Experiencing Autumn

Autumn is here with cooler temperatures and some needed moisture. The wood shed is nearly full which will supply us with warmth all winter. I have several projects to do yet outside before the snow flies, like building Spud a larger shelter and dividing the winter pen so the llamas don’t have to be with him. They do not like the horse. I also need to get two ton of hay to carry them through the winter; hopefully it is not as long as last year.

This year the freezer is full of elk meat which Ardella harvested last week. We haven’t had elk for thirteen years so we are very thankful for the great organic meat. The game we harvest is processed at home so we know the meat in the freezer is ours. It took us two days to cut and wrap the elk with the help of the family. The grand daughters helped by labeling each package so they realize where the meat came from. Hunting is criticized by some people but I believe it ties us back to the land and some basics of life.

Fall is a season of preparation for the long winters of north Idaho. It is my favorite time to be in the woods learning what the animals doing. The white tail bucks are starting to rub trees and paw ground scrapes so the rut is probably about two weeks away. I have located two nice bucks by their tracks that are using creek bottoms grown thick with brush. That’s why they are big and I will spend some time trying to figure them out.

Many people are preparing for winter knowing it is creeping closer and will pounce on them before they know it. Unfortunately, few people prepare their spiritual life by knowing Jesus as their personal savoir. Jesus waits to give them eternal life; it’s a free gift. He bought it on the cross.

Frosty Mountain Morning

An arctic freeze plunged northern Idaho to record low temperatures over the weekend. Saturday started the rifle elk and deer season and Ardella has an elk tag so we got up at five o’clock to find a bull elk. We slept in the cabin on Friday night and kept the wood stove full so the cabin was quite toasty. The thermometer registered 14 degrees as we walked away from the warm cabin and the stars were brilliant in the predawn night. A half moon bathed the forest in light so I knew the elk had taken advantage of the moon to feed all night.

We tried to walk silently but the frozen ground was like walking on popcorn. Ardella and I trekked into the north wind as we made our way up an old road in heavy timber then out into a grassy clear cut. We sat down to watch an area where elk have been feeding recently but there was no sign of the tan bodies we hoped to see. The cold penetrated through our clothing and soon our feet were tingling. Some coyotes yapped to the north and later I heard wolves howling about a mile above us. The forest usually gets very silent once wolves announce their presence.

The sun was rising way too slowly on this cold morning. First, the Selkirk Mountains thirty miles west were bathed in light and the sun crept its way across the valley. It was nearly eight thirty before we felt the sun hit our backs and immediately the heat penetrate the cold clothing. As the sun hit the grass in the clear cut, millions of ice crystals danced like diamonds creating a beautiful sight. I thanked God for the glory of the morning.

As the sun warms our bodies, the Son of God warms us too. Jesus is the light of the world and illuminates warmth and hope into this cold dark world. Unlike the sun, His light is permanent and available for anyone that seeks Him. Unfortunately, too many people don’t believe in Jesus and miss out on the peace He has to offer. If you have never accepted Christ into your life, take time right now to ask Him in. You won’t regret it. Jesus is ready to forgive and forget anything you have done if you ask Him. Do it now! It will chase away the cold from your soul.

Making a Difference

Too many people live a long life but not a full life of helping others. Today’s world calls us to focus on ourselves first. Rick Warren wrote in The Purpose Driven Life, “It’s not about you.” I have to admit it took me a while to understand that sentence. I find myself most blessed when I focus on other people as God intended us to do. I read an incredible story of a young man in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho whose life involved helping those in our military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Josh Wright was born with an illness that took his life recently at age 31. When the war in Iraq broke out Josh tried to enlist in the Marines but was turned down because of his illness. I’m sure Josh was mad that he couldn’t go but found another way to serve. He started gathering and sending personal items to Marines. Over time this grew into an enormous task. He talked corporations to send white socks to our military and wasn’t shy to get other people involved to help his cause. Josh would also spend hours on the internet encouraging those Marines and soon he had a band of brothers half way around the world looking forward to his packages and correspondence. When Josh found out that some wives back home were having a hard time buying diapers he got a diaper company to donate a whole truck load.

Josh got to meet with the Marine general that took Baghdad and during the meeting the general presented Josh the stars he wore on that campaign. Other Marines sent Josh the Stars and Stripes from various parts of Iraq and Afghanistan, along with other items they acquired. Several Marines looked him up to thank him personally. In their eyes Josh was a warrior and fellow patriot.

After reading this story and wiping the tears away I took inventory on how I’m doing helping other people. I found myself falling very short compared to Josh. I feel ashamed that I have only sent one box to Iraq. Then there are people right here in my community that are in desperate need for help. Many are unemployed and there are single moms that need things repaired.

We need more Josh’s in this world. Josh did not expect anything in return; his reward was knowing that he was helping the moral of our troops carrying out a difficult and dangerous assignment. Let’s be more like Josh and make the world a better place.

Climbing To The Top

My son-in-law, Thane and I left the elk trail as it turned downhill because we wanted to go to the top of the ridge. There was a smaller deer trail that went left so I took it thinking it would be a short cut but soon a vertical rock wall loomed before us. The deer trail traversed across the steep face up to a lone pine tree. All I could think about is how many deer bones lay in the brush below for the ones that slipped. I asked Thane what he thought and his silent response was carefully working his way toward the pine tree. I knew then that I was committed to follow so I focused on the ground not looking off the trail. After we were safely on relatively flat ground I remarked, “Sometimes you and I do something crazy when we are hunting and that definitely qualifies.”

The mountain had many surprises for us as we would just get to what we thought was the top of the ridge only to be greeted by another ridge jutting up defiantly ahead of us. To make matters worse, we had to descend into a ravine before climbing up to the next bench. This pattern repeated itself for nearly two hours. When we finally got to the top ridge we took a rest before proceeding into the coolness of dark timber. It was there Thane whispered, “Elk!” I froze and looked just off the trail sixty yards ahead to see the antlers of a nice bull. Three bulls stood in a small swale trying to decide what we were. We cow called and thought they might stay but one bull finally turned and headed downhill. Soon we were left in the silence of the moment savoring what we had just encountered. The rest of the day we poked around a brush field and came across several fresh elk beds but never heard or saw any elk. We descended down through a clear cut as darkness closed the day but the afternoon encounter with three majestic bulls of God’s creation made up for the terrible climb we did earlier.

Life is full of terrible climbs as we go through the years. We try to climb the vocation mountain, the financial success mountain, and the social mountain only to come out battered and weary. Just when we think the top is in reach a ravine comes along. There is one mountain that we can climb and come out on top, the spiritual mountain. When we turn our life over to Jesus we have help to get to the top of life and eternity. God designed us for a relationship with Him so he can help us everyday. Sadly, many people never seek Him. They would rather tough it out on their own. I have a friend and spiritual brother going through a very difficult time financially but he is at peace because he knows the Father. He understands in his heart it is more important to know Jesus than anything else in life. His faith can not be shaken.

Are you having trouble with a mountain? God cares and wants to help. He is just waiting to hear from you. Grab a prayer partner and both of you spend time communicating with the Father. God is the ultimate mountain climber!

The Bear and The Bees

We have all heard about the birds and the bees but I recently learn some facts of life from a bear and a hive of bees. Last Friday evening was quite warm for September but I headed for an old tree stand that I put up about ten years ago. Even though two well used game trails meet in the small clearing by the stand, I have never seen anything bigger than a pine squirrel.

As I approached the clearing it was very evident that a bull moose had just been there as dirt was freshly dug up and a few bushes received the pounding from his rack. A lovesick bull moose can be dangerous this time of year so I quickly put my elk decoy, Henrietta in the ground and started for the tree. I noticed a bear had also been there as many logs were freshly torn up. I climbed the ladder and had just put the bow on the platform when I heard the buzzing of bees even though my hearing isn’t too good. A glance to my left revealed a hive of bald faced hornets that the bear had just visited. Evidently the bear took advantage of the steps to the stand and crawled up, reached out and swiped the nest; removing the bottom half. The hornets were flying madly around and it is fortunate I blended into the tree enough to fool them. I bailed off the steps hitting the ground running. Then it dawned on me that my bow was still on the platform about four feet from the hornets. All I could do was set down and wait for them to calm down which took nearly an hour; then I slowly climbed up the steps and grabbed the bow. All I could think that this time I would see an elk since my bow was in the tree.

I chuckled as I headed to a different area for the rest of the evening and watched a glorious sunset. This evening reminded me how life can throw us unexpected obstacles and circumstances. It is only by having faith in God that we can deal with them in peace. God is in control; we aren’t. When life deals us a curve we should go to God immediately as He is waiting to help us. Men especially, often want to slug it out on their own which doesn’t work near as good. Grab a buddy and pray together.

Walking In God's Garden

I took off Monday afternoon and went archery elk hunting even though the temperature hovered near ninety degrees. I left Ardella in camp with the Jolene and the granddaughters and off course, Sadie. I left in a hurry and forgot to take any water, binoculars, and my elk decoy, Henrietta. My path resembled the kids in the Family Circus cartoon when they are supposed to go to the neighbor’s house and instead cover two blocks and climb trees and fences to get there. I proceeded up an old road through Vance’s property and discovered the fresh scat of a black bear but my mind was focused on finding elk. I walked the old road out along the top end off a clear cut made several years ago but could not find any elk tracks so I headed farther out along another road that dissects a more recent clear cut still not finding any elk tracks. An old grown in road cut down toward a creek bottom where I had set up camouflage cloth for a ground blind at an old elk wallow; so I turned down it knowing it would be cooler in the dark timber. To my surprise I found the blind fabric strewn across the ground and ripped into two pieces. At first I thought a moose had got tangled up in it but closer inspection revealed a black bear had found it. The bear also dug out some insects at the base of a tree where the fabric was hanging. I hung up the big part and checked the wallow but there have not been any elk use it yet so I proceeded back to the road in the clear cut and soon found some recent elk tracks. I followed the road around the hill where it ended but could not find any more tracks so I headed up a trail that parallels a small creek. I have never been in the creek bottom that tumbles its way through big dark timber and decided to explore this cool area the God had created. I descended into the cool timber where the temperature dropped about twenty degrees. The forest floor was a mat of pine needles and the gurgle of the creek very pleasant. A few ferns grew near the waters edge but other than that it was like walking through a cathedral of old trees I found numerous deer trails and spotted some old four by six beams stretched across some old logs. They were the remains of an old log flume that over sixty years ago carried logs out of the mountains to the valley below where they were loaded on train cars and taken to the Humbird mill in Sandpoint.

I was trying to envision the kind of life these rugged men had living in the woods most of the year when I saw a bone of a deer leg. I looked up and spotted the jaw bone several feet away and picked it up to age the deer by the wear on the teeth and decided that this deer was probably four years old. As I cast a glance to my left, some white antlers caught my eye. There was the skull and antlers of a nice five by five white tail buck. I determined it had been here nearly two years and realized I may have seen this year the year before he died as a nice four by four buck. He was with a huge five point buck and though I could have easily taken him, I choose to wait out the big guy who seemed to have a sense that something wasn’t right and melted back into the brush. A year later I took the big buck but never saw this buck again.

I climbed my way out of the creek bottom and took up a position by an old log pile for the rest of the evening and watched the sun slowly disappear over the Selkirk Mountains. As I walked back to camp in the dark and to lazy to dig out a head lamp I talked out loud to God, thanking Him for the adventure of the afternoon. We all need to get out in God’s outdoors and wander around and thank Him for his wonderful creation.

Honor and Oath

The Bible speaks about honor and oaths many times and how important they were. The two are hard to separate without affecting their meaning. God made oaths to his people and followed up that He would honor the oath. When people took an oath in biblical times, it was like signing a contract and sealed by honor. It was like sealing an agreement with a handshake which is rare these days. I still like to do that with someone because to me it is a binding agreement that I am willing to put my honor on the line. Our Pastor Steve is that kind of guy that believes a handshake is something that seals the importance of the moment. He is someone I can relate to and trust. Oaths are all about trust and belief.

You can tell our country has changed because now two parties need lawyers and written contracts and honor is often thrown out the window. Our elected officials take an oath to protect the Constitution of the United States as do our military. The difference is the military honor that oath but the politicians forget all about after they are in office. We have many of our leaders trying their best to circumvent the Constitution and tell us it is outdated for our times. I don’t think so! It is going to take this country getting back to God to see any of his blessings. Right now I’m not confident that will happen.

It is time for Christians to become active in government and demand accountability from our leaders. We need to remind them of the oath they took which the founding fathers knew was important for this country’s survival. Those men looked for guidance from God everyday with prayer to guide them. How many of our elected leaders do that?

The foundations of this Republic are being shaken and we are close to losing our God given freedoms that so many people died for. We need to pray that our leaders seek the Creator for wisdom and that this country will humble itself before God. He promises to hear our prayers and heal our land. It is an oath He made thousands of years ago.

Teamwork

August 21 is our 44th anniversary which is getting to be a milestone in today’s world. We are blessed to have two great daughters and son-in-laws plus two sweet granddaughters. Life is sometimes a blur and we have to step back and realize the blessings Gods bestows on us.

Marriage is about teamwork; learning each others strengths and using that to help each other. Ardella balances me out with her peacemaker strength which I often need. I have learned much about patience from her. Fortunately we both like the outdoor world and love exploring God’s creation. Ardella has helped me band ducks in Iowa, climbed numerous mountains in Idaho, and enjoyed the wildness of Alaska as much as I did. She is an excellent shot and has harvested more black bears and elk than I have. She has always been my favorite hunting partner.

Too many couples opt out of marriage because they are not a team. Each lives a life without involving their mate in much of their daily lives. Going it alone will not make a marriage.

Color Purple

The woods of north Idaho are experiencing a bumper crop of huckleberries this year. The purple fruit is highly prized for pies and jam. We like them in hotcakes. It has been several years since there was a good crop so both bears and people are enjoying the bounty. The other evening we drove up Baldy Mountain north of Sandpoint and came home with over four and a half gallons of huge purple berries. I kept an eye out for bears as I picked since they had visited the patch I found laden with big juicy berries. I have never had any trouble with bears while picking but you never know so I carry a can of bear spray. I always leave enough for bears to eat when I’m done as the huckleberry is an important food source to them so they can build up fat for their winter nap.

The color purple was highly prized by the Hebrews as a symbol of royalty. Fabric was dyed various shades of purple from a mollusk that lives along the Mediterranean shores. Solomon had the seat of his chariot covered with purple and the priest used it on their robes. Remember. They put a purple robe on Jesus at his trial to mock him.

Jesus didn’t need a purple robe to show he is King. The empty tomb declares Jesus is our King and Savoir. He will come back with an angel army to gather up his people. Will you be one of them? Spending eternity with Him really isn’t as hard as religion makes it. We need to recognize Jesus as our Savoir, ask Him to forgive our sins, and spend the rest of this life glorifying Him to others. If you don’t know Him, please invite Jesus into your heart right now. He is waiting.

Party On

Today is my birthday and we went out for lunch with Connie, Jolene, Vance and the girls. We celebrated Sunday afternoon when the whole family could be here. Ardella and the little girls made me a delicious chocolate cake from scratch which is my favorite. Hannah and Lizzie help Grandma decorate the cake and said it would be the best one I ever had. I totally agree!

Some people think life is an ongoing party and live only for the moment. Unfortunately they don’t see the whole picture and their lives are really hollow shells of what they could be. God calls us to live with purpose. Rick Warren wrote, “Its not abut you.” It took me three times of reading the book to get it. Jesus said we should have a servant’s heart; living a life of helping others.

The real party will be when we enter Heaven where there is no sickness or problems we live with on earth. The Apostle Paul was given glimpses of Heaven but said he could not reveal the glory he saw. I believe Heaven will be greater then anyone can imagine. The God of Creation is going to knock our socks off! Many people will not experience the party because they will not accept Jesus as their savoir. He offers us a free gift and we reject it. If you do not know Jesus this is as good as your party gets; but if He is your Savoir, the real party won’t begin until you leave this world. Which party would you rather be at?

I have a fourteen old cousin that found out today he has stage four cancer so I would like prayers for Trevor and his family. Ardella and I prayed with his Grandma and an aunt and uncle this week for a miracle of healing. We prayed for some of the family members to put their trust in Jesus and accept Him as savior. Pray that God uses this time to change lives for eternity.

It's All About Love

My week was going pretty smoothly and then Ardella brought home this wonderful photo our daughter Connie took of the granddaughters loving on Sadie. Sadie loves these two munchkins very much and is always excited to see them arrive at our house. They return the love as you can see in this cherished photograph which I have titled, “Golden Moments." Sadie is totally immersed in the pouring out of their love; receiving it with total gladness.

The photo got me thinking about Luke 6:27 through 36. Jesus starts out by telling us to love our enemies. Now that is a hard commandment for me not to break! He told us to love our neighbor and right now mine are shooting off firecrackers even though it is extremely dry. Love can be hard for me to comprehend and convey; especially after I interrupted this writing to ask them not to shoot firecrackers, they still kept lighting them. My better judgment prevailed and I called 911 instead of going back to persuade them which would not have been good. Please God, give me new neighbors, ones easier to love.

Verse 35 says God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked and I thought how could the God of Creation do that; then realized I sometimes fall into that classification. Jesus closes this lesson telling us to be merciful because God is merciful to us. Jesus showed the ultimate example of love by nailing all our sins with him on the cross so we can be saved by God’s amazing grace. Now that is Love!

Rugged Majesty

Last Sunday afternoon we went with Connie and Thane to Farragut State Park where they launched their boat among the many people that were enjoying the great varied facilities the park offers. There were picnics, campers, swimmers, mountain bikers, and boaters spending a leisure day relaxing. During WWII, Farragut was a busy naval training camp for tens of thousands of sailors. I knew a few of them personally so the park holds a special interest for me. They would have rather visited it as a park but never regretted the job they were called to do for us.

I had never been on the south half of Lake Pend Orielle and was captivated by the rugged beauty of the mountains that plunge straight down into the clear depths of the lake. God created spectacular granite rocks that perch hundreds of feet above the lake and descend deep into the clear water. Many times when we were only fifty feet of shore the depth finder measured well over one hundred feet of water below us. One time it measured seven hundred eighty eight feet which is not the deepest part of the lake. Every bend in the shoreline had something great to offer. We stopped one a beach that was all flat skipping stone rocks. The little boy came out in me as I tried to skip each rock a little farther before it disappeared into the depths of the lake. I pictured Jesus and the disciples doing the same thing on the shores of Galilee with Peter boasting he could beat all of them.

As we made our way up the east side many old mining sites are still visible and remnants of some communities remain. Huge ponderosa pines line the shoreline like guardians of the lake. There were several dead twisted junipers that got my attention as I could see neat pieces of driftwood in them to carve fish on. Next time I will have to take a saw. On our return trip back to the boat launch we saw a family of eagles that were learning to test their wings with an adult watching nearby.

Some people would say Lake Pend Orielle was formed by accident due to some natural disaster but I believe God purposely made it for our enjoyment. I think he sat back and smiled. God made it one of the deepest fresh water lakes in the world so it would give the valleys to the south and west an abundant supply of water for crops and cities. Do you think he knew Spokane would develop into a big city someday and need a fresh supply of water? I believe he did just as he knows about our life before we are born.

Summer is marching on so take some time to enjoy God’s creation and praise Him for all the beauty.

Spud

Grandchildren can get the grandparents to do almost anything as we found out this week. Jolene and Vance own Fjord horses which are very beautiful animals. This spring they acquired a free ten year old gelding Fjord named Spud. Heidi, our veterinary’s wife says there is no such thing as a free horse and I know she is right. Spud is a little guy in size but thinks he is as big as a Belgian work horse. Their other gelding, Amos is a very big Fjord and wasn’t about to let this new guy boss him so they had to keep them separated by electric fence to prevent one from getting hurt. Vance decided that Spud had to go to a new home and thought a neighbor was going to take him but she backed out probably also knowing there is no free horse.

I didn’t know a four year old and a six year old could devise the right plan to find Spud a home. They each came to me twice in two weeks asking me if I liked Spud. Of course I said yes both times not knowing I was being set up. After the second time I said yes, they said since I liked him so much that I should take him. I told the girls they would have to convince Grandma, which only took a few minutes. So yesterday Spud arrived at our place. I thought he might be afraid of the llamas but they are afraid of him so we keep them in different pens.

Spud has a warrior heart in him not realizing he is small in size. He is a proud little horse that will follow me around the pasture like a dog. Spud seems willing to submit to me and trusts me. Tonight, I threw a pack on him while he grazed and Spud just stood there and let me cinch it up tight.

God puts a warrior’s heart in us but many people never find it. Jesus had that heart as did David, Peter, Paul, Andrew, John and hundreds of other people in the Bible. Just as Spud trusts me we should fully trust God in our lives. We are to be warriors reflecting the love of Christ to other people. Christianity isn’t a spectator sport; instead we should be on the playing field, running the ball to the goal post.

I’m sure I will learn much more from Spud in the coming weeks which I can write about. If you have grandchildren just be careful what you say yes to or you might get a free horse.

Knapweed

I have been working at a new home that sets high above the Pend Orielle River with awesome views. It makes the time go fast. I first tilled the lawn area for hydro seeding of wildflowers and also a low maintenance grass. So I set up sprinklers on timers that water the lawn four times a day and today I could see tiny plants emerging. The owners are vacant landowners so I have the place all to my self; except for the deer and turkeys.

Today I decided to declare war on the knapweed that grows profusely in the light soil around the house. Knapweed is a plant that is hard to control and can take over other vegetation in a few years. It has a long tap root that goes deep to suck water in the driest soils. The plant produces multiple flowers and each flower casts off hundreds of seeds. The plant also produces toxins that kill off good plants so pretty soon all you have is knapweed. Because of these toxins it is good practice to wear gloves when pulling knapweed.

Knapweed is similar to the sin we have in our lives. It is often deep rooted and hard to pull out. Sin can consume our entire life and suck out all hope. The toxins of sin will definitely kill us and infect other around people; spreading the sickness over a large area. What are we to do? Jesus is the only source able to pull the long roots of sin from our life. There isn’t a sin that He can’t handle or hasn’t heard of. All we have to do is ask forgiveness and put our faith in Him. Jesus will kill the ugliest of sin in our lives.

Are you ready to get the knapweed out of your life? Go to the Savoir; He is always waiting. Remember He is a relationship not a stuffy religion!

Thank You

We had a great family weekend camping and enjoying our nation’s birthday in the mountains. The granddaughter’s find nature so fascinating and come up with various insects. They both rode their new horse and I even got on her and went for a nice ride. Our camp swelled to thirteen people on Saturday.

Old Glory was erected at the camp entrance so we could remember those that have died for our freedoms. My thoughts and prayers were with a Marine Major in special ops that is in Afghanistan and emailed last week that they were about to enter into a new phase of battle. We were also visited last week by a young woman that is in the service with a squadron of top gun pilots and they could be employed to Korea. Her brother is just finishing boot camp in Oklahoma and headed to school for medics. Another young friend is headed to the Oklahoma camp where he will also become a medic after boot camp. We are very proud for these people and the rest of our military and pray God’s protection over them.

It frustrates me how we have forgotten that God lead our founding fathers in forming our country. They sought His guidance in prayer and God answered and blessed us with a mighty nation. We will only be blessed if we seek His face. I’m afraid that Americans have become arrogant and hostile to God and that we are on our way to self destruction. It is very evident that our many of our elected officials and citizens have turned from God and our nation is in a real mess. We can not heal ourselves; only God can do that as he promises in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

I want to thank our veterans and our current military for their service which has kept us a strong and free nation. They are the best of the best. Thank you!

Knock-Knock

Our granddaughters like to make up knock-knock jokes to tell me. They usually don’t make much sense but I get a good laugh out of them. There is another kind of knock-knock that isn’t a joke. In many countries Christians meeting in homes fear the knock on the door that results in police breaking up their prayer meetings. Most of the time the people are threatened and sometimes put in prison for worshipping Jesus. The Voice of Martyrs is one organization that tracks the persecutions worldwide.

I was stunned recently when I read that it happened in the United States. Christians meeting for Bible study were told by authorities that they were violating the law. When did our Constitution get changed? It was hardly mentioned in the news media. Why aren’t we outraged that our country has forgotten God? Our country has been great because it was founded on Christian principals and we used that as our guide but in the last fifteen years we have rejected God. I’m not sure if this nation can crawl out of the abyss it is sliding down. We have forgotten what truth looks like. As Christians, we need to pray for our nation and the people in leadership that they will seek God.

If we want our cities, states, and nation changed for God it begins with us. Jesus said he stands at the door and knocks. He was talking about the door to our hearts because that is where life has to change first. Jesus wasn’t talking about a new religion; He was talking about a real relationship with Him. Go somewhere this week and get alone so you can hear him knocking. Let Him in and find His peace.

One Year Ago

This time last year my body was under attack from a mysterious virus which baffled doctors. It started with a weird stiff neck and then proceeded into a headache, hot back spasms, and a high fever. I was poked, prodded, and x-rayed yet the doctors could not find the cause. Blood tests didn’t reveal anything but I believe I had west nile virus. The blood test for that was over $600.00 and there is no cure for it so I opted not to take it. Your body has to fight off the virus. Most people with bad cases of west nile end up in the hospital for hydration but I was drinking water like a fish.

I remembered finding some dead songbirds in our yard about two weeks prior and disposed of them. This made me search the internet about west nile and I had nearly all the symptoms. My doctor agreed but without the expensive test it could not be confirmed and according to the health district no cases have ever been recorded in north Idaho. So the high fever persisted and I sweat buckets of water as my body fought off the virus.

After seven days of fever my friend Ross called and asked to come over and pray over me for healing. I gladly agreed. Ross and some of my family read scripture on healing, anointed me with oil and prayed for healing. Within an hour my fever started to decline and by evening it had completely disappeared. I called the doctor on Monday and told her what happened. She said she believed in healing. Not all people that I have related this story to have shared her feelings. I tell the story to people and let God deal with their hearts. It was life changing for me and I look at life different then I did before this virus hit me. I savor each day as a gift and realize how precious life is.

I am very thankful to God for the healing and give Him the praise and glory. It proves He does want involved in our lives. God definitely got my attention that He is in control. Many people live like there is no God and even many that do believe in Him don’t really take his healing seriously. Jesus healed, the disciples healed, and the Bible says we can be healed too. Why do we doubt? Does everyone get healed? No, God has our life mapped out and He regulates our days, we don’t.

God has done some amazing things in my life the last two years and I wait with eager anticipation wondering what He will do next. We can never out guess God. Give Him praise and glory for your life and live like this is your last day on earth. It will change your life.

Landscaping Our Hearts

Since carving orders have been very slow, I have turned to another gift God gave me which is landscaping. I like getting to improve people’s yards and each one offers a new challenge. One I just finished is a large beautiful home on the shores of the Pend Orielle River. They wanted some shrubs and flowers put along two sides of the house. You know the saying about building your house on a strong foundation- they did just that. Rocks, rocks, and more rocks. I made up a diagram for the owners to see so they could understand what I envisioned. Once they agreed I started digging holes where the shrubs would be placed and dug up shovels of rocks. I than placed about fourteen inches of topsoil over the area marking the holes so I would know where to plant. In about two days the house was lined by many new shrubs that will give them a colorful border to their beautiful home. I placed ground cloth over the new landscape and brought in six yards of fine bark to finish off the new project. When I was done I stepped back to survey the finished project and was very happy that the home looked much more inviting than before. So I left for the weekend hoping the owners would be pleasantly surprised when they came home.

The surprise was on me when the lady called and said the bark was not to her liking. She insisted I remove it and replace it with bigger bark. I explained the reason for using fine bark was because she did not want any border on the beds and bigger bark would not stay in place. That did not do much to convince her and she said they would talk it over. What a way to start a relaxing weekend! On Saturday I attended an Iron Sharpens Iron event and realized I needed to turn the dilemma over to God. I thought that God could handle the situation better than I could You know what; he took control of it and they accepted the fact that small bark would be okay.

That got me thinking about how God wants to come in and landscape our hearts and minds and we often resist. He wants to tear up all the rocks and weeds we grow in our life and make us new and beautiful. Why do we resist so much? We think our life is in control so please God go work in someone else; they really need changed.

Jesus is always ready to step in and make us new. It just takes an invite. Don’t wait, eternity is too important. I find when I let God take over life works better. Let God come in and dig up all the dirt and plant something beautiful in your life.

Rufus

Our yard is alive with birds and wildlife this time of year. A family of robins is nesting in a spruce tree in the front yard and some swallows are using the houses. Baby squirrels are out of the nest and enjoying the corn I put out for them. Mallards and wood ducks are also feeding on corn at the edge of the pond. God created the male wood duck one of the most beautiful of birds. Then there is the male Rufus hummingbird that occupies the front yard. He doesn’t know he is the smallest bird in our yard as he chases other birds that enter his territory. Ardella and I often get dive bombed by him as we water the outdoor plants.

I admire the personality God placed in him; courageous and committed to his purpose. God placed the same courage in David as he guarded his father’s sheep and as he faced Goliath. Then when Samuel anointed David as king, David lost that courage and was pursued relentlessly by Saul and his army. David’s life was in a mess for a while until he fully trusted God and the purpose God had called him. He went on to be a great king and a man after God’s heart.

We go through the same problems in life as David when we don’t believe in God’s promises. You know, it is easier to go it alone. Satan likes us to be separated from God so he can whisper lies to us. Christ is our armor and encourager. Through Him we overcome obstacles and lead the life God intended for us to have. Don’t be robbed of your full potential. Serving God always brings us to a fullness of spirit. The same courage that God put in the little hummingbird is available to us if we seek the Father. It works best for me when I call Him Daddy. Be a David this week and go slay your Goliath.

Restoring Our Soul

The treadmill of life seems to run full speed wearing us down both physically and spiritually. Unless we find ways to slow things down many of us crash and burn. For Ardella and me it can be as simple as spending a few hours in the mountains. We recently went bear hunting one sunny evening and even though we didn’t find any bears, out spirits were lifted up by being in God’s creation.

I parked the truck on an old road separating a clear cur and thick timber so Ardella could watch the road and hillside. About twenty feet from the truck was a muddy area that contained the clear tracks of a medium sized grizzly bear. I cautiously walked over the hill to an old log pile that over looks the clear cut where we have taken some nice whitetail bucks. From this vantage point I could watch along the lower part of the cut where a creek meanders through some old timber. Soon I spotted some movement that turn out to be a doe with her last year’s fawn. They fed in the area for the rest of the evening. Two other deer appeared from the top as did a big bull moose. The bull was enjoying all the new green shoots on trees and was really chowing them down. He looked in good shape in spite of the long winter. One of the does fed very close to him but he didn’t seem to mind. As the sun lowered in the western horizon over the Selkirk mountain range I headed back to the pickup. Ardella had watched four deer too and enjoyed one that came closer to investigate the truck. We went home restored by spending an evening with God in his wonderful creation.

The Bible speaks of our restoration many times. Psalm 80:3 says, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” We are only fully restored by a relationship with Jesus; without Him our lives are a mess. Jesus speaks of giving us a peace and freedom that come from the Father. Why do we resist that and try to find peace in this world. Have you noticed that there isn’t much peace right now in the world? Instead there are financial worries, wars and threats of more wars, complete breakdown of families, abortion accepted as normal, and many more problems. We look for governments to fix these problems instead of God. The Bible I read says that won’t work. But who needs God?

Take some time to get restored; take a hike in the mountains, go fishing, or spend an evening around a camp fire and let God refresh you. Let the light of Jesus shine again through you to the lost sheep of this world.