Who am I to argue.... Its ALL YOURS LORD!

Part V - THE PLAN

We actually felt some normalcy set in over the next several days as we toured the West Coast. We really felt a sense of accomplishment after Alcatraz and then headed to Yosemite.

Stephanie and I have visited ALL of the Lower 48 States. We have visited the majority of the National Parks in those states. I  LOVE YOSEMITE. This would be our third trip and nothing has changed. The beauty of the valley and the majesty of the falls, the peaks, and the views always lead me to acknowledge there MUST be a GOD, a creator of all things. 

On the way to San Fransisco, we stopped a Walmart and got all the camping supplies we needed that we did not already have in the fifth wheel. We purchased a tent, sleeping bags, compulsory AIR mattresses, and we were ready for our FIRST camping spot near Yosemite. We were blessed with a great camp spot at Bass Lake Yosemite Camp ground. It really was surreal camping in a tent again. No air conditioning, no comfort mattress, no modern cooking, walking to the restroom, and listening to crazy teenage girls giggling through the night, it was a special time. 

Always in the background of my mind was the truck and the inevitable call about the "damages". We had a plan and knew we were going to have to take money from our savings to pay for the repairs. The call came while we ate breakfast in Oakhurst. I went outside and heard the explanation of what needed to be done. The total cost was $20,000. My heart sank!  The damage would be repaired by a complete engine replacement including a short block and rebuild. But, we made the necessary plans and they began work. We were gravely concerned about how long it was going to take. Bodacious Diesel was committed to help us reach our deadline. Stephanie and I were scheduled to work a major Indiana Biker Event, the Indiana ABATE Boogie. We were completely in charge. We had all the equipment and we had to be there. We had 25 days to get back and get set up to serve. That had to include 3 days minimum to get back, 1 day to load up the supplies, and take the trip to Southern Indiana. BD made no guarantees. The comment was, "this usually takes us a couple of months to get everything done."  They were NOT confident.

We knew we were dependent upon the Lord to direct all the little details that needed to happen to get us to Southern Indiana on time. Prayer has always been a huge part of our lives. Now we had a specific direction for our prayers. 

Beyond the deadline we were under, my heart hurt because of the cost. Stephanie and I committed our RETIRED LIFE to the Lord. We had saved money and enjoyed a great teachers pension. We dedicated ALL of that to serving the Lord. Our plans were, and still are, to use our resources to directly serve the Lord. Our plans are to serve both out of the country and within the country in ministry. We LOVE working secular rallies. We had scheduled our first mission trip to Peru and we were looking at making sure that would be our NEW NORMAL. We wanted to work for the Lord with all our resources. 

How could spending $20,000 help spread the gospel? How could spending this kind of money help US serve him now and for years to come? I have to be honest, I am not sure how this helps further his kingdom. But, WE DO TRUST in the Lord before we spent this chunk of change and we trust him now. We believe we are called to ministry. God can and will provide the money, he will provide ALL the resources we need to serve him. It might just be that he wanted to remind us of that fact. If we had $0 in the bank, God would provide. Still, I often drift back to the GOOD WORKS that could have been done with these funds. God knows what he is doing. I don't always need to understand why. So,Who am I to argue......... It's all your Lord!

We had a great time at Yosemite and Sequoia. We hiked to trail from Half Dome, we climbed Morro Rock and spent the day driving through the massive Redwoods. God was at work and our time was precious. 

Here are just a few of the pictures from that wonderful trip to California. BUT, this saga is NOT over. The adventure never stops in our lives!

Little Bumps in the Road

The Plan - Part IV

After the wonderful trip to Rocky Mountain National Park all we could do was wait and wait and wait. I finally got a call from Bodacious Diesel. Bad News. He knew the motor had a catastrophic failure. He could not tell the extent of the damage or give an estimate of the cost without tearing apart the motor. He knew at least two of the eight cylinders were not firing. At worst he would have to replace the motor. At best he might have to rebuild part of the motor. He was pretty confident it was the worst case scenario. He also said he would not know for at least a week what the total damage was. 

So, we had to make a decision. What do WE do? After much prayer, discussion and quick planning, we decided to keep heading west on our adventure. We came up with a plan to stay in hotels and camp....... in a TENT. We would purchase our camping supplies that we didn't have along the way and do everything possible to get to San Fransisco and our RESERVATIONS for Alcatraz. We were not going to be GLAMPING any more. We were going to REALLY camp. WE were being humbled but the trip was still a go. Alcatraz was the ONE event  that could not be RESCHEDULED. We had made reservations months earlier. Hannah had not requested much, but she really wanted to do this. We had a little more than a day to make it 1250 miles. We could do it, but we would have to drive through the night.

So, we loaded everything up into the Ranger. IF we would have rented the compact car, this would NEVER have worked. God knew we needed the truck.

The last detail was what to do with the 5th wheel. Our plan was just to leave it parked where we were. The manager had to wait for the owner to grant us permission. While we waited, we packed. When we were packed ready to go, the manager told us the owner would NOT allow us to leave the 5th wheel parked where it was. CRISIS AGAIN!

So, we got back on the phone with Good Sam and after MANY phone calls and HOURS of pleading our case, they gave us permission to get the fifth wheel towed back to our friends at Allied Towing. They would let us keep the fifth wheel there as long as we needed to. This time they came with a MASSIVE wrecker to tow our trailer. Jim was not taking any chances! SO, by late that afternoon we said GOOD BYE to Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon and were on our way to San Fransisco.

We all had resolved to make the best of this trip and even if it wasn't going AS PLANNED. We were not going to be stopped. 

I've kind of struggled with writing this Blog. Maybe that's why it's taken a year to recount the trip. But, even though we had some hurdles to overcome on this trip. It was a truly wonderful. At the time, it seemed like we had one crisis after another. There would be more challenges to come. But, as I look back, I can truly say all of the LITTLE BUMPS IN THE ROAD were not all that serious. So many people face REAL challenges in life. Many are fighting cancer. Many are dealing with broken relationships, financial hardship, and struggle to survive each day. In my life I have rarely had to face real crisis and when I did face a crisis, a real crisis in my life, God was always there. HE is my ROCK and my REDEEMER. Many people don't have that kind of assurance. So many people travel through REAL LIFE TURMOIL without JESUS. I really don't see how they do it. I just met a young lady whose life was in real turmoil. Most of her issues were dealing with drugs and broken relationships. As we talked SHE recognized she needed Jesus. I have family and friends that are going through tough times RIGHT NOW. I ache for them and feel their pain. They need Jesus. They need to abandon all other solutions beyond prayer and turning their lives to the Creator of the universe. My problems pail in comparison. 

We arrived in San Fransisco in plenty of time, even after almost running out of gas in the middle of Utah at 3am in the morning. We saw the sunrise over the Salt Flats of Utah and drove into the San Fransisco Bay area in the late afternoon of the next day. Our trip to Alcatraz the following morning was awesome. The trip was on track and we were ready to head to Yosemite, right on schedule. 

Devastation and Distraction

The Plan - III

After getting a new wheel we headed through Missouri checking our Lug Nuts every one hundred miles or so. We were a little behind schedule but were able to get across Kansas, stay the night in another Walmart and head into Colorado the next day. We were feeling pretty good heading around Denver and then we were heading into the Mountains. As we got outside Denver we headed up our first STEEP Grade. The truck pulled awesome. It was a beautiful day and I just love the mountains. As we were coming down after the first steep grade. I was having a little bit of a difficult time slowing down but the engine was down shifting well. We got down to the bottom in great shape. THEN...... I lost power. The engine was still running but I had absolutely no power. All the sudden the dash was lighting up with all sorts of warning lights. Really slowing down at the bottom of a steep grade in the mountains is CHAOTIC at best. All the semis are really "cookin" and cagers are also flying. I couldn't go anywhere .Stephanie was asking what was wrong and all I was worried about was getting OFF the Highway with a 44' Fifth Wheel in the Mountains. Once Again, the Lord was watching over us. There was an exit at a little Colorado Town of Idaho Springs. 

I got off the interstate, made it around a crazy round-about and stopped directly in front of a McDonalds, off the side of the road in several curbside parking spaces. We were dead!

The truck would not start. 

SO, I called my GoodSam Roadside assistance, several times, most of the rest of the afternoon.  Finally we got a tow truck, ironically, from a towing company within a 100 feet of where we were.  They towed the truck to a diesel repair shop called Bodacious Diesel (What a name) in Golden, Colorado . Then after some effort, we found a campground to tow the fifth wheel to. 

I can't even tell you how stressed I was. I can't even tell you how depressed I was. We were only on the third day of our EPIC TRIP and we had a major issue for the second time. I was devastated. I also have to tell you how awesome my wife is. She is always the steadying force in my life. She is my rock, my anchor, and helps me know everything is going to be ok. I also need to share how awesome my granddaughter Hannah and her friend Kallee were. They never complained once about what was happening. They could have fun in the middle of a Hurricane. I am so grateful for the special time we had with them on this trip, even on these days!

The trip to the campground being towed by "Allied Towing" of Idaho Springs was one of the biggest adventures of my life. He attempted, and was reasonably successful, pulling my huge 20,000 pound fifth wheel through some amazing mountain roads with his personal F250.  For those that don't know how big a deal that is, I was pulling with a HUGE F350 truck with a bigger motor, bigger frame, and better brakes. By the time we climbed to nearly 8000 feet, every warning light in his truck was going off and you could smell the smoke from his brakes. At one point we were in a Casino town and he was making turns around corners that I couldn't make in a subcompact. He knew what he was doing. God sent another awesome person, Jimmy Clark, owner of Allied Towing to help us get to where we needed to be. Not only did he get us there, he was a great guy and we built a great relationship with him over the next several days and weeks.  It was his wisdom that identified the lack of full braking power coming from my fifth wheel.  Yet, he had NO PROBLEMS using just the brakes on his truck. He was amazing. 

So, here we were. We were stuck in a campground, no hook ups, no transportation. very weak cell phone service, and deep in the mountains of Colorado no where near civilization. Even so. God was good. We were safe. We had food, and we had had a great place to wait to find out about the truck . We were just a few short miles from Rocky Mountain National Park and the beauty of the surrounding were breathtaking.  

The next morning I sat on a rock in the middle of a gravel parking lot, trying to reach an uber, rent a car, and contact Bodacious Diesel about the truck. The day was beautiful except for the ARCTIC type temperatures. It is amazing how the temps drop at elevation. I finally reached an Uber and was on my way to Golden Colorado to rent a sub compact for a couple of days. I got to the rental store and found out they had rented OUR car. The only thing they had left was a BRAND NEW 4 door 2019 Ford Ranger. God was intervening on my behalf. Little did I know this little vehicle would become our lifeline!

Once I got the vehicle we took advantage of the great day and decided to take a side trip to Rocky Mountain National park in our little Ranger. What a great way to spend the day while Bodacious Diesel looked into what was wrong with the truck. We had to cancel our Trip to Arches National Park, but this was well worth the time. We were finally able to have some FUN and see God's amazing handiwork. 

We saw ELK really close up. We climbed the Rockies to the TUNDRA and we got to see the remnants of the winter snows. What a great and wonderful day.

I have to admit. I needed the distraction of the SIDE TRIP. My stress level was through the roof. We had spent two years planning this trip and all I could see was it crumbling before my eyes. I kept asking God, why?  I bet God get's that question more often than any other question. Even though my mind was in severe distress, God wouldn't let me dwell on the problems. How could I spend time worrying about the truck and THE PLAN, when we were surrounded by ABSOLUTE PROOF of God? He was everywhere. 

This was one of the most awesome days of the trip and it was a great example of God knowing what we needed, exactly when we needed it. In my life I can tell you God has perfect timing. So many times we have wrestled with his timing. Many times we don't agree on the when. But, I can always look back and see his mighty hand acting at JUST THE RIGHT TIME. All I can say, if you are in the middle of turmoil, TRUST HIM. He knows just what you need and he knows when you need it. He  cleared my mind and made me more determined to come up with a plan to complete this trip, no matter what the obstacles. 

The next day was a DAY OF DECISION!

God over Lug-nuts!

THE PLAN (PART III)

GOD is so good. Lately, I have been really digging into my faith. I have been studying the Word with some real ferocity. I study when I get up, after breakfast and before I go to sleep. I also have been listening to some great teaching while on my daily walks. Those walks have grown to 6 miles each afternoon/evening and that has given me a lot of time to listen to some great teaching and have REAL time LISTENING to the Lord through prayer. I can really look back to last summer as a big change in my "Study Habits".

Last Summer, our first after retirement, was amazing. Since we had been planning our retirement for two years, it was so awesome to see everything unfold right before our eyes. One of our MANY planned Summer events was taking my granddaughter on her SENIOR TRIP. We have a plan to take each of our grandkids on a special trip between their junior and senior year of high school. We had been planning our trip out west for over two years. The trip was the most adventurous and wild trip we have ever been on. 

THE plan was to pull the fifth wheel to San Fransisco, Yosemite, Sequoia, Utah Canyon lands, Grand Canyon and then home. Those are all areas we have visited and I would say some of the most beautiful areas in the world. We completed the trip but it went NOTHING LIKE THE PLAN. 

We started out late in the afternoon and our plan was to stay in a "Walmart Campground" just west of St. Louis the first night. The planning for this trip was EPIC. I wanted to make sure everything went perfectly. I had a lot of work done to my truck and knew the trip through the mountains would need great brakes, tires, and a well tuned vehicle. So we got everything done and took off with extreme confidence we were going to have a great time. 

As we started the trip, I noticed a vibration that continued to increase with intensity as the day progressed. At first it was just an annoyance and then it became worse and worse as we went. By the time we arrived outside St. Lous, it was really bad. I was pulling off the exit ramp, heading to Walmart and I could hardly drive the truck. We pulled off for the night and I told Stephanie I would check everything in the morning. We went to bed safe and secure in a Walmart Parking Lot. 

The next morning THIS is what I found ........

5 of the 8 lug nut fell off as I removed the hub cap, sheared off by the vibrations and weight of pulling the camper.  ONLY ONE OF THE REMAINING LUGNUTS WAS TIGHT! We could have been moments away from catastrophy!

YIKES!!!!!!

I praise God every day that he watched over us. I can not even imagine what happens when your front wheel falls off pulling a 20,000 lb. fifth wheel. When I was taking these pictures, I was uncontrollably shaking. But, GOD is good. While I was taking these pictures a local man offered to help me. He stayed with me all day. He drove me to get the tow truck. He knew of a hole-in-the-wall truck repair shop. He drove me everywhere. He was an angel sent by the Lord. I contacted my Ford Dealer, who is amazingly awesome. They believe the torque wrench they used did not get the bolts tight and they should have had me check them early in the trip. They, Family Ford in Bluffton, paid for everything. The Truck Repair Shop, dropped everything to work on my front wheel hubs. They searched everywhere for the right parts and were also sent by the Lord. I was so filled with the presence of the Lord that I just had to pray with them PRAISING GOD before we left. Family Ford helped find a new wheel at a local Ford Dealership since the old wheel could have been damaged with the loose lug nuts. Everything was back together and we were on the road early that afternoon. For the next 700 miles, I checked the lugs religiously. 

So many people discount God. So many people believe in LUCK and chance. Since I turned my life over to the Lord, HE has promised me he LOVES me and will watch over me. THIS MIRACLE from the LORD is just one of the many that have occurred in my life. God is ALIVE. He is working and he wants nothing but the best for me. Yes, God could have prevented this from happening. He has the power to move mountains. He certainly could have prevented this. But, sometimes he shows himself through the turmoil and the stresses of life. I can't imagine the protection he has provided that I am unaware of. Stephanie and I have traveled thousands of miles by motorcycle and pulling our campers. We have had problems (God doesn't promise a trouble free life), but he has always provided ways out of the trials. His Love, Grace, and Mercy are truly amazing. I am confident GOD is watching and he has sent angels to watch over each step I take. How can I not devote everything I have to such a loving and caring GOD?

Nope, that's not the end. The trip was just beginning. Believe it or not, the story gets even crazier. STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!

Winter in a FIFTH WHEEL?

The Plan (Part II)

The summer of 2018 gave Stephanie and I a real taste of what retirement was going to be like and the plans God had for us. We traveled to the New York, the No Borders Rally in Minnesota, and were finally able to revisit the CMA Colors Rally in the fall. All the time we were getting used to our new home on wheels. It was a great summer and fall. As the 2018-2019 school year progressed, everything came together. So much so, that God found us a place to stay over the winter instead of our fifth wheel. That was also a miracle of the hand of God.

Living in a Fifth Wheel in Northern Indiana during the winter would not be easy. Yet, I had made preparations. I had done a lot of research and had plans to purchase skirting, small heaters and insulated curtains to help retain the heat. I was still really uneasy. I told Stephanie about my apprehension and she said, maybe we should talk to her parents about staying in their home over the winter. They always left at the end of November for Florida and didn't return until the end of March. We prayed about it and decided to bring up the subject. We had to drop off some things to put in their barn for storage and we were met there by Stephanie's Dad. Before I could even get out of the truck, HE MENTIONED that he and Steph's mom had been thinking that maybe we should stay in their home that winter. HOW AMAZING IS THAT?  We hadn't talked, we had never even brought up the subject. God intervened and we were so blessed. Thanks to Ray and Judy, we spent the absolutely harsh winter of 2018-2019 in a warm home and we saved about $3500 in upgrades we never had to make. GOD is amazing!

I don't want to sound like some pompous, arrogant, Christian. But, once we REALLY started praying, studying his word, and making a 100% commitment to a life dedicated to him, miracles began occurring everywhere. I had been a Christian my entire life. Stephanie and I were faithful to attend church, we had led youth groups, and we committed our family to the Lord. Yet, I was just a lukewarm Christian. We worshipped the Lord from a safe distance and then everything changed. NOW we are REALLY, ALL IN. We are both growing in so many ways in our relationship with our Lord. 

We officially retired in May of 2019. The year since then has been NO LESS SPECTACULAR. I can't wait to share it with you. GOD HAS BEEN SO GOOD!!!!!!