As Summer Vacation months approach, RV’s are arriving along the coast. A few tips for a smooth set-up / start-up of your RV. If you have not already done this: it is time to check filters on AC’s, water intakes, vent hoods, and generators. Clean and replace as needed. Check your refrigerator, water heater compartments and cook stove vents for mud dauber nests, wasps, etc. Note: those pesky critters will also get in your upper A/C unit fan and create issues!

Level the unit before attaching the main power cord, extending slides and starting appliances.

Turn on main breaker inside. Extend the slides. Open roof vents, turn fans to exhaust mode. Bring in personal items, food etc. Once everything is inside, close doors, windows, and vents, start the AC, and allow the compressor to cycle. Set A/C Temp NO LOWER THAN 75o. Set fan on manual mode HIGH. This keeps air flowing across the compressor and prevents freeze up. It keeps your interior temperature uniform, reducing “hot spots” or temperature up swings when the compressor cycles off. Result, you are comfortable at a higher temp, your RV has less humidity, and importantly, your A/C does not have to work as hard, therefore performs better overall.

If your RV refrigerator has been off and is warm inside, turn it on, set the temperature to mid range point, NOT at coldest point. Keep it mid range, the unit will not function at coldest setting for long periods of time. Let it cool for 4-6 hours before placing food items in it. RV refrigerator coolant can overheat, and shut down unit if temp is on coldest setting, or warm food is placed in it during the cool down process. If you had it operating on LP during transport, switch to electric after RV is set up. Check that it does switch over!

Turn on the water heater switch and listen for burner to ignite. Your A/C and refrigerator will Reward You with better performance if you use LP mode on water heater!!

If you hooked up LP tanks at site, or recently filled them, you may need to light a stove burner to purge air from the LP lines. Watch the burner until it has an even, blue flame. Turn it off and light water heater. Remember, the water heater control is set to prevent LP flow after 3 attempts to light. Should this happen, give it a 3 to5 minute rest before attempting to relight. Now, all set up to enjoy your RV.

Time for a beverage in the lawn chair! Greeting your summer neighbors! A walk along the shore! Getting the boat launched! Heading to your fave fishing spot! Or, maybe just a cruise on the water to say ‘HI” to your Coastal Summer Home!!

Need supplies? Have questions? Need service?

Call or stop by T&A RV, 1660 Lane Road, Seadrift: Tue through Sat: 8am to 5pm

We Appreciate ALL of our customer support!!!!

Choices.

Everyone makes them every day, and they all have varying consequences depending on the variables of the choices to be made. They permeate our lives from the mundane to the most extreme of decisions, from a healthy salad for lunch or that tasty beef sandwich with everything and extra mayo.

The hard part is that some of the worst choices a person ever makes might not seem like a bad proposition at the time. How many hearts were broken at the hands of the best person the other party has ever known, how many times has a ‘treat’ every now and then turned into a habit?

In the worst case scenarios, small choices seemed so trivial at the time. No one wants to be addicted to tobacco or ever run south of the law but these things, of course, do occur when making other, seemingly smaller choices like trying to impress your friends in high school or getting into the bad habit of doing a rolling stop at stop signs.

Forward-thinking eliminates most of the danger that lies in the examples given above, but not all to be sure. The man or woman who found out their ‘soul-mate’ was a wolf in sheep’s clothing probably only saw happiness ahead, not dark clouds and cold rain filled days.

Various kinds of mental blindness might be the suspect in these cases, besides, no one is perfect after all, especially when it comes to major shifts, not always for the better, in our life’s progression.

So what’s the point you say? Why has this been literally the first half of this months column?

Well, I was thinking, always a dangerous occurrence, trust me on that one.

Lately, in the past half year, I have made some really horrible choices, and they kinda follow you around like a ghost, bad choices like those. More recently, something that should be a simple thing, a small occurrence, minuscule in its importance, occurred and it has gotten into the conga line behind the ghosts, merrily dancing along in a circle.

As it mirrors the starting point of the former horrible choices in some ways, the small, unimportant thing should not bother me as much, but it does…and you know what?

It really does not matter.

Starving kids matter, preventing wars matter, getting more of the countries youth involved in political causes they believe in matter, curing diseases matter…the list could be endless, as long as it is right and kind.

All of the choices laid out in print above are just the way of life and its currents. You have some control, as you can direct your boat in one direction or another, become an expert at commanding your boat, but no matter how seaworthy the craft and how skilled the captain there will always be waves.

As said, we can choose which way to steer, but we can never quite always equate for the waters themselves….and that’s all right.

On Mothers’ Day, Pastor Joane preached this message and wishes to share it with you in this format.  The text was Deuteronomy 20:4 “Don’t waiver in resolve. Don’t fear. Don’t hesitate. Don’t panic. God, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies (for your family), fighting to win.”

As Mom, it is so easy to second guess our parenting style.  We often feel like failures. We can only succeed if we resolve to keep trying …. Muddling through our mistakes.  Naturally reading the best instruction Book in the world (the Bible) does not hurt either.  C.S. Lewis, the great Christian apologist, said, “Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement.  One fails forward toward success.”  Resolve to love your children unconditionally.  I believe I have some ideas!

Listen with interrupting:  Proverbs 18:1 – 2 “Unfriendly people care only about themselves; they lash out at common sense. Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.”  Kids want to express themselves and talk it out, but as parents we want to solve the problem … as loving parents, we must realize we are raising adults not just a child … allow  the child to develop cognitive reasoning … not just obeying what we say, but understanding foundationally why they made a choice.

Speak without accusing:  James 1:19 “… You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”  I think we all claim some guilt when our body language speaks louder than our words in a very accusing manner.  Carefully heeding the Scripture, take the time to stop and engage face to face by choosing our words with a positive tone rather than full of critical negative comments, and your choice to slow things down and enjoy those quaint moments as steeping stones of developing a close bond with your child.

Give without sparing:  Proverbs 21:25 “Some people are always greedy for more, but the Godly love to give!”  I think most parents here can acclaim doing their best to giving their children most of their wants for Christmas. My thought was this; are we teaching our children how to give? Give not as an obligation, but as a privilege … to be a blessing to others.

Pray without ceasing:  Colossians 1:9 “So we have not stopped praying for you … We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.”  The greatest act of love we can give our children is to pray for them: to pray about their calling in life, to bring to light and allow them to strengthen those gifting for the Glory of God, to pray for those that will influence their lives.

Answer without arguing:  Proverbs 17:1 “Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting and conflict.”  I do a lot of counseling and the one thing that amazes me is the lack of willingness or not knowing how to say “I am sorry!”  I finally get that person to say, “I am sorry (half way meaningfully)!”  Then the other partner won’t receive the apology!  Parents as you are correcting your kids focus on discussing what they did wrong, why an apology is necessary, and how to apologize.

Enjoy without complaining:  Philippians 2:14 – 15 “Do everything without complaining so that no one can criticize you, like clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright light in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”  This aspect of looking at the glass half empty versus it being half full has really been magnified in my thought process even more since we have been doing our Book Study on “Battle Plan of Prayer,” the attitude of gratitude to God, to our family, and to other people.  Not many people want to embrace porcupine people!

Forgive without punishing:  Colossians 3:13 “Make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive anyone who offends you.  Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”  I can stop there because that just preached in and of itself.  We MUST forgive!  But, I would like to take it a step farther.  If your way is the only way to get things done … I guarantee you, you will get offended and will constantly be offended … that unhappiness will lead you to a bitter life of unforgiveness.

Promise without forgetting:  Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.”  This is a piecrust promise … easily made and easily broken.  Something about the young and the old, they take what you say at face value and believe.

Love without reservation:  Matthew 22:39 “… Love your neighbor as yourself.”  I love the idea of love!  But realistically, there are healthy boundaries.  I use the method of “The Emotional Resource Bank.”  How much can you put into your neighbor’s bank?

Cesar Reyna, left, of Port Lavaca was one of 11 students of Victoria College’s Emergency Medical Services Program to be honored on May 8 for graduating from VC’s Emergency Medical Technician course. Pictured with Reyna is Victoria College President Dr. David Hinds.

Victoria College’s Emergency Medical Services Program graduated 11 candidates for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification on May 8 at VC’s Student Center.
Among the students was Cesar Reyna of Port Lavaca. Reyna also received the Best Skills Performance Award in the class.

The students completed 80 hours of hands-on clinical training in emergency room, respiratory therapy and EMS while also completing six credit hours of classroom lecture and labs totaling over 124 hours. They are now eligible to sit for the National Registry of EMTs examination for certification.

The next EMT course begins Thursday, May 24 for the summer session on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register for the course or obtain more information, contact Victoria College EMS Program Coordinator Susie Jechow at (361) 572-6447 or Susie.Jechow@VictoriaCollege.edictoriaCollege.edu.