Tag: drive

Pioneers!

Jennifred Jones

Are you a pioneer? Am I a pioneer? What is a pioneer?

Adventure, danger, the unknown, no trail to follow, rivers to cross, food to forage, animals to hunt, bobcats and bears to ward off, family to feed, babies to tend to, trees to chop, shelter to seek, weeds to pull, clothes to make, people to meet, stories to tell, sickness to overcome.

Great-grandfather was a wagon-master numerous times leading settlers from Illinois to Oregon City. My kids played “Oregon Trail” on the computer for days when growing up. A daughter has an ‘Oregon Trail’ historical marker in her back yard.

Life is an adventure. Yes, we are all pioneers of different sorts. Every time we begin a new venture, we are pioneering a brand new ad-venture! The risk, the unknown is part of the excitement. We have a picture in our mind’s eye but cannot see how it will all pan out. We can’t always count the cost… we don’t know how much it will cost so we just begin and keep moving forward because it’s what we want to do.

We each have a grand life to live ahead of us. Don’t be afraid to pull up your tent pegs and try something new. There is much still to be discovered, learned and tried. We humans have been given the best minds of all creation, and they need to be stretched and think and design, craft, create, build, develop, push forward, see better ways of doing things, keep on improving and helping others to do likewise.

Accept your pioneer spirit and forge ahead. Others may not see your path or want to go with you. Don’t let that stop you. There had to be the first pioneer. There has to be vision. Let it be yours to make something good and beneficial.

Hitch up your wagon and drive!

We America

Jennifred Jones

We America, yes us in the land of the free and the home of the brave, living in the land God gave us, the beautiful land of freedom that most of the world wants to come live in because of her abundance, wealth and freedoms.

Many of us have lost our compass, not knowing right from wrong or wrong from right ‘It’s all relative anyway, whatever I want is the way it’s going to be…all for my comfort and satisfaction,’ some say.

We end up living our lives thinking pretty much only about ourselves and not others or the long-term effects of our thoughts and actions. I don’t think this has been intentional, it has crept upon, causing us not even to consider other peoples’ well-being on a personal level…maybe even our own well-being.

We may donate to charities, we may go to church, we may live in a nice house and have good kids, but are we setting a good example? Do we run people off the road when we’re in a hurry to get somewhere? Do we take out our frustration behind the wheel, intimidating others because of weaknesses in ourselves? This week in a parking lot a woman was almost run over at the crosswalk where she exited the store, by a driver who didn’t see the stop sign at the crosswalk. As we passed each other walking, she said, ‘I think people are so busy and distracted these days, they don’t even notice.’

This softened my heart. People – we – us – are trying to live our lives, keep up with family needs, and get out doing what we need to do.

I ask that we slow down and begin to see other human beings as like flesh and blood as ourselves. We all bleed the same.  People are not just another ‘face’. They have a family, they have work to do and places to go just like we do. Life is too precious. It goes by so fast and can be snuffed out quickly.

Today, I will not allow myself to be so preoccupied that I cannot look out for others, because I hope others will be looking out for me.

Amen.

Borrowed Beauty

Jennifred Jones

So you don’t have time, you don’t have space, you don’t have money to design, plan or develop your longed for garden oasis.

Maybe you don’t have a green thumb….NO problem!

Go take a walk, go to the park, the arboretum, a greenhouse, or open a picture book.

Drive to the river, follow the creek, go to the woods or fields where you can borrow other beauty to refresh yourself!

Stay as long as you need until you become and can feel good inside.

Borrow all you want! No check out, no late fees, but plenty of good returns!