Speaking Correctly

It's amazing to me how people take the language they speak for granted. God intended language to be used for communication and it is an extremely important means whereby to do that. What I don't understand is why there is this prevailing attitude of "I can say whatever I want and it doesn't matter if it's the correct word or phrasing because the people that know me will understand me and I don't care if any one else does."

I do understand that there are colloquialisms, dialects, and other differences in a common language that will cause a few misunderstandings (most of them funny!), but the intentional disregard for the correct word or grammar drives me absolutely insane. Why would anyone not care about what they are trying to say or just use any old word that sounds good without thinking about the meaning?

I certainly don't expect 10-syllable words from everyone and in fact, would rather have someone use simple words correctly than to use a 50 cent word incorrectly. I can remember working with a guy who was telling me that I would rather dissect orgasms than work on cars. Orgasms??? Of course, I laughed out loud and knew he meant organisms. Instead of using the 50 cent word while trying to impress someone, he should have used something like animals or creatures. The meaning would have been the same and he wouldn't have ended up looking like a buffoon.

Writing is also as bad. I don't understand the common misuse of certain English words in writing. For example, does anyone know the difference between their, there, and they're? What about whose and who's? These everyday words should never be a problem but they are misused everyday. For those of you not sure which is which, allow me to differentiate.

Their--possessive pronoun. Example: Their dog.
There--locational adverb. Example: Place it over there.

They're--contraction of "they are". Example: They're cute.

Whose--possessive adjective. Example: Whose book is this?
Who's--contraction of "who is". Example: Who's going to the store?

Please be careful of your speech and writing. Think about what you're going to say before it comes out of your mouth. Simple is better than sounding downright stupid.

It's A Small World

All together now...

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears.
It's a world of hope, and a world of fears.
There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware.
It's a small world after all.

It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small world after all.
It's a small, small world.

There is just one moon and one golden sun.
And a smile means friendship to everyone.
Though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide,
It's a small world after all.

Now, I know some of you are cussing me because you now have that song in your mind and will replay it all day long. I do apologize! :-)

Being at Disney this month has caused me to think about these simple, brain-mesmerizing lyrics. These simple words contain a lot of truth. Every person on this planet we call Earth has many things in common...

1) Laughter. We all laugh. One of the things I like to see from other countries is of the people there laughing. Laughter lightens anyone's mood and creates an atmosphere where everyone can relax and enjoy the moment. Without laughter, this world would be a lot sadder than it already is. God knew that we would need laughter to help us cope with all the sadness brought on by sin. I love to laugh, and I can't imagine a day going by without me letting out a full-blown, open-mouthed chuckle or an honest-to-goodness giggle.

2) Tears. We all cry. Crying is a God-given way to express sadness, extreme joy, fear, and pain. All people worldwide share this emotion that lets us release pent-up feelings and allows us to start the healing process after being hurt. There are a lot of tears shed in this world because of all the pain and conflict caused by man's sin, and in the near future, many more tears will be shed when mankind realizes his fate after rejecting the King of kings and Lord of lords.

3) Hope. We all have hope. Hope helps us make it through each day. Those in the world that live in poverty are always hoping for a better day ahead. Those in the world that live in wealth hope for continued blessings. We all hope for peace, a good life, and to be happy. Hope helps us make it through difficult times. But the greatest Hope of all is the Hope that we can have in Christ Jesus.

4) Fears. We all have fears. Some don't show them as easily, but they are still there. We fear the unknown, not being in control, dying, and many other things in this world. Fear helps keep us safe, but also paralyzes us into doing nothing when just beyond that door, a whole new world is waiting for us to enjoy and relish. Walking through that door will bring us joy beyond all measure. That is what God wants for our lives now.

5) Smiles. How many times has a smile made you feel at east? Smiles are the ultimate ice-breaker. They can diffuse the stickiest situation and make all involve dissolve into a great big puddle of mirth. All one needs to do is pass it on to someone else. The world is a better place because of a little smile.

All of the above mentioned traits are universal to humankind. No matter what language is spoken, no matter what food is eaten, no matter what rituals are shared or not shared, we all have them in common. There is no need for lashing out, name calling or any other negative action towards someone "different" than us.

After all, we really aren't that different from each other, are we?

The Last Three

Epcot was the second park that we visited. It was a very neat place to visit and we spent some time looking at all the latest technology. Mikayla also volunteered to star in a "game show" about Velcro. I was a bit surprised when she volunteered and Wesley didn't volunteer at all. There were several challenges that each group had to do using Velcro. I don't think I could ever be one of the hosts. They were both a little over the top at times, but I guess that is what they do!


My favorite part is the country side. I love visiting each one and learning something about each country represented. I think my favorite ones are Mexico and China. The Chinese women acrobats were performing when we arrived at the China Pavilion and were very good. We were late in arriving and have to settle for a back seat view! After they finished, we went inside and looked at the replicas of the buried Chinese army and heard a lady play the Chinese zither. We also watched a multi-screen presentation on China that made me really want to visit that vast country. At the end of the evening, we ate at Restaurant Marrakesh which featured live belly-dancing. Wesley and Mikayla couldn't keep their eyes off the woman as she danced! I ordered the lamb shank and it was very, very good. Everybody else chickened out!

Our last visit to Epcot was Friday night when we went to the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall to dine with Cinderella and the Princesses. Mikayla was beside herself with excitement and talked Cinderella's ears off! What made my night was the fact that Wesley had done a 180 degree turn around and now wanted to have his pictures taken with the Princesses and was very excited to tell Mikayla when they were coming. The meal was fabulous and afterwards we watched the Illumination nighttime show. Spectacular!



The third park we visited was Hollywood Studios. I love that place. The Rockin' Roller Coaster is awesome and I finally rode the Tower of Terror. That was a very fun ride. Dad cracked us all up by dancing to Aerosmith's "Walk This Way"! Even a cast member was laughing while shaking her head. We were also able to draw Eeyore! I enjoyed this part the last time when I got to draw Minnie Mouse. I think my Eeyore turned out better! Maybe I can be an animator in the future!


The night time Fantasmic was awesome! All the lights, fireworks, animatronics, and special effects made for a wonderful show. Of course, we arrived a little later then we had planned and had to settle for the standing-room only section.

The last park we visited was Animal Kingdom. I was able to get a gift card for my birthday from there because I had already paid for my park entrance fee with the rest of the package. I was finally able to ride Expedition Everest! WOW! Talk about a hairy ride through the Himalayas! We also watched some of the Block Party, The Festival of the Lion King, and Finding Nemo The Musical. All were great! The evening meal was at Boma. I absolutely love that restaurant! It has so many flavors from Africa and I have a hard time deciding what to try!



We had a wonderful week at Disney and it was bittersweet when it was time to go. Our rooms were great and we lacked for nothing during our stay there. On our way out of Orlando, we visited Sea World and stopped off in Brunswick, GA for the night. I can't believe that we have already been back a week! It seems like we should still be there.

Until next time, have a magical day!

Magical

On Sunday, we headed out early for the Magic Kingdom. Of course, that park is the logical choice for anyone's first day at Walt Disney World. Once everyone entered the park and we walked through the entryway, the magic began. People were everywhere. The music swept through the air as if it was on pixie wings (Tinkerbell??) enchanting us all with the magic that is Disney. As one, we were transported into another realm where only happy thoughts reign.

Our first objective was to navigate the growing crowd and learn to maneuver around strollers and scooters. Negative thoughts against them occasionally tried to crowd into my brain, but they were quickly squelched by the surrounding attractions, characters, food, and scenery.


Of course, we had to get our photo taken in front of Cinderella's Castle. Mikayla was so excited to be able to see it. Unfortunately, I was not able to capture that joy myself, because my camera batteries had died and I hadn't had the chance to buy new ones. I had to depend on Kellie to make the memories for me. After that, we made our way to Toontown Fair where we saw Mikey's and Minnie's houses and were able to have pictures taken with the princesses.

We kept covering the park little by little until the end of the day quickly came. We had many laughs and fun adventures throughout the day. Some of the highlights of the day include meeting the characters, riding "It's a Small World", standing under a shelter during the thunderstorm, riding Splash Mountain with Mikayla wearing a poncho and ducking to keep from getting wet, and eating at Whispering Canyon Café where "ketchup" is a word hollered frequently and the server made sure the sun didn't affect Steve and his dining experience.


On Tuesday night, we returned to the Magic Kingdom to catch the SpectroMagic Parade and fireworks. What a show! The parade was all illuminated by the floats, characters, and dancers. And the fireworks were just spectacular. Tinkerbell started the show off by flying down from the castle spires. It was very awe-inspiring!


Our next visits took place on Thursday and Friday. We spent those days doing the things we hadn't done before and also repeats of our favorites. Mikayla ended up riding Splash Mountain 3 more times with no poncho and no ducking! On Thursday night, we took the monorail over of the Polynesian resort to catch "The Spirit of Aloha". It's a dinner show with a luau theme and great Polynesian dancing! Character greetings abounded on Friday. We did wait for the fairies for a very long time, but Tinkerbell was worth it. I must admit that she has a bit of a 'tude!

At the end of the day, we took our last picture from the Magic Kingdom. It was bittersweet and I am looking forward to going back again!



Now on to the next adventure...Epcot!

Back From Disney!

Well, here I am again. We all had a wonderful time in Florida and as always, the week went by way to quickly. We started out Friday morning driving south and stopped over in St. Augustine, FL after a 7 hour drive. After checking in the hotel and spending a few confusing moments trying to get our bearings in a new place, we discovered we were too late to see the Fountain of Youth. We ended up doing a "drive-by" viewing through the gate. Afterward, we ate a nice meal at Kingfish Grill by the water. We ended up getting free appetizers because they forgot to serve us right after we were seated. The crab cakes were the best!



We woke up early on Saturday morning and drove the rest of the way to Cape Canaveral. I have never been one that was very interested in the space program, but it was a nice day and I learned some things that I never thought about before. It was very interesting to see the launching pads (from a distance) and to learn that the Space Shuttle missions will be finished by September 2010. After that time, they will go back to the rocket missions with more trips to the moon and on to Mars.

We left Kennedy Space Center around 4:30 and headed to Disney World. After checking into our rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter, we spruced up a bit and went to Emeril's Orlando at Universal Studios. The attendants had us park on the back 40 and we had quite a distance to walk before we actually arrived at the restaurant. The dinner was very good and I enjoyed the evening. The only proverbial fly in the ointment was the band playing right outside the window on the Universal Studios Boardwalk. It was a bit loud for a nice evening meal.

Stay tuned for the next installment...Magic Kingdom!

Disney Bound

That's right, folks. I am heading to Disney. All together now...

M-I-C K-E-Y M-O-U-S-EEEEEEEE!!!!

We have been planning this trip for 2 years and it's finally coming to fruition. It's been a big secret that some of us have had a tough time keeping. And there were several times that the secret was almost ruined by a slip of the tongue. But all was successful in the end and now that the twins know where we are going, we are all waiting impatiently to jump aboard the Disney Van!

We head out tomorrow morning and will stop in St. Augustine, FL for the night. Saturday morning will find us at Cape Canaveral. Later that afternoon, we will head to our rooms and finally to an evening at Emeril's Orlando. The real magic begins on Sunday. I CAN'T WAIT!! On our way back home, we will stop off at Sea World and Brunswick, GA will complete the journey. I will post all about our trip when we return in 10 days.

Until then, have a Disney week!!

Pearls and Gold

I read something in a book the other day that made me really stop and think. It was an idea that had never occurred to me at all. When Christians talk about going to heaven, one of the first things that is mentioned are the streets of gold and gates of pearl. I always thought that it was literal, and it may very well be, but I now also believe that it was used figuratively to show us another facet of God's character.

A pearl is the only precious gem that is made by causing pain and suffering and in the end, it causes death. When a grain of sand or other irritant enters the cavity of a living mollusk, the animal immediately begins secreting nacre and surrounds the irritant layer by layer until a pearl is formed. When the pearl is ready to harvest, the animal dies.

Jesus is our Pearl. He obediently and willingly went through the pain and suffering of the cross and became a "Pearl of great price" when he died and rose from the grave after three days. The reason God will have gates of pearl in heaven is because Jesus is the only way into heaven and the pearl represents His work and accomplishments on our behalf.

The streets of gold are all that most people know about heaven. They talk about what it would be like to walk those streets of gold and see the beauty. But I now also believe that the streets of gold represent all Christians that will be in heaven. Job 23:10 says, "But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold". When we are all in heaven with our Savior, we will be as gold. We will have been purified by the fires of life and will be a shining part of the Heavenly Kingdom--the streets of gold!

Can you imagine the beauty in Heaven? Now that I understand another side to these images, I believe the beauty of Heaven will be even more wondrous that before! Wow!