A-Z Blog Challenge ARUBA My New Paradise

April 1, 2022April 1, 2022 / emmalmoore / Leave a comment

St. Thomas, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, are several vacations I believed were paradise. That was my thought until I landed in Aruba. I fell in love with Aruba the moment I exited the plane.

I love trees and have never seen so many trees that had their own original shapes, sizes, curves and angles. They were everywhere.

I stayed at two hotels. The first one is was a Boutique Hotel called Boardwalk. It was a peaceful place that I imagined it being like the Garden of Eden -lush, green with beautiful flowers everywhere. The buildings were situated more like apartments than a regular hotel and just as beautiful on the inside.

The second hotel complex called Amsterdam Manor beach resort was a bit under construction which was mainly the landscape. The inside was more of a one bedroom apartment than a hotel room. The best part of this hotel was the beach that was a short walk-across the street.

Aruba has interesting sites to see. There are many excursions to choose from. Having dinner on the beach was a new experience I totally enjoyed. Of course the food was delicious-breakfast, lunch and dinner.

You can’t go wrong with either hotel. The second one wasn’t as quiet as the first. The first would be good for a getaway when you need a time of reflection and a quiet undisturbed place to plan out your future. If nothing else you can just do a whole lot of nothing.

I haven’t traveled since Aruba but it has definitely become my number one island to travel to. If you are looking for a nice, tranquil place for a reset I recommend Aruba.

My Vacation of the Year-Aruba

December 4, 2020December 6, 2020 / emmalmoore / Leave a comment

This year 2020 with all the things going on negatively personal and around the world I accepted the fact vacation was out of the question. I resolved to stay home because of Covid-19 and surgery.

Then I got an opportunity to take a trip to Aruba. I took it. With COVID-19 I had to jump through hoops and take to two tests but it was well worth it. Both tests were negative which was a good thing.

I will be staying at two places several days each before I return home. The first place is a hidden paradise. When I got up to the entrance I wondered if this was the place. Once the gate opens it’s something you always wished you could go to but never thought you would.

I believe I will just call it paradise because that is exactly what I imagined paradise would be. There were beautiful flowers, bushes and trees everywhere. I got lost today and found several banana trees full of bananas in an area I hadn’t yet explored.

I don’t ever recall a more peaceful place. When I get home I will start saving for my next trip to paradise.

Have you ever found a peaceful paradise. If not keep looking.

Time To Reflect

April 4, 2020 / emmalmoore / Leave a comment

C. S. Lewis 1942

Satan: “I will cause anxiety, fear and panic. I will shutdown business, schools, places of worship and sports events. I will cause economic turmoil.”

Jesus: ” I will bring together neighbors, restore the family unit, I will bring dinner back to the kitchen table. I will help people slow down their lives and appreciate what really matters. I will teach my children to rely on me and not the world. I will teach my children to trust me and not their money and material resources,”

I saw the above piece on my FaceBook Page. Not knowing much about what C. S. Lewis writings I shared it. A friend messaged me and told me he didn’t write it. Kudos to the person writing this because they hit the nail on the head-so to speak.

Many people feel anxiety, fear and panic. They are in a situation that they do not have control of. Their daily schedule has been shut down and they don’t know what to do with themselves. Many parents are overwhelmed staying home with their children – they don’t know what to do with them outside their preplanned daily schedule of outside activities.

Jesus brings calmness and a new perspective of the changes to make our lives better across the board. Just maybe the majority of folks won’t want to return to the rat race they were participating in. Reflecting on past lifestyles could open up a new revelation of how this down time is for our betterment.

When we get so rattled we blame God for this terrible mess we’re in just remember these two scriptures. They could bring comfort, peace and rest.

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. (NLT)

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts. Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (NKJ)

God knew about this before we did because He is all knowing and knows how this will end. His plan for us is good and not evil.

Keep reflecting.

Ever Present Help

February 6, 2020 / emmalmoore / 2 Comments

Yesterday my day was very trying for me from morning until evening. I started the morning eating a piece of cake-nothing I should have been eating for breakfast. The cake didn’t make my stomach happy. Along with the cake I ate a piece of candy. Mistake number two. There was no nutrition for my body in anything I ate.

Chaos overtook my desk. It was as if someone would shuffle the papers and put them in disarray throughout the day. I spent more time trying to reorganize than I did accomplishing my goals.

Another concern of mine was my piano lessons I hadn’t prepared for. Was my instructor going to be able to tell I didn’t practice? Just maybe he’d give me a pass.

At the end of my work day I stayed and talked to my friend. When I looked at my watch I realized I wouldn’t be able to go home before lessons. It was a good thing I brought my books with me. By the time I got to my car and on the freeway I had less than twenty minutes to go quite a ways before 4:00.

I made it to piano lessons with a couple minutes to spare. I had true confession with my instructor and admitted I hadn’t practiced and he said it was alright. An amazing thing happened. I played like I knew what I was doing. I was pretty satisfied and so was he. We even played a duet.

On the way home a friend called to check if I had gotten home safely because the weather was somewhat messy. We talked about other things that were concerns on my mind. He offered comfort and encouragement-just what I needed. It took me to a restful, peaceful place that cleared my mind and I could have a good sleep when I went to bed.

The chaos was gone.

Sometimes our days will go down a path we didn’t plan for it to. It’s usually a path that we have to walk through because it is the only way to come out. But in those moments instead of freaking out wringing our hands helplessly take a deep breath and search for the good that is embedded in the bad. As we recognize the good we will receive a fresh wind to continue down the path to the end. Never fear. Our ever present help is here.