30 years...

Friday marks my 30th birthday, and my soul is at peace with this.  In fact, it is quiet happy to be living the 20's behind me.  LOL.  I am off to new adventures, with the troubled sea of my 20's behind me.  I had so many things to figure out, so many trials to wander through, and so many good friends to make.  I am glad for it all, and the Lord has certinally worked it all out for my good.  Some saddly just cant see the good in it yet.  O well!  Tis life.  Looking forward to sharing with all of you 10 more grand years, and prayerfully many more!
~  Traveller Gal, out!

Christmas was good...

 After a rough Christmastide, Christmas weekend and day were good.  As gifts go, this year was one of the best in years:  beautiful gray sweeter, awesome Starbucks cocoa gift set, a bike rack to take "Gypsy" bike places on "Stormy" car, heavy winter coat, two dressy western flannel shirts (one green & one turquoise), and a nice pair of snow boots (plus many small items too!).  But even more important were the memories made and those shared.  I am here spending time in KY with my beloved Robby, and with the coming winter storms, will be here longer than originally planed.  ^_^



A thought from Christmas' gone by:
THE LADEN TABLE ~ Irish Christmas Eve Tradition

After the evening meal on Christiams Eve, the Kitchen table was again set, and upon it was placed a loaf of bread filled with raisins and caraway seeds, a milk pitcher, and a large lit candle.  The door of the house would be left unlatched so that Mary and Joseph, or any wandering traveller, could partake of the welcome meal.

Such it was in days of old, and now again we will seek to do that again.  As I have begun prepping for whatever path God has for the future, I began looking over alot of notes and remembering stories from my journey, I wonder where is all this going?

~ Traveller Gal, out!

About God...

Pre-script: A Christian writer issued a challenge to "progressive theo-bloggers" to write something about God.  While I am not a progressive, (I am a blend of Baptist and Celtic Christianity), I thought the challenge was task worthy, progressive or not.

Blog: 
God, the great Elohim, Yahweh, Yehovah, Emmanuel - the God who is with us.  God is never easy for me to really describe.  Even the writers of the Bible, in both reverence and lack of ability, could only write as much as He showed them to...as in truth He is indescribable.  

I tend to be old fashioned, I do call God "He", though He is a spiritual being, as He calls him self "Father" and tells us to call him "Abba Father" aka "Daddy Father", our own personal father.  I know that might step on some toes, but I cannot think of Him as anything other than "Daddy", and often as some may have noticed, call Him so in my prayers, both on the blog and personally.

To me, it is hard just to talk of God, for He is Triune... 3 in 1... the great Trinity.  As Patrick of Ireland's Breastplate starts, "I arise today to a mighty strength, to the invocation of the Trinity.  Through the belief in the Oneness, through the confession of the Threeness, of the Creator of the Universe."

So to conclude, God is bigger than anyone can image, greater than the sum of the universe, more righteous than then best judge, and more loving than the kindest father. "Might He bless you and your life's journeys! Amen!"

~ Traveller Gal, out!

Basketball Camp 1

Wow, what a week.  Last Sunday through Wednesday we were swamped with children and teens for our church's (First Baptist Church of Thoreau) first summer basketball camp.  We had 13 salvation/re-dedications (plus a few more that we didn't get names), and 30-40 young people every day.

We had at first planned to just give them snacks, juice, and water, but the Lord provided for us in away that only He can get the credit for.  Every day we were able to feed these youth full meals, plus snacks with donations and food that was provided for us.  If any stomics left hungry, it was because they did not eat what they were given, not that the Lord did not provide!  PTL!

We were sad to see the team from Crossfire leave, but with more outreaches, including another basketball camp later in July, we have much to prepare for as the summer moves forward.

Keep Robby and me in prayer as we seek God as to how He wants us to serve even more.

~ Traveller Gal, out!

29 years and counting...

 Thinking Back....

Twenty-nine years, that is a long time to walk the earth.  There have been alot of ups and alot of downs on this journey, both of the heart and of the soul.  In my first six months, I had 3 mothers: birth, foster, adopted.  In my first 3 years of life I had at least 4 homes.  At four I surrendered my life to God.  At seven I was called to missions... and the rest is history!

At 15 I went on my first mission trip, Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico.  At 16 I was called to the Navajo.  Just after that, still in my 16th year, I became very ill and was bedridden most of the time till late in my 17th year.  At 18 I went on my second missions trip, New Orleans, LA, USA.  At 19 I began doing online ministry to the subcultures and at-risk teens.  At 23, I went on my third mission trip, to Charlotte, NC, USA.  At 24, I sought to start a safe house for at risk youth, but never totally got it up off the ground.  Later that year, at almost 25, I married my beloved Rob Nickles.

At  25, I went for the first time on a mission trip to Navajo Nation, as Rob had done off and on since 1995.  Then that same year we moved to Chicago, and remained for 14 months.  Then it was off to Kentucky, Kansas, and Arizona, before moving to Thoreau NM.  What joys, what trials, and what blessings lie between!  Such a life I have lead, out here on the open road... God has been good even in the hard times.  I am blessed.


~ Traveller Gal, out!