yay or nay

  I am toying of the idea of quieting this blog.

It was a part of who we are.. without it we would not be who we have become...

and yet I wonder if it's a chapter that is closing.

I do not imagine that our life travelling full- time fits into this...

or perhaps it does and I just cannot see exactly how.

our road adventures encompass pretty much every aspect of our life and for those adventures we began the NARROW ROAD SCHOOLERS blog and Facebook page

but this was our ranch life... our military life..

and things have changed a lot.

Being on the road full time is changing us too.

making our eyes see that there is SO MUCH MORE...

So.. I guess the only question is are any of you out there not yet following our new journey?
Or would you prefer I post here as well....

quiet around here...

I haven't quite managed how to figure out hosting 2 blogs at once, moving around full time, taking care of my family with sketchy wifi on not so regular basis works out.

so this is a quick hello

if you want to see what's going on in our world drop on over to

www.narrowroadschoolers.blogspot.com
or like our facebook page at
Narrow Road Schoolers and say hello.

A Journey

I have been overweight for wayyy too long.
this week I am going to start a journey.
it's a journey to lose at least 1/3 of myself and really take back my life.

It may not be easy.

I am just praying it works. What I do know is that it has for other people.

now it's my turn.

Little Bug's very 1st haircut

there are topics blogging that are easy to talk about.

and then others.

well....

they are not.

My husband is my cheering committee
encourging me to write aout real life

but... well.... sometimes real life is messy

and of course, then there is the fact that a blog post could hurt a situation rather than build it up

and this past week our world was shook to the core.

and we knew it would be.... or we knew it could be.
I mean you don't commit to going on the road as full time missionaries without knowing that will cause serious growing pains
but . wow. has it caused growing pains.
maybe more like labor pains.

Our 18 yearold daughter was on the fence about joining us.
I had hoped she would spend part of her summer on the road with us before stepping off for her own adventure.
And at one point...
you know the point before I had the prayer cards printed she said she would.
so we made her things fit alongside the other 8 people in the 29 foot camper.

but.

she got cold feet.

and in the mix of life being insanely crazy...
she decided to move out.

and so we are picking up the pieces from what could have been a good departure
that turned into a preplanned move out without our knowledge.
it has left us much like a deer on a dark highway trapped in the headlights of distaster
 and having to choose
whether or not to jump into the headlights into certain disaster
or turn away and head for the uncertainty of the dark woods.
scared.
shaken.
but not defeated.

trusting that God will watch over her.

and that our journey will begin & cross with hers again.

and holding fast to Scriptures many promises.

It's bigger than us...

Once upon a time I drove to Oceanside.... certain God would lead us back there.
and then on the drive back to this desert place I knew better.

and it all seemed so very complicated.

Go on the road full time as missionaries with your family.

OK God... then what?

then let me show you the plan.

Oh wow. Have we ever been revealed a plan.

And rather than put God in some kind of box
 & tell you this is what the plan is

I will say this is how we feel led to serve at this point.

We are planning to be on the road by July 1, 2013 in a pull behind camper with our children
we plan to use music and christian films as a tool to share the gospel with people we meet in campsites.

       How?
          Well. As families come into a location we will be there all set up with a movie & an easy pot luck style dinner set up . do crafts (like Gospel bracelets) with the kids and maybe play a short kid friendly christian film (Auto B. good, Angel Wars, Veggie tales etc) ... get to know parents etc. Invite people back the following night for music or something or even show a christian feature film. As we get to know the areas people are from perhaps point them in a direction of a local church near them (hopefully one connected to Harvest America).

We still need a lot of money to pull the getting on the road part off.
Also we need to rent or sell our home.
We are also in need of a decent projector to hook up to our computer.

And our next BIG SALE is this weekend.
(you can even see a sample of what is for sale if you join the Facebook event at this link)

We have a blog set up and a Facebook page
and our prayer cards & business cards arrived this past week

this is getting really real.

but I really don't think this is even a fraction of what God could do through this ministry... but I tend to dream big. But why shouldn't I? I serve a GREAT BIG God!

Bittersweet

the preparations are being made for the horses to go.

I am not sure I want to talk about it.

It is such a bittersweet feeling.

That was one of the biggest reasons to come back here ...
to this desert place.

This was never ever in my wildest dreams how I saw it.

but it is how it is turning out.

& it is strangely ok.

I am sure I will cry real tears when the majestic equines depart.

and I adore them.

but it is a season of change ordained by God.

a little bit scary....
   .... and a little bit exciting.

a new chapter.

Our little secret

Well it's out.

the little secret that we have been contemplating.

but I want to tell you how it began.

about 5 years ago my husband asked me if I would consider taking a tour through the USA in a camper or RV.

I politely told him NOT on his life.

Be careful what you say you will never do.

About a month ago we started talking about jobs & ministry & just being here.

and as we looked at jobs we realized none were here in the desert.

so we started talking about selling or renting and buying a camper and moving back to oceanside (aka my camelot) and having him find a job here in SoCal
and then my husband called our pastor in Oceanside
and we began to realize that with a Bachelors in religion close at hand Frank could actually consider stepping into a church as a children or youth pastor while he continued to get his masters.

so we started looking at sites for pastors to apply.

and noone was hiring in Oceanside.

and I looked aat my husband and asked... " so am I putting God in a box? telling God the only place we can go is Oceanside" Insert knowing smile on my husbands face...

at which point I asked " what if we sold everything and went on the road as missionaries?"

Frank blinked & smiled.

and said something like "If I hadn't brought you here to the desert you would have never seen this"

so.

as Frank finished his last 8 weeks of school that is precisely what we are doing.
Selling practically everything & hitting the open road in a 29 foot pull behind camper.

and this blog will be still my personal blog but if you are curious about our upcoming journey you will have to pop on over to our new ministry blog & read about the adventure that is underway.

or you can follow us on Facebook at Narrow Road Schoolers

this desert place.....

a very long time ago I started a blog. here.

and recently I have not written here.
not.
at.
all.

It isn't that I have nothing to say.

or that I am not reading God's word and gleaning from it...

or listening & reading amazing pastors and absorbing some amazing teaching.

BUT.

I find myself a year later writing bitter diatribes in my head about the desert
& I am certain that is NOT what I should be posting.

or how very challenging life is right now... emotionally, financially, with babies, raising teens, homeschooling,ranch life...the list goes on.

or how I am struggling with fellowship here in this desert place.

I want to say what I am learning as I grow...

but honesctly it is a day to day struggle to put one foot in front of the other

life is almost mundane.
rythmic.

days blend together.

here. in this desert place.

I want to be back in the front lines in ministry serving alongside some fantastic Holy Spirit led people at NewSong in Oceanside... but God obviously has other plans for me right now.

plans that I need to find contentment in.

but I feel so far removed from what the Bible tells me I should be doing...
the living active thriving part of a church.
I feel like I don't do enough here...
in this desert place.

and yet I stand on the promise that God has plans for me.
and a future.

I want God to say to me what He told Jeremiah.

but maybe that is asking too much.

Maybe my plate is too full.

Maybe that is what God is trying to teach me.

But God's WORD says we are supposed to be a light.
share the Gospel. 

But if I am not DOING those things and just training my children..
perhaps I truly am just going through the motions.

& God knows my heart.
I want more than that.