Saturday, August 24, 2013
Homecoming
After much time spent searching and monitoring Craigslist, I found the one - a 1971 Golden Falcon Travel trailer. It has a lot of problems but also a lot of potential. My (unbelievably supportive) parents and I drove 2 hours to go get the trailer yesterday afternoon and 7 hours later (due to some electrical issues and taking the scenic route) we made it home...safe and sound. So there it sits on the driveway as a blank canvas waiting to be made into something (hopefully) beautiful. I have high hopes, but am afraid that in reality its only naivety. That's for time to tell, but as for now I'm dreaming, visioning, budgeting, researching and digging in! And so the journey begins...
The Beginnings
Traveling only made me realize that there is so much to see, and I didn't want to stop.
Somewhere in southern Iowa, driving home from a trip to Montana with my grandparents, after drinking my share of coffee, Grandpa listening to Rush in the passenger seat, Grandma taking a nap in the back seat - that's when the idea was born, as a truck pulling a fifth wheel flew past us in the opposite direction.
Thought: "I wonder if you could live in one of those."
So I asked Grandpa: "well, you could" he said, "but not too easily."
The wheels started turning "Why couldn't you? Really? If it were self-contained. Certainly cheaper than buying an immobile home. It's all I would REALLY need. An investment perhaps?...etc..."
After tossing around the idea in my head for the next 5 hours on the way home and after showing pictures and telling stories to my parents upon our arrival, I presented the idea to them.
The more I talked about how awesome it would be, the more excited I became.
It just made since. And so the dream began and the journals were started...
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
...Another (Wo)man's treasure....
Dad deemed her a 50-footer. From 50 feet, she looks great; however, the closer you get to the Golden Falcon, the more her age shows. Rusty wheels, bent sheet metal, missing lights, a careless paint job. The previous owner even mentioned his consideration of scrapping her. Yes, she's endured some abuse in her 42 years and when you step inside this only becomes more obvious. I suppose that whenever we went to look at her for the first time, my imagination blinded me to all of these flaws. Despite Dad's more realistic observations and comments, I only saw the wonderful windows (on which I can't wait to add some shutters!), the large bathroom, the original detailed switch plates and hardware, the daisy curtain rods, the nice double sink, what color I would paint the walls and where I would place a bookshelf. Now that she's home, the flaws have become undeniable and they must be faced, but that's ok, because still all I see is the home she will one day be.
As I'm writing this, I can't help but to steep in the truth of the Gospel - the redemption and renewal we have received through the Resurrection of Christ. From a distance I might not seem so shabby, but the closer you get, the more undeniable my sin becomes. And like the hearts and minds of those pharisees that Jesus rightly compared to as "white-washed tombs," my heart and my mind are equally condemnable (Matt. 23:27-28). Yet, miraculously, they are not condemned, but cleansed because Jesus, holy and righteous, chose to suffer and die on our behalf. But not only did he die for us, carrying away our sin, He rose, rolling away the stone of the tomb - conquering death, giving us life, hope, and a future of rejoicing in Him forevermore. It is because of this irrevocable love that the Father does not see us as stained sinners, but instead He forgives our sins and sees us as His children (Galatians 3:26) - holy, pure, and righteous (2 Cor. 5:21). The work is done, the debt is paid, the case is over - He calls us His own, and we are His, forever (Romans 8:38-39).
"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come."
2 Corinthians 5:17
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