Here is a post from long ago that I never published. Now seems like a great time to post it, because it means I don't have to write anything :)
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Where would your ideal home be? In a bustling, crowded, exciting city--or in a quite, quaint country side?
Do you find energy in crowds and love to be where the action is, or do you find large groups of people unsettling and prefer the quiet of nature with a few close friends?
When you think of a perfect view, do you think city scape or mountain vista?
Public life or private life?
I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a "City Girl" or a "Country Girl" (or boy, respectively). Can preferring one over another really be a refection on your personality? Do extroverts prefer the city, and introverts the country? Is it strictly a matter of where you were raised, or can you secretly be a City Girl if you spend your life in the country?
I have always lived in small towns. The first town I remember living in had a population of a little less than 6,000. My parents lived out of town on several acres, and I feel like my childhood was absolutely idyllic. I would spend hours playing outside and exploring the world around me. We had great homemade fun---such as a cable zip line that propelled your body down a very steep hill at incredible speeds (I was always too chicken to ride...especially since I watched my brothers smack into the tree at the other end!). We would hike around our property, or play in an old wooden fort. We also raised livestock (sheep, a few cows, horses, pigs, chickens), and I could write a novel about those crazy and entertaining moments---really an unorganized rodeo.
As a teenager, my parents moved to another town, population about 12,000. We again moved to a home on acreage, several miles outside of town. Most of the land is a large hill behind our home ( about 30 acres), and I loved running up that hill. It is something I still do when I visit my family. I can't believe the beauty and solitude in my backyard.
Now, my husband and I live in a city.
At first it was a real challenge. I hated that the "fresh air" smelt (and smells) like cigarettes and animal feces. And just feeling trapped, buildings, streets, people everywhere...
But now, I don't know. I getting more used to it...or maybe I just forgot what the country is like.
What do you think?
Are you a Country Bumpkin or a City Slicker?
How does your population preference effect your personality and lifestyle?
Scripture of the day:
John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (KJV)
Such a short scripture, but such a profound message. We obey laws or rules for many different reasons. We may follow order because of tradition or habit. We may follow out of fear---fear for the chaos that would occur, for example, if no one heeded traffic signals. Or, the personal fear of being 'caught'. We may obey because of a sense of duty. Feeling like it is the "right" thing to do. Many of these motives may also apply to moral laws and standards as well.Christ teaches a deep lesson here. It is good to keep the commandments, but it is best to keep the commandments because we are motivated by the love we feel for our Savior. But if you don't feel that love it certainly isn't bad to just do what you should anyway. Conversion will come.
On the flip side, I believe if we make loving Jesus Christ, and loving others as He loved us, our highest priority, then we will naturally want to be obedient.
True love inspires and motivates great action. This is true for parenting as well.
It is all about the love.
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