Gone Too Soon

We have had golden retrievers all our married life and our daughters also have had the red dogs in their families. It has been fun watching Cody, Mattie, and Sadie playing in a whirlwind of red blur. Unfortunately, Cody’s life has been cut short from cancer at age seven. How do you explain that to two little girls who loved him dearly. Cody was a lot like our first golden Pal; guarding the family was always a priority. Cody’s first owner was abusive and he ended up in a shelter and was adopted by a loving family. They gave him up to Jolene’s family when they decided to go on a missionary trip for two years. Since Cody didn’t trust men he gave me a very cool reception at our first meeting and I respected him for it. It didn’t take me long to win him over and he would howl and bark when I went to Jolene’s if I didn’t pet him. Cody loved to spend time at our house where he could play with Sadie and swim in the pond. The dog would smile from ear to ear. He leaves a big hole in our hearts.

We were in Sunday school class years ago when a couple asked if their dog which had just died went to Heaven. The teacher immediately went into a long lecture embarrassing the people who left the church and as far as I know still don’t attend a church. I believe their question could have been handled better. This event also has affected my life as I haven’t attended an adult Sunday school class for years knowing it drove two hurting people from church and maybe from God.

Christian author John Eldridge believes there are animals in Heaven. After his golden retriever died, John went to prayer asking Jesus if his pet was in Heaven. Moments later John heard a “Yes”. John then asked what he was doing. “Chasing balls” was the reply.

A friend of ours lost their family dog and his eleven year old son grieved for months about the loss of his dog. One night the son had a dream which I believe only God could give. The boy went to Heaven and was greeted by an angel who showed him many wonders that were too awesome for an eleven year old to make up. He remembered them in great detail. Then he asked the angel if his dog was there and the angel said, “Yes, do you want to see him?” He got to hug the dog again and was very comforted by the dream. I encouraged the father to make a children’s book with his son about the dream since he is an artist. I think this would be a wonderful book for children and adults.

There were animals in the garden before man sinned and all were at peace. I believe Heaven is a lot like the garden full of all of God’s goodness. After all, it wasn’t the animals that caused the earth to go bad, it was man. If God can forgive us, I’m sure He can find room for the rest of his creation.

Dogs are God’s gift to us and leave a huge paw print on our hearts.

Thank you Father for helping me write this difficult message.

Thank you Dr. Bob for being such a super vet.

Good News Bad News

Several years ago I guided white tail hunters for a local outfitter. The weather was very warm for November so the deer were not active. I was guiding a hunter named John from Indiana. John and I had hunted several areas and tried rattling but never had a buck respond. One morning I put John in a tree stand in a sliver of timber along a lake where a buck had made some ground scrapes and told him I would be back in about three hours. I drove two miles above the lake where a creek meandered through a brushy draw that I knew contained deer. There was a power line that cut through the timber toward the creek and I stopped to check a deer trail about seventy yards from the road. As I got to the trail, some fresh tracks revealed a doe had used it recently. Then I heard a buck grunting continuously as he followed the scent of the doe. The three by three buck and I stared at each other from about fifty feet apart at the power line cut. I had raised my rifle part way to the shoulder but knew I could not shoot this deer so slowly lowered the gun to my waist. The buck immediately lowered his rack and charged. Time slipped into slow motion but it only took him two bounds and he was ten feet away and still coming. I pulled up the rifle to my waist, pointed it and fired. The buck cart wheeled backwards and lay dead. I couldn’t believe what had happened as I looked down at the buck. What was I going to tell John when he had not even seen a deer?

I went back to John later in the morning and asked him if he saw any deer. “No” was the quick reply. He asked how my morning had gone. I said, “Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is I saw a buck. The bad news is he charged me and I shot him at ten feet.” I could see that John didn’t believe my story. Unfortunately John went home without a deer and I am sure the bad news stuck with him for a long time.

We sometimes do the same thing with new Christians. We have the good news of the saving grace through Jesus as they enter a new walk with God. Satan does not own them anymore; they are free. Now we tell them the bad news. “You have to take 101, 201, 301, become a member, volunteer for greeter, Sunday school teacher, work in nursery, help with youth group and a host of other mandates. We pile enough Christian material on them to earn a degree. All many of them want is to get to know God and read the Bible. Do you see why many people leave church?

Maybe if we took them along side and helped them grow in Christ before we saddle them with jobs, they would stay excited. Along the way they will find their gifts to serve God. I believe Christ intended Christians to serve outside the church walls more than inside. How else do we evangelize the community?

What is your gift? Are you building relationships outside the church to reach people for Christ? Yes, it is okay if you want to teach Sunday school. Just go out and tell the Good News.

Refreshing the Soul

The realities of life hit the world big time the last two weeks. Stock markets crashed, governments scrambled to stabilize their monetary systems, people have lost life fortunes and many individuals saw their retirement incomes plummet. The news media does a good job of promoting fear and anxiety. What is a person to do?

At times like these I am reminded of Matthew 6: 25 through 34. Most of us should really start at verse 19. When we started the carving business I wondered how we would survive and asked God to show me in His Word. I opened my Bible to Matthew 6:25. That was the signature verse on the back of my carvings for a long time because I thought many other people needed the peace this scripture offers. Have these twelve years always been easy? No, they haven’t but I have grown a lot with the help from God and He isn’t done with me yet.

There is nothing like a walk in the woods to help me clear my mind and refresh my soul. It brings me back to the basics with God. Sunday afternoon I put on my pack, loaded the rifle and went for a walk to search for a whitetail buck. It was a cool crisp day with the sun shining brightly through a beautiful blue sky only God could create. It seemed I could almost touch it. I meandered around checking a few trails and set down on a small timbered ridge for a while and reminisced about the big buck I shot three years ago from this spot. I thought about staying there until dark but I was pulled to my feet by what might be found up on the old road two hundred yards above me. An hour later found me in the clear cut that has been productive for Ardella and I the last two years. The green and gold of the trees jumped off the mountains into the amazing blue sky and I felt worries swept away by God’s artwork. Two Ravens came by playing tag and I was reminded of Luke 12: 24.

About six o’clock a young buck appeared one hundred yards below me and I watched him until he fed out of sight. Slowly the light faded and a beautiful full moon rose over the Trestle Creek Mountains. I put the pack back on and headed for the cabin. Today wasn’t really about deer hunting; it was about refreshing my soul.

Can You Hear the Bell

One of my favorite movies is the Polar Express because it is about believing. The children were the only ones who could hear the bell because they believed. People are the same way with God; only those who have faith and believe in Him can hear Him. I often get asked what Into The Wild Ministries believes so I will list some.

I believe in the God of the Bible, Creator of the universe.
I believe Jesus is Savoir and God’s only son.
I believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life.
I believe in the Trinity.
I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and is complete.
I believe God is love and wants everyone to spend eternity with Him.
I believe he gave us free choice.
I believe God wants a personal relationship with us.

These are the beliefs that guide this ministry but I do have several personal ones.
I believe marriage is to be between a man and a woman.
I believe abortion is an abomination to our country and we will be judged for it.
I believe in the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
I believe shooting an animal inside a high fence is not hunting.
I believe the far left environmental groups will use the liberal court system to slowly choke off our right to hunt.
I believe our country is sliding into moral decay.
I believe many of the world’s problems could be solved around a camp fire.
I believe children raised in the outdoors are better grounded in life.

What you believe is important. Can you hear the bell?

Wiley Wapiti

Last week my son-in-law Thane and I archery hunted the elusive elk. We found a small herd on Monday but immediately got hit by a severe thunder storm so we retreated to the truck for a while. Late in the day I heard two bulls bugle. We tried to find one of the bulls the next day so climbed a mountain that has some wallows. As we approached the first wallow, fresh bull tracks gave evidence that the bull heard us coming and ran off through the old timber. Thane and I checked out the other wallow but it had not been used recently. We circled the timbered basin only to find a few single elk tracks.

One day we went high and found a winter wonderland with snow that was frozen so walking around was too noisy. Two moose were the only creatures we could find. Most of the week was sunny warm days so not the best elk hunting but it was enjoyable to spend a week with Thane. God painted some glorious sunsets and we even got Thane a load of firewood.

I noticed most elk tracks we saw were single animals, sort of strange for a herd animal. Have the elk figured out that staying apart makes them harder for the wolves to hunt them? I heard wolves howling on Friday evening.

My season closed today and I thank God for the time I had in his great creation. I enjoyed every moment; even the hawk that thought my camouflage head was something to eat. It pulled out of the dive just inches away and I felt the air from its wings. We had a bear hit our camp twice mainly checking for left over food. That made us keep things cleaned up. My decoy, Henrietta, must think she is stuck with a guy that can’t find elk. There was a cow moose that really did not like Henrietta and roared at her but when the decoy did not move the cow yielded the territory.

Dr. Bob

When one of us gets sick and should go to a doctor we say call Dr. Bob. Bob Stoll is our veterinarian and we wish there were more human doctors that were as compassionate and caring for their patients as Dr. Bob is. He has laughed with us and cried with us over our pets. Last week I called him out to look at Capoo, one of the llamas who was having difficulty breathing. Bob found the source of the problem immediately which was a large tumor in his neck that wasn’t visible under all the thick wool. Unfortunately Cappo had to be put down. As this was happening, Bob and I shared some personal things that are going on in our lives. Again his compassion rose to the surface and we did not look at each other as doctor and client but as friends. Bob has a great love for his family and God. He sees God’s hand in all the animals that he treats. Before Bob left he turned and gave me a big bear hug and helped make the day a little brighter.

As I was digging a burial place for Capoo, each of the other four llamas took their turns standing by their friend one last time. The compassion they showed for him was quite moving. After he was covered up they took turns lying by the grave the rest of the day.

I learned that it is important to look for peoples hurts and offer them comfort. Take time to listen to their story. I don’t always have a good answer but I know God Does so pray for them. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we showed more compassion to the people we meet everyday? Be a Dr. Bob this week to someone.

Alpine Glow

It has been two years since I’ve been to my favorite elk hunting spot. It is a half hour climb from the truck following some game trails and relying on dead trees as my markers to a small bench where cold water gurgles from the mountainside. When I left the truck it was nearly 80 degrees so I only wore a tee shirt for a top. After I arrived and set up Henrietta, I took off the shirt and wiped myself down and put on a clean camo shirt. I set up a ground blind about fifteen yards from Henrietta and sprinkled some elk scent on spruce trees near her.

The smell of huckleberry and spruce filled my nostrils and I took several deep breaths of this wonderful scent God had made. The mountain was alive with color of yellow azalea, crimson red of huckleberry, and the dark green of spruce. Small patches of white pearly everlasting poked their heads among the berries. Many huckleberry bushes still have berries and it was hard to resist them but I stayed in the blind. It wasn’t long and I had to put another shirt on plus a fleece jacket. I have named this place the Icebox. I have seen temps go from 80 to 30 in a just a few hours.

Two ravens flew over the ridge catching the afternoon thermals and one rose high into the air. It folded its wings and dove straight down toward the trees, then leveled off and did some rolls. The other raven seemed to approve with some chuckles. These birds seem to enjoy life. Two chipmunks seemed to accept me and kept busy eating berries.

As the evening progressed I cow called frequently but did not get any answers. About 6:30 some brush broke up me but I never saw anything. My mind flashed back two years to the bear that came rushing in to eat an elk and I was too cold to pull the bow. I asked God to help and he did with a fatal shot that put the bear down. He definitely helped me pull the bow as it came to a full draw with no effort.

I spent much of the evening praising God for the beauty of this place. I feel He made it just for me as I have never seen another hunter there. I have taken Ardella up there a few times and she likes it as much as I do. Being alone on a mountain with God does a soul good and I left feeling revived.

From The Tree Stand

Friday afternoon I arrived by my tree stand at 4:30 and checked the trails for fresh tracks. Only a few elk had used the trails all week but I thought it only takes one. I set up Henrietta. Oh, you haven’t met Henrietta! She is the prettiest cow elk decoy you have ever seen. I’m sure a bull would fall instantly in love with her. I climbed into the stand to be greeted by bald faced hornets which were very aggressive. My hat became a hornet swatter.

At 4:57 a bull elk bugled in the distance but I couldn’t pinpoint his location. Soon after, a pine squirrel spotted me and told me I was intruding on its territory. The little guy was busy cutting pine cones from trees and gathering them for winter. He ran out through the brush and jumped up on a log by Henrietta seeming very surprised to see an elk. Henrietta even startles me once in a while when I look up and see a cow elk and then realize I’ve been fooled by my own decoy.

The growl of an ATV on a closed road system at 5:15 raised my blood pressure a few points. I can understand folks with physical challenges using them but everyone else can walk. If they want to ride something; take up golf. Closed roads provide elk and other wildlife with security to move around without vehicles bothering them. Some people don’t get it or don’t care.

Between hornet swatting my mind wanders to other matters. I think about God and how to serve Him better. Tree stand time is a good time to communicate with the Father and listen for his reply. We all need to have this kind of time with God. I should put one up in my back yard.

Next I consider the importance of the November election outcome. Yes, I too am concerned about rising prices for food, energy, and healthcare, but only one issue decides how I vote. Abortion! Abortion is a plague on our nation which leads us down a spiral of moral decay and self destruction. No country can survive that kills its own people. If we can kill unborn babies than we can find reason to terminate life of old people. What if our government decided that anyone over 87 should report to the closet hospital for a lethal injection? It would be the same hideous mindset as abortion. Scripture says God knows us in our mother’s womb and Jesus warned about harming little children. I guess some of our judges have never read those verses.

Finally around 6:45 the hornets slow down as the shadows lengthen but I haven’t heard the bull again. The next hour is spent in silence, just me and Henrietta. As darkness descends, I climb out of the stand and gather up Henrietta and head for camp. Coyotes howl to the south announcing their hunting plans for the evening.

I arrive in camp and Ardella tells me an elk barked three times very loudly just above camp. That’s why they call it hunting.

Redneck Hornet Tennis

Our family spent the last weekend in the woods as three of us pursued the elusive elk. We enjoyed some great cooking; one day was spaghetti, then black bean and lentil soup, followed by jambalaya. The granddaughters love to camp out and find the natural world a source of endless wonder.

I find archery elk hunting the most challenging animal I have ever pursued. Friday I hunted from the ground blind and the elk were at the tree stand on a forested hill, so Saturday I hunted the tree stand. The elk were about one hundred and fifty yards below me walking up and down an old road. Sunday I set up in some big cedars along the road but the elk were elsewhere. Are you sensing any frustration here? God made elk quite intelligent with a nose that can smell humans hundreds of yards away, big brown eyes that detect the slightest movements, and ears that can hear a pine cone drop from a tree two drainages over. How am I supposed to get one within thirty yards?

One thing about camping with our family is that we are always open to a new ways to entertain ourselves. Jolene and Vance brought up a bee killer that looked like a small tennis racket except this one can be electrified. The handle is filled with D batteries to deliver 1500 watts of shock to a hornet. We soon went crazy swatting these pesky critters as they got zapped, snapped, and sometimes just went up in smoke. Many hornets and yellow jackets never returned to their nest. I think this sport could qualify for the summer Olympic Games and Ardella and I would be a mean pair’s team. We are looking for other couples that would like to compete in Redneck Hornet Tennis. The champion hornet killer was our dog Sadie. A hornet stung her on the hip and she declared war on them for the rest of the weekend. Sadie wasn’t content to just snap at one that buzzed her; she would look around for one and run it down.

As our granddaughter Lizzie says. “We were making memories.”

I Am a Soldier

Exodus 15:3 says, “The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name.” Our God is not a wimp but you will not hear this verse in many churches today due to political correctness. There is a war going on folks and we can not escape it. This war will rage on earth until Christ returns; the Bible makes that very clear. God wants us to be soldiers. The following was sent to me by a fellow soldier in Christ and I thought it worth passing on to others.

I am a soldier, a prayer warrior, of the army of God. The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer. The Holy Bible is my code of conduct. Faith, Prayer and the Word are my weapons of warfare.

I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in this army, and I am enlisted for eternity. I will rather retire in this army at the Rapture or die in this army; but I will not get out, sell out, or be talked out. I am faithful, capable, and dependable. If my God needs me, I am there.

I am a soldier. I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up. No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me, or lure me.

I am a soldier. I am not a wimp. I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building His Kingdom.

I am committed. I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around. I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit.

When Jesus called me into this army, I had nothing. If I end with nothing, I will still come out even. I will win. My God will supply all my needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ.

I am a soldier. Devils cannot defeat me. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me. Governments cannot silence me, and hell can not handle me.

I am a soldier. Even death cannot destroy me. For when my Commander calls me from this battlefield, He will promote me to a captain and then bring me back to rule this world with Him.

I am a soldier, in the army, and I’m marching, claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. Here I stand.

Will you stand with me?

Tracks

Much of my time in the woods is spent looking at the ground. I’m looking for animal tracks to figure out what the critters are doing. From the first time in the mountains in the spring to the snows of late fall, I examine tracks. A footprint can reveal much information for me. First it shows the size of the animal, where it is heading, and maybe what it is eating. Following a track for a while can tell me where the animal may be bedding or feeding. If it is during the rut it can show me where the girls are hanging out. That is a tremendous help when I’m after a bull elk or an old buck.

When I guided in Alaska, we would check the shorelines and river banks for brown bear tracks. We were always looking for those big prints that we could put our foot in with hip boots on, and the bear print dwarfing ours. One evening I took my hunter to the back of a small bay where a creek entered the lake. I looked down to see a large fresh bear print over fourteen inches long that had sunk into the mud several inches with each step. The hunter and I barely made an imprint with our feet. I knew that bear would go over ten feet. We did not find the old boy that night but a few evenings later another hunter in our camp took a ten and a half foot bear in the same area.

Archery season starts in two weeks so I will be concentrating on elk tracks and large deer tracks. I was out to my hunting area the other afternoon and found some cow elk tracks so I’m hoping next time to find the bigger bull tracks in the same area. Most bulls spend the summer in bachelor groups but when the velvet is rubbed off they go looking for their ladies.

We leave lots of different tracks through our lifetime and people are reading them constantly. Some of our tracks wander all over the place like we are lost in the woods. Sometimes we are lost in life with no purpose; a lack of direction. I find my tracks are most clear when I read the Bible regularly, pray, help someone, and stay in touch with my Band of Brothers. My wife, Ardella has always helped me stay on the right path. I also do better when I can look down and see the prints of someone else walking beside me –Jesus.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Ardella and I had a booth at the Arts and Craft Fair at the Sandpoint City Beach over the weekend. A terrible storm hit after we sat up the booth but our canopy and display stayed up and dry; some vendors were not as fortunate. One pottery booth was blown down and most of their product ruined. The skies were mostly sunny on Saturday and Sunday was cool and a few sprinkles of rain fell occasionally. People seemed conservative in their buying compared to past years and we mainly sold lower priced items.
Sunday afternoon, a mother stopped by our booth with a three year old girl who had big brown eyes and an equally big smile. The girl was fascinated with our carvings and began to ask questions about the birds and fish. “What’s that?” was her favorite question. She then pointed to the pileated woodpecker and asked, “What’s that bird with the red Mohawk?” Ardella and I burst out in laughter and the little girl certainly livened up our day. I like young children because through their innocence they say it as they see it. They also have a mind that wants to learn.

As we get older we become more cautious after numerous assaults on our minds and hearts. Satan is the master behind these attacks and some of us accept this as a part of life and others just become numb to the assaults. This is not how God intended us to live. We are to live a victorious life through Christ. He won the war for us!

Psalm 121 was a favorite of my Mother and should give us assurance God is watching over us. Psalm 121: I lift my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you, the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Plan B

Our men’s ministry group had been preparing for months in eager anticipation to host Larry D. Jones. Larry is well known among elk hunters for his expertise on elk and their habits. Two churches were planning a barbeque and seminar for two evenings. The flyers had gone out, newspapers contacted, our cooking team had gone over all the details, and door prizes had been purchased. Then a phone call from Larry two days before the event put us in a panic. He could not travel because of a fragmented disk in his lower back. What should we do? Lock the doors and say cancelled, try to find someone else, or have a barbeque anyway.

Our men’s team initiated Plan B; have the almost Larry Jones barbeque and seminar. We had Larry overnight mail us a CD of four hunts. We also decided to not charge for the meal and called men to let them know a few changes had to be made. Nearly seventy guys and a few gals showed up to enjoy the evening. We will reschedule Larry when he can travel and now have the opportunity to see what to improve next time.

Many of us need a Plan B in our everyday lives because life doesn’t always go as we plan. I’m getting ready to archery hunt elk in three weeks and even though I have a ground blind ready in my favorite area; I know things can go wrong. Last year wolves moved all the game out of my hunt area and if that happens this year I need to move where the elk are.

Many people treat their spiritual life like they can have a Plan B, C, and D if necessary. They try a little of Jesus but mostly reject his teachings. They don’t need God and He probably doesn’t even care about them. A little mix of religions is okay. Just go with what is coming out of Hollywood, after all they are always right.

If you read the same Bible I do then you know God doesn’t have a Plan B for us. Jesus is the only way to eternal life with God. The whole Bible points to Jesus as our savior and no other. Either Jesus is the savior of the world or he is the greatest fraud to ever live. Who is he to you?

Summer Marches On

After our winter of cold and record snowfalls, folks in north Idaho are enjoying the warmth of summer. With August fast approaching, summer is fleeting fast as a deer running through the woods. Where did it go so fast? I haven’t accomplished half what I intended. We did get the hay in the shed and our garden is doing great. Everyday I check the big tomatoes to see if they are turning red.

We spent one weekend in the woods pulling out firewood with my tractor and probably need to retrieve more so the family has enough for winter. It was nice sleeping in a tent again. I look forward to using the tent in five weeks when archery elk season opens. Wow, I need to practice shooting! So much to do and so little time.

A young father in my men’s ministry group said men with kids don’t have time to devote to ministry programs like older guys do. Several of us chuckled and told him life doesn't get less busy when the kids leave home. I believe we should seek God’s advice on our priorities so we achieve a better balance. Life goes on and races down the track of life like a run away freight train. Our life becomes more productive with God’s help. Our number one goal should be to serve Him first. He will show us how to live a full life and still get the little things done.

Being a disciple should be first on our life list; there are far too many people who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior. There are people dying everyday that never knew they could have had a life changing experience and will spend eternity without the presence of God; an eternity in hopeless hell. There is a saying that goes something like this, “For Christians living today on earth, this is as close to Hell as they will ever get. But for people living today that don’t know Jesus, this is as close to Heaven as they will ever be.” Which group you are in depends on life or death. Go disciple someone.

Lost In The Fog

The cold Iowa winters froze the lakes with thick ice, often over two feet deep. I built an ice house and pulled it with my car onto Spirit Lake to fish for perch, northern pike, and walleye. One of my frequent fishing partners was Mouse or Gary as most people knew him. He wasn’t the most talkative guy in the world but we had many fun times fishing. Mouse and I decided to try the evening walleye bite so arrived at the ice house late in the afternoon and fished for about four hours. Around 9:30 I peeked out of the house to discover a thick blanket of fog had engulfed the lake. We were about a half mile off shore so didn’t think we would have trouble finding our exit. The car was parked facing north and we needed to go south to get off the lake, so I drove around the fish shack and proceeded south. Well, I thought it was south but soon discovered an unfamiliar shoreline. Normally that would not have bothered me except I knew there was a strip of open water off Stoney Point due to the rocks close to the surface. I turned the car around and hoped to find the fish shack when we saw head lights from another car. He was lost also but thought he had it figured out so Mouse and I decided to follow him at a safe distance in case his car suddenly disappeared. Finally the familiar exit appeared to our relief and we were on land.

Driving around on a large lake in the dense fog gave me a helpless feeling of which I had no control. A compass would have helped but who needed it to get off the ice. The guy’s headlights brought a wave of relief and following his tail lights was like following a beacon to safety.

Sometimes we get lost in the fog of life not knowing which way to turn. There are financial disasters, broken relationships, job losses, health challenges, and deaths of friends and loved ones that will blanket our life with a shroud of hopelessness. Where do we turn? Knowing Jesus does not guarantee us a life without problems but Jesus is always ready to listen and help us through them. He tells us to bring him our burdens. Many people don’t do that; guys are really bad about turning our problems over to Him. We prefer to work through it alone when just handing them to Jesus would lift such an enormous weight off us.

If there is a fog that has overtaken you ask Jesus what to do about it. Then listen for an answer. Gather some prayer warriors. Don’t face the problem alone.

Contact me and Ardella and I will pray for you.

Camp Out

As many Americans, we celebrated July 4th by watching the hometown parade which really hasn’t changed in over thirty years. Then we packed up and the whole family went camping to some remote property in the mountains. The weather was perfect and we had a comfortable camp of two tents and two trailers. Laziness was permitted and everyone had fun with the two grand daughters. Lizzie and Hannah were busy playing in the fine sand, riding their bikes, and keeping the adults busy. I took them on a bike ride with two dogs and they were able to keep up with Grandpa.

We had three golden retrievers in camp most of the weekend and they didn’t get many naps with swimming in the creek, keeping an eye on Lizzie and Hannah, and hoping someone would drop a morsel of food. Sadie came home and collapsed on the floor.

The men took time to scout for elk and deer. Archery season starts August 30th. Now we wait in anticipation and are planning how to hunt these wily critters. I am anxious to try out my elk decoy. There are more areas I need to check out as season gets closer.

It seems that food cooked outdoors always tastes better. I forgot to take some meat out of the freezer and Connie and Thane left a big box of food at home on the table but we had plenty to eat. I always look forward to sipping the first cup of coffee at camp. We perked the coffee but really good camp java is made by pouring the grounds into the pot and let them roll around the brew as it boils. It is even better the next time as you add more coffee grounds.

I indulged in the ultimate s’mores. Take two graham crackers and lay them on a plate. Put three marshmallows on a fork and roast them to your liking. Place a big double fudge Hershey brownie on the graham cracker, then the toasted marshmallows, and the other cracker. Now open wide and enjoy! You will never use a candy bar again. Remember chocolate is healthy.

The best part of the weekend was just relaxing and enjoying the family outing in God’s great creation. I thank Him for the great time we had making memories with two little girls.

Power Of Prayer

Two weeks ago we went to Whidbey Island with our daughter Connie and her husband Thane and had a great time exploring the island. But the shock of going on vacation was too much for me and I came home very sick. So Most of my week was spent in the doctor’s office as they looked in my ears, took a few blood sample, and x-rays. The more they checked me the more perplexed they became. I was running a low temperature most of the day than in the late afternoon it would climb to around 102. The temperature would rise and fall at night along with drenching sweats. As the week progressed the doctors were working to eliminate various possibilities but the one that continued to dominate the picture was West Nile Virus. There is not an antibody for this virus so it has to run the course which can last several weeks. I had all the symptoms of a severe case which include stiff neck, backache, headache, fever, can’t breathe, loss of appetite, and fatigue.

Friday was the seventh day of a fever and during the morning it was holding at 100.5 degrees. A friend, Ross Hall asked if he could come over and pray for me. I said,”Yes!” Ross came at noon and anointed me with oil and prayed over me as he and my family laid their hands on my shoulders. By that evening my temperature was 97.7 degrees! Praise God!!! I was also on several prayer chains across the country and could feel the support of those prayers all week.

Prayer for others is important and is something most of us could do more often. God hears our prayers. Philippians 4:6 says, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. We often want an answer right away but everything is in God’s time not ours.

This week I’m trying to remember those in the mission field, people with health issues, our service men and women, those around the world who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus, people right here that do not know Jesus as their savoir.

A Slug's Pace

We have had backyard visitors for two months. First there were two hen wood ducks that used our nest boxes, and then about three weeks ago a hen mallard brought ten ducklings into the pond. Poor Sadie has been restricted to her inner pen so she can’t bother the ducks. Golden retrievers do not like to share their pond. The hen and her brood left for three days so I fired up the lawn mower and now the back yard looks pretty good. The morning after I mowed, the yard had several mallards strolling around eating duck delicacy, slugs. With all the wet weather and the grass a foot tall the slugs had prospered. They consumed a row of young lettuce and some of the green beans. The mallards are providing good organic slug control on these slow moving pests.

Slugs aren’t the prettiest creature God made. They move very slow but always seem to get where the food is. We have some trophy sized and a few that are spotted like a leopard. It’s too bad they don’t eat dandelions. About all they are good for is duck food.

We are sometimes just like the slow old slug;not wanting to get involved in much but our little own world. We crawl along in life munching on everything in our path but not giving anything back. You know, playing it safe. God had a different idea when He formed us. He made us for relationships! It seems easier to crawl under a rock and forget about anyone, but that makes discipleship sort of difficult. God calls us out of our comfort zone into an exciting service for Him. When we use the gifts and talents He gave us, we can change the world one person at a time.

If you would rather be a slug than a disciple look out for the ducks!

Living a Full Life

Many people live to a ripe old age but never experience a full life. Several years ago we worked in a building where a guy had a coffee cup that said, “Life sucks and then you die”. That inscription really fit the man’s view of life. A life without dreams, a lack of any eternal hope, and a life without Jesus. Most people go through life in a survival mode not knowing a ransom has already been paid for them. Even many Christians don’t live the full life that Jesus offered. They believe in the whispers they hear from Satan about how bad they are. “You will never amount to anything” repeats in their mind until they believe it.

Jenny Meyer, age thirty four, went home into the loving arms of Jesus last week after battling cancer for several years. Jenny lived life to the fullest. She was small in stature but huge in heart. Most people would have given up, but not Jenny. She was an encourager to anyone who knew her. Jenny had two priorities that guided her life; God and family. She knew Jesus personally as her Savior and was a great witness for Him. Her hope was for everyone to know Jesus as a personal friend and Savior.

Jenny knew each day was a gift and celebrated it with friends and family. She loved the beauty God had created in north Idaho and often wrote about His glory on her blog. We will miss her smile and the love she radiated to others. I think Jenny’s cup would say something like Romans 15:13. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

What does our cup say?

Peace And Tranquility

I spent three days last week bear hunting with two friends from Indiana. It was an honor to be with these guys and enjoy God’s great outdoors. We walked a few miles and sat for hours watching green clear cuts but the bears won. That’s hunting. White tail deer were abundant and we got a peek at some nice bucks. The elusive elk even allowed us to stop and glass them as they stood like royalty. We saw several cow moose and enjoyed seeing a new born calf following mom up a road. As we observed all this wildlife one would have thought the world was at peace as many of these animals accepted us at close range. But I knew different as we sat on a hill overlooking a recent clear cut where a buck strolled through slowly to bed down in the cool heavy timber. Some where in these woods a lion was killing a deer, a bear eating a newborn, a coyote chasing a rabbit, and a hawk diving for a squirrel. The world was not at peace; war was raging.

Nature knows a war is happening. Why is it that animals know this better than we do. They have a better sense of this deceit and destruction that has raged since creation. If they didn’t, they would not survive.

We have become too comfortable. Our country and most of the world has abandoned God. People think they don’t need Him anymore. Mankind does not recognize the spiritual battle going on for the hearts and minds of people. What is really sad, many churches deny the chaos and have adopted a lukewarm attitude. Better to play it safe than upset anyone. Jesus confronted Satan head on. The Apostles warned us not to be complacent to Satan and that his goal is to deceive mankind. Peter said He goes around devouring like a lion. If you have ever watched a show on how a pride of lions eat their prey you should have an idea how Satan works. Total Consumption!

Author John Eldredge states, “You have an enemy. He is trying to steal your freedom, kill your heart, and destroy your life.”

Here is what Jesus 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.” Jesus is the only way to true peace. He has defeated Satan with his resurrection and through Him we can too. Just don’t forget, we are in a war. The outcome has permanent consequences of where we will spend eternity.