Exploring South Dakota

Wow! South Dakota is diverse! Today we started off by grabbing a quick breakfast. I got a DELICIOUS smoothie from a juice place. 

How fitting, right?
It was seriously a super yummy and filling smoothie!

Today I was finally able to see so many sights that I have only read about up until now. Little bro wasn't terribly interested in all the little tidbits I was sharing with him all day long, hahaha! Oh well! I enjoyed sharing the random facts! ;-)

The first part of the drive was sooooo flat! I didn't think anything could be flatter than Indiana but South Dakota may have it beat. At least, parts of it. South Dakota is very diverse! But this part is so flat... you can see for miles and miles! 

 There was so much open space! It seems like the only things we saw were cows and lots and lots and lots of bales of hay. I couldn't help but wonder how so many people claim that America is overpopulated when there is so much space out here. 

We came across an original homestead and so we stopped. I get to read a couple of Little House on the Prairie books with my class this coming year so I took lots of pictures to show them as we read this year. Here are a few of the highlights. :)

The top of a dugout cellar.

We used some of their costumes to dress the part as we toured the homestead.

And then we came to the Badlands. Words cannot express and pictures cannot do justice. Peruse at your leisure but please be aware that the grandeur and bare beauty is much greater in person.

I found myself looking for the next rise or the next bend in the road as we drove through the Badlands... actually, all throughout this drive. I realized today that I anticipate with pleasure the unknown past the top of the hill or around the turn in the road. There is something pleasant in knowing that there is something NEW just beyond... something I have never seen before and could never imagine into existence and could not expect. As today went on, I realized that that should be my attitude toward ALL the bends in my life-road and towards all the hill tops of my path. God has something just beyond the bend and just past the top of the hill. He has it there just for me, even though I could never imagine it or expect exactly what is there. He has good things in store for me always. Sometimes hard things, but always good things. Every time there has been a bend in my life-road in the past it has always produced something good in the end.

What's behind your bend in the road? And how are you anticipating the bend? With pleasure or with fear?

After the Badlands, South Dakota began to get more hilly and interesting to look at. We popped up over a hill and got our first glimpse of the Black Hills. 

And after driving through some of the hills (please let it be known that I now am aware of the proper driving procedures in hilly and mountainous terrain), we caught our first glimpse of Mt. Rushmore.

Getting close to the top of the hill and almost to Mt. Rushmore!

 And suddenly there they were! Did you know that these four presidents were chosen because George Washington helped to birth the nation, Thomas Jefferson helped to establish the nation, Theodore Roosevelt helped to expand the nation, and Abraham Lincoln helped to preserve the nation. Interesting, huh? I never knew that before!

On our way back down from Mt. Rushmore.

What a hearty, sturdy, determined little tree this is!

Heading to Spearfish, South Dakota for the night and it started to downpour. I love seeing how the clouds appear to be falling to the earth when it rains! Of course, they technically are!

Sunset in Spearfish, South Dakota. Day two is done!

That's all for today! What a busy time! Tomorrow we'll be driving towards Yellowstone and may spend a little while in the park tomorrow afternoon. More pictures to come, I'm sure!

Answers to prayer so far:
-Gas prices have been lower than $4 per gallon ever since we left Illinois.
-Calvin's trunk has not locked on me and I have been able to get things in and out of it without a problem. Huge answer to prayer!
-Driving has been smooth with no car problems whatsoever. Calvin (my car, for those of you who have not had the opportunity to become acquainted with him as of yet) has been a pretty happy camper so far!
-I successfully learned how to drive through the hills and how to downshift and use engine-braking when going downhill. Now to test it in the mountains in a couple days.

Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota

Whew! Thankful for a good drive today! God answered my prayer for an overcast sky in the morning. Then he gave Minnesota lots and lots and lots of rain. My windshield wipers got quite the workout for a good part of the afternoon. Later it was sunshiny but fairly cool. Enjoy the pictures!

Me and my lil' buddy Paul.
Just getting started. Let's roll!
We listened to a sermon by Jeff Crippen in Oregon on prayer, and then later in the day
we listened to the first three chapters of "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien.

We traveled along behind this Chicago police car for quite a while in Illinois.
It felt like we were behind Andy Griffith or Barney Fife from Mayberry! ;)

This is about how hilly Wisconsin got as we were
                                 driving through it.                               

More Wisconsin...

And more Wisconsin...

We stopped at the Wisconsin Dells to fill up or tanks... and fill up our tummies with a delicious picnic lunch.

The Mississippi River!  

And this is about as hilly as Minnesota got... at least the parts that we drove through. 

By the Mississippi River was hilly and then it started to level out.

And then it was flat.

Coming into Minnesota there was a wind turbine farm and I thought,
"Hmmmmm, Minnesota must be into clean energy!"

And boy, oh boy! It seems like that is the case! There were wind turbines all throughout the state!

Getting ready to exit Minnesota and STILL seeing those wind turbines!
I'm really curious about them now so I think I'll be doing some research. :)

We arrived in Sioux Falls right about supper time.
All in all, we spent about 9 hours on the road today. Not a bad start! 

Looking forward to seeing the 

Badlands and Mt. Rushmore tomorrow!

The story written on the road...

I'm turning the page today... this chapter is finished. My first classroom experience was rewarding and very valuable. I learned so much! But it's time to take the experience with me and leave the classroom behind now.

Now in front of me lies the blank, first page of the next chapter. This blank page looks an awful lot like a road! Time to travel to Washington! I'm really looking forward to watching the scenery change as I travel across the country. I've always wanted to take a road trip across the country, to visit the great national parks along the way, to visit the Pacific Ocean, to travel through the Rockies. I appreciate your prayers as me and my family drive! I'll try to remember to take lots of pictures for those of you who would like to become virtual travelers through this blog!

For starters, here is my Indiana picture... flat, flat, flat with lots of corn, silos, and farm houses!

First stop? Chicago!

Missing you all already...

Packing, repacking, and repacking again!

As much as I tried to avoid it, I am re-packing. I thought maybe... maybe... if I packed really well and really thoughtfully the first time then I would only have to pack once.

HAHAHA!

Just shows what a novice I am at this whole "move across the country" thing. ;-)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the semi that was going to take my stuff for me fell through and so I went to Plan B for moving all my earthly goods to Washington.

I'll be using Amtrak Express. It is actually a remarkably cheap way to ship things! It costs $50 for the first 100 pounds and then $0.57 per pound after the first 100 pounds, up to 500 pounds. If you have more than 500 pounds then it starts over again, $50 for the first 100 pounds and then $0.57 per pound after that. So I'm hoping that the total cost will still be under $500. Still much more than Plan A (it's hard to beat almost free!) but significantly cheaper than hauling it all across on a moving truck!

You can't ship breakables or electronics or furniture though. And all of the boxes have to be cardboard boxes that are 3ft by 3ft by 3ft or smaller and weigh less 50 pounds or less.

Soooo... no plastic tubs. And that's the rub for me, haha. I had like 4 plastic tubs plus 2 rolly-things that are made out of plastic. So this afternoon I went through the boxes that were neatly stacked in my living room and pulled out the containers that don't meet the criteria. I then did a trial run of loading up my car to make sure I could fit all of the things that don't meet the shipping criteria. Some things didn't make the cut and will have to be repacked into cardboard boxes.

I started  with a base layer of the hard, plastic containers. Who knew my car could hold so many plastic tubs, I mean seriously! This my little Calvin! This sports car has some serious hauling capabilities!

Then I filled up the other nooks and crannies with more squishable things. And yes, I can close the trunk. And no, it doesn't even touch the back window yet!

Filled up the front seat with some of my things that needed to be a bit more accessible.

Now if you know me at all, you probably know that I'm kind of OCD. No, not diagnosed OCD but have some pretty serious tendencies in that direction. Just ask my college friends who had to do projects with me...  or the teachers I taught with this past year... or my sister who shared a room with me for 20 years... or my mom who raised me....

And let me just tell you, even though I know it's ridiculous, I'm kind of stressing out just thinking about having my car this full and this messy for the drive out to Washington. I unloaded it all after I was sure all the necessary things would fit and I must say I was so relieved to have it OUT of my car. Hahaha!

So please, Mom and Dad, let me put some of this in your car for the drive out to Washington. I would feel so much better if I felt like my trunk was a little bit more organized! 

Prayer request in regards to my car being this full. My trunk has the weird little quirk (I love my quirky, character-filled cars ;-) where sometimes it will lock itself and not even pushing the unlock button repeatedly will unlock it. The only way to get it unlocked is to climb into the trunk from the front of the car and unlock it from the INSIDE of the trunk... yeah, probably not going to be a very good option when the car is this full! Please pray that this does not happen for a few weeks for me. :-) It would just make things much easier if the lock worked at all times.

Speaking of prayer, thank you for praying for me! God has been providing for me! He has sent a couple of small gifts my way to help pay for gas. Please keep praying that I would trust him to provide for all my needs!

Power of Prayer

Ye have not, because ye ask not.

Yes, I have been feeling worried. And yes, I know that God will provide. But am I praying earnestly for what I need and for what I desire? Not as urgently and fervently as I should.

I listened to this sermon today and found it very convicting, helpful, and encouraging... all in one.

Prayer - Breath of a Christian

Give it a listen if you've been feeling discouraged!

God Provides... always.

God gives good gifts to his children. He takes care of their needs. Always. Granted, sometimes what we THINK we need is very different from what God KNOWS we need. But God never neglects his children. I know this because he promises it to me in His Word, and he has never broken a promise.

In Philippians 4 the apostle Paul is commending the church in Philippi for their sacrificial giving. He then goes on to say,

“And my God will supply every need of yours

according to the riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (vs. 19)

God will not let his child be in want because he or she gave sacrificially at another time. He supplies the needs of those who honor him.

In Matthew 6 Jesus exhorts us to be concerned not with worldly treasure but to instead focus on heavenly treasures:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where

thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in

and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (vs. 19-21)

Personally, I’m tempted to be a hoarder with my money… save! save! save! I tend to pinch my pennies and am very slow to spend them. Not that it is all bad to be a saver. It definitely has its virtues. But it also can really impede your ability to give freely and easily. And also, from my experience, when times get tough and money is tight, it is very easy to take on the mindset of, “Oh no! Money is low! I need to do this, and this, and this! And scrimp here, and save there, and cut my giving ministry there…” And that’s where it starts to really go downhill. I’m no longer mentally able to let go of what was never really mine to begin with. I have started to put my trust in my financial means instead of the Lord. And when I put my trust in earthly things I automatically start to worry.

It’s almost like Jesus knew that people would have this thought process! (I’m being sarcastic here… of course he knows our thought processes.) Which is why it is so helpful and encouraging to read these words a little further on in Matthew 6:

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or

‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the

Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly

Father knows that you need them all.” (vs. 31 and 32)

Our Father KNOWS our needs. You know what one of the best parts of our heavenly Father’s knowledge? That it is more than just a head knowledge. Our Father knows what are problems are and what is needed to solve them. In fact he knows each problem before it arrives AND has it solved for us before we are even faced with it! Basically, it takes away every reason for us to worry.

Jesus Christ goes on to tell us how to talk to our Father about our problems. We are to ask him to solve them for us! Matthew 7:11 says,

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good

gifts to your children, how much more will your Father

who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Okay folks, God knows our needs. He knows how to solve them. He has the solution all ready to go before we even know we need a solution. But he STILL delights in being asked. And we should find joy in asking because it should remind us that he is ready, and able, and willing to give.

In Luke 12:24 we are given another reason not to worry:

“Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have

Neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.

Oh how much more value are you than the birds!”

There really is no reason for us to worry. God cares for his other creatures very well. They survive and are very happy little creatures. They glorify God just by being alive and are a testament to his faithfulness. How much more will he care for us since we are made in His very own image? How much more since his Son DIED to give us life? What is it saying about our faith when we trust our own barns and storehouses (aka: banks accounts and insurances) more than the God-man who came to die for us… I mean, he DIED for us! Why am I worried again?

A little later in Matthew 11 we are told,

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I

will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from

me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest

for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (vs. 28-30)

I find it so tempting to carry around my own one-person yoke. I want to do it all. I want to plan it out, control all the variables, create a financial plan that is so detailed and exact and then expect it to play out exactly the way I have planned it. And then I start to worry… What if something goes wrong? What if I miscalculated (afterall, math really isn’t my strong point)? What if something unexpected  comes up and messes up my plan, or worse, throws the whole plan completely out of the picture???

You see, for a planner and a perfectionist like me worry is a huge temptation. I NEED to just give Christ my burden, take his yoke, ask the Father to supply for my needs, and then run so as to win the race.

Please pray for me. I’m being tempted to worry a lot right now. Moving is expensive… kind of more expensive than I was expecting. I was really relying on my own means and thinking that if I just constructed a concrete, foolproof plan I would be able to just glide through. But little things keep popping up and as these little things were NOT a part of my plan I can feel my mind starting to wander and worry.

       But I don’t want to worry.

            I just want to trust my God.

                  Because in the end, trusting is so much sweeter and wonderful than worrying.

                        Please friends, please pray for me.

                            Pray that I will trust.

“I am trusting thee to guide me;

Thou alone shalt lead;

Every day and hour supplying

All my need.”

-Frances R. Havergal

Short update :)

Greetings faithful readers!

This has been a busy week! I spent a good part of the week helping some missionaries who are preparing to head out to the Middle East. They moved out on Saturday and are putting their house up for rent, so I spent the week cleaning house, watching kids, weeding gardens for them. What a privilege to get to know these missionaries before they leave for the Middle East!

The rest of the week I spent helping the Pastor's family. They have four kids... one biological and three adopted. It has been a privilege to be a part of the daily family life of this family. I have also been learning some handy tricks and new recipes for allergy friendly cooking. :) The family eats gluten and dairy free which has been really good for me. I definitely can tell a difference with the dairy , and we'll see about the gluten. I know it takes longer to really tell about whether or not gluten effects you. Meanwhile, I'm getting a good, clean start.

This week I'll  be watching the kids for a few days while the pastor and his wife go on a little get-a-way. I have a few fun activities planned for the kiddos... should be fun!

It looks like I'll be coming back to Indiana a few days earlier than I had planned. The semi that I was going to send my stuff out to Washington has very limited room on this trip, and so I need to investigate an alternate plan. It looks like shipping by train is the cheapest, but I'll have to figure out how to get the timing right so that I'm on the other side to collect it when it gets there.

Thank you for your continued prayers!