Sunday, November 21, 2010

Thanksgiving, community style

My mom and Denis just left a few days ago to spend the next week (including Thanksgiving) up in North Carolina with all of our family up there. Why am I not there, you ask? First off, SPC is dumb and only gave us two days off. Secondly, I can't really afford to take off from work for too long right now. Therefore, I'm still here in Florida, famililess for the holiday.

However, around 7:30 pm ish, anyone and everyone is invited over to my house to come together as a community and celebrate Thanksgiving. I will be cooking a few things, but it would be great if you guys could maybe bring something to help out. If you'd like to know what is needed, send me a text or call or something and I'll let you know. I'm kind of hoping we'll have food left over so we can maybe go out and feed the homeless with it or something. I'd love to see you all there!

Also, during the day, I will not have much to do, so if you'd like to have a vegetarian over for Thanksgiving, I'd greatly appreciate that =) No worries, though.

peace, love, and community.
kale lyric hardy

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Ninety nine

Here is a random assortment of things I may or may not have completed in my life. (I stole this from Beth. The ones in bold are what I have done.

1. Started your own blog - Obviously.
2. Slept under the stars - Sooooo amazing. I'd do it every night if I could.
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World - Many a time.
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child - I will one day.
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - I walked as high as they'd let me. It was after 9/11 so the actual statue part was closed
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - Two, and they were not that great.

21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - I walked by them so many times, but they were too dang expensive.
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run - Does kickball count?
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language - I started to...

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - I hate money, so I'd be satisfied without it.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Visited the Alps
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - Really wanna do this.
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - Do home movies count?
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia - Spring 2011! Lord willing.
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - I helped my step sister. I was not a girl scout.
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp - I was going to in Poland, but plans changed.
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London - Missed it by one day.
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - No, but I've had a poem published.
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - Probably never will. Not worth it for me.
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve - Just on the cheek. Nothing incredibly romantic or anything.
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life - I saved a child from getting seriously injured at my work.
90. Sat on a jury - Been called up for jury duty, but I've always gotten out of it.
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo - Haha, yep. More than one.
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Monday, November 1, 2010

We're all baby sea turtles

Today was an off day for me. My heart was heavy with a lot of things, and I honestly didn't know what to do about it. I had band practice with Tim at five, and I wasn't really looking forward to it because of everything I was thinking about. Soon enough the time to head over to Tim's approached and I made my way over there. En route to practice, for whatever reason, I had the urge to go to the beach and just spend some real alone time with God. So as soon as practice ended, I went straight to one of my favorite beach spots with my bible, notebook, and blanket.

At first I didn't really know what to do, or what to read, so I just sat and watched the sunset. I observed birds flying and then suddenly diving into the water in hopes of catching dinner. Then God laid Psalm 139 on my heart. For some reason I've just been continuing to come back to that Psalm. So I opened my notebook and started writing it in my own words.

When it got dark, I called Gretchen and we had a good conversation. She told me about her day and how she was in the middle of steam-cleaning her carpets and I told her about my day and that I was sitting on the beach. I love calling her. I know she'll always answer whether I'm crying, laughing, or calling just because I want to say hey.

Afterwards, I started singing some songs to my Savior and then talking to Him aloud. Then I remembered my experience watching baby sea turtles hatch and then head towards the ocean to start living their lives. When baby sea turtles hatch, they will go towards the brightest light, assuming it's the moon, to find their way to the ocean. Because of the light from a lot of hotels, they sometimes get turned around and start going the other direction. If they continue that way, they will eventually die, and that is why volunteers are there when they hatch to turn them around when they go the wrong way.

In a lot of ways, we're like baby sea turtles and Jesus is our Moon. When we are brought into this world, we're all looking for the Light, however some are misguided by other lights and that eventually leads them to death. But if we follow the True Light, it is there we will find Life. Sometimes along the way we can get turned around, and it's then when we need to repent from our old ways and turn to God.

After talking this over with God, I continued to pray and thank Him for all He'd shown me while I was out there with Him. I just thanked Him for whispering in my ear that I needed to hang out with Him on the beach and if I hadn't listened, I would've never heard Him speak. It was then, as I was taking in the vastness of the night sky, that I saw the most amazingly brilliant and bright shooting star I had ever seen. Immediately, tears of joy ran down my face and I was laughing; I could not have smiled any bigger.

I wish I could put into words that would accurately describe everything that happened today, but I can't. I tried, but the truth is, you guys won't ever know how this day was for me, but that's okay. It was for me and God, but I just wanted to share a piece of it with you.

peace, love, and baby sea turtles.
kay lee rick hardy