Posts with the category “daily-devotions”

Laura's dad, Jon Davis, will be 89 years old this summer. He still drives his Thunderbird convertible to church. Last night he played his accordion for his great-grandchildren. It was a blessing to see him letting all those little girls push the buttons while he made music. The young and the old- what a beautiful picture of God's grace. Our bodies- these earthly tents where we live- grow and matur...  Read More

As I read the Word of God, I'm always finding something new. Though I've read a passage dozens of times I will open it up and go, "Wow, I never saw that!" Some things the Lord only reveals as we DRAW NEAR to him. Other things are revealed at a time in life when WE NEED them. This is the beauty of a written word that is alive. That's right, I said ALIVE.Hebrews 4:12 says, "The word of God is living...  Read More

Laura and I were newly married, and we went with her parents out Petersville Road (past Talkeetna) in their old, beat up motor home. Grouse season was open, and I brought along my bow and a few arrows with blunt tips. I shot 'instinctively'- which means with no sights. We saw our first grouse, and over the course of the morning a second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. With six shots I had six gr...  Read More

Snow is still coming down. It looks like about 10 inches. I washed my truck 2 days ago because the roads were dry. Alaskans always know when they are in a different state because the cars are clean. Here it's common to not be able to tell the paint color through the grime. But the beauty is there. It's underneath. It's hidden from view, but we KNOW it's there. Many of the marginalized people in ou...  Read More

Six inches of fresh snow at my house. We haven't seen this much in a single storm since the end of October. For months I wanted snow and didn't get it. Now I don't want it, and here it comes. Oh, well. I've already been out shoveling and I know the exercise is good for me. No matter how long it takes, I know that spring will come. Once again we will see green leaves bursting forth, and soon after ...  Read More

I enlisted in the infantry without even knowing what infantry was. The recruiter told me that I would be able to choose a job once I got to basic training. My drill sergeants got a good laugh out of that one. One of them said, "Boy, you done chose." Some choices- even big choices- we make in total ignorance. This is how I was spiritually- ignorant. Because of that, I made many choices that were no...  Read More

Psalm 121:1-2 says, "I lift up my eyes to the mountains- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." In Alaska it is an easy thing to lift up our eyes to the mountains. In much of our state those who do not live ON a mountain live 'at the foot' of a mountain. And these are not the 'friendly mountains' found in some places. Ours are not filled with cof...  Read More

Snow. It's true, I'm disappointed, but it IS only March. For some reason the lack of snow this winter has made me even more ready for Spring. A part of us was made to yearn for the next season- for our most beautiful life- for eternity. It isn't that here and now can't be good- at times it is VERY good. And yet somehow we all know that we were created for something more. We hunger for the PERFECT ...  Read More

For some reason, doing hard things alone is a lot more work than doing them with a good friend. The time seems to pass more swiftly. The tasks seem to be less 'painful.' Our minds can be distracted by good conversation. This is why the word of God says, "Two are better than one." Yesterday I was able to climb a mountain with one of my daughters. Our schedules don't often work out. I enjoy climbing...  Read More

Jesus never married and yet he lived a perfect life. Even so, for the overwhelming number of adults in the world today, being single is a great burden- a source of continuous longing and heartache. You see, except for a tiny number of people (like the Apostle Paul) we were CREATED to be married. God said, "Let us create man in our image, in our likeness." And then God said, "It is not good for the...  Read More

I'm old enough now to look back on a large 'collection' of experiences. I was trying to think if there's been a time in my Christian life when I've ever felt helpless or hopeless. I was by myself  over 40 miles into the mountains with no cell service, laying face down on the tundra with five fractured vertebrae, broken ribs and a crushed foot... but no... I don't remember feeling helpless. I never...  Read More

Yesterday morning on the mountain was even better. The trail up Mount Baldy had more snow and less ice than Bear Mountain. It was 28° and blue skies. Something about the sunshine is good for my soul. As strange as it may seem, I LOVE to climb in the dark, but I love climbing in sunlight even more. Over 100 air miles away, Denali was strikingly clear. Jeremiah 10:12 says, "The Lord made the earth b...  Read More

Yesterday was perfect weather for climbing- 21° and clear. The trail up Bear Mountain was basically sheet ice under a couple inches of snow. Even so, it felt good to be out. Even with crampons I had to step carefully going up and even more carefully coming down. Choosing our steps carefully is one of the great secrets of successful people. When Christ is at the center of everything- when honoring ...  Read More

By the 2nd month our pattern was established- 5 AM climbing Bear Mountain or 5:30 AM climbing Mount Baldy. On a light week we'd climb three times, on a busy week seven. I was getting stronger. My climbing was getting less painful, but I wasn't losing my extra weight. I was actually consuming more calories now that I was working hard in the early morning. I was becoming more disciplined in one area...  Read More

I 'bit the bullet' and purchased mountaineering boots, crampons and other gear. The rigid sole of the mountain boot maximized the effectiveness of the crampons and was a game changer for me. Tom taught me how to 'French step,' and the more vertical chutes- while still a battle- became more 'doable.' The right boots with crampons also made coming down absolutely stable. I had never imagined that I ...  Read More

Tom was so patient. My first climb was VERY slow. I was out of shape and out of wind. To say that he had the gift of encouragement would be an understatement. He was also a great teacher and literally taught me to breathe and how to step on those near vertical slopes. He distracted me with 'mountain climber' conversation, and always wanted to talk about the Lord. When we finally got to the top, we...  Read More

A man I knew but had never spent time with soon became one of my very best friends. It all started when he said to me after church one Sunday, "When you're tired of being fat and lazy, why don't you come climbing with me?" I made excuses why I couldn't climb in winter, but he wouldn't let up. The next morning, he was at my house at 5:30 with an extra set of crampons and we climbed Bear Mountain. W...  Read More

It was the most unbelievable night of fishing I'd ever had. Being in the middle of Alaska's interior in the middle of June, it was light all night and we fished from 11 PM to 6 AM. I went to the same spot on the same date a year later with a different friend, and we didn't hook a single fish. My partner the second year was an exceptional fisherman and had much better gear than me. It didn't matter...  Read More

By the time we quit fishing at 6 a.m., my dad and I had each kept one giant king. The limit was one each, so though we caught many, we were releasing these huge fish to continue on their way to their spawning grounds. Catch... and release. Once again, we have a picture of the Christian life. Jesus tells us to 'fish' for men. But this isn't so that we can gather a huge collection of followers for o...  Read More

After an epic battle, my dad landed a 45 pound king. Over the course of the next hour and a half he landed a second, then he landed a third, then he landed at fourth, set his rod down against the raft, sat down and said, "I'm all done." He was utterly exhausted from fighting those fish. That lasted about 15 minutes. Watching us hook and fight fish was more than he could take. He was 'compelled' to...  Read More

It was around midnight when we pulled our rafts into a gravel bar, hooked up our oki-drifters and began fishing for Kings. It couldn't have been more than a few casts before my dad hollered, "Fish on!" The other three of us reeled in our lines and stepped out of the way so that he could fight this salmon in the strong current. For me, this made all of the time and work worth it. This is exactly wh...  Read More

My dad has always loved to fish, so after picking him up at the airport, we stopped to get him a license and then, drove hundreds of miles with a raft and gear to get to a river. I had two friends meet us there with their own raft. The road did not go next to the river, so we had to portage rafts and gear trip after trip to get to the riverbank. By the time we pushed off into the water, it was 11 ...  Read More

It was a short, perfect stalk, and I soon had my first antelope with a bow. The statistical odds of being able to stalk an antelope with a bow and arrow are remote. I knew how fortunate I was. Sometimes things just work out. I had resigned my teaching position the previous spring and enlisted in the Army, but I had delayed my entry until after hunting season. I wouldn't necessarily say that I LIVE...  Read More

I was hunting in central Montana with my bow and arrow. I had tags for elk, deer and antelope, and was hunting in country that had all three. I was an 'instinctive' shooter. I had never shot a bow that had sights. In those days our arrows were very heavy, so between 30 yards and 40 yards my arrow would drop over a foot. Estimating distance properly was the most critical piece of bow hunting once y...  Read More

God gave me great responsibilities this weekend. He was trusting me with the souls of many unbelievers and with the leading of many others who know him. This is a sacred trust. It's not to be taken lightly. It's not a 'job' or a 'task' or a 'career'- it's life itself. We're talking about the eternity of children created in the image of God.I spoke at the funeral of my good friend, whose sudden dea...  Read More

Since we couldn't fish for money, we decided to drop a subsistence net off the back of the boat where we were tied up in front of the South Naknek cannery. Even though the commercial fishery was shut down, we were still able to fill our freezers with fresh salmon. The Lord will provide. Many years ago a man named Abraham- a man God tells us is the 'father' of our faith- was given a difficult test....  Read More

I was crew-handing on a salmon drift boat in Bristol Bay. Because of a lack of fish making it up the river to spawn, we were shut down. As a crewhand my entire pay was a percentage of our total harvest. I actually earned less money that summer than it cost me to buy gear and fly to Bristol Bay. You see, if you're aren't fishing, you can't catch fish. If you don't catch fish, there's no reward. Jes...  Read More

Our goal was simply getting to the machines. We had our caribou and with the meat divided three ways, each pack was 'comfortable.' Add to that the highly unusual benefit of getting to walk out on a game trail. This was HUGE. Not having to fight 'tundra walking' and brush made this a very easy pack. We didn't even have to look where we were going. All we had to do was STAY ON THE PATH.One of my par...  Read More

Jesus said, "Come to me, you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Jesus never pretended that this life would be easy for us. He never painted a picture of a rosie Christian life that is always trouble-free and happy. But God DID say, "Be joyful always." God DID say, "Pray continually." He DID say, "Give thanks in all circumstances."I had an unbelievably heavy pack- ...  Read More

People sometimes ask me, "Have you ever had a close bear encounter?" I had one climb the tree I was sitting in, and another was panting with his nose pressed against my mosquito screen tent door. I had a huge sow grizzly with two 'football sized' cubs pass about 15 feet from me when I was sitting on the ground. Why do bear stories interest people? Because bears are dangerous. They could kill you.S...  Read More

I won't have an untrained dog. "Come," "Sit," and, "Stay" are non-negotiable. And I don't mean, "Come if you feel like it," or, "Come when you get around to it." When I say, "Come!" I expect to see a dog running for me. This requires time and intentional training. But the payoff is huge. I NEVER have a dog who runs off. I NEVER have to be concerned about hiking with my dogs off-leash. And I NEVER ...  Read More

I had looked at this climb for several years, but was too intimidated to start. It wasn't that I couldn't carry my pack and rifle to the top, it was the thought of packing a moose back. Hunting solo offers its challenges. While I have no idea how many moose I've harvested in my life (and it's a lot), I know exactly how many I've cut up and packed out by myself- seven. Some jobs are so big that you...  Read More

I can't really explain it. It took a lot of preparation and a whole day to get to where I wanted to start hunting. I was deep in the mountains in a place I've gone for years. I was uneasy as I set up my tent. This was strange for me as I am accustomed to being in the wilderness by myself. A little over an hour before dark, a sense of foreboding almost overwhelmed me. For some reason I knew that I ...  Read More

When I tell you that I like climbing mountains, what exactly am I saying? It's a battle both mentally and physically. In the dry heat and sunshine of our southern mountain states, I love every part of it. Climbing on packed trails in the sunshine with no bugs- I can spend days- even weeks- pushing my body to the limit. Now let's talk about Alaska. Sunny summer days on good trails are few and far b...  Read More

When it comes to success, many people want to BE where few people are willing to GO. Vision, focus, hard work, sacrifice and endurance are all essential ingredients. Some have learned the satisfaction of pouring years into a difficult project and reaping the rewards. Others tend to quit when things get hard. To always choose the path of least resistance is a recipe for disappointment. Many battles...  Read More

It was a short pack in, a little over an hour. We were carrying packrafts to float a short stretch of the Eagle River. Though it was May, we were still walking on patches of snow and ice. When we reached our launch point, we inflated our rafts and slid off an ice shelf into the river. And just like that- in a moment in time- everything got peaceful. The sound of flowing water is soothing. Somethin...  Read More

My dad was not accustomed to packing meat, so I gave him a big front shoulder and those giant antlers to pack. I had 2 hind quarters, a front, the backstrap and all of the boned out meat in mine. I'd done this many times, but I was pleased that my dad had the 'full' Alaska experience of packing meat a long distance. He left those antlers with me in Alaska, and years later a friend of mine offered ...  Read More

After climbing the wrong mountain, my dad and I were only 20 feet from cresting the flat top of mountain number 2. We knew that there were several cow caribou and that they would be in easy shooting range. Just as we were cresting, a cow caribou spotted us and the small herd took off running. At the same time, I noticed enormous tines from a bull's antlers. He was laying down, so I couldn't even s...  Read More

We had a decision to make. This was the last day of our hunt and we were standing on top of a mountain... the wrong mountain. We could see the caribou, but they were still one 'small' mountain away. There was a high valley between us, which meant we would only lose about half of our elevation. We decided to go for it. We made a quick hike down into the valley and began to climb again. We knew that...  Read More

Other than a few grayling, this hunting trip had been a bust. It was my dad's one and only hunting trip to Alaska, and I was trying to get him a caribou. On day four, we finally spotted a few cows on the very top of a distant mountain. 30 years ago my dad was used to hunting hard all day, but he wasn't used to climbing in tundra. I was very surprised when he said, "Let's go try to get one."It was ...  Read More