting and talking to all the new people. We met about 5 different couples over the cruise. It was nice to talk to people about the different jobs they did and life experiences. :) Most of the people we met were Christian also which was really cool. :)
Also you get to be out in the open ocean half of the time which is so cool! I've always been a huge, huge ocean person. So much so that my original goal was to become a Marine Biologist. But I struggled with Chemistry so that didn't pan out sadly. :)
If you get on a big ship you can barely even tell you're on a ship; as in it hardly moves or rocks at all.
The crowds are the only annoying thing but I've heard some ships are better and not as crowded, like the Princess cruises. We went on Carnival and it did seem to be a bit crowded.
My first cruise when I was about 19 was with my mom and step dad and a friend. It was on a Royal Caribbean ship. That was a very nice ship for sure! Very open and spacious. I never felt crowded. And they had a rock climbing wall on the top deck. So cool :)
There is actually a cruise line that has adult only ships. P and O I think it's called. We might check that out next cause kids running like crazy all over the ship can get a bit annoying lol. :)
It's nice that there's always something to do. Every hour of the day you can be somewhere on the ship doing something.
The shore excursions are fun and you feel totally safe and taken care of on them.
We didn't go to a whole lot of shows. By the end of the evening we just wanted to sit in a hot tub and relax which was nice. :)
Cruising is a very neat experience to be sure. I highly recommend you go on one and have some fun. :) You can get cruises as cheap as $250/person for like a 3 night cruise down to Mexico. Totally awesome :) Go cruising man :) lol
After my first cruise I had sooooo many dreams that I was back on a cruise ship. But in my dream they were different, as if I had designed the ultimate cruise ship in my dream or something.
Like one ship had basically a lazy river on the top deck that wound all over the top and there were trees everywhere lol :) There is a ship now that has a garden on board. How cool is that. :)
And they even have one that has a zip line running over the top of the ship. lol the things they think of.
Another ship in my dream had an exquisite bar and dinning room on board. It was probably something I had seen in a movie once. But I woke up thinking, "Wow how cool would that be!" lol
We went on another cruise as a family when I was about 21 and then when I was 25 I worked on two different cruise ships with children. I did one for a month in Mexico and one for 2.5 months in Alaska.
Alaska was pretty cool. The sight when you are docked in Juneau, the capitol, is quite breath taking indeed. There's two huge majestic mountains right in front of you. It looks like a painting. One of them has a waterfall or a type of river running all the way down the middle of it.
When I was off one day in Juneau I went on a little hike by myself and tried hiking up this river going down the mountain thing. I got about half way up the mountain and had to turn back when I would have had to climb a short rock wall that was totally vertical. There was no way around it. But hey at least I can say I made it that far. :)
One of the ports is cruising by a glacier up in Alaska. The coolest thing is hearing the ice break off from the glacier. It sounds like an incredible thunder. I mean huge, huge chunks break off and fall into the ocean. It's pretty crazy.
Alaska is pretty much a rainforest in the summer. I went on a lot of hikes and the forest ground is almost spongy because there is so much rain in the summer there. Everything is just as green as it would be in an Amazon rainforest, but nice and cool. :)
Everyone says it's the cruise they want do before they die, and I got to do it 10 times already lol :) Praise Jesus :) God is so good to me :)
But Hawaii and Mexico are more my type of climate. I was a bit bummed about how cloudy it always was in Alaska. I love the sunshine, and I love snorkeling. :)
Snorkeling is the BEST in Hawaii and I have now gotten to snorkel in Hawaii, the Bahamas and even the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. But Hawaii is the coolest place to snorkel. The white sand beach in Kona, Hawaii is the best in the world as far as I know. I think they call it Turtle Beach, because there are a lot of sea turtles there. :) I followed one around for about an hour when I was snorkeling once. That was pretty funny. :)
It is an amazing place to be sure. :) A place I definitely want to head back to again someday.
I got to live by that beach the whole summer when I was 19 cause I was babysitting my cousins and they live there. Man was I lucky lol.
Every evening when I lived there I took a picture of the sunset over the water too. But then when I got back I was like, "Ah all these pictures look the same." haha ;) Funny how that works out.
I got to drive around the big island one day too with my grandparents. I'm glad I got to do that since my grandma isn't around anymore. We stopped at every waterfall we came across to take pictures. I'm a huge fan of waterfalls. More so than anything else really.
Well and dolphins, river otters, sea otters and penguins. I love anything relating to the water really. I love any animal that can swim. :)
It is pretty cool that I have family in like all the coolest places. I have an uncle who has always lived in Alaska. He is a salmon fisherman among other things. I have an aunt in Vegas and I always thought that was cool. :) I have an uncle in San Diego. I have another uncle in the bay area of Cali. And I have an uncle in Hawaii. All the best places for sure. :) And the majority of my family lives in the OC. :) Sunny southern California with the best weather in the world really. They are so lucky and they don't even realize how lucky they are lol.
I wonder why none of my family ever ventured to New York though hm....maybe cause it's a bit crazy there. I would like to visit but probably never live. I worked in a call center for my last job and my hardest callers were all from New York. :(
My nicest callers were from California, Colorado and Oregon. I have always wanted to live in Colorado. Maybe someday. :)
May the adventures continue! And thank you so much God for blessing me and that I have gotten to do all these things and go to all these places! May you use me to be a witness for you everywhere I go! :) Amen :)
So here are my goals:
I am hoping we can drive out to the Guadalupe Mtns. I think they are in New Mexico right by us. That can be our first trip on a week off.
Maybe we will fly to the Grand Canyon and hike around. He has never seen it so that will be cool. I hiked to the bottom after high school with some friends. I don't think we will do quite that much though since I'm pregnant. :)
We might fly to Yellowstone and rent a car to drive around in. I drove through it with my mom and brother and it was really, really cool. I hope we can stay at this hot springs hotel again that we had stayed at. There is a pool there that is like 90 degrees. It was so cool to swim in it. :)
My all time dream has been to see New York, so hopefully we can fly up there at some point before the baby comes. That is the only major city I have not been to in the U.S.
I have been to L.A. of course since I went to college in L.A. county. I've been to San Diego many times since my uncle lives there and my grandma was there. We went to Sacramento for a state youth conference when I was in high school. I had a summer class up by Berkeley and got to drive all over San Francisco when I was there hiking etc. I haven't been to Portland hm....ok so that's another one. I've been Seattle many times. Our ship docked there that I worked on so I got to walk around down town a few times. I got to go up the needle tower thing too. It was $17 just to ride the elevator to the top. I almost didn't do it cause I thought that was too pricey lol.
I've been to Vegas a lot. I have an aunt that lives there and we went every Christmas to see her in a play she would be in at her church when I was in high school. Very cool city for sure. :) Just as cool as it looks in the movies lol :) But not the best place as far as how it influences people I think.
I've been to Miami. My family flew there before a cruise. We played mini golf the day we got off the cruise and I remember thinking to myself, "Wow I would never live here. It is way too humid." I was like sweating constantly. :) I've also been to Honolulu, HI; Sydney; Omaha; Kansas City; Oklahoma City; Lincoln; Salt Lake City; Denver; Topeka; Des Moines....and I think that's it so far.
And just last week I got to see Houston, San Antonio and almost Austin. Eventually we will see Dallas, TX I'm sure. :) I've been to Chicago with my mom. But the four cities that really matter I think are L.A., Chicago, Houston and New York :) Those are the biggest I think. So New York is next on my list. :)
We might do another short cruise before the baby. We just did one to the Bahamas but maybe something closer next time.
Eventually we want to do a cruise around the Hawaiian islands. That has always been a dream of mine too. It was to just do a cruise with someone I love. But also to do the Hawaii cruise with someone I love. Hawaii is very romantic and beautiful for sure. :) The prettiest place in the world I think. :)
A huge dream of mine also is to do a cruise in the Mediterranean that hits Rome, Italy, but that might be more like something we do in the next 5 years.
A cruise around Asia would be cool that goes by Japan and China etc. :) I love, love, love Asia and Asian culture etc. I've been to Taiwan twice and loved everything about that place. :)
Cruising really is the best way to travel. It's the safest and the cheapest. All your food is already paid for. You get to meet tons of new people, especially if you do open seating, so you can always sit by new people at dinner. That was the best part of our last cruise for me. :) I loved meeting and talking to all the new people. We met about 5 different couples over the cruise. It was nice to talk to people about the different jobs they did and life experiences. :) Most of the people we met were Christian also which was really cool. :)
Also you get to be out in the open ocean half of the time which is so cool! I've always been a huge, huge ocean person. So much so that my original goal was to become a Marine Biologist. But I struggled with Chemistry so that didn't pan out sadly. :)
If you get on a big ship you can barely even tell you're on a ship; as in it hardly moves or rocks at all.
The crowds are the only annoying thing but I've heard some ships are better and not as crowded, like the Princess cruises. We went on Carnival and it did seem to be a bit crowded.
My first cruise when I was about 19 was with my mom and step dad and a friend. It was on a Royal Caribbean ship. That was a very nice ship for sure! Very open and spacious. I never felt crowded. And they had a rock climbing wall on the top deck. So cool :)
There is actually a cruise line that has adult only ships. P and O I think it's called. We might check that out next cause kids running like crazy all over the ship can get a bit annoying lol. :)
It's nice that there's always something to do. Every hour of the day you can be somewhere on the ship doing something.
The shore excursions are fun and you feel totally safe and taken care of on them.
We didn't go to a whole lot of shows. By the end of the evening we just wanted to sit in a hot tub and relax which was nice. :)
Cruising is a very neat experience to be sure. I highly recommend you go on one and have some fun. :) You can get cruises as cheap as $250/person for like a 3 night cruise down to Mexico. Totally awesome :) Go cruising man :) lol
After my first cruise I had sooooo many dreams that I was back on a cruise ship. But in my dream they were different, as if I had designed the ultimate cruise ship in my dream or something.
Like one ship had basically a lazy river on the top deck that wound all over the top and there were trees everywhere lol :) There is a ship now that has a garden on board. How cool is that. :)
And they even have one that has a zip line running over the top of the ship. lol the things they think of.
Another ship in my dream had an exquisite bar and dinning room on board. It was probably something I had seen in a movie once. But I woke up thinking, "Wow how cool would that be!" lol
We went on another cruise as a family when I was about 21 and then when I was 25 I worked on two different cruise ships with children. I did one for a month in Mexico and one for 2.5 months in Alaska.
Alaska was pretty cool. The sight when you are docked in Juneau, the capitol, is quite breath taking indeed. There's two huge majestic mountains right in front of you. It looks like a painting. One of them has a waterfall or a type of river running all the way down the middle of it.
When I was off one day in Juneau I went on a little hike by myself and tried hiking up this river going down the mountain thing. I got about half way up the mountain and had to turn back when I would have had to climb a short rock wall that was totally vertical. There was no way around it. But hey at least I can say I made it that far. :)
One of the ports is cruising by a glacier up in Alaska. The coolest thing is hearing the ice break off from the glacier. It sounds like an incredible thunder. I mean huge, huge chunks break off and fall into the ocean. It's pretty crazy.
Alaska is pretty much a rainforest in the summer. I went on a lot of hikes and the forest ground is almost spongy because there is so much rain in the summer there. Everything is just as green as it would be in an Amazon rainforest, but nice and cool. :)
Everyone says it's the cruise they want do before they die, and I got to do it 10 times already lol :) Praise Jesus :) God is so good to me :)
But Hawaii and Mexico are more my type of climate. I was a bit bummed about how cloudy it always was in Alaska. I love the sunshine, and I love snorkeling. :)
Snorkeling is the BEST in Hawaii and I have now gotten to snorkel in Hawaii, the Bahamas and even the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. But Hawaii is the coolest place to snorkel. The white sand beach in Kona, Hawaii is the best in the world as far as I know. I think they call it Turtle Beach, because there are a lot of sea turtles there. :) I followed one around for about an hour when I was snorkeling once. That was pretty funny. :)
It is an amazing place to be sure. :) A place I definitely want to head back to again someday.
I got to live by that beach the whole summer when I was 19 cause I was babysitting my cousins and they live there. Man was I lucky lol.
Every evening when I lived there I took a picture of the sunset over the water too. But then when I got back I was like, "Ah all these pictures look the same." haha ;) Funny how that works out.
I got to drive around the big island one day too with my grandparents. I'm glad I got to do that since my grandma isn't around anymore. We stopped at every waterfall we came across to take pictures. I'm a huge fan of waterfalls. More so than anything else really.
Well and dolphins, river otters, sea otters and penguins. I love anything relating to the water really. I love any animal that can swim. :)
It is pretty cool that I have family in like all the coolest places. I have an uncle who has always lived in Alaska. He is a salmon fisherman among other things. I have an aunt in Vegas and I always thought that was cool. :) I have an uncle in San Diego. I have another uncle in the bay area of Cali. And I have an uncle in Hawaii. All the best places for sure. :) And the majority of my family lives in the OC. :) Sunny southern California with the best weather in the world really. They are so lucky and they don't even realize how lucky they are lol.
I wonder why none of my family ever ventured to New York though hm....maybe cause it's a bit crazy there. I would like to visit but probably never live. I worked in a call center for my last job and my hardest callers were all from New York. :(
My nicest callers were from California, Colorado and Oregon. I have always wanted to live in Colorado. Maybe someday. :)
May the adventures continue! And thank you so much God for blessing me and that I have gotten to do all these things and go to all these places! May you use me to be a witness for you everywhere I go! :) Amen :)
Advice on Marriage
This part of the article was originally written to help people deal with difficult co-workers, but they are great principles to use in marriage as well! :)
A really funny quote from Socrates I believe about marriage; "By all means get married. If you marry a good wife it will make you happy. If you marry a bad wife it will make you a philosopher." lol :) Meaning either way it benefits us. Either it improves our life or it makes us wiser, or it is a combination of both for most people. :)https://www1.cfnc.org/Home/Article.aspx?articleId=2olOzsjjUHXvsyKkZVf1DgXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX&level=3XAP2FPAX6J7I3kztATGuYyXAP2BPAXDahIQXAP3DPAXXAP3DPAX
"Always accept people as they are. Don't try to change them or expect them to change on their own; it won't work!"
How many times do spouses try to change each other oh my goodness. lol :) But we can't change people, only God can.
However, I love how Cloud and Townsend, who wrote Boundaries, say though that we can change people somewhat by changing how we react to them.
If you start laying down conditional statements such as, "I will leave the room or the house if you continue to yell like that." And if you follow through when you say things like that, it just might change the person. They won't change until it affects them, until what you are doing affects them. This is called setting Boundaries with people, not letting them do whatever they want or treat you however they want to. It's important that you communicate this though rather than just leave because that might make them more angry. :)
So we are to accept our spouse to an extent, unless they are damaging our mental, emotional or spiritual health, and of course our physical health.
"Ask yourself if you're dealing with a difficult person or a difficult situation."
So is your spouse just being difficult or is there a reason he/she is being difficult? Usually there is a trigger, something that set them off.
I saw a great picture once when I was working in mental health of an ice berg; the trainer was explaining that all we see on people is the tip of the ice berg, but under the water there are all kinds of other things going on. Inside of people there is way more going on than we realize.
When I used to cashier and work in customer service if I ever encountered a difficult customer I would always want to ask, "How are things at home with you? How is your personal life?" But of course that wasn't my job to ask that. I was not a counselor, just a cashier lol. But there is always a reason for people acting difficult. Someone may have hurt them and made them angry or they are trying to do too much and so are stressed. There is always a reason. If you can get to the root of what the issue is, rather than looking at the symptoms, you might be able to solve the problem and so relieve the symptoms.
"Staying in control of your emotions is a sign of strength and self-discipline, so do it."
Anytime I have had to work with kids I have had to MASTER this. Kids can see right through you. They can see every emotion you're feeling even if you don't realize they see it. They do.
In order to maintain control in any situation you have to have self-control of your emotions. I love the quote, "We become controlling when we have lost control." You can have control without being controlling. How? By staying self-controlled then you can control, for the most part, what goes on around you. Forget trying to control others or the situation, focus on trying to control yourself first.
If you let your emotions get the best of you, you have lost control and most likely have lost respect of those around you. So focus on yourself and self-control and you will win the respect of anyone you come in contact with. That is a missing law of power really in the book 48 Laws of Power; Control Your Emotions.
"Distance yourself from the person by taking a walk or a time out if you need to regroup."
If you are in an argument with your spouse, usually it is futile to try to continue to talk once both of your emotions have been hurt. You need to take a time out. What do we do with kids when they get over emotional? Give them a time out right? That is what we need to do with ourselves when we come into conflict with anyone; take a time out. Step away, get away, clear your head. And then talk again once you are both cooled off. Trying to talk and reason with someone when angry is like trying to solve a complex math problem while you are drunk. It won't work. Your brain just isn't working correctly when you are angry. Anger clouds your judgment and you will just say a million things you will later regret saying. So get alone, go ride a bike, go for a run when you are angry, and talk again once you are calmed down.
"Don't sweep things under the rug. Open communication begins with getting things out in the open and not having them bottled up."
How many marriages end in divorce for this reason? The couple NEVER talks about anything and as a result, the love dies. When people say, "We just fell out of love." Yeah it's because you stopped talking to each other and hanging out with each other, that's how that happened.
Think of when you began and you were dating, you spent tons of time together and talked a lot yeah? That is how you "fell in love" yes? Then you got married, and he just watched TV and she always was out shopping or doing whatever and what happens? The two who were in love then become strangers. They don't know each other anymore and how can they if they never talk anymore? They both stopped giving any effort to keeping the love alive.
I heard once that we all have our jobs, but marriage is to be viewed at as our part time job. And God is our boss. :) Like it? Yes God cares about how we are with our spouses. He cares about how much we try to make them happy. He gave this person to us as a gift and he is watching to see if we are a good steward of what he gave us.
So be a good steward and spend time with your spouse. Invest in each other. Do things that would make them happy.
There is a book called the Love Dare. Buy that and try some of the things in it for suggestions. Don't stop talking to each other. Don't let the TV take over your marriage. Date like you did at the beginning and you will never "fall out of love." Amen? Amen :)
And if we are faithful in the small things God will bless us with bigger things. :)
"Be clear, honest and decisive with each other."
How often do people play games in marriage and relationships? Women especially are guilty of this, but men can do it too also in being sarcastic. That is a way of beating around the bush. You are angry but don't want to say you are. You want to talk about something but you bring it up indirectly through sarcasm. Better to just say how you feel, clearly, so the problem can get resolved.
And ladies, don't expect him to read your mind. If you need something, tell him. If you are hurt about something, tell him what it is and why and that hurt you.
When things are kept secret that is when bitterness and resentment start to fester. That is when Satan starts to work. He loves things that are kept in the darkness. But bring it into the light.
If you think about it, it only really affects YOU when you are angry about something but won't talk about it. It eats you up inside, gives you headaches, makes you tense.
Holding a grudge against that person does nothing to them, despite the lies Satan feeds you that it is in some way hurting them. It's not. They may have no idea that you have this inner turmoil and suffering going on. And how can they know if you don't tell them? Be honest with your spouse. Share whatever is on your heart. Forgive, let go, and be totally open. And move past it.
Amen. I often think of the part of 1 Cor. 13 "Love keeps no record of wrongs." But HOW OFTEN do we do just that? We remember every mean thing that was ever said to us by someone and bring it up in every argument with them.
My husband and I just got to go a cruise, kind of a delayed honeymoon thing, thanks mom! :) And there was this show on there, "The Game of Love." A guy who had been married 48 years advised the guy who had just gotten married, "If she tries to fight with you don't fight back, because she will remember EVERYTHING you say." haha and isn't that the truth. :) Common women you know you do.
But if we want to have success in our marriages we need to look at the future, not the past. The funny thing about the past is, you can't do ANYTHING about it, right? If they already said they were sorry for that one thing, quit bringing it up. Makes sense yeah? I have failed on this many times though myself. It is hard to not hold onto things. It's hard to forgive and actually let things go, to actually forget about them. But God removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. He never brings them up again. If he seems to that is Satan doing that, bringing up our old sins, not God. Once we have confessed something, it's gone! Praise Jesus! :) So why can't we do the same with each other?
Our flesh. That is the answer. We are constantly warring against the flesh and spirit. If you feed the spirit you will be able to walk in the spirit better. But if you feed the flesh, by dwelling on ways people have hurt you, you will walk in the flesh a lot easier, sadly. So the choice is yours. Will you walk in the Spirit and fix your eyes on the future? Or will you follow your flesh and keep bringing up the past? May God be with us in this. :) Amen :)
(man I wish I could publish all this in a book someday. Someday....lol I just might be the author of relationship and spiritual growth books who knows :) God's will be done.)
Of course marriage requires a lot of compromise. If you really love someone, their opinion will matter to you. You are a team, so communicate and act like a team. If you want something done or you want to do something, try to say why you do and help the other person understand.
This was the best rule I heard of from the author of the Love and Respect books. Believe that your spouse has good intentions at all times. Once you start to think that they are out to get you or that they don't really care, you have lost the battle in your mind and a fight with that person is inevitable. Don't go there in your mind. Always believe that they do care, even if they don't always act like it. Granted sometimes they will only care about themselves because we are all fallen, depraved human beings, but for the most part, they do care about you because they love you.
I love the quote, "The best thing you can do for your spouse is grow in your relationship with God." And isn't that true? God is our source of love. The more we are connected to God, the better we will be able to love our spouse and anyone we know. The more we are in tune with God, the more we will be able to see things positively and with hope.
Another good quote is, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Also, "Do not give the key to your happiness to other people." If we are letting someone else bring us down, it is because we are LETTING them.
No one can have power over you unless you let them have power over you. That is a good rule to remember in any situation with anyone. We choose to give people the power to make us feel ashamed or embarrassed or anything like that. It is all in the mind.
If we focus on what God thinks of us rather than what others think of us, we will generally have more success in life and relationships.
God says we are valuable and loved and cherished. Therefore, it doesn't matter what other people say or think. Why would an ant's opinion matter in comparison with the God of the universe? It doesn't. Fear God, not man. "Fear of man proves to be a snare" but "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Amen? Don't let others have power over you. God is your master and Lord, not other people.
Something to think about, if you do let people have power over you or if you allow them to control you, they have become an idol for you. They have become your god.
(dramatic music please lol :)
I love the concept that if we respect others, they will respect us. This is almost always true. The only reason someone might not be respecting us is because we first did not respect them. Or it might be that someone else did not respect them so then they do not show us respect. That happens too. But generally if we are kind to others, they will be kind to us.
If we disrespect our spouse or anyone, we are only giving them ammunition, as in we are only starting a war. Disrespect breeds disrespect. We can't sow disrespect and expect to not reap disrespect in return. "Do to others as you would have them do unto you." Why? Because they will probably do to you as you do to them.
So treat your spouse or others with respect and they, most likely, will respect you back. :)
Yes, there is nothing that relieves tension better than humor. Poking fun at each other can help if it is said with a smile. Guys have this mastered. If you ever see guys interact they are making fun of each other all the time, but as long as everything is said with a smile it is ok.
Why do they do this? To make each other less sensitive I suppose. Women could probably learn from this practice. But that is why women are generally more sensitive and take things more personally because we don't do this. We don't learn to take ourselves with a grain of salt. We all need to learn to not take ourselves too seriously. We need to learn to laugh at ourselves more. :)
May God be with you! Peace to you :)
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