This blog will once again soon turn into my travel blog. In 48 hours, I will be on my way to Athens!
Although I know the trip is coming up on an intellectual level, I’m not sure it has truly hit me that I’m leaving for a few.
This week has been a blur of running errands and putting stuff to the side. Yesterday, I went to seven stores looking for skirts to take on the trip, but came home empty handed and late. On Monday, I went to Target to get the stuff I was supposed to get last weekend. I ended up going to REI and spending way more than I planned, but hey, I’m investing in my traveling future.
The thing is that I’m not quite sure what to expect on this vacation. Normally, I have some inclination, but this year – nada. I suppose that could be good.
I am looking forward to going to the Island of Patmos and to Ephesus. I’m looking forward to trying some Belgium fries. I am looking forward to just walking aimlessly around Amsterdam.
This work week has flown by so fast. I feel like I blinked and it was over. Hopefully, my vacation won’t go by as fast!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Life or Death
This article was written for my Editor's Section of the PCC Scroll (my church newsletter).
As much as it pains me to confess this, I tend to flirt with danger and judge how close to the edge I can get without tumbling over. I am one of those people who like to dally with the slippery slopes Pastor talks about. Our poor Pastor has to deal with me dangling near the edge, occasionally. Pray for him! My most recent near escapade could have landed me in a heap of trouble, but I came to myself just in time.
These escapades normally deal with people and situations that God keeps telling me are finished. These are things that God kept me from even when I didn’t want to be kept from them. The doors I try to reopen are full of unhealthy drama that could send me back at least ten years. The question is how long will I linger and look back, like Lot’s wife, on things or people God keeps telling me are not for me.
I am not even sure where some of my bright ideas come from. Things just occur to me from time to time. As James 1:4 says, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
The “It is finished,” in James is a far cry from the “It is finished,” uttered by Christ on the Cross. I choose to press toward the latter. When faced with the choice of life or death, I choose life.
My goal for this quarter is to heed Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13-14. Paul wrote, “…forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
I don’t really mind telling on myself, and I don’t mind God’s chastisement of me. I would rather be honest and end up doing the right thing than hide and continue to attempt to open doors that God has slammed shut.
I am glad that God has His Hand on me, and I am able to come to myself and recognize the behavior. If I leave the wrong doors closed, the right door will open for me, and I will be in a place to walk through it.
In this issue, our theme is around completion and closure. In short, “It is finished.” It is time for us to all realize what is truly finished and truly leave it behind us. There is no point in lingering and wondering about what could have been. It is time to stop wandering in the wilderness and move into our promise. “It is finished.”
As much as it pains me to confess this, I tend to flirt with danger and judge how close to the edge I can get without tumbling over. I am one of those people who like to dally with the slippery slopes Pastor talks about. Our poor Pastor has to deal with me dangling near the edge, occasionally. Pray for him! My most recent near escapade could have landed me in a heap of trouble, but I came to myself just in time.
These escapades normally deal with people and situations that God keeps telling me are finished. These are things that God kept me from even when I didn’t want to be kept from them. The doors I try to reopen are full of unhealthy drama that could send me back at least ten years. The question is how long will I linger and look back, like Lot’s wife, on things or people God keeps telling me are not for me.
I am not even sure where some of my bright ideas come from. Things just occur to me from time to time. As James 1:4 says, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
The “It is finished,” in James is a far cry from the “It is finished,” uttered by Christ on the Cross. I choose to press toward the latter. When faced with the choice of life or death, I choose life.
My goal for this quarter is to heed Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13-14. Paul wrote, “…forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
I don’t really mind telling on myself, and I don’t mind God’s chastisement of me. I would rather be honest and end up doing the right thing than hide and continue to attempt to open doors that God has slammed shut.
I am glad that God has His Hand on me, and I am able to come to myself and recognize the behavior. If I leave the wrong doors closed, the right door will open for me, and I will be in a place to walk through it.
In this issue, our theme is around completion and closure. In short, “It is finished.” It is time for us to all realize what is truly finished and truly leave it behind us. There is no point in lingering and wondering about what could have been. It is time to stop wandering in the wilderness and move into our promise. “It is finished.”
Theories
I find conspiracy theories very interesting. Sometimes, the theories are so complex and interwoven that they make my head spin. At some point in time, the theories are more of mass hysteria and paranoia.
While I hate to be the one paranoid, sometimes I feel like there is something going on that I am missing. The secret looks and covert meetings make me feel like there was some secret handshake I missed learning, and now I am not part of the in crowd.
An ex-worker, who by the way un-friend-ed me on Facebook, had this saying along the lines that just because he was paranoid didn’t mean that people weren’t talking about him behind his back.
What I am really talking about is gauging and understanding the signs of the times. I feel like there is an obvious message in the atmosphere that is ringing out in Morris Code. It’s like all the times the Bible says let him who have an ear, hear.
It’s so easy to miss the boat because one is in total oblivion of the season.
While I hate to be the one paranoid, sometimes I feel like there is something going on that I am missing. The secret looks and covert meetings make me feel like there was some secret handshake I missed learning, and now I am not part of the in crowd.
An ex-worker, who by the way un-friend-ed me on Facebook, had this saying along the lines that just because he was paranoid didn’t mean that people weren’t talking about him behind his back.
What I am really talking about is gauging and understanding the signs of the times. I feel like there is an obvious message in the atmosphere that is ringing out in Morris Code. It’s like all the times the Bible says let him who have an ear, hear.
It’s so easy to miss the boat because one is in total oblivion of the season.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Plan B
So, I was unable to get into the Turkey tour. It would have made my life so much easier if I had. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that I will end up where I need to be.
With that said, I am happy to report the following. I will begin my vacation in Greece for a week. I’m very excited. It will be nice weather, and it’s a country I’ve always wanted to go. From there, I will spend the next week split between Belgium and the Netherlands. At first, I was just going to spend a week in Amsterdam and take day trips from there. Then, I decided to go to Belgium after waking up longing for Belgium waffles and Belgium chocolates. In truth, my hesitation in going to Belgium was laziness. I have already booked a ticket from Athens to Amsterdam. I either have to change the ticket to fly into Brussels or take a train from Amsterdam to Brugge the day I land. Since I am flying out of Amsterdam home, it made more sense to end there. When I booked my ticket, I really wasn’t sure what I would be doing.
This trip is a reminder that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Things just haven’t been well thought out but again, things have a way of working out!
With that said, I am happy to report the following. I will begin my vacation in Greece for a week. I’m very excited. It will be nice weather, and it’s a country I’ve always wanted to go. From there, I will spend the next week split between Belgium and the Netherlands. At first, I was just going to spend a week in Amsterdam and take day trips from there. Then, I decided to go to Belgium after waking up longing for Belgium waffles and Belgium chocolates. In truth, my hesitation in going to Belgium was laziness. I have already booked a ticket from Athens to Amsterdam. I either have to change the ticket to fly into Brussels or take a train from Amsterdam to Brugge the day I land. Since I am flying out of Amsterdam home, it made more sense to end there. When I booked my ticket, I really wasn’t sure what I would be doing.
This trip is a reminder that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Things just haven’t been well thought out but again, things have a way of working out!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The Days of My Life
If I knew how much time I had left, it would be easier to plan everything I wanted to do in the allotted time. When I say time left, I mean that in several ways. One is the obvious. One day I will die, and I hope to have accomplished my goals by then. I hope to be old and gray and surrounded by friends and family, but that’s my plan not God’s plan. Right now, I have the full use of my faculties. When I plan to be healthful and mobile for the rest of my days…well, let’s just pray that’s how it goes. Right now, I’m single with no kids. So I can pretty much come and go as I please. When I have a family, I have to consider that in my planning.
Now, if I had to picture my life, I would picture myself married to my “soul mate” that also enjoys traveling. Most of the time, it’s just me and him, and we are free to take yearly trips to far-away, exotic places. I picture one trip a year. Then, sometimes I picture myself as a stay-at-home mom raising a couple of kids with my house being the neighborhood favorite for the kids. In which case, foreign travel may be put off until the kids are older.
So my buck list:
Places to Go:
Egypt
Israel
Spain
Morocco
Greece
Turkey
Australia
Argentina
Who Am I Kidding? I want to go everywhere.
Things to Do:
Write a Book
Take a photography class
Go whale watching
Ride the Duck
Go on a horse and buggy ride during the winter with some hot chocolate
Find a place to volunteer
I like this list because it’s simple and achievable.
Now, if I had to picture my life, I would picture myself married to my “soul mate” that also enjoys traveling. Most of the time, it’s just me and him, and we are free to take yearly trips to far-away, exotic places. I picture one trip a year. Then, sometimes I picture myself as a stay-at-home mom raising a couple of kids with my house being the neighborhood favorite for the kids. In which case, foreign travel may be put off until the kids are older.
So my buck list:
Places to Go:
Egypt
Israel
Spain
Morocco
Greece
Turkey
Australia
Argentina
Who Am I Kidding? I want to go everywhere.
Things to Do:
Write a Book
Take a photography class
Go whale watching
Ride the Duck
Go on a horse and buggy ride during the winter with some hot chocolate
Find a place to volunteer
I like this list because it’s simple and achievable.
And the Winner Is...
In regards to planning my vacation, I have been all over the place!
Originally, I was going to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Then, I was going to Greece and Turkey. Then I was going to Israel and Egypt. I was really fixated on the latter, but prices were over what I had saved.
So, hopefully, fingers crossed, I will be vacating in Greece and Turkey the last two weeks of October!
I hope to report back on Friday, that everything has been checked off, and I will just be waiting impatiently for the day to get here.
Keep in mind that last year I had my August vacation planned and booked in April, so this year was kind of stressful.
Originally, I was going to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. Then, I was going to Greece and Turkey. Then I was going to Israel and Egypt. I was really fixated on the latter, but prices were over what I had saved.
So, hopefully, fingers crossed, I will be vacating in Greece and Turkey the last two weeks of October!
I hope to report back on Friday, that everything has been checked off, and I will just be waiting impatiently for the day to get here.
Keep in mind that last year I had my August vacation planned and booked in April, so this year was kind of stressful.
Shame! Shame! Shame!
I am very behind in my blog! I’ve been so preoccupied as of late. Work has been hectic. Life has been hectic. I’m working on the church newsletter. I’m planning a vacation. It’s already the end of the month, but I have written no September entries. Shame. Shame. Shame!!!
I am supposed to average once a week, so I need to make up for lost time. Stay tuned
I am supposed to average once a week, so I need to make up for lost time. Stay tuned
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