Family Vacation 2012

Some of my fondest childhood memories are those spent at the Outer Banks or Ocean City, MD with my family. For me a family vacation is not just my immediate family, but aunts, uncles and cousins too. I love being with my family, and when you add the beach, it truly is paradise. This year we did something a little different when my immediate family joined our aunt's family in Florida. It truly was a blessed time. Here are some highlights of the trip.

  Well after the long 18 hour or so car drive, we finely reached our destination. We spent the first day taking it easy to catch up on sleep after driving through the night. Monday was the first day we ventured to do anything exciting. We all headed to Gatorama which serves as a wildlife preserve of sorts for thousands of alligators and crocodiles.

     There we witnessed the feeding of the crocs and gators. I would not want to have this lady's job, and the sign didn't really help my nerves. However, it was amazing to learn about God's creatures. We got to see them leap for their meat, and one even broke a board on the boardwalk. Let me tell you how comforting that was.

    The most exciting part of the whole experience was holding a baby alligator. The guide muzzled the mouth, so all I needed to look out for was the tail. This little guy had a soft underbelly and a pretty rock hard top. His feet felt strange. I always enjoy getting to take part in these random experiences.

   Later in the week, we ventured to Mayakka State Park. I saw 2 alligators out in the wild which was pretty neat. I saw a deer standing out in the swamp too. The wildlife in Florida is amazing! During the course of the week I saw all kinds of birds with beaks made for spearing fish, wild boars, armadillos, and a racoon that joined us for lunch one day. The squirrels seemed a little too friendly at times as they had no fear when it came to human contact. I was also close to several ravens which was exciting. They had bobcats and a cougar at Gatorama which were neat to see.

   Another amazing experience was kayaking. We traveled through mangroves. The point of the trip was to see manatees and dolphins. Though we did chase down some dolphins, we did not see any manatees on the trip. That was okay because we saw one at the beach. We also saw a turtle while kayaking too. So much fun!

  There were so many moments of this vacation I loved. I could say a lot more about it, but most of you who read this probably saw my pictures on facebook already. Another special time was a heart to heart with my daddy. At this point in life, we both stay pretty busy. It was such an encouraging time as he related to different things I am going through. Honestly this summer I have relished in the wisdom of my parents, aunts and best friends. The Lord is so good to me, and I am thankful for the encouragement He gives when things get hard. I don't know how many family vacations like this we have left, but I soaked it all up. What a great week!

Is There Anything Too Hard for Me?

This is what the Lord said to Abraham when He questions God's plan for His life. God told Abraham his seed would be as much as the stars in the sky, but Abraham got impatient as he and his wife grew older. In my own human mind, I feel like I would be questioning God's plan if I were Abraham or Sarah. Yet God said, "Is there anything to hard for me?" Of course not. We all know the story of Isaac, then Jacob and how the line continued right into the birth of our Savior.
Sadly, man just never seems to learn total faith in God. Sarah tried to help God out by providing Hagar to bear Ishmael with Abraham. This plan backfired since it was not God's fan. As silly as it sounds not to have total trust in God, I must say I have been feeling like Abraham lately.
This summer I have yet to find a job. I graduated 2 months ago, and all opportunities seemed bleak. There seemed to be job offers enough, but I never seemed to fit the job qualifications. I kept telling myself that God had something better, and my mom told me the same. However, as time passed, I began to feel like a bum. People constantly ask what I am doing with myself, but of course my answer is the same. Basically nothing. I was beginning to give up on the job hunt all together, just waiting for something to come along.
To add insult to injury, I was beginning to see other dreams pass before my eyes. No job, means no car since I have no income to support myself. Student loans draw nearer, and I have other dreams that began to seem like a bleak reality. A few nights ago, I reached my breaking point and had a good cry. I have discovered writing my feelings out helps me rationalize better. As I wrote, I felt the need to pray to my Father. I asked Him what was the point of 4 years of studying elementary education when I couldn't even get a minimum wage part time job much less a teaching job. As I poured out my heart and looked at my written feelings, I realized I had not been truly giving my burden to the Lord who promised to care for me.

Is there anything too hard for me?

I started a new day feeling refreshed and filled of hope. I reset my dreams and expectations to be within the will of the Lord and waiting for His timing. I also discovered new job opportunities I didn't realize existed. To make along story short, in half a week, I have a job offer, a job interview today and one tomorrow. One of these opportunities is a teaching opportunity as well. Now instead of wishing I had a job, I now wish I knew which one to pick. I don't know what God has for me, but I do know it will be awesome whatever it is. No, Lord, there is nothing to hard for you.

To Him be all the glory and praise!