Moving in to an RV and traveling was a little nerve wracking at first, and I really had to trust God in this crazy process.
I mean moving in to a small space with 4 kids had me worried about the type of strain it would put on our marriage; always being in close quarters with each other.
Not only have we gotten to know our kids better and spend more time with them, but we’ve really gotten to connect with each other on a level we never were able to before!
Our old life was just stress after stress, seeing each other less and less! Becoming grumpy when we did see each other, due to the intense work load of being business owners, become a normal occurrence. We were building careers, and we didn’t get paid NEARLY enough to make it worth the sacrifice. Our kids were constantly fighting, or off on a separate side of the house. We were barely spending time together, aside from school, or outings, and neither were really spending time with them. We were never able to learn their needs and personalities, and not to mention how freaking hilarious they are!
We kept saying to each other “This can’t be it! This just can’t be the best life there is! There’s got to be more to life than this”
And man were we right!!!!!
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YOU WERE NOT BORN TO PAY BILLS AND DIE!
You were not put on this earth to run yourself ragged into a deep depression because of debt, exhaustion, lack of sunshine, working hours no man should ever have to work, just to be able to afford this horrible cycle of “living”!
A few years ago Josh told voiced his dream of wanting to have a travel ministry to a friend who responded with, “Well how will you have community?”
It was an honest concern and one that Josh prayed about, and thought deeply on. We knew that, since God was calling us to this life, then He would be sure to work out the details. A great friend reminded me that Jesus‘ ministry was a traveling one! He did not stay where He was raised! Where He was raised did not accept him! He went where God said to go knowing that spreading Gods love and Truth was what God called Him to do.
People always asked:
“What about consistency for the kids?”
“Shouldn’t they grow up knowing the same friends?”
Let me ask a few questions:
As an adult are you still friends with the kids from your kindergarten class?
Do you work together or see each other often, and if you do see them how are they?
Do you know what their favorites are or what they’ve been through all these years, or even this week?
As adults we meet new people ALL THE TIME and THATS WHAT JESUS DID TOO! And something we see is many adults struggle with being able to connect with new people right away, they struggle with change and the ability to make new friends or step out of their normal circle and that becomes very exclusive.
We have great consistency with the kids, their schedules and bed time; routine creates balance! We are teaching them a skill that many adults struggle with, the ability to converse, and meet new people of all ages, of all cultures, ethnicities, and race; to show love, acceptance and friendship to everyone they meet.
We realize this lifestyle is not for everyone, but we have learned SO MUCH in the short time we have nomadic. As humans we tend to ostracize things that are different, and go against what the world has deemed, however we have found a life that is greater than anything we could’ve imagined!
My hope is that our journeys give hope to all people who feel trapped, or that are surrounded by toxic relationships, smothered in winter blues (S.A.D), or even crushed by a dead end job. There is ALWAYS another way! Josh and I both can answer any questions about living a completely free life, which doesn’t have to mean you do exactly what we are doing, it means finding a lifestyle that creates the most freedom for YOU and your family!)
It takes just ONE wild and crazy change, one decision to go for it. One big decision can change the entire quality of your life, the entire course of your future. You just have to take the first step and trust God to walk you through the rest! Sometimes that step is to realize what you thought was your dream, may not be the right dream, and to know when to quit, swallow your pride, and to see it just isn’t working.
I moved a lot as a kid. My dream was to get married, buy a house, and raise my kids in the same house their whole life (somewhere south of course)!
But God gave Josh a vision, and ever since we met, he talked about this travel ministry God laid on his heart. When we were dating we were prophesied to travel. When we got married we were prophesied we would go around the country worshipping! Again and again prophesy after prophesy pointed to this life!
Joshua knew to follow Gods timing and His direction, and He would work out the details. Sometimes taking that first step doesn’t look like a big one, and doesn’t catapult you into your calling right away, but each step trusting that God brings you where you need to be and when the timing is right it all falls in to place.
This plan has been slowly playing out in our lives since the beginning! And the dream I thought I wanted, was nothing more than a romanticized picture that I concocted in my mind. When God calls you answer and nothing will ever be good enough until you’re walking the exact steps God has laid out before you! It’s a hunger I cannot explain!
There were times where it looked like we were the furthest we would EVER be from this type of lifestyle, this freedom, but those were training days! It all lead up to this moment!
So don’t get discouraged if that’s where you’re at right now!!!