We have just arrived in Quartzite, Arizona after having spent the last two weeks in the company of my Mother and Father. We had a wonderful and restful time in the care of our family. It was a sweet, sweet time.

So, here we are in Quartzite. Now we are "real" RV’rs! We are out here with all the other full-timers camping on public lands. It is very dry and dirty camping and thank goodness we are only going to be here one night!! It is 7:30 am and I am anxiously awaiting for 8:00, the polite hour to start the generator! Because without the generator – there is no COFFEE!!!

We are heading to Tucson where the kids will be attending a winter camp with the Calvary Chapel Tucson Youth Group next weekend. Then on March 4 – 6, Jeff and I will be attending the Southwest Pastor’s and Leaders Conference, where Jeff will be doing a seminar on audio for the attendees. It is very exciting to be invited to participate – our ministry is becoming something neither Jeff or I could have predicted.

Isn’t God amazing?

I had another opportunity to speak to a group of women and was unable to do it, due to our travel schedule. My dear friend, Kathleen invited me to tell my story to her CBS group. It was very encouraging. When I told Jeff about the opportunity, he said perhaps I should have made the time to do it. Then he told me the story of a man on a roof during a flood.

The man was sitting on his roof during a big flood. A neighbor came by and offered to ferry him by boat to safety, the man declined saying, "God will rescue me". Meanwhile the waters rose higher. Next the Police came by and tried to save him. Again he declined saying; "God will rescue me". And the water rose higher. Finally a helicopter flew over, the waters were now beginning to cover the roof he so tenaciously hung to, and again he was offered sanctuary. And again he declined saying; "God will rescue me".

Well, needless to say the man died – he drowned. When he got to heaven, the man asked God why the Lord did not save him. The Lord answered, "I sent you a neighbor, the police and a helicopter – you refused all my help."

So… what my darling husband was saying to me was that perhaps the next time someone asks me to speak to their group, I should agree.

Hmmm…..

We arrived safely in Tucson. All of us were looking forward to staying at the Beaudry RV Resort, where we stayed for so long last winter. We drove straight there and picked up the mail we had forwarded there, and found that the rate this summer is $20 per night not the $10 it was last year.

Bummer.

So, off we went to stay at Wal-Mart. As we drove in, Jeff and I both wondered where all the RV’s were! Last year the parking lot was JAMMED with motor homes, this year there was nothing! We soon found out the cause, as a security guard rushed up to us asking if we were shopping or camping. Then he informed us that the city had banned all overnight parking at Wal-Mart.

Bummer.

Well, I burst into tears. Bad form! Jeff told me to hold it together in front of the kids. So I wiped my tears away and began to make dinner while Jeff and the girls went into the store to purchase some milk. While they were gone, I thought maybe we could call someone at the church and ask permission to stay in the lot there. So, I called my friend Cathy G. and asked her for the phone number of the maintenance director at the church. Jeff called him and arranged for us to stay in the lot here last night. So here we are!

God just continues to bless us. 

While we were in Orange County visiting my parents, I went to see Joseph Bastos (owner of JCTees) to find out about the cost of silk-screening a shirt for Jeff with our ministry name for when he speaks at the Pastor's conference next month.

Joseph has made an incredible and generous offer to donate five long sleeved, denim shirt and EMBROIDER them with our new logo!! He is doing a shirt for each of us, even ones in the proper size for Eve and Grace!!!

Imagine that !!  What a blessing!  And... God also moved a fellow in Tucson to create a beautiful logo for the ministry!!

Amazing... God is just Amazing!!!

We have been in Tucson now since Friday. I am starting to get acclimated. The heat here is drying all us girls out tremendously... dry skin, bloody noses and chapped lips – what fun! We are parked next to the youth building at the West Campus of Calvary Chapel Tucson. It is just fine; none of us truly miss not being at Beaudry! We have electrical and fresh water hook-ups, just no sewer – that’s okay we can dump in a day or so!

I started Eve on a kindergarten curriculum at the beginning of February, while we were at my parents’ home. We are doing reading, math and some basic skills (color, shapes... etc.). She is having such a good time and loving her lessons!

It is so different than how I school Kurt and Grace. They are pretty much on their own, and do not like me to "teach" them. They are very happy discovering how to do their lessons on their own. Eve on the other hand is learning such basic skills and needs "teaching". It is really fun!

I didn’t think I liked homeschooling, but it is so different to teach your child from the beginning of their schooling experience... rather than picking them up after years of public schooling – trying to break so many bad habits.

I really enjoy our mornings of school. The big kids doing their work quietly while Eve and I sit on the couch and do her lessons. I could see how life as a homeschooling family, in a house that is set-up for this, could be so pleasant and peaceful! I think I might really enjoy that kind of life.

When we began this journey, nearly twenty months ago, I was not much of a homemaker. I didn’t enjoy cooking – I do now. I hated to do laundry (always had paid someone to do that for me in our previous life) – I really enjoy it now.

Homeschooling, well that was horror of horrors!! I wanted nothing more than for Kurt to finish his lessons so that I could get out to do something with my girlfriends. It’s different now – I really enjoy the time teaching the children.

Taking care of the family and my husband, was my worst thing to do, in our previous existence. It was a life of self-indulgence, self-fulfilling, self-pity and self-serving. I had no idea how wonderful and mighty is a life that is outward thinking and directed by Christ.

I had no idea that by turning over to Jesus all aspects of my life, even the mundane and insignificant, that I would find such peace and fulfillment. That by being outward focused the inward would become fulfilled. Amazing.

Oh! One more thing... Yesterday, we were at the grocery store. Jeff and I had made an agreement that we would not use any credit cards or purchase anything (food, gas, etc.) without using cash. We had $40 left to our name, so we were at the market purchasing some essentials. We are waiting on the Lord to provide.

In any event, at the checkout Jeff pulled out his credit card. I looked at him and asked what he was doing, he said that he was going to use the credit card. I didn’t say anything, did not object.

Afterwards Jeff said thank you for not objecting, and handed me the cash that would have covered our purchase, telling me to send it to the Credit Company. You see!! It is true, just as God covered and protected Sarah for her obedience to Abraham (despite old Abe’s mistakes and poor decisions), he protected me!

Jeff’s reasoning for using the credit card and then sending in the cash was a sound decision, once he explained what he was doing, I understood. The key here is that by not questioning him and just obeying, I gave Jeff the freedom to do exactly the right thing for our family! It is marvelous how God is building Jeff into an amazing and marvelous leader.

Jeff still makes mistakes, but so what! The important part is that Jeff has put God in control and leads us through his obedience to our Lord!!! It is simply amazing and wondrous!

Praise God for His divine plan for my life.

Thursday, February 21

Received this scripture today from our wonderful friend Michael in Salem.  It warmed my heart and encouraged me.

I am looking out my window at the breeze gently blowing the few green bushes that there are in this desert place. The wind has always been one of my most favorite "weathers". Even when I was unsaved, I enjoyed the wind... it always makes me think of God.

You see... the wind is unseen. You can’t see wind. But you can feel it, taste it, smell it. Like God. I can’t always see Him, but I do feel His presence in my life. Sometimes His presence is such that I can nearly taste His nearness, smell His power, His Love for me.

So, the wind always puts my mind at ease... reminds me that my Lord is near and available.

Well... yesterday I was up at 5:00 ... A.M.!!! That’s right five o’clock in the MORNING!!! Kurt and Grace went with the youth group here in Tucson to New Mexico for Winter Camp. They were both excited to go and had been anticipating the trip for quite some time.

But the leaving was not without difficulty.

Grace and Kurt both have friends here in Tucson. Grace and her friend had spent quite a bit of time over the last few days, talking and planning what fun they would have on this trip, how they would room together and sit together on the long fourteen hour ride to camp.

Well, it didn’t work out that way, and I believe that Grace will be stretched this weekend. God will certainly use this time to draw her closer to Him!

While we waited in the Youth Room, yesterday morning, for all the children to arrive, Grace stood very close to me. Her friend did not even say hello, neither did she look at Grace nor make any attempt to connect. Dear Grace, my shy one, did not try to insinuate her into the group that her friend in which her friend was consumed.

Grace is just not a forward person. She felt just outside. And I cannot blame the little friend, either. It is not the nature of young girls (or even older women sometimes) to open themselves to new people. It is not in the nature of females to include someone new into "the group".

As a result, I insisted that Kurt abandons his friends and sits with his sister on the ride up to camp. He was not thrilled to have to do such a thing, but the dear boy was obedient and stood up to his duty to his little sister.

What a great kid that boy is!

So, I watched them drive off... Kurt and Grace safely ensconced in a van with kids they did not know, but who they would certainly know very well after fourteen hours of driving!!! I pray they are safe and that God uses them both as lights.

Gosh, sometimes being a mom is painful.

God is so great.

We just came home from a wonderful evening of food and fellowship with the Goodale Family. After dinner; Kurt, Grace, and the Goodale kids, Billy (16) and Alexandra (13) took off for a bible study at another kids house across town. The adults then were left to their own devices (Eve got to watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!).

We had great fun!! God is so great to have provided for us such fine friends!! Kathy Goodale told me a marvelous story about her son Billy. Apparently Billy got his paycheck today and after paying all his bills and putting aside his savings and tithe, he had left over about $50.

Billy then told his mom that was great because that was exactly the amount he needed to go with the Youth Group to an event this weekend... and bless his friend Kurt (that would be my son) by taking him along! Kathy responded like a good mom...

"Billy if you do that, you won’t have any money left over to spend until your next paycheck" (Which would have been my response to my son as well!! – Gee, us moms are all alike!)

Billy told his mom that God gave him the money and if he couldn’t bless his brother Kurt by taking him with the youth group, then what good was the money any way? AND... Billy reminded his mom that the money belonged to God and that the Lord would provide more if he (Billy) needed something.

WOW.

I pray that my Kurt grows up to be like this wonderful young man, Billy. What an amazing story and what an awesome kid.

What is too funny is that Kurt and Grace and I had a conversation about this event just yesterday. The kids told me about the event and the cost. They also told me they understood that they wouldn’t be able to attend (the cost is $25 per kid) and that was okay – they understand our financial place.

What a lesson for all of us about God’s provision for our lives.

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