Emptying tanks & mishap repair

Well I am now out of Limbo for now. I have plans as to what is ahead of me for the month of February. I was thinking to go ahead and head to Florida but that is no longer the plan.

God has led me into a different direction. The plan to finish this week and most of next week out here at Big Biloxi. There are still a few things to finish for friend Steve and friends we haven’t met up with yet.

Plans for the month of Feb are to head to Texas where last winter was spent. Several friends called and so after much and pray I feel it’s where God is leading me at this time. There are no definite plans on how long I will be there other then the month of Feb. With diesel prices on the rise their may be some consideration what future plans are. One good thing about living life on the road, plans are always written in Jell-o and can be scratched out and re-written at any time.

We both slept in this morning. Then it was time to get up and straighten up and hook up. We needed to go empty the holing tanks. The first few days we were here i forgot that we were on conserve mode with showering and dishes so we are getting close to being full on the gray tanks. Our black tank still had room. So once i had the inside ready, hubby had the outside. We got hooked up and headed to the dump. Let me just say the dump station wasn’t built for big rigs. Hubby did good. He got pulled up far enough our hose would reach. Emptied and then used a bucket to flush water down our black tank to make sure we got all the not so good stuff out. Then he backed back out of the dump area and backed us back into our spot. The more we setup with the 5ver the easier it seems to get. We are still learning. I came inside and got our living area back to livable.

Just a little mishap, I had failed to remove a electric strip i had plugged in and it had gotten caught in our slide and pushed the floor out a bit and you could see daylight and slide wouldn’t go all the way out. Hubby finally got the stripped pulled out and then he noticed it had pushed the floor out and you could see daylight. Uh OH … Yes once again me and slide out didn’t see eye to eye. So hubby got the floor jacked back up and screwed it back in place and the slide out came back in and went back out with no problems. Wooo .. sure am glad i married a Mr. Fix it!

Yes, I'm still somewhat in the dog house but at least all is fixed and well back in our happy home.

It’s nice and warm out but it’s cloudy. No sunshine so far today. I spent some time sitting outside and talking to a great friend on the phone.

Yesterday on our way home we stopped and got some bird feed and the birds and squirrels are so happy.

I took Lexi for her daily walk and then it was time to cook some dinner. Yesss .. I’m cooking tonight. We had mostaccioli and dinner rolls.

The rest of the evening is going to be spent relaxing and enjoying TV.

Another beautiful day along the coast

Today was another day spent with our friend Steve. Earlier hubby replaced heating element. But later we found out still no hot water. So today we got up and about and went back to Steve’s. Hubby did some more looking and found the 110 relay switch was burned up as well. So a trip to the camper place and a new switch was installed.

While hubby worked on that i looked at his insurance, and tax stuff. I have been given this job to get them straightened out for him.

After that we headed to Hard Rock for their cheap buffet for lunch. On the way back home we stopped at Steve’s and he has hot water! He was thrilled and so was hubby. No more campground showers for him.

It was time to head back home and enjoy a beautiful day. I took Lexi on a walk and visited with several campers here. We’ve had 3 move out this week and 4 more move in. I visited with a couple parked a few sites down from us and they are volunteers who live in their RV full-time. They volunteer for habit for humanity http://www.habitat.org/rv/ and love it. They are on R & R right now. It was nice spending some time chatting with them and she is a quilter like i am. Although she had her sewing machine and was cutting material outside on the picnic table. I still haven’t started the project i wanted to get done this winter.

Lexi and I were finishing our walk we ran into the gentlemen living in the van. He van dwells 4 months out of the year. He is from Illinois. He lives in his van to escape the cold weather.

Another Day on the Beach

We decided since the sun was shining and it was going to be another wonderful warm day we’d go back to the beach. Wow what a difference 14 miles makes.

As you can see when we arrived to the beach it was foggy! I bet the temps were 10 degrees cooler. I hadn’t dressed for no sun and cooler temps.

Even though the temps were a bit cool and we really couldn’t see anything in front of us. We didn’t let that stop us. The water was so clear

Someone even lost their shirt in the water. It was still button up .. hmmm

We thought if we walked the pier that the fog would lift. But after several hours of relaxing on the beach it still didn’t lift.

We decided to drive to Biloxi and see if the fog would lift.

The birds were enjoying the day even though there was fog in the air. The fresh smell of the salt water.

See my footprint in the sand? I love walking in the sand.

Some type of daisy was in bloom.

This man was in the dumpster. He was diving for aluminum cans. He had his bike and belongings parked next to him.

We had another great day along the beach. For dinner we decided on Little Caesar pizza. They had pepperoni for 3.99 and 3 meat for 5 bucks. I got one of each. Hubby likes the 3 meat and i wanted pepperoni. Pepperoni has almost a 100 less calories. Oh by the way i have kept the 7 lbs off that i lost the week before. I’m hoping to lose another couple pounds this week.

We got home a few hours before the rain started. It wasn’t a heavy rain. Just a nice shower that my flowers should enjoy. The rest of our evening was spent talking on the phone to family & friends.

Why bad things happen in our lives?

I had a ruff night of sleeping. I have been awake more then i have slept. I have tossed and turned, been up and down and instead of giving in and taking a pain pill to make my back pain go away I suffered in stead. Why is that? Why is it at times so hard for me to give in and take a pill that i know will help my pain? I finally got up around 5 am and came down stairs and started my daily devotional time by praying and asking God to give me the knowledge and wisdom because the past few days my thoughts have really been on life and what lays ahead of me. I started with looking up 2 word definitions. The first one …

Circumstances … a condition, detail, part, or attribute, with respect to time, place, manner,agent, etc., that accompanies, determines, or modifies a fact or event; a modifying or influencing factor: Do not judge his behavior without considering every circumstance.

The 2nd one …

Free Will … free and independent choice; voluntary decision: You took on the responsibility of your own free will. Philosophy , the doctrine that the conduct of human beings expresses personal choice and is not simply determined by physical or divine forces.

All of my life I have had times when i question and wonder why life circumstances takes me where they do. But i have always believed that it’s up to each individual how they chose which path to take down that road of circumstances.

Unfortunately earth is a world where Satan (a tester of people's free will) presence is allowed to inflict (circumstances) our lives. Yes it’s true evil or bad things happen to good people. It’s hard to see a good person suffer with cancer, a child suffer with a horrible disease, see disasters happen such as flooding, tornado’s, earth quakes and etc.

It makes us question why God allows these things to happen. (just like God allowed Satan to attack Job) Sometimes I myself have questioned does God inflict these horrible things to punish us. His word tells us that he is a just God, God is our heavenly father and just like a father he disciplines his children?

(1 Cor 11:32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Rom 11:22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

Rev 3:19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.)

I think back on my life and all the things i have endured. I was born into a dysfunctional family of poverty. My first son was born with a life threatening disease. A career that i enjoyed was taken from me, i suffered a debilitating injury and then a incurable illness. Endured struggles as I fought with everything i had to hang onto all that was dear to me. (For instance just recently circumstance that were out of my control happened).

In all of these situation I could have made a choice to turn from God. In fact on 2 different occasions in my life time, I have questioned my beliefs, my faith and my trust in God. Both these times I felt I was slipping away from God.

I could have chosen to give up on God. But instead, God help me find the courage and strength I needed to lean on an awesome God. Instead of running from my heavenly fathers arms, i chose to run to them. By doing so, my Lord and Savior embraced me and by doing so he confirmed I am who he created. I am who i am by enduring all of these sufferings and circumstances that have occurred in my life. I chose to renew my faith and trust in my sovereign God who is my creator, my salvation.

(Matthew 7:21-23 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.)

By reading, studying and listening to my father, by being obedient i know in my heart that pain and suffering is not inflicted on us by God. But because human flesh chose to be disobedient.

I know, I know your saying … not everyone choices to be disobedient to God. Well i hate to bust your bubble but God’s word tells us that we are all sinners. We are made of human flesh and sin is in our nature. There is no one on this earth who is perfect. The only perfect human flesh that lived on this earth gave his life for us.

Just as our for fathers fought for our freedom in this country we live in today. Our for father Adam sinned against God and created a world of sin.

(Genesis 3:16-19 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)

So in the true sense it’s our faults that earth is a world of pain and suffering .. NOT God’s.

(II Corinthians 12:7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

II Timothy 2:3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance

II Cor. 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose)

God instead loved us so much that his word tells us. Jesus his son died for you and me so that we may have salvation through grace.

(John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.)

It’s amazing how when you read God’s word and yes even though you have read these scripture over and over, each time God brings new meaning to these scriptures. When we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our heart. It’s amazing how true the feelings of this scripture is.

(Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness)

Do you know that every time i have sinned and been disobedient to God. Every time i have asked God my Lord and Savior to forgive me as i repent for my doubts, my sinful nature and the hardness that sometimes takes over my heart when i endure suffering in pain. God embraces me, God grants me my heart feelings of peace. I know that God does live inside of me. I know that no matter what Satan inflicts on me that if i stay strong and hold fast to my Lord and Savior I too will prevail and endure and that someday i will live in heaven where God promises me no more sorrow, no more tears of pain but instead a life of eternal life that will only be joy, peace and happiness.

(Isaiah 14-: 12-15 In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.")

Here are some more verses that confirm my salvation and God’s promise to give me eternal life.

(John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Rom. 3:10 As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one

Romans 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Rom. 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Rom. 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved

Romans 10:13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away)

One last thought to leave you all with. I am thankful for all of you who follow along my adventures in life. I know sometimes you may not want to hear about my Christian walk in life but it’s the major part of who i am. I pray that you will find the same peace and happiness that God has filled my heart and soul with. Just remember what ever today may throw at you. God is there to catch when you fall. God will pick you back up if you ask him to. Tomorrow is always a better day when God leads your life.

Big Biloxi

We’ve been here at Big Biloxi Campground 2 weeks today. Time has went by fast and we still are in limbo as to what or where we will be heading next. We can stay 30 days here before we have to leave for one night and then we can return for another 30. I have been praying for God’s guidance as to what is next for us.

We had thought we had found the right ministry for us but we just are not sure anymore. Doubts and hurt have invaded us. God has opened my mind and heart to other organizations. So I am trying to be obedient and look at these options. I have been doing some online research on other work-amping opportunities. We just really feel that even though we’ve experienced a bad experience of circumstances that were uncontrollable by us, God wants us to be in some type of ministry.

I have subscribe to several different religious ministries that help others in need and so all that we can do now is pray that God leads us in the right direction and where he wants us to be.

Even though we feel we are in limbo as to what God wants us to do. God has brought about a plan in hubby but sometimes even though you feel it’s what you should do, you second guess yourself if it’s the right thing to do.

We do have some what several different ideas of what or where we might be going but until they are confirmed I will keep them to myself.

First order for the day was to take an air hose back to Lowe’s that exploded on the first use. They didn’t have the size hubby wanted so we got a refund. Then we decided to head to the beach since it was absolutely a beautiful day. The sun was out and we walked several piers. (I forgot my camera) :(

On the way home a trip to Save A-Lot and Wal-mart was needed. Hubby made fried potatoes for dinner tonight and they were very good.

The rest of the evening is being spent curled up on the couch watching one of my favorite shows … House

Looking back at 2010

I am feeling a bit better today but I'm still having a bit of breathing problems (Asthma). I decided i better not go to church and cough the entire time.

Instead i studied this week lesson in my Sunday school book. Hezekiah: Spiritual Renewal. 2 Chronicles 28:24 -25 29: 1-3, 10, 16, 24, 31, 35 & 30:13.

During my devotional time, I spent some time this morning thinking about the year 2010. God has given us some great blessings and the devil has inflicted a few trials.

I am so thankful to God that he has given me the strength to endure these trials. As you know by reading my blog, i have recently experienced my own spiritual renewal. I truly feel i am stronger in my faith and my trust in Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior.

I want to show you a picture of our 2010 map of where our adventure and travels took us.

I took pictures of what it looked like over the 48 states and then an up close picture.

In a year time we have traveled 7713 miles and stayed in 8 states.

Later this afternoon it was so beautiful outside. The sun was shining and it is actually warm! So we decided that since we just tossed things inside our home on our last departure we needed to do some straightening up with this beautiful weather.

As i was taking a walk around our campsite for those precious droppings my little babies leave me i spotted this ….

Is this a deer track or a pig track???

After all the cleaning and straightening was done. I took the dogs on a walk and unfortunately the sun was going down and it was time to retire inside. I’m exhausted from a hard day of work.

I had to edit this as Dinner tonight ended up being oats. The rest of the evening is going to be a night of relaxing and watching Sunday night Football!

Still Sick

I was in bed a little after 8 pm, i was up and down a couple times to take medication. I slept in this morning. I got up this morning and I'm still sick. I’m running a fever, cold chills, aching all over, my ears feel as if their full and pop, my throat is sore from drainage, my nose is clogged, yet draining and no energy. I thought at first it might be my allergies but hubby woke up this morning with the same thing. So we are both sick.

We had plans to meet friends we haven’t seen yet since being here but i called and canceled. We don’t feel like even getting dressed and we definitely don’t want to give it to anyone else. Especially a family with kids and a husband who has to work.