by Jackie Ebel | Aug 18, 2020 | Empowerment, Stories of Hope, Story
Photo by Matthew N on Unsplash
Chances are, you’ve heard of Valentina Tereshkova(the first woman in space) and Sally Ride(the first American woman in space). But there are many other trailblazing women who have helped us greatly in our understanding of space that you may not recognize by name. This month, Safe Harbor International Ministries is celebrating women, and what better way to highlight some hard-working role models? Here are some influential women in space that you might not have heard of.
Peggy Whitson
Whitson was the first female Space Station Commander. In April 2008 during Expedition 16, she earned this title. In addition, she was NASA’s first official Science Officer on the station in the Expedition 5 crew in 2002 and she spent 185 days on the International Space Station! She also holds the title for being the oldest woman in space, having returned from her final mission at age 57. During this mission, she commanded the International Space Station Expedition 51 in 2016. She has spent a grand total of 665 days in space. That’s nearly 2 years! In her early life, she attended Iowa Wesleyan College and Rice University before she went on to start her career at NASA as a Research Biochemist.
Photo by Norbert Kowalczyk on Unsplash
Svetlana Savitskaya
On July 24th, 1984, Svetlana Savitskaya was the first woman to complete a spacewalk. During this spacewalk, which was nearly 3 hours long, she spent her time performing welding experiments just outside the space station. In addition, she was also the second woman to ever be in space when she was a research cosmonaut on the space station Salyut 7 in August 1982. When she came back to earth, she switched gears and began a career in politics.
Christina Koch and Jessica Meir
In October of 2019, the first all-female spacewalk took place. The spacewalk was unplanned, but Christina Koch and Jessica Meir performed the spacewalk in order to fix a broken battery component on the International Space Station. This was Koch’s fourth spacewalk and Meir’s first. The women were guided in their spacewalk by a team made up of individuals on board the International Space Station and back on Earth. During this mission, Koch also flew the first nearly year-long mission for a woman in space.
Mae Jemison
Jemison became the first African American woman in space in September of 1992 during a space shuttle endeavor. Jemison earned degrees in Chemical Engineering, African, and African American studies at Stanford, then went on to pursue a doctorate of medicine from Cornell. She was a doctor and served in the Peace Corps before her time began at NASA. In 1992 when she was in space, she performed two different bone cell research experiments.
JoAnn Morgan
JoAnn Morgan was the first female engineer at NASA, and the first (and only) woman allowed in the launch firing room during the Apollo 11 liftoff. At the time, she was only 28. As an instrumentation controller, she worked with the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity as well as helping with the Apollo 11 liftoff. Morgan began working at NASA during the summers before she even graduated from college at Jacksonville State University with a degree in Mathematics. One of her mentors noticed her potential and provided her with the necessary certification to become a Junior Engineer on the team at NASA when she graduated college.
Margaret Hamilton
While Margaret Hamilton was not an astronaut, her work for NASA was extremely valuable. Hamilton led the NASA team that developed software that landed Apollo 11 on the moon. She learned how to write software in a job she took at MIT. Her software there, which predicted the weather, made her a great candidate for NASA. Hamilton became the first programmer that was hired for the Apollo 11 project. After her work with Apollo 11, she became well known for making the term “software engineer” popular.
Photo by Jahsie Ault on Unsplash
Sunita Williams
During the Expedition 15 mission in 2007, American astronaut Sunita Williams registered for the Boston Marathon. She went on to run the marathon in 4 hours and 26 while onboard the International Space Station. She used a special treadmill called the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill, which replicates running on earth. Williams ran the marathon in order to inspire kids to engage in physical activities and raise awareness for physical fitness.
Conclusion
These women made great strides for our understanding of space throughout their careers. However, they also made great strides for womankind. Space travel has been a particularly male-dominated industry for a long time. However, these inspirational women left their mark on the world and became wonderful role models for generations to come. Whether your interests are in a STEM field or a less traditionally male-dominated field, know that you can embrace your femininity and also make a difference!
Written by Jackie Ebel, a blogger at Safe Harbor International Ministries. For more articles, check out our blog page: https://safeharborim.com/articles/.
by Jackie Ebel | Aug 10, 2020 | Empowerment
Photo by lucia on Unsplash
How you can make the world a better place for women!
This month, Safe Harbor International Ministries is celebrating women, and everything women do for us. Here in the 21st century, sometimes people like to think that everyone is completely equal. However, this is not the case. Men and women do not earn the same amount of money for the same jobs. They are not always given the same opportunities. And as easy as it can be to pretend those problems don’t exist, ignoring them doesn’t make them any better. It is important to learn how to think about and address these problems, especially if you are not a woman.
So, what is an ally?
An ally is someone who is not a part of the group that is being misrepresented or underrepresented, but someone who stands in solidarity with the members of that group. They also take action to make it clear that they support the members of the group. In this case, an ally for women’s rights might be a man who recognizes that men and women are not given equal treatment in our society. An ally would also take action when they notice that a woman is given different treatment simply because she is a woman. Becoming an ally means that women will have a stronger voice.
How do I become an ally?
There are several different things a man can do to be an ally. To be a good ally, doing all of these things is prudent. Leaving one out could cause someone who claims to be an ally to perpetuate the unfair treatment of women without even realizing it.
Educate Yourself
One of the most important things to do in becoming an ally for women’s rights is to have a good understanding of the movement. Understanding the history of women’s rights and understanding where the movement is today are very important pieces in becoming a good ally. You can educate yourself through websites and articles online, or free videos on YouTube. Books about women’s rights are also wonderful ways to dive in deeper to the movement and learn more. It’s important to educate yourself about the movement so that later on, you can hold infomed conversations. Educating yourself is a great way to be an ally, and naturally, some of this education will come in the form of conversations with other allies or with women. Make sure that you’re not relying completely on other people to educate you, though. It’s important to go out and seek education yourself.
Change Your Perspective
The next step to becoming an ally for women’s rights is to change your perspective. Much of the reason behind the lack of equality for men and women these days is due to people’s mindsets. Many people have the perspective that their opinions are always right, and this is rarely the case for anyone! This means you need to be open-minded- it is very important to be open to criticism. It’s important that you understand that you haven’t experienced what women have experienced, so they know better than you what you can do to support them. It’s not about you, so don’t assume that you are always right, and especially no mansplaining!
One of the most important things you can do here is to get comfortable being uncomfortable. When you have conversations about women’s rights with women, part of being an ally is being willing to change your actions or your perspective on something when you’re presented with new information. It’s okay to change your beliefs and opinions when you become educated, and in fact, that’s part of what makes a good ally!
Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
Pay Attention to Microaggressions
A microaggression is a normal action or conversation that seems on the surface as though it is fine, but when more closely examined, is inherently hurtful towards some sort of marginalized group. In the case of women’s rights, there are many such actions or things in conversations that are microaggressions, such as using sexist language, subtly assuming that women are inferior to men, sexist jokes, and sexual objectification. While of course there are many more types of microaggressions, these are just a few very common ones. Oftentimes, gender microaggressions exist because there are different expectations of men and women. So be sure to watch out for your own and other people’s microaggressions!
Make sure that you apologize when you realize you have made a mistake and you have been called out for a microaggression (or recognized it yourself). In the apology, you should make sure that you address the hurtful action or comment first. Then, you should acknowledge the impact it had on the person you’re apologizing to, and commit to doing better in the future.
Use Your Voice
Finally, one of the most important things you can do as an ally is to speak up and use your voice when you notice something is wrong. One of the reasons that being an ally is so powerful is because if each ally uses their voice, the message becomes much louder. The more people that support women’s rights, the less sexism there will be. In order to use your voice, make sure that you speak up when you notice microaggressions in conversation. If you feel called to, protesting is another way to make your voice heard! Be a change agent. It is much better to speak up than to sit idly by when you notice that there is something wrong. You can be the answer to someone else’s problems if you use your privilege to make a difference.
Photo by Giacomo Ferroni on Unsplash
Written by Jackie Ebel, a blogger at Safe Harbor International Ministries. For more articles, check out our blog page: https://safeharborim.com/articles/.
by Jackie Ebel | Aug 4, 2020 | Gratitude, Healthy Lifestyles, Wellness, Words of Encouragement
Photo by Courtney Hedger on Unsplash
Show appreciation for those around you this month in a unique way- without breaking the bank!
This month, Safe Harbor International Ministries is celebrating women, and everything women do for us. We all likely have women in our lives that we want to show appreciation for. Rather than buying an expensive gift, there are so many other ways that people can show appreciation for others that are completely free! One of these ways is to do a “Random Act of Kindness” for someone you know well (even if they aren’t a woman!), or a stranger!
What is a random act of kindness?
A Random Act of Kindness is an action that involves doing something kind for someone else for no particular reason. This is a wonderful way to express appreciation for anyone in your life. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that acts of kindness, even very small ones, can increase the mood of the recipient of the kind act, as well as the person performing the act. So if you want to provide a mood boost for the people around you as well as yourself, try doing a Random Acts of Kindness today!
Photo by Nicole Wilcox on Unsplash
Showing Appreciation For People You Know
There are likely many people in your life that you want to show appreciation for: friends, family, partners, and co-workers. Here are some ideas for Random Acts of Kindness you can do to show your appreciation for your loved ones.
Help Someone With a Household Task
So many people nowadays are very busy. A wonderful way to show your appreciation for them is to offer to help them with household tasks. You could babysit a girlfriend’s child for free for an afternoon, offer to run an errand for your wife, or help your mom with housework or yard work. Whatever someone needs, offer a helping hand, and be sure to let the person know how much you appreciate them!
Plan a Fun No-Spend Hangout Session
One of the easiest ways to show appreciation for someone you know well is to spend some quality time with them. Take it upon yourself to plan an afternoon or evening of fun activities for you and the person you want to show appreciation for. Some great no-spend activities include going on a hike or for a walk, or going to a free event in your town. You can also stay in and watch movies or do puzzles, or just chat over a home-cooked meal or snack. You’ll have plenty of time to express your gratitude this way, and you’ll create memories that are sure to last.
Leave Kind Comments on Your Friend’s Social Media Posts
Many women often feel vulnerable when they post photos on social media. One way to show appreciation for someone is to boost their confidence with a kind comment on their posts on social media!
Give Out Lots of Compliments
Has someone ever given you a compliment that has just made your day? Well, what if you could do that for someone else? Tell your friend you like the way she handled a tough situation, tell your favorite teacher that she makes a difference in your day, or tell your coworker that she did a great job on a project. They’re sure to appreciate it, and it may even make their day!
Leave a Note for Someone
This is a great idea if the person you want to show appreciation for is someone you live with or someone you see often. Show your appreciation for someone by writing them a note, and slipping the note into their purse or leaving it on their desk. You could also write your note on a sticky note and leave it on a mirror for someone to see! This is a great way to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Give Out “You Matter” Cards
Remind people that they are important, that they matter, and that they’re appreciated. You can get free “You Matter” cards to pass out to people so they can keep a visual reminder for themselves when they need it! These cards can be passed out to people directly, or you can leave them for your loved ones to find.
Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash
Sign Someone Up For The Love Project
A wonderful way to show appreciation for someone is by signing them up for a quilt from The Love Project! The Love Project is a program run by Safe Harbor International Ministries that gives away free quilts. If you think someone in your life deserves a little extra shout out, sign them up!
Showing Appreciation For Strangers
Random Acts of Kindness aren’t just for your loved ones! You can show your appreciation and bring a smile to a stranger’s face too! Every Random Act of Kindness makes the world a better place.
Volunteer Your Time
So many different organizations in every community depend heavily on volunteers to operate properly. Senior living centers, women’s shelters, and food banks are just a few types of organizations that heavily utilize volunteers. Choose an organization in your area that you support and offer your time! Even if it’s just an hour, it will not go unnoticed. Safe Harbor International Ministries is an organization for which you can volunteer your time in many different ways.
Photo by Dakota Corbin on Unsplash
Donate Your Stuff
Many people have donated their old clothes to charities at some point in their lives. Did you know you can donate lots of other things? There are organizations where you can donate household belongings like furniture and appliances. Libraries often take donations of books, and there are even places you can donate old cars! If you want to donate your belongings, do some research to see which places in your area will take your donations. Women’s centers are often great for this sort of thing, as these centers don’t always get as many donations as regular thrift stores. If you want to take an extra step, you can even donate your hair to charity! Wigs For Kids is a great national organization if you want to donate hair. Just be sure to check and make sure that your hair and salon meet their requirements!
No matter what you choose to donate, know that your belongings will have new life in the person who gets to use them after you! Additionally, donating can make you feel good! You’ll be happy knowing that you’re helping others.
Leave a Good Review
If you had a particularly good experience at a restaurant or somewhere else, leave a five-star review on Yelp, or another reviewing website! Be sure to give specifics, and explain your good experience in the comment section. A good review can go so far as to enhance someone’s career!
Print Extra Coupons
Who doesn’t love a bargain? Next time you bring in coupons that you printed off from the internet, print a couple of extras, and hand them out to other people in the store so that they can get a good deal! Another option is to leave the coupons out for people to find and use, if you would prefer to not walk up to strangers in the store. People are sure to appreciate the gesture.
Show Appreciation For Yourself
Appreciating yourself is just as important as appreciating others. Don’t forget to treat yourself too! Random Acts of Kindness for yourself are a great form of self-love Practice gratitude, watch your favorite show, or take a walk.
Conclusion
It’s incredibly important to show appreciation for the people around you, and for yourself, too. Sometimes, though, showing appreciation for someone can be pricey! That’s why choosing to do a free Random Act of Kindness for a loved one, a stranger, or for yourself can be the way to go. This week, I challenge you to try doing one Random Act of Kindness to show appreciation for someone else, and one Random Act of Kindness to show appreciation for yourself. Remember to love your neighbor as yourself!
Written by Jackie Ebel, a blogger at Safe Harbor International Ministries. For more articles, check out our blog page: https://safeharborim.com/articles/.
