We left Point Magu and headed to Oceanside (Camp Pendleton) for Thanksgiving and my nephew's wedding. We got to the campground on Tuesday and got settled on the beach. We were lucky that a spot opened up so we could stay in the same spot from Tuesday to Sunday. We originally had three different reservations and needed to move three times because the RV campground was full and we had to call each week to see if there were any cancelation. We were able to get reservations for the entire week but they were going to make us move so we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived that they had a spot that we could park for the entire week. Tuesday Gil and I walked around Oceanside Harbor watching the seals (and they were very noisey) and looked for a good place for our Thanksgiving dinner. The weather was great and a perfect night to walk. A total of 6 miles by the time we were done. Wednesday we left a little early to head to LA to pick up Garrett at the airport. We weren't sure how the traffic would be so we decided we would get to LA and spend time in that area until his flight arrived. We walked around Manhattan Beach and had lunch at a cute little Irish Pub. We also found a great park to walk the dogs. Once we got back to the RV, we picked up Trent and went to dinner at the end of the Oceanside Pier, at Ruby's Diner. It was a cute 50's diner. What would Thanksgiving be without football? We ate breakfast in the RV and spent the morning watching football. It was a very lazy day but so enjoyable. We met my sister and her husband at the Oceanside Habor to eat Thanksgiving dinner at the Oceanside Broiler. They don't normally do a buffet but for Thanksgiving, they set up a buffet like a wedding with all the traditional food but also seafood. It was REALLY good. We had such a great night catching up and filling our bellies.
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We traveled to Point Magu to visit my step dad and family. It's been awhile since I've seen them since my step dad and his wife moved to California. It was a long awaited trip. We arrived at Point Magu and we got the BEST campsite. This was the view out our front window. Braska was pretty happy with it. We had lots of friends on the beach. There were so many birds, seals and one morning the dolphins were jumping out of the water right in front of our RV window. It was very difficult to get ready because Gil kept saying "There they are again!" and I'd go running up to the front to see. We spent the day with Don and Opal. We visited at their house for a couple of hours and then went to a great burger place for lunch. We left for a couple of hours to let Don and Opan rest since Opal just got out of the hospital. We went to Deanna's for awhile to watch the Viking football game and visit. We returned to Don and Opal's house for dinner and we watched Garrett's speech at graduation, as well as mine. It was a great visit! The next day we meet Deanna, Don and Opal for breakfast at a great place that had Swedish pancakes. She found a "hole in the wall" place to eat which is something we are always seeking. Deanna came out to look at our motorhome and then we hit Hwy 1 and went to Sanata Monica Pier. What a fun place! We walked out on the pier, watch a man "try" to fish and had lunch at a Mexican Restuarant. Then we went on the ferris wheel and had a great view of the area. It was so much fun! We meet everyone at Deanna's house for dinner and had a great "remember when" time! David and Mary joined us, as well as Jerry and his mother, Joann. The dogs enjoyed being "off leash" and running around their backyard but weren't too sure out the "no doggy door" thing. They are used to coming in and out as they please. We had such a great visit! We definitely want to come back. Not only to visit family but to spend more time in the area! You can stay for a month so me might have to try that out sometime :-)
Well, yesterday we woke up in beautiful Zion National Park again. What an amazing view to wake up to. When I was walking the girls we saw about 6 deer (and some big ones Buck haha) going through the campground. Business before pleasure so we started the morning by working. Unfortunately I have a ton of work right now so I've been working hard to get it done so we can play. We worked for awhile and then decided to go on another hike to the Emerald Pools. It was a good hike and very pretty but we think it would be much better in the Spring. Once we hiked to Emerald Pools, we got in the motorhome and started down the road to Vegas! I actually DROVE the motorhome!!! Okay, I pulled it forward in the overflow parking lot about 25 feet but I can now say I drove it haha. We think this is the first time we have been to Vegas and not gone to the strip. Oh well, saved some money I guess!
We are now at Edwards Air Force Base and it is in the middle of nowhere, has no TV, really no internet and the RV park isn't much to look at but it will do for our halfway point to Oxnard. This is not a "do over" place unless we need a stop that is cheap. We tried to get our Apple TV to work but we don't have any teenagers to make it work so my great husband is letting me watch "While You Were Sleeping" for the 100th time on his laptop. Now that is love! Don't feel sorry for the dogs when we have to lock them up in their kennel. They are adjusting well to it and are loving the new "crib". Braska really likes it because she likes to be with Bella so she goes right in now. Bella is sleeping in it in this picture and she doesn't even have to be in it. We are watching TV...at least she loves it.
We worked Tuesday and then hit the road for Zion's National Park after worked. Pulled into the campsite at night (which I hate) but made it in good time. This morning we both worked about 5 hours and then took off at lunch to take a hike with the girls and check out Springdale. It was a beautiful afternoon. We came back to put water in the motorhome (which meant we had to move it) and work a few more hours in the afternoon. But then disaster hit! We were in a weird RV site and when Gil pulled out, it bottom out and I mean BOTTOMED out. I heard a loud noise and looked back because I was walking the dogs and wasn't in the motorhome. Gil drove by us and was messing around with this silly grin waving at us. As he passed me slowly, shock was all over my face. I never knew a motorhome could bend like that. Well, we wanted to paint the bottom of the motorhome anyway so insurance will fix the back and maybe we will see how much it is for them to touch up the sides. It's only material things right? We will press on with a smile on our face. It was still a great day! Here are some of the beautiful pictures we took on our hikes today. By the way, they are from my phone. I'm amazed at how great they come out! Towards dinner time we took a short walk on Weeping Rock trail. It was pretty interesting and a very short walk. At dinner, we tried to get the boys to do a "high" and a "low" for the day. Our "high" was above. Our "low" is below haha
During the summer, many pastors take vacation, get refreshed and visit other churches to see what other congregations are doing. This summer, my mom and I decided to do the same. Sometimes you just need to get out of your comfort zone and experience new things. When I was young, I went to my mom and dad's church. Then I worked at a Christian school and attended that church but thoughout my whole life, I've never really looked into finding a church based on the type of church, the style or the people. I've loved all the churches I've attended, that is not my point but I've never visited other churches to see what others are doing.
This summer I asked my mom to join me in doing a "traveling church". We would not go to a church more than once and we would go in with an open mind and see what God was doing throughout our Christian friends. What a neat experience. Obviously some churches we enjoyed more than others but, as I have always believed, the church is not as important as the relationship with Christ so style and format is all in what a person enjoys as long as the church is teaching the true word of God. Not only did I get to experience so many different churches and styles but, as a Christian, I grew a lot as well. No church is perfect but there were some things that I enjoyed more than others. 1. Welcoming New Visitors - Wow...what a wide range of differences between churches. This is a huge part of making a new person feel welcome. Luckily, with my experience, I'm not nervous about going to church, what I'm going to experience or will I fit in. But for someone going to church for the first time or returning after wandering away for awhile, this is a very important ministry of the church for those hurting people. One church I went to I received the bulletin and asked where the bathroom was. The nice lady walked me to the restroom and that was the end of it. That was such a HUGE flag "I'm new...I'm new" because I didn't know where the bathroom was and she didn't capitialize on the opportunity. I would understand in a big church not noticing someone visiting but in a small church, it is pretty apparent who isn't a regular attender. Some of the churches were so good at welcoming you and getting to know you. Other churches, we sat from beginning to the end with no one welcoming us or even saying hello. Can I say I've also been guilty of this? This is something I realized that I do not do and need to work at when I see someone I don't recognize. What a difference it makes in that persons experience. The best "welcoming" church I found had people holding open the church doors, welcoming you and giving you a bulletin. Now most churches do this but it was the next thing that made all the difference in the world. As you entered the door, not even 5 feet from the door was a welcoming table. It "screamed"...you need to come here next. You didn't feel like you could go left or right. Your next stop WAS this table. At the table was the nicest lady and she asked if we were new because she was familar with her congregation. Score! She automatically nailed who was new before they got 5 feet in the door. Everyone at the church put on a "Hello, my name is..." tag so she gave us a name tag to fill out, a church mug as a welcoming gift and made us feel like we were family. As we went into church everyone we met called us by name (because they could see it) and they were so interested in getting to know us. The churches I've gone to in my life have been big churches. Can I tell you how many times I've talked with someone for WEEKS, maybe even months and I still didn't know or remembered their name? How embarrassing is it after you have talked with them for 3 months saying, "I'm sorry, what was your name again". I loved that everyone wore name tags because with my mind getting older, it would be nice to have the reminder each week. 2. Music - This is one of my favorite things about church. Music does such an amazing thing to the soul. It quiets the soul, speaks to the soul and comforts the soul. During worship it is a time for me to speak to God and reflect on my time with Him. I enjoy the hymns as well as the contemporary music. I found through this experiment that I don't enjoy just hymns and I don't just enjoy contemporary songs. I truly enjoy a mix of both. Hymns bring tradition and the words are so well thoughtout and meaningful. However, contemporary music allows me time to really worship and quiet my thoughts of speaking to God without worrying so much about what word is next in the song. Next is the level of music, I do like the upbeat songs loud enough that you rejoice and celebrate. However, it seems more and more churches are getting louder and louder with music. It is important to keep a balance, not only based on taste but also taking in consideration of the needs of others. The older generation does not enjoy it as loud and I believe it is not good for young children's hearing (as well as all of us, probably). I don't want to fall asleep during worship but I also don't want to be at a rock concert. In our "traveling church", I found the churches that kept their instruments simple, tended to have the better balance of volume. 3. Tithing - My mother-in-law told me a story a long time ago about tithing. My husband's family is huge, nine kids. Money was not a luxury for them. However, my mother-in-law said that one day she was convicted to tithe like the bible said. Not because of what a pastor said or out of guilt but because it is what God instructs. She said she couldn't do the full amount at first but she worked her way up to tithing her full 10%. She said it was difficult but once she got to her 10% she was shocked. All of the sudden she got to the end of the month and her bills were all paid. More money was not being brought in. It was still the same Army paycheck but for some reason she could make ends meet...every time. She stepped out in faith that God would provide and He showed her He would. When she told me this story, I decided to try it myself. Gil and I were eating off of $25 a week for food when we first got married. Money was tight and we did everything thing we could to cover our cost. I didn't tithe the full amount, but I worked my way up to it over time. And, just like my mother-in-law, God provided everything. In fact, He started blessing us in so many ways. It was so amazing to watch. Now, I love to tithe! Gil and I make good money and when I look at it from a "worldview", I sometimes catch myself saying "Wow, it I didn't tithe that money, I could..." but then I'm reminded about the blessings God has given me throughout the years and it far exceeds that monentary amount. I can't wait...I really mean, can't wait to give my money to the Lord each week. Well, during this traveling church, I wanted to make sure I wasn't spending God's money. So I would take my check to each church willing to support their ministry. To my surprise about 50% of them do not pass around a collection plate. Most of the time I walked out without tithing because I completely forgot. I would be tied up in discussing the sermon or the music and completely forget that an offering was never collected. Many just have a box in the back of the room for you to deposit on your way out. I get it. They are not making it a focal point and leaving it between you and God. But there is something about praying over the collection and offering it to the Lord. I would literally be disappointed that I wasn't able to give once I realized I'd forgotten. 4. Fellowship with Family - So a "traveling church" is fun on a short term bases but we are not only called to worship God but mingle with other Christians for support and fellowship. I hear some say "I don't need to go to church". You can worship God with music and studying your bible in your private home but what would your family be like if you only talked with your dad but you shut out the rest of your family and never developed a relationship with your brothers or sisters, your aunts and uncles, etc. Family is everything! I tell my kids all the time "Family is everything. When everyone else leaves you, your family is always there." The same is true with your Christian family. Family is everything and you need to develop those relationships with your brothers and sisters, your "aunts" and "uncles" within your church family too. So although I've loved traveling and seeing what is out there, it is soon time to settle back down and find that place that I belong. I learned so much about other churches and I believe it has not only shown me what other Christians are doing but it showed me how I can be a better Christian, especially to new people coming into God's house. I'm praying that God will settle my heart and help me find that place I belong. Like I said at the beginning, the church does not define my relationship with God but I do have to go to a church that fits my personality and perferences. No church is perfect, in fact, if it is I don't want to go there because Lord knows, I'm not perfect. So I will continue to look to the Lord to reveal to me where I should settle down at. May God bless you in your journal as well.
We crammed as much as we possibly could while our kids were young. Sometimes we couldn't afford it, sometimes it was a little irresponsible but it was always a lot of fun. I'm not sad because we have great memories. You can't ever go back and have a "redo" and I believe we did it the best we could. Now it is a time for Gil and I to make new memories and in a few years, I'm sure another "new season" will come when the boys hit another phase of their lives that we will become a big part of. Make the best of today...no one is guaranteed tomorrow. How can I make today special?We cram_med as much as we possibly could while our kids were young. Sometimes we couldn't afford it, sometimes it was a little irresponsible but it was always a lot of fun. I'm not sad because we have great memories. You can't ever go back and have a "redo" and I believe we did it the best we could. Now it is a time for Gil and I to make new memories and in a few years, I'm sure another "new season" will come when the boys hit another phase of their lives that we will become a big part of. Make the best of today...no one is guaranteed tomorrow. How can I make today special? :-)
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