Cozy Cabin in the Big Texas Woods

I wish I could describe how delightful it was to arrive Sunday evening to this charming little cabin in the Texas woods, not far from where we needed to get the steeple the next morning. Jonathan had reserved it on Saturday after searching for a good deal.

He looked under Air B & B and found this little collection of cabins that had just recently opened up, and this cabin happened to be on at about half price for some reason.

We had attended the Oklahoma City Bible Methodist church Sunday morning with Pastor Darrell and Liz Stetler who have seven children. They have quite a conglomeration of folk in their church--everything from conservative folk to new converts, people with deep emotional needs and ones from Pentecostal background. What a living, vibrant, thriving, colorful church! The pastor and his wife invited us home for dinner, and we enjoyed the simple, pleasant meal, with parents actually paying attention to their kids and expecting them to behave and to not interrupt one another when talking. I always appreciate parents who are committed, involved, and intentional about raising their children.

Jonathan enjoyed seeing the home they had recently purchased and remodeled. I cut up a huge, bright watermelon we'd bought just in case we were invited to dinner by someone. The Stetlers told us that next time we come, they have large guest accomodations, and not to get a hotel!

We drove on a few hours to this cabin then, called "Lazy Squirrel Cabin."

The front porch was screened in, and was a little kitchenette.

At this corner was a table with a basket of little bags of chips and goodies.

In the other corner were dishes and mugs for coffee.

The fridge was delightfully filled with delicious things--juices, soda, water, ice, gatorade, ingredients for Smores, half-n-half.

I don't know how to describe how much these generous and thoughtful touches, "for you" as the proprietor had emailed,

meant to this mama who has to be responsible every day for three meals and snacks and groceries and keeping things stocked and trying not to overspend on unnecessary treats and junk food, and trying to pack food for the trip so we don't have to waste too much on fast food. 

And here, for not a lot more than the simplest hotel room fee, was no end of treats! I was famishing and thirsty, and I just appreciated all these delights! We had purchased a package of sausages and mushrooms the night before, which we sauteed for ourselves as the dusk fell.

I could hardly stop going softly and excitedly through this delightful cabin. It had this one small bedroom behind the screened in porch--

and the first thing Jonathan appreciated was air conditioning! I loved the whiteness and simplicity.

It was rustic and old fashioned,

and luxurious all at the same time! The sink was this glass bowl. I had forgotten my toothbrush, so was tickled to find a platter with all manner of bathroom accessories available.

The cutest shower ever--made with corrugated tin, with ivy at the top, and soft, fluffy robes hanging. We were too beat and hot to enjoy them, so went to bed without white fluffy robes!

The beautiful bed had this pillow on it with small water bottles and chocolate candies.

Also there was this sweet prayer lying there as well for the guests . 

Only the Lord knew how refreshing this all was to me! I couldn't stop admiring and exclaiming and telling Jonathan how much I appreciated it! It was one of the happiest evenings I've ever spent with my dear, sweet hubby! It was like a honeymoon!
Jonathan and I appreciate so much how the Lord provides sweet blessings for us when we are in the middle of trips that are meant to bless and help others. When we live for God and others, God sees to it that we ourselves receive the provisions of grace, joy, and blessing so that we are strengthened for what He has called us to do. 

In the morning, there were maybe a dozen Daddy-long-legs in the sink! One was scurrying across the pillow before we went to bed last night! It's a good thing I'm not scared of Daddy-long-legs!

In the morning, we had a repeat of supper--sausage with mushrooms and jalapenos!

It was so kind of my husband to choose this sweet place for us both to enjoy so much! I left a note of thanks in the guest book!

If you are ever in Texas, this is a place to check out for staying! It was near Tyler, TX, and normally costs $150, but we got it about half price under Air B & B. There are several cabins here, and more in another place, under the name Cora's Cabins.

My Brother Elon in Terrible Accident--Escapes Without Serious Injury

Last night we received the shocking news that my brother Elon had been in a terrible accident during an awful downpour of rain. We had to wait until this morning to hear more about it, but although the truck he was driving is obviously totalled, he and his passenger (both in seat belts) escaped almost unscathed. 

(This story is also in Sunbury's Daily Item today.) With his permission, I'm posting a couple of the pictures he emailed family last night.

The front of his truck was hit by the back of a rotating little Mustang convertible that was coming at him from the other direction, hydroplaning out of control and rotating into Elon's lane. Elon swung his wheel and ended up clear up the bank, "peacefully resting," he wrote, on the edge of a cemetery--with a totalled truck, but at least he wasn't 6 feet under!

It was a different story for the other driver.

Elon wrote, " I quickly opened my door, realizing I wasn't hurt, and looked to see where the other victim was.  The Mustang was across his side of the highway and I saw a person lying on the road.  A couple cars were already stopping, but I heard the guy on the road shrieking/yelling and the next thing I knew he was up on all fours, scurrying off the road, just bellowing from time to time.  Our first instinct was to stop traffic before disaster could multiply, and a young woman was doing just that.  I noted that neither she nor I had an umbrella.  We carry orange cones with us on these trips, so I called for Ivan to get them from the truck and I took one to the one end of the scene, and he took the other to the other end.  Then I think Ivan stayed in the truck or near it, and I went back to see about the hurt guy.  But some other people were helping him.  He was apparently thrown from his car, possibly through the door which was sorta open.  Evidently he was not seat belted, and had hydroplaned on the rainy road.  He was roaring and swearing as people called for a rag or something to staunch the blood running from the back of his head... The young lady hollered if anyone had called for help, and I was already dialing 911.  I believe I was the first caller.  Let's see, that may have been before I went to get the rag.  So help was on it's way.  Soon an ambulance appeared; the young lady and I waved traffic by so that the ambulance could get through, and then some other first-responders took over stopping traffic.  Traffic was detoured at both ends of 642 so that no more could get through, but it was a busy time, about 2:30 p.m.

      "Soon fire trucks and police cars were on the scene.  An EMT approached me to ask if I were the other driver.  I says yes.  She says, do you know where you are?  And what is the date?  Etc.  I answered accurately enough that the interrogation was soon over, and they determined that my brains hadn't been rattled too bad.  Then a state trooper approached to question me, get registration and insurance papers etc.  Ivan and I were invited to sit in an ambulance to have our vitals checked out.  I was noticing a slight pain in my left side/ribs, and Ivan was complaining of a twist or muscle pain- maybe whiplash-like- in his back.  Other than that, we checked out OK, and determined that we didn't want to see the inside of a hospital now. 

 

     "I remember after stepping out of the truck and looking around the front, of feeling incredulous-- this much damage happened to my truck??  It didn't feel THAT bad.  And yet it was practically a head-on collision.  Our airbags did not deploy.  It seems like they should have.  The rear driver's-side door window was shattered, the hitch of the truck was completely bent and broken, my glasses had departed my face and were lying on the dashboard (you can see them thru the windshield in the one photo).  I had not been texting, therefore my phone was in it's holster on my belt. But dear me!  What a mess.  Things in the cab were kind of scrambled around, and my precious F-150 was hopelessly smashed... I was not at fault so something should come through..."

And now here is another special mercy from the Lord:

" It appeared that neither the trailer nor the 2 lawn tractors aboard [belonging to his employer] were damaged in the least. "

With his usual humor, Elon goes on,

"Well we cleared everything out of the truck, and it got toted off to near Bloomsburg, awaiting its final resting place.  The cemetery association would not let us bury it there, even tho' it looked like a grave had been begun after they dragged everything away.  Mainly I think they were mad that I knocked down the cemetery sign.  You can see it lying on the ground in the bottom corner of one of the photos. (It was the Mausdale Christian Church Cemetery, in case anybody wonders.)

I suppose there are more details, but you'll have to ask for them.  So ask away!  We continue to praise God that we are alive and unhurt.  Now I need to contact the insurance adjuster.  Have a better day, everybody!"

[Scene Jonathan and I passed Sunday at the site of the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995).

 

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All on the same day, we received happy news that my sister Kezia's husband Chris and extended family and farms won the Soil and Conservation Governor's Award, and had attended a banquet where the announcement of their winning the award was given while my sister was out changing her baby boy's diaper! Another lady rushed in to tell her and to take over with the baby, but Kezia pulls the baby's pants up and rushes out to hear her father-in-law give a little acceptance speech. 

It pleased her to no end that a conservative Christian family and farms won this award. 

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Also today my other sister Iva's family lost their beloved dog, and in the process of burying it, one of her boys got into a nest of wasps and received a number of stings.

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Also today there was news from my nephew, Dorcas's daughter Annette's husband, who has been campaign manager for Ed McBroom, who is running for Michigan State Senator.  McBroom won the Republican primary election by a landslide, with 69% of the vote.

I'm proud of my nephew Samuel Johnson's excellent and efficient work on McBroom's behalf.

To finish this post I am posting these pics I uploaded yesterday of our few moments stopped at the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial in Oklahoma City. 

Across the street is this solemn statue of Christ weeping because of the tragedy that happened there--and other tragedies as well.

How deeply grateful we all are for the watchcare of our heavenly Father over my brother and his coworker yesterday, and for every safe trip home for ourselves and others.

We rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 

Today, Jonathan's mother and relatives in Indiana laid her brother Lester to rest. He was 87, and leaves behind a wife Roberta and other relations.

He is the last in the family except for Jonathan's mother. She is seven years younger.

Jonathan's mom and dad, who were at the funeral today, are hoping to visit my parents in Missouri tomorrow on their way home from Indiana to Colorado.

Steeples, Crosses, and Baptistries in Texas

Last weekend, Jonathan decided to make a fast trip to Texas to pick up equipment for his and a friend's businesses, as well as pick up a steeple for our church in Denver.  It would save nearly $1500 in shipping costs, had we had the items shipped. I was excited to get to go with him.

This steeple manufacturing plant was most interesting. 

We had never thought much about how churches get their steeples, or baptistries, for that matter.
Here we watched as men leveled, worked, and loaded.
Two huge baptistries were loaded onto this long flatbed truck ahead of us in line.

These steeples were made by pouring liquid fiberglass resin into two matching forms. Then the two halves are glued together, sanded, and painted. I had never given any thought to how steeples were made. They were just there on top of churches. Just like we sometimes don't realize all the work that goes into a garden or flower garden or the building of a house or the landscaping of a lovely yard. It's easy to just assume this happened. Flowers and vegetables just grow automatically and show up in grocery stores. Steeples just automatically appear there on churches. We noticed steeple after steeple on our way home.

Sometimes it can seem that a Christian man or woman we admire is just automatically that way.
They got saved, sanctified, matured and turned out just great. They are loving and kind and have never hurt us (or if they have, they have been sorry and tried to make amends) and they are strong in faith and love and joy and we haven't happened to hear anything bad about them.
We don't realize how much work and effort and growth went into becoming a mature, respected man or woman of godly influence.
We don't always know the difficult circumstances our best examples of Christians have been through, or the fires they have endured, or the crosses they have borne. 

We don't know the times they have tried to do right, and have risked consequences (as Texan Sam Houston wrote, as seen on this Texas billboard)--the loss of friends, the loss of money, the loss of position, and the loss of approval. We don't know how many times they have gained reproach and scorn and suffering for trying to do right.


We see steeples and don't notice them. They are just there on the church.
And we see Christians and don't notice them. They are just there in church. We take them for granted. We assume becoming a godly Christian is sort of automatic. But it isn't. A lot of self-denial goes into being a good Christian, just like a lot of work goes into making a steeple. 
Finally after waiting about an hour in the beastly hot sun, it was our turn to get our steeple loaded.

Jonathan called it a "baby" steeple, compared to others there. It only weighed 110 pounds. Three men easily loaded it on and then Jonathan strapped it safely in place.
It's not a steeple to brag about, anymore than Christians are Christians so they can brag.

Some of us are just pretty common, small, ordinary Christians that have nothing to brag about.
But we are Christians every bit as much as that steeple is a steeple.

So we went from that manufacturing plant to another only a couple or so hours beyond, where we picked up two trailers, the dump trailer for Jonathan (gotten at a really good sale price price further discounted since buying together with another trailer for a friend, and then saving all the shipping).

So there we go back through Texas and New Mexico and back home to Colorado.

We passed this dormant but not extinct volcano on the way home.

I hope to write soon more about our trip. Right now I'm back to work at being a mom--back to the laundry and ironing and doing dishes and helping with meals and sorting books for a home school book sale this weekend and making lunches for my guys today since Rose left early to work with Timmy setting up cattle fences, and preparing Epsom salt water with essential oils for Danny's injured foot which is improving.

When It Rains on the Camping Trip--And You Forgot Matches!

I am writing again because my energy has worn out from hauling old insulation and picking up apples and baking apple pies and overseeing apple sauce. I am so thankful for a healthy, strong, caring daughter who took over for me with the children so I could come rest! (And my eye is still teary from the dusty work yesterday!)

That same daughter was here under a piece of plastic a couple weeks ago, trying to keep dry and keep the fire going as we camped over Timmy's birthday.

Timmy asked to camp for his birthday, so after a week of traveling 90 miles one way to help in Denver with VBS several evenings and Sunday afternoon, we headed off from Denver to the mountains to spend Sunday night through Tuesday morning. 

The biggest problem was that we forgot matches!

 Undaunted, Timmy began whittling wood, and I searched high and low in the motor home.

In the end, we found the motor home's cigarette lighter which inserts into its slot and becomes hot enough to light a cigarette--or a tiny sliver of wood,which in turn lights a paper, and in turn kindling.

 Starting a fire was further problematic since everything was damp from rain!

However, it was only damp, and it only rained a couple times, so we endured the fog and dampness as we enjoyed frying the fish the boys and Rose caught

 

 (Rose bought a fishing license and the younger boys under 16 can fish without a license.) And we enjoyed picking wild raspberries and tiny wild strawberries.

There were some right where we camped! It was a special delight!

 How we appreciated the sunshine Tuesday  morning! Hannah had found one large edible bolette mushroom which we fried along with fish and toast and bacon for breakfast! It was such a nice morning!

 Late Monday morning, after contacting Sam who was stuck in Kansas with Iva and her broken down car (as I wrote about in an earlier post), the rest of our family hiked to Beaver Falls.

 It was a short, easy hike, and we were rewarded with this marvelous rocky waterfall.

 Jonathan and I sat down a bit by the falls.

 On one side of the boulder went rushing the great, noisy waterfall, while on the inner side of the boulder next to the bank flowed this little rivulet.

 I couldn't help thinking about the words of Christ to the woman at the well, who came for her jar of water, and what He spoke later in the temple, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
Rivers, not rivulets.
So what does "rivers" mean?

Rivers of super-spirituality?

Doesn't rivers of water gushing from your belly/heart/innermost being (depending which version you read) mean being a gushy, pushy evangelist/missionary/preacher/teacher who is super spiritual (i.e. gets up at 4 a.m. every single morning, prays for 2 to 4 hours, reads two or three chapters of Bible a day, fasts one day a week, attends services 3-8 times a week, shouts/screams/jumps/runs the aisles,  wins many souls to Christ, evangelizes at prisons, bars, and street corners, and expects every one else to do .the same?

 If that is the case, my life and experience are indeed more like the rivulet...

a common, ordinary mom who had prayed that morning but hadn't finished her list;

had read her Bible that morning, but was done in 15 minutes on the front seat of the motor home while the others fished. 

Just walked the trail with her kids and enjoyed the tiny, sweet mountain berries instead of fasting. 

Would spend hours by the campfire later reading a book out loud to family that wasn't even a Christian book,

just one called Gaining Ground, a thoroughly fascinating and hilarious read about a young man's experiences while trying to keep the family farm and turning it into an organic, prosperous enterprise.

Just enjoying the quiet evening and sunset without pressure to perform spiritually.

 Cooking fish and eggs and coffee for breakfast--oops, no fasting again. Oh, dear, this is getting to be very UNspiritual.

And shopping at two Goodwills in Cheyenne, Wyoming, while the rest of the family attends an event at Frontier Days.
Even more unspiritual.
Sounding more hopeless by the minute.

"He who believes in Me."

"As the Scripture has said."
Sounds simple rather than super.

About HIM rather than about ME.

About the Holy Spirit instead of about a Holiness Superwoman.

There is a time for praying, Bible reading, fasting, rejoicing, shouting, going to church, witnessing and evangelizing. 

But for weary moms who are camping with their husbands and kids, it's time to sit by the fire and read,

to enjoy the creek and the chipmunks and the wild flowers and the children.

That is the time for walks with Jesus

"while the dew is still on the roses," or on the bluebells, or whatever the case may be. 

I love the simplicity of the gospel; don't you?

Rivers sometimes roar over rocks, but sometimes they glide smoothly and quietly.

Always, they are full of  lots of water, certainly not trusting in themselves but just receiving the water from springs, fountains, glaciers and sources outside themselves. 

Even so, we can't trust in ourselves to have any fulness in our lives. We must trust in a Source outside ourselves, 

the Fountain,

the Spring of Living Water.

Jesus, I open my heart to You today! Fill me with Yourself!

Insulation Removal, Respirators, and Itchy Eyes--The Blessing of Tears

Today as we were almost done picking apples, Danny got something in his eye. He became frantic at once, and I urged him to stay calm and not rub his eye while I rushed to find a tissue that I could wet to try to get the thing out.

Danny was unable to get it out, and I was unable to find it, but his eye was full of tears, so I told him to sit in the van and close his eyes without rubbing them, and see if the eye would wash itself out

 with tears.

It worked.

 I told him that yesterday after working for hours removing insulation from ceilings at a house Jonathan is getting ready to remodel, I had something in my eye, but after closing my eye for 10 or 15 minutes on the way home, the thing was gone. 

Jonathan has been getting different jobs in the upscale section of town called the Broadmoor. In the above picture, he was going into another home with the owner and realtor to talk about details while I waited in the truck the other day. Yesterday since Crystal had a day free from work at the restaurant, (where there is now this darling little baby daughter of her employer)

she and I worked at a remodel job doing the really nasty job of removing insulation from the ceilings and attic. We dressed up in fat white coveralls complete with hood and footies that covered us from head to toe. I could climb on top of the ever-growing stack of old insulation in the huge dumpster and not be bothered much with itches.  After that kind of job, babysitting or housecleaning or laundry or gardening seems like a piece of cake.

My camera had run out of battery or I'd have pictures of us in our coveralls and respirators pulling Rock Wool insulation out of attic spaces, crawling up and down ladders, and hauling tarps full of it to the dumpster. Crystal is trying to earn money for college, and I went, too. At the end of the day that huge dumpster was one-third or one-half full of insulation, and Crystal and I were soaking wet with sweat under our airless coveralls. My blouse was wetter than it is coming out of the laundry. I hoped I would not have a heat stroke. Thankfully we had taken fresh clothes and towels so we could shower and change before coming home.

 From there, we went different directions--Crystal took the four younger children to the nearby national forest to fish, and I met up with Jonathan to leave one truck at the mechanic, and drive the other home. Although I had thought to take respirators, I hadn't taken goggles,and I was fighting with itching eyes and something in one of them on the way home. 

Closing them for a while helped, and I was thankful Jonathan could do the driving.

The tears washed the irritant away.

In recent months, I have been so thankful that my emotions are back to where I can cry again. For a long time, I was so traumatized by events and situations that I could not even find release in tears. So now when something new hurts me afresh and I find myself in tears, I remember to be thankful.

I am thankful that I can cry again--that the hurt isn't so deep that I can't even cry.

To be able to cry--albeit buckets of tears--is a great gift, because tears are a beautiful way to release one's pent-up emotions.

"He Washed My Eyes With Tears" is a song my sister Dorcas used to sing.

And still God washes our eyes with tears.

There will always be irritants--especially if we purposely place ourselves in situations that need insulation removal, apples picked, sin removed and burdens lifted,

 but may we be granted tears to wash the irritants of both eyes and heart clean.

In the place of all the irritants of life, may we be given

contrite spirits,

clear consciences,

and compassionate hearts.