Thoughts
During the late 1800’s there was a mining boom in the West. As California became overwhelmed with miners from around the world, many were starting to settle elsewhere such as Arizona. A group of these miners erected a series of dams in a mountainous area of north central Arizona called Walnut Grove. One night in 1890, as thunderstorms pounded the area, one of the dams began to swell and overflow. Dozens of men were charged with adding stones to the dam even during the torrential downpour. Meanwhile, another man was paid by the owner of the mines to go downstream and warn the residents of the impending dam failure. He rode downstream on horseback, but was sidetracked by a saloon. After a few drinks, he forgot his assignment. When the dam eventually breeched, the reported 100ft wall of water killed 100-to-150 people in towns as far as 40mi away. (BM)

Action Point
Saul was the first God-appointed king of Israel and David was named to be his successor. Saul became increasingly jealous of David. This seemingly small sin grew larger over time and eventually became a destructive force in Saul’s life when he tried to murder David. The dam in Walnut Grove had some shortcomings: The townspeople wanted the construction to proceed faster; and the mining company wanted to spend less on the dam and more on making money. Then a long and slow rain that saturated the ground and melted the snowpack hundreds of miles north of the dam filled the dam faster than it could empty.

In both cases–the Biblical account of David’s relationship with Saul, and the Walnut Grove Dam–it was a seemingly small problem or sin that was allowed to grow. Each one grew until ultimately it destroyed others. Jealousy often does not seem like a “big deal”; but any sin left unrepentant will lead to ruin.

Thoughts
Imagine what Goliath’s sword must have looked like. Certainly, it was custom-made by a master craftsman; constructed of the finest materials of the day, perfectly balanced and razor sharp. Perhaps the handle contained elaborate engravings denoting the many victories Goliath had as a Philistine warrior. In today’s world collectors might pay millions for it and companies would make smaller versions sought by every hunter and outdoorsman. Like victorious warriors of that period, David was entitled to claim Goliath’s sword and weaponry as spoils of war. No one would have questioned David had he kept it at his side forever. David recognized that the praise, glory, and honor of victory belonged fully to God.

I recall some David and Goliath moments in my life before becoming a Christian. With pride, I gathered and collected my “spoils of war”; while in defeats, I simply blamed others. However, the day I began my new life in Christ, I sought to live as David–leaning on and seeking God in the challenges set before me and glorifying only Him in life’s wins and losses. (Will D)

Action Point
You and I will always be confronted with Goliath’s. The question posed before us is this: to whom will we give our sword of victory? Be sure to honor God in all your victories; and with faith, lean on Him during trials.

Thoughts
What went wrong? This magnificent buck was coming in like he was on a string. But suddenly, he looked directly in my direction, spun like a top and sprinted away! I was hugely disappointed. Everything seemed to be just right, but the outcome was deeply disappointing. It was the wind that carried my scent and alerted the deer. I did not realize it until too late. (JM)

Action Point
Samson was the world’s strongest man! The scriptures confirm it. His feats are listed all through Judges 14-16. The speed at which he moved and the raw power of his body were amazing and supernatural. But Samson thought too highly of himself. Pride got in the way. He let his physical appetites control his life. He forgot that his strength came from God. His failure reminded him of his true source of strength.

Our failures and our struggles should remind us that we are dependent upon God. It is the Holy Spirit of God who gives us the desire and the dynamic power to do the will of God (Philippians 2:13).
If you sense something is wrong in life, remember that you were created for a special love relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. If you have not received Him as Lord, do so. If you have gotten away from that relationship, repent and return to Him. Accept the forgiveness He offers, and enjoy again the presence and the power of the Almighty.

Thoughts
The stories we tell about the one that got away are sometimes more fun than actually catching the fish. There are several reasons why it might be better to have that heartbreaking experience of the really big one getting away:
1) The lost fish aways keeps getting bigger every time you tell the story;
2) You don’t have to decide to keep the fish or let it go;
3) There is a certain mystique behind the experience that only your imagination can produce.

Three years ago, almost to this day, my Dad went home to be with Jesus. It was a very busy season in my life and my emotions were almost numb from fatigue. They say it’s healthy to cry when a loved one passes on, but my tears were being held back. At my wife’s suggestion, I purposely bought the CD with the song, “I Can Only Imagine”. I went out to a vacant parking lot and played the song in my rental car. Tears flowed freely as I imagined my Dad dancing before Jesus! He only had one leg prior to his homecoming. (TH)

Action Point
Try to imagine what it will be like when you finally see Jesus face to face!

Thoughts
“Shared suffering” isn’t something we ordinarily talk about, but I believe it’s a core value of being an outdoors enthusiast and a Christian.

As I looked around our campground this past week, I recognized many variations of camping–everything from a house away from home (including the satellite dish) to little pop-up tents with practically no supplies. Part of the reason that I camp with my family is to rough it. In this roughing it process, I want to make it necessary for my kids to work with me in setting up our camp. So, as we set up our pop-up camper, each of them has a job to do: the beds have to be pulled out with the supports put underneath; the jacks have to be leveled; our food tent set up; a screen tent attached to the front of the camper. It takes between one and two hours to get everything set up. Every step of the way, we work together. Now, the irony of it all is this: we are working harder to have less comfort than what we would have at home. So, why do it?

• It develops character
• creates a bond that will last a lifetime
• lets us see God’s awesome creation
• develops a healthy appreciation for how God has blessed us in our daily lives back home.

(DM)

Action Point
God is less worried about our comforts and more concerned about our character. Lessons learned through shared suffering just stick. If you are a dad, make it a priority to take your kids with you into the outdoors. Involve them in each step of the process, including budgeting money for the trip, planning meals and setting up camp.

Mentoring our children is a God-given mandate to dads. Spiritual and practical life lessons abound in the outdoors. Seize the moment!

Thoughts
Wyoming offers a muzzleloader/ pistol antelope season, so I decided to accept the challenge. The area we hunted was a 7600ft high desert located near the old mining towns of Atlantic City and South Pass City. The topography is fairly flat with creek beds offering some roll to the landscape. Most of the creeks are dry with some having feeder springs, which give the vegetation a vivid contrast to the buff-colored ground and sagebrush. We tried pickup, four wheeler, and walking approaches to get close enough for a good shot, but without success. The antelope were spooked because the coyote hunters used four wheelers in their pursuit. Because of the hot, dry weather, we decided to sit on high ground to observe their movement patterns. These patterns suggested that we concentrate on an area that supplied their food and water. After a 300yd sneak in a dry creek bed and a 50yd crawl, I connected on a beautiful buck at 183yd.(TL)

Action Point
Spiritually needy people cannot satisfy our own thirst. Believing in Christ provides an inner source of spiritual refreshment. The scriptural reference to streams suggests a continuous source and abundant provision of life giving water. Continue to draw from the Source by being active in prayer, fellowship, and reading the Word.

Thoughts
The Source of Light–the guiding Light–is important in our lives.

Deer season and a full moon had happened during the same time frame. The deer were feeding freely during the night and bedding down during the day. Unless you just happened to kick one up walking to your hunt site, hunting in a stand during the day was almost non-existent. I decided to stay on my stand as long as possible into the evening, hoping to see deer moving right before the last rays of sun disappeared. My hunting location was about three-quarters mile from camp along an old, unused logging road. I had my flashlight and thought I would have no problem finding my way back to camp in the dark. But the path that had been so easy to follow in the light of day was only dimly delineated in the dark of night. I had some anxious moments, wondering whether I would end up back at camp. Finally, I saw the campfire of my hunting buddy that would guide me through the trees. (TB)

Action Point
Jesus is the guiding Light–the flashlight, you might say–leading us to the Source of Light in our lives. God is the campfire that illumines our lives, brings light into our daily life, if we just strike the match and continue to add wood to the fire. (read His Holy Word).

Thoughts
For many years, a majority of the hunting community has believed that the musk gland of a harvested javelina (collared peccary) must be cut off before the animal is harvested to prevent the musk from tainting the meat. Fact is, this is an unnecessary practice; the musk gland is on top of the Javelina’s back and will easily come off when you skin the “pig” out.

Many old wives’ tales take hold as “fact” when they sound good. However, if you take an old wives’ tale and mix it with a little truth to make it sound right, after awhile, people may resent or doubt the actual truth.
“What’s wrong with the way we do it?” “It must be true; we’ve done it this way for years.”
Fifty plus fifty-one does not equal 100. I can speculate that it is very close to being the correct answer; but in fact, it is not. Likewise, a little of the Bible mixed with the speculative opinion of men does not equal the infallible Truth of God. (RC)

Action Point
When studying God’s Word or listening to it being taught, be like a Berean:
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true (Act 17:11).
They were not skeptics, but were eager to gain their own convictions. In the process, they confirmed that what was preached to them was in fact the true Word of God!

Thoughts
So, is there a God?

Those of us who know the Lord want desperately to share the truth–”Yes, there is a God!”–with others who do not know Him. And of course, we are commanded to do so. As sportsmen, that truth is so fundamentally basic that it is hard for us to understand those who don’t believe it. Here are some thoughts for those of us who may have trouble sharing our faith.

A big stumbling block for unbelievers seems to be the question about God’s origin: “Where did God come from?” None of us knows the answer to this question, so in your discussion with them, invite the person to follow a path of logic with you (since most people like to think of themselves as being logical). The path might look like this: If there was a time when nothing at all existed, then it would be impossible for anything to exist now. “Out of nothing, nothing comes.” Logical thinking would say that you have to start with something. Even Big Bang theorists and evolutionists have to have something with which to begin–the dense mass, the lightening–something of substance. Moving logically from that premise, you may be able to show a thinking person that the “something” that always existed was (and is) GOD! There was never a time when He did not exist. Remember, “In the beginning, God created. . . ” God was always there.

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible (Hebrews 11:3).

At the beginning of time HE created the universe out of nothing. (DWH)

Action Point
Try using this strategy and see if it might make it easier for you to witness. We often have a hard time getting up the courage to share Christ. It may be easier to start by exploring the concept of God as Creator and move to Christ as Savior. It isn’t that we are ashamed of Christ; we just usually don’t know how to begin. Start with a simple statement like “Do you believe that God exists?” Perhaps they’ve seen the recent documentary by Ben Stein. That would be a great place to begin, as it may have already been on their mind. Take advantage of this to start a conversation about the Lord!

Thoughts
The Texas surf holds lots of speckled trout during the summer. Eight years ago, my father and I were wading near Matagorda on an outgoing tide when I stepped off a sandbar into a deep hole that held a rip current. I began swimming against the current, but it was too strong. I stayed calm so as not to alert my Dad, who would have certainly come after me and might also have fallen victim to the rip. It was a dicey situation. I was getting tired and knew that I could not fight the power of the water much longer, when a song popped in my head:

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore;
very deeply stained within, seeking to rise no more.
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
from the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Love Lifted Me, James Rowe and Howard E. Smith, 1912.

I quit fighting the water, allowed the current to drift me parallel to the beach, and finally floated out of the riptide. Was it a coincidence that this particular song popped in my head? Certainly not. God was speaking to me, telling me to remain patient. He was in control. (BG)

Action Point
I knew the words to the song from many years of practice–sitting in a pew on Sunday mornings. My parents taught me the importance and priority of worship; now it is my turn as a father and husband to teach my family.