These are fish our Granddaughters caught at the Sport Expo.
Have you ever had a dream to do something and wondered how it could ever occur? I want to tell you about one of mine that was fulfilled beyond expectations. About five years I could envision a family based sports show put on by Christians at our fairgrounds. I had no idea how to get it launched into reality. What I didn’t know was a guy named Dave Lotze who had moved to this area also had the same dream. Dave and I kept the dream alive in our hearts knowing God would bless it at His timing. About two years ago God wove our paths to cross and we found out that we both held the same passions for outdoor based ministry plus having the vision of a sport fair.
God then moved to pull men from different churches in the Sandpoint area to work and pray together. The past year has been awesome! Men became excited to reach out to families in new ways. Last summer about thirty cords of firewood was cut and stacked for needy families. God created a new era in Sandpoint with men from different churches praying together; walls of religion fell and Christ was exalted in a new spirit of unity. A core group of men began to meet to plan and pray about a sport expo. The Lord honored those prayers and things began to fall in place. We still knew the task before us was huge. Were there obstacles? Yes, there were many but God removed them all and opened up doors for the show to move forward.
Saturday morning, Dave and I were like two kids on Christmas morning, eager with anticipation. I hardly slept the night before. Over sixty vendor booths lined the main building representing north Idaho outdoor sports. We had hunting, fishing, boating, horse packing, archery, all terrain vehicles, snowboarding, sled dogs, artwork, outdoor photography, and several more outdoor areas represented. There were seminars on hunting, fishing, and GPS use. Nationally known Archery Hall of Fame Larry Jones spoke and had a booth. A twelve foot fish pond was filled with nearly seven hundred lively trout, some up to seven pounds. The fish pond was the center of attraction for the show as youngsters pulled in trout with shouts of glee. A photo shop was set up so they could get their pictures printed on a cover of Field and Stream Magazine to take home.
The show was started with a prayer and the national anthem rang out as I had never heard before from a woman healed by God from cancer. Her name is Pamela and many people’s lives were blessed by her story this weekend. The Sunday morning service brought a real life message about using a bow to hit a target and our relation to God. Our Cowboy church played the music. God is amazing!
Through a simple sport show we were able to show that Christians can work together to impact their community. A portion of the profits will go to Love Inc. which is a faith based local charity that helps needy families. As men, we grew a little in our walk with God and are anxious to do it again next year.
I thank God for letting me dream big!
