ByFaithFullTime

  During our down time in the first week of October, I learned of two coming events: the Annular Eclipse and the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Both were within a day’s travel (for the eclipse, meaning the path of greatest coverage), and just a handful of days away! We had planned on heading straight to 4 Corners, but re-routed ourselves to Albuquerque so we could see some awesome hot air balloons first. Enter: Funcle #2. My brother Sam! He was a fantastic host and the kids just loved his endless supply of Capri Suns. He invited us to join him bright and early at the VIP tent for breakfast at the Balloon Fiesta before the Mass Ascension. We caught the Dawn Patrol on our way in, which was the first group of balloons lighting up the dark sky like a bunch of giant glowing fireflies. We then found our tent, ate a hearty breakfast and enjoyed a fantastic vantage point overlooking all the balloons as they began to inflate and take off. Several traveled directly overhead while others hovered...

  “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'”  ~ Isaiah 30:21 ~ Our first two months on the road was a whirlwind adventure. We learned a lot and moved often. We traveled through 7 states and a handful of National Parks, visited with family and saw a few friends. We drove on beautiful roads, camped at serene locations and spent more time together than ever before. We had only two places on the map that we planned to be at certain times when we started out; other than that, it was by the seat of our pants and the grace of God as to where we stayed and how/when we got there. And, funny enough, we ended right back at our original launch point exactly 60 days from the day we left. It wasn’t planned, and much of the trip was a great deal of “unexpected,” but we wouldn’t change it for the world.  I never once imagined living full-time in an RV. Even after we bought our fifth wheel, I could not wra...

  “He who is of God hears the words of God…” John 8:47 I have never heard the audible voice of God, and neither has Justin. Let’s just start there. But there are undeniable times when we sense His directing us, or prompting us in one direction or another. Often times we don’t stop to think about the Source in the moment, we just act on it and later recognize where it came from. How do we know it’s Him and not just gut instinct, or our own ideas? Whenever it is something - a thought or action - that aligns with His Word and usually goes against our own personal preferences and comforts, then we know it wasn’t “of us.”  For example, I once spotted a lady driving into a gas station and felt a strong urge to step out and pay for her gas. I like doing nice things (especially for nice people), but it is not my nature to approach strangers or strike up a conversation, not to mention spend money when we’re already on a tight budget! It turns out God knew all of that too, and I ended ...