Little Faith

How many of you have ever gone fishing or hunting and thought to yourself... "I bet I ain't gonna catch a darn thing..." or "I bet I don't see one deer!" Not too many? That's what I thought. Every time I rise hours before the sun, I went to bed believing that the next day I was going to sit in that tree stand and observe a 160 score Boone & Crockett buck cross right under me. Not a single time have I approached a lake or pond and thought... "There ain't no fish here."

Faith. That is why the fact that I did not see one single deer last season, is not going to keep me from quiet, cold woods this season. It is also why I continue to fish the same ponds I have always fished, although they usually only yield small bass. I know in my heart that "faith without works is dead." (James 2:20) So I continue to pursue. As long as I am able, I will put in the time to hunt and fish, in hopes that the payoff is coming; but if it never does, that's fine with me. When I am in the Great Outdoors, I find myself thanking God for his creation and for the opportunity to be in it. Its not about the kill or the hunt, or even the trophy buck; it is about being in a quiet place with The Creator, and waiting to see what he sends your way.

When I go out I have faith that I am going to kill or catch something. Almost like the faith a child has that on the morning of December 25th, they will have a present waiting for them. Little Faith. This is all God asks of us. "He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Mathew 17:20)
Little Faith. It's all we need.

Man On Fire

With much respect to the Denzel Washington blockbuster, that's not what we are talking about today. Last Friday I went out to mow the back yard and burn some brush that I had cut down a couple of weeks earlier. The rain had been relentless for two days so I knew there wouldn't be any burn bans; I also knew the brush would difficult to light. I used dryer lint (great for fire starting), and gasoline with my first attempt to ignite a blaze. As expected the gasoline quickly burned leaving the brush pile in tact. I proceeded to cut the grass hoping the heat of the day would dry the debris out a little more.

As I finished the yard, I noticed the embers left behind from the first attempt were no longer smoking. I put away the lawn mower; then picked up my gas can as I approached the charred, yet un-burned brush. I was certain that with a little extra boost from the gasoline, the pile would catch fire and burn as intended. I began to pour the gas; then the unmistakable sound of igniting fuel filled my ears. I was suddenly surrounded with flames. Consciously I try to protect the near full gas container in my hand, what is most likely a few seconds seems like eternity as I struggle to get out of the flames. Finally, I dropped the can and ran toward the house. Almost instantly the shock of what just happened begins to set in; my hands are shaking, I am breathing hard, and my chest feels like it has touched the sun. Fortunately I received only a few minor burns on my face and chest.

You see, I had no idea that deep down, there was still a red hot ember waiting to ignite. I didn't know, but God knew. God also knows that we sometimes fall away from him and as a result our flame is diminished, but not out. Certainly there are times when our hot coal may need fuel to re-kindle itself, but Jesus is in control of how much. Under no circumstances do we have the authority to pour gas on God's fire. I tried to spark a flame that in truth, was already burning; and as a result, I got burned. This is what I perceived from the incident and it is my prayer that you will always check the brush pile first, to see The Lords plan; I know I will.

Steel Addiction

Does anyone else love knives? I seriously have an addiction to carbon steel! As far back as I can remember, I have always loved knives, well pretty much anything that had a blade of any
kind. I don't know what it is but I am drawn to them. I have about 12 knives, some pocket knives, some hunting knives. My last purchase was a Frost Cutlery hunting knife that I got at the T&W Flea Market for seven dollars and fifty cents...You read right $7.50!!! A steal in the minds of most; Veronica (my wife) says "You have too many knives already." 'Too many knives!?! That's not possible. So after counting my knives I told her I would not purchase another knife for 1 year.

As fate would have it, I have seen many knives since then that I just can't live without. I saw a Browning in Academy Sports that was blaze orange/camo how cool is that!?! Just this evening I was in wal-mart and saw a matching set of LIMITED EDITION Winchester pocket knives for $7.00....and they come in a nice tin. Seven dollars for two knives people!!! But being the man of character that I am, I walked away. God had to pry it out of my hand, but I walked away. I can't wait for these next 9 months to pass so I can go buy a new knife. Of course blades of many kinds are mentioned in The Bible but I'm not throwing any verses at you today. The next time you're out and about, pick yourself up a knife...you never know when you might need one!

The Wait

It's that time of year. It's hot, humid, and stormy. That can mean only one thing; Hunting Season and College Football are on the horizon. The Wait most certainly begins the hour that hunting season ends, but this time of year seems to be the longest part. The gridiron boys will be back in full swing by mid-september and Archery Season will be at full draw just one month later here in Florida. I can see it now...the leaves reflecting the brightest colors God allows, before they fall to leave the trees as bare as the day they were created. The smell of morning dew on the tree that your stand is on, facing southeast, the sunlight on your face at 5:45 am. Man what a great feeling.

Our Creator gave our distant relative Adam rule over "the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the cattle, and all creeping things." (Genesis 1:26) Years later God gives Noah authority over all animals, that two of every kind (male and female) would be spared from the flood. (Genesis 6-9) I love the fact that The Lord found animals important enough to mention. So with that said, We wait. As the fishing season nears its close and we prepare our rifles for the next season, we wait. And when the time comes, there will have never been a more beautiful sight.