We Locked Our Keys In The Van in the Middle of the Woods

We Locked Our Keys In The Van

Camping, Day 2

After a night of heavy rain drumming our tent, I woke to the sound of birds. Thankfully, we were nice and dry inside! I got out of bed before everyone else to capture some nature photography before breaking down the campsite. Cat joined me and we had fun capturing the world, damp and dew drop covered from the night before.

After Nate got up, we decided to see if our next campsite was available. We weren’t able to get all of the days at the same spot since everything was so booked. Usually, the whole north is mostly booked by the time spring rolls around. If we want to pick a good spot for an entire week next year, we might have to reserve our spot within the next few months.

Cat watched the little ones while we walked across the campgrounds to take a look. As we walked past, we noticed the people there were already packing up! Check out isn’t until 4, so we had time to pack up our stuff and get over there. However, we wanted to get settled in early so we could relax the rest of our day.

We packed up all of our stuff, putting all of the wet things in the back. I was going to walk over there with the kids since it was such a beautiful day, and the van was packed in almost every seat. Just as we were about to walk off, Nate shut the door, with the keys in the ignition and the van running. We locked our keys in the van.

Unfortunately, my purse was in the van. As were my keys. There was no way to get back in. Nate set off to find the campsite hosts to see if they could assist us. While we waited, I took the kids down to the lake to explore. I decided to take them over to our campsite to occupy them and give them a new place to explore. Then I walked all the way back to see how the van situation was going.

The campground hosts were there with Nate. They recommended calling the local police to come out and open it for free. Nate was worried we would run out of gas if we had to wait, so he called a local tow truck to do it instead. We ended up chatting while we waited. Our hosts were actually from a neighboring town to our hometown! I didn’t want to leave the kids unattended for too long, so I set off to our new site again. It turns out, it was $90.00 to unlock our door. Ouch. I think waiting for the police and buying a gas can might have been cheaper. Ah well, hindsight.

Once we got everything set up, we decided to check out the local town and also pick up some water. Ely wasn’t what I expected. I think I romantasized it, as I had the other towns on the drive up. It was a pretty typical small town. There was the main strip that went right through the center. The shops were all mostly Mom and Pop stores, but there were a few regulars near the outskirts, like Dairy Queen and Family Dollar. It was quite scenic from the top of the hill.

We didn’t stay too long, as we wanted to get back. The day had escaped us. We decided it would be good to start dinner early so we could get to bed at a decent time. The big girls and I played card games while Nate cooked chicken over the fire. Princess and I had gluten free grilled cheese. For dessert, we had the camping classic, smores. Our second day of camping was a lot of fun!

Have you had any mishaps while camping?

Check out our video of our day!

Continue on to day 3 of our camping trip!
https://cisforcomfort.com/checking-ely-minnesota/

Did you miss day 1? Read all about it here:

September 25, 2017October 26, 2017

If At First, You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 5, Day 1
Schaar’s Bluff

After getting sick, we missed week 5 of our workout challenge. Rather than give up, I thought it would be best to try again. I’m using the old proverb, “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.” I don’t like to give up. I’m the type of person who will tackle a goal over and over until it’s accomplished.

We set up a playdate with some friends at Schaar’s Bluff. It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect, there were a few fluffy clouds in the sky and a mild breeze to cool us off. We enjoyed exploring the trails and seeing the wildlife.

We walked to the park to let the kids play for a little while. I think my favorite part about play dates is having another adult to talk to, for a little while. Being surrounded by children 24/7, it can get lonely. Usually, when Nate gets home he’s too tired to do much else except sleep.

I know that someday the time when my children are little and dependent on me will pass. Someday, I’ll miss these days terribly. Having a teenager, I already know how fast little ones can grow. So I’m soaking up as much time with my children as I can. Someday, I’ll have the rest of my life for adult talk.

Lately, Nate has been watching The Great British Baking Show. While I was on my walk, he was inspired to bake. He decided to make me a gift of a gluten free, corn free, chocolate cake.

While the cake was cooling, we made a trip to visit my Grandfather. He was doing amazingly well! Talking, wide awake and joking around. It made me so happy to see him so well!

After visiting Grandpa, we made a trip to Gander Mountain. They’re all closing and having sales as a result. We got some lures for fishing and a few new work shirts for Nate. Princess was especially fond of all of the lures. She picked out so many we had to put two-thirds back! She is really excited to try fishing!

After dinner, we gave our cake a try. It was so beautiful, I couldn’t wait to eat it. Before I even sat down, I took a bite and immediately turned around to hide my puckered lips. Nate asked me how it was. I think I gave him an “Mmmmm!” as I gulped down some water.

I waited for Nate to take a bite of his own before commenting. I laughed as he grimaced. He told me he thought he forgot the sugar. It wasn’t horrible, but the cocoa powder was really bitter without any sweetener. I can’t help but laugh at the memory. It was so sweet of him to make a cake.

Has a goal ever gotten away from you? Did you pick back up and continue?

Check out our video!

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 4, Day 4: Afton State Park
Next Week: Week 5, Day 2: Kawishiwi Falls

September 22, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color

My favorite color is purple. It has been for as long as I can remember. I’ve had rotating secondary favorite colors as well. Pink, black, blue, green, deep turquoise blue, aqua blue. I love jewel-toned colors, bright colors, earthy colors. I love cream and brown in combination with any of my favorite colors.

Funnily enough, I also have a color that I extremely dislike, yellow. I’m not a fan. Yellow is one of those colors that make me grimace. Strange right? You’d think a color that seems sunshiney would be likable.

Now, I’m not going to go crazy and banish all yellow from my life. I just won’t go out of my way to purchase or create something yellow. Plus, yellow isn’t always awful, some flowers look lovely with a touch of yellow in their centers. Sunflowers are incredibly beautiful and they are very yellow. Yellow leaves in combination with reds, greens, and oranges in the fall are also pleasing to the eye.

When I was very young, I loved rainbows. My whole room was done in the Rainbow Bright theme. Color, and lots of it, was wonderful. So although I love purple as my favorite color, truly, I love a wide range of the whole rainbow. My house is filled with color. My wardrobe is organized by rainbow in my closet. Yes, I wear almost every color, except yellow!

Despite my love of a variety of colors, I always seem to pick purple flowers for my garden. When the garden center is having a sale, I can’t be as picky with what I end up with. By the time the sales roll around, most of the flowers have fallen off. This ends up being exciting for me, seeing what colors will bloom when my plants are nursed back to health.

This year I got a fantastic find with a lovely purple datura. I managed to get a large amount of purple alyssum, some more pastel, some a rich, darker purple. I also got pinkish purple petunias and dark purple salvia. Everything else was a surprise color.

It always amazes me how many different shades there are of one color. I love seeing all of the beautiful variations in flowers. I have only seen a small fraction of the flowers in the entire world! I would love to see them all! I can only imagine the joy that God had in making them. I feel so thankful that he created this beauty for us to enjoy.

What is your favorite color? Join us in the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
You can post your image on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/cisforcomfort/posts/1466141406804414
Or tag us on Instagram with #cisforcomfort52

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 21: Simplicity
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September 7, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry

I had an image in my head for the jewelry photography project. It was one of those projects where you need two people. I knew that a tripod would be difficult to get the angle I wanted and also to get myself into place if I were to do a self-portrait with a remote. Cat was sweet enough to help me.

My children don’t really wear jewelry, so it seemed practical that I use myself, since I enjoy wearing it on a regular basis. I’m not as comfortable in front of the camera as I am behind it, but I’m really pleased with the way the images turned out. My daughter is really becoming a great photographer.

I love wearing jewelry, I always have. I remember wearing beaded bracelets as a little girl, I even still have my favorite rainbow star beaded bracelet.

When I was about 4, I begged my Mom to get my ears pierced. She and my Grandmother brought me to a mall jewelry store in Minneapolis. They messed up my left ear and had to re-pierce it twice. Because of that, I will only bring my children to a professional piercer at a tattoo shop.

Unfortunately, I’m allergic to nickel. This means that I can only wear high-quality jewelry. I enjoy high-quality jewelry over cheap jewelry, so I’m not complaining about the upgrades. The downside is that chains and earrings are a bit more expensive to replace. I also can’t get jewelry on a whim if I find something cute at a craft show or on vacation.

I don’t own a lot of jewelry. I love necklaces for their convenience. Simple, elegant pieces make me happy. My Mom buys me a beautiful new necklace from Kay jewelry every year. I wear one almost every day.

I have a few bracelets. Funnily enough, I never grew out of my love for beaded bracelets. The bracelets I wear most often are plastic children’s bracelets. I have a favorite fluorite bracelet I got while on vacation on the north shore last year. I also couldn’t resist the bracelet I’m wearing in the images below. It is silver with stars. I got one for my daughter Cat and myself.

It was a beautiful day, so Cat and I decided to walk down to the river for our project. I love to spend alone time with each of my children. I try to give them each a little bit of alone time once a month. This breaks down to a once a week Mother/Child date with one of my children.

Looking for a location, I didn’t really see any place that jumped out at me as THE spot. As we started walking home, I thought we might take a different route and keep looking for a good location. In one spot, we found a cute painted rock that someone had left.

The spot I found was actually a place that might not appear to the naked eye as a great location. To me, it was perfect. If you look at the image below, you might see why some might rule it out. It’s in a parking lot without a lot of great visual appeal in the background. However, I loved the tall grasses bordering the parking lot. I knew that with the right angle, it would be exactly what I was looking for, and it was.

What is your favorite jewelry? Join us in the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images! You can post your image on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/cisforcomfort/posts/1452792044806017
Or tag us on instagram with #cisforcomfort52
Check out our video!

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 18: Spring Trees
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color

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August 2, 2017August 9, 2017

4 Year Old Adventure

4 Year Old Adventure
5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 3, Day 4

The big kids went to the drive in with Grandma and Grandpa, so Princess and I decided to go on an adventure. We went on a walk downtown and along the river. It was the perfect evening for a walk and we had a lot of fun!

Princess LOVES going for walks. She is a little outdoors girl. If we could live outside, she would be so happy. One of her favorite activities is camping. She’s always asking me when we can go play outside together. I let her lead us on this 4-year-old adventure.

I’m naturally a home body. I love hiding inside. I’m always looking for ways to motivate myself to go outdoors more because the outdoors are beautiful and they always make me feel closer to God. Doing this exercise challenge has been a great way to do that. I do love to explore new places too, but it’s nice to have a little girl who pushes me to do so.

I hope we’ve been inspiring you to get outdoors too if you are naturally a home body like me. Exercise doesn’t have to be gruesome and horrible. Getting outside, exploring the world and all of the wonders that God created for us to enjoy is fun and exciting. The person who moves slowly on the trail is still moving faster than the person at home on their couch. So get out there and get some fresh air!

Have we motivated you to get outside this week? Do your kids love to go outside as much as my little outdoor girl?

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 3, Day 3: Covered Bridge Park
Next Week: Week 4, Day 1: Morning Workout

July 30, 2017August 10, 2017

The Only Covered Bridge In Minnesota!

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 3, Day 3
2nd Convention Day, Covered Bridge Park

The second day of the “Don’t Give Up!” convention was great! I felt bad for the people next to us because the kids had to get up and go the bathroom in alternating shifts. I suppose that’s typical with kids. Since my kids are all getting older, they sit pretty well except for the bathroom breaks.

After the convention, Princess wanted to go all the way to the top of the parking ramp. I brought us up and parked the van so the kids could take in the view. It was a beautiful and windy day in Rochester.

On the way home, we stopped in Zumbrota to see the covered bridge. I have always wanted to go check it out. It’s really beautiful and in great shape! I’m so glad we got a chance to visit!

We took a walk along the creek and then stopped at an amazing wooden park. It reminded me of a park that used to be in Burnsville called Skyland. It was torn down to put in a modern park several years ago, which has always made me sad. I loved playing at Skyland when I was younger. I’m really glad the children had the chance to enjoy this park. They want to come back every time there is a convention.

Park Info: http://www.ci.zumbrota.mn.us/index.asp?SEC=F8BD36E0-EA64-410F-B42C-3C819352F226&DE=05948FF6-7AB9-4FDC-996C-29FBF2FD779B&Type=B_BASIC

Have you been to the covered bridge in Zumbrota or do you have one near where you live? I’d love to hear about it or see your pictures!

UPDATE: I made a typo! It turns out that it was advertised as the only remaining “original” covered bridge in the state. There are other “non-original” covered bridges. I did find a list of all of the covered bridges, check it out! http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbmn.htm

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 3, Day 2: 1st Convention Day, Rochester
Next Week: Week 3, Day 4: 4-Year-Old Adventure

July 5, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 14: Favorite Scripture

This is my first chalkboard creation! My daughter Cat usually makes me beautiful art on the chalkboard that Nate made for me. Since this was my challenge, I thought I had better give it a try myself. I didn’t think it was fair to give Cat such a complicated project. (She insists she could have handled it.)

Drawing with chalk is a lot harder than it appears! Chalk is thick and flattens with each use, The edges are unpredictable with swirls and curves, unlike using a pen or pencil. I have to give Cat credit, she makes it look so easy!

Choosing my number one favorite scripture isn’t an easy task. I have a variety of favorite scriptures. Actually, I have a book of favorite scriptures! Narrowing it down to my top two was a little easier.

When I was studying the bible with my mentor, she often helped me find scriptures for life’s problems or questions I had. As we read through different topics, Isaiah 48:17 occasionally came up. Karen always mentioned that it was her favorite scripture and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a great reminder of what’s important in life.

Jehovah is teaching us to help ourselves through his inspired word in the Bible. The Bible is our guide to life and it can help us with every situation in life. With daily study and personal, heartfelt prayer, we’re developing a relationship with God and training our consciousness in the way we should walk.

I love that scripture, but I also love the one that follows.

¹⁷ This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel: “I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself, The One guiding you in the way you should walk. ¹⁸ If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

I love the visual of peace and righteousness. It soothes and comforts me. By listening to God and applying his word, peace will be our reward.

Psalms 91:4 is my current favorite. The wording is a little different, depending on which Bible you use. My Bible has a more literal translation in an attempt for accuracy.
With his pinions, he will cover you, And under his wings, you will take refuge. His faithfulness will be a large shield and a protective wall.
Personally, I prefer the new international version, with the word feathers instead of pinions. A Pinion is the outer section of a bird’s wings. Although a pinion is very specific to what part of God’s wings will cover, pinion is not a regular part of my vocabulary.

I love this scripture, because of the thought of being protected by God. I love the visual of being safe, tucked under his wing, like a baby chick. Conjuring this image in my mind brings tears to my eyes. It’s like getting a hug from Jehovah.

Do you have a favorite scripture?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 13: Kindness
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 15: Hobby
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May 9, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 10: Mother/Daughter

Since this is a mother/daughter* project, it seemed obvious that there should be a mother daughter portrait for one of the challenges. Though this photography project is mostly for Cat and me, I have invited all of the kids with us when we go out on our adventures. Often, the other children get to jump in for a few portraits or get a chance to hold the camera.

The images of Cat and Me were both taken by Cupcake. Cat and I both took portraits with the other kids and took turns being the photographer. I’ve shared a few favorites and funny ones. Life with 4 children is never boring! Hahaha!

Some of these images were taken in my studio as a last photo shoot before closing my in-home studio. The other ones are a walk we took on a warm day after the Sunday meeting. Since it was so warm, there were a lot of other families out enjoying the warmer weather. One family was kind enough to stop and take a portrait of all of us together, a rare treat.

I enjoy taking portraits with my children so that I am not an invisible part of their lives, in pictures anyway. Too often I am the one taking a picture and not in it. I’ve been trying to change this and ask other people to take a picture of me.

As a photographer, I see a lot of Mom’s since they’re the ones bringing the children in for photo shoots. I usually ask the Mothers to jump in for a few portraits. Some Moms are happy to jump in, excited to share in the moment. Most Moms are shy and hesitant, slightly uncomfortable with the idea of being the center of attention. Some Moms outright refuse to be in the portrait.

I’ve heard a lot of excuses over the years. They’re heartbreaking to hear.
“I don’t have any makeup on.”
“I don’t look good.”
“I’m not dressed up.”
“I’m too fat.”
“I’m ugly.”
Usually, these are said with an outright honest and panicked frankness. Some are said with a laugh to diffuse the tension. All are said directly in front of their children.

Years ago I read an article that talked about how self-image was created in children. It mentioned how children’s first role models are their parents. What children hear their Mother’s say about themselves, becomes the inner voice of our children. If we talk negatively about ourselves on a regular basis, our children hear that and internalize it. If we talk positively about ourselves, we set a good example of confidence and self-love.

Our children look at us with love and adoration. They don’t see our imperfections as imperfections. They might or might not notice that our hair is messy, we don’t have makeup on, our clothes might be a size too small or too large or dirty from a hard day’s work. They might or might not see the extra weight or lack of weight. They might or might not see our wrinkles and grey hair. To them, this is all part of a person they love very much. To them, these things are all beautiful and fun. Children see the INNER beauty shine through these beautiful characteristics that make us who we are. Children are not naturally judgemental.

I’ve had my children mention my “imperfections” to me as something they adore.
“Mommy, your tummy is nice and fluffy”
“Mommy, why do you put makeup on? You look prettier without it.”
And my favorite…
“Mommy, I love you!”
They see the extra hugs and cuddles should they have a nightmare. They see the smile when they look over for approval. They hear my encouragement, my teaching, my singing, my laughter, and my love. They see me making them meals and washing their clothes with a positive attitude. They notice the good and not the bad.

Over the years, I’ve made a point to say positive things about myself in front of my children. If I should look in the mirror and not like what I see, I make sure to say something positive out loud. Instead of criticizing myself over my “imperfections”, I say “Look at my beeeautiful body!” I usually say it in a silly voice with a little wiggle. My children laugh and smile. Instead of feeling down about myself, I too feel better and happier with who I am.

Seeing myself in pictures is not always easy. I can see the things that make me look older as glaring reminders that I’m no longer young. I resist the urge to edit these away with my awesome photo editing skills. I don’t want my children to look back and see a perfectly retouched and unrealistic Mom. I want them to see me as I am. Hopefully, someday when they’re older, should they struggle with the same negative thoughts, they might look at a picture of me at their age and see that I’m not perfect either and hopefully it will make them feel better.

Do you hop in portraits with your children? Do you have any pictures of you and your mother?

*Although this is a mother/daughter project, anyone can join in. This can be a father/son, father/daughter, mother/son or other project. If you don’t have a child, you can use your parent. If you are away from your parent or child, you could use this as an opportunity to photograph what the parent/child relationship means to you.

Here are a few silly outtakes of our photo shoot.

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 9: Ice/Snow/Frost
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 11: Art
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May 2, 2017July 3, 2018

52 Project, Week 9: Ice/Snow/Frost

One of my favorite things about living in Minnesota is the winter season. I prefer the cold air over hot any day of the week. I love wearing boots, instead of flip-flops, I prefer sweaters over camisoles, I love cuddling under warm blankets with those I love. In winter, you won’t find insects, although there might be a ladybug hiding in a warm corner. The best thing about winter though is the beauty that transforms the landscape.

Ice, snow, and frost are so different from one another. They all share the fact that they are created from frozen water, but visually, they are unique. Unlike many of these photography challenges, ice, snow, and frost are limited to a single season and the mercy of the weather. Unfortunately, we had a very late start to the winter season, unusually warm temperatures all season long and an early spring. Trying to capture the images for this challenge were hit or miss.

Frost

Frost is a fascinating creation to behold. It dances and skates across the surface of anything it touches as though fairies were playing in the night. It decorates grass, branches, windows, and anything left outside with a sparkly white layer of crystallized glitter. Seeing a frost covered world, lit by the morning sun is a rare treat, better than a frosted cookie or cake. It is a breathtaking sight to behold. Frost is short lived and hard to capture, but I have great fun trying.

Snow

I love snow. I love how it falls, soft as feathers, beautiful and white, dancing through the air. I love its fluffy blankets spread across the ground and piled upon every surface. I love how it glitters in the sunlight as though diamonds were crushed and sprinkled upon the surface. It brightens the night with a soft, ethereal glow. Snow transforms the entire world into a new place, almost unimaginable from its warm state.

Ice

My children’s favorite activity this winter was ice skating The weather was so warm that we had a very short ice skating season, but we still managed to get out a couple of times. Although I wasn’t photographing them specifically for this photography challenge, I thought it would be fun to share a video of them learning to ice skate.

What is your favorite thing about ice, snow or frost? Do you love getting out there and enjoying winter activities with your family?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 8: Winter Trees
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 10: Mother/Daughter
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July 21, 2015January 2, 2018

Wishing for Happiness

As a very young child, I would wish for different things, a fun new toy or a special treat was probably what made the top of the list. Life was simple and sweet. As the years wore on, I learned that life wasn’t quite so simple. I learned that living in this world could sometimes be very hard. People and animals were suffering and dying. Not all people were kind, compassionate and empathetic. And sadly enough, that there were horrors that were beyond the scope of a little girls imagination.

I remember coming home from elementary school one day, horrified that some day the Earth would end in a fiery ball called a red dwarf. I went to my Dad worried sick about all of the people that would die. My father tried to reassure me that it wouldn’t happen in my lifetime. The sun wouldn’t explode for a loooong time. Still, I worried about the people who would be alive when the sun engulfed the Earth.

I started to worry about everything. I would find hurt or dying animals and bring them home to save them. Often, saving them was beyond my skills and I would bury them in my yard. My pet cemetery grew blackberry bushes over it as a gift from my fallen friends.

I worried about the children in other countries who were dying from starvation and disease. I worried about people hurting and polluting the Earth, our home. I worried about the amount of salt we ate and the amount of coffee my Dad drank because my school told me they were bad for our health. I’d lie awake at night thinking about all of the horrible stories I’d read about concentration camps. I’d worry about strangers trying to kidnap me or get me to buy drugs.

Eventually, I started wishing on stars and birthday candles and certain times(12:34 and 11:11) for something other than treats and toys. I started wishing for happiness. I wanted to be happy. I was so sad and worried all the time that I was quite a serious child. I wanted the whole world to be happy. I wanted everyone to be safe and healthy, loved and happy.

It wasn’t until recently that I realized I had stopped wishing for happiness. It has been so long that I don’t even remember the last time I made a wish. Why? It’s because I AM happy. What a wonderful thing. So I came to this conclusion:

Happiness is the result of finding purpose in life.

I’ve spent most of my life wishing for happiness. It wasn’t until I stopped searching for happiness and focused on finding purpose that I realized I had also found happiness.

For me, my solution has been finding and getting to know God. My aspiration has been to learn as much as I can about God through the bible. I have been studying the bible for the past 5 years and doing weekly bible studies and going to Sundays services for the past few years. I have never in my life found anything else that gives me as much satisfaction, and purpose as this.

If you haven’t yet given the bible a chance, you might ask why? I honestly never used to give much thought to God and the bible. I thought God was like a Santa Claus for adults. I thought the bible was an old outdated book of stories, mere fantasy like fairy tales.

The idea that some benevolent, omnipotent spirit created the Earth seemed far-fetched to me. I had been taught evolution in school. The world taught me to scoff at the notion of believing in things I couldn’t see. I was extremely critical and predisposed to evidence-based facts.

In spite of this, I was searching. I wanted peace on Earth. I needed answers to fulfill my spiritual side. I researched peaceful religions and people who seemed to have answers. I wanted to find answers to the questions that seemed burned into my very being. Why are we here? What is our purpose in life? Why is there such evil in the world? I wanted to feel complete.

I liked to think of myself as open-minded and tolerant of all religions. Although all of the religions I researched had bits of wisdom, a lot of them had things I was skeptical about. I never felt fully committed and invested in them. In my search, I even tried reading the bible by myself once or twice. Unfortunately, it was all over my head. I gave up and didn’t bother to try again.

Then one day, a girl showed up at my door and asked how I was coping. At the time, I was dealing with a stressful situation. Wary of strangers, especially with the modern prejudices of strangers carrying bibles, I was polite but hesitant. Those I knew cracked jokes and told me what they would do if someone showed up at their door with a bible. They gave me advice on how to be rid of this “problem.”

I was unsure of what to think. I was curious about the literature left by this sweet girl and yet, everyone I knew made a mockery of such things. I must admit that I wasn’t ready to commit to anything more than friendly chit-chat. My sweet Jehovah’s Witness continued to stop by and bring me new magazines. She didn’t give up on me and for that, I am eternally grateful.

I have heard this quote that makes me think of my journey to find happiness. Why wish on stars when you can pray to the one who created them? I no longer wish for happiness on stars because I have a relationship with our heavenly father, Jehovah. Through him, I’ve found all the happiness I’ll ever need.