Re-Introduction

[trapperhoney]

I joined awhile back and was active for awhile but dropped off. My name is Maggie, my username is "trapperhoney" which is a nickname my husband gave me. It came about by our son wanting to learn trapping after hearing his dad's stories for years, so we went to a Trapper's Convention. I was just the driver (while my husband is great navigating the woods he is pathetic on interstate, lol, and not a native of where we live now -- while I am), I had no real interest in what was going on. Once we got there, however, there was a lot of interesting things. The furs were really cool and I liked the ermine, so I became interested in trapping weasels. I got a basic book and started picking lures, and that is when hubby asked, Does this mean you're gonna be my trapper honey? (cause he calls me honey all the time). So, that season, hubby and son caught several possums and I caught a lot of field mice and moles, lol.

Anyway, I was raised in an independent fundamental missionary Baptist church and am currently attending one. My husband and I have been involved in several youth ministries as we've moved around, and he is a lay preacher. Our current church is very small and we don't have a ministry there, but are considering doing some writing and hubby is currently working on orchestrating a Christmas carol album. I've sent hubby a link and hope he joins the forum.

I was saved at the age of six, felt a call to missions at the age of 8 and began working toward that end from that moment. The adults in the church weren't quite sure what to think of a kid who insisted they were going to be a missionary. One lady actually asked my Mom how she could let me talk like that, and my Mom simply told her, "She doesn't belong to me, she belongs to the Lord." Mom's "hero" in the Bible was Jochebed and took her parenting model from her. She felt that if Jochebed had only 6 years at the most to influence Moses and he did not abandon that training, then she could do the same. She began teaching me the Bible at a very early age. Once I was old enough I was involved in their youth ministry working with puppets. By 12 I attended a teacher training seminar offered by our Sunday School curriculum publisher (they used to do those in the 80s) and was put in charge of a class of 5 year olds. As a 14 year old I raised support to attend Child Evangelism Fellowship's training and worked that summer teaching backyard Bible clubs. I did it the following two years as well.  At the age of 16 I then felt a call to counseling and shifted my college plans to that end. I met my husband in Bible college, and we were just friends. He ran out of money a year after we met and he moved back home, while I completed school. We didn't connect back up until after my graduation. It wasn't long after he reached out to me that he expressed interest in dating, and I held back from that idea for a few months, then agreed (after my best friend pointed out that he came into my life a month after a heartbreaking dating disappointment that caused me to have a heart-to-heart conversation with God telling Him that I was ready to accept what He had for me, I wanted the man He had picked out for me and was ready to give up my ideal, or if I was to be single I asked for the grace and strength to follow that path). Right before he asked me to marry him I was shown by the Lord that we were intended to be a ministry team. We have, indeed, done several ministries together that have been very effective, all glory to God!

Some might think that there is some kind of discrepancy between first being called to missions, and then to counseling -- did I get something wrong? Well, looking back at how it all came about, at the age of 8 I had limited knowledge and experience with how God worked in my life. I recognized many years later that 1) the impression I got at the age of 8 was actually a huge driving desire to help people with God's Word who did not know about God. It was during a mission presentation so naturally missions was the priority. 2) God showed me that I am a missionary wherever I go, whatever I am doing. I don't have to go to a foreign country to be a missionary, and sadly, America is a huge mission field right now that is being neglected. The important thing was, I was given some guidance and followed it, which put me in a place to receive further guidance and as I followed it God led me to where He wanted me. Sometimes it may seem contradictory, but becomes clear farther along.

I look forward to getting to know you all. God Bless!

[BrotherTony]

Welcome back! I'm glad you reintroduced yourself! I love the story of how you got the name trapperhoney...It would make a great childrens story. I used to write childrens stories for my nephew and nieces and also for our foster children when we were in the foster-care system here in Tennessee. I look forward to more of your posts.

Blessings.

[trapperhoney]

Thank you! Hubby used to make up stories to tell our son when he was young and would get bored on car trips. They were very silly stories, and son loved them. Son liked rabbits so the character was Darth Bananas Bunny. Ah, the memories.

[HappyChristian]

So very glad you're back with us! I've missed you. I second the idea of writing those stories down...who knows, perhaps they can be turned into some good Sunday School/Children's Church practical stories?!?

 

[trapperhoney]

That is an idea! Actually hubby's childhood would make very interesting stories. He doesn't think so, cause to him it is matter of fact, but he grew up in the woods, learning to survive off the land, and had quite a few adventures. In a few of them he really should have died -- while on a camping/trapping trip during the winter he broke through the ice in a pond and lost some gear, and dove into the pond to recover it (he, being of Celtic heritage, was loathe to let pricey trapping equipment go) and went back to camp instead of going home and warming up. He and his friend dried out his clothes and wrapped him up in a blanket and he spend the night in a lean-to with the campfire in front of him. Realistically he should have died from hypothermia, and being ignorant of that fact seems to be the only thing that kept him alive, lol. But it shows that he had to stay alive in order to marry me and for us to have our son. So yes, his stories would be very interesting.