Camping with Jackie Kennedy and Sitting Bull

“Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” – Bob Williamson

Deanna and I were reminiscing the other day about the dozens of camping trips we took with our kids when they were young. Most of the trips were a weeklong (or more) and a few were just over a long weekend. From our home in New Jersey, we traveled as far west as Ohio, as far north as Canada, and as far south as North Carolina.

Although we did our share of sightseeing on those sojourns, much of our time was spent enjoying the amenities offered by the various campgrounds we visited. Bethany and Chris loved to swim, so it was essential that the campground had a nice pool. Matt, on the other hand, loved to fish and so we always made sure that there was a well-stocked lake on the premises, too.

Of course, we also spent countless hours sitting around the campfire, cooking hot dogs or roasting marshmallows for the requisite smores. If it rained, it was no big deal because we always carried board games, jigsaw puzzles, and decks of cards with us for such occasions.

Sunday mornings would find us attending a local Bible-believing church or attending a chapel service at the campground if one was offered. If neither of those two options were available, we simply had “church” inside our trailer. Deanna would lead us in a song or two, each kid would take turns reading Scripture or praying, and I would share a brief Bible lesson.

As full-time missionaries, we weren’t financially able to spend a week at Disney World or cruising the Caribbean, but I wouldn’t trade those camping trips for all the tea in China. Why? Because we made some lasting memories that we will cherish until our dying days.

As Jackie Kennedy once said, “If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do matters very much. Chief Sitting Bull echoed those sentiments, saying “Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.”

If I could give young parents a word of advice, it would be this: spend time with your kids. They don’t need more toys or other expensive gifts; they need you! And don’t forget to instill in them a deep and lasting faith which will serve them well throughout this life and into the next.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President