Life Trekking

As the owner of a Locksmith company, I know our busiest time is during a holiday and summer. People are out of their routine when they go on holiday or vacation so they are more likely to lock themselves out of their car and or rental unit. Here are a few tips to keep yourself safe from rip off, fly by night, locksmiths. 1) Ask them if they are licensed and bonded. In Virginia, we must display our license number on every advertisement including letters, website, phone ad, etc. If you see a locksmith ad without a license number, they are not legit. 2) Make sure they have a local address and phone number (unless you are using a national road side service like AAA). 3) Ask them if they have set fees for the service you need or a good faith estimate over the phone. When they arrive, verify the service fees they are about to charge you and agree on a price before they begin work. 4) Only pay when the job is done not over the phone beforehand. 5) If they say th...

You’re going on a short-term mission trip. You've done all the prep work: training classes, raising your funds, prayer, and maybe you've even learned a few sentences in a foreign language. Finally, it’s time to pack. Here are some helpful hints: First, start with prayer. You will be amazed at what the Lord lays on your heart to pack or leave behind. When I was preparing to go to Honduras, the Lord said to pack plastic coffee mugs. I thought that was silly, couldn't be the Lord, so I didn't. When we got to the missionary's house where we were staying, they needed coffee mugs. Next, find out what to wear where you are ministering by talking to your team leader or the host missionary. What is considered proper attire? What is considered inappropriate attire? You do not want to offend the people you are trying to win to the Lord by wearing clothes they feel are provocative. In Uganda, it was only appropriate to wear shorts or jeans on shopping day. The rest of t...

St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Planning a Cruise?  Here are 5 Tips Having sailed aboard 4 different cruise liners to the Caribbean, Central, and South America, I've come to learn a few things that save me time and unnecessary head ache. Here are some pointers for when you book your cruise: 1   Choosing your cabin. What's your goal for the trip? If you want to see the sights, wander the ship, enjoy the amenities, then you probably aren't going to spend much time in your cabin. A good choice would be to book the cheaper cabins with no window or with only a portal window. They are the least expensive and are just as comfortable as the more expensive cabins only smaller. If your goal is to rest, read a book, do some quiet activities, then by all means up grade to a balcony. I won't travel a cruise unless I can get a balcony. I love to see the sights, shop, wander the ship, but when I want a quiet place to put my feet up, I retire to the balcony. The roo...

So yesterday I crashed. For those who have been through Chemotherapy you know what a ‘crash day’ is for those who don’t let me explain. A ‘crash day’ is when you are so weak you have trouble walking, making coherent sentences, completing a thought, and you completely lose control of your emotions. It’s a day when you can’t sleep but you’re too tired to keep your eyes open. A day when you can either be starving and eat continuously or have no appetite at all. During these days your short term memory is null and void even if you write things down you forget them. People talk to you and you watch their lips move so you can try and follow their conversations but it doesn’t always help and there are long awkward moments where you are not responding just staring at them as you try and processing their words. Imagine you are an artist and you are about to paint a beautiful landscape. You are talking to someone, carrying on a conversation as you set up your easel, pick up a thin de...