Happy Glamper

Today’s blogpost is a continuation from our previous blogposts. To catch up, please read our previous blogposts, thanks!

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:18, NKJV)

"I will make a road in the wilderness"...some words just jump right off the page when they, all the sudden have deeper meaning!

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. (Jeremiah 29:11, KJV)

"Thoughts of peace"...yea...that...

God is doing a new thing in our lives, a very different thing! 

I deleted two boards from my Pinterest account today: 

• Log Cabin Decor (bye-bye log cabin dream)
• Mountain Retreat (c'ya...don't wanna b ya)

And created a new one:

• Going Minimalist

I began researching minimalism about three years ago. The first blog that made a deep impression and made me really start thinking, was 

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/about-us/ 

If that link doesn't work, please google becoming minimalist blog.

We also watched documentaries on "Tiny Houses."

At that time, I felt so busy. But I also felt like wasn't accomplishing much. I determined to refuse to become a part of what I call "perpetual busyness". 

I was beginning to hear more and more people say:

• I would love to get together but I've just been so busy.
• I want to get the kids together, but we're just so busy right now.
• Let's get the families together soon but the next few weeks are very busy.

Hey, we own five stores...I completely understand busy days, busy weeks, and busy "seasons"; however, I don't understand how a person functions well in a lifestyle of longterm busyness.

Back in the day, I remember ladies dropping by to have coffee with my grandmother. I remember long walks with my Daddy, and by long I mean all day long while we checked on cows, looked for a missing calf, or checked on fences. I remember going fishing with my stepmomma almost every summer evening. I remember the earliest days of my relationship with Mike, walking out properties searching for the perfect spot for a deer stand. What am I saying, almost twenty years later we are still searching for perfect hunting spots!

No cellphone coverage. 

No internet. 

No interruptions. 

No distractions. 

The ultimate FaceTime. 

It just didn't make sense to me, all the modern technology was suppose to free up more time to do the things we love. Instead, I felt like technology was trying to imprison me to do more of the things I didn't love. While completely sucking time and energy out of me, leaving me with an inability to do those things I really loved.

A few years back, I spent the day with a friend. She received over seventy phone calls while we were "together". 

All this caused me to look at my girls and think...I only have about eight more years to impress upon them all the important things my Daddy impressed upon me.

• godly wisdom
• character
• integrity
• life lessons
• relationship

At this point, my girls were already eight and ten years old. Those years had flown by in a flash. I knew the next eight to ten wouldn't go by any slower than the first eight to ten.

We were at a crossroad in our lives, the clock was ticking and my mind was clicking. 

Again, I entertained the thought of living in an RV. I mean...we are in The Last Frontier after all! I thought, “Is this totally crazy?” And, “Can we, a family of four, really live in an RV?” 

All the sudden, a door swung open. (Psalm 37:23) I came across information on RV living. In my research, I found a series of You Tube videos of a family, the Nortons. The Nortons live in an RV….with six small children. I knew at that moment, if she can do this with six…I know I can do this with two!

Thank God for You Tube! I quickly educated myself on the ins and outs of RV living. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I was intrigued, but even more, I was inspired and excited!

I truly believe God had already prepared my heart for this season. 

Two years ago we took our first RV trip from Oklahoma to Alaska. Last year, we took an RV trip around Alaska. (To read about our adventures, please refer to previous blogposts, thanks!) 

I hear you knocking, but no...you cannot come in. Bye-bye now!

Since then we’ve entertained the idea of living in an RV. I just wasn’t prepared to take that jump…....until now!

That’s right, our homeschool just turned into RV school! Mike prefers to call it, "Our Tiny Mansion"...he has always had such a way with words!

It has never taken Mike and I very long to make life changing decisions! My close friend offered to keep our girls so we could go RV shopping. After shopping several dealerships, we are very excited to announce we bought our new second home, our RV!

Our Tiny Mansion!

http://www.granddesignrv.com/solitude-overview.php

If this link doesn’t work, please copy and paste it in your browser or google Grand Design Solitude Front Living. 

We couldn’t get our RV for 10 days due to inspections, servicing, etc. However, the dealership very graciously offered us an rv (free of charge) in the interim. Thanks ABC RV Sales! So we moved out of the hotel and into the temporary RV. During that time, we stayed at the Ship Creek RV Campground. It is very conveniently located in Anchorage. It is within walking distance of downtown and has a great walking trail right on Ship Creek. The campground has a great staff and is a full service campground (meaning full hook ups…water/electricity/sewer as well as showers and laundry). While it was really nice to have so many amenities and be within a few minutes of everything Anchorage has to offer, our hearts were still set on camping in the Alaska wilderness…as much wilderness as we could find while staying in an RV. 

Please join us in our next blogpost as we share with you how God ordered our steps in a life changing direction into this exciting new season of our lives! (Proverbs 16:9)

Where Do We Go From Here…and, How Do We Get There

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, NKJV) 

Today’s blogpost is a continuation from our previous blogposts. To catch up, please read our previous blogposts, thanks!

During this time, I had a close friend daily walking alongside me in prayer. She is a hardcore prayer warrior and we all need some of them close by! One day she texted me and said, “God wants you to, be still and know He is God.” A few days later, a close friend (in another state and knew nothing of what as going on) texted me and said, “God wants you to be still and know He is God.” Peace rushed over me. God’s Word is alive and changes everything! (Hebrews 4:12) I encourage you to always speak scripture over your life! How great is the love the Father lavishes on us! I had always known God was working things together for my good, but the two texts just confirmed He was my Rock and my Shield! (Romans 4:27, 1 John 3:1, Romans 8:28, Psalm 18:2)

As much as I didn’t want to choose the hotel option, we decided our next step would have to include a brief hotel stay. That short season reminded me of a previous season when we stayed in a hotel due to permitting issues on an apartment renovation on Maui when I was pregnant with my youngest and my middle child was a toddler. God delivered me out of that situation and I knew He would quickly deliver me out of the current situation. (Psalm 18:2)

Several close friends, very graciously offered for us to stay with them so we wouldnt have to stay in a hotel. But we decided, we shouldn’t create disarray in their homes just because our home was in disarray. 

I believe God had been preparing me over the last few years for where I was in this season. A few years ago, God had put it on my heart to store up treasures in Heaven. (Matthew 6:20) I started researching “minimalism". In a culture that screams, “More!”, “Bigger!”, “Better!”, my heart was yearning for the opposite.  

I found myself fed up.

• Fed up with all the “stuff" that really doesn't matter.
• Fed up with payments with the majority of our money being applied to interest. 
• Fed up with paying three times over in interest what I had paid for an item.
• Fed up with not really grasping what was truly important.
• Fed up with not being able to see the forrest for the trees.

I was convinced, there had to be a better way…a more simple way. A more peaceful way. A way that would free up our time and space to do more of what really mattered to us, in excellence.

Before coming to Alaska, we had major plans. We were going to lease a cabin for a time, buy a house (which would be our second home), buy a second vehicle, furnish the house (furniture as well as household goods since we already have a home in Hawaii). But in the previous months, my heart continued to cry out for the opposite. But what is the opposite? We had to have a house and a second vehicle…

or...

did we?

Please join us in our next blogpost as we share with you how God ordered our steps in a life changing direction into this exciting new season of our lives! (Proverbs 16:9)

Decisions, Decisions

Thank you so much for your warm welcome as we move into this new season of blogging! We really appreciate you and your encouragement!

Today’s blogpost is a continuation from our previous blogpost. To catch up, please read our last blogpost, thanks!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, NKJV)

We decided buying was better than leasing. We set our hearts on a three story log cabin that was for sale and located right down the road from where we had been leasing. Unfortunately, three weeks and almost $500.00 later, the contract fell through because of extensive repair issues.

We were very disappointed because we had our hearts set on a log cabin located on the side of a mountain in Alaska! Isn’t that everyones Alaska dream?

We were quickly approaching the end of our lease. So we got back into the house hunting game. We found a charming retreat like home. It wasn’t exactly what we had our hearts set on but it was in a great location. It was more than we wanted to pay for a home but we were growing a little weary from work, and homeschool, while at the same time shopping for a home. We built a great relationship with our realtor and he kept encouraging us to keep going! 

*For confidentiality purposes, we won’t publicly disclose our realtor's information. However, if you are in the Anchorage Alaska area and need a really great realtor, please email us (staff@starterman.com) and we will be happy to give you a referral. 

Lastly, the home was older than we had wanted to buy, but it had a really great yard. Mike (my husband) and I, kept trying to make this house fit us.

Twenty-four hours before the contract expired (and another $500.00 later), we decided to submit a termination of agreement due to a long list of issues. Mike and I were in agreement…we just could not get peace to buy this house. 

At that point, we found ourselves with 24 hours remaining on our current lease, no home to buy, and no home to rent (in one of the busiest rental market seasons in Alaska). At that point, I didn’t know much but I did know I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus, God provides all my needs, He has never failed me, and He wasn’t going to fail me now. (Romans 8:37, Philippians 4:19, 1 Corinthians 1:9)

Please join us in our next blogpost as we share with you how God ordered our steps in a life changing direction into this exciting new season of our lives! (Proverbs 16:9)

Seasons Come and then, Seasons Go

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:"(Ecclesiastes 3:1, KJV)

If you are a follower of Key Tov Blog, you may have noticed we had taken a sabbatical. I was in a season where I needed more time for my children and since they are my first mission field (immediately after my husband), I recognized the need to temporarily step away from blogging in order to maximize and prioritize my time.

Now, we are entering into a new and exciting season and we have a lot of God’s amazing goodness to share with you! (Ecclesiastes 3:1, Psalm 100:5)

• First, God enlarged our “house” (Isaiah 54:2) and we opened another location (www.starterman.com) in the great Last Frontier, Alaska!
• Secondly, we’ve seen many changes over the last eight months since sharing our time between Hawaii and Alaska, as I am sure you can imagine!
• Thirdly, we are excited to bring you along with us as we blog about the most recent upcoming season in our lives!

Our first season in Alaska was an exciting time of leasing an amazing log cabin in the Chugach Mountain Range!

*For confidentiality purposes, 

I won’t disclose the location or the landlord’s name; however, 

if you find yourself in need of an amazing vacation rental in Alaska and 

want to do business with a really great landlord, 

please email us (staff@starterman.com) and 

we will be happy to give you a referral.

As that season (leasing the log cabin) was coming to a close, we were making decisions on where the Lord was leading us next. Lease another location, or buy? 

Please join us in our next blogpost as we share with you how God ordered our steps in a life changing direction into this exciting new season of our lives! (Proverbs 16:9)

*We are currently in a remote area so internet is not very reliable. 

As a result, we will post when we can. 

Thank you!

My Year of Doing and Being Different

 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39, NKJV)

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19, NKJV)


Earlier this year, our pastor challenged us to make the year 2014 different. He encouraged us to go out and do things we had never done before. His challenge excited me, I accepted his challenge with my whole heart and I did as many different things as I could squeeze into one year! I kept a list so that I wouldn't forget anything. 

My Year of Doing and Being Different:

• joined a gym 
• started making handmade cards (Let's just say I have been craft challenged.)
• started running 
• drove the Oregon Coast
• visited Yosemite
• significantly lowered my sugar intake
• ran the Happiest 5k on earth
• signed up for Lavaman
• started training for said Lavaman
• went glacier hiking (at times, that was glacier crawling)
• bruised my butt bone on said glacier
• ran the Gecko Gallup (5k) in Honolulu (with my youngest who spiked a fever midrace)
• opened another location in Alaska (www.starterman.com)
• due to geographical location, cancelled my Lavaman registration (awww shucks)
• kissed a pirate
• hung out with Superman
• danced with Rod Stewart at 70's Night at my church
• learned how to cross country ski
• hiked to the top of Hunter's Pass (Eagle River Alaska)
• addressed some major relationship issues
• lost 12 pounds
• finished a Spartan Race
• sprained my ankle
• taught homeschool in my bed for the next 2 weeks to keep my ankle elevated 

During the Spartan Race (mentioned above), I did a list of things I had never done before.

• walked in a creek for approximately 1/4 mile...neck deep (in very cold water)
• climbed (some may call it crawled) a cargo net that was draped over a ditch
• slid down a 6' berm into a mud pit
• swallowed mud
• crawled underneath barb wire draped over a mud pit
• carried 25 pounds of steel shot up a hill...and back down again
• pulled a huge truck tire up a hill
• crawled underneath barb wire draped over a mud pit...again
• swallowed mud...again
• threw a spear
• used a rope to climb over an a frame wall
• hopped across the finish line...with assistance

All this caused me to come very close to throwing up three times and almost passing out twice. I had thrown up before...but not passed out. Both are added to the list for effect. 


As I look back over the year 2014, I see:

• many things I didn't think I could ever do
• somethings I thought I could do but were way more difficult than I had anticipated
• some things I had to do that still come as a total shock to me

As I look forward to the year 2015, I see:

• I am more than a conqueror 
• God delivers me out of all affliction
• nothing can separate me from God's love

How can I make such a bold proclamation? Because God says I can. (Romans 8:37-39, Psalm 34:19, 2 Timothy 3:16, Numbers 23:19) And if you belong to Him, (1 Corinthians 7:23, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) you can make the same bold proclamation. Please don't allow another day to go by without God as your deliverer! (Psalm 18:2)


If you've never accepted Jesus as your Lord, please pray this simple, life changing prayer with me. 

Father, in the name of Jesus, I acknowledge Your Son Jesus. I believe You are and I believe You are a rewarder! I believe Jesus died for me and on the third day, He rose again! I believe Jesus concurred death, hell, and the grave! Jesus, I invite you to come into my heart as my Lord and my Savior! Thank You for saving me! Old things have passed away and You make all things new! Jesus, You are my good Shepherd, please guide me, teach me, and show me Your perfect plan for my life...my life starts now! Thank You for calling me out of darkness and into Your marvelous light! 

If you have accepted Jesus in the past; however, have been walking with something or someone other than Him as your Lord, please pray this simple, life changing prayer with me. God always wants you back!

Father, in the name of Jesus, please forgive me for going my own way. Thank You for always wanting me back...no matter how far I think I've gone or the bad I think I've done. Thank You that the Blood of Jesus is always enough! Thank You for always loving me! Thank You for always accepting me! Thank You for always wanting me! Thank You for choosing me! I boldly proclaim today, today is a new day for me! I will never go back to my own ways, but I will walk in Your Word all the days of my life! And I will spend the rest of my days honoring and blessing You! Thank You for calling me out of darkness and into Your marvelous light! 


Now that you are empowered with God's promises, what are you going to do different this year? We would love to hear from you!




Romans 10:9
2 Corinthians 5:17
John 10:11
1 Peter 2:9
Isaiah 53:6

Oregon Coast

Yosemite National Park

I'm a Survivor!

Happy-Happy-Happy

Proof that I hung out with Superman!

Kissing my Pirate

Hiking Alaska

Hiking/crawling on Matanuska Glacier

My night with "Rod Stewart", his backup singer and "Donna Summer"

Hiking Hunter's Pass

It's a Trap

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 

(Proverbs 4:23, NLT)

A while back, my youngest child decided she wanted to trap a wild bird for scientific (but mostly fun) purposes. 

She constructed her (very unsophisticated) trap, using two plastic bins, packing tape, string, a toilet paper core and some bird seed.

One look at her trap and I was thinking, “This will never work.” But much to my surprise, she trapped four birds in a very short amount of time.

Another thing that greatly surprised me, was the fact that the birds just kept coming back to the trap. The trap was not elaborate or camouflaged in any way. Other birds perched in the trees near our deck and watched their bird friends get caught in the trap. But seeing all still this didn’t deter the birds. They kept willingly hopping right into the trap. It seemed they were lined up waiting for their turn in the trap!

I was watching as she trapped bird after bird. I wondered, “How does this happen? How does she keep trapping these (obviously intelligent) birds?” 

The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said,

“The birds only see the bait. They don’t see the trap.”

Oh hello...somebody stand up and shout!

The birds were so focused on the bait…they completely ignored the trap.

Bait (defined by Merriam-Webster and for our purposes today) is, "to try to make (someone) angry by using criticism or insults” and "to use dogs to make (an animal, such as a bear or bull) angry or afraid”.

Trap (defined by Merriam-Webster and for our purposes today) is, "something by which one is caught or stopped unawares” and "a position or situation from which it is difficult or impossible to escape”. (Emphasis are mine.)

Bait comes in different forms. Birdseed was an effective bait for the birds; however, what bait can effectively be used to trap you? 

Every day, in every circumstance, life and death is placed before us. The power in that is…we get to choose. We choose life, blessings, prosperity, good, or curses, disaster, adversity, evil. ((Deuteronomy 30:15, NLT, NKJV, NASB, YLT) 

At times, some of us have been trapped into doing what others believe we should do...even though, we know what to do and not do in order to guard our hearts. Listen, at times...you are the only one who will make diligently guarding your heart a priority. Don't allow anything rob you of that.  If your life hasn't been on the course you want it to be on...examine yourself to insure you have been guarding your heart.

I pray for every reader today to, immediately recognize the traps that are set before us and for each of us to look straight through the bait and see and avoid the trap. In the name of Jesus, I declare we choose life!

DISCLAIMER: No birds were harmed in this scientific study or blogpost.

Church Work is W.O.R.K.

For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. (2 Corinthians 9:10, NLT)

I’ve done a lot of church work. 

My first “ministry” was baking cakes every Sunday morning for our church’s fellowship time which required me to get up at 5:30 a.m. 

On Sunday…every Sunday.

I had an infant and a toddler at the time. *Nuff said*

I’ve scrubbed toilets, cooked meals (under direct supervision), washed dishes, ushered, greeted, spearheaded a fundraiser, coordinated Operation Christmas Child, insured church bulletins were prepared and submitted, organized a weekly play group for toddlers, worked in the audio department/video department/nursery/taught high school Sunday school, and provided photography services for fliers/websites/promos, and shot events that required me to be at every practice as well as work 10-12 hours shooting…that does not include editing time (which is generally 3-7 minutes per shot). 

Yes, I counted. 

All free of charge. 

I only mention the monetary statement because that is generally the first statement someone makes when they are required to do more than they feel like doing. 

“What? You expect me to do what?! I’m not even getting paid for this!”

I don’t at all mention my “ministries resume” to toot my own horn. I know where my help comes from. (Psalm 121:2) I merely mention it to validate, I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I have put in enough time to qualify to speak on the matter.

I know people have jobs, kids, car issues, and can be short on funds and energy. I can completely relate. My life isn’t, nor has it ever been perfect and/or easy by any means. 

But I also know that I know this, when I give…my God gives unto me…with good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, poured right in my lap! (Luke 6:38)

“It" what? Supernatural blessings, in every area of my life! 

Supernatural is the only way to effectively explain my life! 

(John 10:10)

When all is said and done, whether at home, or on the job, or in church, 

I don’t work for man…I work for the Lord. 

Either I want to serve with my whole heart, 

or 

I don’t want to serve at all. 

When I serve, it is my responsibility to insure everything I think, say, and do...glories the One who called me. (Colossians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Galatians 1:15)

Everything else is checked at the door. 

When I am at church and someone asks, “Can you…..?"  I've made it a personal goal to do my best to say, "Yes ma’am/sir, I can do whatever you need me to do.” After all, I wouldn’t even have seed, had God not given seed to me to sow. (2 Corinthians 9:10)

In addition to agreeing to fill a position comes the responsibility to submit to that authority. (1 Peter 2:13-14) I am not called to argue against, talk about, or reason with authority. 

Since I'm on a roll, here is a hard topic. Sometimes we have to jump in and do something that isn’t within “normal” realms but is completely outside our comfort zone.

It is outside our comfort zone where we learn 

what we can really accomplish.

I use to be one who didn’t like change and I certainly didn’t like sudden change. That is until I heard Pastor Slavic Sagach teach a message at Walk on Water Faith Church. He made a statement long ago that I still live by today. He said, “The way you handle change, is a direct reflection of your character.” 

Oh hello. Somebody please help me now.

Taking his statement as a personal challenge teaches flexibility. Perhaps it taught me to0 much flexibility but that's a whole other blog post. *lol*

Coming in for a landing...the reality is, scrubbing toilets at church is no easier than scrubbing toilets at work.  

Let me bring it all home with this.

If a new girl comes to town, I've seen men move all heaven and earth and not let hell stand in the way to take that girl out on a date. How much more, must our affections be turned toward God and His kingdom?

That's a rhetorical question *grin*