Magical Moment 333, "Show Myself Friendly"

After a crazy last few weeks, I’ve finally had a day to realize, “Hey, it’s 2011. I was supposed to make a New Year’s resolution a few days ago." Instead of coming up with a dozen that I know I’ll never keep, I’ve come up with only 2 and I believe they’re reasonable enough to accomplish. Number one, to take my multi-vitamin everyday. Simple, right? The second resolution, maybe not so much.

I have good friendships, and I’m grateful that once I find a good friend, I tend to hang onto that relationship for a very long time. It’s the making friends that seems to be difficult for me. In high school, I was pretty much a total wallflower and never felt like part of my student body until junior or senior year (and even then, I never went to prom or homecoming). Throughout four years of college, I finally warmed up to my classmates my senior year, and then we all graduated and moved away. And after four years in the Army, I felt close to a few fellow soldiers about 10 months before I got out. I decided that if I want a friend before waiting around four years in any one spot, I’m going to have to change my pattern.

Shy, self-conscience, introvert, homebody – all these terms describe me and make it difficult, challenging, even painful sometimes to get out of my comfort zone and make an effort to be social. When Eddie and I moved to New Jersey and searched for a new church to attend, visiting different churches was terrifying for me. I knew I would have to shake hands and tell strangers about myself. They would be looking at me, listening to me, and heaven forbid they invite us to dinner or something outrageous. I would have to down a whole bottle of Tums to get through that evening.

Yet, it’s difficult being in a fairly new place, and after having been here for over a year, I still have very few people I would call “friend.” Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” It sounds simple enough. I’m pleasant and polite to people I meet. But it takes more than that to form a real friendship.

So my New Year’s resolution this year, is to make a good friend. How I’ll go about it, I don’t know. But I have a feeling it will take a lot of effort on my part. A lot of trying new things and facing my insecurity and discomfort. And a lot of Tums.

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-...

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