When it Comes to Fishing – Anything Goes

My grocery list in hand, items checked off, coupons pulled and I’m at check-out with a brimming grocery cart. Only two cashiers? Ugh! I patiently wait in line. All those unnerved folks waiting behind me must be thinking: “Great! There’s THAT lady who is going to take FOR-EVER with all those groceries! And to make matters worse – SHE HAS COUPONS!”

I’ve been behind people like me. I try to grin and bear it, but it definitely calls for pulling the fruit of patience out of my Holy Spirit fruit basket! The elderly lady behind me is amused as she watches the total to $200, then $210, then $235!! She exclaims: “I’ve never spent that much on groceries!” I reply “Oh, I don’t either, but this is for a family fishing trip!” Then she sees the cashier’s final total of $175! Oh, yes, this girl coupons. I apologize to the grocery buyers behind me with their meager-filled baskets and thank them for their patience. They smile at me with clenched teeth. The little lady right behind me assures me “I enjoyed watching this show!”

This kind of shopping is not for the faint of heart. It is a quest – a feat of monumental proportions and it takes time. I ease into the entertainment value of imagining my family’s excitement when I pull out some of the goodies. Hostess chocolate cupcakes! Chocolate-covered mini donuts! BBQ potato chips! Essentials! Family favorites we rarely indulge in, but this is our annual fishing trip and anything goes! So as not to cause you, veggie lovers, to implode – the bounty does include fruits and veggies. It takes precision and quality management to get these groceries home, unloaded, sorted and temporarily stored until we load up the cars and head out about 8 am!

This annual fishing trip is a tradition that started with Papa and me when we took the grands to a fishing location each summer. That tradition continues. We have carried on Papa’s love for fishing. We are serious fisher-people. We get to our favorite fishing spot by daybreak. A picture of heaven (at least in a fisherman's eyes) as we arrive at those quiet, calm, peaceful waters. The fish are jumping and saying (in our imagination) "Come get me!” We are fish-whisperers. They'll be greatly disappointed by the breakfast they’ll go after because tomorrow they'll be in our tummies!

I enjoy fishing but “somebody’s gotta’ be the chief cook and bottle washer. I know the rest of the diehard fisher-people would rather fish than eat so I think of myself as sustenance-provider. I love it. I’ll fish in the mornings, but I return to the cabin for my call-of-duty. Hopefully, this crew brings in lots of fish. It’s a staple: Beer-batter trout. Yum!

So what is my encouragement for today as we make our way to Beaver's Bend in Broken Bow, OK? This scripture comes to mind: John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." I totally get it. The enemy of our souls wants our thoughts to be on everything but peace. He wants us all consumed about matters of the world and matters in our little worlds, rather than taking to the words of Christ to heart "I CAME to give you life and have it to the full". My life is full and running over with God's abundance and blessings. That's what I purpose to fix my mind on -- and NOT those things that the enemy purposes to use to steal, kill and destroy my good thoughts and good attitudes!

So, until next time, I’ll finish loading up all the cold rations into the coolers and get over to my kids’ home where they have all the fish tackle, poles, and everything needed for a few days of celebrating my grandson’s 19th birthday and living the abundant life Christ came to live us! I’m not sure what the wifi ability will be in this very remote spot…..so, just in case I have to be off the grid for a few days – be sure to come back on Saturday when I’ll be back home in My Peace Zone!

It’s a Computer Miracle!!!

Knowing we were heading out the next day for Beaver’s Bend, OK for a family fishing trip, I knew I had to write/type my daily posts in advance. Thus, this Hoot Suite-driven post today! Aww! Gotta’ love this world of technology that solves so many timing issues. I type the post and Hoot Suite provides the scheduling and posting for me when I’m out of wifi range! And we are! Beaver’s Bend is in a bowl that prevents a good wifi connection so you have to go for miles if you absolutely need one. My mind will be on fishing – not on driving for a connection. So, hopefully, this one is coming through loud and clear.

Back to my “computer miracle”! There’s a lot to be done in preparation for a fishing trip. Getting all the fishing gear together: getting the rods all together, restring reels with new line, getting all the bait and tackle organized and ready to go, planning the meals, buying the food, cooking some of the food (cookies, cake, lasagna, etc.), and gathering all the kitchen and food items (these cabins are great, but supplies are needed). Then there’s getting our fishing clothes, hats, camp chairs, weiner/marshmallow wires, bug spray, etc. together. It’s worth it all for the family fun that awaits us. So my plate was full and of most importance to me, is getting my blog/facebook posts ready to go for the next several days.

At about 7 pm on Sunday, I sat down to start working on my posts, when all of a sudden; my laptop’s touchpad and cursor became completely frozen and inoperable. Rather than panicking, I began to call on God for “HELP!” and then go through the normal routine, do a power reset….several times – nothing. I called my son and asked if he had a stand-alone keyboard or USB mouse – nada! I opened my Chrome Notebook and proceeded to google support help and everything that was recommended, I tried it, but it failed to work. At 1 am, I went to bed, thinking “I’ll take my computer in somewhere in the morning or get a USB mouse for a temporary help.” But I was also thinking “My day is so full already besides needing to create posts (which typically take me one to two hours each) and needing to bake and gather things together, how am I going to do it all?” I prayed my mind be at peace so I could sleep for a few hours. And, I did sleep well until my usual 5 am – up and at ‘em!

Next morning, Monday, I went into my office, and was hoping and praying that an overnight miracle would have taken place, but, no, my computer was still frozen. I thought I’d try my Google Chrome search one more time, and immediately there was a YouTube video that said “mouse pad light fix” on my screen. I clicked and watched the video which offered a simple solution “Fn + spacebar” and whoa-la, touchpad AND cursor were SET FREE and so was I. I couldn’t help it! I had a hallelujah hoedown. I cried and praised and gave God the thanksgiving He deserved. Was it a coincidence or was it the favor of God or was it divine intervention? Maybe all of the above.

Isn't it amazing how much God cares about even the smallest desires of our hearts? Yes, there are those times when we look up to heaven and say, "Thanks, God. I know you did that!" It is truly a miracle that the God of the universe surrounds our tiny, little lives with His loving care. Maybe we should look for the miracles of answered prayers and desires of our hearts. It's not always big and showy, but it is no less a miracle when the God of the universe shows up to kids who just happen to have a computer problem!
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3.

GONE FISHING

We’re (my Wallace clan and me) heading out this morning for our annual fishing trip, but this year we’re diversifying from the trout camp we went to for years and heading for a fishing hole (or holes) at Beaver’s Bend in Broken Bow, OK. The list of "must take" items that were made by Papa and me years ago was updated, added to, and all items for the cabins, the food and, the most important, fishing gear, are all present and accounted for.

In addition to all that -- a dear friend's husband handmade some beautiful trout flies for Payton's fishing expedition! I loved listening to Bob explain the best techniques for catching trout!

Our little piece of heaven at the Marvel Trout Camp was reconsidered last year when the water-release gates at Tenkiller Lake's dam never closed because of the overabundance of rain. It raised havoc on our little hide-a-way fishing hole. Though we caught plenty of fish for a good fish fry, we didn’t haul in the mother-lode like we always did before. A sweet couple saw our family trying every tactic we could to entice those fish to jump on our lines, but those little swimmers had wised up and passed us by. The couple had been at this Beaver’s Bend location just before stopping over at Marvel and they had caught so many fish that they couldn’t catch anymore.

So, on our way home from Marvel, we drove to Beaver's Bend to check it out. We found far more places to fish, additional fun activities, and the cabin was larger and could accommodate all of us instead of having to rent two cabins. Payton brings a friend -- after all, this trip is HIS birthday choice because it was Papa and his "go-to" place for best fishing and camping. I’ll fill you in later about this new adventure and new location. The “unknowns” are sometimes exciting to think about while also a little nerve-racking. At Marvel, we knew what to expect. At Beaver’s Bend, it will be the “thrill of the hunt” – rather the “thrill of the cast”!

We're in good company with Jesus and His disciples. After all, it was Peter and Andrew, brothers who were fishermen, that Jesus called to be His disciples. It was fish that Jesus multiplied to feed the 5,000+. It was fish that Jesus cooked for His disciples. It was in a fish’s mouth that Jesus sent the disciples to retrieve the coin to pay their taxes. It was fish that Jesus likened to when He said to His disciples “Be fishers of men”! There’s something about being a fisherman. Jesus set the example, and we’re simply doing what He did. There’s competition, calm relaxation and a potential meal (or meals), as the fruits of the rewards of fishing are bountiful. We’ll be having a huge fish fry while we’re there. Great expectations! Aw! I can taste it now.

We’ll sit by the campfire and laugh and talk about our adventures in each day. We’ll talk about the “big one” that might have gotten away or the fishing techniques that an old fisherman might have shared with us. We’ll make lots more memories that we’ll continue to share for years to come. Fishing and rustic cabin adventures may not be your forte or fit into your idea of an oasis, but for us, it holds the promise of making lots of memories. No doubt, this family sport will continue for years to come. It all started with a “family-loving-man” who wanted to create memories for his family. And, those memories will continue to mount up – even to the point we know Payton and Alexia will want to create memories like these for their families one day. Are you taking time out to make memories with your little ones -- so much so that they want to carry on the tradition when they have little ones?

The Fishing Trip's Grand Finale

If there's a scripture I rely on, live by, practice, use in my blog posts, and appreciate, it's Romans 8:28 "ALL THINGS work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes." It seems to be that scripture.....at the end of the day or at the end of the trial or at the end of a fishing trip that never fails to prove so true.

If you've read my "fishing trip" posts over the last several days, you've read how awesome our first couple of days were, lots of fun and fish. We caught so many fish by 8:30 am on the first day that we were releasing more than usual. I saw a couple fishing and they weren't catching anything, so I took one of those fish over to them and asked if they'd like to have it, and they replied "Oh no! We have a freezer full of rainbow trout that were 2 to 4 pounds each that we caught at Beaver's Bend at Broken Bow, OK." They were delighted to give me so many tips about what to fish with and where at Beaver's Bend. For years, we've come to Lake Tenkiller and the Illinois River at Marval Camp because it was a place Papa and I found and we all enjoyed every year with the kids and grandkids, but this news made me think "Maybe it's time to diversify!" I told Larry and Staci and we agreed that we should go check it out sometime.

The next morning we got up early for another day of fishing but the dam gates had to be open for the next several days to release sufficient water to keep from flooding which meant our trout fishing there had come to an end. We made the best use of our time having fun otherwise, but then we realized, we need an alternative location should this happen again, so yesterday morning, we were packed up and ready to go for yet another adventure. We drove straight to Beaver's Bend. And adventure is what we found.

Along the way, we found such incredible beauty in the Ouachita Mountains -- so it was photo opt time!

Then, as luck would have it -- NOT -- we don't believe in luck -- we believe "as blessings and favor of God would have it", a Beaver's Bend Park Ranger was just sitting at the side of the road so we pulled over and he gave us everything we needed to know about where, when and how! We drove to cabins on the river and checked them out. We went to a State Park restaurant for lunch and met the former owner of the bait and tackle shop -- lived here all her life, that gave us every tip she could on best places to fish -- when and where. We were enjoying eating outside where we found out a bag of water will keep flies away, that squirrels are tame enough to come right up to your table for scraps, and that fried crocodile is delicious. Yes, they have crocodile at Beaver's Bend -- but they've never heard of a single person being harmed by them.

Our adventure even included a trip to a Blue Bell Ice Cream Shop where we found out if you let your kids get rowdy there, they'll be served a shot of coffee and given a free kitten. LOL!

The grand finale of our day was Payton & Alexia singing "What Does the Fox Say?"

We all decided this day just may be rated as the BEST DAY of our mini-fishing vacation. Isn't God so awesome to continue to prove He cares enough about what we care about, that He overloads us with proof that He really does make what would seem to be an upset of plans and a detour from what we thought our agenda should be......FOR GOOD! He really is such a GOOD GOOD FATHER!!! Our God is an awesome God!!!