Kansas deer, laffy taffy and sleep deprivation!

Kansas deer, laffy taffy and sleep deprivation!

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Record Book ?

Today was a good day...No, today was a great day! Today, I hunted with my soul brother Alan Davis(pictured above with me) on his farm in Kansas - and harvested a monster Kansas buck. The events surrounding this momentus kill are much to detailed to describe here (but, you will surely get tired of me telling them when I get home!).

Every whitetail hunter dreams of killing a deer big enough to get his name in the record book. Today, that dream became a reality for me. I havn't got the deer scored yet but am confident that it surpasses the 125 inches to make the Pope and Young record book. God is so good!


I was thinking today as we talked about the deer making the record book, that God has a record book too. His book is called the Book of Life. His book contains the names of every person who has accepted his gift to us, of His son Jesus. Those whose names are in that book will spend eternity in heaven. Having your name in that book is more important than any record book! It is our prayer that your name is there - in God's book ... Revelations 20:15.

Live From Kansas

Podcasting Live From Kansas.

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Children of the Corn

I once heard about a woman driving down the highway and saw a dog hanging off the back of a truck that passed headed in the opposite direction. The dog appeared to be hanging on to the truck with his paws for dear life. She quickly turned around in an apptempt to catch up to the truck and to get the driver of the truck to stop. When she finally caught up to the truck she was amazed to find the dog still standing on the rear bumper and holding the tailgate of the truck. However, the dog was not just a dog, it was a coyote. And it wasn't alive - it was a coyote that had been mounted by a taxidermist and placed in that position on the truck as an advertisement for his taxidermy business. Now that's creative!

In the business world you've got to be creative to survive. If you don't believe it just watch the commercials on TV. Companies come up with some really neat ways to make contact with people and get them to buy their product. I got to thinking about that and realized that the same is true for those who wish to win people to Christ. In order to make contacts with people and to reach people with the Gospel - we too must be creative. Face it - there's a lot of people out there that are committed to not coming to church. How is it then that we make contact with them. How do we even get a chance to meet them and get opportunities to build relationships and try to sell them on the product that we know is the best ever - Jesus... We've got to be creative.

This past weekend the Heart of a Sportsman fellas got creative. Sometimes being creative means just looking at the obvious. We got to thinking about deer hunters and started asking what is it that deer hunters love. What do they buy? Here in NC, deer hunters by tons of corn to bait their hunting spots with. So, if deer hunters can use corn to attract deer, why can't we use corn to attract the deer hunters? So we decided to have a corn sale. We worked with a local farmer and sold corn for a day at a special price and man did they show up. These folks, we affectionatley call the "children of the corn " came from everywhere. In five short hours we sold 37,500 pounds of corn! That's over 18 tons! Our guys loaded up truck beds, trailers and the back seat of cars all the while talking hunting and life and building relationships with people. We made contacts with over 60 people who we didn't know - who we'd probably have never known if it hadn't been for the deer corn. It was a lot of hard work and all our backs are sore today, but we'll definately be doing it again, 'cause we want the children of the corn to be children of the King!

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." - John 1:12

A chip off the old Brock!

I've always said the our buddy Shane Brock can catch a fish in a mud puddle. He just has the nack for setting the hook and haulin' in fish when no one else can. Well watch out, it seems that his daughter, 5 year old Sarah Beth got the "fishing gene" from her old man. On a recent trip to the North Carolina coast, she caught her first Spanish Mackeral and was grinnin' from ear to ear. Dad sure was proud too!

Proverbs 22:6 - Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Big Ole Doe

A man who just shot a deer is asked, "what did you get?" The man who shot the deer harvested a female of the species. No man in history has ever responded by saying, "I got a doe." No, the universal answer to that question is always, "I got a big doe." It's like they don't come in any other size, except BIG! That's the case for our fellow "blood letter" Roy Brooks who has laid the hammer down on a couple "big does" this year already. One might think that we poke fun at Roy each week at his response when we ask if he got one, but no, we are actually envious because we have yet to pass one of our broadheads through the vitals of our own BIG OLE DOE. Great job Roy.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26

The Elk Example!

What an awesome moment caught on tape. That hunter must have felt the bull elk breathing down his neck (literally). There's a great spiritual lesson that can be taken from this "close encounter" footage. If you notice, once the elk realized he was in a bad situation, he tucked tail and ran. He's lucky that the hunter didn't have a chance to stick an arrow through his vitals. We should follow the example of that bull elk when tempted. I could compile a long, long list of things that satan uses to temp men in general. You know what tempts you. If you hang around it long enough, the evil hunter, Satan, who hates you and wants to destroy your life might just be pursuasive enough to make you give him a shot at your vitals.

II Timothy 2:22 (the elk example) tells us to "flee" from sin. We men don't normally like to run from things, but we should make a tactical retreat like the elk to avoid satan's attempts to ruin us. Remember that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to take and He gives us a way out when tempted by the evil one(I Corinthians 10:13.

Combating temptation with prayer, with Scripture and a good tactical retreat will surely bring eternal results.

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation..." James 1:12

Whacking and Stacking 101

The September goose season is in full swing here in NC. HOS brotha's Jonathan Seamon and Joe Finney have excersised thier trigger finegers on more than one occasion while Whacking and Stacking some "honkers." Early mornings,some good calling, and great shooting have paid off as these pics profess. However probably what plays the biggest part in their success is their hard work. These guys burn the roads up during the preseason scouting and finding out what the birds are doing and where they are at. They stop and talk to people and burn the phone lines up getting permission to hunt these places. Then, they go the extra mile to make sure that things are done right on the day of the hunt. These fellas don't just talk about it they work hard to make it possible. You won't find anyone who works harder to make it happen. Jonathan and Joe are staffers for Lodge Creek Calls - check out their wicked Lodge Creek trailer.

"All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."
Proverbs 14:23

Bret Farve, Picnic Shelters and Jesus...

“It is finally finished!” Those were the words uttered this past Tuesday night as we attached the last piece of metal on the project we were working on. Note the exclamation point at the end of the first sentence. It’s not a “my Lord I’m glad the agony is over” type statement...it’s more like a victorious “Wow, we have accomplished the task set before us.” The Heart of a Sportsman summer mission project this year was to construct a shelter at the Iredell County Fairgrounds. The shelter will be used during the South Yadkin Baptist Association’s ongoing fair ministry, where the workers at the Iredell County Fair will be ministered to by folks from local churches in our association (see previous blog: “From Start to Finish” for pics of the project)
I couldn’t help but say those words (it is finished) when we were packing up the tools. This shelter had been a long time in the making. This project, a brainchild of Sandra Harrison, had been a series of ups and downs for the past several years. Things like: Permission from the county to build the shelter at the site, money, and time. Not to mention Inspectors and building plans. Plans that had to be drawn by highly trained professionals, I might mention. High-tech, highly engineered plans that ended up being much like the ones for a skyscraper in New York City. After looking at the plans, this shelter obviously must have been designed to sustain the strongest hurricane, tornado, flood, and even an earthquake. However, in God’s time He brought it all together...and it was finally finished!
While hanging out with the fellas and eating a hamburger after we were done, one of the guys mentioned that Bret Frarve had just announced that he was coming back...again. If you follow NFL football, you know he retired from the Packers and said his career was finished. Then, he came back to play for the Jets. Again, he said he was finished. But he couldn’t stand it and he is now back in the NFL as the quarterback with the Vikings. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bret Farve and I’m glad he’s back. I just thought he was finished.
Some of the last words that Jesus spoke on the cross were, “It is finished!” It was not a “oh shucks it’s over” statement, but much like us finishing the shelter, it was a victory cry for mission accomplished! In fact the Greek word used here means it is “accomplished.” Jesus had accomplished what He had set out to do. Jesus had completed all that was required by the Father for our salvation. Everything that was needed to atone for our sin, a perfect life of righteousness to present as an atoning sacrifice had been completed. Nothing more was or is needed. No other sacrifice is required. There is absolutely nothing you and I can add to the sacrifice of Christ. There is absolutely nothing you and I can contribute to his sacrifice – Jesus has done it all that is why he said ‘it is finished.’ It’s not a Bret Farve “I am finished” – but a guarantee! In fact you can bet your life on it! All you have to do is decide whether or not to accept His sacrifice. When Jesus said it’s finished, he meant it. However, if you really think about it, Jesus is like Bret Farve in one way for sure; He’s coming back! Coming back for those who are His.
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3

From Start to Finish

2009 Heart of a Sportsman Mission Project
Iredell County Fairgrounds - Shelter Project

Men of the Outdoors - Stanleyville First Baptist

Our buddies up in Forsyth County - Stanleyville Men of the Outdoors (MOTO) - from Stanleyville First Baptist have a blog! I had the opportunity to hang out with these fellas tonight at their weekly meeting. As always I had a blast with these guys. These fellas are a bunch of good ole down home boys who love the outdoors,who love God and love sharing their passion for both.

I'm excited to see what God is doing through this group of men. Keep up with MOTO on their blog - www.menoftheoutdoors.blogspot.com

The 70

Top Picture: Cornerstone Baptist - "Heart of a Sportsman"

Middle Picture: Stanleyville Baptist - "Stanleyville Men of the Outdoors"

Bottom Pictures: Colonial Baptist - "Colonial Outdoors"

You can crack on a man’s pick-up truck, make fun of his coon dog, you might even get by with tellin’ a fella that his mama is looks funny....but don’t ever tell a man that you can catch more catfish than he can. If you do, you’d bess be ready to back it up!
Well, the “Heart of a Sportsman” men at Cornerstone Baptist in Cleveland, NC decided to have a little catfish tournament and sent out a “friendly challenge” (see June 26, 2009 blog post) to the guys at Colonial Baptist Church in Cary, NC and Stanleyville Baptist near Winston-Salem. That’s when and where we found out that you cross the line with an outdoorsman when tellin’ a guy you plan to catch more fish than he does. After all, a man does have his limits and can only take so much! We might have embellished a little on the video challenge we sent the guys, and we might have been a little over dramatic on the consequences of the outcome – BUT it did bring the guys out of the woodwork. I don’t know if it’s true, but I heard that guys cancelled vacations, fixed boats that hadn’t worked in 15 years and practiced for weeks leading up to the event. Whatever the case, on Friday July 24, 2009, 70 men from three churches came together for a great evening of fun, fellowship and fishing.
You might not have caught what I just said so I’ll say it again. 70 men!!! 70 of the baddest, toughest, roughest looking (we like to think of it as ruggedly handsome) country boys from NC that you have ever seen. Hard working men. Regular guys from regular jobs across the state who happen to enjoy their role of highest rung on the food chain by harvesting critters and using them for nourishment.
Impressed by the large number of men at the event, I heard one guy say before we started and after seeing all the boats beached along the shoreline at the tournament that “the night was already a success even if we didn’t wet the first hook.” Another fella said, “it’s awesome to see this many guys who don’t even know each other come together for a night of fellowship.” One church leader said, “Just think, one year ago our guys didn’t even know each other and now we’ve got over 20 dudes together for this event.” That’s what it’s all about. We came together to not only fish but to glorify the one who created the fish, and the lake and the land around the lake: the Almighty God.
Seeing all these men come together made me think of those guys that Jesus used. They were regular men. Many were tough, rugged men - Men who liked to fish – just like these guys. He chose 12 regular men just like this to change the world. Imagine what He can do with 70! It is my prayer that we fish for men as hard as we fish for fish!
God is good all the time...and all the time God is good!



Special congratulations to Brian Cain of Stanleyville Baptist go for the biggest fish of the night (28 pound flat head catfish) and Eddie Ritchie of Cornerstone for the smallest fish (unable to register a weight on the scales). Oh yes, Cornerstone did get lucky and won the Ironman trophy with 98 pounds of cats on the night – but the real trophy was hanging out with 70 cool dudes. Thanks for all the fun...we look forward to doing it again!

That's a Big Check!

A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to meet some really cool folks. Residing in the hills of northwest NC, they call themselves the Tri-County Ridge Runners, and are a chapter of the NWTF. These guys and gals where my kind of folks...they love youngans, they love hunting (especially shooting tukeys in the head), t
hey genuinly care about others (and teaching them to shoot turkeys in the head), and best of all they love Jesus. In fact this particular chapter, drawing hunters from Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin Counties, was formed with the particular interest in mind of promoting Christian ethics.

The Tri-County Ridge Runners have joined the effort to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through a creative evangelistic DVD, that revolves around what else...but turkey hunting. It's a perfect fit for these folks. The DVD is called "Lord of the Spring" and will debut at the 2010 NWTF Convention in Nashville, TN.

On the night that these folks let me hang out with them they presented the "Lord of the Spring Project" with a check for $1,000 to be used to purchase DVD's to be given away at the convention. Special thanks to Keith Hutchison and Lee Freeman (pictured above)for casting the vision and for the rest of the chapter for the support, not only in conservation of our wonderful natural resources and passing on our sporting heritage, but most of all caring about where people spend eternity! These guys work together and get things done...May God Bless their efforts!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

NEW Lodge Creek Logo

There are a lot of catchy slogans in the outdoor industry. "Speak the Language" by Primos, "Catch us if you can" by Matthews, and "Bad to the Bone" by Muzzy Broadheads. But one of the coolest on the market is "When we call, Nature Answers" by our buddies at Lodge Creek Calls. Mark McDowell and his pro- staffers have put out a new cutting edge logo for thier products. We thought we'd give you a peak at what it looked like even before they get it on their website. Check out their entire line of products at www.lodgecreekcalls.com. Their calls sound WICKED!!!

Catfish Ironman

It's gonna be an event of olympic proportions. The event I'm referring to is the "Catfish Ironman Challenge." Let's just face it, we men are competetive. It's one thing to tell a man that your truck is better than his or that your mama's Walker coon dog that has only three legs could tree more coons than his blue tick hound ...but tell a man that you can catch more catfish than he can; we them there's fightin' words as we found out recently.

Well, we may have added a little fuel to the fire by making a video cahllenging some guys to a "friendly" fishing competetion. Basically we wanted to hang out with some guys who are making a difference in their communities by doing outdoor ministry across NC. The guys we are referring to are Stanlyville Baptist Church near Winston-Salem and Colonial Baptist Church near Cary, NC. We figured that the way to make it happen was to issue a challenge, tell them that we would commence to "monkey stomp" their hind-ends and then rub their noses in it. Well, it worked...men have taken boats that havn't seen the water in years to be fixed, guys have already been scouting the lakes, and vacations have been cancelled: just to be sure that they prove us wrong.

July 24th is sure to be a great night...especially great for some!

Of Quivers and Arrows

I was cleaning out my garage yesterday and I came across an old quiver. Those of you who are fond of the stick and string method of “blood letting” on deer know what I’m talking about. The quiver just didn’t look right, so I found a handful of carbon arrows and stuck them in it. I think it made the quiver smile! Well, actually it made me smile because it got me to thinking about archery season. I know that it’s a good ways away, but I have extra reason to smile this year. My smile is a little more toothy than usual because one of my best friends invited me to archery hunt with him in Kansas this fall if I get drawn (In the name of Jesus, Lord please let me draw a tag this year... ) Sorry, I have to pray every time I even think about it!
As I looked at the quiver, I remembered the verse where the Psalmist wrote, “blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” The “them” that the Psalmist is referring to is children. In the verses preceding this one, the Bible calls children a “heritage from the Lord” and likened them to arrows. Many might read Psalm 127 and take from it that the man who has lots of youngans is a blessed man. Well, blessed he may be, but to someone reading this verse years ago it was viewed in a much different light.
We must remember that the Psalmist, Solomon, is talking here about how we spend our time. He is quick to tell us that unless the Lord is in it, the time we spend is in vain. People of that day had all made arrows at one time or another. They understood the lengthy process by which it took to complete the making of arrows. The arrow maker would have to travel many miles to find the right wood to make the arrow, split the wood to make the shafts, and sand the wood to shape the arrow. Next the maker would straighten the arrows, add a nock, and add a point using sinew from an animal that had already been killed. Finally, the archer would attach bird feathers for fletching. The process from beginning to end took a great amount of time. But, taking the time was a must if the maker wanted the arrow to be effective. Solomon is comparing the arrow making to spending time with kids – and blessed is the man who puts time in with the kids that God has brought into his life (whether they are yours or not).
Imagine if the arrow maker decided to skip any part of the process to make an arrow. The end result would be that the arrow would not fly in the direction you shot it – ultimately missing its mark. That’s putting it in terms that any bow hunter can understand. Take time with your arrows to ensure that they fly straight. Not just those inscribed with Easton getting ready for the upcoming season, but those called Johnny and Billy, Susie and Sarah, or whatever the names of the ones in your life’s quiver. These are the most important arrows – taking time with them get’s them ready for the seasons of life.
Recently a buddy of mine named Lonnie took his son to a local archery tournament. His son, 8 year old Gabe Hinceman (pictured above) hit the mark with his arrows and took home first place in the Pee Wee Division. Lonnie is a proud daddy to say the least. Lonnie is not just proud because Gabe won the tournament, but because he loves his kids. After all, he’s in the arrow making business – and you are too!

Happy Father’s Day to all you arrow makers – May all your arrows fly straight - God Bless!

Fish Tales...

I'm usually a little depressed this time of year. Putting the shotgun in the gun cabinet until next season just does that to me. It's seems like such a long time till we can get the fire power out again in search of furred or feathered critters. However, today something happened that made my heart ache a little less. OK, actually it got me excited! I've never been much of a fisherman, but today that might have changed. There are finned critters out there that offer some excitement too - and today, with the help of someone who know what they were doing, I got to sore-lip a few.
If you want to know where the fish are biting, what they are biting on, what time during the day to go after 'em, what time of year to catch 'em, what fish think about, or anything else to do with a fish the man to talk to is Tony Sharum (pictured above). Tony is one of my friends, who just happens to be my Sergeant at work. When Tony is not catching people fishing illegally, dreaming about fish or eating fish, he's on a boat trying to catch fish. It doesn't matter if its bluegill, perch, largemouth, stripers, or catfish...he’s been known to jerk a knot in all their lips. I don't know if I've ever met someone who loves to fish as much as he does. Today, I had the opportunity to hit the lake with Tony and learn a few things about catching largemouth bass.
And what a time we had...We caught so many fish that the boat nearly sank. Fish were so massive that they were actually pulling the boat around the lake. We must have landed a couple hundred and quite possibly a state record or two. In fact, I caught the biggest bass I’ve ever caught at 12 and a half pounds...did I say 12 and a half, I really meant 5 and a half pounds. Well, that may be stretching the truth a little – but any story about fishing has got to have some “truth-stretching” in it. Truth be told we literally caught fish from the time we got to the lake till the time we left. I had a blast...thanks Tony.
I was thinking on the way home about fishing in the Bible and recalled the story of Jesus and Peter on the Sea of Galilee. Peter was a fisherman by trade and had been out fishing all night without any luck. Imagine how that would feel – breaking your back at work and coming home with no pay check to show for it. When Peter came in from working all night and was cleaning his fishing nets, Jesus got in his boat and asked Peter to take him out a ways so he could preach to the gathering crowds. After Jesus had finished preaching, Jesus told Peter to cast out the nets again in the deep water. After having been out all night with nothing to show for it Peter reluctantly did as Jesus said and guess what happened. He caught so many fish that it filled two boats and the weight nearly caused them to sink. Peter and the rest of those around were amazed at this miraculous catch of fish – and awestruck at what Jesus had done.
We often get caught up in just remembering all those “big” things that Jesus did for people - Healing the sick, driving out demons and raising people from the dead and such. But we are reminded in this story that Jesus cares about the daily activities of our lives too. God is interested in not only saving us, but providing for our needs as well - and that’s no fish tale!
The next time you’re a little unsure about how you’re going to make it through something, remember to put your trust in God – like Peter did – and cast the net of your heart into the deep hope and love that Christ offers. You might be surprised at how much you catch.

“...they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.”
Luke 5:6

Brandon's in Alaska

Last year a group of men from our church went on a mission trip to Alaska. Two of our team members were a father and son, Raye (pops-left) and Brandon Brothers(son-right). God worked as only He does and Brandon is back in Alaska for a second helping this summer. If you'd have asked Brandon a couple years ago if he would have ever thought he would have been to Alaska once, much less two times, he would have probably told you you were crazy. But there he is, back in the Last Frontier taking the Gospel to people again. Really interesting things happen when you follow Jesus. Keep up the good work, dude!

Brandon is working with Brenda Crim, Charlie Parnell, and Spring (who is fixing to be Charlie's wife) on the many ministries that they are a part of. Please pray for them as they do God's work.

If you like to keep up with Brandon and his mission - check out his blog:
www.Brandon-fishingwithamission.blogspot.com

Double Bull Podcast

Turkey season wrap-up, the Double Bull Blind story, Lord of the Spring, and Brad is home for a few days before heading to Iraq!

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"Lord of the Spring"

Do you love the Lord? Do you love hunting? Have you ever wondered how you could combine your love for both? We are currently working on a creative project called "Lord of the Spring" that combines the two in an effort to reach hunters with the Gospel message. We are excited to be a part of this ministry and hope that you will partner with us in an effort to tell others about Jesus. If you are interested in supporting the project financially, watch the video promo and find out how you can tell others about the "Lord of the Spring."

Emma's First Turkey

After only a couple,...well...several...failed attempts to harvest her first turkey, my daughter Emma, gave up on me,…her DAD!,…. and started going with her Pawpaw hunting.

I really don’t blame her, though, its hard getting up at 5:30 in the morning for nothing. Man, I had the most absolute, perfect, mind blowing, place to hunt. Everybody who knew my “honey hole” was overcome with some down right mean jealousy. Only Emma and Me were allowed to hunt on this prime piece of real estate. I just knew that on youth day it would be a “sure thing” for my daughter to kill a monster turkey….and…. she actually had a chance. That morning, on youth day, we got to the blind at 6am and set out a decoy. About 30 minutes later the sound of 4 different gobblers woke us both up. Man they were tearin it up. They would gobble at everything. I did a few hen calls, did a fly down call and got a TRIPLE gobble from what sounded like a monster. I new it was only a matter of time. Sure enough at 8am I saw turkeys on a road bed about 100 yards from us and one was struttin his stuff. I broke out the binoculars….3 Jakes. We made the decision that if they came close enough she would take one. While watching the jakes make their way toward us, out of the blue came a monster gobbler right in front of us!!! Where that big boy came from I have no clue. Emma got her gun up and ready but the gobbler wouldn’t stop. He must have seen us and got nervous. Emma moved her gun and tried to get ready. I whispered to her, “Make sure you get it on his”... BAAMM!!!! Before I could say “head” she shot!...and missed. My heart sank for her. She was a little upset only because she thought she disappointed me. After making up some good excuses for her miss, we had another opportunity. Those jakes had made their way up to within 75 yards of us. We could tell they were a little spooked and uneasy. I did some fairly aggressive calling and they came, but, they were among some trees and Emma couldn’t get a good clear shot at the head. During those moments, though, I realized that my 10 year old daughter had IT. WOOOHOOOO!!!! She’s got TURKEY FEVER!!!! She was shakin’ all over and breathin’ heavy. She was a tee total wreck!!!! I WAS SO PROUD! I think she was even seeing double… She said something about 5 jakes and there were only 3!!! Unfortunately the turkeys figured something wasn’t right and moved away from us. We sat there in our blind for a little while and figured it was time to leave. I just knew that we could come back and have a chance at another.

WRONG!!!! We went back the next Saturday and nothing. I mean NOTHING!!!! No gobblin, no tracks in the road, no evidence of fresh scratching in the woods, NOTHING!!!! We hunted hard….walkin and callin…setting for a while in different spots….we saw and heard NOTHING. We gave up and came home only to hear that everybody else had turkeys gobblin their heads off. The “honey hole” was DRY??!! You would have thought that Jeremy Harrill had walked around on the property, and put upon it, his curse of dryness…. that’s how bad it was!!!

A few more dry days and Emma finally gave up….. ON ME! Pawpaw (my Dad) offered to take her and she accepted. The first day with Pawpaw she missed again!! But Pawpaw was proud because he realized also that she had that turkey fever. He laughed as he told how she was shakin all over and breathing heavy. Anyway… they went again and this time, they went down a road bed to a river bottom. Dad said they got to the blind at 6am and at 6:30 the gobblers were doing their thing. At 7:00 a hen flew in and started feeding on some clover in a deer food plot about 30 yards from them. Dad saw movement up the road bed and sure enough….it was a gobbler. He said that bad boy strutted the whole way down to them. It came within 30 yards and kept drawing circles around the hen in front of them and never would stick his head up for more than a second. Dad told Emma to ready herself and follow him around and when he stuck his head up take the shot. Well…. The gobbler made that fatal mistake. Emma laid the big ol kaboom on its head and bagged her first gobbler. A 21 lb monster with a 10 inch beard and 1 3/8” spurs!!!!!! WOW!!!!! Can you say PROUD!!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!! ….that’s my baby girl!!!!!!!

I love the outdoors. I love to hunt and fish. It’s needless to say that I am very proud of Emma because she loves the outdoors also. She too loves to fish, now she loves to hunt, and she’s looking forward to deer season. I already have the 243 ready and waiting. Even though I am proud of her for her interest in what I enjoy, that means absolutely NOTHING, when it comes to eternity.

What I want my family to see me the most passionate about is my love for them and for Jesus Christ. I am the MOST PROUD of Emma for her acceptance of Jesus as her Lord and Savior. When she accepted Christ that was by far one of the best things that has ever happened in my life and hers.

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, I challenge you today to make a decision. We have no idea if that gobbler will answer and come when we throw at him our best hen call, but I guarantee you that Jesus WILL answer and WILL come to you if you call upon His name today. “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”’ Romans 10:13

For those of you who do know Jesus, isn’t it awesome when a loved one comes to know Him...

Alan Davis

Love is in the Air

We turkey hunters head to the woods, set out a variety of decoys and commence to trying to lure a Tom turkey within gun range by imitating the sounds of a hen turkey. Yes, basically we try our best to deceive a love sick gobbler so we can put an end to his life. I love it! Although the season has been tough for some of us, a few of our huntin’ buddies have been successful at giving one of these big birds a “dirt nap.”

Top Picture: Hunter Norman
Second Picture: Scott Isley
Third Picture: David Hinceman
Bottom Picture: Jason Cruise







If you think about it, Satan likes to work the same way. He lures us in with all kinds of things of the world that call to us and tell us that it’s ok, it will feel good, that everybody’s doing it, and nobody will know. He is a great deceiver.
If we continue to answer his calls, we eventually find ourselves within gun range of the evil one who wants to ruin our lives. It pays to be diligent at what we put into our minds. The great deceiver will tell us all kinds of lies. In fact, the Bible tells us in John 8:44 that Satan is a liar and the “father of lies” and the truth is not in him. Examine what you are putting into your minds. Ask God to help you put into your mind what is good and pure. Read God’s word and pray. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:8, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

Love is in the air in the turkey woods this spring. And because it is – we turkey hunt-a-holics will continue to hunt; because after all turkey hunting is lovely...and we should think about such things.

Do you have the "Heart of a Sportsman"

Check out our new Heart of a Sportsman video. Folks who check out our church website can see the video about our ministry. Our church website is www.cornerstonenc.org - check out the site and visit us at Cornerstone...

Turkey Huntin' Youngans

The NC Youth Turkey hunting day on April 4th kicked off the 2009 spring turkey season. On that special day adults can take a kid hunting and they have the woods to themselves (before we adults mess everything up). It was a great way to start off the turkey season. Many great memories were made this year - a few even involved the killing of a bird.

Top Picture: Cade Harrill
Second Picture: Jack Borders with his dad, Brad
Third Picture: Mathew Hefner who harvested a big Tom with huntin' buddy John Isenhour
Bottom Picture: Zack Ridenhour who harvested his first turkey




Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
(Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

Big Oak Archery Shoot

Today, some of the fellas headed to the Big Oak Archery Club to participate in a 3D archery shoot. For most of us, it was our first time. We shot at a total of 28 targets which included: bears, wild hogs, antelope, turkeys, a raccoon, a mountain lion, an elk, several deer, coyotes, a wolf and even an alligator. The distances we shot from ranged from 15 yards to around 40 yards. We had to shoot in all kinds of environments and in all kinds of terrain: through small openings in bushes and trees, while standing on sticks and logs, from elevated platforms, and even a few while kneeling on the ground and sitting on stumps. I wanted to shoot a perfect score. For one, as a hunter, I want to be highly proficient with my hunting equipment that I take into the woods during the season. And second, (if I must be perfectly honest) I wanted to beat my buddies so I’d have bragging rights! It didn’t take long...well, actually the truth be known, after the first target my hopes for the perfect score were ruined. However, if you can say anything about me or my arching cohorts, it would be that we’re consistent. I consistently missed the mark. In fact we all did. Even our best archer of the day, Allen Kerley scored a 271 out of a possible 336 points, coming up well short of perfect scorecard.

Archery is a lot like life. I think every archer knows what it is to miss the mark (or the entire target). Nobody ever gets a perfect score in these events. Just like in archery, none of us are perfect in life. I think we would all admit that we miss the mark (for me, many more times than I care to admit). God’s word tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and come short of glory of God.” We miss the target of righteousness. It’s interesting to note that the word used for sin in the Scriptures is an archery term meaning to miss the mark. God’s word also tells us that the penalty for that sin is death (Romans 6:23), which actually means eternal separation from God in a terrible place. If you just read that part of the story you’ve missed the best part. His word goes on to tell us that He (God) loves us. He loves us so much that he actually made a provision for us by sending His son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross to take our punishment upon himself. Jesus actually paid our sin debt. When we realize that we are sinners and humbly come to God seeking his forgiveness, He has promised to forgive all of our sins (I John 1:9). If you look at your life’s scorecard, what does it say? As much as we love to catch fish, kill deer and bust turkeys in the head we know that the most important thing in the world is our relationship with God and with all our hearts pray that you also have that saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

If you are a bow hunter you know that often times you only have one chance to make the shot on that deer you’ve been waiting on. Wait too long and you miss out, never to get another chance. One of the worst things that I could ever imagine would be for someone to hear about Jesus and how to come to him, but wait and then miss out only to spend eternity separated from God. We should all be ready to take the shot when we have it. We are not promised tomorrow. One day, there will be no more archery shoots or opening days for each of us – so take the shot of a lifetime today.

______________________________

Had a good day with some great friends – Ron, Matt and Mark Ridenhour, Chris and Kevin Simon, Allen Kerley, Brandon Brothers and Butch Chapman. Also special thanks to my buddy David Hinceman for helping me with my archery skills this week...you’re the man, David!

He's Gone!

ApriI 11th. I’ve had it marked on my calendar since last year. Warmer days. The trees budding out. The not so long ago bare fields are turning green. It only means one thing to the hunter…turkey season. Turkey hunting fanatics are already doing some preseason scouting and making their opening morning plans in hopes of harvesting one of these magnificent “thunder chickens.” Myself included.

A few days ago, a friend of mine, Joe Finney and I went to a place just before daylight to listen for turkeys. He’d seen a large group of turkeys several times at that location and we were there to hopefully catch a glimpse (and maybe get some video footage) of them while on the roost. Joe had pin-pointed where a big gobbler had been roosting and we quietly made our way into his roosting area. As the sky started to lighten and we could see into the trees, we soon realized he was not there. He was gone! Then, just as quickly as we wondered where he had gone, he announced his presence from a tall hardwood tree down the ridge from us with a loud “gobble.” I could see him standing in all his glory, in a half-strut out on the limb. He gobbled a few more times then flew down off his roosting spot to the ground where he went about doing the things that turkeys do.

We were surprised that the old tom turkey was not where we expected it. Can you imagine how it must have been to go to the tomb where Jesus was buried after his horrible crucifixion on the cross and find that he was gone? He was not there! He had been placed there in that tomb and three days later, several ladies who went to the tomb where he was buried found that Jesus was not there. It was clearly not what they had expected. They were carrying burial spices. It was obvious that what they expected was a body laying there in that tomb. What they did find was an empty tomb and two angels that spoke to them and said, “Why do you search for the living among the dead? He is not here, he has risen.” Jesus had done exactly what he had predicted, yet his followers were in disbelief.
This empty tomb, the very resurrection of Jesus is everything on which Christianity is built around. If the resurrection did not happen, then Christianity is nothing but a big joke. The resurrection is not a joke at all and nor is it a secret, but a historical fact. There are many historical records found in the scriptures of Jesus meeting with, touching, eating with and talking with people after he rose from the dead. On one occasion a crowd of over 500 people saw him after the resurrection. In fact, a 1990 Gallup Survey revealed that 84% of people surveyed believed in the resurrection of Jesus.
What does it mean? It means Jesus is who he says he is. He never claimed to be a religious leader or great prophet, but He said that he was the Son of God. It means he has the power that he claims to have. He was killed by the Romans, made sure he was dead, placed in a tomb that was sealed with a stone and guarded 24 hours a day. Yet, Jesus claimed that he had the power to lay down his life and the power to take it up again (John 10:18). He had the power to rise from the dead and he did. It also means that Jesus will do what he says he will do. So then, what does it really matter to us? It means our sins can be forgiven, we can have a purpose for living, and that we can have a home in heaven. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die-ever!” (John 11:25-26).
Where is it that you look for things to fill your life, or better yet, fill you with life? We should ask ourselves the question that was asked to those who found the empty tomb. “Why do you search for the living among the dead?” We often times look for the living among the dead. We want to feel alive, to feel love, to feel energy and the exuberance of life, but we look in the wrong places; places with no life in them. I recommend looking to the one that is life. Jesus in fact, says that he is the way, the truth and the life.

So the next time you’re out hunting or fishing and the turkeys, ducks, deer or largemouth are not where you expect to find them, let it remind you that Jesus is alive... “ He has risen.” He’s like the turkey I saw out on the limb, gobbling and announcing to the woods that he is alive. Jesus does the same thing. He calls to us letting us know he is alive, coming to seek and to save the lost and doing the things that only He does: giving peace to the restless, giving hope to the hopeless, joy to the unhappy, and offering mercy and grace to all that believe in Him. Happy Easter and good turkey hunting!

Podcast: Turkey Fest in God's Country

The HOS fellas head to God's Country Outfitters in Albemarle, NC and meet up with Virginia State Turkey Calling Champion, Ricky Higgins. Shortly after our interview, Ricky walked away the winner of yet another calling contest - listen and you'll even get to hear one of the calls that helped him win the championship. ALSO - this will be the last podcast for Chaplain Brad as he will be heading to serve our country over in Iraq next week. God Bless Brad and God bless America!

Listen!

Turkey Calling Champion

Today, Brad Borders, Mark Ridenhour and I took our sons (Jack, Zack and Cade) to an outdoor show in Albemarle, NC. The show was held at a place called God's Country Outfitters. When we walked in the door we knew it was our kind of place. It was filled with camo, guns, dead critters mounted on the wall and on this day - the air was filled with the sounds of turkey calls. It was music to our ears. It's things like this that make it hard on a fella to make it to opening day. While there we got to see our buds from Lodge Creek Calls (Joe Finney, Mark McDowell, Randy Rigsby, Tim Stevens, Jonathan Ellsworth, Jonathan Seamon) which is our proud sponsor. We also made several new friends including Ricky Higgins (pictured above)and his son Ethan, from Galax, Virginia. It didn't take long to find out that Ricky was a follower of Christ who loved God's creation and was "pretty fair" at calling turkeys. Actually, truth be known, Ricky was recently crowned the Virginia State turkey calling champion. And on this particular day, Ricky pulled out his calls and eventually walked away the winner of yet another NWTF sanctioned open division calling championship. To be honest, Ricky actually sounds better than real turkeys do. He's a humble fella, who deflects any compliments toward him, to Jesus - giving him all the credit. Ricky uses his turkey calling success to glorify God and feels that it's given him many opportunities to plant "Kingdom seeds" in the hearts of fellow turkey fanatics.

Brad and I recorded a podcast with Ricky, where he gave us a short calling demonstration. The particular call that Ricky performed was called a "fall hen assembly." The fall hen assembly is a call that a hen turkey might make during the fall when her young (called poults) get seperted from her. She does this to call her young back to her to keep them safe. He made the statement that her young know her voice and follow her. Jesus said something similar about his followers in John chapter 10. He said, "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." Do you hear Him calling? Do you know His voice? If Jesus was a turkey hunter, he'd be one of those guys who was aggressive - constantly calling and calling. Yelping and cutting as hard as he could to try to get a response. I have to believe that because that's the way he is with us throughout our lives. He calls to us through His creation, through His word, through other people, and he aggressively calls directly to our hearts. He desperatley loves us and rigoriously pursues us (like a crazed turkey hunter) so that we would hopefully respond to His calls and accept his gift of eternal life. It is our prayer that the next time you hear someone working a box call or yelping on a slate, or you hear wild turkeys in the spring woods, that you'll not only visualize a big 'ole Boss Gobbler, but hear the voice of God in your heart calling to you - and you'd accept his call to salvation.

Thank God for Turkey season!

Stanlyville FBC - Men of the Outdoors

One of my best friends, Chris Moore, started an outdoor ministry at his church this past year. They call themselves Stanlyville FBC "men of the outdoors." God is using these fellas to share the Gospel with outdoorsmen in their community already. I have attached a video they put together from a recent dove hunt - Great Job men!

"Snow Day"

Today was a snow day. We woke up to about 6 inches of snow here in Salisbury, NC. With all the snow laying around it just seemed right to show off this picture that I got today of one of our buddies. Rick Dinkel, (the second dude from the right "cheesing" with a snow goose) one of the HOS fellas, recenlty went on a snow goose hunt around the Currituck Sound in eastern NC with a few of his hunting buddies - Jay, Will and Paul. Looks like they had a "snow day" too. Great job Rick!

Rick owns a business in Mooresville, NC called Image Signs, Inc. The guys there make all kinds of signs (sandblasted, lighted, vehicle graphics and vehicle wraps). Check them out at www.imagesignsnc.com Check out the pictures on the site of the vehcile wraps - they are awesome.

" Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 106:1

A Sure Thing

The most predictable thing about hunting and fishing is that it’s unpredictable. I don’t know why, but I forget that rule often, only to be rudely reminded of how true it is. Let me illustrate. I have hunted from tree stands where people have seen deer day after day from the same spot. When I get there, I only see “tweetie” birds and my body provides a smorgasbord for mosquitoes. I’ve taken off of work to hunt the turkeys that were gobbling their heads off all week only to see and hear nothing while I was in the woods. I duck hunted one day this year at a spot where hundreds of ducks were flying in daily on the lake. You guessed it; I only got cold and never fired a shot. I have also been known to “dry up” a good fishing hole on more than one occasion. Nothing is a sure thing in the hunting and fishing world.
I guess the rest of the world is not immune to this “nothing is a sure thing” rule either. Just look at the stock market and how it’s been lately. Look at the job situation in our own community where guys who have been with employers for many years are looking for new jobs. That’s the nasty part of the pill that we are forced to swallow in the broken world in which we live. It leaves a terrible after taste when you’ve invested so much time, effort, money, dedication, devotion, heart and soul into something. It surely makes one think, what was all the effort for?
God has a different view of things and has something to say about your efforts for Him. I Corinthians 15:58 says “…Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” If we are going to be totally honest, we must admit that we sometimes wonder if what we are doing is really making a difference for the Kingdom. It seems like the effort, the time, and all the stuff we do has no impact. But just when we let that kind of thinking creep into our minds – God reminds us that we make a difference, as he did with our guys recently.
By the time you read this article, the Heart of sportsman fellas will be fresh off a very busy February. We will have been to talk to others about sportsmen’s ministry, helped with a Sportsman’s banquet, and been serenaded by the songs of hundreds of coon hounds during our 3-day tour of duty at Walker Days (a huge coon hunting convention). Along the way we will have met hundreds of people and invested a little time in their lives. We may only for a brief minute step into a person’s life and in most cases will never see them again. Some guys will stick in our minds; others will be forgotten nearly as soon as they walk away. With such a brief glimpse at someone, we never really know what that person’s dealing with or going through in their life. What we do know is that all of them, every single one needs Jesus. I figured it up the other day and realized that the HOS guys have personally given away over 1000 DVD’s that share the Gospel, nearly 1000 tracts, and put over 600 Bibles into the hands of men just like us who love the outdoors.
What’s all that time and work for? Recently, one of our guys shared a story about the difference that something as simple as a DVD made in the life of someone he had met. He had given a DVD to this fella some time back. The fella stopped by and told him what a difference that message in the DVD had made. The DVD touched his heart and changed the way that he looked at life. His life was changed, all because someone cared enough about someone else and where they would spend eternity that he gave him a DVD. That’s what it’s all about!
You may never know what a difference your time and effort makes (this side of heaven, anyway) when doing Kingdom work. The thing we do know is that God tells us, to put it in my own words, your labor for the Lord, “ain’t in vain.” Now, that’s an investment you can count on!

Podcast: Treeing Walker Days

All the fellas at the 35th annual Southeastern Treeing Walker Days (That's coon hunting for those that don't know) festival at the Rowan County Fairgrounds.

Listen now!

36th Annual Southeastern Treeing Walker Days

Over the past few days we have handed out nearly 400 DVD's, 450 Gospel tracts, and talked to some of the coolest people in the entire world. We've seen every kind of coon hound there is and heard stories about nearly every thing you can imagine. We've hung out with some really cool fellas - like David and "Buckshot" from Randleman, NC (the two young dudes pictured above holding the DVD and proudly wearing their Carhart jackets). Everyone should have the opportunity to experience this event - the 36th Annual Southeastern Treeing Walker Days. Here's a few pictures for now...I'm sure there will be plenty more pictures and stories to tell after it's over tomorrow evening. Hope ya'll enjoy.

Things Men Do TV

The Outdoor Ministry Network fellas have been working hard over the past year on a new outdoor television show. It's finally here and going to air on Dish Network channel 266 - Sundays at 1pm. The show is called "Things Men Do TV." It's not just the average run-of-the-mill hunting show either- it's real life stuff. Not only will the viewer learn to be a more successful sportsman, but he'll learn to be a better man. Below is a little info from the Things Men Do website (http://www.thingsmendo.tv) - check it out!

Is it really necessary to have another outdoor show on the air today?

Answer: it depends on how you look at it.

We have spent the last decade scouting three worlds:
the church world
the outdoor world
the outdoor industry.

Here's what we found ...

God set it up where the man is called to be the spiritual leader of the home. Our research indicates, however, that the church world is struggling terribly to reach men. The bottom line is - men aren't coming to church these days. That's the church world.

God set it up where creation is the arena where men love to battle against the creatures that roam there. So it's no surprise to us that literally millions of men each year spend so much time and money in outdoor pursuits. That's the outdoor world. And it's alive my man!

Because millions of men love to hunt and fish, an industry has grown to enormous levels with all kinds of products to support our outdoor obsessions. It's amazing to us that an outdoor world can thrive with millions of customers who are men, but the church world cannot seem to discover how to do it. So we decided that if men who were obsessed with the outdoors were ever going to meet the God that made the woods and the water, then we were going to have to take His message to that world and that industry.

Men who love to hunt and fish are deeply devoted to outdoor televsion ... so if we are ever going to let them know that life is about much more than an outdoor obsession ... we're going to have to meet them where they live. That is the world of outdoor tv.

And that is why ...

Things Men Do TV is about you, the viewer.

Look here my brotha ... at Things Men Do TV we consider our show a total failure if all you come away with is simply watching us pursue our outdoor obsessions.

We're making you a promise:
Every show will help you become a better outdoorsman with real tips and strategies that go beyond the kill.

Every show will help you become a better man with real tips and strategies that work in the pursuit of life and how you live it in relation to the God that made you.

That's us.
That's our story.
And we ain't changing it!

˜ The Fellas At Things Men Do TV

Live From I-85

Podcast live from I-85 as the guys make their trip home from Westover Church in Greensboro, NC.

Listen.

Joe Finney wins NC State Goose Calling Championship

FOLLOW-UP....

Just wanted to give everyone an update on a previous blog dated January 7th. You might remember that I mentioned that our buddy Joe Finney was headed to the NC State Goose Calling Championship in Eastern NC. Joe took his Lodge Creek Call and stuck it to the competition. When the smoke cleared, Joe came out on top and was crowned the NC State Goose Calling Champion for 2009. We hope to have a video on the blog soon showing Joe in action during the competition. Congratulations Big Joe.

The Road Less Traveled

It just comes natural for us, I guess. We sportsmen are born with something in us that makes us want to step further into creation than the rest of the world. We are drawn by something deep in our hearts to these remote places on our outdoor excursions. Instead of staying on the well worn path where the rest of the world observes “God’s creation” we prefer to step in a little further to see what it may offer. It may be a little steeper or harder climb, the trail may be a little rockier, and the thickets may contain a few more briars. But, the end result is something that can’t be put into words. At the end of the day, we got to the top of the mountain to see the best view. We got a little further up stream and got into the native trout. We were able to take a drink from the glacier lake. We got to the place where the big buck was hiding out. Fancy words or pictures wouldn’t do these places justice.

We sportsmen love to find ourselves in these “off the beaten path” places. I just got back from one of these type places where I was able to harvest my first ever Tundra Swan. I had never been to Hyde County, NC before, but I knew I was in for a treat when I read the welcome sign as we crossed the county line headed to our hunting destination. The sign read, “Welcome to Hyde County, The road less traveled.” That sign said so much with so few words. It told me that there were few that ventured here. I read between the lines and it said to me, “welcome all who are adventurous and wild at heart.” This got me excited! I was entering a place that is described by many as a sportsman’s paradise. I found it interesting that there was a well worn turnaround spot just in front of the Hyde County Welcome sign. I am convinced that this spot is for those not-so-adventurous-types who always stay on the marked trail and big roads along life’s highway. That was not the case for me and my buddies, Tommy and Bill.
Our reward for taking the “ road less traveled” during our two day stay was getting the opportunity to see two Bald Eagles, a river otter, several nutria, a bobcat, herds of deer, thousands of ducks and me getting to harvest my first swan. Not to mention, a great time with good friends (both my buddies had already harvested swans earlier in the season and had just come along to help share the experience of helping me get mine – How cool is that – thanks fellas!)

As we crossed the county line headed home, I remembered the words on the bottom of the sign, “the road less traveled.” I thought about a poem that I had learned back in elementary school called the road not taken by Robert Frost. The poem talked about coming to a place where one had to make a choice on which direction to go. Take the heavily traveled road or follow the road less traveled. At the end of the poem, the author remarks on how his choice to walk along that less traveled road had changed his life forever. He doesn’t tell us how that choice changed his life only that it did. Something about that choice had obviously made a great difference in his life. We sportsmen understand that all too well. We know that because of getting off the road, out of the office, or out of the house and into the woods and into those wild places of God’s creation, our lives are different – changed for the better!

God’s word has some interesting stuff to say about paths and choices and changed lives. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 12: 13-14.
We each have a choice. We can take the wide road, which leads to destruction, or we can choose to take the narrow, less traveled road which leads to life. By choosing the broad road, we choose to live our life the way we want, accepting the world’s standards for right and wrong, putting our trust in the world. By walking the broad road, you buy into the belief that there is no heaven or no hell, or if there is such, you’d get into heaven by being a “good person.” The wide road is filled with people because it’s easy to walk, and the road is cluttered with things that make us feel good, at least temporarily. However, the narrow road is different. To get on the narrow road, one must first choose to put their hope and trust in Jesus Christ – believing that Jesus died for our sins because we couldn’t be “good enough” to get into heaven on our own. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The narrow road is not always easy, but there, on that road there is always real hope. The narrow road is an adventure filled with grace and excitement. The verse said that this narrow road led to life. Not a boring, ho hum life as many believe, but an abundant life. In fact, Jesus himself said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Which road do we take? Each one of us must decide. Unfortunately, too many get to the “road less traveled” sign where God tells us how much he loves us and asks us to follow him, and we turn around and take the big, broad road that leads to emptiness and despair. I pray that when you get to that Welcome sign that God has placed on the road of life for you, you’ll decide to take the “Road less traveled” and enjoy the adventure!

Superbowl 2009

It's the Heart of a Sportsman Superbowl Podcast!

Killing the Ugly Duckling

We are all acquainted with the fairy tale about the ugly duckling that no one liked, then that ugly duckling turned out to be a glorious swan, making all the ducks feel like they were just barely average. Well, today Jeremy killed it!

The Call of the Wild

(Joe Finney - Lodge Creek Calls - www.lodgecreekcalls.com)

I’m not sure what it is. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but there’s something about a passion for the outdoors that’s built into a man’s DNA molecules. Maybe it’s because God made us from dirt (Genesis 2:7) that we are drawn to the forests, swamps, and fields in search of finned, feathered and furred quarry. There’s something deep within our soul that pulses these “outdoorsy” hormones through or veins. No scientist or doctor can describe exactly what it is that drives sportsmen into remote places and often in the harshest of weather conditions in their pursuits. What would be described as ridiculous and sheer torture to some is seen as paradise to those affected by this phenomenon. Although it has not been described by scientific experts, it’s commonly referred to as the “call of the wild.” If you are a hunter or fisherman you know what I mean. If you’re not I understand that you don’t understand and there’s nothing I can do to explain it with any amount of justice.

Hunters “suffering” from the call of the wild often, while in pursuit of a variety of critters, use calls in an attempt to bring game within shooting range. Some of the most common calls used are by those hunting waterfowl, deer, elk and turkeys. It’s takes lots of practice to become really proficient at calling in game. For calling to be effective, it must sound like the critter you’re calling. One of our very own Heart of a Sportsman fellas, Joe Finney, has become quite good on many of these game calls, especially the goose call. Joe has taken this “call of the wild” to a whole new level. If it can be called to, Joe will call it (and he will kill it too, before I forget it!). He recently joined the pro-staff of Lodge Creek Calls and is headed to the NC coast for the 2009 Southern Classic duck, goose and swan calling championships on February 7. Good luck, Joe!!!

God has used His creation that we love so much to call to us. It’s another “call of the wild” if you will. His creation declares His glory, His power and majesty. It’s hard to not believe in God if you experience the outdoors the way sportsmen do. That very God who created the universe wants a personal relationship with you through His son Jesus Christ. He’s calling – why not answer?

“For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13