The Empty Tomb

Caiaphas, the high priest watched the sun rise in the east on this peaceful Sunday morning, glad calm had come to the city. He was about to go to the temple to get a work crew to repair the earthquake damage when the soldiers guarding the tomb of Jesus came running to say another earthquake struck the tomb and the sealed rock rolled away. Besides that. an angel appeared and drove them off. How could this be happening? He told the soldiers to get back to the tomb but they refused even though they could be killed for abandoning their guard. Caiaphas instructed the soldiers to keep still about this and paid them to say the disciples stole the body. After three days in a tomb they wouldn’t carry it too far. After all, it wasn’t like Jesus came back to life and was walking around town.

Mary Magdalene and a group of women went to the tomb early in the morning and found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. Two angels appeared to them and announced that Jesus had risen to fulfill the scriptures just like he had told them. The women quickly ran back to tell the disciples but they didn’t believe what they had heard. Peter took off running and was the first one to the tomb, only to find it empty with the burial cloth folded up neatly. Peter went back into the city but couldn’t quite figure out where Jesus could be. Could He really be alive? So many crazy things had happened the last three days that Peter wasn’t sure what to believe. He was afraid the authorities would put the blame on the disciples and arrest everyone. They decided to lock themselves in the room and not answer the door for anyone.

Later that day two of the disciples pounded on the door asking to be let in as they had seen Jesus. Peter and the others were trying to figure this out when Jesus appeared to them. They didn’t know whether to run out of the room or faint. Jesus calmed them down and they finally understood what he had taught them. Wow! He lives!

Even today, many of us have a hard time believing Jesus really lives. He told them the Holy Spirit would come and transform their lives and that same Spirit can change us too if we let Him. Is something missing in your life? Are you like the disciples still hiding in your room? It is time to get out and proclaim the good news. Jesus lives and wants a relationship with you!

It's Friday But Sunday's Coming

The streets of Jerusalem went from wild angry crowds to nearly deserted by evening. The Jewish leaders and the Romans crucified Jesus of Nazareth today after flogging him beyond recognition. He was forced to carry his cross along with two thieves but couldn’t do it, so they grabbed a guy from the crowd to drag it to the hill. Once there huge rusty spikes were driven through his hands and feet and then Jesus was hoisted up for all to see. The pain was unbearable for him yet he asked that they be forgiven. Can you believe that? Only one of his disciples watched; it is rumored the others are hiding in the city. Jesus’ mother had to endure the horrible scene as soldiers and some of the Jewish authorities mocked him.

The mockers grew slowly silent as the sky turned dark and lightning flashed viciously close to everyone. The earth shook as if it would swallow the whole city. A Roman officer fell to his knees and declared that Jesus must have been the Son of God as he had proclaimed. The Chief Priests backed off the hill and watched from a distance as a man named Joseph and Nicodemus from the ruling council; took down the body and buried it in Joseph’s tomb before sundown.

Just when everyone thought it was over, a courier came running from the temple to say the earthquake had damaged the building and somehow the heavy curtain guarding the Holy of Holies had been torn from top to bottom. Fear overtook some of the Chief Priests when they were told some graves had been thrown open and the people came to life and were walking around the city. How were they going to explain these things? A thick dust hung over the city from the earthquake and most people went indoors to ponder the day’s events. Pilate put his troops on alert just in case someone tried to cause trouble. Pilate looked out from his balcony wondering why he had to deal with these rebellious Jews. Oh, to be in Rome again.

Both Pilate and the Chief Priests were looking forward to Sunday when many people would be leaving Jerusalem to journey back home. Jesus’ tomb was being guarded by soldiers and his disciples hiding in fear for their lives. Things would be back to normal by Sunday. After all, what could go wrong?

Worm Catching

Last year at this time we still had two feet of snow covering the ground but this March our grass is turning green and trees are budding out. We plan on going fishing with our friends Ken and Dee after church on Sunday so I thought some night crawlers would be nice to take as bait. The granddaughters stayed Friday night and they wanted to help me.
We went out with flashlights and a bucket and soon found worms everywhere. This was the first time the girls had tried to catch night crawlers and they found out the worms can be quick to slide back under the ground. After a few attempts they soon were pouncing on the worms and screaming with excitement. The neighbors probably wondered what was going on in our back yard.

Grandpa is just a little proud that I was on their first worm hunt. We did let their father participate. He carried the bucket. We invited their mother and grandma but for some reason they declined. It is hard to understand that they didn’t share in our excitement. My proverb for this week is “Teach a kid to catch worms and they will want to go fishing.” It might sound simple but it sure can help a youngster stay out of trouble. That philosophy could probably keep a lot of kids off drugs.

This is a great time of year to get kids away from television, computers, and electronic games and introduce them to God’s great outdoors. Take them fishing, hiking, or just go to a lake and skip rocks. Always point out that God made this beauty for them. You will enjoy the time as much as the kids do. Kids need to see a simple side of life.

Gathering Up Treasures

A few days ago I went treasure hunting at the driftwood yard on the east end of Lake Pend Orielle. Now the treasures weren’t gold or silver, they were driftwood pieces that I can use in my carving. You know the saying that one man’s junk is another’s treasure. I had a man stop me one day a few years ago and wonder what I was going to do with the pick up load of old wood. I look for unique pieces that will be used to put trout on and sometimes root wads that I can turn into tables. Many other people also comb this area every fall when the lake is drawn down so I often end up scouring the most remote areas. I also look for juniper to carve beautiful red trout but never find too many pieces.

The time goes by too fast when I’m there. This time of year the area is filled with migrating waterfowl so swans and geese are calling the whole time I’m looking for wood. Sometimes eagles fly over stirring up hundred of ducks and great blue herons perch on old pilings soaking up the sun’s warmth. It is a peaceful setting that draws me back every year.

Jesus taught in Matthew 6:19 that we should not store up treasures on earth because they are only temporary. He said store up treasures in Heaven that are eternal. Then Jesus cut to the quick and said our treasures will reveal where our heart is. This is a good place for us to take an inventory of our personal and spiritual life.

Jesus went on to say we can not serve two masters. Too many people, including Christians try to serve both. Just look what a mess our country is in. Jesus went on to finish this lesson by stating we can not serve both God and Money. The reason Matthew capitalized money was because Jesus was using it in the same way he addressed Satan. Money by itself is neutral but we elevate it above God. People in our nation found out in the last two years that money is easy to lose; it provides a false security. The only security we have is in God’s promises.

We need to humble ourselves before God and get down on our knees and pray. He promises to bless any people that do this. Again I stress that God has always wanted a relationship with his people. At first it was the Jews but because of Jesus victory over the grave God wants a relationship with all people. It is a free gift that is priceless, an eternal treasure.

Sunday Stroll

Even though our winter in north Idaho has been exceptionally mild, cabin fever still creeps in about this time of year. Sunday afternoon was nice so we decided to see if we could get to Jolene and Vance’s remote cabin area. Snow was not a hindrance but there was ice on the road was so we put on tire chains and drove there easily. We have never been there this early.

We parked at the edge of a clear cut and walked around on bare ground. Lizzie and I found a small deer antler that had been dropped so we were encouraged to look for more. Lizzie and Hannah are getting good identifying animal tracks and they were quick to point them out. Even though we couldn’t find anymore antlers it was fun to walk around and explore. The afternoon ended too soon and we had to head back home. It was good to see the deer, elk, and moose are wintering well this year after two years of deep snow.

The opportunity to get the granddaughters outside was the highlight of the day. Anytime you can get a child outside is good. Too many children do not get this opportunity. If you have a chance, go show a child the amazing world God created. You will both learn something about this wild creation.

Sport Show 2010

The Sport Expo is over and it was a huge success thanks to the many volunteers that devoted their time over the weekend. It is proof that people from six churches can work together. Now if we can only convince some more pastors in the community that God really does exist outside the church walls.

It was great to see children catching trout with a big smile on their faces but I think the volunteers at the fish pond had as much fun as the kids did. Home Depot also provided a hands on work shop for kids to build things. We had Fjord horses giving wagon rides which were quite popular. People were able to browse through booths containing a wide variety of outdoor related sports. There was hunting, fishing, ATV, snowmobile, antique firearms, knives, taxidermy, rafting, boats, hickory rockers, stained glass, archery, float planes, and great food available. We also had booths for National Day of Prayer, The Luke Commission, and Love Inc.

The Sunday morning service was well attended even though it was at 8 a.m. I gave a message titled Unprepared, which was about a caribou hunt that went bad. We thank God for everyone that attended over the weekend. Now we will put our heads together to see how to improve it for next year.

God calls us to get out of the church into the community to transform lives. A sport show is just one way. We need to be aware that many people in our community are going through bad times and pray for them. People don’t care how much you know; they want to know how much you care.

Breaking Tradition

Traditional Christianity seems to go something like this; go to church once a week, raise a family, work hard, and try to be generally good. The only difference from non Christians is going to church once a week or less. The national rate is something like two and a half times per month. No wonder we aren’t transforming America. Jesus commanded us to go out and make disciples which we think only means mission work to other countries. I believe Jesus was really saying, “Start right where you are.”

Since most church growth in this country is lateral, meaning people leaving churches and going to another, we aren’t growing much. I’m going into hostile territory, but most people and churches hinder the Holy Spirit by being afraid to break from tradition. When you read the Book of Acts you see the Holy Spirit very much alive in the early Christians and their churches. That is why Christianity spread like wildfire even against extreme oppression. We have grown afraid to challenge tradition and think outside the box.

A group of men in the Sandpoint area formed over a year ago to launch a ministry to reach the non churched people. We held an outdoor expo that targeted many outdoor sport venues. Results the first year exceeded our expectations because we let God take over. We were able to connect with the community in a way never tried in Sandpoint. Over sixty retail vendors signed up, many of those were not Christian. Several vendors stated after the show that this was the best show they had ever participated in. We don’t take credit for that, it belongs to God. The second annual sports expo will be held this year at the Bonner County Fairgrounds from February 12 through the 14th. We look forward to impact people’s lives with the realness of Jesus.

The lack of local churches to catch this ministry vision is disappointing. The men come from five churches but Sandpoint has over twenty. Many pastors will not bring it up to their men. We have tried approaching them through a variety of ways but tradition seems to block our efforts. Our prayer is for these pastors to catch the vision of transforming Sandpoint for Christ. You do that by building relationships with the community not by religion.

It's All About Time

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock. Remember those old metal wind up alarm clocks that were so noisy? If the ticking didn’t keep you awake all night, the loud alarm would send you clearing the bed when it went off. I had a great dislike for the time piece and wanted to put it out of existence with a hammer. The new silent digital clocks are much better but I still don’t like being awakened by any alarm. Why couldn’t someone invent one with the sound of a bull elk bugling or the call of Canada geese?

I occasionally set an alarm but always wake up before it goes off. The old farm rooster was an alarm at first light when I was a kid. Every rooster wants to crow a few times before the sun comes up. That was how God probably intended for us to wake up. Remember, Peter heard one three times while it was still dark as Jesus was being accused of false crimes.

We seem obsessed with time. When I guided in Alaska we told clients to forget their watch because we had two times; daylight and dark. Many of those men’s life revolved around time and it would take them a few days to adjust to a slower pace. The only one that didn’t was a dairy farmer from Wisconsin.

When it comes to eternal decisions, many people put it off like they have forever. They don’t. Why is it so hard to accept Jesus as our personal savior? That is the only decision we need to make before time runs out. Too many people think they have to get religion; but they only need to make Jesus their savior by inviting Him into their lives. It doesn’t have anything to do with religion. Jesus is about having a heart change.

All you have to do is ask for forgiveness and invite Him into your heart. Ask Him for strength to change, wisdom to grow, and the ability to persevere. He won’t let you down. Don’t put it off; it’s all about time.

Remnants And Quilts

Ardella has the gift of making beautiful quilts and has created several over the years. Most of the time she designs her own pattern which sometimes changes as the quilt is made. She has made some for fund raisers and I bought the first one she designed and donated to the Rocky Mountain Foundation. Last fall Ardella designed four quilts for our two daughters and granddaughters which are beautiful works of art.

Our basement holds vast pieces and remnants of material that look like they have no purpose until Ardella lays them together with other fabric. They suddenly come together to form a beautiful covering for beds. This got me thinking how we are lone remnants in this world until we come together with other Christians to form something beautiful. We are supposed to reflect Jesus to the world but often don’t. God calls His remnants to work for His glory and change lives of people.

Paul writes in Romans that we are a remnant saved by grace. We can’t save ourselves by works; it required a savoir. In Zechariah God promises an inheritance to the remnant of his people. He provided a way out for us in this huge sea of humanity, lost in its pride and sin.

Remnants don’t look too good until they are pieced together with other remnants. They look pretty bland and useless. When they are sewed together to form a quilt something beautiful is created. Christians by themselves aren’t very effective for God but when we come together in spirit we are unstoppable. Satan loves to separate us with all kinds of divisions.

While most of the world thinks they don’t need Jesus as savior, we do and can make a difference in lives of people we know by sharing the love of Christ with them. This world needs quilts so if you are a Christian going it alone; find other Christians and create something wonderful for God.

Misery Loves Company

Yesterday I went ice fishing with my friend Ken and son-in-law Vance. It was the worst day I have ever spent on the ice in my fifty years of pursuing this unique sport. Maybe I should have known when Ken came to pick us up and told us that nothing had gone right for him all day, but we had dreams of buckets of perch. What could go wrong?

Our temperatures have been hovering near forty degrees in the day so that makes for some water on the ice but the frozen layer is abut twelve inches thick. We selected a frozen bay that requires access across private property so not too many fishermen are allowed to use it. As we started out on the ice, puddles of water dotted about half the surface. We walked using ice grips on our boots to prevent falling and covered about three hundred yards before we drilled the holes. My auger blades had suddenly lost their cutting ability so I borrowed Vance’s to finish the holes. Ken did the same.

As we settled into fishing a slight wind blew from the west and a light rain came down. We weren’t going to let a little rain prevent us from catching perch. Time went by without a single bite and the wind and rain increased. The wind started gusting and we could see waves pounding against the outer edge of the ice about three hundred yards away. Soon the water depth on the ice started rising and so did the wind. I stood up from the five gallon bucket to stretch and the bucket took off sailing away. After a brief chase which included falling flat on my back, I had the bucket and set down again to jig for perch. The wind and rain intensified and Ken said he was freezing; of course I was optimistic the fish would start biting any minute. Why quit now?

For some reason my memory of the bucket briefly failed and I stood up again. This time the bucket took off racing across the ice and Vance’s fishing gear box decided to follow in pursuit. The race was on with Vance and I trying to run across what now was ice covered by deepening water and little icebergs chasing along. The chunks of ice were being driven by the gale force winds as the outer shelf of ice was being chewed up by big waves. Vance’s fishing box suddenly stopped but the bucket continued another thirty feet and hit a pocket of open water caused by a spring. We watched the bucket make a slow retreat to the bottom of the lake. When I turned to go back towards Ken the wind hit me and I could feel it trying to push me toward the open water so I leaned into it and dug in with the ice grips. Cold rain pelted us as we gathered up our equipment and made the long walk off the ice. Another fine day off fishing came to an end.

The fierce conditions we endured on the ice reminded me how wild our God is. He flung the stars and planets into their positions, all creation follows his order. I have been blessed to experience His wildness many times in the outdoors and I thank Him for it. I am humbled by His great powers. I am sure that in a few days we will try ice fishing again, after all what could go wrong.

All About Trust

Last summer our granddaughters talked us into taking Spud, a ten year old Fjord horse that they had picked up from a man in the spring. Spud is a small horse but doesn’t know that and wanted to challenge their big Fjord Amos. Fearing one of them would be injured; Vance said Spud had to find a new home so the granddaughters quickly figured that we should have him.

We brought Spud home without knowing much about his past but found out he liked to bite. I suspected that bad habit came from abuse he had received from his first owner. The guy said Spud was hard to catch without a grain bucket. Funny thing, I have never had any problem catching the horse. When Spud sees me with his halter, he comes right up and stands still while I slip it over his head. I have spent many hours with Spud grooming him and leading him around. Over the past few months, Spud has slowly quit trying to bite. He now wants to give me kisses on my cheek. The little horse has come to trust me completely.

God wants us to put our trust in Him. The word trust is used many times in the Bible. Proverbs says a lot about trust. Chapter 3 verse 5 says, “Trust in the Lord always.” Chapter 16 verse 20 states, “Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” Chapter 28 speaks of trust twice. “He who trusts in the Lord will prosper” and “he who trusts in himself is a fool.”

We often are so busy trying to manage our life that we don’t ever think about letting God in to help. Satan likes to fill our heads with thoughts of doubt about God. God wouldn’t want anything to do with us; we aren’t worthy. Do you know how much better our world would be if all men trusted completely in God? We are fools when we trust in ourselves or the words of other fools.

Our pride often gets in the way of relying on God to guide us. Guess who dishes out the pride to us? Replacing pride with humbleness will have us on the road to a relationship with the Father. Trust and relationship go hand in hand. Trust God; He is waiting for you to kiss Him on the cheek.

Ancient Paths

Old trails and paths in the wilds have always been intriguing and beckon me to follow them. This sometimes leads me off course from my original intentions and has lead to a few nasty inhospitable places. Once in a while the path pulls me to a wonderland surrounded by ancient forests; a place I feel close to God as I admire his creation.

Guiding for brown bear one fall in Alaska, I came upon an old bear trail created by these large creatures over hundreds of years. The trail was about a foot wide and worn into the tundra four inches deep. The old path wasn’t just an ordinary trail as you could see the actual footprints of bears as they walked in each others prints through the years. It was a sight that I will never forget and I remember reaching down and running me hands over the worn footprints. This trail had been handed down from generation to generation by the great beasts as they traveled from a brushy lake bottom to this high pass between two mountain ranges. It was a road map of life for the bears.

As men, we often don’t have such a path of life to follow. Broken homes and fathers too busy working to pass on life lessons are taking a toll on men everywhere. If our own fathers didn’t take time to teach us important steps of life and share closeness, we may think God doesn’t care either. Men and boys desperately need a marked trail, not more rules, formulas, or another list of principles.

Even if you were fortunate like I was to have a father and grandfather to guide me on the trail, we still need guidance from our Heavenly Father to make it through life. God intended that in the Garden before Satan entered the scene and told the universal lie that God doesn’t care about us and he is holding back on us. God developed us for an intimate relationship. Jesus death on the cross opened us the opportunity to walk with God personally. Unfortunately, many churches want men to engage in another class or boring program that is about as exciting as going to the dentist. Men need challenged and engaged in real life situations in their community. Guys do best in small platoons or band of brothers because we are in a war and too many men become casualties without someone to guard their back. I’m blessed to have a great group of men to help me grow and fight the battles.


God is waiting to show all of us the ancient path that leads to a peace this world doesn’t know. I suggest men read some of John Eldredge’s books like Wild At Heart, Way of The Wild Heart, Fathered by God, and Epic. Read and study them with some other guys. Remember, it is important which path you take and where it goes.

The Peace of Christmas

The Bible states that there will be wars and threats of wars but also speaks of peace numerous times. We certainly are aware of conflicts since our troops are involved in two wars in the Middle East and we have an undeclared war against drugs in Latin America. Then there is the hostile environment created by Iran and other Arab nations against Israel. We know how God will deal with that someday. The Bible is very clear that He will destroy all the nations that go against his chosen people. So, how do we find the peace of Christmas?

Jesus told his disciples about his death when He said, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean our troubles go away. The old ones may but usually we encounter a whole new kind that Satan throws at us to discourage us from depending on God.

Isaiah chapter 9 says,” For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government there shall be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

We can find total peace in this chapter if we truly believe in the baby born in a manager over two thousand years ago. It just takes having the faith of a child in our hearts. God made it simple for us to have a relationship with Him but we try to complicate it. The Peace of Christmas is only found in our hearts when we let Jesus in. My prayer this Christmas season is that you let Jesus take over your life. You will not be disappointed as you experience the Peace of Christmas forever.

Against All Odds

The cooing of mourning doves was a sweet sound that I grew up with in Iowa. They are a gentle bird that God designed to migrate since they are seed eaters. For the last few years, we have had up to sixty stay the winter. I try hard to get them to move south and don’t put feed out until it snows. This year five doves showed up as soon as the ground was white. I put out cracked corn and now we have over twenty hanging around everyday. These doves appear to be all males as they have a pink and purple hue on their necks and breast.

Without supplemental feeding many of the doves would perish due to starvation. They also face the perils of winged predators like hawks and owls so they still have many dangers. One year a pigmy owl about their size killed many of them. They soon get used to me and will wait in nearby trees for the corn to be placed in a few spots in the backyard. I am their sole source for survival; they are living the winter here against all odds.

Jesus Christ, the baby in the manager, King of Kings, God’s Son is our only source for survival; without Him we will perish. Why do people have such a hard time accepting that? God provided a way for us to spend eternity with Him through Jesus dying for us on the cross. He created us for a relationship yet people reject that offer and perish. Too many people think about the present life and not eternity. Where will you spend it?

The doves and I have a very limited relationship but God wants a real one with us. He pursues us all through the scriptures even when we don’t deserve it. Jesus said, “I stand at the door and knock.” Jesus’ whole time on earth was about seeking people’s hearts. He didn’t come to earth to start another religion; Jesus came to offer us peace and the opportunity for us to know Him personally. He was the sacrifice for all the sins of mankind.

Open up the Bible to Matthew and read about the Christmas story. God is offering an eternal Christmas present to you, don’t pass it up. To reject Jesus is to go against all odds.

Christmas Thoughts

Our house is decorated for Christmas with trees, lights, and garland announcing the birth of Christ. The grand daughters decorated our old artificial tree and they redecorate it every time they are here. We selected a white fir tree this year from the woods that Ardella has nicely adorned with many ornaments that we have had for years. Even my mounted caribou gets outfitted with garland and a Santa hat.

Commercialism has certainly taken over the true meaning of Christmas. The real meaning of this season is all about God’s love for us. He sent his only son to earth so we can have eternity with Him. Too many people do not believe that Jesus is the Christ, our savior. I suggest everyone should watch the Star of Bethlehem DVD which is about an hour long. If you can watch that and not believe in Christ and God’s love for you, then you are without hope.

The greatest gift you can receive is accepting Jesus as your savior and Lord. He wants a personal relationship with us everyday, not just on Sunday. If we let Him, He will transform our lives so His light shines through us to this dark world. You can accept Jesus anytime and anywhere; He waits at the door of your heart.

The most important thing to remember is His great love for you. Jesus is not a religion; He is a relationship because He lives. My prayer is for everyone to have a great Christmas, but don’t miss the real reason for the season.

Wise Old Bucks

The phrase, “With age comes wisdom” certainly applies to hunting old bucks. After hunting for nearly forty days and not seeing a buck, I’m reminded and humbled about what I don’t know concerning deer hunting. They outfoxed me at every turn. I still have a seven day archery season that starts Thursday so we will see how that goes. The weather is supposed to be very frigid and standing still with a bow for hours turns one into an ice cube. I have been so cold in the past that I could not pull the bow back.

My friend Jeff slid into a chair next to me on Wednesday men’s group and whispered, “We have to talk.” He later told me that he never got or even saw a buck and wondered what he had done wrong. I told him he should ask our friend Paul since he harvested a deer and I didn’t. Then I remembered poor Jeff had attended a deer hunting seminar I gave last year and somehow got the idea I was a whitetail expert. Boy did I fool him!

God programs a buck’s brain so when they get about three years old it is like their memory bank expands dramatically. They get very nocturnal, change their bedding sites often, and live in thick brush and timber. These bucks know every inch of their home range.

The Bible is very clear that all wisdom comes from God. It says with humility comes wisdom. God also told us that we should humble ourselves and pray and He will hear our requests. Proverbs says blessed is the man who finds wisdom. Wisdom is mentioned in the Bible with words like knowledge, joy, correction, hidden treasures, discipline, and understanding.

I have noticed that some men get old and some men get wise from age. My Grandpa Swartz lived 97 years and was one of the wisest men I have ever known. I don’t think he attended more than grade school so his wisdom was based on his belief in God and it served him well. Wouldn’t the world be better if we could all humble ourselves and ask God to impart some wisdom to each of us.

Amoung the Giants

My friend Ken and I recently hunted deer in the Lightning Creek Drainage north of Clark Fork, Idaho. This area was just opened to vehicle travel after being closed for years due to heavy destruction to the landscape after torrential rains fell. Lightning Creek is the wettest drainage in Idaho and has experienced flooding and mass washouts in the past. This generous precipitation lets trees grow old and get very large.

Ken was amazed at the size of the cedar trees; many over six feet in diameter. It was like walking in a garden of giants and we were the ants. We were in awe and realized they had been created by a wondrous God. Looking up at these giant trees is like gazing at night into the heavens and sensing how small we are. We were created by a God who knows no boundaries; His universe is endless.

I believe God didn’t make us to think small, that comes from Satan. God created us to serve Him and help others. Ed Silvoso wrote a book called Transformation which challenges us to take the principles Jesus taught and change the world. I recommend people read it especially in a group so it can be discussed. The principles that Mr. Silvoso writes about could transform lives, wipe out poverty, and change the world. It would put Satan out of business in trade and nations economies. It is already happening around the world, we just don’t hear about it on the nightly news.

What if we let God run our businesses, schools, and government? It would have a profound difference in people’s lives. First we need to humble ourselves before God, make him our partner in all aspects of life. He can run things much better than we can ever imagine. God can grow us like the big cedar trees in Lightning Creek; strong, deep rooted, and reaching toward the heavens.

We only have four days left in the rifle deer season and so far the deer have won. Ardella nearly got run over last Sunday afternoon by a doe that came running down the trail and decided to veer off right by her. She is going shopping tomorrow with the daughters and grand daughters. I told her tonight that a bad day of hunting is better than a good day shopping.

Ardella and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving Day.

Kissing a Mule

Ardella was gone for three days to a sewing retreat with some friends so I explored the wild side on Friday with a gal that has big brown eyes with dark eye lashes named Blanche. Blanche also has long legs and large ears. I guess I forgot to say she is a mule that my friend Ken owns. Blanche was very pleasant to ride and taught me a few things. Ken rode his horse Firecracker and we spent the day looking for deer as a light snow fell on the mountains. I have hunted for about forty years but Friday was the first time I ever rode a mule to hunt. The deer were not cooperative but spending a day with a friend in God’s creation is always great.

Blanche taught me that God made mules quite intelligent. I tied her to a tree with a slip knot for two hours while we hunted a short distance away only to come back and discover that Blanche untied the knot. She was grazing about sixty yards away and I’m sure Firecracker tried to tell her to untie him too. Sometimes Blanche would stop and I could tell she was trying to figure something out. We were going up an old road with Ken and Firecracker in the lead when Blanche stopped suddenly. She would not move even though her friend Firecracker was leaving her. I looked around and could not see anything unusual but I knew Blanche wanted me to find something. I looked down by her feet to see a large foot print in the snow. It had been made by a wolf that morning. Even though Blanche has never encountered a wolf she knew danger had been there.

God placed the intelligence in animals to sense unseen danger yet we humans often miss it. We downplay Satan’s influence on our lives and many don’t even believe in him. We don’t need to fear him because of Jesus but we do need to recognize Satan is like a roaring lion trying to distance us from God. One of his biggest lies is that God doesn’t care about us. Like the wolf track that had just enough snow in it so the print was hard to see; Satan covers up things to trick us. He uses guilt, ways of the world, and compromise to make sin appealing. Only by putting our faith in Jesus and what He did on the cross can we destroy Satan’s power over us.

If you haven’t put your faith In Jesus, please do it today. Read Matthew 6:25 through 34 to find out how much God loves you. He will take care of you.

Thanks Blanche for teaching me an important lesson about God. When we got back to Ken’s place and were taking the saddles off the animals, Ken said I should give Blanche a kiss on the lips to show her how much I appreciated her hauling me around all day. I had a headlight on my cap and as I went to plant one on her brown muzzle she pulled back until I turned the light off. Then she let me kiss her. I didn’t know mules could be shy about a little kiss.

Roll Call

Last week the nation was stunned by the senseless shootings at Fort Hood that left thirteen dead and twenty nine wounded at the hands of a man derailed by a vicious ideology. My prayers are with those families that at this time they will turn to God for peace and closure. Some may be mad at God and He understands their anger through the grief of the loss they have experienced.

Ardella and I watched some of the memorial service which was very moving. At the end of the memorial a Sergeant Major gave a roll call. He would announce a name waiting for a response. A soldier would yell back, “Here Sergeant Major.” Then He would call out another name waiting for a response that never came; the name of a fallen patriot. This scenario repeated until all the names were announced. It was a reminder how fragile life is.

Christ will come back at the end of the age and announce a roll call. Not everyone will be called; only those who claim Jesus as Lord and Savoir. Many will not hear their name because they rejected Him. Will your name be called? This roll call could occur any moment or it could be years away but that doesn’t matter. Be prepared! Just leading a good life won’t get your name on the list. We all fall short of the Glory of God.

The process to hearing your name called is actually very simple. Go to God and ask forgiveness for your sins. Make Jesus your Lord and Savoir. You are washed clean by His blood spilled on the cross. He took on the sins of the whole world so Jesus is able to handle yours too. Find another devoted follower to help you grow. Read the Bible and ask God for His wisdom in your life. He will change you!

Don’t delay this life changing chance. Jesus could come back tomorrow and give a roll call. Will you hear your name?

Twice Blessed

We felt blessed when Ardella’s elk appeared out of no where; the first elk we saw in the clear cut all fall. On Sunday the 25th we were blessed twice. After leaving Ardella to watch an area that contained fresh deer tracks, I headed over the hill to explore a small part of the clear cut that we can’t see from where we normally stand. It over looks dark timber with a creek meandering along the border of the recent logged area. We have taken deer here before but never any elk. I just had a strong feeling that I was going to see an elk. I remember praying to God about several things and asking for an elk to come out; then I settled back to watch and listen to nature. Some wolves howled in the distance, squirrels busied themselves gathering food for winter, and a pileated woodpecker chattered as it pounded on a dead tree. About five o’clock a bull elk emerged from the creek bottom and ran like a race horse along the dark timber and disappeared. I moved about thirty yards and peered around a tree and could see him standing about two hundred yards away. Then just like that he was gone. I went back and got my pack and slowly started walking through the clear cut when I heard him calling about three hundred yards to my left. There he was on a hillside and I knew I had to shoot or the bull would be gone for good. I raised my Ruger 7mm magnum and fired and missed. The second shot missed but he still stood there. I shot a third and fourth time and the bull went down. On the third shot I asked God for some help. When I dressed the bull out I found out the third and fourth bullets were both killing shots.

I not only believe that God answered my prayer but helped with the shooting. Now why would He do that? Because God cares about every aspect of our lives; even the small ones. God wants to be involved in all of our life; He is a relationship God. He sent his Son to earth to die on a cross for all of our sins. We have the opportunity to bury all past sins with Jesus’ victory, yet too many people don’t believe in God’s redeeming grace.

When I include God in my life, things go much better. Satan likes us to go it alone and distance ourselves from God. He is the one who puts the thinking into our head that God doesn’t care. God does care about us; He calls us to fellowship with Him daily. Remember God is the awesome Creator of everything but He is also our Daddy.

So what would Ardella and I do with two elk? We had the family come over to help cut and wrap the meat and then divided it between Connie and Thane and Jolene and Vance. We thank God for the provision of food to feed our families this winter.