Friday, October 28, 2011

#31days of Exploring God's Creation - Day 27 - Dream a little Dream










#31Days of . . . series - Read more here!



Day 27 - Dream a little Dream

"The more high tech the schools become, the more they need nature"
                                                                                             Richard Louv


I've heard from more than one parent who was unhappy about recent changes within the school system
which promote more money being spent on high tech, a lot more money while simultaneously cutting
 back, and in some cases doing away with recess, field trips, and physical education. 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that our children need better balance than that. I'm all for
technology, and I want my children to thrive in that area. I'm certain it will be critical for their future
success in this world of ever evolving technical advances. I'm proud of how far we've come, as Americans.



 Growing up in Orlando, Florida afforded me the opportunity to enjoy exciting field trips to Cape Canaveral to see Space Shuttles launch. Even at a young age I was impressed with advances in technology. Something I'm quite convinced of however, is that the brain child for those advances didn't usually begin with someone sitting behind a computer screen - indoors. Call me crazy but, I believe dreams the likes of which eventually carry a person into space- begin with a child's fascination in looking up at the stars- in the great outdoors.

When I look back at my own childhood, it is the memories of my family interacting in nature which are some of my fondest; those are the moments that shaped me and became a part of who I am still today.


 


I was asked to write a quote this week for KidzRockInc - a not for profit agency which encourages and supports extracurricular activities for children. In answering the question, 'What did participating in extracurricular activities mean to you as a kid growing up?' It became even more evident to me that those experiences have helped to shape my entire way of life.

Athletics have their obvious physical benefits. The theater played a large part (forgive the pun- I can't help myself) in developing my creativity, and outdoor activities won my heart and helped me develop a closer relationship with my Creator.

Leaving out early in the morning to canoe down the Wekiva river with my daddy,  a Butterfinger in
 one hand and a cane pole in the other was one of my all time favorite pass-times. It wasn't solely the
one on one with my favorite guy (at the time) or even the powerful ego boost from learning to paddle
 a boat and to catch fish that won me over. It was a culmination of those things along with listening for
birds,catching a bull frog, watching an alligator sunning on a log. I loved every minute of it.

Other times, we'd spend hours (and more hours) snorkeling in the clear waters of the Gulf. I had never
been as happy as I was combing the beach, looking for shells and sharks teeth. Rafting down wild rivers, skiing behind a boat through lakes and rivers in Florida, laughing and playing in the great outdoors -
and there was more- so much more.

Today, I am doing my best to share those kinds of experiences with my own children. My husband
and I take them camping, fishing, hiking - down rivers and to the beaches. Fortunately, we are
surrounded in Florida by a seemingly unending supply of natural beauty to explore.


Believe it or not, this is not a plug for the State of Florida or even for Fishing Southwest Florida *dot*com
(O.K. - that was a shameless plug for my husbands fishing charter business- but, it's for your own good!)

I've said all this just to say- the time you spend exploring the outdoors with your children today will have a direct impact on the dreams they build for the future! Invest in them wisely. 



It was on these beaches, walking and snorkeling with my family many (way many) years ago that
 a seed was planted and a dream was formed. God brought me to my special place - He brought
my dreams to fruition -and now I explore these same beaches with my own little family. We grow,
and learn, explore, and most of all . . . . . . . . we DREAM here! 

What are the dreams of your children?

 Are you nurturing them with outdoor activities while exploring God's creation together?


linking with:
I am so Thankful that my parents encouraged me to Dream and set Goals



linking with:

 Have you met these ladies? They are a powerful, sweet group bonded together with the main
goal of supporting each other and reaching out to the blogging community. It is their true desire to encourage women in their family life and other areas to set goals and work toward reaching them (blog related or otherwise) I am enjoying getting to know them better and inspired to do better as a mom and more! It has me focusing on "being the best me- for others" . Are you the best you? - you can be!
3in30   My October goals progress this week:
1. Family Bible Time- love the excitement from the kids with Bible memory work - we have focused on
learning about why we need to fill our hearts and minds with the Word & I'm excited to see even the youngest one getting it - and getting excited at his own success!

2. Health- Some progress made and have gathered some vital information - God is bringing me exactly the information I have needed because I've asked Him to and I was given a juicer (subject keeps coming up) My goal is for overall improvement & to be healed from RA - I have a whole lotta living to do! I want to be my best for my family and to serve- truly, it is what I am here for.

3. Blog- #31days series has been a challenge and a blessing. I'm enjoying digging into the same topic & it has been a challenge to post every single day (currently 1 day behind- plan to remedy that tonight!) Content and value for my readers is truly what matters, I would also like to make some money for my family. Finding products and making connections with some particular "products" that I can really get behind & believe in (otherwise it is not possible for me to sell it- I must believe whole-heartily in a thing to promote it) Learning more about how to serve both my readers and sponsors in this manner - creatively! :)
update: My November goals have been written out in detail and I'm on track to reach them!

8 comments:

Jill said...

Amen! Part of what makes you such a GREAT Mom!

Janet Rose said...

Good job on your goals! I love Bible time with my boys.

Heather said...

Love the 31 days of Creation! Homeschooling is the most amazing journey! What a great way to incorporate your learning!

Susan said...

The combination of dreaming and setting goals is important...dreams without goals don't carry you very far. I love that you can thank your parents for such a wonderful foundation!

Theresa said...

Thank you for linking up! I love this post. These are things I think about often. I know that it is important for our kids to understand and be familiar with technology...it's our world, it's part of the workforce, etc. But I think respecting and appreciating and exploring nature are too important to trade for technology. There needs to be a balance!

I LOVE the photo of your boys in their boats!

Unknown said...

Every time I read your blog I get homesick for Naples. There's something about the wildlife and outdoor in activities in FL that just doesn't compare to anywhere else. :-)

Thanks for linking with us!

~Mary

Sennie said...

Love the FL pics!! We are headed to St. Pete (and/or Orlando) end of the month. Can't wait!

Kim said...

LOVE this! I think it is SO important for parents to spend time with their children outdoors! Keep up the gr8 work!

Kim