Little Children

Our granddaughters came over and stayed yesterday so our house was filled with laughter and shouts of glee. They never cease to amaze us with their questions and how they look at life. Of course, Grandpa likes it when they turn their attention to the birds in our yard and ask questions. We spent some time watching out the window at the songbirds hopping around the front yard looking for food. The deer seemed to know they were here so they came in very early and entertained the girls. More questions were asked about the deer family with the girls especially concerned about the babies.

Our world would be better if we had the same view of life as children. When Jesus rebuked the disciples about letting the children come to him, I believe Jesus was talking about all children for all time as they face death and suffering at the hands of adults. Many cultures have practiced child sacrifice and unfortunately we still do. It is called abortion. Abortion isn’t any different than the hideous child sacrifices practiced since the beginning of time. Children are innocent whether they are born or unborn. They are living breathing humans that respond to pain.

Some friends of ours recently had their first child that was born with bruised big toes. The doctor concluded that little Jake had sucked on his toes while in his mother’s womb. I wish I could be that limber, not to suck on my toes but just to be able to bend like that. Jake, Mom, and Dad are doing good and he is experiencing lots of love. That is the way God intended life to be.

Our new President seems on a mission to liberalize abortion and destroy the lives of millions of innocent children. The government has not only replaced God, they are mocking Him and coming up with their own sets of truth to satisfy their pagan desires. Our founding fathers warned us that government should always seek God’s guidance and keep Jesus Christ in the fore front of our country’s foundation. We instead have chosen a path of self destruction which will result in God’s judgment and wrath poured out on us. I believe God shaking our financial institutions was just a wake up call but I think most Americans missed it.
Pray for the little children everywhere and pray that our nation comes back to God.

Spring is in the Air

It has been a long winter in north Idaho and residents are looking forward to spring. Well, today is the first day of spring on the calendar and feels like it has arrived. I noticed a difference this morning when I fed the llamas as the air was warmer. Just a week ago we were experiencing record low temperatures and have had snow nearly everyday. But today the sun came out and the temperature hit sixty degrees. The snow finally started to melt.

I also saw something that is a sure sign of spring; swallows sailing through the air in search of insects. When we see them it shows God’s promise of spring. The western towhees are arriving and so are more robins. Our mother squirrels seem to be close to having babies. The wild hen mallard has returned with a drake and eats corn every evening as she has done for years. Now if I can only convince the thirty deer to leave before they devour the new emerging flowers. The other evening some of them were playing tag in our neighbor’s field chasing each other back and forth. It was great to see they felt good after months of snow.

God orchestrates the seasons in perfect harmony and nature responds to it in obedience to him. The birds and animals prepare for their young as God plants a season of plenty for them. They respond to the orders of the Creator. Why can’t we have the faith the birds and animals have in God?

God gave us a choice in life and often we mess things up. We messed things up so much that God had to send his son to die for our sins. Even then many people reject Jesus as their savoir. Being saved from our sins is a free gift; all it requires is our confession. Many people are too proud to ask forgiveness and unfortunately others feel they are not worthy. We are all made worthy through the blood of Jesus. If you haven’t asked God for forgiveness now would be a perfect time. You will have a clean slate; all your mistakes will be forgotten. It is like a breath of spring air in your soul!

The Real Stimulus Package

The world economies turned upside down recently and now all we hear from our government is about how we will all be saved by the stimulus package. I’m not a financial guru but how do you tax yourself into prosperity? Small businesses are the backbone of our economy yet our government wants more tax dollars all the time. If they really wanted to create a healthy economic environment they would free up useless regulations and taxes so small businesses could prosper.

We could save millions if our elected officials in Washington lived like we do. I would like them to take a huge pay cut and provide for their own health insurance. Traveling at our expense should be cut off. Taking money from outside interest should be punishable by prison. The American people should be outraged by how corrupt our elected officials have become. They have forgotten how our founding fathers wanted a government based on the moral law of the Bible. Also forgotten is the importance our first leaders placed on their belief in Jesus Christ. You will never hear that in school.

So what kind of stimulus package does this country need? It needs one based on the authority of Jesus Christ. We need to put him first in all things. What do you think would happen if this country; every man, woman, and child got down on their knees at the same time and prayed to God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says he would hear our prayers and save us. Why don’t we believe that?

Instead of believing in Wall Street we need to believe in the God of creation. Instead of the government being our savoir we should put that trust in Jesus Christ. The Bible should be our law book. Life would go easier.

Puppy Love

Everybody loves a puppy. When Sadie was a few month’s old we went shopping in Spokane. I sat outside the mall with Sadie while Ardella shopped. Many people came by and wanted to pet the puppy. I would guess if I was the only one setting on the bench their reaction would have been different.

Last week Lizzie and Hannah stayed at our house while their mom and cousin went to Libby, Montana to get a new puppy. They didn’t know anything about it. On their way home Jolene called and we could hear some yipping over the phone. We asked Lizzie what that noise was and she stared at the phone and said, “It sounds like a puppy.” We told her that was her and Hannah’s new dog. We could tell she couldn’t believe it. Later they sent a photo of Rosie and then the girls realized they had a new dog. Jolene and Gary arrived with a little ball of fur with big feet and the girls were overjoyed. Rosie won’t be small very long as she is a cross between a golden retriever and a Newfoundland. Jolene is not getting much sleep trying to train the little girl.

Our relationship to God is similar to a puppy. We make messes, don’t listen, and generally seem like we will never learn. God is patient with us and wants to be a loving Father. He forgives all our short comings and sins in a blink of an eye. God wants to scoop us up in his arms and comfort us.

Dream Big

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!

Myth Busters

There is a show called Myth Busters that I occasionally watch where two guys take stories or myths to see if they are true. It is my kind of show because they blow things up, play with fire, gunpowder or some crazy force of destruction and have fun. It reminds me of my high school chemistry class many years ago. In a recent show they were trying to determine if the wind from a hurricane could blow the feathers off a chicken. Now they selected a chicken that had died from natural causes so please don’t get on me about animal cruelty. After subjecting the deceased hen to the wind force of hurricane strength, the bird still had all its feathers. So the myth was busted.

As Christians it is our responsibility to be myth busters for God. There are plenty to prove wrong. Here are a few:

God doesn’t exist.
God doesn’t love me.
God doesn’t care.
Jesus was just a nice person like a prophet.
The miracles of the Bible make good reading but really aren’t true.
You can get to Heaven by being a good person.
If God loved us, bad things wouldn’t happen.
The Bible isn’t relevant today.
Evolution makes sense but creation doesn’t. We evolved from goo.
Unborn babies can be terminated; they aren’t really living.

See, we have a job to do about these myths and many others. We often get content with life and let myths run our lives. The best way to be a myth buster with people is to be patient and rely on God’s help to soften their hearts. A little prayer goes a long way too.

Be a patient and loving warrior not a contentious Christian.

Count Your Blessings

Winter can be the time when doom and gloom creep into our lives with the short daylight hours. The everyday events of the world don’t help either. It helps me to just get outside and enjoy the sights of winter. I got to thinking of the blessings God has given me and that definitely cheered me up.

I am blessed because:
God has given me a great wife and family
I have a wonderful view out our front window of trees and mountain.
We have over twenty deer visiting our yard every day.
I have a loyal golden retriever.
I can look in the backyard and see squirrels running around.
I have a band of brothers to support me.
I have a home.
I can go ice fishing.
I was able to experience wild Alaska for five falls.
I have heard the music of bull elk.
I have spent many evenings around a campfire.
I have encountered a grizzly bear at fifty feet and a cougar at less than two feet.
I have seen wobbly newborn calf moose and little furball black bears.
I have seen robins this week.
God healed me of a virus last summer.
Most of all- God loves me unconditionally.

Go ahead and count your blessings, it will brighten up your day.

Wind On Ice

Since work has slowed down I am enjoying a favorite winter pursuit- ice fishing for perch. The bays of Lake Pend Orielle have about ten inches of good ice so we should have fishing for a while. I like ice fishing because it is simple; a sharp auger, some short poles and jigs are all you need to catch huge perch. I haven’t found them biting crazy yet but I have brought home several meals this week. There can be times when fifty or more perch will be caught as fast as you can pull them in. This year I have pulled up many perch nearly fourteen inches long.

One of the reasons I like ice fishing is hearing the ice talk as the wind blows across the surface and causes the ice to expand. The ice will groan, ping, and crack as the wind works on it. The loud snap of ice expanding can make you jump when it zings past as cracks travel at lightning speed across the frozen expanse. Sadie was with me the other day when the ice was very active and I laughed as she would look down the drilled hole to see what was causing all the noise.

Wind on the ice is similar to the Holy Spirit working on us. The Holy Spirit is often referred to wind in the Bible. You can’t see the wind but we all feel its affects. We have no control over the wind. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit has the ability to move over us and change our hearts completely. We are energized by the Spirit for God’s will. This is a hard truth for people to grasp as we want to be in control.

Our prayer should be for The Holy Spirit to mold us, move us, and energize our hearts to new service. We can change this world if the spirit is working in us. The disciples went from lowly Galilean fishermen in hiding to bold warriors of Good News for Christ when the Holy Spirit descended on them. Even death couldn’t stop their message. You can not stop the Wind.

Nothing But the Truth

Fisherman and hunters have been known to stretch the truth a little. A four pound bass is soon a six pounder. Hunters are no better, especially with the ones that get away. A buck quickly grows to record book qualifications. I have seen some of those old mossy horned bucks that rattle my mine later. Was that buck really as big as it appeared? I missed a huge buck a few years ago and I can still see him clearly in my mind and as I replay the brain tapes he is still the biggest antlered buck I have ever seen.

People are prone to stretch the truth; often called little white lies. A little embellishment leads us down a slippery path that soon tosses truth out the window. Satan is a master at telling us a little lie won’t hurt. Who is going to know? The world has rejected the truth for lies. It is easier to operate that way. Too many Americans really do not know truth. There is a great twelve part series by Del Taggert called the Truth Project that digs into what is truth. I recommend everyone to see it; you will see truth in a different light.

When Pilate asked Jesus what his purpose was, Jesus replied, “I came to testify to the Truth.” Pilate then asked, “What is Truth?” Pilate didn’t know, neither did the ruling Jewish leaders. Even the disciples had wrestled with the truth. Eleven of them would go on and stake their lives on the truth, most would die for it.

So what is truth? Jesus is the only truth ever to live on this earth, no one else has even come close. He is God and all truth comes from the Father. God encompasses all light, love, and truth. He designed them just for us in a relationship. Jesus is waiting to reveal his truth to us if we let him. Give it a try.

Press On

There were times when getting the client a trophy was extremely difficult. Weather was a big factor in hunting success as storms would roll in from the Bering Sea and pound us for days. Then there were weeks when even in good weather we could not find a caribou; it seemed they had disappeared from the earth. We would persist and press on hard to see the clients had a chance at a good trophy. Most of the time the extra effort paid off.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians about pressing on toward the goal to win the prize. Paul was in a Roman prison yet you would never know it by this letter. He didn’t have an exercise area or three meals a day; it was probably an underground rat infested dungeon.

What was the prize Paul was writing about? He was referring to his citizenship in Heaven through the sacrifice Jesus did on the cross. Even a Roman prison could not hold Paul back from praising God. Remember Paul was a Roman citizen and a Pharisee who had helped put Christians to death until he met Jesus face to face on the road to Damascus. Paul knew his life in prison was temporary and he would soon reside with the King of the universe.

What is your prize that you work hard about pressing on? For some it is financial gain or climbing the ladder of a vocation. Most of us spend our energy pursuing earthly goals and very little time looking eternally. Take some time this week and think about what is really important in life. Paul knew the prize was eternal life through Jesus; my prayer is that you do too.

The Light Shines in the Darkness

It seemed as if every caribou in Alaska had disappeared as we had not seen any for days. But Steve was a patient hunter and remained optimistic. Justin, Steve, and I took the twelve foot Zodiac raft six miles down the lake to see if we could find any caribou since the winds were calm. It was a cold sunny day and we glassed until our eyes were straining but still no caribou could be found. Very late in the day Justin caught sight of a nice bull two miles south of us. This bull seemed to be on a mission as he was trotting fast in a northerly direction. The caribou should have been going south but we decided his job was to come back and turn the lights out for the year. As the bull got closer we could see he was a good trophy class caribou. The alder brush hid him most of the time and we were trying to decide where he would show up when he turned for the lake shore. The big bull came running up the shoreline a few yards away and Steve took a nice trophy. We quickly dressed out the bull and put the meat, cape and rack in the boat. By now it was dark and a north wind had picked up so we were getting sprayed with water. I used a flashlight to follow the shoreline and look for rocks as the wind continued to pound us. Suddenly out of the darkness a light appeared on the shoreline miles away. It was our beacon to safety and gave us a renewed hope. The guides had put out a lantern on the shoreline so we could navigate safely to camp.

Light is good when the night is dark and threatening. Light is good when life is dark and threatening. The apostle John wrote, “The Light shines in the darkness.” Jesus is the only true light that can pierce the black domain of Satan. The tragedy is the many people don’t believe that; they are oblivious of the war going on for people’s souls. We decorate our homes at this time of year with lights and miss the real reason in the message of Christmas.

It is my family’s prayer that you would invite Jesus, the only true light, into your life this Christmas. You won’t be disappointed and Jesus is waiting to have his light shine through you as a beacon of hope in a dark world. Be a light to someone this Christmas.

A Blanket of White

North Idaho has turned into a winter wonderland blanketed by several inches of snow with more on the way. The white cover dramatically changes the landscape. Many things will disappear until spring. Our weather is quite cold too, so the snow helps insulate the plants from damage. Our pansies were still blooming just a week ago.

Some of our winter visitors have showed up to feed. We have many species of birds including about twenty mourning doves that feed daily under the oak tree. Several squirrels built nests in the spruce trees and a few are using the wood duck nests boxes. The deer will soon return as the snow piles up. The neighbor has blocked their normal route with a high fence but I lowered one of ours so they can jump over and come into the back yard.

The snow takes the brown dirty looking landscape of fall and makes it sparkling clean and bright. Jesus does the same for us. He takes all our sins and wipes the slate clean; white as snow. Jesus cares about our heart. This is a great time of year to give our hearts to him. The only true joy can only be found in Jesus and it is a permanent joy.

O Christmas Tree

Our family made the annual pilgrimage to find our Christmas trees recently. It is nice when we all go together because sometimes it takes the whole family to find the right tree. Ardella and I actually picked out our tree in October and marked it so we did not have to look for one. Nephew Gary cut one just right for his table and Jolene, Vance, and the girls took a nice tree that we spotted as we were driving up to ours. That left Connie and Thane so it should have been easy but Connie likes to inspect all the trees in the surrounding forest before she chooses the right one. So we went up a road that had several nice tall trees, then we came back down the road to check them again. Some of us wandered around above and below the road to find more selections. Finally as darkness was approaching Connie selected a tree; the first one they had looked at.

Our trees are not perfect as they are just growing wild and we often cut one so another tree will have more room to grow. Sometimes there is a branch missing or a bare spot but after they are up and decorated we forget all about the imperfections. They grace our homes to announce our belief in the true light of the world, Jesus Christ.

We are similar to the Christmas tree because we are not perfect either. We all sin and fall short of the glory of God but Jesus covered our sins on the cross. He did it for everyone who believes in him. Through Him we can shine as a light to this dark world.

If you haven’t accepted Christ into your life do it right now! He is waiting and forgives all sins. Jesus wants to walk with you everyday. Jesus is about a relationship not a religion.

Lesson in Tracking

As I glassed the edge of the old clearcut in the early morning light a buck appeared in the binoculars; he wasn’t there a few minutes ago. I put the scope cross hairs on him I and realized that the scope was turned down to three power because the previous day I was hunting thick brush. As I tried to turn up the power he sensed something wrong even though I was nearly two hundred yards away. I saw his tail come up and the buck started to walk away toward thick trees. I put the crosshairs on him but was having trouble keeping steady so I tried to calm down and pulled the trigger. He quickly turned and disappeared into the thick trees and I felt my shot did not hit. There was a thin cover of snow so I walked directly to where he had been walking when I shot but there was no blood or hair. I followed his tracks into the brush field but there wasn’t any indication of a hit so I went back to the old snag where I shot from. Something kept bugging me to go back and look again. I approached the area again and studied his tracks. Before I shot the front tracks were pointed but after the shot they were spread apart which sometimes means the animal is not steady on its feet. I followed the tracks again and just ten feet farther than I had walked lay a beautiful five point buck!

I thanked God for the animal and for prodding me to look again. I usually follow an animal hundreds of yards before giving up. For the rest of the day, it bothered me that I almost made a huge mistake on this buck. It definitely will not happen again.

Reflecting on this has made me aware that I sometimes don’t go far enough when I know someone is hurting or has a need in their life. It is easier to stop and not get involved in their situation. Jesus wants us to minister to everyone, not to pick and choose.

Feast or Thanksgiving

Some of the first Thanksgivings were celebration feasts from bountiful food supplies and did not recognize God as the supplier. One of the first feasts was in Florida in 1565. In 1607 the governor of the Jamestown colony said this day should be kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God. The Plymouth colony started out as a feast until drought hit and after prayers for rain God quenched the parched ground. It was than declared a day of thanksgiving to God.

George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving Day after the British defeat at Saratoga. He recognized the Providence of Almighty God in his victory over the British. He also stated that through prayers God forgives because of Jesus Christ and blots all sins from memory.

It seems that this day has changed significantly from Washington’s day to more of a feast of our bounties. Many Americans are more interested in the parades and football than praising God for his rich blessings. We have been blessed because our founding fathers realized the importance of God in every part of their lives. Millions of families will gather this week to share a meal which is great. Hopefully they will take time to praise God.

Thursday our family will thank God for our homes, each other, and our health. We will recognize God’s love for us through Jesus and his forgiveness of our sins. We put all our hope in Him.

Yes, we will have too much food as all the good cooks bake and prepare the meal. And in usual tradition some of us will spend the morning in the woods deer hunting. This day has often been a blessing to us for a deer.

God's Paintbrush

The sunsets this fall have been spectacular with God painting shades of orange and purple across the western sky. I have been in the woods more this fall so I always look forward to see how God will end the day. I find a peace in his artwork; a reminder He is in control. The day’s end is often announced by a pack of coyotes as they prepare for a night of hunting. Once a bull elk bugled in the twilight and I thanked God for this wonderful part of His creation.

In a world spinning out of control, I find strength and confidence in the wild places and animals God created. There is order and harmony in nature because a great God planned it that way. Why can’t people see that creation is so wonderful compared to evolving from muddy goo? The bright colors of a delicate butterfly, how a hummingbird can fly backwards announce a Creator.

Get outside this week and enjoy God’s creation. Watch a sunrise or sunset; take a walk in the woods. Go slow so you won’t miss anything. Set down on a log and listen. You will be in God’s garden where you can talk to Him without distraction.

I know He put deer in the garden but I can’t find them.

In a Jam

The familiar drone of the Grumman Goose was heard before we could see the plane as Phil came in low as usual. We had just completed a ten day brown bear hunt with two archers. One client scored on a nice bear the first morning and the other had two opportunities but didn’t get a shot. It had been a sunny morning which made breaking down camp a pleasant task but Phil said a cloud front was coming in fast and we couldn’t get through the mountain pass he wanted to take and drop me off at Kulik Lake for the next bear hunt. So we were going to go out the north end of the lake and up a long shoot between two mountains. As we flew over the north end where a river entered, the water was red with sockeye salmon and we enjoyed seeing this spectacular phenomenon. Ahead of us loomed several glaciers that hung on the mountain sides and we could see the ascent over the mountain range would take a while since the goose wasn’t known for speed but dependability. Dependability would prove crucial very soon. The glaciers seemed like we could almost reach out and touch them when we hit the first turbulent. The old plane shuttered but the engines growled on up the mountain. A few minutes later the plane shook then dropped about fifty feet like we were being push down by a powerful unseen force. The camp gear in the cargo hold hit the ceiling and we braced our bodies to stay in the seats. The sudden drop shut off the engines and Phil was working to restart the plane; we were relieved to hear the engines come to life. This scenario repeated at least three times before the plane topped the mountain range. Minutes later we were landing where I would make camp for the next two weeks. Phil said that was the worst turbulent he had experienced in forty years of flying. Wow, we got to share in that! When I reached the sand shoreline I fell down and kissed the ground.

Things were bound to get better and I had two days alone before the clients would be flown in. Soon I was all alone in the stillness of the wilderness and loved it. I set up the clients’ tent, cook tent, and guide tent. I was in the cook tent putting things in order when a bear growled just a few feet away. I chambered a round in my .338 magnum and poked my head outside. I heard it walking behind the client tent so hollered at it and could hear the bear leaving. Next, I tried to eject the shell which didn’t want to come out of the rifle so I hit the bolt real hard and out popped a shell without the slug. I tore my gear bags apart looking for the aluminum cleaning rod to knock out the slug but realized it was in Idaho. You get creative in these circumstances, like whittling a willow branch to fit down the barrel and several other hair brained ideas that didn’t work. The slug would not come out so I would have to wait until the plane arrived. It would be just me, the bears, and a jammed gun.

It turned out okay and I enjoyed the two days with just me and God on a beautiful lake He had created. I had no choice but to put my complete trust in Him. I had mixed feelings when I heard the plane approaching but at least they had a cleaning rod to knock out the bullet. Lester had to land in a protected bay about a mile away as a good blow with driving rain was coming down. Welcome to Alaska.

We often get in a jam and want God to bail us out. That wouldn’t be so bad if we had confided in Him in the first place. If we only had the foresight to see these situations coming but often we don’t notice until we are in the jam. For me it is male tunnel vision. Most of us guys think we can do alright on our own without God’s help. I’m slowly learning it is easier to turn things over to Him. Try it; it will save you ulcers and high blood pressure. Reading the Psalms helps me put life in perspective. David was a guy just like us, often trying it own his own. He worked through the problems and realized life went better when he put God first.

Invite God into your life this week. Problems always look smaller when He is involved. Have a great week and don’t get in a jam.

Fear Not

A light snow had fallen overnight on the tundra and this was the last day for our clients, two brothers from Wisconsin, to hunt. Caribou hunting had been difficult all week for these two guys so Justin and I teamed up to take them out. We left our rifles in camp to lighten our load; after all what could go wrong hunting caribou? Shortly after day light we were setting on a hill that offered a good view of the valley. Soon a large herd entered the far end of the valley over a mile away and looked like they would skirt the edge of a mountain above the main caribou route so we decided to make a run for it to cut them off. Caribou move very fast at a walk so we took off like high school sprinters. Our course required us to cut through a band of thick alders that stretched for miles at the bottom of the mountain range. I was in the lead as we entered the brush and could hear the three others guys were right behind as we sounded more like a herd of elephants than three hunters’ sneaking on this herd. Half way through the alders I looked down to see a fresh grizzly bear bed in the snow but didn’t slow up. As we broke out of the alder patch a loud popping of teeth sounded behind us accompanied by threatening huffing. We looked back to see a large grizzly sow with two cubs. The hair was raised on her back as she stood on her hind legs and we knew she meant business. I could feel fear building fast as I pressed on to put some distance between the sow and us. We had just looked death in the face and recalled later how fortunate we all were.

There is no mama on earth more protective than a grizzly bear. I have a healthy respect for any grizzly knowing what they are capable to do with their massive claws and bone crunching teeth. I know meeting a bear can be dangerous yet I try to remain calm and assess the situation by reading the bear’s body language. I lived with them for five falls in Alaska and found most of them wanted to avoid conflict. If I would have feared the bears, they would have picked up on that. A calm and confident attitude is best when you encounter a grizzly.

After this week’s national elections, many Christians are in fear that the life style they believe in will come under more assaults. They are probably right but that is no reason for fear to rule their lives. Remember we have a great God and He wins in the end! God sets up rulers and disposes them as He chooses. We just can’t see into the future so we don’t know His plans.

Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord and He answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. I suggest Christians pray for guidance in these times and for our country. Remember we are to let Christ’s light to the world. Read Ephesians 6:10 to 18 and you will be reminded what our fight is about and how to do it as an effective warrior for Christ.

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.