Last August, I was on my way to the vet’s office with Gio and Vinny for their annual checkup. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it there. As I drove down the interstate; the traffic had slowed in front of me. Not having enough time to stop, I ran into the back of the vehicle in front of me. While the lady’s car was only moderately damage, our 2001 Jeep Cherokee was totaled. Thankfully, despite the extensive damage, the doggies and I were not injured.
I was crushed. We had our Jeep for sixteen plus years; and I thought it would last forever. It had only 114,000 miles and was in great condition. It ran good and looked great; even though the air condition hadn’t worked for a couple of years. We planned to keep it for a few more years before planning to a new(er) Jeep.
Through the ordeal of the accident, dealing with the insurance claims and looking for a new vehicle; I learned five important things. I wanted to share them with you.
Pay Attention To The Road The traffic on the highway had slowed in front of me. Rush hour traffic was winding down; but there were still a lot of cars on the road for 9:15 in the morning. We were approaching an interstate interchange; and the vehicles were slowing and moving into the exit lanes. I had been paying attention to the road; but it was not enough to prevent the accident. It so important, especially when a five-lane interstate highway, your eyes are always alert and watching the road: in front of you, to the side of you and in back of you. You can never be too careful!
Be Up Front With Your Spouse I dropped off my wife at work on the way to the vet’s office. I told her that I would be checking with her throughout the day. She was executing an important meeting and I wanted to tell about the appointment and asking about the meeting.
However, after the accident, I did not tell her for several hours later because I did not want worry about me and the meeting at the same time. When I finally told her about what happened, she knew something was wrong because I had not called her or sent her any messages for more than three hours.
In addition, I had not told her why I was taking the doggies to the vet on a work day without her. I had been planning a little getaway for our anniversary and the doggies needed the annual shots to stay at the kennel. But I didn’t tell her about my plans until a week after the accident.
I learned that it important to tell my wife everything. She should have known why I was going to the vet’s office and she should have known about the accident as soon as it happened. She deserves to know the truth even if it is not the best news.
You Have To Move On In the days and weeks following the accident, whenever I was driving or even if I was walking in the backyard, I kept reliving it in my mind. I would see the Jeep slamming into the back of the lady’s car. It became extremely difficult for me to not think about what I had done to this lady and her car and my own vehicle. It took about a month for me to fully clear my mind and not think about it. Even though it was a serious thing, I could not undo what happened. I had to move on with my life. I could not move forward without letting go.
Make Sure You Have Good Insurance
While having automobile insurance is required by law; it makes a big difference if you are working with the right insurance company. Following the accident, I filed a claim and they went to work for me immediately. The Jeep was towed to the collision center for assessment and I didn’t have to pay any upfront money. When it was determined that it was a total loss, the agents worked with me to ensure that I would get the best settlement, even taking into consideration the new tires and battery that was added the month before the accident. They worked with me every step of the way, making sure the process went smoothly and answering any questions that I had.
God Can Restore To You More Than You Can Imagine
With the accident, it meant my wife and I were down to only one vehicle, a 2003 Jeep Wrangler. While having only one vehicle would work temporarily, it was not meant to be a permanent solution. After my own healing process, I started the search for our next new vehicle. Jeeps have proven to be an excellent vehicle and there was no doubt that we would be getting another one; but it had to be the right one. I looked a variety of models, from Grand Cherokees to Cherokees, to Libertys to Patriots. After doing my own research and determining the monthly payment that I wanted to be at, I decided that the right vehicle for us would be a slightly used Cherokee. The Grand Cherokees would have been ideal, but prices were higher than what I wanted to pay. The Libertys and Patriots didn’t have the size or features we wanted. I had seen several Grand Cherokees that were in our price range, but they were generally seven plus years old, or had well over 100,000 miles on them. I did not want pay that amount of money for a vehicle with those conditions.
As I began in earnest my search for used Cherokees, I kept my eye on the Grand Cherokees, praying that one would fit our needs at the price I wanted to pay. The more I looked at the Cherokees, I was not convinced that it was not the right vehicle for us. It reminded me of a car and not an SUV; and it was much smaller than what I had wanted it to be, even though we had not drove one.
On a Sunday afternoon in late February, as I was scrolling from a used-car app on my phone, I came across a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was in our price range at a dealership that was only a few miles from our house. I thought that it must have been in accident or had high mileage. Looking at the vehicle’s details, I found no evidence of any accidents and it had only 46,000 miles on it. I immediately knew that I wanted to take it for a test drive. I wasn’t able to call about it until that Tuesday morning. When I called, the salesman told me that it was still available and wanted to know if we wanted to take a test drive. My wife and I left work early that day and arrived at the dealership at 5pm. By 7pm, we were driving home in with our new vehicle.
In only two hours, God worked it out where we took the test drive, talked with the salesman about our concerns/needs and then finished the deal with the finance guy. The Grand Cherokee’s final price was $4,000 less than its fair-market value and the finance guy worked an agreement for a five year, bumper-to-bumper extended warranty for the exact price that I was expecting to pay for the a used Cherokee without any additional warranty.
It was hard for me to imagine that we could get a used Grand Cherokee at a Cherokee price. The Grand Cherokee was what I wanted; but I knew the monthly payment was more than I wanted to pay. However, God worked out a plan that allowed to get the vehicle of my dreams. He has restored to me and my wife more than I could imagine.
Let’s face it! Even though technology has done so much good in most of the business fields, we can’t ignore the fact it has caused more harm in the relationship sector. Millennials have been accustomed to casual dating no thanks to the dating sites all over the web.
Dating sites and social media have created a bad rap for relationships in this generation. With so many divorces and separation cases, we can’t ignore the underlying problem. Gone are the days where courting was a significant process before engagement and marriage. Gone are the days where “in sickness and in health, till death do us part” was taken with seriousness.
Separation, infidelity, and disloyalty has become the norm of the day. Dating sites have become more of an uber for sex rather than a platform to help people find love. Be as it may, here are some of the tips millennials can use to make their relationships strong in a tech-infested world:
Understand Your Happiness is Your Responsibility Yes being in a relationship can make you happier. However, you need to make sure that you are happy alone before getting into any relationship. Millennials tend to believe that a partner is supposed to make them happy.
If you have this kind of mentality then your relationships won’t survive. With so much false implication of relationships on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. True happiness comes from within and it is directly affected by your attitude.
If you want your relationship to work out in this generation, you need to find ways you can be happy even when your partner is not around. Despite the external circumstances, you have to make sure that you can stand your ground. Explore new hobbies and try out new sports, do anything you can to take responsibility for your own happiness.
Strive to Become a ‘We’ If you want to build a relationship that will thrive, grow, and mutually-supportive, then you have to make sure that you are separated and connected at the same time. Being in a co-dependent relationship is what millennials advocate for, however, such affairs are bound to fail.
You need to understand that you and your partner will have differences. Those differences however, are no negatives. Its not a necessity to have someone who shares all your views and interests. The incompatibilities and differences are the facts that keep a relationship full of fire and exciting if you both put aside the ‘I’s’ and become a ‘We’.
Time is Everything Thank God for the messaging apps! Sure, our grandparents made their relationships work because they created time for each other. No matter what your work is or who you are, it is essential to nurture your relationship.
You need to make sure you schedule time for your relationship.This means creating time to have dates and spend downtime together. Shut out all things digital and technological gadgets. Your relationship is more like a garden, the more you tend to it, the more it will grow.
Compromise and Support A relationship is comprised of two people with two different background, different values, different beliefs, practically different everything. This is why you need to strike a level ground with your partner so that you can both be on the same page.
Compromise is key if you would like to avoid all the disagreements. Where here is compromise there also needs to be support. If your partner has personal issues then you need to be their support system. If your partner is battling an alcoholic addiction and they need to go to Englewood drug and alcohol rehab centersthen you need to be there for them.
Strive to Be Honest and Open Loyalty is attributed by honesty and openness, and loyalty is a strong foundation in a relationship. You need to be able to trust your significant other with your deep and personal feelings if you want your relationship to be successful.
Being able to share emotions with your partner will build trust with your partner and relieve any stressors. This will allow your relationship to build stronger and prepare the both of you for the trials of life. You need to show each other how much you care by being a safe place for each other to share emotions honestly and openly without any criticism.
Work on Conflicts Head-On When They Erupt Holding on to grudges is what kills relationships. Most divorces are attributed to inconsolable differences that erupt when conflicts were swept under the rug. If you and your partner leave your conflicts unresolved, they will build up overtime and create a much deeper, dividing resentment in the future.
This will eventually cause unnecessary stress in your relationship. You need to start handling conflicts by dealing with the issues that rise head-on instead of reverting to silent treatment, holding grudges, or attacking each other. Once you solve the issue, both of you need to let it go and move on.
Communicate If you want your relationship to work in a tech-infested world, you need to abandon the technology. Yes texting may be efficient especially if you are miles away from each other, but actual and in-person communication is very important in relationships that intend to last forever.
The two of you need to know how to talk to each other outside of the internet and in person. Plan dates and activities together where you will be in each other’s company. Take time to know your partner in and out without any reservations.
Tell your partner what you like and dislike and vice versa. If your partner does something you don’t like, you need to be able to let them know. Avoid making assumptions about your partner’s behavior and learn to ask them instead. Wrong interpretations and assumptions tend to kill trust and eventually kill the relationship. Be a safe haven for your partner by showing them that you are easy to talk to and they can trust you.
I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend. I hope you took some time out of your Memorial Day to remember the soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America and also those honoring those who are fighting for our country now.
My hubby and I made sure we put on our red and blue.
I was getting a chance to be in the yard where it’s peaceful in the morning so I decided to film this video on honoring our military personnel.
These men and women paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can spend the day at the beach or have a BBQ in the backyard, but most importantly so that we can live in freedom. They died defending our freedom and our rights. Take a moment to remember them and their families.
The mission of Global Outreach Day is simple: share the Gospel with at least one person on that day.
One Day. One Person. One Message.
Vision & Challenge The vision of Global Outreach Day is of every believer sharing the Gospel on the last Saturday of May every year.
Every believer is a witness!
Millions of Christians in over 140 nations are already sharing the Gospel on that day. The goal is for every Christian on this day to reach at least one person with the Gospel message.
93% of church members never share the Gospel with others
“If we can figure out a way to turn an audience into an army – it will change the world.” Rick Warren
The Global Outreach Day (G.O.D.) is a catalyst to mobilize the church for evangelism. This day of action is the first step to a life-style evangelism.
Three step training Video to share the Gospel on Global Outreach Day and any day.
If your heart is not open to the calling, pray for God to soften your heart and remove any barriers of insecurity, nervousness, or complacency that may be holding you back.
PRAY FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE YOUR FAITH.
“Father, use me today to draw someone closer to you. Put someone in my path that I can help.”
WALK IN PEACE.
The people of the world will see a difference. When they ask why, use the opportunity to share what you used to be like and how Jesus has changed your life.
PRAY FOR A SPECIFIC PERSON AND THEIR HEART.
Father, please soften ____________’s heart. Cause them to be hungry for you. Open their eyes to the good plans you have for them. Help me be a light to show them the way.”
Other ways to share your faith
First and most of all be kind and genuine
Invite them to church
Invite them to Bible Study
Pray for a need
We are sharing Christ and loving one another.
We all have our own unique ways to share Christ with others. For me, I share my faith in the articles I write here on the blog, in my YouTube videos, and in every day life, treating all people with love, respect and dignity.
Social media was all a flutter this past weekend with the Royal Wedding nuptials and fanfare. How many people felt happy about themselves after watching it streamed online all over the world? How many people felt insecure and negative thoughts about their own image after watching the wedding? I am reading more and more how social media is making people feel depressed and leaving them with thoughts of insecurity about themselves. Simply watching a streamed program or putting up a picture on Instagram or Facebook can put a person into a state of depression because they don’t feel they measure up.
In the New York Times article, “You Asked: Is Social Media Making Me Miserable?” by Markham Heid,discusses how a social media can have a psychological impact of negativity.
“Social media overload may be even more detrimental for teens and adolescents, says Jean Twenge in the Times article, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of the forthcoming book iGen. “I think young people, especially, look at the so-called ‘highlight reels’ people post on social and compare themselves, so they may feel depressed or negative emotions as a result,” she says. Sites like Snapchat may be less about “performing” than some others—“but these sites go out of style so quickly now that it’s hard for the research to keep up,” she says.
Some experts challenge the cause-and-effect relationship between social media and negative mood, arguing that people who are prone to anxiety or isolation may be more likely to spend a lot of time on social media.
While that’s probably true, Vannucci and Twenge say the relationship seems to flow both ways—meaning people with anxiety or mood disorders are more likely to use social media compulsively, but that compulsive use may also promote these sorts of negative emotional states. “At least two studies have followed people over time and showed that heavy social media use came before lower psychological wellbeing and feelings of loneliness, rather than vice versa,” Twenge says.”
The Comparison Trap The comparison trap is a dangerous place to live because you are never good enough. If you have made any of the following statements:
I will never get to have my Knight in Shining Armor or Prince Charming?
I will never get to live in a Castle or have all those luxury cars at my disposal?
How come my life can’t be a fairytale?
Why can’t I be thin like that?
How come I couldn’t of be a part of the Royal Family?
If you said or thought any of those statements, you will have to either cast down imaginations or completely turn off what you are watching if you can’t handle it. Negativity is a false sense of wanting what someone else has. You don’t know what price was paid and you haven’t been in the other person’s shoes. Comparison is a false sense of unattainable joy that you will never have because materialism is never enough.
Rapunzel Rapunzel Where Art Thou?
JTwisdom
I use to always want to have very long tailbone length hair because I would see someone with pretty long hair on YouTube and i would always wonder why my hair would not grow that long. One day someone complimented me on my hair and said that they wished they had hair like mine. Wait a minute, they are complimenting me. I am wishing for something that I already have right in from of me when I look in the mirror. I have to be thankful for what I have not matter how small they may seem in my eyes. Comparison is dangerous and will only bring you down and it can be hard to come up for air from that mess.
The scripture that popped in my head was 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
That means you get rid of that comparison thoughts out of your head because you are unique. Immediately when the thought comes up say I don’t believe that I am wonderful made and I am beautiful. You have gifts and qualities that only you can do and God has a purpose for your life. You have value and getting yours off of other people and look at your life and stay in your lane keeping focused.
Regardless of whether you’re the man or woman in a relationship, if you’re heading down a path of holy matrimony, you’re going to have to first pop the question. Even though you know you both love each other, there’s always a nervous knot in the pit of your stomach. It’s there because you think there could be a tiny chance that the person you love says no. So getting the proposal right is going to not just be in your romantic favor but psychological favor also. You could get down on one knee, put the ring on a piece of cake or write their name in the sand, how you do it is just as important as where and when. Even the most cliche ways of requesting their eternal love and faithfulness can be offset by the timing and the location.
Summer love Knowing your partner and what they would go for is half the task of creating a truly memorable proposal. You can’t just rock up to the front door of their house or apartment and surprise them with a ring. The imaginative and mysterious technique by which you propose is going to make them feel special and as if they’re the only person that matters in the world. Even if it is just an engagement it needs to be a spectacle they will never forget. Summertime proposals at sunset or dawn are common and that’s because they work. There’s something mesmerizing about watching the sun dip or rise beyond the horizon. Psychologically it’s a new day or the end of a great day spending time together, so there’s a feeling or renewal and reassurance.
The nation Only a fraction of society ever contemplates asking the person they love to marry them outside of the country they live and work in. it’s not convenient obviously because you have to make like you would a regular holiday. Packing all your things, having to deal with the stress of waking up early and things going wrong at the airport etc. it’s all a big headache for most people. Celebrities will make a big deal out of their love declarations and that’s because they can afford to. At 77 Diamonds they list the celebrity trends when it comes to engagement rings. Sports stars are more likely to fly off to the city of light i.e. Paris to make their proposal. While musicians will more likely stay in the US to start their martial journey. If you’re are thinking about going to another country for the scenery in order to make your proposal you should have more than just a picturesque backdrop. Does the place mean anything to you or your partner? How could it emotionally affect them and show them you made an effort to connect with them on a deeper level right at that moment.
When is the right time to propose, before or after a meal, at sunset or sunrise? It really depends on how you do it and the words you use to convey your emotions. Flying abroad won’t give you any magical powers. You need to express your love for your partner with sincerity and not rely on a tropical or ocean backdrop.
Learn More About JT Bubbling with Elegance and Grace is a place for life long learners. The Bubbling With Elegance And Grace team was created 14 years ago. A passion for fashion sparked a lifestyle blog for our Elegant Community to enjoy. We are thankful and in gratitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for those who have been with us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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