✔️Marked safe – Camping survival

Just returned from a five day camping trip with my Bible study group to Charleston, SC. One of our friends and her husband have a cute little camper that sleeps four, which was all we needed with our Bible study group of four. It was tight, but we made it work. It takes a special type of friends to be able to exist together for a few days in a small space, being in each others hair, and having no place to escape for alone time. (Except for maybe the tiny bathroom ) But we survived and we had so much fun making memories. Sure some “feathers” got a bit ruffled. Anytime you put four girls together in a small camper, packed in at night like sardines in a (very organized) can, you’re going to see all the glorious sides of your friends. I think it equals “sisterhood”. Gotta love it!

I’m actually sitting here eating organic mango homemade yogurt made from raw milk. It was left over from our week as we really didn’t eat much breakfast except for one day. I will get to that in a minute. I nicknamed one friend “Skinny Paula Dean” because honestly she can make just about anything healthy from scratch. Take the raw milk yogurt for example. She also made home made bread, and brought homemade ice cream from home that she had also made with raw milk and home made vanilla extract. Oh my goodness! It was delicious!One morning she toasted homemade bread, topped with smashed avocado, egg and preservative free bacon. It was divine! I believe we ate better at the camper than we did while we were out.

One friend had never been camping or to Charleston which birthed the idea of going. Tami is the most familiar with the area and she made sure our sister got the full experience of this historic gem. We did a self guided walking tour that Tami lead using a book she bought on her last trip there. We shopped in the outdoor market, did a horse carriage tour that Tami interpreted for us. We visited a church and sat in the pew section George Washington sat in. We walked through an old old old graveyard. We toured a magnificent home, a prison/dungeon used in the civil war and walked through the battery. We also took our friend over the huge bridge (where evidently we aren’t supposed to talk- If you know, you know😂) We also saw Folly Beach and the really nice pier there. My favorite part was seeing the Angel Oak Tree. I’m going to write a separate blog on that part. It was incredible.

One of our friends documented it all in pictures. She has such an eye for detail and sent the pictures pretty much in the order they occurred but adding others pictures in kind of shuffled the chronological order but the trip is seriously worth it’s own photo album.

The one down fall of an otherwise perfect week was I missed my quiet times in the morning with the Lord. My eyes were so “spent” on communicating with sign language. When I went to sleep at night I read a few verses one night but was tired. Saying a short prayer I went to sleep. I’m thankful that God speaks through multiple ways: through nature, through history, through the Holy Spirits guidance in dealing with situations. I thought on more than one occasion while away, that the people we interact with see our responses and our manners. I hope to be a light to those around me. Do they see Jesus or do they see a tired frustrated person? Life lessons abound everywhere we go if we are willing to let God reveal them to us. It is such a humbling honor to walk with the Lord each day and try to be all He calls me to be. It takes humility and putting others before yourself. It means letting others have their way, but in doing so it keeps the peace.

I’m thankful for my Bible study group who are like sisters. I’m thankful for God’s guidance each day and His gentle correction as we fall short, get up and try again. He is so faithful.

In the next few days I want to reflect on seeing the Angel Oak Tree. That will be my next blog….. Coming soon. I love sharing what God puts in my heart. I certainly can’t do this “on the fly” but when I’m still before God. I pray it’s a blessing to you. If you like it, please feel free to subscribe and pass it along to bless someone else. We all need encouragement. You can find my autobiography Rooted by the Water on Amazon. I hope it inspires you to never give up in hard situations. God is always there to help us. Surrendering to Him years ago was the best decision I’ve ever made. Be blessed and better yet, be a blessing.

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