Posts with the category “daily-devotions”

My sheep hunting partner, Dan, is a lot tougher than I am. I tend to try to sit out the rain, waiting for it to clear. He gets up and goes. Of course, I follow- because as a man, I must. I can't stand the thought of someone enduring hardship that I'm not willing to endure. It was day two. We'd carried a 'spike camp' off in the direction where we'd seen rams run and disappear the day before. The gi...  Read More

It was by far the biggest dall sheep I had ever seen. The massive horns were the result of both age and genetics. We had spotted a band of rams on the top of a 'pinnacle' mountain several miles away and were simply making our way towards them. This ram surprised us. Suddenly it was right there- just above us- easy rifle range. We were thinking of flipping a coin to see which of us would be the luc...  Read More

Heavy frost and stars shining brilliantly against a black sky. The Big Dipper is directly overhead and looks almost close enough to touch. In less than 2 hours we'll have a beautiful sunrise. Jesus once criticized people saying that they could read the signs in the sky and know the coming weather, but couldn't read the spiritual signs that were all around them. It's true. While America's depravity...  Read More

As I did the calculations in my mind, I thought I could drop those 20 trees in about an hour. This was good because that was all the time I had. I was wrong. The hillside was steep, lumpy, and had high brush and devil's club. Near the valley floor, the ground had little pockets of water that didn't even seem to have a bottom. At times I couldn't even stand up on the side of the tree where I needed...  Read More

From the top of the steep ridge, I identified about 20 large trees that needed to come down. But I also stood gazing from side to side as I considered the ORDER in which they needed to come down. You see, other trees would block many of them from falling in the direction that I needed them to fall. Those 'blocking' trees needed to go down first. Also, the trees farthest from me needed to go down f...  Read More

Let me ask- how hard are you willing to WORK for what you WANT? The answer really rests upon how badly you want something. I once packed out a whole dall sheep and my camp nearly 9 miles. I was motivated. Because I REALLY WANTED to get a sheep, I was willing to sacrifice- to suffer- do a tremendous amount of work. But to want something in theory (daydreaming) and to want something in reality (purs...  Read More

I had one of those rare moments last week. We were in between rain storms so I went Into the woods behind my house and sat down on a little knoll for more than an hour. What was rare? You have to live in Alaska to understand this, but it was PEACEFUL because I wasn't swarmed by mosquitoes or no-see-ums (biting gnats). Don't get me wrong. I have enjoyed the wilderness thousands of times when they w...  Read More

A lot of people 'wish'  they were more patient. If we translated their thinking into a prayer, it might look like- "Lord, give me patience, and I want it RIGHT NOW!" When you pray for patience, God does not miraculously bestow it upon you. No, he gives you opportunities to BE patient. While taking a deep breath or counting to 10 may allow you to better control your impatience, it does nothing to c...  Read More

The grass is mowed for the final time and mowers are stored for the winter. Getting the snow plow mounted and ready to go. Still need to split and haul a lot of firewood. It's that time of year in Alaska. There's lots of snow in the high country, and we don't know if we have days or weeks before it settles here. But we KNOW it's coming. We PREPARE for those things that we KNOW are coming. Athletes...  Read More

Why are many of those without Christ so angry? They are simply channeling feelings of frustration. It's part of our fallen human nature. Think about it. How does an infant or toddler respond to frustration? They get angry. But let's go deeper. Why are they so frustrated? At the root of this, certainly for those under the age of 40, is the problem of not understanding or embracing their God-given i...  Read More

The bear was too big to drag. I was by myself... in the rain... I looked at my watch... Bible study night... I didn't have time to skin it and pack it out. I passed. Priorities change. As a young Christian. I was so committed to hunting that I refused to serve on Sundays at church. I still love to hunt, but I hate missing church. I love to worship. I love the preaching of the Word, and I love the ...  Read More

By keeping our destination in sight, we made it safely across the glacier. We achieved our goal but found ourselves utterly disappointed. It wasn't what we expected. We were on the wrong side of a raging torrent of water. After all of that misery and hard work, we expected things to be easy. We were hopeful that things would be perfect. At the very least, we expected things to be a lot better. Thi...  Read More

A friend and I once spent hours on the ice- in the rain- crossing Kennicott Glacier. We had no crampons, ice axes, or ropes. We had no maps or aerial photos. We were picking our route 'as we were going' with no idea what lay before us. Only one thing kept us motivated and on track- we could see our destination. So many of life's wrong turns- bad decisions- stresses, fears, and anxieties- could be ...  Read More

I've always had an excellent internal compass. I was helping my dad look for a big whitetail buck he'd shot with an arrow. He shot it right before dark and didn't have a flashlight. By the time he made it out to the road, drove to a phone, called us and we made it down with lights, a couple of hours had gone by. He was scouting out a new river bottom and had climbed a tree when he shot the deer, s...  Read More

Jesus, in words to his followers, said in Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth." That's you. That's me. Salt. Salt influences everything where it's spread. Whether you use it on a steak, french fries, or put it in a glass of water- salt changes things. Salt preserves things and adds flavor, but it is also critical for life. The average adult has more than a 1/2 pound of salt in his or her ...  Read More

Another moose hunting season has passed me by without seeing a single legal bull. But we did have the chance to help another hunter and invite him to church. He lives in Anchorage so I told him that we had just started a new church there. He asked the name and where it was. I said, "It's called 'The Crossing' and it's in South Anchorage in Sand Lake." He replied, "I was just at that church last Su...  Read More

Time passes swiftly. I know this will sound strange to you young people, but high school honestly doesn't seem that long ago. I don't want to go back to those days. In all of eternity, we only get to 'age' once. Embrace it. This is the experience of a lifetime. Ask God to grow you and teach you and show you everything that He desires for you to learn in this brief moment of your eternal history.  ...  Read More

In the old days, rafts were not self-bailing. An essential piece of gear for whitewater was 'scoops' (generally, coffee cans, buckets or a milk jug with the bottom cut out). A group of friends invited me to 'paddle raft' Lion's Head- a stretch of serious rapids on the upper Matanuska River. My job was 'bailer.' That seemed like a waste of time to me. I thought perhaps I should have an oar and simp...  Read More

Cold outside- snow on the mountains- yellow leaves falling like rain. Everything in Alaska is getting ready for winter. People are cutting and splitting wood while the bears pack on their last pounds along the salmon streams and the berry covered mountains. In life there are often 'seasons of preparation.' It may be studying or training for a career, it may be getting a house ready for a new baby,...  Read More

I detest hunting from a treestand. I still do it- willingly- when I have the opportunity, it's just hard for me to sit patiently for hours hoping that something will walk by. I'm a wanderer at heart. I love the experience of silently hiking up and down hills and through valleys- always listening- always looking. Yet even though I prefer walking, I have seen a great deal more wildlife and been far ...  Read More

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Any man can endure suffering. If you want to test a man's character, give him power." We endure suffering because we don't have a choice in the matter. The only question becomes, "HOW will you endure?" Yesterday Erica Kirk gave every man, woman and child a beautiful picture of what it is for a follower of Christ to endure suffering. In the midst of a desperately broken ...  Read More

While he is most commonly referred to by the secular world as a 'political activist,' Charlie Kirk was first and foremost an ambassador for Christ. His goal was never simply to change politics, his goal was to use truth and reason to counter all of the lies that Satan has breathed into our culture. Ultimately Charlie wanted to see transformed hearts and lives that would then transform our nation a...  Read More

I don't know where the saying comes from, but we've all had times in life when we've had to 'hit the ground running.' Whether it's a crisis or simply unexpected work, some of life's interruptions are both urgent AND important. But everything urgent crossing your path is not necessarily important. It's not high on your priority list. Often these come from other people who are having their own perso...  Read More

"Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength." It is not an unlimited supply of strength that we receive, but rather strength for the day- strength for the morning- strength for the moment. The result of God's strength is made clear: "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength." Here's the promise: every single thing that God desires for you to do, He will give you the streng...  Read More

Some things in life are utterly beyond our control. You've worked hard, done everything that you know to do. You've been striving and figuring and worrying and giving everything you have... but the problem remains. Perhaps it's time to wait. When we counsel one another to 'trust in God,' it's not a religious platitude, it's an act of faith. God himself tells us in Psalm 46:10- "Be still, and know ...  Read More

5 AM, partly cloudy, dark... but off in the distance two lights are shining- not in the sky, from the earth. You could go 100 miles in that direction without hitting a road. I see the light, but I'm in the dark and I don't understand it. This is how much of the world 'sees' Christians and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, "In Him was life, and that life was the light o...  Read More

Cold last night. Condensation is frozen like raindrops on my tent. The horizon in one direction shows signs of blue sky while the other direction looks ominous with black clouds. The trail coming in brought back memories. It seems like only yesterday (but it was more than a decade ago) that I struggled out with 5 fractured vertebrae, a crushed foot and broken ribs. I was all alone, 44 miles into t...  Read More

Proverbs 9:10- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 1:7- The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.Knowledge requires understanding.To 'know what to do with what you know' requires wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of both. What is the root problem of the criminally corrupt leadership of one political party and the criminally corrupt judges who make their ...  Read More

I've had a chill in my bones recently. This is largely due to the fact that I have refused to break out any of my warm clothing. Add to this that I was working outdoors in continuous rain for several days. I go through this every year in September. Believe me, I am properly equipped when it comes to warm gear. But what good does 'being equipped' do me if I refuse to use what I have? This is the st...  Read More

I had a strange feeling this morning. For some reason when I looked outside I thought I was seeing a blanket of snow. I was relieved when I turned on the outside light. Two of my friends got snowed on last week out hunting- that must be it. Maybe it's the chill in my bones from working out in the rain the past four days. Whatever it is, I'm ready for some blue sky, crisp fall days. Life marches on...  Read More

Dazzling intellect.Near photographic recall.Almost intuitive understanding of the complexities of modern culture and the solutions needed to move forward.Charlie Kirk was first and foremost an ambassador for Christ in this generation. He was a loving husband and father and a lover of this nation.His murder was undoubtedly inspired by the hateful rhetoric of the party of slavery, the party of the K...  Read More

Rained all day yesterday and harder all night- still raining. This makes excavator work tricky for an amateur. Clay soil quickly turns to mud, and I was stuck twice yesterday. I have a great deal that I want to get done today, but at this point in my walk with Jesus I've learned not to stress over unwanted delays. True, my patience is still tested at times when I'm driving, but I most often recogn...  Read More

Proverbs 3:5-6 (AMP) "In all your ways know, acknowledge and recognize him and he will make your paths straight and smooth, removing obstacles that block your way." I took a giant step up from a chainsaw (which is still needed) to an excavator. I'm trying to remove obstacles. I'm trying to make paths at my cabin. Those who love the outdoors understand the pleasure of discovering a good path or tra...  Read More

And so I finally learned. My 'empty' pack when hunting in the wilderness includes warm gear, rain gear, spotting scope, tripod, binoculars, rifle, ammo, knives. game bags, food, water, fire starters, phone and more. If I am packing for overnight, then add a tent, sleeping bag, cook stove, fuel, sleeping pad, extra clothes, head lamps, first aid kit, and more food. Carrying all of that weight is a ...  Read More

After the disaster with my plastic rain gear, I agreed with Laura to begin purchasing quality gear. We were on a tight budget, so one year was rain gear, the next year was a tent and the third year was a sleeping bag. My first 'geared up' trip out, the weather was beautiful and sunny. I exited my warm sleeping bag and waterproof tent, stretched my legs, packed light, and began my climb. Since this...  Read More

With my thin, plastic rain gear shredded and gone, I continued to climb up above treeline in my white cotton jeans and T-shirt. As I gained elevation, the temperature dropped quickly and it was blowing hard and raining sideways. I began to shiver and my teeth were chattering even through the heavy exertion of the climb. These were warning signs. Hypothermia was setting in. Both strong and fit, phy...  Read More

I was new to sheep hunting and new to wilderness hunting in general. My tent cost $20 and my sleeping bag cost less than that. My 'rain gear' was thin plastic jacket and pants that came in a tiny ziploc bag and cost a $1.99. I tell you this because I spent a night in the black spruce at the foot of a mountain in the pouring rain. My tent was not waterproof and I could have 'bailed' the water off o...  Read More

What, ultimately, is needed to live a successful life? The most common answer is, "Money," but in truth, it's the power and freedom that money brings into a life that people desire.  And yet the rich and powerful among us are amongst the least happy and most dysfunctional portion of our society. Money and power bring pride and the illusion of 'independence.' This is the very opposite of what is ne...  Read More

"This is love- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." -1 John 4:10 God initiated our relationship. He loved FIRST. More than that, he loved us when we were living a rebellious life. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."Love is not passive, it initiates. Love is ACTIVE, and is proved by its ACTIONS. Jesus told us that if we w...  Read More

"This is love- not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." -1 John 4:10God initiated our relationship. He loved FIRST. More than that, he loved us when we were living a rebellious life. "While we're still sinners, Christ died for us." Love is not passive, it initiates. Love is ACTIVE, and is proved by its ACTIONS. Jesus told us that if we wil...  Read More