Radical Faith & Miracles!

I want to be known for having radical faith. When I move away...or when I die...I want people to say that the two things that stood out to them about me were that I had radical faith and that I was loving. I don't, for a minute, believe I have a very good handle on either of those.

I really want to be loving, yet I know that I fall far short. My own stress levels often cause me to be oblivious to the opportunities to be loving. *sigh* I am thrilled when I have an opportunity, see it and actually act upon it. I pray for Yahweh/God to change me to be able to see more and to be able to act upon more.

As for radical faith, I want to believe even when no one around me believes...even when others say it just is not possible. I want to walk in the kind of faith that causes me to not be shaken by the things I see around me...like gas prices soaring on an already very tight budget. Nope...I want to continue to know that Yahweh is my provider and that He will make a way where there seems to be no way. I want to continue to see the miraculous ways that He does still intervene in the lives of us humans down here. I want to be known for having radical faith.

And yet, should it even be radical? I mean...seriously...shouldn't all of Yeshua's followers believe what He said, which would make it "normal" faith? If we cannot trust Yahweh/God for even one thing, can we trust Him for anything?

I know that I have to carefully study what He said. I see too many people taking a verse here and a verse there, out of context, and building whole theologies upon them. That is dangerous territory to be wandering in. Then, if the "theology" does not pan out it appears that it is Yahweh who is false rather than the teacher who is false, or incorrect, in their understanding.

There are few things that I will live and die on. Knowing Who the Creator is...well, that is one that I will live and die on. Yeshua's death AND resurrection for us...that I will live and die on. I believe Yeshua's words when He said that He is the way, the truth and the life and the only way to the Abba/Father. That is not religion talking...that is not "Christianity" talking...that is Yeshua talking...about Himself! I will live and die on that one. He said it...that settles it!

I want others to know that I love them...regardless of what they believe...regardless of whether they happen to believe the same way that I do. I also want them to know that it is because I love them that I have to tell them the truth. I cannot pretend to be something I am not...just to please them.

I live...I walk...I function...I accomplish all things in this life...for one reason only. That reason is Yahweh's Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit living within me. If it were not for Him living within me, I could not do a thing...period. It is as simple as that. There has simply been too much damage done. I have been told I am a walking miracle...and I am. I should not be alive. I should not be functioning. Yet, I am! It is solely by the grace of Yahweh...soley by the work of His Ruach/Spirit within me...soley by the work of Yeshua/Jesus in my life...that I am able to be here today, doing what I am doing. It is pretty amazing to me...very incredible!

So, here I sit in my little RV on the hillside thinking about what Yahweh has done in my life. I am feeling very grateful. I hope that you, too, have many things that you are grateful for. I hope, most of all, that you know Yahweh personally and have accepted Yeshua's free gift of forgiveness. I hope that His Ruach/Spirit dwells within you. I hope that you really KNOW how very blessed you are, regardless of your situation...regardless of your life pain...regardless of your life joys.

From us here to you there...Shalom and B'rakhot! (Wholeness, peace and blessings!)

Channeling the Creek!

Dave dug out the creek area some more. This has allowed the water level to go down even further so that he can roll the culvert pipe into it.


You can see how low the water level has gotten.



This is looking down next to the pallet we use to cross over the channel.




This is where the two channels come together. All the water is flowing on one side. There is very little water left on the other side. It is just standing water...not flowing water.

Water Pressure!

This is the pressure regulator. We have incredible water pressure here. Plus, the contractor used a slighter smaller pipe to increase the water pressure because he figured we would need it with the water going uphill. *smile*

So, he put a regulator in for us to keep the water pressure from blowing the connections.



This is the meter. The red flowery looking thing to the left of the red needle is what spins if we have a leak. It is NOT spinning! Woohoo!!

Pictures of Sunset!

This is a sunset from our road.

Pictures of the Creek Crossing!

Dave has cut two channels through the creek crossing. The idea is to put two culvert pipes in the channels for the water to go through. A concrete slurry goes over that. When the water rises above the pipes, it will go over the slurry. There are many crossings like that around here. You can still drive across so long as the water is not too high and you know where the edge is.











This is the dam that Dave and Elias built to stop the flow of water through the first channel Dave wants to put the pipe through.

This is the entrance to the free-flowing channel.






This is where the two channels rejoin on the downhill side of the crossing.

Another Beautiful Day & Trusting Yahweh!

It rained last night and today is dawning cooler than the last couple of days. We awoke to hear the sounds of so many different kinds of birds. It is amazing! We are surrounded by so much life!

We have been talking about what we need to try to accomplish today. There are so many things that it becomes hard to know how to prioritize. Since gas is a huge issue right now, Dave is going to check out his motorcycle and see if it is ready to start riding. Then he needs to build something to get it across the creek since the creek crossing is not done yet.

We have a meadow that was bush-hogged for us a while back, but it is almost getting too high to mow now. So, he also needs to get our mower going so he can at least do the section where we have some things.

I tend to doubt that we will get much more done outside since it may take a while for him to build something strong enough to ride the motorcycle across. He is thinking that, if he can finish one side of the creek crossing today, he will only have to build something to go across the other side. Right now, there are two trenches going through the creek.

I am going to work on getting the blue insulation sheets out of the rv. We had put them down on some of the floor area to help keep the heat in. They are now thoroughly torn up from walking on them and it is time to rip them out and vacuum really good so we can spray for ants and other bugs inside. Dave also needs to spray outside. We have seen ticks up close to the RV, even though we don't have any brush close by. I wonder if they are living in the bales. Which is another thing we need to do...sort the bad bales out and get rid of them. Then we need to make sure the good bales are neatly restacked. They got a bit scattered with the digging for the leaks. But that will have to be for another day.

And the list goes on. An unfinished laundry room. A hill that is sliding. A space that needs to be cleared out for a garage type tent to be put up. Mildewing stuff under tarps that need to be sorted out in that tent so we can get rid of the bad stuff and store the good stuff in the upper floor of the laundry room. A leaky RV roof and a need to have a regular roof built over it. And on it goes.

When I opened my email this morning I found this quote:

Everything does not depend upon us nor on man. We do what God requires of us and leave the outcome to Him. We live by this faith. The more faithfully we live by this faith, the less our anxiety.
-- Romans and Galatians by R.J. Rushdoony

It was followed by the following scripture:

Matthew 6:25-26
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

As usual, Yahweh sends me just what I need to be reminded of. The tendency to look to man or to ourselves for our provision is a very human one. However, that is not what Yahweh wants. He wants us to look to Him and to trust Him for whatever we need.

In our situation, it is something we need to keep addressing. There is always that balance of making sure we are doing what God requires of us and then trusting Him for the outcome. This life is a passing thing...so quickly gone in the light of eternity. Are we trying to build a kingdom here in this life? Or are we learning to be content with what God has provided?

That is not saying that we should not have goals and work for things. However, are the goals we set the right ones? How do we know? I need to be diligent about training my heart to hear His voice...to listen to what He is saying is for ME to do. Then I must be diligent to do it.

It is wise to recognize needs and then to work for them...as best we can. I think that is the key..."as best we can". We must do what we can and trust God for the outcome. We must do what we can to take care of the things of life and then let it go. There are times when we simply cannot do what needs to be done...we need help. Again, we must trust Yahweh that He will bring the ones alongside of us that we need to have. If He is not bringing anyone, then we must learn to be content with that. It is about trusting Him and His love for us.

That is huge. It is much easier said than done. I am not going to pretend that I have it down. This I know...none of us could have lived in our tiny space this long without His grace working through us. It is just not in us to do this. Yahweh is providing us the ability to keep our "sanity"!

We must live one day at a time. We cannot look too far ahead or we will be overwhelmed. On the other hand, we NEED to look ahead. We are hoping that our setup will be better for winter by the time winter comes. That means we must start on it now. We must always be working on it in one way or another. One of the hard things about that is that it means we don't have much of a social life. We need to take advantage of every opportunity to get those minimal things done to help us make it in this living environment.

This scripture is one we really need to focus on.

A Birthday, Water Leaks & Gratitude!

Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining. A breeze is blowing. The contractor is here trying to find that last water leak. It is so wierd. The thing that spins to indicate a leak has gone off and on. It went off. Then when he found a leak and fixed it, it went back on. He is a bit beside himself, poor guy, trying to find where all the water is leaking at. I really feel for him and have been praying that he can find it.

In the meantime, I am so thankful that we have tanks for water. They are getting low, so I am not sure how much we have left. I don't particularly feel like pulling the front of the couch off to eyeball it. Hmmm...that sounds like a "Kodak" moment! *smile*

Today is my birthday and the anniversary of my sister's death. I am pretty much spending it in quiet contemplation listening to the beautiful and soothing music of PBN. Pat has played some especially mellow, soothing sets in the last few days. It is ministering so much to my heart. I am feeling very much in our Abba's arms. Right now, all the struggles of this life seem so far away as the music helps to sweep me into the presence of Almighty God. He has it all under control.

I am taking advantage of the contractor being here to let our son follow him around to watch, help and learn. The contractor is a young brother in the Lord who has had no business in the last couple of months or so due to construction slowing way down. We are praying for him and his young family.

I feel better than I have in along time. I cannot explain why...other than this day marks a personal milestone in more ways than one. So, I sit and think of my sister and of how very blessed I am...and I am thankful.

A New Camera!

Wow! I totally did NOT expect this! My son and future daughter in law bought me/us a camera for my birthday/our anniversary. Or, as my son wrote to me our annibirthery! I am ecstatic. This one is so far beyond what the other was. I am having to learn how to use it. Tomorrow I hope to get some pictures of the creek crossing and upload them. It will be good practice! I hope to have it down how to use it before the wedding!

I also want to start taking pictures for my art collages. Woohoo!

Moaning and Groaning!

Well, what we thought was a pulled muscle in Dave's back just might be a broken rib. He went to the doctor yesterday because it was getting a lot worse. He has had broken ribs in the past, and this feels just like one. However, how he would have gotten it is a complete puzzle. He did not fall. He does not remember being hit with anything.

Normally, they don't bother to confirm a broken rib because there really isn't anything they can do about it. They treat it just like a pulled muscle. In this case, however, because there is no clear event to cause it, the doctor wants him to go down this morning and get an x-ray to confirm it. The doctor cannot think of any reason for this to happen. It concerns me that he might have a broken rib with no obvious way of it getting there.

So for those of you who pray...prayers are appreciated. I am placing Dave into Yahweh's hands...the best hands to place him. Of course, that is not the only thing I need to place in His hands. Clearly, not only does this interfere with work, but also with his ability to get anything done here. The creek crossing is being worked on, so we cannot drive our van across it. There is much to do around here that only Dave can do. So, that just means that Yahweh will have to provide in a greater way.

I know that He will not ignore us. He loves us and wants us to have what we need. Sometimes, though, it gets difficult to discern what we need versus what we want. Do we need a big room off to the side so that we can separate our sleeping quarters from our living quarters? It would sure make a HUGE difference in what I am able to do and how I am able to do it. Yet, here we are...without it. We have survived it. So, technically...do we really NEED it?

I feel very stretched by our living situation. We all do, actually. When we moved the RV here I had this picture in my mind of open space, everything in the box, building a workshop with a small apartment at one end and everything becoming accessible. What I ended up with was radically different from that. I have worked very hard to adjust to what is, but there are times when it does feel like it is starting to get the best of me.

The weather has really wreaked a lot of havoc on us. We have never seen it rain so much...and usually on the weekends when Dave was off work. On the weekends when he worked it was typically nice and dry. I have actually seen him plan on taking days off when the weather was supposed to be clear and then have it rain for most of those days. It sometimes feels as if we are intentionally being thwarted. Our faith is definitely being tested. There is no doubt in that. In spite of all we have not been able to finish, or in some cases even start, Yahweh has gotten us through it. We have made it through three winters in our RV now.

Our experiences have taught us a lot. In fact, it was Dave's having to keep repairing the creek crossing every time it rained hard or long (which seemed to be almost all the time) that made him decide that he needed to work on that first. Every time he had to work on that crossing, it took time away from the other things he could have been working on. Plus, if we ever do have to sell the land, the creek crossing will make it more valuable. Although, with the price of gas, the property values around here are not likely to go up. We are too far away from everything.

It sure would be nice to have access to a Terramite, or some other small earth mover. We could get weeks worth of work done in a day or two. But they are expensive to rent...not in our budget at this point. Although it takes a lot longer when you have to do things by hand, on the upside...it helps to get one's body in shape!

We have had to alter our plans many times, but nothing seems to work out the way we hope. So, maybe our plans are not Yahweh's plans? It would seem so. Maybe we are just not supposed to get a room built? Maybe we are not supposed to get the laundry room finished so that I can get some clothes and things out of the box? I really miss my dresses and jumpers. Maybe I am not supposed to have access to the curriculum that I know I have but cannot find? Perhap, we are not supposed to have the privacy for communication and adult things that I so miss because our son is always around, especially in the winter and at night all year long? I so miss Dave and I being able to talk after we get into bed.

At this point, I am even becoming more open to renting some place closer to Dave's work, but seeing as how we do not have the income level to afford that, it really is a moot openness. Besides, if we rented something somewhere else, how would we get anything done here? We would be too far away. No, it seems like our only option at this point is to just stay here.

I have many questions for which I have no answers. But this I know. I am Yahweh's. He does not promise a life of ease and luxury, despite what some false teachers would have us believe. That is NOT what Yahweh says in His word. Maybe they use a different bible? My bible says that we will have trials and tribulations. It says the rain falls on the good and the bad and the sun shines on the good and bad. It also says to count it as joy when we encounter these difficult things for God is doing good things through it.

So, that is my choice. As best as I am able, until my final breath on this planet, I will praise Yahweh. I will do my best to rejoice in these trials, knowing that He is doing something with them that is causing me to grow. Even when I feel overwhelmed and unsure of how I will take my next step, I will praise Him and I will love Him. What can this life be compared to an eternity in darkness? This life is short...although it seems long.

From our little RV on the Hillside...I hope that you are able to see Yahweh's provisions in your life today.

Wedding Anniversary & Unconditional Love!

Today is our 14th wedding anniversary. What an incredible ride it has been! We have had our ups and downs in life, yet I would not trade any of it.

Life has been especially difficult the last few years as our family has experienced some hard things and also come under spiritual attack. Yet, we know that Yahweh works all things together for good. He is drawing us closer to Him, which results in us also being drawn closer to one another on some level. Our marriage has withstood some real adversities, and still is. But I really believe that we will come out of it all even stronger.

There are many men who would leave someone like me...someone with PTSD and other issues. But Dave has remained faithful to me. I already had one husband walk away from me and from our children. He apparently did not feel that we were worth doing whatever it took to work on the marriage and the family. I know what that feels like. (I also understand that he had his own issues to deal with.) Dave, however, has remained faithful to me. I know that he loves me and I can be secure in that love, even though I know that my issues really frustrate him at times.

Unconditional love...that is what marriage must be based upon. It is not that any of us are to be doormats or to put up with abuse. No! But unconditional love overlooks petty offenses and is willing to work out the big ones...should they occur. Unconditional love means seeking to put aside our selfish desires for the good of the other person and for the good of the relationship...the marriage.

Our love is not perfect. Only Yahweh/God has perfect love. In fact, He IS perfect love...on every level. He is our model. That is who we are seeking to be like. We want to love with His love...to see with His eyes...to receive with His heart...to perceive with His mind. His Ruach/Spirit lives within each of us who have given our lives to Yeshua/Jesus...to those of us who have accepted His gift of forgiveness for all the wrong we have done and ever will do. It is His Ruach that helps us to live as He has called us to live. We surely cannot do it on our own.

So, today, I am especially thankful for Dave. For his love for me. For his faithfulness. For his steadfastness. I know he would say that he does it all so imperfectly...but don't we all? I know he really strives to be the best husband he can be. What more could I ask for? I am so very blessed!

Nature & Yahweh's Signature!

This morning, a female cardinal flew up to our window twice, as if trying to get in. She did not hit the window, but definitely flew next to it for a few seconds and really looked as if she was trying to get in. I wonder if she saw a reflection on the glass? The only lights on inside at the time were the Christmas lights that I keep strung around the inside for "mood" lighting. It was really kind of awesome to see her so close!

The other day, when we were coming home, we saw six does in a meadow not far from us. I so enjoy seeing the deer. More and more we have spotted them, even in our own meadow at times. Boy, do I miss my camera!

I was down at the creek looking in the water on Saturday and saw all kinds of tiny critters. One looks almost like a very light colored water version of what we always called "roly poly" bugs when we were children. It is the bug that, when you touch it, rolls into a ball. I think some people call them "pill" bugs. Well, this looks like a water version of that, although I did not touch one to see if it would roll up.

I remember, when we lived in the next state from here a few years when I was growing up, that there were leeches in the creek by us. So, I have been keeping my eyes open for any here in our little creek. So far, I had seen none. However, the other day I saw these tiny little black things about an inch long or so. I am wondering if they are baby leeches. If you touch them, they suddenly shrink in length and get wider, taking on the appearance of a flat disc and losing their appearance of being a long thin creature. I sure don't remember the leeches of my childhood doing that. We used to pick them up from the back of their "necks" and look at their sucking mouths on the other sides. These are too small to pick up.

Another kind of critter I saw were tiny snails. I had no idea we had water snails in our creek. I did know about the tadpoles, however. They are back. Dave had turned over a rock about a week ago and on the bottom were all these tadpoles in their egg sacks. It was amazing! *groan* I need another camera!!! The other day we saw a "big" frog, too, probably about 2 to 3 inches in "diameter" as it sat there in the water. Maybe it was the mama to some of the polywogs.

Hmmm...I wonder. Are we like that female cardinal, trying to get into places that really are not good for us to get into? Or are we staying in the places that our Creater...Yahweh...designed for us to be? The world inside this RV is no place for a bird, especially a wild bird. As followers of Yeshua, are we trying to get into places that we, too, are not designed to get into?

Like "roly poly" bugs, do we curl up in a ball when others try to touch us, shutting them and all the world out? That can be easy to do. If we do not allow others to penetrate our little "ball", what blessings could we be missing out on?

Leeches are known for their sucking. Do we give life to others? Or are we sucking the life out of others? Are we investing in? Or taking out? Life is to be a balance of each of us giving and each of us receiving. Sometimes that happens at the same time. Sometimes it happens separately, in seasons. Are we doing both? Are we open to giving whatever it is we have to give that might help another? Are we open to receiving from another instead of trying to be so self-sufficient that we close ourselves off from receiving what Yahweh intends for us to have?

Polywogs. What a transformation they go through! Are we allowing the Ruach HaKodesh...the Holy Spirit of God...to transform us? The Bible says that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We need to be thinking the right things in order to be transformed...and only Yahweh's Ruach can show us through His Word what those right things are. Does the world see a transformed people, or do they see us as being just like everyone else? Do they see a difference in us? A difference that following Yeshua has made?

When I think of snails I think of their shells. Yeshua/Jesus left His home in heaven and took on our form. In a sense, He took a human body as a "shell" to house His divinity. In a way that I do not pretend to understand, He became fully human while retaining His full divinity...His Godness. He never stopped being fully God. How difficult that must have been for Him to take on our mere form for that time. How much He must love us to be willing to do even that much, let alone what it all led to. Wow!

There are many spiritual parallels to be seen in Yahweh's creation, if we will open our eyes to see, Yahweh's signature is written all over the universe in so many ways.

From our little RV on the hillside, I hope that your eyes are opened today to see His magnificence...to see the signature of the real Artist of all there is!

Lazer Tag, Date Night & a Creek Crossing!

Well, Dave picked up our very tired son this morning. He had gone to dinner and Lazer tag last night. About 3 am they settle them all down to sleep. Yeah, right! Being away from home made it hard for him to sleep...very understandable. Yet, it sounds like he had a really good time. He played two games of lazer tag and you could really see the improvement of his score from one game to the next.

Dave and I had a stay at home date night. He brought home pizza and we watched the first part of "Amazing Grace". It was soooooo nice to just be able to spend the time together...uninhibited by someone else being around.

Today, Dave is continuing to work on the creek crossing. The day is nice. It is cooler, so that should be good for his working. When the heat of summer gets here, the humidity makes it more difficult to get work done. I hope this summer is cooler and less humid. We have so much work to do before next winter. But then, we have gotten through each winter without getting it done. But oh, how nice it would be to get some things done. It would make going through winter sooooo much easier...and less expensive, too!

Well...gotta get moving. From our little RV on the hillside, I hope that the weather is nice where you are.

Spring, Sunshine, Neighbors & Pests!

Man...it is BEAUTIFUL outside!! Oh how spring has sprung!!

It is encouraging to get off my tushie and go out and be active...and the Good Lord knows I need that! Thank You, Yahweh, for this beautiful weather. I am ready for it!!!

The tree outside our rig is blooming more and more. It is so pretty. All the other trees are getting greener, little by little. I know it is only a matter of time when I will no longer be able to see the road for all the green that is there. Of course, that also means that they will not be able to see us, either. Ahhhh...privacy.

It is wierd having neighbors to our left now. As we walk down the driveway, I can see their mobile home across our meadow. It is amazing to me how hemmed in I can feel from that. It feels less private. On the one hand, it would be nice to have more neighbors. On the other hand, it feels less private.

At the far end of the meadow, there is a great spot for putting in a pond, should we have the money to do that some day. I know our new neighbors want one. We are not sure exactly where the boundaries are. A long time resident, the father of the woman who is our new neighbor, says it is in a place that would make the whole potential "pond" area on our land. But I think the boundary is closer to us than that. Someday, we hope to get our land surveyed.

I mention the potential of a pond because, if it were not for that possibility, I would like to plant a row of trees on the border. Gosh...would that be unneighborly? I miss being in town...but I guess I am also getting used to being in the "country"! **smile**

The ladybugs are back. I suspect the mosquitos are, too. I know they must serve a purpose, but I sure wish they would serve it elsewhere! They can take with them the cockroaches that live everywhere around here. Back home, if you had cockroaches inside your home...it was because they were brought in from somewhere. They were the "invaders". I don't ever remember seeing them outside...ever. Here, this is their natural habitat. We are invading their home, rather than the other way around. Still, I hate it when they visit. **shiver**

We have ants lately. It is so important to clean up food ASAP and do not leave dirty dishes in the sink. The ants find the stuff on the counters and the roaches find the stuff in the sink. Ugh!!! Dave has some stuff he is going to use to get rid of both inside the RV. There will be no love lost from me when the pests disappear!

We have not seen any mice lately. In fact, it was the peanut butter on one of the mouse traps that brought the ants in. In the one and a half years we have been here, we have not really had an ant problem...until now. These guys are bigger than the ones in California where we lived. As Dave says, when you squish them you can feel their little bodies. Oh, what a wonderful thought. Guys! They can be oh so descriptive!

Well, the sunshine is calling. I have laundry to finish...a walk to take...math flash cards to drill with!

From our little RV on the hillside to wherever you call home...blessings and shalom to you!

Creek Crossing, Pulled Muscle, Vehicles & Septic!

It looks like Dave may have pulled a muscle last Saturday when he was working on the creek crossing. He is not sure, but he keeps experiencing pain when he moves a certain way. He is really hoping it won't keep him from working on it again this Saturday.

The nicer weather is coming. He really wants to be able to take his motorcycle to work. It will save us a lot in gas money and also leave me with a vehicle so that I can get to the library and park with our son once a week. He did say that he can find a way to get it across, but we cannot get the van across. I, too, hope that he can get the pipe in and slurry across it. It would be nice to be able to get the van across the creek, especially after grocery shopping!

We got a surprise tax return so we are trying to save everything we can from that to get a used vehicle so that we can sell the van. Selling the van would really help us out financially. We never intended to keep it when we took out a loan against it to put in our septic system. The plan was to sell the van and use the car, but then the car got totalled and we had no funds to replace it. We are trusting Yahweh to provide us with the right vehicle.

Speaking of septic systems...I do have some pics of ours going in. Hmmm...let me see what I can find!

Ahhh...here we go! Pictures of that necessity of life...the septic system!


Here is the wonderful tank where all the "stuff" goes.











These are the leach lines. For those unfamiliar with the process, the "stuff" slowly breaks down in the tank. When it gets to a certain level, it flows down into the leach lines and very slowly gets absorbed below the ground.









This is the view from the driveway going up to our pad where the RV is.

Beautiful Day!

What a beautiful day! The weather is warming up, but it is not hot. The sun is shining. What a wonderful day to be outside.

I am doing laundry today. Dave replaced the quick disconnect between the washing machine hose and the hose to the outside faucet. It no longer leaks. Yay for that! I was wrapping foil around the hose and attaching it above the disconnect so that the water would drip into it and run to the outside. Now, I no longer need to be concerned about that.

The hose carrying the water leaving the washing machine goes through a hole in the wall and into a pipe outside the laundry that runs toward the septic tank. The hose apparently does not go deep enough into the pipe. The force of the water onto the side of the pipe causes some of it to run back out the top of the pipe and down the outside of the wall of the laundry room. We need to fix that.

Well...the laundry is calling, as is the sunshine. I hope that the sun is bringing you a beautiful day wherever you are at.

From our little RV on the hillside to your home...shalom and blessings!

Amazing Grace!

Wow! I just watched the movie "Amazing Grace". I cannot possibly give that story justice with my feeble words. It is incredible...absolutely outstanding. I recommend it to everyone.

http://amazinggracemovie.com/

Soda, Screens & Windows, Rest & Pretending!

Well...I keep trying to turn my camera on, but it appears to be truly gone. Oh, well!

I am sitting here drinking an IBC Cream Soda. Yum! Dave and I like their cream soda more than their root beer...and we both like root beer a lot. We don't normally buy soda, but we found it on special for a good price and decided to by a six pack of each. Normally, sodas are too sweet for me to finish...but I really like these.

It is raining today. After a few days of nice warm weather, we are dipping into the 40's in the daytime and 30's at night. Brrrrrr!!!! It is getting chilly. We put the foil insulation in the windows last night to help keep the warmth inside. It is a good thing we did not put the oil heater outside yet!

Last week I put the screens back into our big side windows. I take them out in the winter because of the ice that forms on the inside of the windows. On an RV, the screens go inside, not outside. When ice forms on the window, it freezes the screen to the window, making it difficult to remove the ice.

Darn! I just realized that I never took a picture of the ice on the windows before it melts. Thankfully, this last winter was nearly as bad as the winter before. We did get ice, but not as much...on the windows anyway. We got a lot MORE ice on the roads...which is where it really counts. That is where people's lives are at stake. I would much prefer to deal with ice on the windows than on the driveway and the roads!

I heard a really good sermon today on pretending. Are we real in our walk with God? Or are we pretending? Do we do things to try and look good...being hypocritical? Or are we being real about how we live? Dave and I love sermons that step on toes...especially our toes. We want to be challenged. We do not want to live a complacent life.

We are resting today between church and the evening class. Dave worked hard yesterday on the creek trench. So hard, in fact, that he came in sore. So, when he asked what our plans were for after church, I told him "rest"!

Well, I am getting a bit sleepy. Hmmm...maybe I will take a nap!

From our little RV on the hillside to you on this lazy Sunday afternoon...blessings!

Leaks...Ugh!!!

Well, we found out how much we are leaking. We knew the leak was between the RV hookup and the water meter. So, we turned off the water to the RV and ran off the water tanks. Dave read the water meter on his way to work. About 21.5 hours later we read it again and turned the water back on to the RV. We had lost 80 gallons. So, we figure we are losing about 100 gallons every 24 hour period. That is no small loss. Yes...it is smaller than the other leak...but not small. It is about 3000 gallons every month.

Tomorrow we will call the contractor and let him know. He definitely needs to come out and find it. We also need some dry days. It would sure make it easier to find the leak.

I cannot believe that I am sitting here smiling. I guess that just goes to show how deeply the Shalom/peace of Yahweh can run. Not that I am always so peaceful inside; but boy does it feel good when I am!

From our little RV on the hillside to wherever you are...may your home be blessed and your pipes never leak!

The Gifts of Yahweh/God!

It says in the Bible that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights. I was thinking of that today.

Yahweh/God gives us gifts in so many ways. I like to think of every good thing that happens, or that comes my way, as being a gift from Him to me. A love gift. He uses many different means for delivering these gifts.

It could be a smile on someone's face that brightens my day.
It could be the sun shining in a clear blue sky.
It could be gentle breezes that blow on a hot day.
It could be the beauty of pure white snow covering the meadow.
It could be people reaching out to include a mother and son who feel very isolated.
It could be a ladybug on my curtain inside the RV.
It could be the blessing of people who simply express that they care.
It could be a phone call, or email, or post from a friend.
It could be warm place on a cold day.
It could be a cool place on a hot day!
It could be a laundry room.
It could be a hand outstretched in welcome.
It could be a prayer from someone.
It could be a surprise tax return.

So many things are gifts. So many delivery methods. All from our Abba/Father.

Thank You, Abba, for Your many gifts. Please bless each and every person who comes to read here. Help them to see the many gifts that You bring to them. Most of all...may they see the gift of Yeshua/Jesus. Amen and amen!

Trees in Bud & Daffodils!

We have been watching the trees with their green leaf buds coming out. It is awesome to see the beauty of new growth...to see new life coming about again.

One of the trees outside our window also has some bright purple-pink buds coming out. Hmm...I am pretty sure that I have some pictures of this kind of tree from last year. There are several on our property. I am going to go look...don't go away! I will be right back!



Okay! I am back. I did find two pictures! My camera...may it rest in peace...did not have a true zoom. Plus, I am not the best picture taker. I have a real difficult time holding the camera steady. So, these pics are not the best. But, here they are!


You can kind of get an idea of what the tree looks like from this picture taken in 2007.





This picture, taken in 2006, shows one of the trees in the background. It is on the top border of the picture just to the left of center. There are several of them scattered throughout our land.



They are so pretty! We also have daffodils popping up in our meadow and the meadow on the other side of our driveway. I don't have pictures of them, but I do have pictures of some other flowers around the property. I will have to go digging through the last couple of years of photos to find them.

We bought this land in April two years ago. Wow! We moved onto it at the end of September in 2006. Time sure is passing!

Working on the Creek Crossing!

Dave is continuing to work on the creek crossing. We looked at all the things that need to be done and what is taking the most time and energy. We also looked at what is holding us back from making more progress. The creek crossing has to be fixed every time it rains hard or long. This means that Dave has to constantly spend time on it that he would much rather be spending on other things. So, it is the creek crossing that he is concentrating on right now. Once that is to the point of not having to be continuously worked on, he can focus on other things...like finishing the laundry room!

He is not only working on concreting the sides, but also on getting at least one, if not two, of the pipes into the crossing. This means we have to park on the road side of the creek until it is done. Right now, he has a trench going through the crossing. The creek is semidammed up and most of the water runs through the trench. The pipe will be placed into the trench. He wants to put another pipe parallel to that one and then build up the crossing around it. Eventually, we want to have at least four pipes in there, but even these two will make the creek easier to cross when the water goes up.

I was hoping to get pics, but that naughty camera dove into the creek! Although I did get it to turn on once after a couple of days of drying out, it has not come back on since. Oh, well!

Misty Morning Meadow!

Concrete Work on the Creek Crossing!

These are the last pictures I got of the concrete work on one side of the creek crossing before the camera took a dip in the creek.











There is now a second patch, similar to the one you see here, for the tires on the other side of the van.





I also got some pictures of some of the concrete patching between the rocks we use for walking across the creek when it is not dry.

Creek Crossing and a Wet Camera!

Well, Dave has been working on our creek crossing...the drive through portion. One thing that makes is hard to accomplish what we need to do around here is that he has to keep fixing the crossing after every long or heavy rain. And boy, around here...it has been raining a LOT!

He is trying to get some concrete on the two sides that get washed out the worst. Eventually, he wants to get the whole thing slurried. Then there won't be any loose rocks to drive over or get pushed aside by the heavy flow of water.

I was out taking pictures of the work and of the various ways the water was flowing over the rocks. After seeing some online friends' photos posted, I was starting to get some ideas of pictures I could take for artistic purposes. In my mind, I was thinking about what I could look for and how to do it.

Well...there was an angle of flowing water that my son wanted to get a picture of. Since he had his mudders on and I did not, I handed him the camera. He was very careful to put the wrist strap on so he could not accidently drop it in the water. However, in the handoff back to me, I did not get a good enough grip and when I went to regrip he, he let go thinking I had a good grip. It was not his fault. If anything, it was more mine. The camera fell in the water.

I shook all the water out of it that I could...which was not that much, considering. So far, it appears that the camera is dead. I left it "open" for about a day after drying it as best I could with Q-tips, etc. I waited until the tiny droplets I had seen inside the eyepiece and the LED mode readout. (Dave told me that is what they are called! LOL!)

Well...all things are either caused by Yahweh, or allowed by Yahweh. I am sure that He will bring good out of this...somehow. I will choose to leave it to Him. You know, there was a time when I probably would have gotten angry and somehow blamed my son. But I did not. I honestly did not let it bother me. Yes...I miss it. Yes, I am praying for God to touch my camera and "heal" it or somehow bring me another one. But if He does neither? I will love Him anyway and just be patient.

It is disappointing. It means I can also no longer take pictures of our land and our RV and the things we are doing. It also means that I cannot take pictures to use for collages and other artwork. Bummer! Oh, well. We will see what happens.

In the meantime, we will live one day at a time, rejoicing in Him and enjoying our many blessings.

From our little RV on the hillside to you in your home, wherever and whatever it may be...we wish you Shalom...Yahweh's wholeness and peace.

Water Faucet Picture!

Well, I was wrong! I DO have a couple of pictures of our outdoor water faucet. I am not sure how well it will show up. It is the only two I have. One is from before we moved onto the property and one is from afterward. They give an idea of what it looks like.

Weather & a Sick Son!

Dave had to wrap up the washing machine last night because of the expected temperature drop. We don't want to lose our washing machine pump! Once the laundry room is finished, it will be well insulated and we can just put a small heater out there and not have to wrap it and unwrap it.

Then the only thing we will need to be concerned about is the hose that runs from the outdoor faucet to the washer. Typically, when it is going to freeze, we will disconnect that hose and drain and coil it. (We use quick disconnects on all of our hose fittings.) We haven't the last few times and it seems to have fared well. I guess it was not below freezing long enough to freeze through the thick hose. It is a heavy duty hose.

When we first moved here we were struck by the odd looking outdoor faucets that people had. We thought it was just some sort of old style nostalgia thing. They all look similar to the old fashioned hand pumps. I wish I had a picture to show you. Ours is kind of covered up right now to keep the hoses connected to it from freezing at the pump.

Anyway, we found out that it is a faucet that is made to be used in freezing weather. I don't how it does it, exactly, but when you turn it off the water drops below the ground level...below the freeze line. You can hear it dropping inside the pipe. By dropping the water level below the freeze line, the faucet never freezes. Like I said...I have no idea just how it does it...but I do like that it does it!

Today is supposed to be in the mid to upper 50's. Right now, it is 32 out there. Tonight it is supposed to be upper 40's to 50. It all depends on which weather service you believe! We are in one of those in between the weather coverage areas, so we always have to figure the weather as being a ballpark kind of thing. The way it works out here...sometimes it is way out in left field! Sometimes, though, it is much closer to home.

I am sure that our living in a little valley probably makes a difference, too. That little valley is off of a much bigger valley through which a river runs. That, too, probably makes a difference. There is a lot of water around here. Hmmm...does that effect climate? I would think so. I would think it would definitely increase the humidity level at the very least.

Well, I am off to wait for a call from the doctor. Our son has been fighting a low grade fever and an off and on sore throat. He only had a couple of days of high fever, but the low grade fever just does not seem to want to go away. Now he is complaining of not being able to breath easily. I hope they call soon!

We have not had nearly the mold problem this winter that we had the winter before. I hope there is not hidden stuff up there effecting him. Although, if there was, I would think it would have effected him long before this. Going to pray about this.

From us here at our Little RV on the Hillside, we hope you are all having a dry, warm and healthy day filled with blessings!

Photo Perceptions!

Dave actually started to read the blog last night. Woohoo! *laughing*

He pointed out that some of the pictures of the bed to couch conversion make our little living room look bigger than it is. Such is the way of cameras. There is usually some distortion. For me to get the pictures I got...well...let's just say that I had to squeeze into some interesting positions and places to get some of them!

He also pointed out that the pictures of the tree over the creek do not show the height of the water at the time we actually had to use it to cross over. Of course, I did not have the camera with me at that time!

I did, however, get a couple of pictures of the tree crossing one time when the creek was high. The water is still not as high as it was when we crossed over.

The water running down into the creek is coming from the trenching we did across our meadow to try and cut down on the amount of water flooding into our meadow




If you look at the post dated March 26 with the pictures of the driveway portion of the creek, you can see the comparison between normal and high water levels. And again, that is not as high as it was when we actually used the tree, either!

Life is truly an adventure!

Straw and Hay Bales Around the Rig!

Pat and Claudia at PBN Radio have mentioned several times that we had to put bales around our RV during the previous winter to keep the cold out. I figured I would post some pictures of what that looked like.

Unwelcome Guests, a Big Stink & Another One Bites the Dust!

When you live in a very small space, it is really hard to keep smells down, whether it is from dirty laundry, shoes, spills, cooking...you name it. Well, one wonderful smell is dead mouse! UGH!!! If I forget to check the traps...we sometimes end up with this awful smell. ICK!

Well, that is what happened the other day. The thing is...they also tend to smell like dirty socks or shoes...or at least what dirty socks CAN smell like. Thing is...when I go around sniffing socks (which our son tends to always stash here and there) or shoes...none of them are producing the smell. Not that they smell like flowers, mind you, they are just not the source of THE smell!

So, that tells me it is time to do a trap check. Sure enough, we had one of the little creatures under one of the kitchen drawers. They just love to run beneath the drawers to get from one place to another. For mice...these fellows sure do seem to be kind of big. And when they get caught in a trap that I forget to check...their stink can sure be big, too. :P

They visited our son's stuffies, too. Well, to be specific...one stuffie. They are always looking for stuff to make their nests out of and we have to make sure the things we store outside are either in plastic bins...or sealed pretty good in plastic bags. His stuffies WERE in bags and bins...however, he pulled some out and did not put them away. So, you can guess what happened!

Today, he was looking for a particular stuffie, so in they all came, piled up on the couch. He had moved them over and sat down when he suddenly realized that he was sitting on little tiny black things. Yep...you guessed it...mouse poop! He was suitably grossed out...which is good since we have a difficult time convincing him of the necessity of doing things that don't draw any little critters in.

It turns out that some mice had apparently made their home inside one of his stuffies. He has one of those praying bears that he was given as a gift. Well, the bears rear end had been opened so that we could try and wash it because it had gotten wet outside when the tarp shed leaked. (He had not left it in the protective container. Hmmm...am I the only one who sees a pattern here?)

Well, apparently, the mice thought it would be a great place to live for a bit and they left their little calling cards behind. When he brought them inside, he did not notice that his bear was "pooping" on the couch. And, then, true to his nature to never look BEFORE sitting down, he sat on them.

Since all the stuffies had been thrown together...they all needed to be washed. That is where they are right now...hopefully surviving a soak and spin in the washing machine on delicate. Then there is the challenge of drying them in a dryer that has no low heat cycle...only medium and high. (Hey...what do you want for free? We are VERY grateful to have been given this w/d set!)

I made my son pick up all those wonderful calling cards and then sprayed a disinfectant on the couch. I also made him wash his hands REAL good with disinfectant soap! Man, oh man! They joke about children maybe not surviving growing up...I am wondering if WE are going to survive his growing up!!

Poor bear has had a speakerectomy and a battery power packectomy. The wires running into his paws are still there. Who knows? Maybe it will get fixed? Hmmm. THAT could take some doing. Anyone want to play mad scientist? Maybe we could make a educational project out of this. It is doubtful that he is going to remember to protect his belongings or look where he sits any time soon. So, maybe he can learn to put his bear back together!

We experimented for breakfast this morning. We made chocolate chip pancakes, which is normal for us. But, the first few, instead of the chips, we put some bits of orange in. My son thought that would be cool, kind of like banana pancakes or apple pancakes. I, on the other hand, was not so sure. So, I did not commit the whole batch of batter to the orange bits. Now, I AM sure. If I want orange pancakes, which I really do NOT see in the foreseeable future, I am going to try it with orange juice instead, I think.

Well, I had better go check on some very soggy stuffies...poor fellows. :( I hope I can get them safely dried out. I sure miss my other dryer. It has a low heat for delicate clothes, but it is way in the back of the "box" and there is a lot of stuff in front of it. I miss my washer, too. It is a front loader...gentler on clothes and very water and soap conserving. It is with the dryer, but may need a new water pump. We are not sure, yet.

From the three of us (and some soggy stuffies) in our Little RV on the Hillside...to all of you...may your day be a blessed one, filled with peace and joy!

Major Water Leak Fixed After All!

Well...it turns out we do NOT still have a big leak! Praise Yahweh!

But...now I feel really dumb. When Dave turns on the water at the main I always have the kitchen faucet on so we don't get a huge water surge. Well...with the kitchen faucet on...of course the thing that shows a leak is going to be spinning like crazy! But I did not think of it until Sunday.

So, he went and turned the water back on then. Once the water was back on, I turned off the kitchen faucet. The thing still turns...but it is VERY slow...as if there is maybe a wee bit of a drip somewhere. He said you have to really watch it closely to see that it is turning at all. The meter itself shows zero movement...only the leak detector thing does. It does it even when the water to the inside of the RV is turned off, so we know it is somewhere outside. Anyway, it is not something to be majorly concerned about at this point.

I left a message at the number for the trustee below our trustee's name to see if that trustee could give us our trustee's number. Or, it could be that the two of them share a number? I don't know. I have not heard back. If I don't hear back, I will try the trustee above our trustee.

Gosh, do I feel as if I have egg all over my face!