You know you're a true Floridian when...

Thought it would be fun to fill out my own list of how you can know if you are a true Floridian with things I have encountered living in Florida. Enjoy!

You know you're a true Floridian when....
1) You don't have snow days, you have storm days. 
2) You know how to ready a house for a hurricane and can do it quickly. 
3) You don't really worry much over tropical storms, it's only when it becomes the "h-word" that you start to worry maybe just a bit.
4) You are on a first name basis with tropical storms and hurricanes. All you have to do is say "Remember when Ivan came in 2005?" and people here know what you are talking about . 
5) The closest thing you will get to a white Christmas is strolling on the beach with white as snow sandy shores. 
6) You know what to do if you get caught in a rip current and when you are caught in one, you don't panic. Just like you are taught to do.
7) You are well versed in the ways of the ocean and know all about the different flags and precautions. 
8) You know that if it's a double red flag you best be getting out of that ocean! 
9) You shake your head at tourists who feed the seagulls, because you know to never do that.
10) You own a pair of flip flops for every occasion (even church), because hey it's Florida and you just never know when you might need a pair. 
11) You can never have too many beach towels.
12) You know not to stay out in the Florida heat too long during the summer and if you go to the beach when it's very hot, you make sure to get in the water. 
13)You think people are crazy for going to Disney World during the summer. You know that is NOT the time to go. 
14) When you see a blue tarp, it reminds you of FEMA workers and aftermath of hurricanes.
15) You are used to your school becoming a shelter after a major hurricane if needed and being out of school for a while. 
16) You know what an MRE is. 
17) You love the beach, but you don't go there as often as you'd like. 

Can anyone else relate to this?

Saving My Father

I saw "Saving Mr. Banks" yesterday with my mom. It's a movie about the making of Mary Poppins and about the life of the writer. It ends up being a lot about the writer when she was growing up and the relationship she had with her father. The movie is really about her father who was a banker, hence the name "Saving Mr. Banks". This movie really touched me, made me cry. More so than most other movies. It was because I saw how the writer as a little girl pined for her father and her heart broke as she watched her father drink himself to death *spoiler alert*. And it was there I couldn't get myself to stop crying...for I could see myself as that little girl and that man as my father. And I know how it feels to watch someone you love trapped in a prison of their own making. You just want to set them free, but you can't. You keep watching the vicious cycle take its toll and you just want to make it stop. But it won't stop...because you can't stop it. So I loved the movie, but it touched me deeply in ways other films can't because I could personally relate to the author and her heartbreak over her father. I pray every night for my father, wondering sometimes if it's all just in vain, and yet scared to admit that's how I feel. My dad isn't dead, but it doesn't mean I didn't see him wasting his life away. It hurts to watch ones you love suffer, especially when all you can do is pray. Because you feel so helpless and worthless and small. But it's all you have to offer so you keep wishing and keep praying. The thing that makes it the most difficult is that I love him. That's so much harder than hating him. It's easier to give up and just be devoid of feeling, to not care. But I can't do that. I love my father too much and so I will always continue to pray for him and hope and pray that he can be saved too. In a way I guess I am hoping for the "Saving of Mr. Banks" too, yet for my own father.

The Problem with Christmas

Some people may not have a problem with the commercialism of Christmas and the obsession over a fat guy in a red suit that supposedly brings presents to all the kids of the world on one night. However, I do. Now I am not saying that doing Santa is wrong, but I have a problem with how big of a thing it has become to be. I would much rather focus on what Christmas is really about- the birth of my Savior, the Savior of the world. And yes I have also heard from countless people about how Christmas is really a pagan holiday and Christians shouldn't celebrate it. Truth is it was created to combat a pagan holiday- it is merely a time we can take what was meant for bad and use it for good- to celebrate Jesus' birth. I like the way my pastor explained it this past Wednesday night at church. Every single day of the week is named after a pagan god, but if he can use that day and live for the glory of God then he is not observing a pagan day. He feels that we just need to raise up Christ on any day, even a day such as Christmas. But it's the raising up of Christ I want- not the commercialism and all the Santa stuff that the world makes it out to be. 

So no I have no desire to do Santa with my kids one day or things like Elf on the Shelf. If we do Santa, they will know about the true Santa (St. Nicholas) and what he represented, that he's not real today and the true meaning of Christmas is Jesus. Jesus is what will be lifted up in my house. I want my kids to focus on his birth. We will do things like make a birthday cake for Jesus, put up the nativity, read the accounts of Jesus' birth in the Bible, learn the true meaning of giving, give gifts to Jesus, and hopefully adopt some traditions like the wise men coming a few days after Christmas to leave gifts in our shoes (shows how they traveled a long way to find the Christ child and brought Him gifts).

All you Elf on the Shelf lovers out there, don't judge me for what I am about to say. But I abhor the Elf on the Shelf. Why choose something else you "have" to do when you are already so busy in the Christmas season? Why do you need to have a toy that sits in various places in your house, sometimes creating mischief (that you have to clean up) in order to supposedly report to "Santa" if the children have been good or bad? I know some people just use this to hide in different places each day and have the child find it and it's a fun thing. But I want nothing to do with a toy elf in my house. I would rather hide the wise men from the nativity in different places each day for the child to find and read Scripture verses about them each day. You may wonder why I am so turned off by Elf on the Shelf. Well, I babysat a little boy once and the mother told me if he was bad to just remind him that the toy elf sitting on the mantle was watching him and would report to Santa. I just looked at her like "Are you serious"? I wasn't telling a child some toy was watching him. How about Jesus is watching you all the time and wants you to be kind and nice? How about teaching the children how rewarding it is to have good behavior? This one mother's comment on the Elf on the Shelf immediately turned me off from it. You may have your own convictions about it, but I don't want it in my house. Why have a toy that is supposed to create mischief try to teach your children to be good? Isn't that somewhat contradictory? I am going on what it tells you to do with the Elf on the Shelf when you buy one and what countless numbers of parents do. So don't judge me, but those are my convictions about it. I wish more people saw it that way, but a lot just don't. 

Those are my problems with Christmas- the commercialism, the silliness of a toy to see if you are good or bad, and the shift off of Jesus. The focus in my house will not just be Christ first, but Christ in everything. Not just on Christmas, but every single day of the year.  That's the way it should be.

Back in Paradise

I have recently just moved from the rolling hills of North Carolina where I was attending Laurel University back to my home state: Florida. I am finishing up my last semester of Laurel University online and completing my student teaching down here. I love being home, being with family, my dog, and the beach. However, it was still not an easy move. I left part of my heart behind in North Carolina. I will forever and always cherish the people I came close to up there and my church home. I also am even further away from my fiance now for a time and that really pains me. I know that the Lord has opened up this opportunity for me to come back home for a time so I do look forward to what He is going to teach me this upcoming year. He taught me last year to really get out of my comfort zone, be bold for Him and fully trust Him in everything. I wonder what lessons I shall encounter this year. I do know He has orchestrated everything so far. He has enabled me to be able to start student teaching at a Christian school that is ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) certified and that is what I am going to school for. I will be working with the first grade and there are only 10 students! I am so excited. I was kind of scared about student teaching there, but God gave me more confirmation when I met with them this week and found out that the elementary principal went to college with my former youth pastor and was friends with him. How neat is that! 

I look forward to where God is going to take me this upcoming year in my adventures of student teaching and finishing up my Senior year at Laurel University to gain my BA in Elementary Education. It may not all be roses, I may encounter a few thorns...but I know God will be with me all the way just like He always has been. Please stay tuned to hear about my adventures as a student teacher and my posts about Christmas/memories.