In January I was working in the Dallas area, in a rental vehicle that I was paying $350 a week on just so I can make a few bucks to pay towards my bills which had mounted up to $3,500 a month, due to the situation with my car during 2023.
Needless to say it wasn't enough.
In February I learned that I had congestive heart failure, my mom died, and I got a little bit of help from my inheritance from my dad who had died about 7 months before.
I was able to catch up on my bills, and take a rest from all the stress, frustration, heartbreak, and illness that had struck me throughout the year.
I paid back a bunch of people who helped me out in 2023, blessed my mechanic who had kept me on the road with a little bit of it, and invested what I had left after catching up on my bills.
I use some of it to pay for a couple of months rent on a room at a local motel.
The memory popped up on Facebook of the dream that I had of God telling me that he wanted me to travel. And how he wanted me to do it.
In March, I bought another car. I had to do some initial work on it to make sure it was Uber ready. And then I went back to the Dallas area, where I stayed with my cousin until the weather cooled off in September.
I set out to see every city in the state of Texas.
While I was in the Dallas area, I was able to see the Mary Kay building (which I expected to be pink but it wasn't), the Dallas Baptist University, The Potter's House, traders village in Grand Prairie, hurricane harbor and six flags and the Arlington AT&T stadium.
I tried a lot of new foods.
I tried Thai food in Sherman, Korean food in Denton, Vietnamese food in Garland, Indian Pakistan food in Frisco, where I also saw the Ghostbusters car on July 4th, Salvadorian food in Irving, and I had the best Mexican buffet I've ever had in my life in Grand Prairie, and the best burger I ever had in my life in Fort Worth.
In Fort Worth I also was introduced to the 11 lb burrito challenge at Badazz Burrito, which I declined to try to do.
When I left Dallas, I went to Lubbock.
I fell in love with Lubbock.
I saw the prairie dog town, Lubbock lake, the windmill museum.
I went to Amarillo and ate at The Big Texan where the 72 oz steak challenge is housed. I declined that as well.
I saw the Helium Monument, and on the way to Amarillo I got to see the Palo Duro Canyon.
I slept at truck stops, and got a planet fitness membership so I could take showers for $25 a month instead of $18 every 2 or 3 days. I did laundry at the laundromat, paid all my bills online, and learned that there was nothing I can do in an apartment that I couldn't do in my car.
It was not without its challenges, though.
When I bought the car, I had put spark plugs, cabin air filter, new tires, brakes, rotors, tie rod and control arms on it.
I also replace the tire pressure monitoring system.
I had to replace the control arms on my car again, and the tires, then the cluster went out. Later I had to replace the transmission, the camshaft positioning sensor and exhaust solenoid.
God pulled me out of a very stuck situation. Just when I thought I was done for, again!
I paid off four of the loans that I had taken out the year before.
And by the end of my 55th year, the God account started growing again.
Even with some struggles, this year has been so much better than last year!
Last year was a nightmare! This year I feel blessed. I know that 95% of the people that I know have not experienced and will not experience all I have experienced so far in my 55th year!
Top 10 things I learned this year:
1) God is always on time.
2) When God wants you to do something, He will give you no choice.
3) When Satan slams a door shut, God opens a window.
4) People who try to talk you out of what God is calling you to do are not your friend.
5) Fear is not an option. 365 times in the Bible God said do not fear, and I will be with you.
6) You don't have to have a lot of stuff to live in abundant life.
7) Forgiveness does not mean giving someone else permission to cross your boundaries again.
8) Once you realize that you are exactly where God wants you to be, it's easy to be thankful.
9) It's not your job to change the world. It is only your job to change your little piece of it for the better.
And finally,
10) You are the church. You are not a religion. Each person you encounter on this journey of life is just as important as the next person you run into. What you say and do makes a difference in that person's life at that moment. Remember that.
