A to Z Blog Challenge - R

Letter R

Rory

He is Miranda's boyfriend. They met in the summer between their Junior & Senior year of high school and have been together now for over 2 years. He is a sweetie and a real blessing to her life and ours!

Rabbits

I love it when these cute little critters visit my yard! Unfortunately, Jackson... when he was a little younger!.... tried to "play" with a couple of our bunny visitors and... well.... let's just say that they sadly weren't able to visit our yard any more. I won't go into the details because even I don't want to remember them! 

Reading

This is something that I enjoy doing, very much. I like to read all kinds of things. The type of fiction books that I like are romantic mysteries or funny mysteries. I also enjoy non-fiction books such as books about Christianity. My favorite magazine is "People Magazine", although I do enjoy many others. When we go to the beach, my friend and I like to buy all of the "trash magazines" to read while we sit on the beach. When I say "trash magazines", I'm talking about crazy magazines like "The National Inquirer" and others. We find it fun to read the stories! Right now, for my fiction reading... I am reading the #2 book in the Harry Potter series.

Roller Coasters

I have been a HUGE roller coaster fan for as long as I can remember!! I can still remember riding my first one at Six Flags Over Georgia. It was in 1976. (Showing my age!) It was called "The Scream Machine" and I rode it with my Daddy, of course! The coaster was (and still is!) painted red, white, & blue because it opened in the bicentennial year! It is a wooden roller coaster, as they didn't have the fancy "steel" ones back then! I still ride the Scream Machine when I go to Six Flags, but now I prefer the "newer" ones!

Rebecca

This is my REAL name. "Becky" is my nickname. I love the name Rebecca! I am named after my Great-Grandmother. In the 5th grade, I decided that I wanted to go by Rebecca instead of Becky. It didn't work out too well because my classmates only knew me as "Becky". My teacher was the only one that actually called me "Rebecca". I quickly became "Becky" again.

Rollercoasters & Paths

I love analogies. I love it when someone uses one to help them explain something. It helps me to better understand. Sometimes I make them up myself, just to help ME understand things better.

Right now... I am thinking about my LIFE. One day, everything is wonderful and great. The next day, it feels like everything is falling apart.

As I was writing in my journal, I began to think of these analogies ----

My life is like a roller coaster. It goes VERY fast! I like to go fast. I like the thrill and the adrenalin rush that it brings. But, sometimes, I wish... as I went over those high parts.... the coaster would slow down so that I could "take it all in" and "enjoy the moment". -- When you ARE on a roller coaster, you are going so fast... that you don't have time to "look around" at the scenery below! -- Before I know it, the ride is over, and I want to do is... get back on! -- I think, in life... this would be the times when I wished I could go back and relive a part of my life. Maybe do it different. Or, maybe just enjoy it all over again.

All roller coasters go UP and DOWN. The high parts can be scary, but they are also the best part of the roller coaster! At the bottom, some roller coasters go thru tunnels. Sometimes, they are long tunnels -- These represent the tough times that I go thru. -- Sometimes, they are short tunnels. The long tunnels are the scary ones. You can not see ANY light at all!! You are holding on very tightly and desperately looking for "the light at the end of the tunnel". I don't like the tunnels. I don't think anyone does.

Right now... I feel like I am in the tunnel!! I am not sure how long it is, but right now.... I can not see the light at the end. I know it's there. I just can't see it and I'm scared.

It's crazy too, because just a few short days ago.... I was riding high up on top and enjoying every minute (or second!) that I was up there!!

My life is like a path. I like to go hiking in the woods. Almost always, there is a path to follow. I stay on the path, because I know that if I go off of the path... I will most surely get lost! Usually there will be "forks" in the path and I have to decide which way is the best way to go. If I choose the wrong path, then it could lead me somewhere that I shouldn't be. Sometimes, there are other paths that are connected to the path that I am on. I know that I have to stay on MY PATH and not take these others, because I have no idea where these other paths will take me.

Sometimes, these other paths tempt me with pretty flowers or a beautiful view! I am attracted to pretty things, so I have to be careful not to be distracted from MY PATH.

Right now..... I am not sure what is going on. I am not sure if I took a wrong path, and now I am lost. Or, am I on the right path, but something (or someone) is blocking my way. Or, am I at a fork in my path and I have to choose which way to go??

I do feel a bit lost.

I know that Jesus is the light at the end of that roller coaster tunnel. I know that once I find His light.... He will guide me out.

I also know that Jesus is right here with me on this path. He is trying to show me which way to go so that I can get back on the right path. I can't hear His voice right now, tho. I can't even see which way He is pointing. I DO know that He is holding my hand. I can feel it. He is telling me that everything is going to be alright and that I AM going to find my way back to the right path. He will guide me, if I will just listen to Him.

PLEASE say a prayer for me. ~ Thank you!

Bucket List #37-39

#37 --- Visit Nashville again with Hubby, stay downtown and check out the nightlife --- We went, as a family, to Nashville back in April of 2005. We stayed near the Grand Ole Opry, but not downtown. We went to the Grand Ole Opry, The Country Music Hall of Fame, The Opryland Hotel, and walked around downtown Nashville... in the daytime. We also took a tour of Country Music Stars homes! That was a blast for the girls and I, but poor Hubby didn't enjoy it so much. His motion sickness got the best of him!! -- NOT GOOD! All in all, it was a great trip... but, I would love to go back with just Hubby and stay in the downtown area and check out the nightlife there, like "Tootsie's"!!! Maybe we'd get lucky and someone famous would just walk in and start singing! I hear that stars do that all the time!

#38 --- Visit Las Vegas and ride the roller coaster on top of the building --- I have always heard so many people say that Las Vegas is an awesome place to visit whether you gamble or not. (We don't!) I want to go not only to check it out and see the sights, but I want to ride the roller coaster that is on top of one of the buildings there! It is on top of the "Stratosphere". I LOVE rollercoasters and I'm not really afraid of hights. So, for me, this would be the ultimate rollercoaster to ride! I've posted two photos here. Check them out!

#39 --- Ride a zip-line across a beautiful countryside --- Like I said before... I am not afraid of heights, so as long as I was strapped in real good... I think this would be a blast!! I want to do it over a beautiful area, tho. Hawaii would be a beautiful place to do it!