I Believe in God

Sometimes I find it quite interesting when people say that they are offended. It seems to be a quite the popular phrase now days. I do believe that there are things that are legit & then there are things that are not.

Every day we hear people say that they do not believe in God. That is fine, that is everyone’s choice to believe or not. As a Christian I am not offended when people say that they do not believe. I may feel other emotions but certainly not offended. So why is it that when a Christian says that they are Christian or talk anything about God… everyone gets offended?!? It seems to me that society has a double standard when it comes to freedom of religion. Someone can NOT believe in God & that is all fine and dandy. But OMGsh if someone says they are a Christian and even worse talks about that guy named God… everyone gets their panties in a bunch!

The whole “offended” things pretty much goes along with anything in society. And you know what I have found if I do not agree with things that other people believe then they are offended & I am a “bigot”. I honestly cannot tell you how much the word “bigot” frustrates me. It’s like this:

Me: “I do not agree with that.”

Someone else: “Well you are a stupid, inconsiderate, bigot!”

Me: “How does saying that you do not agree with something qualify as being a bigot?”

Someone else: “You are the most ridiculous person I have ever met & it’s people like you that…”

Get my point?! I have actually had several conversations like that. Conversations where I have simply tried to explain why I do not agree with something, the other person blowing up & wait for it… I get called a bigot.

So let’s just post the definition before it pops up in my comments as someone trying to throw it in my face. So here it is in all it’s glory… the definition of bigotry.

Bigotry is the state of mind of a bigot: someone who, as a result of their prejudices, treats other people with fear, distrust, hatred, contempt, or intolerance on the basis of a person’s ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics.

So let’s get back to being offended. Sorry I kind of went off on a rabbit trail. I think that people use it correctly, I just think that people get their feathers ruffled to easily now days. What ever happened to letting it roll off your back? Brush it off & move on. Or as a quote that I think Dr. Suess gets too much credit for goes…

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
― Bernard M. Baruch

I really think people need to lighten up & learn to brush things off. Stand your ground for what you believe in & if someone doesn’t agree then that is OK. Not everyone has to agree on everything & that is why this world is so interesting(for lack of a better word).

Let’s stop calling a foul on any & every little thing. Life is too short to let everything get to you!

SO you are wondering where in the world this post came from, well I was told to leave my personal beliefs off my farm page. Stick to farming & leave God out of it. So here is my response to that regarding my Facebook page.

If you do not like what you see, you can do one of two things. Close your eyes or simply go to another page. It really isn’t that hard. I promise, I actually do it quite often.

There are three things that I am passionate about. God, my family & our lifestyle. If you do not like those things then my page is not the page for you. So I bid you farewell as you hit the “unlike” button & find a page more suitable for your “likes”.

With that said, a song by Aaron Tippin came to mind. You might have heard of it.

“You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything

You’ve got to be your own man not a puppet on a string

Never compromise what’s right and uphold your family name

You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything”

I for one am a person”

With all that said, I will continue to post about God, my family & our farm. I thank everyone that has supported us along the way & give God full credit for the life we have been given. Here is a blog I wrote on the secret to our success as dairy farmers!

Have a great day everyone!

Long Distance Taught Me

I haven’t heard of anyone who got into a long distance relationship because they wanted to. Usually, people are in a complete denial … until they suddenly find themselves in love and their feelings turn out to be bigger than the distance – and that’s when they join the long distance relationship community 🙂

During the time I spent being countries away from my boyfriend, I was not able (or did not want) to relate to any benefits this experience was affording. To be honest, the only outcome I thought I was getting was frustration…

Today, two years after closing the distance, I know that relationship over countries helped me to mature and understand my priorities. It also encouraged me to work towards my goals without losing focus (and finally, rewarded me with the most amazing guy!).

Things a long distance relationship taught me:

1. That communication is a must.

Looking back, I think that my communication skills where pathetic! I didn’t think that analyzing problems was needed. I believed that I would forget the issue and it would pass unnoticed. The result (obviously) was quite different.

First, the problem never passed unnoticed and that was already a good reason for an argument. Moreover, I was slowly bottling up all the problems and preparing for an explosion.

When living hundreds (or thousands) of miles away, communication is the only activity you can have with your partner. You will bond by having deep talks (or solving misunderstandings and arguments), and once you close the distance, you will be amazed how easy it will be to overcome any issue.

2. To trust.

We all have moments of jealousy from time to time, but if you are in a long distance relationship, you will have to start trusting them unconditionally because there is no way for you to control (or even know) their actions. If you aren’t able to trust, your relationship is doomed. Trust is the main condition, not only for your relationship to grow, but also for both of you – remain calm and continue building a strong foundation for your relationship.

3. To be interdependent.

A good friend of mine once explained her theory of some people being “halfs”, and some “fulls” in a relationship. “Halfs” are the codependent couples, who try to control their partner’s feelings and have a fear that they can’t function on their own (and hence, feel “stuck” in their relationship). Unfortunately, long distance relationship is not going to last long if you and your partner is a codependent “half”.

You will have to learn to be interdependent. You will miss each other, but, at the same time respect, support each other’s goals and push each other forward. Be committed to the relationship but don’t try to control another person’s feelings or actions.

 I used to think that I was a “half” type, but time apart helped me develop into a strong, independent “full”. There is nothing else I want when my babe is next to me, but my self-esteem doesn’t depend on his presence. This long distance relationship helped me learn to enjoy my life when he was not there.

4. To appreciate the time together (and continue doing so even after closing the distance).

When you live with someone, hugs, sleeping together, even doing grocery shopping is just a normal part of your routine. Meanwhile, a relationship over distance only allows you to have occasional hugs with your partner as a reward after months of waiting. I still feel that I value those small, daily things I get to do with my boyfriend and always thank god for having my partner next to me whenever I want to. Because few years back, I used to be ready to do anything for getting to feel my boyfriend’s smell…

5. Do things together.

I see many friends of mine separating the household tasks and doing them individually. Even those long Skype sessions of cooking or cleaning together on the weekends turned out to benefit us. We got used to doing things together and enjoy it. Washing dishes in one sink together is not very comfortable, but who said it’s not fun?

6. To become a proactive planner!

We had to plan our yearly holiday schedules to be sure that we would meet often enough and wouldn’t have problems taking leave. Additionally, we had to look into our finances to be sure that we would be able to afford the times we intended to meet. Finally, we had to plan our daily agendas so we could get on a call at least once or twice a week, manage the time difference, and remain socially active.

7. To save.

I couldn’t afford anything more than the basics while living apart and I have to say that it was the first time in my life I became so efficient at saving. Even though our long distance relationship resulted in no financial assets, we got something much more valuable in exchange – a chance to spend our lives together.

8. To be patient.

Imagine wanting something more than anything and getting to touch it shortly once in few months. Then, finding yourself crying in the airport after saying bye and desperately craving for more. We had many days when we questioned ourselves. Why did we decide to do this? At times it seemed to be getting too complicated to continue. Thankfully, something stopped us from giving up. You will know that the person is worth the struggle. The possible reward will give you all the motivation you need to make it through.

9. To know what you want.

Usually, life offers you multiple options and you are welcome to take any of them (and make changes whenever you feel like it). When you ask yourself about staying in a relationship over a distance or moving in together, you are forced to understand your priorities by answering these questions: can I leave everything behind and go to other side of the country/world for sake of being together with my partner? It seems to be a complicated one, but it was the easiest decision I ever made. I just knew my priority from the very beginning.

10. To stay positive.

We became our own love warriors. There were ups and downs, but we were there to support each other and share optimism. There were people telling us that it’s not worth it and it’s not going to work (just as everyone does BEFORE they get into a LDR – remember!), but I always had my boyfriend to lift me up when I needed it the most (and vice versa).

11. To become selfless.

Even though I believe we start thinking about another person more when we love someone (even without distance), being apart makes you completely forget your own needs. The other person’s happiness is what you need to stay happy yourself.

12.To get rid of fears and doubt less.

I learnt that everything is possible, as long as you really want it. The fears I used to have before were only excuses to give up my goals (which, most probably, weren’t strong enough). But then, I met a Turkish boy in south of India. He had to move to China and my family was expecting me to go back to Lithuania. We had some doubts in between, but in the end we said, “Yes, we will be together.” I am now sure of my capabilities because I know that I will succeed in anything (if only I want it).

Here’s How to Stay on Top of Your Assignments

College. You think you have pretty much everything together. You're really excited for class to start, thinking you'll love the classes you chose, all my assignments are in order, and everything’s going well. Then the next minute I have five papers due, three tests to study for, and seven blog posts to write all in one week. Ok yes that may be a bit exaggerated, but that’s what it feels like. And I know I’m probably not alone.

College can be a huge learning curve for some people. It’s the first time you really have your whole life in your hands. And if you’re not careful, things can get out of hand (ha see what I did there?) really fast. But, fear not! It can be easy to stay on top of your assignments! All it takes is a bit of planning and not procrastinating to make sure you never miss an assignment again. Today I’m sharing with you the ways that I make sure I never miss an assignment.

Treat weekdays like a 9-5 job

Done with class at 1pm and head back to your dorm/apartment/house and go straight to watching Netflix? Bad idea. I make sure that I’m up by 8am every day and I try to work on only school and blogging stuff until around 5pm.

Instead of treating Netflix as something to fill my time during the day, I use it as a treat before bed (gasp! I know that’s really bad for you, but I live on the edge). If I’ve done all of my homework for the day and gotten some blogging stuff done, then congratulations Nichole, you’ve earned yourself an episode or two of Jane the Virgin.

Have calendars and planners everywhere

I have two calendars above my desk, two planners (one for school and one for blogging), and multiple online calendars set up to help me keep track of my life. Y’all if I don’t have it written down in multiple places, I will forget to do the assignment, show up to class, or show up to an important meeting. 

For online calendars, I love love love Google Calendars. It easily syncs to my phone and macBook, and I can create multiple calendars, such as school, life, and work, all on one account.

As for physical planners, I love my Rifle Paper Co Monthly & Weekly 17 Month planner and any Blue Sky planner from Target.

Set personal due dates

I almost never miss an assignment or due date simply because I set personal due dates for all of my assignments. If there’s an assignment due this upcoming Thursday, I’ll have it 95% complete by the prior Tuesday. It gives me extra time to look over my work, catch any mistakes, and keep from stressing.

Give yourself a due date of two or three days before an assignment is actually due. And if you’re prone to procrastination, you’ll have plenty of time to complete the work!

Take quality notes

Developing a note-taking system was the best thing I ever did my freshman year. Not only do I learn the material even more when I’m rewriting my notes, I’m not frantically flipping through piles of unorganized notes to try to find the one piece of information I need.

This could be anything from taking notes in class and the rewriting them later, taking notes from the lecture slides, or taking notes directly from the textbook.

Grab your favorite set(s) of pens, you favorite notebook, and get to writing. And yes, writing. Not typing. Think typing those notes will help you? Writing with pen and paper is proven to help you remember information.

Need some note taking inspiration? Studyblrs on Tumblr are my life, and they should be your’s as well.

Now, it’s time to slap that procrastination out of your system and hit the books! Treat the week as an opportunity to grow and learn and don’t spend it counting down the days ’till the weekend. Good luck!

What are some of your best ways to stay on top of your assignments?

The Life of... Nichole - Part II

Picking up from yesterday…

My side-job

After being asked out on a date, I started this blog. I decided to use it  to keep family updated but then it turned into a way to help other significant others and spouses alike on their journey into and throughout the military world. I knew no matter where in the world I went this blog would follow and I could talk about life and the journey it is taking me on. As it would seem in Atlanta, I have yet (in the six months that I have been here) found a job as a Journalist, so I chose to become a full-time blogger instead and have been staying at home and hanging out with friends and I'm loving every minute of it.

our 2 bedroom home

Backing up a little, after we moved into our new home in Atlanta and gotten married. I found a temp job writing for a company about agriculture, I worked here for 6 months writing and being a social media manager until I realized it wasn't a good fit. It was a nice company, but I wasn’t very happy working there and needed to find something else.

That was when I began blogging full-time on a regular basis. I am still with Blogspot, I love that it is a free platform but I can use my own domain. I am in the middle of getting a blog makeover also from a amazing woman, Rissa. Although, I have NO background or training in blogging, it is something I love doing. And I'm sure I always will! I named it A Semper Fi Life (notice how it's a Marine related name, yet?), But I've expanded from just talking about the military to include college and travel related categories.

It’s a far cry from working a big magazine or newspaper, but for me everything worked out better than I could have imagined. Plus I get to wear sweatpants to work if I want! ;) So if you ever need some freelance work or blog post work, I’m your go-to-person!

The Life of... Nichole - Part I

So I figured I need to do a post about me! I know you’re all just dying to know my deepest, darkest secrets! :) I’m going to call these “The Story of…” because I know I’ll eventually have lots of stories to tell!

I grew up in the capital of Illinois better known as Springfield. I went to a small south side grade school, which eventually led to move into the New Berlin school district. I started at Loami Middle School when I was in 6th grade, I finished high school at New Berlin Jr/Sr High School in 2014. In high school, I was in a variety of clubs, Key Club and Art Club mostly. Throughout my younger years I was in Dance until i was 11, then I took karate until I was 14. I first met Calvin in college, but more on him another day. :) After I graduated high school, I went to Lincoln Land Community College. At LLCC I studied Journalism and Elementary Education. I even joined the college newspaper, The Lamp where I made some amazing friends. In high school, I wanted to be a journalist. I wanted this because I loved having the ability to ask people questions then be able to write an article about that topic. I was dead set on be a magazine editor, so Journalism was one of my majors.

My high school graduation

In college, I never really got a job or at least in a workplace building. I always had random jobs through the internet and writing for companies (freelance writing).My second semester I had gotten a student-worker job at our child development center, this job made me want to become a teacher for Elementary leveled students. So I chose to have a double major in Elementary Education. This helped me decide if I ever needed I could have another job in Journalism if I ever needed to.

During my third year of college, I transferred to an online university to travel with my new husband. Calvin decide to re-enlist into the Marine Corps for another 8 years. After we were married we moved to Atlanta. I had just started my Elementary classes this semester, but I had two years of Journalism courses already in the bag. PLUS I had my associates degree. Although, I  quickly found out that doesn't get you very far. So, here I was finishing both degrees in Atlanta thinking about being a freelancer as I was in school, just to bring in a  little extra money and I did. The plan was to finish getting my bachelor's in both areas, but I also didn't think of how much money it cost to finish online. So I finished getting my bachelor's degree in Journalism and chose to wait a year on finishing my degree in Elementary Education. It felt devastating to wait such a long period of time to finish my degree because I felt like I was failing at life. I just never realized my dreams were just changing.

I’ll end this here and finish up tomorrow!

Did you ever have a dream job? Are you working at it now?

OPSEC: What It Is and What You Should Know

“OPSEC (operational security) is an analytical process that classifies information assets and determines the controls required to protect these assets. OPSEC originated as a military term that described strategies to prevent potential adversaries from discovering critical operations-related data. As information management and protection has become important to success in the private sector, OPSEC processes are now common in business operations.” TechTarget Network

I always think of OPSEC as protecting US operations those of which are planned, in progress, and are completed.  OPSEC is keeping potential adversaries from discovering critical information about the Department of Defense.

The military needs to accomplish the mission quickly and successfully. Success relies on secrecy, surprise, and private information. Enemies want this critical information, and they are not just after the military member to get it. They also look to military families and friends.

Here are some general rules and guidelines to follow for military family members and friends.

RULES OF OPSEC.

1. Do not post detailed information about the mission of assigned units.
2. Do not post details on locations and times of unit deployments.
3. Do not list your spouse’s specific job on social media.
4. Do not post where your spouse is ported.
5. Do not post about personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (Example: pay information, powers of attorney, wills, deployment information).
6. Do not post details on locations and times of unit trainings
7. Do not post unit/service member itineraries
8. Do not post references to trends in unit morale or personnel problems.
9. Do not post details concerning security procedures, response time, tactics.
10. Do not post details Personal Identifying Information (PII)
11. Do not post exact redeployment dates
12. Do not reveal camp locations, including nearby cities. After the deployment is officially announced by Military officials, you may discuss locations that have been released, normally on the Country level.
13. Do not discuss convoy routes (“we travelled through ‘such-and-such’ on our way to X”)
14. Do not discuss equipment or lack thereof, to include training equipment
15. Avoid the use of count-up or count-down tickers for the same reason as rule #1, if you do decide to use one, make sure only YOU and those you trust are able to see it.
16. Be very careful if posting pictures of your loved one. Avoid images that show significant landmarks near their base of operations, and black out last names and unit affiliations.
17. Do not, EVER, post information about casualties (coalition or enemy) before the official release of the information.
18. Do not pass on rumors (“I heard they’re coming home early”, etc)

SOCIAL MEDIA

You may want to limit your posts to friends-only. Defaults can change on Facebook with no real notice, and suddenly you’re posting to the Public. If your FRG has a facebook group, ask the leader if it’s secret, closed, or public. What you post to a group may appear on other people’s timelines as well.

Photos

If you must post photos, consider cropping or blurring some details on pictures.

Geotagging

Make sure your location services setting is turned off, if you don’t want your or your spouse to be reporting where their location is.

Social media is not going away any time soon. More and more issues arise with social media and consequences hit much harder and much faster (with consequently less time to “undo” a mistake).

These OPSEC rules aren’t meant to limit your free speech or restrict your liberties- that’s exactly what our men and women in uniform fight to protect. They are put into place to help ensure the safety and security of our nation’s military.

YOUNG AND IN THE MILITARY SERIES (The Girlfriend Perspective)

Note: I may earn money or products from the companies, products, or links mentioned in this post.

When I first got together with my best friend (now boyfriend) he was a Marine in the US Marine Corps, "I had no idea what that would mean for me. I had no idea what military life was like, and knew nothing about the military in general. Since, I knew this was going to be my new life, I wanted to find out as much as I could about it."

I've heard a lot on the military wife perspective, including so many wives having blogs. What about us "girlfriends"? How do we fit and what about how a girlfriend feels know her boyfriend just entered the military or already is in the military. That is why I decided to make a new series on the girlfriend perspective: "Young and in the Military"where I discuss the different aspects of getting involved as new military girlfriends and family. I found the original post and I decided that since Kathryn's post discussed getting started as a military wife, that I would talk about getting started as a military girlfriend.

Here is the series, enjoy!

• Young and in the Military: Getting Started
• Young and in the Military: Getting Settled
• Young and in the Military: Making Friends
• Young and in the Military: Girlfriend Basics