“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” -John 10:14
Happy New Year and happy Valentine’s Day Overcomers! It’s hard to believe that we are well into February already, but I am relieved because January is usually a tough month for me. I love Christmastime, but January always feels like the death of Christmas. When I take down decorations, my house always feels so sad and empty, and the weather is usually cold and rainy here where I live (although this year we were blessed with two weeks of sunshine). It can be refreshing to start a new year and create new goals, but I still find it challenging overall. For whatever reason, I have lost quite a few family members and friends in the month of January. Unfortunately, this was one of those years. On January 3rd, my Aunt Twila passed away suddenly. It was a month of grieving and moving forward one day at a time. I wish I could tell you I had an amazing amount of joy through it all, but that was not the case. This loss shook and tested my faith. Though I was in prayer almost constantly, I have no real satisfying answers. God has been rather silent, which is always hard for me to handle. However, I know he is with me. He has provided comfort through a variety of ways. He is gentle and has kept my hope alive. Sometimes, we walk through the valley of the shadow of death and we are not really sure which way to go. Our choice is to either give in to despair or cling to Jesus in nearly blind trust. No matter how hard life gets or how much it doesn’t make sense, I still choose Jesus. He is my God and he is with me. His word and his loving presence comfort me in all my trials. This season of grief has definitely set me back a month from accomplishing all I want to do, but I am ready for my fresh start now that we are into February. In spite of lingering pain and unanswered questions, I am choosing to push forward and finish this road trip blog project. I am almost done! That’s really a key to overcoming the tough seasons of life… refusing to give up! We must choose to keep trusting God and move forward little by little no matter how painful it is. This doesn’t mean to ignore your feelings. It’s so important to take time to go through the grieving process (however long it takes), but we must be determined to take steps in the right direction as God gives us the strength to do so. Remember, with our God, all things are possible!
I honestly hope your year is off to a happier start than mine (although there were joyful moments sprinkled in for me as well). What are some goals you want to accomplish this year? What are you dreaming and hoping for? Finishing this blog project is at the top of my list. As I reflect on our trip, I am so thankful for the time we were blessed to spend with our family and friends in Arkansas and Texas. Read on and enjoy these special moments with me!
Arkansas: I heard the Lord say, “I have not left my sheep without a shepherd. They are rich in faith.” Arkansas is a very special state to me because my Grandpa and Grandma Quinn (my mom’s parents) were both born and raised there near Mena. My Grandpa A.J. Quinn was born in Big Fork and my Grandma Thelma Mae Bonds was born nearby in the small town of Norman. They were sweethearts since they were 13 years old and my grandpa proposed to her as soon as he came home from the Korean War. They got married when they were both 20 years old and moved out to Oregon. My grandparents left a legacy of great love and faith that continues to impact me and my family to this day. Since my grandpa was one of 13 children, we have a huge extended Quinn family! We all live in different parts of the country, but we are remarkably close-knit for the size of our family. Many of us live on the West Coast, but many also still live in Arkansas. I grew up going back to Arkansas for family reunions as a kid and I always loved it (although the summer weather is very hot and humid with plenty of scary bugs and snakes). We recently reconnected with many of my relatives at our Quinn family reunion back in 2022, so we were excited to make our rounds for some more cherished family time.
On the road trip, we crossed over from Oklahoma into the area of Siloam Springs and headed for the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. My mom’s cousin Carolyn lives in Fayetteville and works for the Baptist Collegiate Ministry at the U of A. She invited us to come check out the beautiful campus and see what their ministry is doing to reach the students. We enjoyed meeting the pastor and hearing about their work and we shared with him about United Hive as well. As we were leaving the ministry building, Carolyn and some students demonstrated the “Hog Call” for us where they yell “Wooooo! Pig Sooie!” It’s the school’s unique sports chant with many hand motions. It’s great fun! Then Carolyn took us across the street and made Gabe rub the Razorback’s nose (remember, he’s an Alabama football fan). After that, we walked over to the Arkansas Union Building to have lunch. It was a gorgeous sunny day, so after lunch she gave us a tour around campus. We saw Old Main, which is a stunning Victorian multistory building with two clock towers on the ends. We also saw the Greek Theatre, Razorback Stadium and some pretty old homes. The University of Arkansas campus is lovely and walking around it was so refreshing! We wrapped up our tour and Carolyn drove us into downtown Fayetteville. The town square is surrounded by charming brick buildings and there’s an old post office in the center, which is now a restaurant called Cheers. A pretty flower garden with a walking path and a fountain wraps all the way around the restaurant. We stopped for some coffees at the Jammin Cafe to rest and catch up a bit. It was a wonderful day in a beautiful city! We then followed Carolyn back to her house where she graciously hosted us for the night. She made us fajitas for dinner… what a treat! After dinner, we sat and talked around the fire in her chimenea. The past few years have been especially rough for her and we felt the Lord using our time together as a blessing for us all. The next morning, Gabe was supposed to meet up with an old family friend from North Carolina named Glenn for breakfast. Glenn doesn’t live too far from Fayetteville now, but unfortunately, he got sick that morning and had to cancel. However, he was feeling well enough for a video call, so he and Gabe had a fun time catching up and reminiscing. Carolyn more than made up for Gabe’s missed breakfast by making us biscuits and gravy, fried potatoes, eggs and bacon! After breakfast, we packed up, said our goodbyes to Carolyn and left for Atkins.
We drove east on highway 16 and took Carolyn’s advice to drive down the Pig Trail Scenic Byway. We turned south at Brashears and drove to Ozark before we turned onto I-40 East. What a glorious fall drive it was through mountains, forests and farms. In fact, it was our first time being in the northwestern part of the state… it’s full of scenic beauty and I recommend it if you are able to visit. Our next stop was in Atkins to visit more cousins! We stayed with my mom’s cousin Dorothy and her husband James, who also hosted the family reunion back in 2022 along with my mom’s cousin Jane. Dorothy is a real leader in our family. She is like the team mom who checks in on all of us and is the first to organize gatherings, plan reunions and send out information and prayer requests to the whole family. She is so special to all of us! We love her and appreciate all she does to keep our family connected. We really enjoy spending time with her and her wonderful husband. When we arrived at their home, we visited with cousins Debra and Jane before we met up with more of our family for dinner at Jose’s International Cafe. We had a wonderful time catching up with everyone! The next morning, we went to church at Bells Chapel Assembly of God with Dorothy and James. The worship in this small town church was incredibly powerful! They had a prayer time and called people up front. I went up for prayer and people came and laid hands on me, including the pastor, and I strongly felt the tangible presence and power of God moving on me. I cried myself a river and messed up my makeup, but I didn’t care because that moment was an appointed time for me to encounter the love of God which gave me hope. This church was the most powerful, on fire group of believers that we encountered on the whole trip! Praise the Lord! After church, we got back on the road to make our way down to Mena.
We drove through the small towns of the Ouachita National Forest. We passed through Mount Ida, drove around the adorable little library in Norman and then went on to Black Springs. We visited this area back in 2022 and saw where my great grandparents lived in Norman, but at that time, we were unable to find the right cemetery where my family is buried. This time around, I had done my research. We finally found the Mount Gilead Cemetery and the Mt. Gilead Baptist Church (directly across the road from it) in the Black Springs area. This little country church was legendary in my family. My mom has vivid memories from attending this church when she visited family in Arkansas. Many of my grandma’s family members attended this church, although I’m not sure if any of them are still connected to it. My great grandpa (who we called Papa Bonds) is buried there, along with my great grandma Lela Bonds. I loved visiting my Papa Bonds when he lived in the nursing home when I was a little girl. My great great grandpa and grandma Cogburn (Lela’s parents) are also buried there, as well as multiple members of my extended family. If you are familiar with the Old Western legend of Rooster Cogburn, then you might be interested to know that we are related to him. The Cogburn side of my family is full of real Cowboy and Indian stories which are truly fascinating, but I don’t think my sweet grandma ever knew anything about that. All she knew was that she was Cherokee. Maybe it was best that grandma didn’t know she came from outlaws and moonshiners! Oh my! After taking several pictures of the cemetery and church, I thanked the Lord for all he has done in my family. He can do big things in small places.
We were running short on time, so we hopped back into the van, passed through Big Fork and finally made it to Mena. My mom’s cousin Cathy hosted a large family gathering for us at her beautiful home with her husband Raymond. Cathy made so much delicious food and truly spoiled us all. We had such a fun time with my many cousins who came to visit us (I would name them all, but with the size of our family, we might be here a while), including my great uncle Lee Quinn. Uncle Lee is my Grandpa Quinn’s youngest brother. My Grandpa Quinn has been gone for almost 20 years and we miss him so much, but it is remarkable how much Uncle Lee reminds us of him… it’s a sweet family likeness. Cathy graciously offered us a guest room, so we stayed with her that night and really enjoyed some quality time with her and Raymond. They are such a blessing! The next morning, we met Uncle Lee for breakfast at Skyline Café in Mena to soak up a little more time with him before we left town. It’s always hard to say goodbye, but we are so thankful for the special time we all had together. On our way out, we drove around Mena one last time, then headed west on Highway 8 back to Oklahoma.
Texas: is the “muscle of America,” and its strength keeps us on course. Dallas is the “backbone” of the American economy. We crossed over the Red River from Oklahoma into Texas and drove down to Plano to stay with our friends John and Charity. We used to go to church together when we all lived in Eugene, Oregon, but after we all moved, we hadn’t seen each other in many years. It was so good to reconnect! Charity definitely wins the best welcome basket award! She filled a basket with a variety of snacks, bottled waters and a sweet handwritten card, and had it waiting for us in our guest room. How amazing is that?! We had dinner together at their house that night and enjoyed catching up. Since we were there during the week, John had to work and Charity had errands and activities to do the next day. I was in desperate need of a day off from nonstop travel, so I spent a leisurely day sleeping in and reading. Gabe opted to drive over to Fort Worth to meet up with his friend Joel, who was his United Hive developer at the time. After he met with Joel, he connected with a ministry called International Commission that is based in the area. After everyone was back, we had another wonderful dinner together and were able to give Charity some timely encouragement before she had to leave for a group. John spent the evening sharing some powerful and personal testimonies with us from recent years. This led us into a fascinating discussion about the topic of deliverance. I love that believers are rediscovering the importance of deliverance ministry. We were so blessed to spend time with John and Charity and so thankful for their lovely hospitality. The next day, we left Plano and met up with my mom’s cousin Janice and her husband Bobby at the 54th Street Restaurant for lunch. I grew up visiting with them at our many Quinn reunions, but this was my first time seeing them on their home turf in the Dallas area. We had a fun lunch together before we left Dallas.
We took I-35 South and stopped down in Waco to see the famous Magnolia Market of Chip and Joanna Gaines. When we got there, some of the roads were blocked off because they were preparing for a large 20th Anniversary event the next day. The property has two large silos, a bakery, an outdoor eating area, food trucks, lawn games and a large indoor store with a variety of home goods. We didn’t have much time to explore, but we were able to shop around and find some gifts for our sister-in-law Sami, who loves their home décor. It was a fun stop! Then we continued down the highway to Austin to see our friend Alan and meet his girlfriend Sammie (not to be confused with our sister-in-law). I am happy to say they just got married last September in 2024 (which was just 11 months after we visited them and we were so blessed to attend their wedding). Gabe used to work with Alan when he lived in the Portland area, but he has lived in Texas now for years, so it was amazing to reconnect with him. Sammie is so lovely and genuine, so we’re thankful we’ve had the chance to get to know her. We arrived at their house in the evening, so we went to a local pizza place they like for dinner called Pinthouse Brewery. Between the restaurant and their home after, we spent the night enjoying deep and meaningful conversations about life and faith (they are both believers as well). The next morning, Gabe and Alan went to breakfast together for some great one-on-one time, then we left Austin and continued south once again.
When I was researching great places to see and things to do in Texas before we left on this trip, San Antonio kept popping up as the top destination. Since some friends of ours had also moved down to the San Antonio area, we decided driving all the way down there had to be a must. We arrived in downtown San Antonio early in the day and were excited to explore this legendary city. Even though it was mid-October, the weather down there was hot and sunny with blue skies, which felt more like summer than fall to us. The Spanish influence can been seen all over the city from the architecture to the food, which gives it charming character while still feeling like you are in Texas and not Mexico. The city is beautiful and absolutely lives up to the hype. One reason it’s so famous is that the Alamo is there, which is a very sacred historical place representing the undying spirit of Texan and American independence. Even though the Battle of the Alamo ended in tragedy for the Texans and Americans, it became an inspiration for them to persevere at all costs. The courage of the people at the Alamo paved the way for the eventual Texan victory over Mexico and the rest is history. This special place was the first stop on our list for this great city. It was fascinating walking around the old mission grounds, barrack and rustic church, where Davy Crockett and others fought and died defending it. There’s historical information posted all over the grounds and there are some people dressed up in time period clothes. It’s a special experience.
After visiting the Alamo, we walked over to the San Antonio River Walk, which looks and feels like the shopping district of a magical theme park. There is a section of the San Antonio River which has a canal loop that creates an island. Along the waterway, there are many bridges, restaurants, hotels and shops with beautiful landscaping. We had lunch on the water at the oldest restaurant on the River Walk, which is a great Mexican place called Casa Rio. As we ate, we enjoyed watching colorful tour boats with groups of people glide along the canal. The River Walk is kind of like the Venice of Texas. It is peaceful, relaxing and so fun. Words do not do it justice… you have to go experience it for yourself! After lunch, we stumbled upon the adorable little shopping village called La Villita that has a cute little church. From there, we saw the grand Bexar County Courthouse and the spectacular San Fernando Cathedral. We also saw multiple Cinderella-style horse-drawn carriages around the downtown, which all great cities in America seem to have. While San Antonio is a wonderful city and we really enjoyed it, no place is perfect. As we were exploring the city, we came across a crazy and creepy looking mural on the side of a building. This painting immediately struck me as being demonic in nature, even if the artist didn’t intend it to be. When I saw it, I realized there is a principality in San Antonio that looks like a female with three eyes like the woman displayed on the mural. It pridefully thinks it has captured the heart of the people (the woman in the painting is holding a heart in a glass case on a stick)… but Jesus is king over San Antonio! I share this so the intercessors can kick this nasty spirit out of San Antonio and release the plans and purposes of God over this city. May Jesus be glorified!
As the golden sun was setting, we left San Antonio and drove up about 45 minutes to the charming town of Boerne to see our friends Todd and Jodi. We all went to church together for years and they both served on our leadership team when Gabe and I led an Alpha course ministry. Jodi is a Pampered Chef Senior Director, so she and Todd are incredible cooks! We always served a gourmet meal at each of our Alpha nights, and Todd and Jodi consistently served up the best dishes you can imagine. We were definitely spoiled to have them on our team. During COVID, several of our friends moved to Texas and Florida to get away from all the crazy restrictions in the Northwest so they could live in freedom (I can’t blame them). Todd and Jodi were some of those friends who were dreaming of a better life… and they definitely found it! They moved to a brand new housing development that feels almost like a resort. It’s lovely! After we arrived at their home, they drove us around town to see all the fun places they love on our way to dinner. They took us to a delicious local restaurant called The Dodging Duck where we got to sit out on the patio and enjoy some live music. After dinner, we went back to their house and had a wonderful conversation. We got to hear how much they are loving life in Texas, and then the Lord started giving us encouraging prophetic words for them. It was such a sweet time and we really soaked in the moments together. Our visit just seemed like it was perfectly timed by God. The next morning, they made us an amazing gourmet breakfast and other delicious treats for the road. Apparently Buc-ee’s is a big deal and everyone who has been to one raves about it (it’s a travel center we had never heard of until this trip). Since we told Todd and Jodi we have never been to one, they decided there is one aspect of the Buc-ee’s experience that is not to be missed… the candied pecans! They made us a bag of these pecans, as well as a whole loaf of salted caramel latte bread! Oh my! What a sweet way to send us off! We enjoyed those treats for days after and we’re so thankful for their delightful hospitality and a blessed time together.
We left Boerne with a long drive ahead of us to get to Lubbock that night. I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the countryside was in this part of the state. The landscape was full of rolling hills with greenery and cute western towns. We stopped to look around the small town of Paint Rock, which had some nice buildings, but many seemed vacant. It definitely needs some TLC. While we were driving along, I felt strongly that the Lord will call Texans who live in the cities to bring the waters of revival to the small towns that are spiritually dry. Wouldn’t this be beautiful to see? Revival isn’t just for the megachurches in the big cities, but for all the highways and the byways of the small towns and communities as well. Later that night, we finally made it to Lubbock. Because it’s kind of out in the middle of nowhere in the desert, I expected Lubbock to be a fairly small city, so I was very surprised to see how big it is! As we were driving around it, the word I got for Lubbock is that it’s a “city of lions.” How powerful! We stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner, grabbed some groceries after and then made our way to the KOA for the night. The next morning we took the 84 west to New Mexico.
What an incredible time we had in Arkansas and Texas! Even though we were totally exhausted by this part of the trip (every day we had to pick ourselves up and keep going), we are so grateful. It was a precious gift from God to spend time with so many people we love and to experience all the beauty and joy along the way. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about our adventures so far… but please don’t just read about them, go out and explore our beautiful USA this year! Who knows what kind of people and places you’ll discover. I’ll be posting the next couple states soon… stay tuned!
The Overcomers 
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