Bloom Where You're Planted

Topic of the day.....satisfaction with where you live.  :)

Something I've noticed about people is that you always want what you don't have.  I am definitely one of those people, as are the majority of the human race.  Whenever we go on vacation, and talk to people who live and work in the place we are vacationing, they are always saying how they dream and wish about living somewhere else.  And I sit there looking at them like they are INSANE because I go to where they live for a VACATION.

Example.  Last year, my family went on vacation to Sanibel Island, off the coast of FL.  BEAUTIFUL island, AMAZING place.  I would give ANYTHING to live there, and would move there in a heartbeat.  We were talking to a boy who worked in one of the stores we went to, and my dad was just making small talk with him, asking him how he liked living on the island.  The guy confessed that he didn't like it and was very sick of living in such a small place.  He told us that he wanted to go to college up in Jacksonville (I think) and live in the city.  I'm like, "DUDE!!! SERIOUSLY!?!!  The beach is literally across the street!! This place is EPIC, it has great food, nice people, an awesome atmosphere and it's just so beautiful!! Why would you want to give this up to go live in the CITY of all places??? NO NO NO NO!"

Another example.  A few weeks ago, we went to northern FL to visit a big antique show (and meet Savanna's family!!!)  Just minutes before seeing Savanna for the first time, my dad, sister and I walked from our hotel to the small Hess gas station nearby, to buy some snacks and drinks for our hotel room.  We were talking to the cashier, a nice young girl, and she was just asking us where we were from, and if we were enjoying our stay so far at the hotel across the street.  We politely told her where we were from and how much we were loving the weather, scenery and atmosphere of the city we were in.  She told us that she was tired of it and wanted to move to Orlando, where she used to live.  She said it was "too in the sticks" and that she craved city life. Again, I was thinking, "WHAT?? How can you NOT like this??? The weather is beautiful, the people are so nice, the nature is amazing, and you want to go to the CITY??? WHAT?? WHY???"

Once returning from both those vacations (and many others), I always find myself on the other side of that equation.  I always dream about leaving where I live in the city to move to someplace far off, where you can own land and animals and just have SPACE.  I find myself dreaming about living in a pretty little house on the beach, having a desk set up by a window overlooking the ocean, and doing all my writing/editing from there.  I always find myself wishing and praying that by some miracle we would be able to get up and move, buy some land and start a farm, or enjoy some peace and quiet in a tiny community where everyone knows each other and everyone is nice to one another.

But then I remember what my mother always tells me in situations like this.....God put us where he did for a reason.  You never know who you're going to touch by a small action you make in your community.  Sometimes I hate where I live...I can find tons of faults.  There's too much crime, too many annoying/rude kids on our street (we live near two public schools...elementary and middle), there's too much traffic, too many accidents, the stores are too busy, the people are rude, no one speaks english.....
But I forget how awesome my city is.  My dad works for our city, and I know a lot of the people who make our city work and run.  I know the City Manager, many commissioners, the HR Director (My Daddy! ;D), people in Marketing, the Fire Chief, many fire-fighters, several police-people, people in finance, aquatics, community relations, the lady who runs the help desk, the people who work in the mailroom, and many more!!!  The ladies in my dad's office are like a second family to me and my sister, and many others in the city are such wonderful people, who are blessings to us all, and many don't even realize what they do to make our city what it is!

We have fabulous fire-fighters and police-people for crime and accidents, which happen ANYWHERE anyway.  I know people who work at our local Publix, Wal-Mart, CVS, 7-11 and more.  They are all good people too.  I am proud of my city...of my COMMUNITY, even though it sometimes makes me frustrated.  Of course I dream of living somewhere else....we all do.

Now I shall pull a Yoda quote to prove my point...
"Many years, this one I have watched.  As he looked away, to the future, never his mind on where he was.  What he was doing!"
If you don't speak Star Wars....essentially that means that Yoda watched as Luke spent his whole childhood growing up wishing he were somewhere else, and not embracing where he was when he was there.  Don't do that.  Don't spend your life wishing you were someone else, living somewhere else, or doing something else.  Be yourself, and enjoy life.  Enjoy the here and now, and embrace your city/town/community.  Even if your closest neighbor is five miles away, or you only see your friends once a week.  Make the connections, and don't spend your entire life wishing you were somewhere else.

This has been on my heart lately, because I have been struggling with this.  After coming home from our latest trip to north FL, I wanted to move there SO BAD.  I still do.  And before you ask, no it's not just because Savanna lives up there....though that does help.  ;)  I loved the atmosphere, the people, the stores, the food, the "take it easy" and "slow down" sort of attitude it had.  I didn't feel rushed, I didn't feel like I was moving at superspeed, I felt at peace and relaxed.  As soon as we got home though, I was rushing off to orchestra, and the next day I did school all day, took my sister to piano, did more school, took two tests, and got sick.  I felt like everything that I loved so much while on vacation disappeared when I returned home, and I looked for anything and everything to blame all that emotion on.  I was mad at our city, and how crowded and busy it was, I was mad at the crime, for waking me up at 3am with sirens, and at all the annoying drivers on the roads for making my mom and dad tense in the car over traffic.  Everything went back to normal.....no one (mainly my mom) was as easy going and carefree as we were when we were on vacation, and I was utterly disappointed in that.

Now though, two weeks being home, I am realizing that when the sirens wake me up at 3am, that means that our amazing men and women who work every day to save lives and protect us, are just doing their jobs.  And the annoying drivers will eventually get what's coming to them, and I pray for the safety of others, who DO obey the rules of the road.  When our city is crowded and busy, it is good economically and promotes good commerce for us.  Sometimes we have to change our perspective and see that maybe things aren't so bad after all.

I hope you enjoyed another "inspirational" by me. ;)  More of these to come soon.

Happy Valentine's Day!

“"I’m looking for qualities beyond the physical" ~Dr. Erskine in Captain America

A common misconception in my generation and especially among girls is that if you see a boy, who is physically attractive, and you look at him, even for a moment, you are automatically in love. 

Well guess what?  I am firmly against this.  It annoys me to no end when people do this.  First of all, I am only fifteen, way too young to be dating or even looking at boys that way.  Second, if it’s for fun and just joking…so be it, that’s cool, just don’t make it serious. 

It seems like I am constantly picking at my IRL (in “real life”) friends…but this gets me often.  Okay, so allow me to set the scene. 

I am at P.E. group, where there are about five or six other girls (including me) and about twelve to fifteen other guys.  A few of those guys happen to be fairly attractive.  They’re athletic and are honestly pretty cute.  Just because I look at them, or notice that they exist, or remember their name does NOT mean that I am in love with them, or have a crush on them or am planning my wedding to him.  Because the physical attractiveness (though a bonus) is not what matters to me.  I am not looking for a hot guy to date or marry….that’s not what‘s important.  I want a good man as my boyfriend/husband. 

I think this is why I am attracted to the fictional character of Steve Rogers.  He is a GOOD MAN.  Yes, he’s incredibly physically attractive, but that’s a bonus.  I liked “skinny” Steve….before he became Captain America.  I like his heart.  He has a good heart; he cares for others and thinks of them before himself. He respects women and his friends, and himself.  He is humble.  He is kind. 

I want my husband to be like Steve Rogers.  I want a man who has a strong heart for God, and a firm foundation in his faith.  I want a man who will tell me the truth, and also what I want to hear.  I want a man who will love me for me, not because I am a super skinny lingerie model, or have a big butt or large chest or anything like that.  I want a guy who will geek out with me, get excited over Star Wars and Super Heroes, and who speaks my language.  I want someone who knows my heart and is my best friend.  I want someone who agrees with me politically and morally, and holds the same values I do.  Someone who will want to homeschool.  Someone who will stand by me when the going gets tough.  Someone to laugh with, and who won’t be ashamed if we’re a tad bit insane.  Someone who is humble, and sweet, and loving and smart and loyal and faithful and strong.  Someone who has a good heart.

(yes, that is a steve rogers valentine, made for me by my awesome friend chris!! thanks chris!! :D) 

And I know he is out there.  God has designed that perfect someone for me.  I will wait until he arrives, patiently and mooning over fictional men in the meantime.  But I will wait.  I know that everything happens in God’s perfect time, and that when it is HIS time, things will go according to HIS plan.  ;)

So who else hates it that people of the opposite gender can’t just be friends?!  Who thinks that it’s as annoying as heck when people make a big deal about the stupidest, smallest things that have to do with a boy? 

I do.  I don’t mind if we’re just playing around, but sometimes it just is really annoying, ya know?  I mean….just because I think someone is cute, or is nice, or I remember their name, or I say hi to them doesn’t mean that I automatically “Like-like” that person.  It’s a common misconception among teenage girls…..which is something I really don’t get. 

My mom has pointed out to me that I have no problem being social with people who have common interests as me.  It’s true.  I can talk to a total stranger about Star Wars or Avengers or The Clone Wars, but if there is no common interest, I get pretty awkward.  :P  So if I am awkward around a guy my age, it’s not because I’m madly in love with him and shy to say anything, it’s because I have no clue how to act in front of him or what to say without sounding like a total idiot because there is no common interest. 

One more thing that I need to get off my chest is that this fact about girls and guys not being able to be friends over the age of ten without it being romantic is true even for internet friendships.  I am friends with a few awesome guys, all really nice and cool, who I talk to often.  We’ll tweet back and forth, email sometimes, and even chat over Skype.  But as soon as my IRL friends (and even my family before I threatened them with my lightsaber) found out about that, I was suddenly in love. Guess what?  I’m not.  I have friends, and there is no crime in that.  Even internet people do that, which is just rude.  I mean, come on, why is it so wrong for two people to be friends?  Just friends?  Why is that so hard for people to wrap their minds around?  Is it that difficult to understand? 

Now I’ll lead into a second part of this post….Valentine’s Day.  Valentine’s Day is today.  Happy V-Day!!!  This is the day we celebrate love….though I think love should be celebrated every day.  The whole “guys and girls can’t be friend” thing is almost put in neon lights during this time of the year.  Friends dare friends to do stupid things, and to say stupid things, and to make moves and all that.  It’s not right.  If you’ve got a boyfriend or a girlfriend, good for you!!!  Celebrate with them!  Show them how much you care!! But if you don’t, don’t moan and whine about how you’re “Forever Alone” because it’s just lame.  I joke around saying I’m “Forever Alone” all the time, just because it’s a funny Tumblr thing.  But in reality, if you say that, and project that attitude, you WILL be alone.  God meant for man and woman to be partners.  He created women to be a companion to men.  Lifelong companions.  He created that person for you.  Don’t do foolish things just because you /think/ you’re in love.  Because guess what?  Your Heavenly Father loves you more than Johnny from Math Class ever will, and He will send that right person into your life when He is good and ready to. 

So don’t rush into things friends, wait upon the Lord, and He’ll show you the path to true love.  I’m letting God write my love story, while I fantasize about it in movies and books.  And that’s cool; it’s fun to think about it now.  Just wait and let HIM do His job, and you’ll get the fairytale ending more amazing than you ever could have dreamed. 

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone… I love you.  :)

Why I Love and Hate the Holidays

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year!  Who DOESN'T like Christmas time?
I can't think of too many people...only Scrooges.  ;)

But for those Scrooges out there.....I can see why one might not like the Holidays.  From the First of November to the First of January, the stores are packed, traffic is horrible, people can be rude, stores will run out of things, and there are always those /annoying/ (who thinks there are a few annoying Christmas carols out there?!  I can think of a few annoying ones, but I love them all too much....xD) songs on the radio!  What's a Scrooge to do?

For me, Christmas is definitely the most wonderful time of the year.  I love the music, the atmosphere, the friendliness of most people, the smells and the tastes of the Holidays.  The Christmas season really starts for me after Thanksgiving.  It's just like, once Thanksgiving is over....it's officially Christmas time.
And here we are, only 8 Days until Christmas!  :D  I feel like yesterday was literally JUST Thanksgiving.  ;)

Christmastime brings memories of family, fun, laughter, joy, good food, presents, and amazing Church services.  I seem to forget all the stress and trouble that comes with the season of giving.  :P

To get to the happy memories....a lot of work is needed!!!  Shopping, cooking, baking, more shopping, partying, celebrating, family togetherness, finding that perfect gift, avoiding crowds, avoiding lines, it all comes at the holidays!  I'm thinking about my personal experiences here....
My mom is the most amazing mom ever.  She does everything (except cook)!!  She does EVERYONE'S shopping during the holidays.....without her, Christmas wouldn't happen!  She shops, she puts it all together, and then we celebrate.  I can understand her stress.  We're all always a bit stressed at the holidays.....with so much to do, for only what, one and a half days?!

This is why we need, need, NEED to remember that Christmas IS NOT about finding the perfect gift, not about shopping and beating crowds, or getting each other presents.  In fact, we shouldn't even be getting anything.....because IT'S NOT OUR BIRTHDAYS.

It's Jesus's birthday!  We should be celebrating HIS birthday!  HIS birth!!!  The birth of a Savior who comes to rescue a broken and sinful world from their mistakes!  Too often, we forget this fact during Christmas time......and we honestly shouldn't.  It's the REAL purpose of the season.  My church has an ongoing project called "THE GREATEST GIFT", where you give Jesus the greatest gift (financial gift) that you can, for HIS birthday.  You can give it anywhere.....to the church, to the charity of your choice....wherever God lays it on your heart to donate the money.  :)

So this season....as we near Christmas Day......promise to yourself and to the Lord that you know it's NOT about you....it's about Jesus.  Try hard not to get caught up in all the stress that comes at the holidays....it's not worth it.  This is supposed to be the Season of Giving!  The season of Love!  :D  For goodness sakes, it's CHRISTMAS!  Enjoy it!  But remember the true reason for the Season!

Merry Christmas, I'll be blogging again soon!!!!  Have a blessed season, I love you all!!!!

<3 <3 <3

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Everyone, it's Thanksgiving Day....a day full of family, friends, food and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  ;)  I'm watching the parade now, while helping my dad make dinner and cleaning the house.  ;)

I have so much to be grateful for this year.

My family.
My friends. (this includes you!!!!)
My pets.
My house.
My freedom.
My country.
My laptop.
My talents.
My new TV. (Flatscreen. I'm moving up in the world)
My teachers, school work and new skills.
My writing.
My room.
My action figures. ;)
My best friend Maryanna.
My amazing cousin Ember/Chibi.
My Lakehouse sisters.
My Blogger friends.
My Tumblr.
My Twitter.
My BLOG! :D
Star Wars.
Expanded Universe.
Fanfiction!
Reviews!!!
Fanart.
Movies and TV shows.
My crazy family and their Star Wars personas.
Disney World.
Food.
Oxygen.
Love.
Hugs.
Kisses.
Candy. (i am quite grateful for this)
My NaNoWriMo novel (even if it's given me some trouble)
All of my Followers (on here, on my other blog, tumblr and twitter)
X-Wings.
My epic Momma, who teaches me school in a Star Wars way.
My sister, who makes me laugh, even if she's sometimes annoying....;)
My daddy, who's cooking dinner now.
Thanksgiving, because it's one of my top favorite holidays.
Country Music.
My iPod.
My Dance class. (even though they test my patience.)
My dance class that I teach. (I love those little girls)
P.E.
Christmas Music.
Christmas Movies.
The Clone Wars.
My laundry, even thought it's dirty and messed up all over my room.
My deep thinking and comprehending mind (i've inherited that from my mom.)
Philosophy, History, Government, Literature, and even Math.
My Viola (I need to practice you)
Florida.
The Florida Keys. (I'll be there this weekend)
Santa Claus. ;)  LOL
Emails.
Our health.
Christmas lights/decorations.
Super Heroes.
Johnny Tremain.
High School Musical.
Lord of the Rings.
Star Wars (I can be thankful for this twice)
Pirates of the Caribbean.
Pride and Prejudice.
INDIANA JONES (i am very thankful for you, Dr. Jones)
How to Train Your Dragon.
Lemonade Mouth.
Narnia.
Wicked (the musical).
National Treasure.
Many other favorite movies. XD
My grandparents.
My extended family up north. ;)
Music.
My great grandpa.
The dinner we're going to eat tonight.
NaNoWriMo (yes, I can be thankful for this twice too)
The soldiers who are protecting our country.
Volunteer projects.
America. <3
Once again, I am very thankful for my friends.  Especially my girls on TLF.  I don't know what I'd do without you all.  Really.  I've been so blessed during this year by you all.  :D <3

God bless everyone.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving, eat lots of Turkey, and enjoy the day with an attitude of gratitude.  And remember that as Christians, every day should be Thanksgiving, because we are so blessed every single day.  I know I am!

*hugs*  Love you all!!!!!!!!!