Independent Travellers Like Choices and Control - check out our GO TO TOUR COMPANY for day trips!

  
our GO TO TOUR COMPANY for day trips!

A common response to "I've been all over the world," is "Oh! What's your favorite European country?" I found this question quite strange: Ummmm I said the WORLD - think Exotic!
People found my answer strange: Ummmm, I've never been to Europe.

So as of last year, I have now been to Europe AND have done my first ever tour vacation. (As I write that, I thought I'd better check my memory. Wrong, my second.)

I chose to do a 6 day tour of Ireland  through Paddywagon and 2 day trip tours in England for two reasons. 1) SHORT time frame, much of which was taken up just getting there and home. 2) I have driven cars "all over the world" and in CRAZY situations - but never on the 'wrong' (Left) side of the street.

Search for a Paddywagon tour here.

The first multi-day tour that I originally forgot about, was a Yucatan Mexico tour of Mayan ruins. I chose that for safety reasons of driving in remote areas of the Yucatan as a woman and after a tri to Mexico previously in which it was hard to rent a car with automatic transmission. When I FINALLY got one by saying I couldn't drive a manual car, it died in the middle of nowhere and no one had cables to jump the car, though everyone offered to push start it...

Ultimately though, I like the control of time flexibility and being able to visit the less popular locations, hard to reach spots, or popular places at different times, and avoiding the large buses (and, if you know me I HATE long bathroom lines!).

Therefore I tend to choose booking hotel and air, sometimes a rental car, and doing my own thing. Then here and there getting a great day tour option. Hop on Hop off tours are AWESOME for the combined flexibility and assistance. And they often offer "SKIP THE LINE" passes, a perk that is a  MUST! Otherwise you may end up seeing 1 or 2 things on your bucket list, and a whole lot of tourists standing around complaining...

How I WISH I'd done that in London. So much wasted time and late arrivals from walking and figuring out bus schedules. :( 

One day or short multi-day tours simplify your life in unknown countries even when you want to do much of your vacation your own way.

Get Your Guide is a GREAT option in these situations because there is great variety, smaller group options, a variety of prices for the same trips (my thoughts) and they actually promise:

• Thousands of unmissable activities for all ages and interests
• The lowest prices, guaranteed — no booking fees or hidden charges
• Pre-book tickets and skip the line at top attractions with our exclusive inventory of tickets
• Stay flexible with easy cancellation up to 24 hours before
• Mobile-friendly payment and tickets for booking on the go
• Friendly and knowledgeable customer services, available 24/7 in your language

  

So whether I want to visit a Lava Cave in Iceland

  or do a two volcano hike in Costa Rica

 

GET YOUR GUIDE has us covered!

Be blessed My Purposeful People! Heather
Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk 
and https://artofwhere.com/artists/heatherjkirk 
Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com 
and http://AEC.pixels.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html 

Some links in my blog are Affiliate, some are not. but I will only suggest products and services I like!

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A Hybrid Faith

Six or eight months ago when someone told me to ask God for exactly what kind of car I wanted in minute detail,  so that when I received it, the answer was clearly from Him. This was when I was having engine trouble that required close to a $1,000 worth of work... I already knew I wanted a Kia Soul. But without thought, out of my mouth came the words, "the gift of an electric blue Kia Soul hybrid." The fact that a hybrid Kia Souls did not exist simply told me that the time for that gift had not yet come. So I fixed the car. But when I was so clear about the kind of car I wanted, even though my friend had said to be detailed, he immediately got nervous and said that I should allow for God to answer prayers creatively, in the way He wants to. I told him I agreed in general, because there are times when we want something that is not  good for us…, or because God, seeing the grand picture, knows so much better. Yet because my friend was the one who asked me to go all "minute detail," he didn't get to have it both ways. 

But the truth is I didn't answer the question my friend asked, God did. I had no premeditation of an electric blue colored car or a hybrid. I had never seen a blue Kia before (turns out at the time they had chosen that color for the purely electric Volt only and there were a few on the road, but not many).  So that made me just a mouthpiece, not even a Wisher.

As soon as I was hit in this recent car accident, and had a few moments for my head to clear, I said, "Really God, you couldn't give me a new car through theft?" (Don't worry, He gets my sense of humor! He gave me this sense of humor!)

Now a month after my car was totaled I still don't have a replacement car, for the first three weeks mostly because I was unwilling to drive with numbness in my legs that could put myself or others at risk. So I borrowed rides from incredibly generous friends, until the right leg got steady feeling, then I borrowed a car for a week. 

But time and reality press upon me and I know a decision about how to next ACT must come soon. So I pray to know what to do! Do I try to buy a car? Do I wait and perhaps a gift of a car not come. Do you know what that prayer sounds like?  I doubt it. I do not pray for an electric blue Kia Soul hybrid. I pray that I do and be everything, and only, what God wants me to do and be. 

You see, I am not praying about a car or a gift! I am praying, begging, that when those words came out of my mouth I heard from God and he made a promise that he will fulfill. I am not asking for an easy way out of a difficult financial place (and it is a very difficult place), or a way not to act. I am longing to see the EVIDENCE of Faith (of things not seen). I know that to some this comes out sounding as if I am a monster of faith. And I TRY to be that, TRY to thank Him in advance. I say, "I can't wait to see how you are going to do this God!" 

But the truth is words like that come from a practice I started many months ago in which I would ask myself, "IF you were content in everything and IF you believed with all your heart, then what would that prayer sound like?" At the time that practice began to change my prayer life, my praying attitude and my outlook on life - from a needy doubting place to a trusting hopeful place.

That prayer now hovers somewhere between those two extremes. I am not praying about money or transportation – though both are blessings I could use. I am desperately needing to know that I recognized and can differentiate God's voice from my own. 

And yet, even as I wait upon God's direction and answer (and gift in whatever form that may be), it is true that there still is no such thing as a Kia Soul hybrid... not in my parking spot, not on dealers' lots, and as far as I know, not in the plans of the manufacturer. This is truly the place where faith and reality butt heads. So I wait for my insurance company’s small check to clear the bank for the purely monetary value of a 2005 PT Cruise with 139.000 miles on it (a miracle in itself), of so much greater value because that huge heavy front end saved my life. It and of course the plans God has for me on this earth.) Until then, and until God leads, I wait in expectation of a miracle the depths and "How?" of which I cannot possibly fathom.

So like a “hybrid Faith” I slip between the exactness of the prayer and the freedom for God to answer in a better way – switching back and forth perhaps not seamlessly, but as the situation seems to require at the moment. Yet with an expectancy that surprises even myself!

Be blessed My Purposeful People! Heather Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk and https://artofwhere.com/artists/heatherjkirk Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com and http://AEC.pixels.com Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html

Heart Anniversaries and How to “Celebrate” a Loss by Heather J. Kirk

Let's talk about why holidays can be so hard on some people. But before that, we must understand what I call ‘loss anniversaries’ or ‘heart anniversaries’. These are not the well-advertised universal celebrations that the world insists on reminding us all that they are coming, and how they are supposed to be amazing and exciting gatherings of family and loved ones. For those without close family or significant others to celebrate with, it is obvious how those can cause depression and disappointment for some. It may be the lack of people to spend it with, it may be the absence of someone dearly missed, it could be a comparison of how good these times were in the past to the present (and sometimes with new people who can’t live up to “ghosts,”) or it can even be memories of terrible times of loss, pain  or trauma that just can’t be forgotten.  

While public holidays are hard to miss, heart anniversaries tend to sneak up on us. It may be someone’s birthday that you no longer jot in your calendar,  the anniversary of someone’s death when you didn’t even realize you remembered the date, or no longer anticipating a special event with someone who left, either because of a death or no longer being a part of your life. Though these are not broadcast across TV and social media, they are being broadcast within yourself, casting a shadow onto your emotions and your memory. Only thing is that even if we do remember these dates, seldom are we consciously aware that they are approaching.  Once several years have passed, we may be surprised to get half way through the day of your ex’s birthday, or only remember days later that it would have been your 20^th wedding anniversary ‘had she lived’. But our spirits and bodies remember even when we don’t, and in fact often notice well in advance of an upcoming date that once was important to us. We may not understand at the time why ‘for no reason at all’ we are experiencing overwhelming sadness, have a random feeling of loss, or even feel suddenly anxious or angry. In that week or two leading up to that loss anniversary we don't recognize it for what it is, until suddenly the date is upon you. More often we ‘get it’ once we recognize it’s someone's birthday who has passed, but we may never make the connection to a death date, the date that a divorce was asked for or made official, or the last time we made love. We rarely are cognizant of why we are particularly emotional, weepy, anxious, distractible, irritable our outright angry during this time frame. 

A relationship that I valued greatly ended recently, and though I saw the signs of the end coming, I did not understand why it was happening. I found that I experienced great joy in this person’s presence and I thought he was experiencing the same thing. To discover that it was not the case was a bit shocking to me and I was grieving not only the loss of the relationship, but also a sense that I could not trust myself to discern what was really going on. Had I deceived myself? Had I misjudged this person so wrongly? And if so, could I be trusted to make good choices for myself in the future. It was a relationship worth grieving, but at some point I had to admit it had only been a few months, and the loss, anxiety and anger I was experiencing was a bit out of line with the length of time we'd been together, as well as with my character. And then my father’s birthday arrived, my father who had died 34 years earlier, and the day after I seemed more able to feel the loss of the recent relationship back at a more realistic level for the circumstances, still truly a loss but not a roller coaster of conflicting emotions. 

But when private loss anniversaries and public holidays occur close together, especially ones like Valentine's Day or New Year’s Eve, which are specifically supposed to be about love, it makes these holidays even harder, because it feels like the whole world is noticing you are alone and ASKING about it! It is important to recognize for ourselves how loss anniversaries tie into public holidays - so that we understand what is happening to our emotional undercurrents (or tidal waves). We need to learn how to take care of ourselves, especially if we notice (or others mention that) we are over-reacting to a public holiday or a private loss anniversary). This includes doing what may seem counterproductive – not only put the date in our calendar but even put a note a week in advance that the loss anniversary is coming. We may want to forget all about them, but it is better to grieve these losses consciously, not to bury them, because IF you are susceptible to these kinds of anniversaries you already starting to realize they are not truly buried. 

Soon after my father’s death when I was 18 and my youngest brother was 12, we used to climb into my mom’s bed on dad’s birthday and talk about good memories. Once my brothers got married, their wives thought that was a little weird (lol), so we started calling each other instead. Now we may do a group text or post a photo on Facebook and comment. It’s been a very healthy way of honoring my dad, and I have not been overwhelmed by it in decades…until I had a breakup the week prior. But with enough experience in the area, as soon as his birthday hit I was able to identify what was going on and bring my emotions back in line with reality.  

Create some healthy rituals around the date that is difficult for you. Maybe call a friend or family member (agree to it in advance please – you want them to be ready also); maybe buy a cupcake and put a candle in it. Write a letter, get a massage, walk on the beach. It’s your ritual and your healing – so be conscious and intentional about it. Get help if you need it, write in a journal, pray about it and offer up your feelings and pain to God, write down your anger and then burn It… whatever ritual you need to do, do it. IF it doesn’t work, try something else. But it is important to intentionally decide not to let the overwhelming emotions control you and certainly not harm any existing and living relationships. It helps to know what is happening to us so that we do not allow public holidays to hurt us as badly, and that we do not allow jealousy consume us, or that we not feel the need to put down other people's happiness. 

So though it may not be all flowers and chocolate, on this Valentine's Day I do wish for you a truly healing love.

Be blessed My Purposeful People! Heather


Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk
and https://artofwhere.com/artists/heatherjkirk
Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com
and http://AEC.pixels.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html

#valentinesday #heart #loss # #grieve #grief #loneliness #holiday #healthyrituals #holidaygrief #lostlove #divorce #death #flowersandchocolate #honoringloss #relationships #healing #family #love #heatherkirk #heatherjkirk #praythroughit #makeaplan #savethedate

Fill in the Blank...when the Pastor doesnt give you all the answers

Many church goers are used to having pre-printed outlines for the sermon with blanks to fill in. We put in those spots exactly what the preacher tells us to write. But in sermon at Impact Church titled “The Hunger Games” Justin Hamilton (JH) said, “You fill in the blank, because each of you is different.” Wat! He is supposed to tell us what to write, give us the answer, make it easy. 

Let’s start with my margin notes to get some context JH is him, HJK is my thoughts and revelations.

JH: “It’s easy to find crowds of people who gather in a church. It’s hard to find people who will go to the mountaintop, go anywhere He calls you to go.”  

(HJK) Each believer is called to their ‘mountaintop’ – a unique ‘where, who and how’ to disciple others. it could be the Bible Study I facilitate or my neighbor’s condo. AND that darn book I am supposed to be writing! (HJK)

JH: “Don’t ever talk about Jesus more than you talk to Jesus.” 

JH: “Revelation vs Recollection” (HJK) Show people vs tell people.  We need the accurate foundation, but if the Word does not live in us, walk and talk through us, CHANGE us, it is useless. And we know God’s Word is not useless, it is simply un-used. (HJK)

JH: “Am I polluting the pond that God told me to fish in?”
(HJK) Such a painful question and where I often feel that I fail. I am called to speak into people’s lives – to be an example and a teacher of God for them…and then I let my own feelings get involved. I let it become about ME instead of about God and whoever or whatever God has called me to – and when I get hurt, I lash out. Perhaps it is true, perhaps it is doubt, or perhaps Satan is whispering in my ear, “All that work, and you just destroyed it in an instant.” I am a polluter of the first degree. When will I learn that the Messenger and the recipient are depending on me – AH, THAT”S IT! Not me, but depending on the Holy Spirit working through me! As long as I try to represent God by my own power I WILL fail. (HJK)

How many of you have been irritated by my lack of sharing the original question? Probably not enough of you. Why do I say that? Because we want answers provided for us. Because many of us spend more time reading about others’ pursuits of God than in the Word of God and pursuing Him ourselves. 

So here it is.

JH: “6. I CAN NEVER FULLY LIVE THE LIFE GOD WANTS FOR ME, UNTIL I VALUE HIM MORE THAN _______________________. You fill in the blank. What holds you back? Is it pride, or family, wealth, the image others have of you, what your family said you should be or do? It’s individual for each and every one of you.”

I believe many people walked out of the service with that blank still empty. And you know what, I think they should have. Unless we have already been wrestling with God to discover our calling, longing to get to the mountaintop, and seeking HIM as desperately as we seek things or a relationship or a certain position … then we probably DON’T know yet what is holding us back. We may not even be aware that we value something more than God.

But I have been wrestling. I have been seeking, and to be honest feeling like a huge failure. I let the final worship song wash over me as I too leave the space blank, but place a box around it in expectation of an answer.  Then, ass I get up one word pops into my mind. “EVIDENCE!”

That may not mean a whole lot to you, but it is CLEAR to me. And as I drive and let that answer wash over me, more words and phrases come to mind. Some add further clarification - “FAITH,” “THE NEED TO SEE THE FRUIT.”

Additional obstacles come to mind also, because we are complex human beings and are rarely limited or challenged in a void or by a single issue.  Not only do I stop trying sometimes because of the failure to see the evidence of the fruit of my labor but, I also add, “SURVIVAL. THE INCOME TO LIVE ON WHILE I DO WHAT YOU ARE CALLING ME TO DO,” and  “HOW I HAVE ALREADY FAILED GOD AND THE FEAR I WILL KEEP ON DOING SO,” and “PEOPLE FINDING OUT THAT I AM SO INCREDIBLY IMPERFECT.”

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.” Psalm 24:3-6 (KJV)

This is not easy stuff and can deter many. But perhaps it should not be easy to be called. It makes sense that our leaders and influencers will struggle with the same things we do but still come out on top and with a message to share (eventually, climbing mountains takes time)! And the whole ‘clean hands, pure heart, no vanity, not sworn’ stuff can get scary when we are privy to the inner workings of our own evil hearts – even if we don’t say the stuff out loud. But I suddenly notice and want to point out to you also that the righteousness is from God! The purity comes to the saved – He is the source of that righteousness and the power to overcome. Not me.

What is your word, your obstacle, the ‘god’ in your life that comes before the one and only God who wants to GIVE you life abundantly, not take anything away.

I CAN NEVER FULLY LIVE THE LIFE GOD WANTS FOR ME, UNTIL I VALUE HIM MORE THAN _______________________.

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Be blessed My Purposeful People! Heather

Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk
and https://artofwhere.com/artists/heatherjkirk
Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com  and http://AEC.pixels.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html

#impact #makeanimpact #changemaker #evidence #seethefruitofmylabor #impactchurch #scottsdale #prayerlife #justgivemetheanswer

This month, VIDA is giving Kirk the chance to have her designs presented to HSN

Heather J Kirk has created a collection of apparel and accessories designed using her original artwork with VIDA, a company committed to producing wearable art in a socially conscious way. This month, VIDA is giving Kirk the chance to have her designs presented to HSN for an upcoming show. If you’d like to help her qualify for this amazing opportunity, please use the code below for 15% off any purchase from my collection!

Enjoy 15% off

Using code HSN-JLAC

From now until midnight PST 7/12/17

 

 

 

Your purchase not only supports Kirk's personal collection of hand-designed products and brings her closer to being featured on HSN, but makes a global impact. VIDA is passionate about helping to drive social change for artists and makers, something of utmost importance to Kirk. Their company offers literacy and empowerment programs for VIDA’s factory workers so they can build a better life for generations to come.

 

Her clothing / fashion designs can be seen and purchased at: https://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk

 

Be blessed My Purposeful People! Heather
Wearable Art - Heather J Kirk's VIDA Collection: http://shopvida.com/collections/heather-j-kirk
and https://artofwhere.com/artists/heatherjkirk
Art by Heather J. Kirk http://heather-kirk.pixels.com and http://AEC.pixels.com
Literature by Heather J. Kirk http://www.photographicartistry.citymax.com/Books.html