Lessons learned

Some lessons are swifter and harder to learn than others. I learned a very valuable lesson this past weekend. Never take anything for granted. I unwisely left my car unlocked Saturday night and ended up losing my wallet and camera to thieves. One doesn't realize what you keep in your wallet until you have to start hunting numbers down to call and cancel and/or to call and report a theft. The thing that hurts the most was not the $$ but the camera. On that camera I had pictures of friends and maybe even family (not sure what I had or had not downloaded to the computer) - those are the priceless memories that can't be replaced. All other items can be replaced - the cards, the $, and even the camera itself but not the pictures. So you ask yourself....What did I learn? Well I learned:

• ALWAYS lock the car doors even when in your own driveway
• keep a record of all numbers and items in wallet
• keep serial numbers of electronic devices
• as silly as it seems - back that camera up on a weekly/daily basis

Material things can be replaced. I thank GOD that whoever decided to rob my car decided to just do my car and not the house. I was in the house and as selfish as it sounds could have been hurt.

The following verse has gotten me thru this and I hope in can help some of you:

Don't seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people. "Love your neighbor as yourself. I am God.” Leviticus 19:18 MSG

This is of course harder to do than what it seems, but I am thankful that I wasn't hurt, my dog wasn't hurt, and my car wasn't damaged - my pride however and sense of safety were compromised but I know that God will see me thru this.

In him I must trust completely (and of course the police who are investigating the crime) :)

David confirms this way of looking at it, saying that the one who trusts God to do the putting-everything-right without insisting on having a say in it is one fortunate man: Fortunate those whose crimes are carted off, whose sins are wiped clean from the slate. Fortunate the person against whom the Lord does not keep score. Do you think for a minute that this blessing is only pronounced over those of us who keep our religious ways and are circumcised? Or do you think it possible that the blessing could be given to those who never even heard of our ways, who were never brought up in the disciplines of God? We all agree, don't we, that it was by embracing what God did for him that Abraham was declared fit before God? (Romans 4:5 - 7 MSG)

Please learn from my mistakes and remember to trust in God completely in all areas of your life!!!

Summer vacation

Woohoo to summer vacation!!! Three days into vacation and already I've become a night owl!! I am so excited for the upcoming 10 weeks. Just a few of the things I have planned:

• clean (instead of Spring cleaning it will be Summer cleaning)
• hanging with friends
• visiting the VA beach/DC area
• hitting up one of my Bucket list places: Charleston, SC - got the trip booked already!! I can't wait
• going to NKOTBSB on July 23 with the girls - bring on the boy bands
• some fun in the sun at the pool with various friends
• READING for pleasure - I have over 900 books on my Kindle - if I don't answer I am lost in a book!!!
• spending some quality time with my Bible
• spending time with the family
• cookouts with friends

What I won't be doing:

• spending a lot of $$$
• doing school work every night
• reading required books
• getting up at 5:15 am every morning and going to bed between 10 and 11 pm

For all of my fellow teacher friends - Have a great summer!!! What do you have on your plans for the summer??

Friendship

Friendship - what does it mean to you? To me it means someone that I can talk to, someone with whom I can share anything with and know that it will go no where. It is someone who will listen, give advice, and always be there for me. To me a friend is more like a family member. It is NOT someone who will drop friends because of who they are dating or who they have married. I have a tendency to over analyze actions and words done or said to me by my friends. Recently I have had friends who have backed slowly out of my life - it hurts - to me it is like losing a loved one. In fact I feel like I have lost a loved one. The sad thing is I don't think that either one of these friends realize what they have done or how they have made me feel. All I can say is that we need to cherish our friends - we've chosen them for a reason - go out there and let your friends know that you love them and that you are there for them. Show them why you are their friends. My friends are beautiful people on the inside and the outside. I hope that you realize how special you are to me and that no matter what I will be there for you. A friend recently posted that when one door closes another door opens - I believe that - for those friends who have closed that door I believe that there is an even better friend out there waiting for the door to be opened.