Out of the Old...

Living room/dining area

And into the new.  It has been several weeks since I have had internet access, hence the lack of new posts.  Those weeks have been very exciting and eventful ones, so I will try to catch up on all the happenings of the Crow family.  We left the flooded banks of the Mississippi River and headed across the drought-ridden states of Texas and New Mexico.  As we headed out of El Paso, we had an extra day to get to our destination of Silver City, NM.  On a whim, we stopped at an RV dealership to look at a trailer that had caught our eye.  We have been talking of replacing our fifth wheel for some time, but just hadn't found the right one.  The trailer we first saw was not the one for us, but they did have another used fifth wheel that would work very well for our family.  We asked about trading in our original RV, and upon examining it, they told us that it had a serious structural flaw, and said that a large pothole could cause it to crack in two (worst case scenario)!  This was rather disturbing, so we inquired about repairing the damage.  they told us it would probably cost $6,000-10,000 to adequately repair the problem.  After talking it over, we decided that pouring that much money into an RV that our family had outgrown would be a waste.  We prayed about what to do, and ended up signing papers for a "new" RV.

Of course, this development changed a lot of things for us, since we were scheduled to be at camp for the next two weeks.  We told the dealership that we would be back in two weeks to pick up the RV,and headed to Silver City.  I stayed home the first week and packed up our belongings as best I could while Paul and Josiah went to junior camp.  I could not believe how much STUFF we had stowed away in the cupboards!  I took a lot of boxes and bags to the Goodwill and threw even more stuff away. 

The second week, we all went to Gila Christian Ranch.  It was teen camp, so my kids were not involved in the activities, but Paul and I helped with the music and skits and activities.  What an experience it was!  The camp is located in the middle of nowhere - off the grid, as they say.  The only electricity comes from solar power/windmill/generator.  We had a great week, though, and we are looking forward to being there next year as well. If you want a unique church camp experience, I invite you to look into going to Gila Christian Ranch in Silver City, NM. 

After camp, we went back to pick up our RV.  It wasn't ready, having had several things that needed to be done to it, but after three days, we could not delay our schedule any longer.  We "moved" box by box into the new RV, and were done in two and a half days.  We are almost completely settled in now, although I still have a box or two to put away.  We drove to Albuquerque, NM, that first night, and found out that the trailer had some problems we didn't know about.  It was rather discouraging at first, but the Lord put us in the path of some very wonderful and gracious people.  Our truck also had a problem with the throttle positioning sensor.  While the truck was being repaired, our friends helped us fix the trailer slide-out and the closet which had collapsed.  The Lord provided for the truck repairs in a miraculous way, and we left Albuquerque in better shape than we arrived, as far as our equipment was concerned. 

Front bathroom

Kids room

We are on our way to Minot, ND to hold a VBS next week, if the town hasn't totally washed away by then. :) While driving through NM we saw the smoke from those vast fires, and I could not help but be amazed at the vast destruction of our country - on the east by floods, and on the west by drought and fire.  Thank the Lord for the safety He gives!

Chase Away the Blahs

I am sometimes stricken with a severe case of what I call "the blahs."  I suppose it could be described as a bad mix of boredom, tedium, and discontentment with my present state - whatever it happens to be at the time.  I find myself getting restless and irritable for no apparent reason.  Of course, the realization of the problem only makes me frustrated, because there is no sense in it!  Many times I think to myself, "Why am I allowing whatever it is to control my life?  Is not Christ greater than any problem I have?"  I have come to realize that it is all in my attitude... that really is a hard confession to make.  The problem is not what is going on around me, it is my own response.  Having said that, I am recovering from my most recent attack of the blahs.  Praise the Lord that His Word confronts and corrects the problem.  I don't have to live in misery if I will just ask for His help.  And when I think about it, most of the time, the things that bother me the most are trifling matters.  I have seen some tremendous answers to prayer just this week!  The Lord's hand is not slack!  Let's reign in those blahs and chase them away by counting the blessings of answered prayer!

I have been praying for some time that our house in Indiana would sell.  It is on the market with a great agent, but the housing market is really struggling right now in our area.  We are scheduled to have an open house this weekend, provided it doesn't rain, and I am hoping that the right person will see our house and love it - enough to buy it!  Please pray with me about this matter.  We really cannot afford to relocate until our house is sold.  The Lord has done great things for us in the past, and He is quite capable of doing more in the future!

Another Mother's Day

Another Mother's Day has come and gone, but in reality, every day for me is a mother's day!  My children did not make me breakfast in bed (although this is not necessarily a bad thing) but I did get a lot of hugs and kisses, as well as lots of "I love you's."  I did have a surprise in the afternoon.  I had lain down to take a nap and was awakened by a small voice, "Mama, we have something for you!"  I opened my groggy eyes and there stood my son with a plate laden with something (I didn't have my glasses on, so couldn't tell what it was).  I took the plate, and tipped it up slightly to see what was on it, and was surprised when a wave of water flowed off the plate and all over me!  I shrieked, and sat up, grabbing for my glasses.  Their faces were as astonished as mine was!  It was hilarious!  The kids couldn't figure out where the water had come from, and in the end. our best guess determined that it had been the bottom plate on the stack of clean dishes and therefore had collected the water.  While I did not eat the soggy potato chips, smarties, and raisins, I did thank my children for their thoughtfulness.  Next time, I will check the plate first! :)

Last weekend, I had the opportunity and privilege of speaking at a ladies' banquet.  I am always a bundle of nerves when I have to speak, but the Lord gave me clarity of thought and I was able to share what He had given me.  I spoke on the topic of surrender.  It is so needed in our our lives!  Are we truly surrendered to God's will, no matter what it may be?  I challenge each of you to prayerfully consider your own state of yieldedness to God.  Are you doing and being what He would have you to do and be?  May our Lord find us living in His perfect will.

Home is Where...

...you hang your clothes.  Home is the place you can enjoy putting your sheets out on the line on a beautiful day and letting the brisk wind whip the moisture out of them.  Today is just such a day - cool and breezy, but the sun is shining brightly.  The birds are singing, and the flowers are blooming.  The air is filled (at least in our part of the neighborhood) with the happy squeals and laughter of children.  Thank the Lord for this beautiful day!  I was able to wash and hang all my sheets this morning.  I love that line-dried smell!


The Lord gave me a verse this morning that I really needed.  He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. - Proverbs 28:26  Too many times I rely on my own ability to do what needs to be done.  The Lord has convicted me of trusting in my own heart when I should be asking Him for wisdom and guidance.  It is not in the "big" things that I lose sight of this truth, but in the small, everyday decisions that I must make.  I need to make the Lord more a part of my daily routine.  When I ask for His wisdom, I will be delivered from foolish decisions and mistakes.  Thank God for the convicting power of His Word!

Spring has Sprung!

I was amazed at the beautiful weather today.  The abundant rain has allowed the spring flowers to multiply.  Our yard was covered in violets this morning (before my husband mowed the lawn) and I was able to gather a handful of them for my windowsill.

The neighborhood lilac bushes are gorgeous, too.  Their sweet fragrance fills the breeze.  I gathered some of them for my table as well.  I love the fresh spring flowers!

Rain, Rain

The nursery rhyme, "Rain, rain, go away" seems rather appropriate for Indiana this month.  We found out upon returning that it has rained all but two days this month.  As we journeyed home, the rivers and streams were all swollen and brown, ample evidence that we have received showers of blessing!  I told Paul that I was rather glad we had been elsewhere for the last month.  We had a lot of sunshine and nice weather while in North Carolina.  In fact, it was downright hot at times!  We spent a wonderful, Christ-honoring day of services on Easter Sunday at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Kings Mountain.  What a glorious day of praise to our risen Lord!  I am so glad my Saviour lives!

We stopped today to help an older couple who had a flat tire on the highway.  We do not normally stop in the middle of a long trip, but Paul felt led to pull over and see if there was anything he could do.  In a strange coincidence, the woman grew up in the same area as Paul's parents, and knew his uncle!  Her husband had terminal lung cancer and this was, she confided to me later, probably their last trip together.  He was physically unable to do the repair, so Paul and I and another redneck who happened upon the scene of the crime all worked together to get the tire off and the spare back on.  It took quite a while to get the flat off, because it had come apart and wrapped itself around the axle.  We actually had to tie a rope to it and pull it off with a truck!  Praise the Lord, we were able to minister to this couple and give them a Gospel witness.  What are a few hours when compared with someone's eternal soul?  Pray for Carl and Betty, that the Lord would work in their hearts and they would see their need for a Saviour.

Remembering Nathan

Today was the anniversary of our son Nathan's birth and death.  He would have been eight years old today.  It is always such a painful time for me, because the memories are so vivid - just as if it happened yesterday.  I know that Nathan is in Heaven, but I think a mother's heart will always grieve her child.  The pain becomes bearable after a while, and like anything else, you can learn to live with it.  The death of my son has made me a stronger and better person, all glory to God.  We took our children to the cemetery today and gave them each a balloon to release in celebration of Nathan's birthday.  They also sang "Happy Birthday" to him.  It was a wonderful way to remember his special touch upon our lives.

I was thrilled to see a sign for fresh-picked strawberries today as we were driving.  We pulled over, and the most beautiful baskets of berries sat on the roadside stand.  I caved in and bought a basket.  This is what they look like!  Strawberry shortcake is on the menu! YUM!