Thoughts
I took a new friend on an archery deer hunt with me and my hunting buddy years ago. He was a very intelligent sort and just out of the military. We were hunting in the desert that first day when I spotted the herd of deer we were tracking several 100yd ahead. I got my hunting buddy’s attention, about 100yd to my left, and gave him hand signals which indicated there was a big buck, small buck, and the number of does. My friend just stared at me. “What was that all about?” he asked. I explained what I was doing, and he replied, “Well I learned all kinds of hand signals in the military, but I’ve never seen anything like that!” Even applying all his advanced analytical training, he never did catch on to our signals. (RC)

Action Point
Not everyone who buys a rifle or bow and takes to the field becomes a hunter. It’s much more than a dress rehearsal; and just because you’re “out there” doesn’t mean you’re gonna “get it”. Nature talks to all of us, but not everyone understands what she’s saying!

To whom does God reveal Himself? ….children, learners, the humble. I am so glad that the verse above indicates that His revelation doesn’t have anything to do with IQ! It’s really a matter of desire, isn’t it. As a child who has a desire to know and is willing to be taught–we need to come to God with the heart of a child if we want to hear God speak to us (Matthew 13:9). He reveals Himself to those who want to know Him.

Thoughts
We teach our children, and we are so happy when they “get it” and we can move on to something else.
I recently was hunting with my sons. The older of the two was sitting in the blind with a friend of mine; the younger one was with me. My older son left the blind to answer the call of nature; and when he hadn’t returned within an hour, my friend called me. I called my son on his cell phone (which worked, fortunately), and he proceeded to tell me how he got turned around in the woods and was lost. It was about two hours before nightfall. I asked him if he remembered what he had been taught in Hunter Ed. –that he should first stop, then think, then observe and plan. He said, ” I forgot everything.” He had continued to walk after he realized he was lost (first mistake); then, when he came to a road, he crossed it and continued through the woods even though he didn’t recognize the road (second mistake). Thankfully, we found my son before nightfall by riding up and down the road on our ATV’s and whistling; but this situation could have had a much poorer outcome.
The most eye-opening part of this experience:
My son had been taught what to do in case he was lost and yet ignored the information. Had he forgotton?
Another point that stuck with me:
Even though he was fully prepared to spend a night in the woods in sub-zero temperatures had he stayed near his ATV; he left the blind with only his shirt and pants, cell phone, and two matches which happened to be in his pocket. (RK)

Action Point
Lessons learned are only truly learned after you have practiced what you have learned and you have taught what you have learned to someone else.

Thoughts
As my eyes saw the three old Yale locks laying there, my mind raced back to the days of my childhood. Recently, the locks were hanging on my Dad’s work beach, but years ago they hung on the doors of the barn at the old home place. All three were well-oiled just as Dad had left them before he went to be with the Lord over a year ago. The barn had three doors and each lock had a place and purpose: the smallest protected the door where Dad kept the lawn mower and all of the yard tools; the middle-sized lock guarded the workshop door; and the large one secured the double doors where Dad kept the car. If they could talk, each lock, much older than I, could tell some stories. They watched me grow up–first opening them as a child, then as a teenager grumbling about yard work, but also excited to be driving the family car. As a man, my hands closed the locks with my own son in tow.

Pounded by cold winter rains and sleet and baked by the hot southern sun, these locks worked week after week–faithful and ready to serve, fulfilling their purpose. Dad cleaned and oiled the locks regularly, even weeks before his death. I took them from the work bench, and now they lay side by side in my study to remind me that I must keep my life well-oiled and maintained by the Word of the Lord and prayer. From time to time I’ll unlock them and drop some oil into them just as my father did. (JoeyH)

Action Point
We live in an instant, throw-away culture. Very few things stand the test of time. The reason that Dad’s locks still work is that he took time to take care of them. Each time I come off the stage with my mandolin and guitar, my instruments get a good rub down before they hit the case. When I come in from the field with my double barrel, she gets cleaned before she is put away. The best bird hunters that I know always take care of their dogs before they go to eat and rest. We brush our teeth and wash behind the ears before bed, just as Mother taught us. But, there is more to us than the physical–we must faithfully make time to take care of our spirit: read the Bible; listen to Godly music; read a good book; hug your kids; spend time talking with God. It is the daily time of oiling the locks that makes the difference.

Thoughts
My son and a friend traveled to Wyoming to visit my wife and me and to do some trout fishing. We decided to pack into a remote mountain lake at 10,000ft elevation. There were five riders and two pack horses to carry the float tubes and camping gear. The trip in went fairly well. While we stopped once to tighten the packs, one of the horses, Molly, decided to be independent and wander off the trails looking for fresh morsels. Brock, a young and inexperienced rider, got a little frustrated with Molly; but with some instruction, he became more assertive. The horse began to cooperate and stay on the trails. We unpacked the horses and set up camp, apparently just in time. A severe, unexpected storm hit the mountains. It poured for what seemed like hours. It was flooding, so we trenched around the tents and the camping area. One of the horses got spooked in the storm and ran away. We tracked him and managed to get him back to camp. The temperature dropped after the storm went through. Wet and cold, we tried to start a fire, but had difficulty. After finally finding dry kindling under a large cut back rock, we started a fire under the rock and transferred the coals to a spot near our campsite. We dried out our clothes and eventually warmed up. The fishing was slow because of the storm. On the way down the mountain, a pack slipped, so the gear had to be repacked.

Even with all the difficulties, I never heard a complaint or any angry words. How often is this the case in our outdoor activities? I’m thankful that these Christian men followed Phil 2:14, “Do everything without complaining or arguing. . .” They had the strength to endure and made the trip a memorable one. (TL)

Action Point
It is critical that we set an example of strength to our children and friends without complaining or arguing. When troubles come our way, ask God for His strength and wisdom. He is always faithful.

Thoughts
A great passion of mine is winter wade fishing for trophy seatrout and redfish. It is a stealthy and exciting way to fish. However, there are hazards. Shoreline bottoms are intermittingly made up of soft muddy spots, rocks, shallow holes and reefs of various sizes. Although I have come close, I have not fallen. It is always a concern that I could trip in the cold winter water, thus ruining my trip. I am cognizant of the perils and move carefully, stepping over rocks or avoiding soft muddy areas.

Giving one’s life to Christ does not take away the hazards of life. But, if you are steadfast, the Holy Spirit will guide you and help you sidestep the many rocks and soft spots that will be in your path. (Will D)

Action Point
It is distinctly possible that there are places and/or people in your life that may cause you to stumble. If so, consider Paul’s charge in 1 Timothy 6:11:
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

Thoughts
Saul had his life turned around 180 degrees while on the road to Damascus. My life also changed drastically about 20-25yrs ago. I wasn’t off killing people, but I was intent on reducing the largemouth bass population.

I bought my first bass boat, an aluminum Bass Tracker, in the early 80’s. From there I graduated up to a Skeeter fiberglass boat. It had a lot of the whistles and bells popular at the time. I was obsessed with bass fishing, made two or three trips a month to my favorite fishing lakes. I remember mouthing prayers several times as I left Jasper, Texas, a town close to Sam Rayburn Reservoir–thanking the Lord for the ability to fish, and “Please don’t let me loose these opportunities.” Guess what: after going through some financial difficulties, the boat had to be sold. Without a boat, fishing most of the major lakes in Texas is pretty much impossible. Either there is no access to the water, or the shoreline is privately owned. My obsession with bass fishing had been dealt a severe blow. I had a Damascus experience. Though I hadn’t been knocked off a donkey or horse by a blinding light, I was knocked out of my boat. (TB)

Action Point
Like Saul, my life had suddenly changed. It took me longer than it took Saul to be able to see clearly again. Slowly the Lord opened my eyes to see that there were other ways to pursue the sport. He had cured me of the obsession; now it’s just a passion in my life. He showed me different ways of fishing. I found a bass club that had lots of empty seats open to non-boaters in their tournaments. I discovered there are many ponds (stock tanks) in Texas that you can fish with permission. Some of these tanks had better fishing than the large impoundments. He also showed me some new fishing techniques that I would never had experienced otherwise. He opened my eyes.

I am not saying that the modern bass boats with all of the features are bad news. They are really an enjoyable way to pursue the fish, and I would love to have another boat if that were possible. But I learned that I needed to have a proper perspective on the total picture.

Thoughts
It was the middle of June, a Monday I think, and I hadn’t had a day off in about ten days. My charter for the day had won a trip that I had donated to an organization I cannot remember. All I knew was that I was not getting paid that day. Honestly, I did not have the best attitude.

After about an hour, it was obvious that the man, wife and friend on my boat were novices. The fishing was kind of slow as well, so we began talking about who they were and where they were from. Out of nowhere, the man said, “We got baptized yesterday!” Talk about hitting me in the head with a 10lb redfish. We then talked about their relationship with God and why they had been baptized. God was speaking to me. My eyes began to water. Thank the Lord I was wearing dark polarized shades. Needlesstosay, it was a wonderful day on the boat. (BG)

Action Point
The Lord got my attention quickly. He showed me that I am always a servant, even on a boat. He did plenty of ministering on a boat to fisherman. He showed me that my lifestyle is a blessing from Him, and I should take a ministering attitude to the dock and my daily life every second of every minute. I should be prepared to be a witness to every person, even when I am tired and not in the best of moods. I am always a servant and should look out for the interests of others before my own.

Thoughts
I grew up hunting and fishing with my old man and one other older family friend. It was not until I was about 20 that I even considered hunting with any other partners. Why was that? I grew up feeling a sense of family toward those with whom I hunted. I didn’t care to have anyone else hunt with me, or where I hunted because I didn’t feel as though they were part of my family. I’m sure many potential friendships were lost because I didn’t want to make a commitment to someone outside this small group of individuals. It took a very persistent friend to convince me otherwise; and after spending time with him in the field, I learned that there were others who feel as seriously as I do about hunting. This family of hunters is bigger than I thought! (RC)

Action Point
When I first became a Christian almost ten years ago, my wife and I experienced various degrees of persecution from our friends and family–”Why can’t you go to the game with us on Sunday?” They didn’t understand our commitment to God; and when we tried to explain, the response was usually the same: “But we’re your family!” or, “You’re just going through a phase.” God clearly tells us not to ignore the well-being of our family, but He also tells us we must love Him more (Luke 14:26-27). Remember to seek His Kingdom first, and He’ll take care of the rest. My wife and I were not going through a phase; and we have since been blessed with members of our physical family who have become part of God’s spiritual family with us!

As for hunting partners, I’m glad I opened my eyes to those outside my physical family. I have had the pleasure of learning and teaching others when I let them into my family of hunting partners! We all have one or more hunting or fishing spots that are known to the very few. Sometimes we may have a tendency to decline new partners in the sport because we don’t want to reveal these places. You are missing out on an awesome opportunity for fellowship if you continue down this path!
‘Nuff said, brothers!

Thoughts
Have you ever been on a tough hike or some grueling outing with a pack that’s too heavy in terrain that’s too steep and rough? You catch yourself and your companions stumbling and fumbling along and you get discouraged and want to quit. Or, you keep thinking that there has to be a better route to make it to the top, and you need to find it in order to go on. You find that you and your buddies have to continually help each other or you won’t make it to your destination. You offer a hand up a bad spot, or maybe it’s a word of encouragement when the other guy is ready to quit and give up. Maybe he’s telling you that you have what it takes to get to the top of the mountain, even though you don’t think you can make it. Maybe you point out a better route around a really bad spot.

It seems to me that this is what Job did for those around him. He gave instructions, he helped strengthen others, supported them, and somehow gave strength to those around him who were too physically exhausted to go on. What I see in Job is that he was an encourager. When things got tough, he somehow motivated the other guy to keep going, to accomplish the goal. In Job 1:3, Job is described as “the greatest man among all the people of the East”. This statement had much to do with his possessions, but I believe that it also had a lot to do with his character and his treatment of those around him. (CS)

Action Point
We all have encouragers in our lives–a friend or loved one who helps with a kind word or deed, sometimes by just being there and listening, or by reminding us that we can finish strong. Encouragers are necessary to counteract the negative pessimists that seem to be everywhere. And often, we must take on the role of an encourager. When you see a friend that needs help, be there for him, and be positive.