joyful journeys and grand adventures

#Day16 of a national park #roadtrip cut a bit short. Disappointed to miss out on the New River Gorge in W VA, newest park in the system. Will try in spring!

Packing up in Nashville on day 15, we discovered hydraulic power failure. We were stuck with slides out and jacks down. And, you guessed it, we got the #RVrunaround.

Called the dealer in Syracuse, hoping for troubleshooting support. Service shop said call manufacturer tech support. Manufacturer told us to find a local dealer!

We’re 2/2 on big issues & big trips with this new rig. Closest RV dealer was willing to “service” in December! Booming RV landscape seems ripe for #careerprospects , eh? #skillup !

But #koacamping to the rescue! The amazing #nashvillekoaresort (love them) recommended a mobile tech service. Hooray for MisterRV, quick and effective in getting us road-ready.

The kicker is we had to stay hitched to the truck and couldn’t use hydraulics. Our shortest return route was 1,000 miles … or two very long days on the road.

Plus cray-cray construction slowdowns— does it ever end? So relieved to make it to a KOA south of Cleveland. It was pitch dark and soggy, not a soul in sight, but we felt safe.

It was a real trick to manage dinner and sleeping arrangements. With kitchen slides in, we couldn’t get to bedroom, closets, or personal items in the back bathroom. Pantry was out of reach. Fridge inaccessible.

But we could scoot across the counter to use the 1/2 bath in the kitchen, a huge plus. Freezer and microwave accessible— yay for frozen soup and ice cream!

Fortunately, a couple blankets stashed in the front living area. Didn’t bother to pull sleeper sofas — so uncomfortable ! #nothanks

The worst part was getting back to the bathroom in the middle of the night! Just another adventure on the road, eh? #rvlife

We’re north/eastward bound this morning. The closer we get to home the more eager we are to get there. Looking forward to a hot bath and good night’s sleep. Then lovin’ on six sweet grands, whom we surely have been missing. :=)
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#rvtravel
#dobetter
#keystonervcompany ...

#Day7 of fall RV #roadtrip. We’ve diverted from national parks for a few days, ‘splorin’ the Ozarks.

This morning we struck out for Eureka, Arkansas, and vicinity. Thankful for bright sunshine; temps dropped below 40 last night!

The formula in this area seems to be D (distance) x 3 = DT (driving time) because of narrow, winding roads and steep grades. You never know what to expect around the next bend. Exploring Ozarks byways suits us, as long as we’re unhitched. :=)

Today we saw an abundance of beef cattle and some horses at pasture; a few low-slung barns clinging to deeply rolling countryside; trademark bluffs poking through the surface.

Our first stop was at the towering Christ of the Ozarks, 3rd largest statue of Christ in the world. It stands high on a mountaintop, arms outstretched nearly as wide as the statue is tall. Stark white against bright blue skies, it is impressive.

We passed through the delightful Eureka Springs, where I’d have liked to linger. It’s so quaint, and it was hoppin’! But we pressed on, for Thorncrown Chapel.

This is a must-see, any day of the week. We planned our visit to attend a Sunday service. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and wondered if it would be real church. It was more than I’d hoped for, inspired in every way imaginable. The Spirit of God is welcomed and present here.

A classical pianist ministered in worship, preparing our hearts to enter in. Exquisitely arranged melodies filled the chapel to its airy heights. His testimony spoken volumes even before the pastor took up Matthew 5 with fresh insights.

Everything was on point and yet, so much more. It seemed all of creation joined in for the joy of the Lord. For one holy hour, the world as we knew it was in a state of sacred harmony. It seemed we’d stepped into Isaiah 55.

Isaiah 55:12: “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”

#rvtravel
#roadtrip
#roadtripUSA
#ozarks
#missouri
#arkansas
#ontheroadagain
#thorncrownchapel
#christoftheozarks ...

#Day6 of fall RV road trip and we are #ontheroadagain. Loving #missouri!

About an hour south of St. Louis, convenient for our next destination, we stayed at a brand new model for #rvtravel , the RV Self-Park. It’s a cool concept, as you needn’t pay for a site an hour longer than necessary. Super helpful for long hauls.

Sites are 100% extra-long paved pull thrus with full hook-ups. Well-lit and lots of security cameras. Plus fully illuminated site markers make finding your spot a breeze.

It sits on a service road near I-44, so there is some highway noise, a fair trade for the convenience. Supplies are readily accessible along the service road. There are no attendants or public facilities; you need to be self-contained.

It was quiet, clean, and stress-free. Using gravel-filled stock tanks for hook-up components seems quite slick and hose reel a nice touch. The only hitch was distance for dumping tanks — we had to hitch up and pull ahead to reach. So yeah, that was a bit awkward. Fortunately the park wasn’t full!

Otherwise, our experience was seamless. Owners indicate plans to expand nationally. I hope so, as we’re fans of convenient, safe and reasonably priced haul off options! Check it —
http://rvselfpark.com.

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#rvtravel
#roadtrip
#roadtripUSA
#rvlife
#fmcarv
#missouri
#ontheroadagain
#rvselfpark ...

#Day4 of the fall national park loop and we are #ontheroadagain , departing Indiana, W/SW for Illinois and Missouri. A good portion of our route today is the scenic route.

We’ve seen gazillions of acres of corn and oats (?) awaiting harvest; other fields shaved bare and still others fallow. Nearly every town straddles railroad tracks; grain silos and elevators invariably rise nearby. We’ve passed big seed corn producers, like Beck and Remington, and production facilities like Cargill.

And the #windmills ! We have them at home, of course, but not like this. Sometimes I cannot see the end of them.

As much as we enjoy ticking off our park-by-park bucket list, we take great pleasure in the changing vistas between destinations. Skies are clearing as we press toward St. Louis. Tomorrow, the Gateway Arch National Park!

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#rvtravel
#roadtrip
#roadtripUSA
#nationalparks
#ontheroad
#indiana
#illinois ...

#Day2 of our fall National Park loop and we’re #ontheroadagain. Farewell, Lake Erie, and Westfield. Indiana Dunes National Park, here we come!

As far as #koacamping goes, this little Journey was fine for a quick stopover. Property is backed up against a vineyard and not-so-quiet I-90, and faces the lake. Sweet little Ottaway Park across the way; historic lighthouse and fishing pier nearby.

Lots of empty slots yet no full hookups available to reserve, oddly. We were able to stay hitched, but barely. Spotty wireless, always annoying. Nice people, though, help to negate minor inconveniences. :=)

#kampgroundsofamerica #rvtravel #roadtrip #roadtripusa ...

I’m thankful for spring showers this morning, replenishing the North Country. The cornfield is no longer a dust field. Neat rows of sprouts stand a bit taller today. Every blossom in my garden has received this goodness!

God’s Word blesses us like gentle rain. Soaking it in softens our hearts, making us more receptive to His goodness. It restores our spirits, like raindrops on leaves and petals. There is no better way to be still and know Him.

“Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:3

That’s what the #SongsOfAscent are all about, friends. Thousands all over the world have signed up for #rwwalkingprayer ! Today is the last day to register. Will you join us?

Click my username above to access linktr.ee/SincerelySondra; then click “REV with ME”
Or go to www.revelationwellness.org/challenges/walking-prayer/ ...

For days, wild phlox on the island beckoned. A glorious spread of purple and white blossoms waved in the wind as I plowed through spring chores. Until one afternoon, when the call of an adventure outweighed my check-list resolve.

Fortunately, a few of my people were nearby and game to join in. We walked together to the riverbank. My grandboy launched a kayak while I rolled up my pant legs, replaced my sneakers with sandals, and began to wade across.

The water was chilly but tolerable. It crept higher, hitting my calves, then the bottom of my light pack, before I reached mid-point. I stepped carefully to avoid the largest rocks beneath the surface, determined not to trip and take a swim!

Near the bank, my feet sank into silty mud. I had no strategy but to lunge and scramble. One handhold of weeds after another, I crested the steep bank.

I hoped there were no snappers in the mud, lying in wait. I hoped the weeds were not stinging nettles. I hoped not to see a snake or tumble into the water and ruin the phone in my pack. I hoped this little adventure was not a mistake!

It was not. The next moment, I was standing in the middle of a slice of paradise. Phlox and honeysuckle melded on a breeze blessed with birdsong. A bright yellow warbler lit on a shrub, chirping at my intrusion.

“Welcome to Phlox Island,” I said. A grin spread wide on my grandboy’s face as he scrambled alongside. I was filled with gratitude for generations of life well-lived in the humble North Country. Looking back to our cheerleaders on shore, I was reminded of my anthem this season: Goodness of God.

“All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so, so, good
With every breath that I am able
I will sing of the goodness of God
...
Your goodness is running after
It’s running after me ... “ *

I have seen the goodness of God in the land of the living! This land is my land; this land is your land, dear ones. God’s goodness is running after you, too!

Goodness of God* is top of my Spotify playlist — check it! (linktr.ee/SincerelySondra)

Sincerely,
Sondra

*Lyrics copyright Provident Label Group, 2019. ...

By the end of Revelation Wellness Instructor Training, I’d heard the call to ARISE into a new area of ministry. I’d no sooner received this word as a precious gift to unwrap, that I began doubting this treasure was for me.

Really, God? Me, a #fitnessteachergospelpreacher? Frankly, it seemed beyond absurd!

As you might suspect, it was the fitness-teaching part that didn’t sit well. My brain stubbornly refused to align with my heart — because I do believe in the mission of this ministry with every fiber of my spirit.

Now I know why Gideon’s story has surfaced so often of late. Judges 6 recounts how Gideon doubted and tested God — despite all the evidence— not once, but twice! God is as patient today as then. In classic form, I put out two fleeces of my own:

1. Evidence of being set free before trying to lead others to freedom.

2. A certified RevWell instructor to come alongside in North Country ministry.

My part is still my part: to show up and do the work. I started immediately on a second pass of The Wellness Revelation (TWR) study, meeting weekly with another instructor. TWR is where chains loosen and break, my friends; I’m convinced of it!

Will you pray for me to experience the fullness of freedom? In faith, I’m planning to lead a TWR small group this fall.

And — news flash — each meeting will start with movement. Because God is just that good! No one is more surprised than me by the way the Lord soaked the ground around my second fleece.

Within days of putting it out there, @revelationwellness announced that all RevTV workouts are now free! Free for you. And you. And you. And me!

Now I have the most amazing team of instructors alongside in the North Country. :=) And we have hundreds of freedom-fighting workouts to choose from, friends. Oh, happy day!

Don’t delay; get started today! Create an account to view the full range of marvelous ways to move your good body in gratitude.

RevTV may seem overwhelming at first. Find a link in my bio to my top 5 workouts. There’s nothing like a drumstick cardio to stir up some joy!

Sincerely,
Sondra

#RWIT
#revwelltv
#fitnessteachergospelpreacher
#revelationwellness ...