get out there.

 

(source)

I am such a perfectionist. And my motto in life tends to be, "If I can't do it right I'm not going to do it at all." I hate letting myself down and I hate letting others down because I feel like if I make mistakes or screw something up I'll be a failure and there will be no coming back from it. But I've slowly been learning that an attitude like that does you more harm than good.

It's OKAY to make mistakes. In fact, it's a good thing. Mistakes are what allow us to grow as individuals. They help us learn and change. And if we don't embrace that - if we just sit there scared of making them - then we miss out on so many experiences in life.

I used to think this even stretched out to my relationship with God. I knew that my sins were forgiven, but I still thought that I had to do everything I could to strive and strive and strive to be perfect for Him. Every week I would come to church feeling guilty and broken for all the things I had done wrong, make all these promises to Him that I would get it right the next week and then end up screwing it up all over again. It took me YEARS to finally realize that's not how He works. 

He has covered those of us who will accept it with his amazing grace because He KNOWS we're going to make mistakes. And people expect each other to make mistakes too. Because we're growing and learning and changing. Because we're only human and we can't get it all right and we aren't expected to. And that's something we have to learn to embrace about ourselves. Because if we don't, we're not living. We're just spending all of our time scared of life and scared of our own capabilities.

That's all. Just sharing what was on my mind today. This is something I've been wrestling with lately and it definitely helps to get it written out. :)  

What do YOU think?

shoeboxes!

So I haven't posted on our OCC Project in awhile, but I have a short update. We've FINALLY started getting all of our shoeboxes together. We're going to local shoe stores and asking for any extras they might have. By doing this we don't have to spend any money on boxes or containers and we're able to put all our money toward the items in the boxes.

On our first trip, we only got three boxes, but it was still exciting! And super encouraging because the manager told us to keep coming back every few days. And of course, I took a picture to commemorate the occasion.

On another note, the wonderful Laura over at unpunctuated life has joined up with Nate and me in our challenge and wrote a great post about her experiences with Operation Christmas Child and what she and her husband are doing to give this year. You should definitely head over to her blog and check it out! And maybe it'll inspire you to get involved too. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. ;)

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." - Nelson Mandela

loving a person.

I just wanted to share this song with y'all because it is one that has been a theme for the challenges I'm going through and the growth I'm facing lately. I hope you can get something out of it or see the beauty in it. :)

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:8

dreams.

Abide in the simple and noble regions of thy life, obey thy heart. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down your top three dreams. Now write down what’s holding you back from them.
(Author: Michael Rad)

It's been awhile since I've done a trust30 post. I had committed. I was sticking to that commitment. And then I just let life get in the way of it. But I'm getting back on track now. No clue how long it will take to get through all of the prompts, but they WILL all be done.


Anyway. To my top three dreams.


ONE.
To have at least two children and stay at home with them until they are in school. Right now, this dream hasn't been fulfilled because Nate and I are waiting until we're in a more stable living environment where we actually have room to at least put a crib. We're living somewhere cheap now to save money so we can move to that more stable place soon. We're also working on saving money so we can afford for me to stay home with the children and better provide for them. So maybe these things aren't keeping us from fulfilling our dream, but rather helping us to reach it more quickly?

TWO. 
To more seriously pursue my artwork. Currently, I feel like I'm not doing much to reach toward this dream due to lack of time. I feel like there are so many other things I need to be focusing my time and energy on that I push this to the back burner. I keep telling myself that once I get these other things figured out, then I'll start focusing on my art. I have a feeling that if I started focusing on my art more, I would probably be more productive in my everyday life because I would have a creative outlet. I just haven't done anything about it yet. I'm going to make that an actual tangible goal this week. I am going to start spending at least one hour a week creating. 

THREE. 
To be in charge of whatever it is I am doing as a teacher - whether it means having my own classroom or doing behavioral therapy and creating my own programs. I have been working for two years now under the supervision and direction of other educators. I have a BA and a M.Ed. and experience and a good bit of knowledge (I think) and I have so many things that I want to do with my children. I am ready to have that responsibility. With the job I found most recently, I was finally given a taste of that responsibility and it was WONDERFUL. Unfortunately, it was just for a summer extension program and due to the fact that it is a private school where there is already an amazing staff, I might not be able to stay into the fall with a full-time position. And due to the job market and the way things are in the education world right now, it has been difficult to find the job I'm looking for. But I'm still looking. And still pushing forward. And despite the things that might be holding me back, I am going to continue pushing until this dream does come true.

What are your dreams?

 

i've got the power.

My inspiration for the day, or the week, or for whenever.
I've needed to keep telling myself this a lot lately. Thought I'd share.

(source)

PS. Anyone have this song stuck in their head now? Because I sure do.

fault and change.

trust30 day number eighteen.
I really really like today's topic.

I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think of all the things that are not working in your life. That job you don’t like, that relationship that’s not working, those friends that annoy you. Now turn them all on you. Imagine that everything that’s not working in your life, is your fault. How would you approach it? What would you work on to change your life to the state that you want it to be?

(Author: Carlos Miceli)

I think this topic is too broad for me to approach on this blog, but it really has given me a new way to look at the issues I have in my life. I try not to spend all of my time whining and complaining about things, but I know I'm guilty of doing so.


Reading this prompt has reminded me that I spend more time than I should approaching problems I have with others from the perspective that THEY are the ones that need to change to make everything better. Instead, I could be the one making the changes to remedy the situation.


Sometimes, the problem might really be me and I just need to step outside of the situation to realize it. And sometimes, the problem might actually be the other person. But if I start making efforts to do things differently in my interactions with them, then maybe our relationship will start to change and we can begin to make progress on the issues between us.


This approach might not always be effective, but I'm pretty sure anybody is going to see more positive results from it than from constantly pointing fingers at others and not taking personal responsibility when conflicts or problems arise. I know I'm guilty of placing blame when I should be looking at myself on a regular basis. And today I'm making a promise to myself that I am going to stop doing that. I'm going to start asking myself what I could be doing differently to better my relationships with people, make situations better, or solve whatever the problem is that has arisen.

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

What do you think about this approach to the issues that arise in your life? Do you think it's effective?

invent the future.

So. Here is day seventeen of the trust30 challenge.

A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My favorite quote of all time is Alan Kay: ‘In order to predict the future, you have to invent it.’ I am all about inventing the future. Decide what you want the future to be and make it happen. Because you can. Write about your future now.

(Author: Cindy Gallop)

Well, this one is going to be short. To be honest, I don't know what the future holds. And I'm not big on spending hours dreaming up exactly what I want my future to look like. Because it's not in my hands. You know what they say, 'We plan. God laughs.'

I've said it before. I'll say it again. I want to be serving the Lord. I want to be the best wife and mother I can be. I want to be working with children who have special needs. I want to be able to spend a lot of quality time with our family. I want to be able to spend a lot of quality time with our friends. I want to pursue my art. And I want Nate and I to be able to do the things that are important to us. To me, that's a pretty bright and successful future.

And I think we're making that happen right now.

What do you see for your future?

wholly strange and new.

Day sixteen. Can't believe I'm over halfway through this and I haven't slacked off yet.

When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name;—— the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Can you remember a moment in your life when you had life in yourself and it was wholly strange and new? Can you remember the moment when you stopped walking a path of someone else, and started cutting your own?

Write about that moment. And if you haven’t experienced it yet, let the miracle play out in your mind’s eye and write about that moment in your future.

(Author: Bridget Pilloud)

I think my life has been full of a lot of little moments like this. Times when I have chosen to do what is right for me, no matter what everyone else might think. There were the times in college when I made the decision not to go out every night with my roommates. There was the point where Nate and I sat down and made it a point to pay off all our debt and live a financially responsible lifestyle.

But one particular time stands out to me more than the others, because it was a turning point for me in multiple areas of my life.

I had gone off to school for my freshman year of college and had a lot of difficulty adjusting (for a number of reasons which I will not go into now because I could probably write a book on the subject). And after a semester and about a month, I ended up moving back home. My parents and I sat down together and worked out a plan for me to follow, which included me taking the rest of the semester and the summer off to work full time, going to the local tech school in the fall, and then seeing how much progress I had made at that point.

I had a life up at school. I had friends, a church, a boyfriend who I was still seeing long-distance. I had every intention of doing what my parents wanted (no more, no less) and then moving right back up to school.

But then things started to change. Once I was back home, I started to get involved in a church. I met Nate. And I started to see my life up at this other school in a different light. Up there, I was stuck in a rut. I had issues I had to work through, and the environment I was in up there - the people and things around me - were not supportive of my working through those issues.

I remember the night like it was yesterday. Making the decision to stay at home final. It didn't magically solve all of my problems. That took quite a few years. Honestly, I'm still working through a lot. But that moment was the turning point in my life when I decided that I was going to start doing what was best for me, no matter what the world thought I needed to be doing. The path has not been a clear cut, straight, or even a flat one by any means. I've fallen down and sometimes I haven't thought I'd have the strength to get back up. Sometimes I haven't had the strength to get back up, and it's only been with the help of wonderful people like my husband or by the grace of God. And sometimes I've climbed and climbed up giant hills only to get to the top and run freely down the other side with the breeze in my hair.

But I have made it. And it's my path. And that feels pretty good. :)

one thing.

Here's day fifteen of the trust30 challenge.

Do your work, and I shall know you. Do your work, and you shall reinforce yourself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take a moment, step back from your concerns, and focus on one thing: You have one life to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted. Sounds simple, but when you really focus on it, let it seep into your consciousness, you realize you only have about 100 years to get every single thing you’ve ever wanted to do. No second chances. This is your only shot. Suddenly, this means you should have started yesterday. No more waiting for permission or resources to start. Today is the day you make the rest of your life happen. Write down one thing you’ve always wanted to do and how you will achieve that goal. Don’t be afraid to be very specific in how you’ll achieve it: once you start achieving, your goals will get bigger and your capability to meet them will grow.

(Author: Colin Wright)

I don't have a lot of goals in life, just a few specific ones. I've achieved quite a few, and I'm well on my way to accomplishing one or two more right now. But there's one in particular that I've put on the backburner for awhile now because I have been so focused on other things.

I want to be an artist. Not in the sense that I'm famous or that I have my work in galleries. I just want to consistently put time and effort into my work. I want to experience growth.

I want to create.

Over the next week, I'm going to take some time to figure out what I can do to accomplish this. And then I'll get back to you with my list.

And now I ask you...what is the one thing you want to do in your life?

alternative paths.

Today's trust30 prompt:

When good is near you, when you have life in yourself, it is not by any known or accustomed way; you shall not discern the foot-prints of any other; you shall not see the face of man; you shall not hear any name; the way, the thought, the good, shall be wholly strange and new. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The world buzzes about goals and visions. Focus. Create a vivid picture of exactly where you want to go. Dream big, then don’t let anything or anyone stop you. The problem, as Daniel Gilbert wrote in Stumbling Upon Happiness, is that we’re horrible at forecasting how we’ll really feel 10 or 20 years from now – once we’ve gotten what we dreamed of. Often, we get there only to say, “That’s not what I thought it would be,” and ask, “What now?” Ambition is good. Blind ambition is not. It blocks out not only distraction, but the many opportunities that might take you off course but that may also lead you in a new direction. Consistent daily action is only a virtue when bundled with a willingness to remain open to the unknown. In this exercise, look at your current quest and ask, “What alternative opportunities, interpretations and paths am I not seeing?” They’re always there, but you’ve got to choose to see them.

(Author: Jonathan Fields)

Where do I want to be in ten years? I want to be a wife. I want to be a mother. I want to be serving the Lord. I want to be working with children who have special needs. I want to be an artist.

I don't have a ten year plan, or a five year plan. I don't even have a plan for a year from now. I know what I want to accomplish within the next two months. And I'm taking that one day at a time, as God continues to reveal His will to me. But there are no decisions that are set in stone. And I'm not closed off to any paths to the goals that Nate and I have, or so focused on reaching them in a certain way that I miss out on alternative routes.

Life is good right now. And we're heading in the direction we want to be, and the direction that seems to be right. And I think we're going to be okay. :)

surprise.

Check out the trust30 challenge here. I'm on day thirteen and it's been a pretty enlightening experience.

I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think of a time when you didn’t think you were capable of doing something, but then surprised yourself.  How will you surprise yourself this week?

(Author: Ashley Ambirge)

This one isn't going to be very interesting. Or seem major. But I think it might be for me. May actually be life-changing. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to surprise myself this week by getting up and working out before I go to work this week.

I'll let you know how it goes.

On another note, our eldest (Abigail) has apparently inherited my OCD. She tore up "Lobster" and this is how we found his legs:

Now it is time to finish lesson planning. The theme is ice cream this week! And go to the grocery store. And iron clothes for the week. 

How will YOU surprise yourself this week?

fear.

trust30.

These are the voices which we hear in solitude, but they grow faint and inaudible as we enter into the world. Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Is fear holding you back from living your fullest life and being truly self expressed? Put yourself in the shoes of the you who’s already lived your dream and write out the answers to the following:

Is the insecurity you’re defending worth the dream you’ll never realize? or the love you’ll never venture? or the joy you’ll never feel?

Will the blunder matter in 10 years? Or 10 weeks? Or 10 days? Or 10 minutes?

Can you be happy being anything less than who you really are?

Now Do. The Thing. You Fear.

(Author: Lachlan Cotter)

I guess the obvious answer to all of these questions is no. It's not worth giving up my dreams, love, and joy because I'm holding on to insecurities. And boy, do I ever hold on to insecurities. I am the queen of insecurity.

Mistakes I make now most likely won't matter down the road. At least in the negative sense. As long as I don't let them. It's up to me to decide how I let my mistakes shape my future. I can choose to let them bring me down or I can choose to learn from them and let them drive my personal growth.

It's entirely my choice whether I let those times I screw up feed into my insecurity or I turn them into learning experiences that help me move toward my goals in life. And I'm working very hard to choose the latter. I don't always make the right decision, but it gets easier as I grow as a person and get closer to my goals.

I think it's really hard to be truly happy if you aren't fully being yourself. There's a discontent that comes along with not living up to your full potential. Until you can begin facing your insecurities and start pushing yourself forward in spite of then, I'm not sure that happiness can really be achieved.

What do y'all think? I feel like this could go quite a few different ways...

divine idea.

officially on day eleven of the challenge.

Imitation is Suicide. Insist on yourself; never imitate. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write down in which areas of your life you have to overcome these suicidal tendencies of imitation, and how you can transform them into a newborn you – one that doesn’t hide its uniqueness, but thrives on it. There is a “divine idea which each of us represents” – which is yours?

(Author: Fabian Kruse)

I don't know that I necessarily have the tendency to imitate others. I think my tendency is more to blend in. If I see that I am different than whoever I am around in some way, I start to automatically tone down that part of my personality. I don't like to stand out and be different. It scares the living daylights out of me. So instead of letting things about myself that people might actually like shine through, I dim the lights until I'm at a brightness where I just fit in with everyone else. 

I think this tends to stifle my growth and my potential as an individual. Actually, let me take that back. I KNOW it does. It's something I'm working extremely hard on. I have a quote on my Facebook that I have to read daily, sometimes more than once a day, that I'd like to share with y'all because it helps serve as a reminder that I should never be ashamed of who I am or try to hide who I am.

“Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God: Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson

I don't know that there is one specific area of my life in which I tend to hide my unique self. I think I pretty much do this across the board.

I would say that my goal is to continue to step out of my comfort zone professionally, spiritually and artistically. And now that I have addressed this prompt I'm definitely going to look at how I can do that more specifically.

Gah. These prompts aren't easy. It's more difficult than I thought it would be to think through these topics and then put my thoughts out there.

Thoughts?

your personal message.

trust30.

To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is burning deep inside of you? If you could spread your personal message RIGHT NOW to 1 million people, what would you say?

I think my message would be pretty simple. It would be that God loves you. No matter what. No matter who you are. No matter what you've done. No matter what issues you have or what your situation is.

HE. LOVES. YOU.

Enough to sacrifice His son for you. Enough to taken on all your sin and the punishment for all of that sin for you. And enough to forgive you for every single bit of that sin. Every little thing you have done in the past. And every little thing you will do in the future. Gone. Washed away. So far away. Down to the ocean floor. If only you're willing to recognize that you are a sinner and accept Him and all that He has done for you into your life.

There's more to the story, but that's really the important part.

I know it's a pretty controversial message. I know not everyone agrees with it. But it's my message. And it's my truth. And it's what I live my life for. And it has changed my life. So I really can't keep it to myself, can I?

As for my 'post-it' challenge, I figured out a couple small steps I can take to put myself on the right path:

• I have started waking up at 6:30 every morning NO MATTER WHAT.
• I have started every morning with a quick devotion. Since I tend to need motivation from somewhere else, a quick Bible verse and inspirational read will give me that drive I need to start the day off right.
• I have started carrying around a small notebook that I can use specifically for ideas I have or for things I think of throughout the day that I want or need to do. I so often forget about these things because I tell myself I'll write them down later or do them later and then never do.

So, there are my first three small things. Not much, but it's a start.

So, do you have a personal message you would like to share with the world? Or at least with the few people who read our blog? ;)

afraid to do.

Check out the trust30 project here.

The other terror that scares us from self-trust is our consistency; a reverence for our past act or word, because the eyes of others have no other data for computing our orbit than our past acts, and we are loath to disappoint them. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson says: “Always do what you are afraid to do.” What is ‘too scary’ to write about? Try doing it now.

I'm a perfectionist. At everything in life. So I think the scariest thing for me to write about is failure. The 'what ifs?' What if I screw this up? What if I don't succeed at something? What if I don't get it right the first time? What if someone doesn't like me? What if I don't meet my goal? The list could go on forever. And believe me, in my mind, it does.

I think I avoid writing about all of these fears because it makes them that much more real to me. If they're out there on paper or on the internet, the possibility of them coming true is even stronger.

Rationally, I know it's crazy. And rationally, I think writing about it actually helps on some level. Even though it scares the crap out of me. Because it forces me to face whatever I'm afraid of and it forces me to think about it on another level. And it helps me to see that facing my fears head on might not be quite as bad as I think it is. Possibly.

So. There it is.

What are you afraid to put out there?

post-it.

Somehow I missed this prompt awhile back, so I'm going back to do it now. If you haven't figured out what I'm doing yet, go to the trust30 site to check it out.

That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him. Where is the master who could have taught Shakespeare? Where is the master who could have instructed Franklin, or Washington, or Bacon, or Newton? . . . Shakespeare will never be made by the study of Shakespeare. Do that which is assigned you, and you cannot hope too much or dare too much. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Identify one of your biggest challenges at the moment (ie I don’t feel passionate about my work) and turn it into a question (ie How can I do work I’m passionate about?) Write it on a post-it and put it up on your bathroom mirror or the back of your front door. After 48-hours, journal what answers came up for you and be sure to evaluate them.

Bonus: tweet or blog a photo of your post-it.

I think my biggest challenge right now is that I'm not enough of a self-starter. I tend to need someone or something else to get me motivated. Once that happens I'm good to go, but it's that initial push that's difficult for me. I have trouble getting up and getting started in the mornings. I have trouble beginning projects. But after I've made it over that hump (which for me, can sometimes be more like a mountain) I'm good to go.

So, I guess my question is, "What can I do to be come more of a self-starter?"

I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Any help would be very much appreciated! And, as always, I would also love to hear what your post-it question would be. :)

And I will get back to you in 48 hours.

five years.

trust30. day six.

There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

What would you say to the person you were five years ago? What will you say to the person you’ll be in five years?

(Author: Corbett Barr)

I would tell the person I was five years ago not to give up on myself. That God has a plan for me. And that I am stronger and capable of way more than I think I am. And that whatever gigantic mess I have gotten myself down into can be gotten out of. I have an amazing support system who believes in me and I will come out okay in the end. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself."

To the person I'll be in five years? I hope I'm not who I am today. I hope I have grown and matured and been molded even more by God into the woman I am meant to be. And into the wife and mother and teacher I am meant to be. And that I need to not forget the passion, ideals and love I have now as a newlywed and a new teacher and as someone who hasn't been in the world of adulthood very long. And I better be working out and look good after having a baby! ;)

What about you guys?

dare to be bold.

and here's the next trust30 prompt.

Our arts, our occupations, our marriages, our religion, we have not chosen, but society has chosen for us. We are parlour soldiers. We shun the rugged battle of fate, where strength is born. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Next to Resistance, rational thought is the artist or entrepreneurs worst enemy. Bad things happen when we employ rational thought, because rational thought comes from the ego. Instead, we want to work from the Self, that is, from instinct and intuition, from the unconscious.

A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. Its only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.” - Steven Pressfield, Do the Work

The idea of “being realistic” holds all of us back. From starting a business or quitting a job to dating someone who may not be our type or moving to a new place – getting “real” often means putting your dreams on hold.

Today, let’s take a step away from rational thought and dare to be bold. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to accomplish but have been afraid to pursue? Write it down. Also write down the obstacles in your way of reaching your goal. Finally, write down a tangible plan to overcome each obstacle.

The only thing left is to, you know, actually go make it happen. What are you waiting for?

(Author: Matt Cheuvront)

This one is hard. Really, really hard. I think I'm doing all the things I want to do right now. But I know I need to be constantly pushing myself.

I've been thinking for two days but I need to think some more. I'm going to have to get back to you on this one.

come alive.

This trust30 prompt was a tough one.

Life wastes itself while we are preparing to live. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you had one week left to live, would you still be doing what you’re doing now? In what areas of your life are you preparing to live? Take them off your To Do list and add them to a To Stop list. Resolve to only do what makes you come alive.

Bonus: How can your goals improve the present and not keep you in a perpetual “always something better” spiral?

(Author: Jonathan Mead)

I don't think I put myself out there enough. I think I have big plans for that, but I'm constantly telling myself that I'll do better tomorrow. I just need more motivation, more confidence, more time. But I guess the thing is, I'm really not guaranteed that time - am I?

I'm a big to-do lister. Just ask Nate. I make list after list after list. I'll add things I want to do and I honestly plan on doing with every good intention. But most of the time, they never get done.

I think that in order to truly put myself out there, to truly get things done and make a difference, to truly LIVE I need to start putting those things that are hardest for me and that I know deep down at the end of the day aren't going to have a line through them at the top of my list. And I need to force myself to complete those things before I even touch anything else. Because once I've faced what I think can't be faced, it becomes just a little bit easier and I can begin to live just a little bit more each day.

I have to thank Nate, in part, for these revelations. He's been placing some of these ideas in my head bit by bit for awhile now. ;)


And as always, I open the topic up to the readers. Any ideas on this topic?

travel.

Now that Nate and I are back home from our wonderful weekend in Savannah celebrating two crazy years of marriage (that I wouldn't trade for ANYTHING), I am back to the trust30 project. At some point in the near future, I will also include some everyday life posting as well. But I can't pinpoint exactly when that will be as I have a TON of lesson planning to do before next week. (In case you didn't hear, I GOT A JOB!)

Anyway. On to the writing challenge.

If we live truly, we shall see truly. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there?

(Author: Chris Guillebeau)

I have always wanted to visit Italy. And I always said it was the one place I wanted to go if I couldn't go anywhere else. And believe it or not, I have already been blessed enough to make that trip. If I could get really specific, though, I would love to be able to take Nate back with me just to visit Assisi. It was quite possibly my favorite place in Italy and it would mean so much to me to be able to share that with him. It has so many spiritual connections for me that I would love to be able to make that happen.

But if I had to pick somewhere new, somewhere I haven't been yet? I think I would want to go spend time somewhere working with children in need. The children I help now have so many resources available to them. While there are still so many obstacles for them to overcome they have families who love them, teachers who work hard with them everyday, doctors and support systems. There are so many children out there who are missing most, if not all, of those components to life. So I think that would be it. I think that before I die I want to travel somewhere that I can devote my life to working with children.

And, as usual, I ask...What about you?