Camping Trip Recap and Park Review

Well.....it wasn't the worst camping trip. 

My husband and I have decided that we definitely need to go camping more than once a year.  We used to love to go camping and seem to keep putting it off.  Not only is it good for us but we believe it will create a lasting impression on our boys.  They will (hopefully) develop a love of nature and an understanding of why we should preserve God's wonderful creations.

So lets first go over our Camping Style:
We believe if you bring a TV, Satelite Dish or computer, you are NOT camping.  However, we are not so basic that we don't enjoy bathrooms within walking distance : ) We usually opt for walk-in tent sites, which are not on the road and do not have electricity.  We want great views and wildlife viewing opportunities.  Historical markers, buildings or museums are a huge plus.  We love to camping in the winter and fall because cold = no bugs or other campers : )

For this trip we decided on Davy Crockett National Forest.  We usually choose a state park but we wanted something different and neither of us had ever been through the Piney Woods of Texas. We also wanted a camp fire and National Forest's don't mind you collecting downed wood, the state parks?  It's usually a fine just to look at their sticks wrong.

So first, I'll give a review of the park:

Pros: 
1) The trees were nice
2) Not crowded
3) ummmmm......

Cons
1) Park service failed to mention that the concession stand was closed that rents the canoes etc

2) Out of envelopes to drop payment, also leaves you with no proof you payed

3) We saw more wildlife in the local gas station bathroom than in the actual park

4) BUSY highway within a stones throw, LOUD trucks going by all night long.....

5) the early 1900's saw mill ruins are surrounded with bathrooms, roads, a playground and a highway.  It kind of loses the feel that way. 

The cons were accompanied by our lack of practice in camping to make a worse experience.  We only brought one lantern. ONE.  What were we thinking?  And though you are allowed to gather firewood in the park its best to do that in daylight.  Its very difficult to find adequate firewood with a flashlight. (Mental Note: Arrive at park sooner.)
Also, tip for the park: Don't provide restrooms if you are not going to clean them.

We also had child training issues to work through which as most of you know, is exhausting. More on that later.

Overall, we were let down by the experience so much we opted to drive another hour farther east to take a look at the Angelina National Forest.  At the forest's center is the Sam Rayburn Reservoir, which is HUGE. They offer a variety of campsites from plush campsites with boat ramps to backwoods primitive (which is what we like).   The areas we were interested in were the Boykin Springs and the Bouton Lake camping areas.

WOW.  We decided we are going here next for sure. 

- Remote camp sites CHECK. 15 mile drive down a gravel road through wilderness.
- Restrooms close by CHECK.
- Wildlife CHECK
- Beautiful views CHECK.
- Historical sites. CHECK CHECK.  Early 1900's sawmill, mostly still intact (though its' covered in graffiti)

And its only 3 hours from our home.  A close by town, Lufkin even has a little zoo.

So now we're looking at going about every other month on a little weekend excursion.  Angelina is our first destination but then there are so many State Parks to branch out into, like Fort Boggy, a promising looking one.

So overall I give Davy Crockett National Forrest: * * two stars.  But we're optimistic. : )

*REVISED* The Sabbath

I found an answer to my struggle with the Sabbath via John MacArthur.I believe I was being a little like the pharisees on the subject, so afraid to not do enough, I was doing to much.  Not only that I was misunderstanding it's purpose for us since we have been saved through Christ. 

I would encourage everyone to peruse his web page for great biblical insight.  Here are the links to his sermon on the subject: 

Understanding the Sabbath 
Why Sunday is the Lord's Day

"Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you" 

Deuteronomy 5:12

So, Jason and I have been discussing the Sabbath lately.  The topic really took center stage this past Sunday when 3 out of 5 of us were not feeling well and we missed attending church.  The question was.....So what do we do now?  It was still the sabbath, a holy day, shouldn't we do something ...special? 

We turned to the bible starting with the ten commandments and then as we were reading Isaiah, where we are doing our daily readings, we discovered the following:

^13(A) "If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
   from doing your pleasure^[a] on my holy day,
and call the Sabbath a delight
   and the holy day of the LORD honorable;
if you honor it, not going your own ways,
   or seeking^(B) your own pleasure,^[b] or talking idly;^[c]
14then you shall take delight in the LORD,
   ^(C) and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;^[d]
(D) I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
   ^(E) for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."  Isaiah 58:13-14

This verse spoke volumes to us about the importance of keeping Sunday holy in faith to God.
 
But the answer as to how we go about it still eludes us.  We set Sunday up as special by having the meals prepared on Saturday and the housework/chores done.  And of course we have church and fellowship in the mornings, we've also been wanting to attend Sunday school.  But what about when we get home?  Or on days we can't make it to church?  We have our nightly devotions, so that won't change but what else?

We know that we aren't to work or to do things for ourselves but for the Lord.  Besides worship Him and having a day of rest we were thinking we should make a point to perform an act of kindness or generosity.  Perhaps we could take a meal to someone, make a call or pay a visit?  Another idea we had would be to catch up on our reading of books on theology or listening to sermons from pastors we like. 
 
What do y'all do special on Sunday?  Do you have any ideas, or verses in the Bible pertaining to this?


Hope y'all all have a blessed week!

Do You Know What Your Church Stands For?

If we only follow the Ten Commandments when it is convenient for us, where are we spiritually?

As a culture we’ve already surrounded ourselves with “graven images”, they are plugged in in our living rooms, sitting in our garages, hanging in our closets, filling our bank accounts.

Adultery is accepted if you are lonely, or if your partner doesn’t meet up to your expectations.

Lying and stealing can slide if they are for your benefit.

Honor your father and mother went out the window a long time ago, you only have to walk through wal-mart to see that.

And murder? It’s committed every day in “clinics” because its convenient, its for the health of the mother, to carry on with the “mistake” would look bad to those around us.

And if the world can overlook the commandments why not the church?

The purpose of the church is to not be accepted! Jesus Christ, who we have taken as our Lord and Savior was not accepted. He said we would be hated as followers of him.

18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 15:18-19

Researching various religions out of curiosity I came upon this website. I won’t name the religion but suffice it to say it is not the one I follow. It states the following on its stance about abortion:

"..we recognize tragic conflicts of life with life that may justify abortion, and in such cases we support the legal option of abortion under proper medical procedures."

‘justify abortion” = justify murder

Those words send chills up my spine. Where is the biblical reference for this? Where did God say “go forth and multiply” unless its not convenient?

I don’t believe there was an asterisk at the end of Thou Shalt Not Murder saying *unless its an unborn child you don’t want.

How arrogant can we be to say that we created that life? We can’t create life any more than we can make our own hearts beat. (That is a partial quote from this video of an ABORTION SURVIVOR)


How can we call ourselves Christian yet spit in the face of Christ himself.

But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

That statement should make your heart ache with guilt.

By turning our backs on the law that God wrote with his own hand, by turning our backs on the vile murder being committed in our own backyards and then allowing the church to support it, we are driving the nails into his hands ourselves.

I encourage you today to read your church covenant and constitution. Read where your church stands on issues such as abortion and homosexuality. Where do they find their biblical proof? Is it single verses taken at random or is it read in the context? Is it pulled out or are they reading into it?

The Big One: Can you account for what you believe to God when you see him?

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Mathew 12:36

Tough Topics: Submission Part 3

I've been putting this post off, unsure of how I should finish it.  But any conclusion is better than not having one right?  I encourage you to read Created to be His Helpmeet and The Excellent Wife and Passionate Housewives Desperate for God.  The authors not only have more experience but can say it a lot better than I ever can.  

So, how was I going to put this thing called "submission" into effect?  That was the tough question I had to ponder.

First things first, I let my husband be the leader of our family.

Sounds simple enough, but how many of us really do it?  I was willing to let my husband "lead" if he was leading the way I thought he should.  I was quick to criticize and judge.
I won't lie, this first step, the step of letting go was.......hard. 

Everything in my sinful nature screamed, "No! Don't do it! He doesn't know what he's doing! He will take advantage of the situation! You'll be a doormat!"

Doormat.  How I hate that term.  And I hate it because I've heard it so often.

As in, "She doesn't stand up to her husband. She's just a doormat."

Please don't confuse following your husband's lead with pretending your husband is God.  That is not what submission is about.  God is God. He is over you and your husband.  You must follow God first and then the husband he has given you to follow.  In matters that are apparently against God, who do you follow?  God, people, you follow God!

Okay, I got off on a little bit of a tangent.  Ahem. Sorry, back to your regularly scheduled post............


I believe the problem many of us have with trusting our husbands to lead our family does not lie with our husbands but our seeming inability to trust God.  Letting God be Lord over every aspect of your life is something that is not only best for you but required by the Word.

It all boils down to: Do you trust God?  The answer can not be "Yes, but......" or "Yes except for...."  Not to say that at times it won't be a struggle, I fail at putting all my trust in God quite frequently, but He's always there to remind me that He is Lord.

Do you allow God to be the Lord of your life?  That is what submission is all about.


Sorry I rushed through this post, I had imagined something far more detailed.  Perhaps I'll revisit the subject with more tips on how to actually show honor to our husbands.  Right now my mind is full of other topics:  child discipline, elder care, sacrificing for others, and the most wonderful.....baptism.  How gracious is the Lord that He called my husband and I to follow him mostly at the same time.  how wonderful that we are to be baptized, a physical sign of the washing of our sins by the grace of Jesus Christ.  "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the od who is our salvation" Psalms 68:19

I'm Back....

sort of....

I just felt the need to write, felt the need to get it out.

The big news?

My grandmother, who will turn 100 years old October 10th, is coming to live with us.  

God slapped me upside the head last week and told me to quit being selfish.  (I paraphrase of course).
I believe I am doing what He wants, what He wanted me to do all along.  It's amazing how selective our hearing can be, like little children.  When God gives us good things we take them readily but when He wants us to take on a tough task or stand for what is right......we start humming and covering our ears. 

How often do we turn away from what is right and ignore the wrong for our own comfort? How often do we not approach people in the wrong for fear of hurting their feelings? Or for fear we will sever relationships and be hurt ourselves? I know I am guilty. Most of us are to some degree I'm sure. 

Above all else, I hope God's will is done and not my own. (as someone wise reminded me the other day ; )

I'll share more of my story later on.  Just wanted to write what was on my mind and heart today. 

 Thank you so much for all of your comments! 

Hold Everything, Stop the Press!

Here I had a series of posts going and life got in the way!

I went to write another post today and just couldn't, my mind is elsewhere. 

I have a feeling the next few days, weeks, months are going to be different.  There are decisions to be made for our family (between us and parents and grandparents) that have been put off for far too long.  There are things transpiring that will change relationships, change living styles, change everything.

Have you ever felt called to do something?

I have, I believe I was called to have children.  I felt and still feel like bearing and raising children for the glory of God is my purpose in life.

This calling I am facing now is different, way different.  But none the less the idea has plagued me for almost 2 years, slowly eating away.  I would push it to the back of my mind and say "its too hard"  and "I can't do that"! But like Jonah, I believe the will of God will be done whether I'm on board willingly or have to be drug, kicking and screaming (or swallowed by a fish) to do it! 

I apologize for being so cryptic but I don't want to put the cart before the horse, let the cat out of the bag, etc

Needless to say, posting will probably end for quite a while if this "calling" does come to pass.  We have planning, discussing and most importantly, PRAYER to occupy our time.  All the while I will have to keep myself in check, be sure that I am putting God's wishes and those of my husband before my own.  *sigh*

Side note:  I have ABSOLUTELY LOVED all of your comments!  So many of you have inspired me through your blogs and your comments to mine.  I will miss that and promise to return, just not sure when.  Thank you so much for brightening my day, Love you and Lord be with you!

Tough Topics: Submission Part 2

Often used as a symbol of feminism, poor Rosie.

To recap:  I was going over the evils of feminism and how it has affected me as it has many of other women.  This is more about my story and some example about how we are choosing to live apart from God's word.

Now, I don't think I ever chose feminism.  Until the last year or so I never saw it's subtleties all around us.  TV and radio are givens, but what about your church? What about that seemingly harmless "Christian" film you just watched? 

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12: 2

When searching for a church the hardest hurdle we faced as a family was finding a church that stood apart.  They all bragged on their extravagant buildings and many programs.  None bragged on their close knit fellowship and how they believed in the infallible word of God.  None bragged on how they follow the mandates in 1 Timothy on how to find a suitable pastor/elders.  What we tended to find in many churches was that they used the bible as sort of a loose guideline.

It was subject to their interpretation and that is dangerous folks. 

Afterall, after being barraged with the "values" of the world day in and day out, we believe ourselves to be righteous enough to use the scripture how we see fit?

 One of the main examples I would like to point to with this is 1 Timothy: (strangely enough this was part of our pastors message this past Sunday and this post was thought up before then)

Chapter 2 Verse 11-
 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.
I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 
For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived and became a sinner. 


I'm not really sure how much more plain this could be.  So how is it that women feel they can become preachers, pastors, bishops and ministers?  How do we approve of this? 


Society tells us to bar women from occupations, even that of pastor, is "wrong".   Who should we be listening to?  The Word of God of our culture?  It's as simple as that to me.

This is just one of the many examples of how we can bring what we have learned outside the church into it. 

I like this passage because Paul also gives us the reason we should not teach in the church.
For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived and became a sinner. a

I don't know about anyone else but I know in my heart that this one is true.  I know that women, including myself, tend to be sinful, manipulative and deceiving.  I used to play the feminist part very well--treating my husband as incompetent and manipulating him with my emotions when I could not have my way. 

I saw it happen every day in the house I grew up, in the school where I worked.  Professing Christian women laying out their game plan on how they were going to deceive their husband into doing something they wanted that weekend.  We would all laugh and wait for Monday when we got to hear how it turned out.  The woman would return a conquering hero after she used tears or even full blown tantrums to get what she wanted.  And then why was it a shock when that woman came crying to us not a year later about her husband filing for divorce? 


Every day I thank God that he showed me the error of my ways before I tore down my house with my own hands. 

I pushed my husband to move, I begged him to let me spend a little more money to make our business a real success.  I cried when he wouldn't let me do something, I gave him the silent treatment when he stood firm.  A man can only take so much, and our husbands want to see us happy above all else.  So against his better judgment he let me have my way.  We went into debt, moved the business..........and failed miserably. 

There is no doubt in my mind that God let everything take place so that I could learn my lesson. Sometimes he has to tear us down to build us up.  He used this opportunity to open my heart to His Word.  Now that I was away from all of the feminist influences telling me to control my husband, to make decisions, I was free to see where God wanted me.  Tucked safely under Jason's arm. 

My husband is incredibly intelligent and has a great head on his shoulders.  He is slow to make decisions but only because he thinks through everything carefully.  He got us out of the pickle we were in, he paid our debt, he forgave me in the blink of an eye and has never held it against me. 

God was working a change in me and Jason could see it, I wasn't the same.  It was as if a blindfold had been removed.  It was painfully apparent that I had been lied to by everyone.  My family, friends, the media, the few churches I had attended.... they were all telling me the same thing.  Not only was I supposedly in charge of my husband, I was in charge of my own life, not God, not the creator.  Just me.   I was the King of the Hill (or queen rather) and let me tell you, that is a lonely place to be.

Satan's plan was obviously working.  Not only in the world, but in each and every woman.  The enemy gave us what we wanted, power and vanity.  We were ignoring our Father and taking a big ol' bite of the apple. Now, we must face the consequences of our decisions.

So, I could see submission was what God wanted, but I still had questions.  How do I go about this?  Does this mean I have to be a doormat with out an opinion?  What about the husbands out there that aren't good to their wives? 

I'll cover what I discovered in the next post:Part 3.

*Along with the Bible, during this time I read many books and blogs that helped.  Feel free to check out my sidebar and blog roll for a listing.*