Can I get a witness?

Just had to share this.

My FOTR friends will appreciate this in a ginormous way.

All those random clicking noises inside the RV (electrical), and weird dimming of the lights, and countless other things that were happening... is attributed to the batteries  :)  R.e.l.i.e.v.e.d!!

Miguel and a friend tested the converter, which we learned, by accident, that we indeed did not have an inverter. Let's just say it's producing more than enough of the needed juice to keep our rig warm and lit, and after replacing only the battery, will leave just enough money in our pocket for the real juice we need to buy at the grocery store.

All my travel buddies, can I get a witness?  :)

Updatesssss...

The last couple of weeks have been busy. Not so much with being out and about, but with phonecalls, emails, messages and meetings. Miguel has been in Nashville (a 2 hour drive) a portion of each week for the last several, beginning the very morning after our last conference. He was exhausted, but pushed through like a champ.

The first conference was a success.

We were able to complete 6 service projects in the community. I am still so overwhelmed by the testimonies and messages that are still coming in about the people that were reached. Husbands who have been struggling with drug addictions and the wives who love them regardless. Teens that were at a loss and had no direction are now following the Greatest Compass of all. Emotional hurts that are beginning to heal. Stories like these have just confirmed that we are to continue.

Nashville is the next stop. March 13th, 2010, Saturday. We will be taking a team with us to minister there. I am so amazed at the team that God has orchestrated. We could not have done it. Seriously. I am so grateful for their dedication and heart for this vision, and I am very excited about this next conference.  I am not sure how long we will be in Nashville or when we will be leaving to go, or even if we will be taking the RV, but as this lifestyle is, there are never really any definites in stone. More like ocean sand! :) I've learned to look at the big picture and know that is where we will finally end up, but the logistics normally work out just in the knick of time. Such is this life...

The girls and I have been very busy with school. I had decided that we would school year round and I'm going to stick with it through the summer if I can. It only takes a few hours each day, and I'm looking forward to spring when we can get out and do more then. We have been invited to a local family's home tomorrow for lunch. They have horses, goats, chickens and sheep too, I believe. Despite the cold, the girls are super excited. I hope to post pics soon. Yesterday for science, we learned about and watched a DVD about an F4 tornado that destroyed many sections of this town in 2005. We were able to see raw footage and follow the storm tracker on a map while listening to the meterologist predict its path. Very interesting. Science was a success!

I am still doing some last minute editing on my book. The manuscript was completed, not only on time, but a few days shy of the deadline, (December 31, 2009), thank you very much. :) There were some late, late nights to get it done and I almost had myself convinced I couldn't do it. I have some ideas for the cover and will be focusing on that in the next coming weeks. I have been busy helping with conference stuff, but I have got to set aside time for the book, too. I am ready to get it all nailed down and continue working on the next one.

I spoke with my folks yesterday and things are well on the homefront. Business is picking up for them and I got some good news about my grandmother. We thought that her Parkinson's was progressing a litlle faster than we had predicted, but it turns out that a couple of her meds are reacting with one another causing similar symptoms. I was so glad to know that it is fixable, at least for right now.

It's hard to believe that we left North Carolina almost 8 months ago. 4 months shy of a year! Wow. What a ride. What beautiful places we've been, what super people we've met along the way, what an adventure that God has our family on! I can't wait for the next chapter. Of our lives, I mean, not the book  :)

I have given up a few things during Lent this year, Facebook being one of them. If you have contacted me via FB, I will be returning messages soon. Keep them coming, I love to hear from you all!

Green...and all it's many shades

Valentine's Day is exactly 48 hours away.

And while most of the world is seeing pink and red, I'm seeing green.

Not sage.

Nor zesty lime.

Neither ripe avocado.

Or even pretty apple green.

Envy green.

What?!

You probably won't hear it being introduced as an emerging hot color, you know, as in, envy is the new black. Nope. But, I can guarantee it is one of the oldest colors known to woman.

I am thoroughly enjoying this new lifestyle of living in our RV, yet I have to be real with you and tell you that there are things I miss about my life before. I have thought about these things I miss several times since we left home, but am being revisited with them again because of so much talk surrounding Valentine's Day.

About twice a year, I would get a pedicure. Once a year, maybe a massage. Couple times a year, I'd get my hair done. These were mostly gifts, but I didn't think twice about accepting them versus passing them along to someone else.

Vain?  Maybe.

Indulgent?  Probably.

Selfish?  Likely.

But oh, how I miss them.

I miss eating out too. Granted, it is healthier for me to cook, especially if we are somewhere that doesn't offer a good selection of truly healthy foods, but I do miss it.

There are trade-offs to many choices in life and these are just some things I have to forfeit. At least for right now. We have a life that many envy. Irony at its finest! After having been OTR for 7 months now, it is our life. Not a vacation. I know that's hard to understand. But our daily life is pretty much the same. There hasn't been much lost in translation, but there are a few significant things.

We don't travel as much as we had initially planned. We travel a bit. Park a bit. Travel some. Park some. God has had so many different plans for us than we did.

The journey is amazing.

Frustrating.

Uplifting.

Exciting.

Humbling.

I am so blessed to have this opportunity.

No doubt that it is where I am supposed to be.

No doubt that it is taking me somewhere better than I could have ever imagined.

No doubt that in the meantime, God is preparing me for something.

In the meantime, I will fess up to my vanity and envy and be reminded of His infinite goodness and the blessings and treats that I do have everyday. I will be happy for others who are able to enjoy the small luxuries in this life, and pass on a luxury or two that I have.

Getting real about the state of my heart is, well... the state of my heart.

Keyword emphasized.

I don't share it very often, and I will just stifle the urge to think about how many people might read this.

Deep breaths, deep breaths.

Inhale.

Exhale.

So, there you have it. I have made good on my New Year's Resolution to "let people in" this year. To expose my shortcomings, my weaknesses, and my strongholds. I will say it is easier behind a computer screen... Don't hate. Congratulate. Baby steps, people  :)

When and if I am able, I had given thought to painting the kitchen in the RV an apple green color.

I'm reconsidering.

I think I've had my fill of green this week. In any shade.