Making Memories Around the World

I've got my journal, my passport and some books!

It starts with a dream. Well, it starts with believing God at His word and understanding your identity in Christ. Then it takes a step of faith to believe God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. (No trying to figure it out - as you will see - it doesn't always happen the way you expect.) So that's where my journey begins.  Believing God!

What does His word say about me and His plans for me! I declare scripture over my life every morning! I must....because my mind is prone to wander and doubt - but my spirit presses me to "seek first His Kingdom". Do I believe His Word to be true - all of it? If so, then why wouldn't God fulfill these scriptures in my life? HE WILL! We are Abraham's heirs after all!

Then, everyone has heard of vision boards. Basically, it revolves around the idea of the "Law of Attraction." Proverbs 23:7 says "For as he thinks in his heart, so he is.." It's about Habakkuk 2

 "And the Lord answered me and said, write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by." Habakkuk 2:2 [Amp.]

My vision board - entitled...Because He Loves Me!

This post really isn't about vision boards, its about one small picture in the board...the one that says..."I want to make memories around the world..." I expect that all these things on my board are desires that the Lord has put on my heart...so we will address others throughout the years.

I sat with my cousin at lunch one day (a few weeks after the completion of my vision board). She recently lost her husband to Parkinson's and she stood by her husband of 40 years and cared for him and loved him for these last years on earth as this disease took his life. Incredible story of love and dedication. Jim and Ilene have been a part of my life since I was a little girl. As time drifted and my life took me from one parent to another and one state to another, we lost touch, until I moved to Florida 13 years ago. We've been close ever since. When my cousin's husband passed away she expressed her interest in enjoying the years she had left. She loves to travel and has been to many places around the world. Her words to me at lunch will ring in my heart forever. "I want to travel, but I want to travel with you...I want to show you the world Lisa!"

What? She wants to make memories...with me! I'm so glad my heart was prepped by believing I am who God says I am because....wow! I'm humbled beyond belief, and excited just the same. Lord, really...I'm going to make memories around the world?

Here is our first overseas adventure....a Viking River Cruise along the Danube River.

Our itinerary!

I've got my journal, some books on the places we will go and see. I've already begun reading about Slovenia and am learning some key phrases in the language as well as its history. I've got a year to also study (and I will be studying) about Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Melk, Linz, Passau and Prague.  I'm writing the key things I learn through my research in my journal....(words/phrases, history, landmarks, places to see, food to try, things to do...) 

 

Our first stop...Ljubljana, Slovenia - be still my heart

And I will be blogging about my world adventures while I'm there, taking pictures, going live, and skyping my family. What about my family? Oh, well, they have some incredible adventures to look forward to as well. They will not be coming on this trip - but there will be trips, I'm sure of it. 

I hope you will want to join me here (feel free to subscribe to this blog - see along the right side of this page where it says "subscribe" or up a little further where it says to follow if you are a blogger as well) to see and learn about all the different places I will be going. The Lord has already revealed in my heart that I will have opportunity to sow seed and to be a light, all while enjoying the beauty of a world I've never laid eyes on.  I'm so excited to spend this time alone with my cousin - we will indeed be making memories around the world. 

Our Grand Adventure - Living History

Ready or not...here we go! My boys and I will be piling into the car in exactly 3 days. We'll be leaving Wednesday morning for our very first solo road trip. I say solo because Dad just got a new job as a LPN and he will most likely be starting his training this coming week. (by the way...we are so excited for him - new career in something that he loves!) We'll be talking to him every day and we will miss him for sure!

It was spur of the moment, but I think its going to be one of the best vacation we've ever had. We've not been on a real vacation..like out of state...ever. We've escaped up North to our old home town NJ during hurricane season one year, but this is for pure and simple fun/education.

My boys are learning American History (well at least my younger ones)..they'll be studying it for two years. This will give them a visual image of at the southeastern states and what it was like to move west. My children have never seen a mountain. Sad right? They've never seen a fall leaf. We'll be hitting the Smokey Mountains in the midst of Fall.

My friend Michelle has created a Mystery Trip Kit...that we'll be opening up during our trip...to keep it exciting. I don't have all the details yet, but as we go along I will be blogging details about our trip.

I've printed each boy a clipboard full of activities that should help in the car both on the way up and back.

We'll be going old school. I have 5 maps all highlighted, directions handwritten out but for a backup..we'll have the Garmin GPS. I will have the cutest most fun young superheros to keep me company in the car for our 13 hour trip up. We'll be going through all the Welcome Centers, taking our time and enjoying all the Kodak moment we can. Our plans are as follows...Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina..where we'll be spending the night! Then the next day we're hoping to have lunch with some friends of ours that live right here in Florida and will be camping in Tennessee.Then we will explore Cumberland Gap, famous for helping pave the way for early settlers to head west. We will walk in the footsteps of early pioneers and Native Americans, visit the ruins of fortifications used in the Civil War, experience the life of an early mountain community. Can you tell I'm a little excited..and we haven't even gotten to our destination yet?

Our good friends have mapped out our entire trip (they've made this trip several times)...including all the wonderfully educational places to stop and explore! Once we get up to Kentucky we'll be spending a week with my precious friend Karen! Oh how I love this woman. We miss our face time! Her and her girls have been generous enough to share their hospitality with my boys and I..and we are looking forward to every second. The weather will be chilly..but we're ready. While in Kentucky some of our plans are to visit Mammoth Cave, Shaker Village, and possibly the Creation Museum.

Not to mention sipping a Pumpkin Spice Latte on my friend's porch and running the hills of the quaint town of Wilmore, KY!

On the way home we'll be able to spend some time going through the center of Tennessee and have lunch in Nashville! We'll make our way south to Alabama where we'll see more friends and spend the night there. On our way home the next day we'll be seeing gorges, and military bases and of course...eventually our own beds again!

So..approximately a 10 day road trip. It will be a trip my boys and I will talk about for years and years! I've never driven more than 4 hours...so this should be interesting! Mostly, I'm looking forward to making memories and having some Mom and sons bonding time. I mean, I homeschool them and we have lots of time that way, but making memories like this is rare and special. We will miss Dad for sure. Especially when I'm exhausted from driving. But, we kind of feel like pioneers ourselves. Exploring land we've never seen before, doing things we've never done before, and just taking it all in! It will be a grand adventure for sure! So stop back and follow us as we begin our journey of living history!