Happy New Year

2013 has begun. Happy New Year to all my family and friends and to whoever else the Lord many lead to my blog. Rich and I have been praying for awhile now asking the Lord to direct our decisions, and after much prayer we made the decision to move back to NY if our house does not sell by my birthday in March. Our plan is to drive the Morningstar back to NY and enjoy the beautiful experience. We plan to leave the OYCM in early June and travel the inter-coastal waterway from Florida to NY.  We hope to take all summer exploring and making memories. Once we get back to NY we will store the boat for the winter and see what the Lord has in store for us. Of course the Lord is able to change our plans as He sees fit and we are 100% in favor of it. It is time for us to pursue our dream and we are open to the new adventure the Lord has in store of us. The Lord has called all of us to a faith walk and without faith it is impossible to please God. So our hearts are set on following the direction of the Lord.

 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

I believe that in 2013 the Lord wants me to come to Him with a teachable spirit eager to be changed.  I have come to learn a life walk with Jesus is one of continual newness. I believe in 2013 the Lord is telling me not to cling to my old ways as I step into this New Year. It is my desire to seek the Lord’s face with an open mind knowing that my journey will involve being transformed by the renewing of my mind. I have learned that when I focus my mind on Jesus, He is always attentive to me. He sees me with a steady eye always focused on me and what is best for me. Jesus knows me completely and loves me unconditionally. So as 2013 begins Rich and I are going to obey God and give ourselves fully to the adventure of increasing attentiveness to God’s presence and will for us.

Oh precious Lord Jesus as I learn to come into your presence and spend more time with you, please help my thoughts not to jump ahead to future plans and problems. Bring my mind back to you so I can experience your refreshment and renewal. Let your healing love and presence soak into me as I focus my thoughts on you. Help me become equipped to face whatever my day may bring.  I need your strength and the refreshment of your presence. I believe that you go before me to open up the way and also walk beside me. I know that when I ask you and acknowledge you that you truly will make your path clear. Thank you Precious Jesus.

I had a doctor appointment this morning. She gave me a 1300 calorie meal plan. She told me not to expect to loss much weight for three months that my body does not trust me (my paraphrase) and I must prove myself by eating healthy for three months before the true effects will kick in. I have never heard that before. I just know that it has been harder to lose weight. I already committed to doing a  21 day Daniel Fast which I am beginning on Sunday but once it is over I will go right on the new eating plan. It really does look healthy. So a few hours ago I said goodbye to my last double chocolate fudge brownie. That was much easier than having to say goodbye to my afternoon Gate Coffee experience. I am excited about the changes that will be taking place this year and I know as long as I hold onto the hand of Jesus I will make it. In my prayer time each day I will be praying for all of my followers. Happy New Year and may the Lord bless you and keep you healthy and safe. In these days of unexpected times Jesus is the only true anchor to hold on to. Be Blessed!

Merry Christmas

Sending you all our love this Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Be Blessed.

My sister Maisie!

My sister Maisie is now my ninth follower! It is nice to know you will be following Rich and I through my blog. I love you Maisie!

I started decorating for Christmas. I took out our tree and decorated it. I put out my nativity that was a special gift from my son Brian under it. I found some battery operated star lights and Rich put them on the shelf on the sundeck. I started shopping, I ordered two gifts.  Pictures will follow soon!

Have a beautiful Monday and a Spirit lead week!

Be Blessed

This picture reminds me of my sister Maisie when she was a child

Happy Thanksgiving

We all have so much to be thankful for. As we get older Rich and I are more thankful for our health. We are so thankful for our family and friends and to Jesus for providing us with with our beautiful  "Morningstar" Rich has been working every week on the "Morningstar". We are getting her ready to head north. I now have a new electric head, all new faucets in the bathrooms, kitchen, and sundeck sink. All the electric and pumbing have been replaced and Rich refinished the gally (kitchen)

I am so thankful for Ally's surgery going so well and the dreams they are about to experienced. I am thankful Brian was able to get someone to trap six beavers on our property. Brian said one Beaver was 65 pounds. I am sad that we had to say goodby for now to our dear and precious friend, Danny Hughes, Lebanon will never be the same without Danny. Oh the joy in knowing heaven is a real place and we will one day see our old friends again. I am thankful that my prayer sisters and I will be starting our new Bible Study on God's Grace" I am thankful for everyone I love and who's friendship I treasured.  here is a photo of me relaxing on board with my Thanksgiving Day sale ads and a cup of Gate Cap/coffee mixture.

Life is good!

Be Blessed!

Hello Fall

Fall is such a beautiful time of year.

I know it has been months since I updated my blog. In fact as I look at my last entry and realize my last post was at the start of hurricane season, I am thankful we did not get any hurricanes in Jacksonville.

Rich, Lucky and I spent our summer in NY. We had a nice time. The weather was beautiful. The only problem we encountered was how to get rid of  the beavers that move onto our land. They took ownership of our pond and stream. They made several dams to make new homes for their ever growing family. Rich was truly amazed at how clever they were in building their dams. Below the surface was so much heavy mud that you actually needed a machine to completely destroy it. They used any type of wood they could find and even had some pressure treated lumber attached to their dam. Since we no longer have a backhoe Rich used a shovel to break down their dam and it was exhausting work. Rich would tear down a section of the dam and get the water flowing but within a few days the beavers had it rebuilt. Our son Brain is going to have some of his friends trap the beavers once trapping season begins. We just spoke to Brian and he said the beavers have the whole area flooded again right now.

 One of the Beaver dams 

We also had to have a new roof put on the house. The winters are so bad in central NY that a 25 year roof shingle only lasted us 12 years. Rich knew the roof would not hold up for another winter without starting to leak. We hired a roofing company and they did a good job. 

We brought our dinghy to NY so Rich could restore it. We took our grandson Adam with us for a sea trial on the Lebanon Reservoir. This was Adam's first time in a boat of any size and he loved it.

In June, Amanda a reporter from the Resident Community News's asked me if I would do an interview. She wanted to know what it was like living on a boat and why we chose the Ortega Yacht Club Marina. I invited her aboard and we talked for quite awhile. She took the following pictures of us for the article. Her story was in the August edition. Since we were in NY in August, Amanda saved us a few newspapers and gave them to us when we came back. 

 We are now back at the OYCM and Rich is starting on the repairs that need to be completed so we can  move off of the dock and begin traveling.

Be Blessed!

Morningstar

Go Away Tropical Storm Debby !

Using sandbags to try and keep the rising water of  Alligator Creek out of homes in Bradford County.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -

After two days of rain, Tropical Storm Debby promises to bring more of the same in the coming days as it continues to hover in the Gulf of Mexico, in no apparent hurry to make landfall. The National Hurricane Center said early Tuesday that Debby was about 90 miles west of Cedar Key and moving eastward at 3 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, barely tropical-storm status.Still, the storm made its presence felt Monday, bringing driving rains that caused flooding in low-lying areas across hundreds of miles of north Florida and the Gulf coast. 

Rain Rain Go Away. Lucky needs to go out to play!

Be Blessed!

Dudley the Dolphin

I saw a dolphin this morning. I only saw it for few seconds and I wished I had my camera nearby.  The heavy rains from Tropical Storm Debby had just stopped. Rich walked out of the boat with Lucky and I followed them out to the sundeck. I wanted to see how wet it was.  The river was running fast and to my amazement I saw a dolphin fin. The dolphin was swimming very quickly and I only saw it for a moment and than he was gone. I decided to name my new dolphin friend Dudley. I called out for Rich but he was out walking Lucky. Last week Rich saw a manatee by the captain’s lounge. It was eating off the grasses by the dock. Rich found Myron and showed it to him.  When he came back and told me I was disappointed. I have yet to see a manatee. Since we have been living at the OYCM I already saw a baby alagator and a very large turtle but I have never saw a manatee. I wasn't the first to see this dolphin. Vince told me the other evening he heard them.

Living Aboard the Morningstar is a blessing!

Be Blessed!