The Heart of a Sportsman

Kansas deer, laffy taffy and sleep deprivation!

2009-11-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

Kansas deer, laffy taffy and sleep deprivation!

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Record Book ?

2009-11-17T23:08:00.002-05:00

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

2009-11-17T05:49:00.002-05:00

Podcasting Live From Kansas.

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Children of the Corn

2009-10-18T08:25:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-10-07T22:24:00.005-04:00

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

2009-10-07T21:46:00.003-04:00

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!

2009-09-28T09:45:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-17T10:09:00.004-04:00

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...

2009-08-20T15:30:00.002-04:00

“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

2009-08-20T15:07:00.009-04:00

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

Men of the Outdoors - Stanleyville First Baptist

2009-08-12T23:03:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-26T17:51:00.007-04:00

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!

2009-07-15T19:15:00.006-04:00

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

2009-07-15T18:55:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-26T11:31:00.002-04:00

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

2009-06-18T22:41:00.003-04:00

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...

2009-06-08T22:46:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-26T17:02:00.002-04:00

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

2009-05-24T08:49:00.000-04:00

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!

Listen Now.

"Lord of the Spring"

2009-05-05T17:33:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-05T17:16:00.002-04:00

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

2009-04-20T22:53:00.004-04:00

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"

2009-04-19T08:03:00.003-04:00

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

2009-04-17T17:42:00.005-04:00

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

2009-04-05T21:34:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-04-01T22:32:00.002-04:00

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

2009-03-20T06:47:00.001-04:00

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

2009-03-14T18:15:00.006-04:00

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

2009-03-12T22:54:00.004-04:00

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"

2009-03-02T20:14:00.004-05:00

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

2009-03-02T09:19:00.001-05:00

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

2009-03-01T08:44:00.000-05:00

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

2009-02-27T23:53:00.006-05:00

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

2009-02-20T08:10:00.003-05:00

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

2009-02-16T20:21:00.001-05:00

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

2009-02-07T20:54:00.002-05:00

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

2009-02-02T09:06:00.002-05:00

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

2009-02-02T05:52:00.001-05:00

It's the Heart of a Sportsman Superbowl Podcast!

Killing the Ugly Duckling

2009-01-27T10:09:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-09T15:35:00.006-05:00

(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

Cade's First Deer

2008-12-18T22:37:00.003-05:00

As a parent there are many special “firsts.” You know what I mean - your child’s first steps, their first word, or their first smile. Last week, I had one of those special firsts. If you’re a hunter you would probably agree that it ranks right up there at the top of the list with the others – your child’s first deer. My boy, 9 -year old Cade Elijah Harrill, put the smack down on a his first whitetail.
It was not our first time hunting together. We’ve hunted together several times over the past few years and he was even with me when I harvested a small buck several years ago. However, this year Cade was not just along learning the ropes from his old man, he was the “trigger man.”
The forecast looked bleak with heavy rain on the radar. We headed out for an evening hunt in a down pour. It was literally raining like crazy, but we decided to brave the elements because the season was winding down and our opportunities to hunt were growing fewer. Because of the rain we headed to a spot that we’d never hunted before. A friend of mine had offered us an opportunity to hunt a box blind that he had constructed on his property. I figured that there we’d at least be able to stay dry if it continued to rain. The driving rain finally broke and gave way to a spot of sunshine. Not long after the rain stopped, the “sacrificial deer” stepped out into the firing lane. We got the rifle in position, Cade found the deer in the scope, put the crosshairs behind the deer’s front shoulder and then asked me to cover his ears. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his request but quickly covered his ears liked he asked, flipped the safety and before I could hardly say a thing, BOOM!!!!! The round from the Remington Model 700 .223 found its mark on a doe and she piled up not 15 yards from where she was shot. Cade was proud of that deer and I was proud of Cade. It’s a special moment that this dad and son will cherish forever. Great job Cade!
Now, let me give you some background on how this season unfolded. Before the beginning of the season Cade had learned to shoot and had become very proficient with a rifle that my neighbor had let us borrow. That got me excited, because I knew that that was a major obstacle standing in the way of Cade actually being able to harvest a deer by himslf. Once this happened, my goal (really more like my life’s ambition) for the season had become to get my son his first deer. I worked and thought constantly on how I could make it happen. The stand had been moved to the perfect spot along the edge of a field. A food plot had been prepared in one corner of the field to bring in the deer. I cut limbs that might hinder any rifle shot from the stand. I added camo netting to block any movement from a 9-year old’s lack of attention and experience, and I bought and poured out countless bags of corn to sweeten our honey hole. I had worked diligently to make it happen. If you asked my wife she’d probably tell you that I was a little obsessed with the whole thing. We hunted and hunted once the season came in but I just couldn’t make it happen. Honestly, I got frustrated and really started to feel the pressure as the season wore on. I dreaded the thought of having to wait an entire year before we got the chance again. I even started to worry that Cade would get discouraged and never want to come back. All I thought was, “What else could I do to make it happen?” All that I had done and all the work was just not enough to get him that first deer. Then, on a rainy Thursday we ended up hunting at a completely different location than the one where we had been hunting . We had worked so hard trying to kill a deer at our spot but ended up at a place where we had done no work and were finally able to close the deal on a deer. Here at this spot, I had built no stand. I had not cut shooting lanes, prepared the location or spent any muscle or money putting out corn. It was all done by someone else. My friend, Hunter Norman had done all the work and let us hunt his spot that day – what a gift!
In this hunting story of a young boys first deer, there’s a great spiritual lesson to be learned. So many people look at their spiritual life the way I looked at this hunting season. I thought working hard and doing things right would guarantee success at our spot in the end – but it didn’t. Along those same lines in life, many believe that working hard, doing things right and being good will put them in the good graces of God and get them to heaven. Eventually this only leads to disappointment and frustration. Gods word tells us in Ephesians that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works.” You see, the only thing that guarantees success in the end, has already been done by someone else. That someone else is Jesus. He died for you and me and nothing we could do could be good enough to earn salvation. If we could earn it, then Jesus wouldn’t have had to die. He died for you and for me. He loved us that much! Just like Cade’s deer, all the work I had done at our hunting spot didn’t result in the harvesting of his deer. It was all because of the generosity of a friend who gave us the gift of letting us hunt his stand that led to that momentous occasion. Had we not taken him up on his offer, we’d still be searching for that first deer. God too, offers a gift, a gift greater than any other and one that’s availaible to everyone. In Romans 6:23, God tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of god is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” Take Him up on His offer and receive the gift of His son Jesus Christ.

Special thanks to our friend Hunter Norman for letting us hunt your stand – you’re the man. To Mr. Benny, the best neighbor a person could have - thanks for helping Cade on the firing range and letting us use your rifle. We are forever grateful – God bless you both!

Samuel's Buck

2008-11-23T20:13:00.003-05:00

Top: Samuel pictured with his big buck and his proud father, Leonard.

Bottom: Samuel with hunting guide, Alan Kerley.

I don't know exactly where to start my story. I believe I will start from the beginning. The story starts at the Oakdale Baptist Church. We were having our annual yard sale and auction to help support our missionary family in Rwanda Africa. Now, being one of the top professional hunting and fishing guides in the state, possibly the World, I decided to donate one of my highly sought after deer hunts to the auction. Surely, by the grace of God, I had the entire hunting season available to provide such an experience. Now keep in mind, generally bidding on a guided deer hunt with me would most certainly sale for thousands of dollars, but apparently, not everyone at the auction could understand the auctioneer very clearly because the hunt sold for a mere $80.00. This was obviously the deal of the century. After the hunt sold, the family that bought the hunt came up and we talked...wonderful folks, the Tackett’s. I told them about the highly top secret spot we would be hunting off of Elmwood Road near the Cornerstone Baptist Church. As the big day arrived, I realized that I had to make sure that everything was just right, so I began my preparation two weeks before the hunt. First, I went and bought a 50 lb bag of corn and drove over to the highly top secret spot off of Elmwood Road and opened the two gates that I have to go through to make it down to the honey hole. I drove the Dodge Ram 1500 King Quad down to the creek, stopped the truck, hopped out, opened the bag of corn and poured it out over a 100 yard area. I then grabbed the Grizzly G30 hub pop up blind and set it up. The scouting and preparation was now completed.

The big day. I picked Leonard and his son Samuel up at 5:45 opening morning. We headed over to the highly top secret spot off of Elmwood road. The morning started off slow, and I must be honest, I was starting to have my worries when we had not seen a deer by 6: 40 am. It was around 19 degrees, but Samuel acted like a seasoned hunter and was hanging in there like a trooper with his 12 gauge pump in hand. I wasn't sure about the range of the shotgun but Leonard assured me that his effective range was easily out past the corn pile. At 6:50 am, Leonard spotted the deer first coming from our right. Leonard let us know that the deer was approaching, so I put my binoculars on the deer and quickly observed that the deer we thought was a doe had a nice set of antlers on his head. As the deer approached, Leonard told Samuel to ready himself and do it just like he had shown him. I ranged the deer and he was 70 yards away. I didn't know how this was going to work out, but when Samuel pulled the trigger I saw the deer hunker down, so we knew he had made a good hit on the buck. We gave the deer about 11 minutes to expire and we started on the track. One problem, no tracks, no blood, no sign. I watched the deer go into a thicket, so we went to the thicket. I went high and Leonard went low. I called Samuel up to where I was and told him that maybe he should do the tracking since he had much more keen eyes than his daddy and I, not ten yards from where Samuel took up the track he spotted the deer lying in the thicket. I have never seen a more happy young man then right at that moment. Let me tell you, God sometimes blesses you when you least expect it, and this was an experience I will never forget. I consider myself blessed to be able to go out and experience God's beauty. How many times do we take that beauty for granted, just like so many more of God's blessings? The next time you are out in the woods sitting in your stand, or in a duck blind watching the sun come up, or listening for that first gobble of the year, let's take a minute to give God thanks for this precious gift we have. And if you know a young person that has never experienced the gifts we take for granted, I challenge all of you to share our wonderful gift with them. We can't waste the gifts we are given, for example God has blessed me with an amazing Tri athlete figure, dashing good looks, spectacular personality, and I am truly thankful for his blessings. My wife tells me each and every day just how lucky she is. Did I mention God has blessed me with a great imagination?

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

Psalm 42:1

God bless you all and happy hunting.
Alan Kerley "Professional hunting guide and plus size swimsuit model”

P.S. if anyone is interested in hunting with me in my highly top secret hunting spot just off of Elmwood road, let me know.
Happy hunting!

Thanksgiving Podcast

2008-11-20T05:42:00.000-05:00

Its the Heart of a Sportsman Thanksgiving Edition Podcast. Have a great time in the woods and around the table!

Listen Now

Hangin' with the Hunters - Opening Day

2008-11-17T07:12:00.009-05:00

TOP: Charlie Steele with a nice 6-point buck
MIDDLE: Kacey Weaver with her first deer - 4-point buck

BOTTOM: Gary Gibbons - winner of the Bass Pro Gift Card

The sunset and sunrise. The cool, crisp air just after daybreak. The colorful fall leaves that carpet the forest floor. That familiar crunch of the leaves that signal an approaching deer. White oak acorns that drop like rain through the woods. That owl that hoots in the darkness. The smell of the fall woods.

If you’ve ever sat in a treestand you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, I might as well be speaking a foreign language. These are the sights and sounds and smells of deer season. More than that, these are the handiwork of God. For those of us who practice our God-given privilege to hunt, kill and eat deer each fall – such sights, sounds and smells stir our soul.

This past weekend the Heart of a Sportsman fellas spent the opening morning of gun deer season hanging out with some really cool folks whose souls get stirred this time of year. The kinda people who wear camo and love sitting in the stand in hopes of putting meat on the back of the truck. Our fellas set up at the Woodleaf BP Station and gave away hunting DVD’s, listened to hunting stories and we even made a few new friends.

Special thanks to Terry Collins of the BP for allowing us to hang out with the hunters at his place of business. We had a great time!

From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.
Romans 1:20

Seeking Mike's Deer

2008-11-12T12:58:00.001-05:00

Seeking Mike’s Deer

KaBoooom!!!! The .45 cal muzzle-loader had seemingly found its mark on the buck. Upon impact the deer kicked so high that it nearly turned a complete summersault. During this acrobatic maneuver, the deer dug his nose deep into the ground throwing dirt into the air, before running into the brush. (The deer surely had a busted nose from the way it hit the dirt during this semi-flip). “Great shot,” we exclaimed as we congratulated Mike on his first deer ever.

The scenario had played itself out many times before from this same stand. We were hunting on my friend Mark Ridenhour’s property. We hunted from a large box stand situated in some pines next to a food plot that always seemed to draw the deer in like a magnet. Mark loves to take someone hunting for their first deer and for the last few years it has become tradition to sit a “newbie” in the stand and introduce them to the sport of deer hunting. I’ve been fortunate enough to be behind the camera to capture these moments on video. This year we were hunting with our good buddy Mike Eckmann.

After the high-fives and congratulations, and detailed replay of each second of the scenario that had just taken place we exited the stand and went to find Mike’s trophy. We were soon on a good blood trail. Just around each bend in the trail, I expected to find the buck piled up in the colorful fallen leaves. I couldn’t believe the deer had gone this far. After a couple of hours, Mark and I were beginning to feel that the congratulations had been a little premature. We were following blood, occasionally having to regroup when the blood got sparse, but always finding a place where the deer had turned and getting on “good blood” again. Unfortunately, we got to a place where the blood just disappeared. We tried everything but were unable to determine where the buck went. We desperately expanded our search until we finally had to call it quits. For anyone who hunts, you know how hard it is to call off the search, especially on a friend’s first deer. It was a long walk back to the truck, literally and figuratively. On the way back Mike made a comment that’s so very true. He said that when you’re on the blood trail you have hope that the deer is just ahead, but when you get off the blood trail, you just seem hopeless and helpless, just wandering around.

I’ve experienced all kinds of feelings while afield. Happiness, sadness, joy and sorrow. Anger and frustration. Desperation and exuberation. Deer hunting can be an emotional roller coaster sometimes, just like life. It makes me think back to that comment that Mike made while headed back to the truck. When we are following Christ, when times get hard and life throws us a curve, we press on because of the hope provide by Jesus. But, when we get off the “blood trail” so to speak, we seem hopeless and helpless and feel like giving up because of fear and uncertainty.

Many years ago the prophet Jeremiah wrote to a people who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jeremiah reminds us of what the Lord wants for us in the words that he wrote to those who were experiencing distressing times - “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

While searching for Mike’s buck, we literally searched with all we had and with all our heart, but came up empty. It’s comforting to know as believers that if we get off the “blood trail” in life, as we so often do, that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we WILL find Him. Jeremiah 29:11-13

POST HUNT COMMENTS: It was great to hunt with friends, whether we had meat in the truck or not. These memories will last a lifetime. Thanks to Mark and Mike for letting me hang out with ya’ll. I’ll be on the lookout for a deer with a nosebleed!

The Redneck Olympics Competitor Video!

2008-10-26T21:39:00.000-04:00

It's the post Redneck Olympics Podcast!

2008-10-26T06:01:00.001-04:00

Its the wrap up edition podcast of the 2nd Annual Redneck Olympics!

Listen Now!

Big Investments

2008-10-23T10:46:00.002-04:00

I made a “big” investment lately that I’m beginning to think my wife may not like so much. We have a satellite TV and have the most basic TV viewing package that DISH network offers to customers. After long consideration, months of justification, deep thought, budgeting alterations, and just plain succumbing to my addiction – I made an executive “man” decision and added a new channel to our viewing package – The Outdoor Channel. Now, I’m in a hunting coma! I can watch dudes hunt elk, monster bucks, turkeys and critters whose names I’ve never even heard of before. With my new channel I can learn about the latest line of camo clothing and guns and bullets and bows. The best thing is I don’t have to wait till a certain time of the day. It’s hunting and fishing 24/7. Recently a good friend of mine, Mrs. Kelly, affectionately described the stuff found on this channel as "sportsman’s porn." Sounds like Mr. Robbie (her husband) has that channel too?

Could you have ever imagined 15 years ago that there would be a TV show just about hunting. Much less, an entire TV channel devoted to hunting and fishing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Did I mention that there are several channels that do this, not just the Outdoor Channel? It tells me two things. Men are passionate, maybe even obsessed with this hunting and fishing stuff and I am not alone!

Realizing that we are not alone, the "Heart of a Sportsman" fellas try to take the Gospel to others just like us. Who better to talk to a hunter or fisherman about Jesus than, you guessed it, a hunter or fishermen. It’s easier to get into the mind of people who are passionate about the same things that you are. The HOS guys are always coming up with creative ways to reach sportsmen. We occasionally make plans to bring people to us with events like the Redneck Olympics and the Deer Hunters’ Breakfast. But, we realize that the most important part of it all is forming relationships. Not just by binging them to us as a group, but by us as individuals meeting them where they are at; our workplace, kid’s ballgames, at the country store, and in our neighborhoods. For us what better place than in the duck blind, the deer stand, the turkey woods and while casting a line into our favorite fishing hole. It’s not about just starting relationships though, but investing in them as well - for the long haul.

You may be a hunter or fishermen or maybe you’re not. I’m sure that God can use your passions, whatever they may be for His glory. So, go do what you are passionate about and along the way, form relationships. Most importantly, take time to invest in those relationships too. You just might be surprised at what might happen after making these "big investments." You may just make a good friend and you might just introduce someone else to Jesus, the best friend a person can have.

I’ve started to hear sighs and grunts lately when my wife finds me glaring at the TV watching the latest episode of Realtree Roadtrips, Buckmaster Classics or Muzzy’s Bad to the Bone Bowhunting. Kinda like right now as I multi-task by typing on the computer and listening to one of “my hunting shows” at the same time. She even makes me a little ill because she makes fun of the guys on the hunting shows because they whisper to each other all the time while on the treestand. (She probably believes that wresting is fake too!) I guess I’ll never understand why she doesn’t understand – but, that’s another relationship I need to do some investing in too. So, go do some huntin’ (for people) and make some lasting investments!

Jeremy B. Harrill

Redneck Olympics 2008

2008-10-20T08:22:00.004-04:00

You thought that the Olympic Games in China were good...we'll you ain't seen nothin' yet! It's time for the 2nd Annual Redneck Olympics. The Heart of a Sportsman guys have put together another event of, well, "olympic proportions." It'll be one of the biggest gatherings of good 'ole boys you've ever seen - complete with an outhouse, fishing rods, deer corn, tractor tires, moon pies and RC Colas. When: Saturday October 25th, 2008 from 2pm til 7pm. Where: Cornerstone Baptist Church - 200 Clearview Road, Cleveland, NC. And by the way, lots of cool prizes for participants. Who will be crowned the biggest redneck of all? Do you have what it takes?

Click on the title for a video preview of the Redneck Olympics.

Pre-Redneck Olympics Podcast

2008-10-16T05:46:00.001-04:00

Discussions about the Red Neck Olympics, opening day of deer season, idol worship and building relationships!

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New Podcast: Kirks Moose Hunt

2008-10-09T06:25:00.000-04:00

After a hiatus the boys are back with Kirk Fessler talking about a moose hunt in Newfoundland, shout outs galore, and swan hunting...whoever heard of that!

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The Youth Camp Moose

2008-10-06T07:00:00.006-04:00

This past summer, a group of guys from Cornerstone Baptist Church took a mission trip to Alaska (see previous blog "Fishing with a mission: Combat style"). We had a blast while there. One of the main reasons that our trip was such a success was because of the fearless crew that made things happen: Brenda Crim, Charlie Parnell and Spring Pungowiyi. They spend hours preparing, praying, planning, searching, and digging through life to make sure that people of Alaska are able to hear about Jesus Christ. These hard-core, devoted Christ followers are always on the move and thinking of intentional ways to introduce people to their best friend Jesus. I just got an email from Brenda that confirms that they are still hard at it. They just got back from an area in the Arctic looking for a location to build a youth camp. Just imagine a place where 200-500 Alaskan native children could come and learn about the risen savior. They asked all that could to please pray for the provision of the land to build the camp, for the teams of people that it would take to build the cabins and the children that will one day come to this place. Keep Benda and her team in prayer as they continue to keep their nose to the ground like an old coon dog sniffing out new ground and new ways to reach people with the gospel.

Oh, yea - while they were there they did put the smack down on a few caribou and Brenda smacked a bull moose. It can't get much better than that. Sounds like a great place for a camp to me!

Jeremy B Harrill

Mr. Whiskers and the Noodle

2008-09-26T08:15:00.003-04:00

Over the years fishermen have tried a multitude of methods to catch catfish. One of the most fun and productive ways to haul in these “whisker-kitties” is by a method known as jug fishing, or juggin’. A fishing jug is basically a device made by using strong fishing line tied to a floating object like a milk jug. You tie one end of the fishing line to the floating jug and on the other end of the line you tie on a hook. After baiting the hook, the fishermen will drop the jug into the water and wait for the catfish to take the bait. A single jug fisherman may put out 50 or more jugs at one time. Periodically, the fishermen will check the jugs and knows that he’s got one when the jug bobs up and down and races across the water. Jugs can be made from a variety of floating materials. Today, a popular material used to make such a fishing device is a swimming noodle like the ones kids play with in swimming pools. These long foam noodles are perfect when cut into 12 to 20 inch sections. Therefore, sometimes in these here parts you’ll hear this sport called “noodling” instead of jugging. There are specific laws that pertain to this type of fishing. For example, there are specific baits that can and can’t be used, laws pertaining to the maximum number of noodles that can be fished at one time and a law that each noodle must have the owner’s name and address written on it to be legal.

A few weeks ago, the “Heart of a Sportsman” fellas held a noodle-making clinic for the kids. We taught them how to make the noodles, how they work, and what the law says about using this type of fishing device. Then, a few nights later, we headed to the lake and put the noodles (and the boys) to the test. As the moon’s light shimmered off the lake, we baited the hooks and threw in the noodles, each one inscribed with the name of the kid that it belonged to. It wasn’t long until one of the noodles was dancing across the water, and then another…and another. The kids had a blast (and the old dudes did too!) pulling in those fish. Each time we noticed that we had one on, the kids couldn’t wait to see whose noodle had the fish. It didn’t seem to matter how big the fish was, but the question that was most important to the kids was whom did the noodle belong to that caught it.

I recently read about a similar question posed in the Bible. In the book of I Samuel, a man named David came across an Egyptian slave that had been left to die by his master. After David and his men revived the man from near death, David asked him an important question, “to whom do you belong…?” What a question. It’s a vital question that we must all ask ourselves. Who do we belong to? Just like the kids who looked to see who’s name was written on the fishing noodles, what name would be written indelibly on your heart as your owner. Would it be a company’s name or a hobby? Would it be your own name or the name of someone else? There could be as many possibilities of ownership as there are ways to catch a catfish. Or would the name written there be the creator of the universe, the one who sent his son to die for each of us, and who loves us more than we can imagine. This simple question posed by the little guys fishing that night and the same one posed by David to the Egyptian slave long ago, should cause each of us to look at our heart and the inscription thereon of the owner. I know that it sure made me think about mine. My hope is that on each heart, the writing is clear and the script perfectly legible, spelling out “Jesus Christ, owner.” Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Paslm 100:3

To whom do you belong?

September 17th Podcast

2008-09-18T05:45:00.001-04:00

After a two week absence the guys are back and live from Cleveland with special guest Brent Sears and issues like noodling, community, and shimmying up pine trees.

Listen Now.

The Truck with a Purpose

2008-09-17T15:48:00.005-04:00

Recently I had the opportunity to get together with friends and fling some steel shot at Canada Geese. We planned to meet early on the morning of the hunt. Not long after I arrived, my friend Joe drove up in his vehicle. The bed of his truck was filled with goose decoys that stood at attention and ready for duty.

At first glance, Joe’s truck may appear to be an old rust bucket, nothing really special. Dents, scars, scratches and rusted rear quarter panels decorate its body. However, there is more to this rig than meets the eye. No, it will never win any blue ribbons at any car shows. It definitely doesn’t smell that good or isn’t that comfortable to ride in. But, this beat up old pick-up has a much greater purpose. You see, this rig is a huntin’ truck. Its purpose is to take hunter to and from the woods and waters in pursuit of furred, feathered and finned quarry.

This special piece of equipment carries all that’s needed for the hunter on his adventures. Guns, ammo, knives, and extra camo. Deer lure, decoys, backpacks and empty drink bottles to be used as spit cups later. Fishing rods and lures, extra oil for the truck, and McDonalds sausage biscuit wrappers in the floorboard. A Hank Williams Jr. CD (one with the song, A Country Boy Can Survive), extra dog collars, turkey calls, duck calls, grunt calls and three or four extra flashlights. This vehicle dons aggressive grip tires for inclement weather and muddy terrain and a trailer hitch for pulling a boat. The hunter needs not worry about missing days afield because of bad weather, for this vehicle is also equipped with 4-wheel drive. It will push through water and brush, and bang up against trees and rocks without fear of losing its dollar value. In fact, the added dents and dings give it character – evidence that it is fulfilling its purpose. To the hunter who owns this heap of metal, it only becomes more beautiful with such war-wounded blemishes. No, the truck is not much to look at, but it is extremely valuable to its owner.

That old truck has a very special purpose. And guess what, so do you. God has never created anything without a purpose. Colossians 1:16 says: “For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible…everything got started in God and finds its purpose in him” (The Message). God has shaped you in a special way. You are unique. God can use you: dents, scars and rusty quarter panels and all, to serve Him in ministry. He made you for a mission to tell others about the love of Christ. You may have reservations. You may think that you’re not properly equipped. Don’t be afraid. It’s common to feel like you can’t be used or that you are just not good enough to be used by God. Nothing could be further from the truth. He has probably equipped you more than you realize. Equipped just like that old huntin’ truck, complete with a powerful 4-wheel drive to push through the rubbish of life and the traction to pull up the mountain from the valley. You come complete with a hitch to pull others along with you who are marred up in struggles on ground that you’ve driven through before. You may think you’re just common. Not much to look at and beat up from a past. However, like that old truck, you are extremely valuable to the owner, GOD. God can use you! Let him – ‘cause God don’t make no junk!

Read below to learn more about your SHAPE for ministry.

YOUR TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE

Discovering Your SHAPE for Ministry

God has uniquely shaped everyone He has saved to serve Him. We serve God by serving other people. At Cornerstone, we call it your S.H.A.P.E., and it’s your special fit for ministry.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

Note the two underlined words. The first, “workmanship,” is a translation of the Greek word, “poema.” It’s obvious that we get our English word, “poem,” from this word. In addition to “workmanship,” it can also be translated, “masterpiece.” The word has the idea of a unique creation; not something made by cookie-cutter. God has made each of us uniquely different so that all that He wants accomplished on the earth can be done.

The word “good works” is another word for “ministry.” The Bible is communicating the idea that our unique design is for the purpose of carrying out God’s plan on the earth. These “ministries” include both actions within the church AND the things we do outside of the church – roles as a spouse, parent, deeds, vocations, etc.

You need to understand your S.H.A.P.E.

Spiritual Gifts – When you are born-again, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit gives you a supernatural gift or gifts to enable you fulfill God’s unique purposes for your life. Often times, this spiritual gift will complement your natural talents. For example, if you can sing, that is a talent; you were born with ability. But when you become a Christian, God may give you the spiritual gift of evangelism. And now, when you sing, people become convicted of their need to receive Christ as Savior. We will help you discover your gifts.

Heart – God has made you the way He wants you to be made. He has given you a unique emotional heartbeat. There are things that interest you that don’t interest others; there are things that move you to tears that have little or no effect on others. God has given you the heart you have to use to serve Him. Ask yourself, “What things move me with passion?” Is it seeing children taught the Bible? Youth giving their testimonies? These are keys to your heart-shape.

Abilities – Some people have natural abilities with words – they were born talking. Others have athletic abilities. Some can sing. Some people have the ability to make people feel comfortable by simply being outgoing and quickly offering a hand. God has given everyone of us some abilities to use for Him. He wants all of our abilities used for His glory. And He doesn’t want us to look at others’ abilities and feel like we were shorted. God wants you to use your abilities to serve others.

Personality – There is no right or wrong personality for serving God. Some people are quiet; some are loud. Some people are outgoing; some are introverted. Some love to laugh; some are very serious. God wants you to serve “with the grain” of your personality. When you have to do something that requires an unnatural personality, you will become frustrated. God made you to be you!

Experiences – Think of the road your life has traveled. You have experiences that are unique to you. Your experiences are: your family, education, vocational, spiritual, ministry, and pain and struggles. God wants to use all of these to prepare you for ministry. The last category, pain and struggles, is the surprising area that God most wants to use in your life. And, interestingly, we often think that it is the area that disqualifies us.

Nothing could be further from the truth. For example, who can better comfort a women whose husband dies than another woman who has been through the same experience? Who can better relate to a drug addict than the recovering addict who has been there? God, by way of His supernatural grace, wants to use your most painful, shameful hurt for His glory and the good of other people.

You will be most successful, most fulfilled, and most effective when you use your S.H.A.P.E. for ministry.
How has God uniquely shaped you?

2008-09-15T18:26:00.002-04:00

Romans 12:1

September 3rd Podcast

2008-09-04T05:58:00.001-04:00

Shout outs galore! Opening of deer season, geese, the wilderness and other musings by the Heart of a Sportsman guys.

Lodge Creek Calls

2008-08-27T22:24:00.002-04:00

Featuring Joe Finney, Scott Isley and Lodge Creek Calls.

Listen Now.

Fishing with a Mission: Combat Style

2008-08-22T16:48:00.005-04:00

Fishing with a Mission: Combat Style

The lady evidently felt a tug on the line and went to set the hook on a Red Salmon along the mighty Russian River. The only problem was that her brightly colored red fly was hooked in my left hand. Unknowingly (I assume) she jerked on the line and soon realized that she had hooked a 180-pound North Carolinian wearing a camo hat and a backpack. I quickly pulled the hook from my hand and tried to smile through my watery eyes as I handed her hook back to her. I felt like it would be a good idea at this point to move to another spot down stream. Along the way I met up with Mark Ridenhour who was headed the same way and we soon encountered a large grizzly bear patrolling the stream looking for something to eat. I’d heard that sometimes mission work can be dangerous, but this was not what kind of danger I expected.

Each summer, Alaskans and fishermen from all over the world descend on certain Alaskan rivers to catch a variety of salmon species as the swim up stream to spawn. Once these summer salmon runs begin the banks are literally lined with people standing shoulder-to-shoulder attempting to land these gilled beasts. This kind of fishing was very different to me and it actually took a while to get used to it. People often refer to this particular type of fishing as “combat fishing.” One man said that it resembles “a crowded subway station in the Bronx.” With all the fishermen standing in such close proximity to one another and hooks whizzing back and forth, it’s not unusual for people to get hooked in the ear, nose, head or hand as I can attest to. I read that the hospital in Soldotna, Alaska actually has a human silhouette hanging in the emergency room where they place all the hooks that they remove from combat fishermen each year; and there are many!

The Heart of a Sportsman fellas headed to the “last frontier” of Alaska with a mission. The mission was to fish, however, not “fish” in the normal sportsman sense of the word, but fish for men. Our objective was to help break down stereotypes of what a Christian, especially of what a Christian man is. So many men believe that to be a Christian means giving up your manhood. They think once you become a follower of Christ, you must become a wimpy nice guy who has no adventurous spirit and that you must flee from any kind of confrontation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus was definitely not that way. Hoping to begin dispelling these misconceptions we hung out with guys along the stream, formed friendships, engaged others in conversations while handing out DVD’s and giving away fishing lures. All the while forming relationships and building on relationships that had already begun by the teams before us. We even had the opportunity to personally share what a life following Jesus was all about with a few men.

Jesus asked us to follow Him and he would make us fishers men. I guess that’s what fishing with a mission is all about. We had a wonderful time on this awesome adventure and I trust that as we continue to follow Christ daily, he will transform us into better fishermen. FISH ON!!!

Matthew 4:19

Jeremy B. Harrill

FOXNews.com - Man Makes Record Catch With Barbie Fishing Rod - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

2008-08-21T11:02:00.000-04:00

Don't spend all that money on that new G-Loomis Rod!

FOXNews.com - Man Makes Record Catch With Barbie Fishing Rod - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

Back In Cleveland

2008-08-20T21:57:00.001-04:00

We are back home, jet-lag, Dog ear rubber bands, Pastor Mack and Cookin Keith Sell, the wildlife wild man!

Listen Now.

The Podcast is huge....Check out the Poll

2008-08-19T14:16:00.006-04:00

OK, we had no idea how big the podcast was going to be, we have a massive listener base of 14.5 people tuning in...man this thing is worldwide. We also still have no idea what we are doing, basically we just start talking and well....it shows! We were toying around with the idea of having a theme song for the ministry and we took some requests and made a poll on the side bar. Now if you hate the selections you may make another one in the comment box on this post or email us. Either way, we are too un-creative (is that a word?) to come up with one on our own. We appreciate your input. We'll put our crack creative team together as we meticulously evaluate all the intro music suggestions and a winner will be picked in 1 week. The person who submits the best suggestion will get a major award...or a really cool shout out on the podcast which will make them famous on the internets for all eternity!

We'll be putting up another podcast this week so be on the lookout for one on itunes or here!

Live from Salt Lake City

2008-08-18T18:53:00.003-04:00

Our last Alaska Podcast, short but sweet with our new snowboarding friend, Greg Bombeck. We met him on the plane from Anchorage to Salt Lake City. We spent an hour with this bright young man who is pursuing the Living God and just had to interview him. Now we'll start once a week podcasts so your inbox won't be so full, thanks for listening!

Listen Now

The Wayne Myers Interview

2008-08-18T06:16:00.000-04:00

The last official podcast from Alaska with our most hilarious guest yet, cattle rancher, knife maker, and all around good guy, Wayne Myers!

Listen Now

The Ron and Robbie Interview

2008-08-18T06:13:00.001-04:00

Walking with Jesus, Cod Catching, Halibut off shore and sportsmen Ron Ridenhour and Robbie Fero in this podcast recorded live in Kenai, Alaska.

Listen now.

Podcast Delayed

2008-08-17T07:12:00.000-04:00

If you're wondering where the latest podcast is from the guys, well, it's been delayed a bit. However, don't worry! The last two podcasts should be up tomorrow night. Thank you for all the support you've shown the guys on their trip, and keep an eye out for their last installment!

Campfire Podcast

2008-08-15T07:24:00.001-04:00

The campfire addition of the Heart of a Sportsman Podcast recorded live from the banks of the Russian River, special guests, outdoorsmen Shane Brock, Trent Smith and Scott Isely along with Pastor Mack who has a new nickname!

Listen Now

Fridays Podcast

2008-08-15T07:23:00.001-04:00

Interviews with Spring, Abby and Brenda, missionaries in Alaksa, and a bonus....the top ten list of things not to do when your man goes on a man trip.

Listen Now

Bear Day

2008-08-14T06:35:00.001-04:00

Jeremy and Brad talk about the day of seeing bears and building relationships.

Listen Now

Live From The Shack

2008-08-14T06:34:00.001-04:00

The heart of a sportsman podcast recorded at 3500 ft at the base of a glacier lake in the Shack!

Listen Now

Tuesday In Alaska

2008-08-14T06:32:00.000-04:00

Special guests today outdoorsman Mark Ridenhour and Charlie Parnell, guitar maker. Both guys following Jesus in Alaska.

Listen Now

Live From Alaska: Aubrey Interview

2008-08-12T07:17:00.000-04:00

Fishing with a mission in Alaska. Its the first full day of fishing and building relationships, seeing bears, catching salmon and a great time with guest Aubrey Junker. More to follow!

Listen.

Live in Alaska: Day 1

2008-08-11T18:06:00.001-04:00

Another podcast from the Heart of a Sportsman guys!

Click to listen.

Live From Alaska - Arrival

2008-08-11T13:16:00.000-04:00

Hey!
Sarah here!
Letting you all know that The Heart of a Sportsman group has put up their first at-destination podcast!

Give it a listen!
Heart of a Sportsman - Live From Alaska - The Arrival

Gone Fishin Again: Podcast #2...Off to Alaska!

2008-08-07T20:15:00.000-04:00

Gone Fishin Again: Podcast #2...Off to Alaska!

Oh my goodness, those hicks can Podcast!

2008-08-03T14:58:00.001-04:00

Its amazing but true, Jeremy and I have with the help of our techno diva Sarah, figured out how to do a Podcast. I know what your thinking, those guys have absolutely no idea what they are doing, and you'd be right! We are going to give it our best shot. We recorded the first installment today live from the T.A.G. room and it should be pretty dad gum amazing. Sarah has it posted now so get your ipods and ear buds and all that other techno jazz up and running and come and listen! We'll be broadcasting from Alaska next week, with special appearances by world famous anglers like Shane Brock, Robbie Fero and a cast of dozens! So without further ado, here it is, hope you enjoy it! Just click here or on the title of this post!

Amol slays the Gobbler

2008-07-10T23:37:00.000-04:00

I went to India on a mission trip back in 2000 with my buddy Clayton King to work at an orphanage and teach at a pastors conference. While there I met a young Indian named Amol Pawar. He was getting married to a young lady named Rachel from Bakersville NC. She had given her life to mission work, met and fell in love with Amol. We attended their wedding and it was glorious!
We stayed in touch with Rachel and Amol and they started an orphanage on their own in Amol's hometown. Periodically they come back to the States to bring awareness to the minisitry and to raise support to care for the nearly 50 kids they house there. This past spring a friend from Kentucky took Amol on his first hunting trip ever.

Now most of us who hunt turkeys know how difficult it can be. Some guys hunt for many seasons without bagging one. I was shutout this year and so were alot of my friends. Amol as God would have it, would not go that route. On his very first hunt and very first time he ever pulled the trigger on a shotgun nailed this huge gobbler that you see in this picture. Let me give you the stats. It weighed 26lbs, it had a 12.5" beard and 1.5" spurs! Holy Moly! He told me he was so scared he could barely even raise the gun.

What a blessing from God that this faithful man, faithful to God's call on his life got to go hunting in America and take a trophy turkey. He and his family had it for lunch that day!

Amol and Rachel are amazing people following and even more amazing God. I am inspired just being around him. On Thursday, July 17th, Amol will be at Cornerstone Baptist Church in the evening to share with us about his mission in India. I hope many of you will come by and meet him. Maybe he'll tell you about this turkey!

To God be the Glory!

Brad

Conquering Everest

2008-07-09T20:48:00.000-04:00

I had barely caught my breath from plummeting down a massive hill when I opened my eyes to see that the track in front of me had been destroyed. I nearly pushed a hole in the floor beneath my feet in a feeble attempt to stop the vehicle from jumping off the side of the mountain. Just before jumping into oblivion, the vehicle stopped – along with my heart! I had just enough time to make one of those “God-deals.” You know, one of those deals where I promised God that if he would get me off this ride alive, I’d be a better person. As quickly as I could make the deal and begin to suck all available oxygen to re-inflate my lungs, the roller coaster started its decent, only backwards this time, toward the hard asphalt hundreds of feet below. I tried to think of scripture to comfort me, and all that would come to mind was, “My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me.”

When we had finally finished the ride, I tried to regain my composure. As I sat there my color began to come back as my vital organs decided to spare the blood it had so recently stockpiled. I checked and quickly realized that I had not soiled my britches and I began to shake out my stiffened arms that had been placed under extreme stress from gripping the handrails. I limped away with my chest stuck out, thinking, “I’m one bad dude.” I believe I was even able to muster up the broken words to my son, “You see, boy, that wasn’t all that bad was it!”

I don’t do roller coasters and I’m afraid of heights. Get me above my 15’ deer stand with safety harness and I’m out of my element. Riding this roller coaster was totally out of my character. Having said that, you may be asking, “Why did you do it then?” Well, I told my son, Cade (pictured above) on our recent vacation to Disney World that if he would ride Disney’s new roller coaster, “Everest,” then I would too. By now you already know what his horrific answer was.

When the feeling came back to my body and I reflected on what had just happened, I was so proud that I had done it. Had it not been for my son, you would have never gotten me near that roller coaster. It was totally out of my character and way out of my comfort zone. Because of my son, I was able to experience “Everest” and subsequently enjoy many of Disney’s other adventurous rides on our vacation.

We all have our own “Everest’s.” I surely have many, the least of which is a roller coaster. For many Christians, a major Everest to conquer is the fear of sharing your faith with an unbeliever. It’s also more difficult for some to step away from the familiarity of home and venture to a place far away where things are different and tell others about Jesus. Just like my son, who helped me overcome some recent roller coaster fears, there is another “son” that helps us ascend these mighty Everests in our lives. This August, 15 of our HOS fellas are facing these two fears head on and venturing to Alaska to share the Good News of Jesus. It’s the 2nd Annual HOS mission trip, the first mission trip ever for many of the guys. Our hope is that others will come to know the hope and love found in Christ and we as men will continue to discover the life of adventure and thrills that come with a life with the “son.”

"The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life."
1 John 5:13-13

Snow Bird Trout Camp

2008-06-23T19:28:00.000-04:00

Deep in the heart of Nantahalah National Forest light gave way to darkness as night fell on the Heart of a Sportsman fishing camp. As the temperature dropped you could literally hear the music from the movie Deliverance being plucked out on a banjo by our buddy (and comedian) Bruce LaRue. There we were (Mark Ridenhour, Shane Brock, Kevin Simon, Nick Jones, Bruce LaRue and me) sitting by the campfire warming our hands on the first ever HOS Trout Fishing Adventure Trip along Snow Bird Creek. And it was just that: an ADVENTURE. Colder than anticipated temperatures, rain on the first day, hard to find camp sites, blown out tires, monster trout, improvising to cook (because someone forgot to bring the cooking stuff), leaky waders, slipping on rocks and falling in the stream, and meeting some really cool folks made for an interesting time to say the least.

We caught lots of trout and some were enormous. Mark and Shane literally put on a fishing clinic on Friday evening and Saturday morning. We definitely ate better because of them. After a morning of hard fishing on Saturday we were returning to camp for lunch and a tire blew out on LaRue’s vehicle, right there in the middle of Wilderness, USA. We knew that we had to get something done, because we had rough roads to cross, a 4-hour drive home, and tomorrow was Sunday and nothing would be open. Bruce and I set out for town and quickly found out that everything shuts down after lunch on Saturday in Graham County. We limped into town and found a place called Ellers Service Station. The mechanic looked everywhere, made calls and tried everything he could to find the right size tire but to no avail. Now, we were on our way on the “doughnut tire” through the mountains to another town nearly 40 minutes away. I’ll admit I was a little worried, especially when the axle started making this crazy banging noise every half mile. We decided to turn around and eventually found our way back to Ellers on our literal last leg. Thankfully the store was still open and a quest was started by the mechanics to get us back on track. Here’s where the story takes an unusual twist. We were desperate. Vulnerable. Between a rock and a hard spot you might say. The mechanic knew this and we held our breath as we waited to hear the damage (to the pocket book). But, instead of taking advantage of our misfortune, the mechanic worked tirelessly to try to save Bruce money. At one point we even heard the guys talking about “stealing” a used tire from the lot of someone else down the road just to get us on our way. Finally, they figured out how to get us on our way safely. While we were waiting on the work to get done, a very nice older man came in and we struck up a conversation. He noticed the shirts we were wearing that donned the HOS logo and after a while he asked us what church we were affiliated with. We told him and we talked for a while and with tears in his eye he asked us to pray for his daughter, “Cookie”, a 37 year old with 2 kids who has terminal cancer. Wow! We thought we were having a bad day. Bruce summed it up great on the drive home when he said that that man’s story really puts things in perspective. It sure does. Our situation didn’t even compare.

Bruce said another thing that will always stick in my mind on the winding ride back to camp. He said that he’s found in his 51 years of life that a good philosophy to live by is to “make the most of the best and the least of the worst.” On this trip we had done just that. We caught lots of fish and we ate ‘em, and they were good. We had some bad stuff happen, but put into perspective, they were opportunities to meet new people and have an experience of kindness that restores your faith in humanity.

As the fire popped and crackled on our last night in camp, we talked about the events of this “adventure” and the adventure called life. We talked about the trials of life and read from Philippians, which incidentally was written by Paul who was experiencing a trail of his own by being unjustly imprisoned. It was nice. When I zipped up my sleeping bag and was serenaded by the rushing trout stream, I thought of “Deliverance” again, but this time, without the banjo music, but to the tune of God’s grace. Thank God tonight for what he has given you, especially His son Jesus. Also, pray for Cookie and that she is delivered from the grip of cancer. God is an awesome God!

“For you, O Lord, have delivered
my soul from death, my eyes from
tears, my feet from stumbling, that I
may walk before the Lord in the land
of the living.” Psalm 116

Jeremy B. Harrill

First time!

2008-04-26T16:20:00.000-04:00

Recently I had the privilege and honor of taking someone hunting for the first time. Darrin Jordan, a friend of mine is no stranger to the outdoors. He had been known to “sore-lip” a trout with a dry fly on many occasions, however had never taken to the woods with heavy artillery in hand. Darrin had recently taken a Hunter Education course and thought he would like to put to use what he had learned so I obliged with an offer to turkey hunt. He accepted, and agreed to trade the suit and tie for camo and a 12-gauge shotgun for a mid-week hunt.

We hadn’t been in the woods long when we heard several old Toms thundering off in the distance in the early morning light. Their gobbles shook the treetops. I believe that Darrin got excited at this point. The gobblers decided not to cooperate at his point so we made a tactical retreat to another set-up. They must have liked what they heard then because they started heading our way. After several minutes of silence, they finally appeared – 3 Toms looking for love. The gobbler out front came within range but never offered a clear shot. I was an emotional wreck. With my heart pounding in my chest, I could already see my friend posing with his first turkey in front of the camera. And then it was over – the gobbler just walked away resisting to come back at my feeble attempts to call out to him with yelps, cuts, clucks and purrs. Darrin did a good job. He decided not to take a shot that many hunters would have tried to make. I guess he was paying attention in the Hunter Education class after all – “only take good clean shots that deliver a quick, ethical kill.” Not long after all this happened, I heard Darrin call his secretary and tell her to cancel his evening appointments because he was going to be hunting. I think he may trade that fly rod for a turkey vest and some decoys.

Later in the day, as I reflected on our day of hunting and Darrin’s first hunting experience, I couldn’t help but think of another first time. The time when I first realized that I was a sinner in need of a savior. It was during my college days that I found out that being a Christian was not about being “religious,” but about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Up until that point in my life, I believed that being good was what it was all about. I was a “good guy.” I was nice. I didn’t cuss, or drink, or kill people. Then, I realized that no matter how good I was, I couldn’t be good enough. If I could, Jesus would have never had to die on the cross. I realized for the first time that God loved me so much that he sent his son to die for my sins and that He desired a relationship with me. Then and there, I decided to accept God’s free gift of his son Jesus. The good news is that Jesus didn’t just die for me, he died for you too. If you don’t know Jesus as your savior, why not try Him for the first time today.

We had a great time hunting, but I must admit that I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to help Darrin get his first turkey. Since he didn’t get one, I guess we’ll just have to go hunting again. It was a beautiful day – perfect for turkey hunting. I will always remember something that Darrin said while hunting during the day. While we were trying to locate another lovesick bird, we were talking about the wonderful weather and Darrin said, “It would be a beautiful day to kill a turkey.” The fact of the matter is that any day is a beautiful day to kill a turkey – Amen!

Jeremy B. Harrill

Close Shave!

2008-04-14T14:44:00.000-04:00

Joe Finney and the “Gillette” Gobbler

When I answered my phone early this morning I heard a humming of the music to that old song “Another one bites the dust.” I instantly knew that another bird must have gobbled its last gobble. Sho nuff, Joe Finney had dropped the hammer on a nice Tom and was calling to share the story. I love hearing interesting hunting stories from my buddies and I must admit that this story was interesting to say the least. I noticed while I was listening to his story, he never said anything about the bird’s beard. When I inquired about how long the Tom’s beard was I heard a chuckle on the other end of the line and then a pause, followed by an interesting response – “I shot it off,” Joe said.

Evidently the bird popped up about 20 steps from the end of Joe’s gun barrel. It quickly found himself on the receiving end of some #5 turkey shot and in the process got a shave at no extra cost.

It just seems fitting that this Big Tom is given a name. After all, all extraordinary whitetail kills are given names to distinguish them from one another. All deer hunters will recognize the “Hanson Buck” or the “Hole-in-the-Horn Buck.” I’m sure that if this gobbler still had a beard it would be impressive and surely be a record book bird. I can hear the stories now. I bet each time the story gets told, the turkey’s beard will get bigger and bigger. When thinking of a name, one came to mind that just had to be it. “The Gillette Gobbler.” Remember Gillette, the shaving company. They prided themselves on being able to give a man the closest shave that a man could get. Our good friend Joe knows exactly what they were talking about in those commercials, but he doesn’t need a razor, just one round of 12 gauge turkey load. Congratulations Joe. “Gillette, the best a man (I mean turkey) can get.”

Gobble Gobble!

2008-04-14T07:35:00.000-04:00

The turkey killin’ has begun. Opening day of the spring turkey season started this past weekend and many were hunkered down next to a tree during the wee hours of the morning with shotgun in hand. I was unsuccessful in my attempt to bag a Tom, but a few of the HOS fellas put some lead in the heads of a couple “thunder chickens.” Kirk Fessler (pictured) and Shane Brock got the season started off right by each waxing a bird on opening day. I can’t wait to hear the stories.

This is one of my favorite times of year. After being introduced to my first “gobble” a little over 10 years ago, spring has had new meaning for me, and life had a new purpose – chasing after longbeards! Those of you who turkey hunt know what I’m talking about. There’s nothing like hearing that ‘ole Tom thunder off at your calls. Then, knowing that you’ve found a love sick strutter and he’s headed your way, your heart races. The spitting and drumming, the strutting, the double and triple gobble all send your heart into overdrive and chills up your spine. Finally, you send lead down range and send the gobbler “home to glory” with one pull of the trigger. What excitement!

All experienced turkey hunters know that turkey hunting can be as frustrating as it is exciting. These wary birds can be hard to figure out sometimes. They’ll gobble their heads off one day, only to be tight-lipped the next. Once you think you’ve got them figured out, they throw you for a loop and do something different. It seems like each time I go into the turkey woods I get another education in gobblerology. When it comes to matters of turkey hunting I guess we really like not knowing what to expect from the birds. It makes it thrilling, keeps it interesting and keeps us coming back to the woods with our slate calls and strikers. However, when it comes to spiritual matters it’s awesome to know that as a Christian we serve a God that is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He loved us so much that He died for us yesterday. He loves us that same amount today and He’ll love us that much tomorrow – in spite of who we are. God is good!

Jeremy B. Harrill

“That’s a Good Name”

2008-03-10T20:18:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago the Heart of a Sportsman fellas took part in one of the dog gone coolest events in North Carolina, the annual Southeastern Treeing Walker Days. The Rowan County Fairgrounds played host to coon hunters from over half of the United States. There was more Carhart bibs, camouflage, 4 wheel drive trucks, hunting dogs and spit cups than you could ever imagine in one place. Needless to say, we felt right at home.

Proverbs 22:1 says, “a good name is better than great riches.” I know that this verse of scripture is talking more about the person behind the name than the name itself, but I couldn’t help but think of this verse while I was reading a list of the names of coonhounds in the Walker Days hunting competition. Coon dogs have really cool names! Hardwood Elvis, Goose Creek Slammer, Bolt Action Reverend Jones just to name a few. Now those are good names! Although these names caught my attention, to the seasoned coon hunter they are nothing really special, just run-of-the-mill names. However, I did learn that there was a name that would particularly cause a cooner to raise an eyebrow. A special name that would cause a seasoned coon hunter to stop in mid spit and swallow his ‘baccer juice when he heard it. The name seemed to demand attention. The name was “Yadkin River.” Whether it is Yadkin River Pete, Yadkin River Joe or Yadkin River Jinx, any dog that had the Yadkin River title was special. Collectively called Yadkin River Dogs, dogs from this bloodline seem to be a cut above other coonhounds. They have the amazing ability to sniff out and tree coons with incredible speed and ease. The bloodline has produced more champion coon dogs than one could ever count. To many in the world of coon hunting, Yadkin River is the name above all names. I guess you could actually say that in the coon dog world, “a good name can mean great riches,” cause often times the puppies from these hounds bring thousands of dollars when sold.

While thinking about the cool names that coon dogs have, another name came to mind - the name of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us in Acts 4:12 that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." After putting your hope and trust in Jesus, you belong to an amazing bloodline. Romans 8:16 even say that when we accept Christ, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” It’s an amazing bloodline to be a part of that comes with great riches: forgiveness and eternal life. Now that’s a name above all names!

Jeremy B. Harrill

Nice Rack

2008-03-05T17:53:00.000-05:00

Our boy Shane shows off a behemoth monster Whitetail rack at the Dixie Deer Classic in Raleigh NC. I'm going to get my food plot going right now!

Hop in!

2008-02-19T08:15:00.000-05:00

“Hop In”
I had a sick feeling in my stomach. My hands were sweaty and I could barely hear the voice over the beat of the heart pounding in my chest. I won’t lie, I was nervous as he asked me to “hop in the car.” I took a deep breath and stepped into the passenger side of the State Trooper’s patrol vehicle. After I sat down the Trooper told me to make sure I was buckled in good. Those words made me more than a little uncomfortable. No, I wasn’t getting a speeding ticket but participating in some specialized high speed driving as part of my law enforcement training. Once I was buckled in, we were racing around the track at unbelievable speeds. I had never gone that fast before, especially in curves. It felt as if the car was going to come out from under us at any moment and we would spin out of control crashing into the trees. This dude driving was crazy, I thought! It took me a while to catch my breath, and to trust the instructor, but once I did it was awesome and a time that I will never forget. I’m so glad that I got in the car for that wild ride.
I was watching a movie with my son a week or so ago and was reminded of my high-speed experience. We were watching the movie Transformers, which is about these cars and trucks that turn or transform into robots. Of course, there are good transformers and bad ones and the movie is about the classic battle of good and evil. The main character, early in the movie is terrified to learn that his car is a transformer. The boy and a friend of his watch as his car has a fierce battle with another transformer. After watching his car defeat the other transformer, it drives over and opens the door asking them to “hop in.” One of the characters asks the question, “ Do you think we should get in?” Then the boy responded by saying, “If you don’t, in 50 years you’ll look back and wish you had the guts to get in that car.”
What a statement! I think we all, no matter what age, wished we had done some things that we were asked to do for God’s glory, but didn’t for some reason or other. I’m not talking about just anything, but those things that the Holy Spirit put on our heart. If you are a believer you know what I’m talking about. You know, the time that you felt overwhelmed to help someone or to talk to someone about his or her faith, and didn’t. Do you remember the time that you felt the urges in your heart to join a small group at church? The time you almost said that you would teach a class or help the youth group. The time that you were asked to give your testimony but didn’t because you were afraid. The thoughts you had of starting some kind of ministry, but convinced yourself that no one would be interested and you weren’t good enough. I’ve sure had those feelings in my life, more times than I care to admit. I’ve often chosen to watch instead of ride with Jesus, so to speak. We have opportunities to get in and ride with Him, but don’t for all kinds of reasons.
We may often wish that we could go back and do some of those things that we turned down or rejected, but guess what? I can hear the gravel popping under the tires as the 4-wheel drive comes down the dirt road and is headed your way. What are you gonna do when the truck stops this time, and the door opens and you hear the voice of Jesus saying “hop in.” I can bet that your hands will be sweaty and your heart will pound in your chest. You may even think that the driver is crazy asking you to go along. After all, you and I are not equipped to do big-time “Jesus stuff.” No, we’re not, but He is and He wants to use you to glorify Him. He gave you your personality, your likes and dislikes, your skills and abilities. He can even use all that bad stuff from our past to bring others to Him. Who knows where that truck will take you along life’s highway? Have the guts to get in. God has a great adventure mapped out, if you’ll trust Him and hop in. If you do decide to get in, you won’t regret it. So lock in the hubs and buckle up, man, it’s gonna be a wild ride!

Jeremy B. Harrill

PS – I know that Jesus had to have been a good ole’ boy because he hung around fishermen all the time. That’s why I can imagine Him in a 4 -wheel drive. I bet he would even have a horn on that truck just like the one in the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard. Duh na nuh nuh nuh , nuh nuh nuh nuh na !!!!

The Duck Commander

2008-02-15T09:47:00.000-05:00

The Duck Commander
Have you ever been to a Billy Graham Crusade or seen one on TV? He is awesome! He is known around the world as a man of God who preaches the Gospel to all who will listen. At the end of his sermons he will always give an “alter call” where flocks of people come to the stage and pray to ask Jesus Christ as Savior. After he issues the alter call, he ask a simple question. “Want you come, want you come?” And people do – they answer the call.
I thought of this recently when a friend of mine, Nick Jones, asked me to go to see Phil Robertson who was speaking in Conway, SC. You may know Phil better as “The Duck Commander.” He’s like the Billy Graham of duck hunting. He eats, sleeps and breaths duck hunting and he’s a killing machine from the duck blind. A follower of Christ, Phil Robertson was born with a gift to sound like a duck. He has his own line of duck calls that set the standard in the duck calling industry. When he blows on his duck call, it’s like he’s giving that Billy Graham alter call to the ducks saying, “Want you come.” And they do… by the hundreds.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go with Nick, but he told me all about the great time he had. It turns out that people got to hear more calls than just those of mallards and wood ducks when the Duck Commander got up to speak. He also spoke of the call of Jesus and the invitation for all men to follow Him. How cool is that! Nick hasn’t stopped smiling since he got back and I wouldn’t swear to it, but I think he’s even started growing his own Duck Commander beard.
“Arise, kill and eat.”
Acts 10:13

LOOKING FOR A “FIX”

2008-01-22T07:14:00.000-05:00

LOOKING FOR A “FIX”

Doctors say, and many people can attest to the fact that drugs can take control of a person. Drugs can make a person do crazy things that “normal people” just don’t do. I’ve heard it said that thoughts of when and where your next “fix” will come from obsess your mind. I’ve heard that it only takes using certain drugs one time and you are hooked forever. Now I’m not a doctor, or psychologist, and I’ve never been on drugs, therefore I’ve never totally understood the “how’s” and “why’s” of these addictions…UNTIL a few days ago!

It all started one foggy morning when a friend of mine named Joe Finney took me on a duck hunt. We got up at dark-thirty and proceeded to wade chest deep in the dark through frigid swamp water. We made it to our hunting spot, set the decoys in place and then waited for the ducks to cooperate. During the hunt I made some new friends and hunting buddies including Joe who I’ve already mentioned, Matt Stanly, and Matt Benfield. These guys were experienced, hardcore duck hunters. We had a great time tellin’ lies, laughing at each other falling in the miry swamp, and we even got to pull the trigger on a few ducks.

Being a rookie duck hunter, I had some important lessons to learn. One lesson that I quickly learned was to always keep your eyes on the sky. Just looking up at the tree line around the edge of the swamp wasn’t good enough. You must look up – almost to the point of getting a crick in you neck. The ducks that we hunted dropped out of the foggy sky like feathered rockets. If you’re not focused on the sky it just happens - they seem to materialize out of thin air and you miss your chance only to hear them break the sound barrier as they pass. At that point it’s over and there’s nothing you can do!

After this happened the first time, I realized that there was a great life lesson there in the midst of that flooded timber. If I can just keep my eyes on “the sky,” focusing on God, I’ll always stand ready for whatever life drops out of the fog. All too often I take my attention off Him and miss out on His perfect will for my life. Fortunately for us, God is a God of second (and third and forth etc.) chances. If we just look up we can get back on target, and pull the trigger on living life to the fullest – the way God wants us to.

Now, when I lay my head on the pillow at night, I see ducks flying over the decoys. I wonder where and when I’ll get my next feathered “fix.” I just can’t wait to get out my shotgun and stick my feet back in the freezing swamp water. I’m hooked after only one hunt. Imagine that!

“Hello, my name is Jeremy and I am a Quack-addict.” However, I’m not alone. There are others who taste the gunpowder and smell the swamp water when they close their eyes. I guess we’ll just have to help each other through it – cause that’s what hunting buddies do. Thanks for the hunt fellas – KEEP LOOKING UP!

Keep your eyes on the Lord!

You will shine like the sun

and never blush with shame.

I was a nobody, but I prayed,

And the Lord saved me from all my troubles.

Psalm 34:4-6 (CEV)

Jeremy Harrill

"Dad....I'd rather go coon hunting"

2008-01-18T23:53:00.000-05:00

Man, that critter is bigger than my son Jack! I (Brad) am away from town this weekend. Seems like between the Army and preaching and teaching I'm away from home way too much. I'm up in Gatlinburg for the Crossroads Winter Conference (www.crossroadsworldwide.com). Its a great weekend for high school and college students. Jack was supposed to go with us this year and hang out with all the staff from Crossroads and get to be a "big guy" for a few days. But last weekend, Jack came to the realization that some things are just more important. He found out that the HOS guys were taking a bunch of young boys on a coon hunt and it was on like a neck bone. Jack very calmly said to me, "Dad, I'd rather go coon hunting with the guys." Now a part of me was hurt, but a bigger part of me was proud. He made his own decision. He chose to do something outside of his normal box. And the proof is in the pictures. He didn't shoot it, but he was there, stomping through the underbrush, in the dark listening for the drone of a coon dog with a bunch of men. It don't get much better than that. I just hate I wasn't there with them. Way to go guys, can't wait till the next one.

Rabbit Boxes!

2007-12-06T08:07:00.001-05:00

The guys at my church had a great little event for the little guys this week. They helped all the boys build cedar rabbit boxes. A rabbit box is a wooden trap to catch anything that that will crawl into it and try eat whatever bait you have in there. The door stays open until there is a critter caught. I'm in an Army school at FT Bragg until February so I couldn't be there to help but my buddy Jeremy sent these great photos. They used the traps to teach the boys a lesson from proverbs. I talked to my son, Jack, last night and asked him about the trap. He said he was going to catch some squirrels and some rabbits. When asked what he would do with his prey he said, "Well, if I catch some squirrels I'll let them go, but if I catch some rabbits I'll kill them and skin them and make a hat and some stew." I can't wait for that one! I'd like to thank all the men at Cornerstone Baptist church. You have all been instrumental in helping father my son while I am often gone serving our country. I am so grateful that my friends have come along side my son to provide some amazing teaching moments for him. Thanks especially to Gary Mosely who every week takes a few hours to mentor all the little guys in our church. Now all we need to do is catch a few rabbits!

Stinky Boy and the Scent Rule

2007-11-19T13:56:00.001-05:00

Stinky Boy and the Scent Rule

I was sitting in my hunting blind when I heard what I thought was that familiar sound. The crunch of leaves and twigs under the hoof of a deer. I readied my bow and prepared myself to draw. I sat there for several minutes and finally decided that because it was still very early in the season my ears had not yet been fully calibrated to detect the sounds of woodland critters. The curiosity killed me, so I quietly leaned forward to take a peek out the side window of the blind. BUSTED!!! There she was, a big, fat doe peering into the blind where I sat. I don’t know who was more surprised, she or I. I could almost see my reflection in her big, brown glossy eyes. She nearly tripped over her own hooves as she ran away. The last thing I saw was her long white tail waving back and forth. As she faded into the forest, she made a loud blowing noise as if to tell all the other deer that stinky man in the camo tent-thingy was in the woods. I was quickly reminded of one of deer hunting’s biggest rules: the scent rule. I was reminded again a week or so later when I heard another deer blowing after it winded me. As it ran off blowing, reminding all that lived in the forest that “stinky boy” was back; I couldn’t help but drop my head in frustration.

We hunters stink! We literally stink. A deer’s nose is hundreds of times better at detecting scent than a human’s nose is. There are those that say that deer hunting is not fair and I would agree. God gave deer such a good sniffer that it is not at all fair to the hunters that pursue them. All hunters sooner or later learn about the scent rule. The sooner we learn it, and what to do about it, the sooner we can get down to the business of filling our freezers.

Hunters try to pull the wool over the deer’s nose, so to speak, by using a variety of products to eliminate or cover our scent. Each year hunters spend millions of dollars on gels, powders, wafers, drips and sprays containing everything from earth scent to fox pee. We rub on these scents and secretions in our quest to outsmart the nose of a deer and hopefully get within range of a big buck. We wash our bodies in special soaps. We buy dryer sheets that smell like dirt. And it’s of vital importance to wash our hunting attire in a detergent that eliminates our human foulness.

After that second deer winded me, while I was vowing under my breath to get even, I couldn’t help but think about sin and how sin stinks up our lives. Sin hurts us, and others, it wreaks havoc in our lives and our world, and most of all sin’s putrid fragrance taints our lives by separating us from God. However, just like there’s a solution to the scent problem in deer hunting, there’s a solution to the stench of sin in our lives too. Fortunately for us, God loved us so much that he gave us a solution in His son Jesus Christ. Jesus shed his blood to save us from our sins. The Bible tells us that “love covers a multitude of sins,” and I can’t think of any greater love than the love that Jesus displayed for us on the cross. Therefore, to cover up sin’s terrible odor one must accept God’s gift of his son, Jesus. Once someone becomes a believer asking Jesus to be Lord and Savior of their life, God surely smiles when He takes a wiff of their new lives. 2 Corinthians 2:15 even says “for to God we are the fragrance of Christ.”

If you don’t know Him already, become friends with the greatest hunting companion one could ask for – Jesus. If you are already a follower or Christ, thank him the next time you are spraying on some type of cover scent or washing your camo preparing it for the next hunt. I just bet if you think about it long enough, you’ll even hear that old hymn playing in your mind. “Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb, are your garments spotless, are they white as snow, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb.” I’ll never hear, or sing that song the same way again.

Jeremy B. Harrill

Now that's a nice deer!

2007-11-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

Wow! Shane Brock went up to Ohio to go deer hunting this year but had to come all the way to his back yard to fin this monster. I talked to Shane today and we talked about going hunting but he said he'd rather film now! I can see why, this is one nice deer. It measured 18" outside to outside. It was taken in Cleveland NC right near Shane's house. Way to go Shane, he's a beauty and we are all envious. By the way while Shane was up in Ohio on a hunting vacation he helped some folks with some projects around their house instead of hunting one day. It really is more blessed to give than to receive and you do reap what you sow......Awesome!

Post hunt commentary

2007-10-31T13:03:00.000-04:00

Today Mark and I went hunting at his grandfather's farm in Rowan CO NC. We were in an elevated blind in a stand of pines. It was cold and it seems the pre-rut movement is starting to come in. There are rubs on Mark's place. The deer in the video came in at 8:24 this morning. Its our last few days of bow hunting before muzzle loading season comes in. It was cold this morning, about 30. Mark made a clean shot, the deer only ran about 30 yards or so. It was a heart shot. The impact video isn't as good on the web, but I'm making Mark a DVD when I get back from my conference for the Army. Hope you like the commentary, we had a great time this morning. Thanks to Mark for taking me with him. Thanks to God for a day in the woods!

I will be out of the loop for the next ten days with Army business. If you get photos of deer send them to me and I'll post them on the blog!

By the way, to all my Army guys, sorry for the facial hair!

Mark hits the target!

2007-10-31T12:12:00.000-04:00

All Ye!

2007-10-30T20:46:00.000-04:00

Found this guy on God Tube! His name is Coffey Anderson. I know its not a hunting video but it is a glorious song of praise to the God who created us to hunt. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I found myself singing it in the woods this morning!

We Happy Few

2007-10-25T08:50:00.000-04:00

Once more, lend a mythic eye to your situation. Let your heart ponder this:

You awake to find yourself in the middle of a great and terrible war. It is, in fact, our most desperate hour. Your King and dearest Friend calls you forth. Awake, come fully alive, your good heart set free and blazing for him and for those yet to be rescued. You have a glory that is needed. You are given a quest, a mission that will take you deep into the heart of the kingdom of darkness, to break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron so that your people might be set free from their bleak prisons. He asks that you heal them. Of course, you will face many dangers; you will be hunted.

Would you try and do this alone?

Something stronger than Fate has chosen you. Evil will hunt you. And so a Fellowship must protect you.

Honestly, though he is a very brave and true Hobbit, Frodo hasn’t a chance without Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. He will need his friends. And you will need yours. You must cling to those you have, you must search wide and far for those you do not yet have. You must not go alone. From the beginning, right there in Eden, the Enemy’s strategy has relied upon a simple aim: Divide, and conquer. Get them isolated, and take them out.

You see this sort of thing at the center of every great story. Dorothy takes her journey with the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Lion, and of course, Toto. Maximus rallies his little band and triumphs over the greatest empire on earth. When Captain John Miller is sent deep behind enemy lines to save Private Ryan, he goes in with a squad of men. And, of course, Jesus had the Twelve. This is written so deeply on our hearts: You must not go alone. The Scriptures are full of such warnings, but until we see our desperate situation, we hear it as an optional religious assembly for an hour on Sunday mornings.

Imagine you are surrounded by a small company of friends who know you well (characters, to be sure, but they love you, and you have come to love them). They understand that we are all at war, know that the purposes of God are to bring a man or woman fully alive, and are living by sheer necessity and joy in the Four Streams. They fight for you, and you for them. Imagine you could have a little fellowship of the heart. Would you want it, if it were available?

That is our destiny.

Text from Waking the Dead by John Eldredge

Roscoe’s Song

2007-10-17T13:16:00.001-04:00

Roscoe’s Song by Jeremy Harrill

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before Him with joyful songs.

Psalm 100:2

Contrary to popular belief, hunting is about much more than the kill. It’s about getting to watch creation wake up in the morning, the smell of the woods, the peace, the challenge and thrill of the chase, and as I discovered recently, it’s also about the music too. Yes, the music.

I’ve never been accused of being a great hunter. I’m sure that my name never comes up when hunters are discussing the “great ones”, and deer and turkeys definitely do not tremble at the sound of my name. But I do love to hunt. I’ve hunted nearly everything that can be hunted here in NC with only a few exceptions. Recently, I tried something new. A type of hunting that I’d never done before; coon hunting.

When pursuing most game critters, hunters by day stalk or set up and wait for their quarry to pass by. But coon hunting is different. Coon hunters hunt at night and they use dogs to find their prey. The coonhounds sniff out and chase the coon, eventually (and hopefully) up a tree and then the coon hunters move in. It was very different than any type of hunting I was used to.

We met after dark: three friends and me, along with my son, Cade. The coonhound, named Roscoe was let out of the dog box on the back of the truck and he instinctively knew that it was “showtime.” With nose to the ground old Roscoe was gone in a flash. We just stood there. It seemed odd. We stood there and quietly talked about life, and suddenly, my friend, Levy said, “listen!” And I did. There it was…the music. Roscoe was on the trail and the chase was on. A few minutes later, Levy said, “Roscoe’s got one up a tree.” Roscoe’s long, deep bark was a sweet song. A melodious tune that was easy on the ears. His song was a song of anticipation, excitement, success and even praise. A song orchestrated and sung just for us - one that would even make Heart of David jealous. It was sweet to our ears and to our soul.

We made our way to the tree. I just stood there and looked at Roscoe and listened to his song a little longer. And it was good.

Finally, we let my son Cade take aim with his BB gun and fire the shot heard ‘round the world. I don’t know if his shot came within 50 feet of that old coon, but we celebrated like he had made the shot of a lifetime. And he was proud – and so was I. Coon hunting was cool, and I liked it (I’m sure my wife would really love to hear that cause she knows I need something else to hunt and another dog to feed). Coon hunting was also different than any hunting that I was accustomed to.

In our walk with God, how often do we do something different? How often do step out of our normal ways of doing things. Do we get out of our comfort zone and share the Good News with someone at work or in the woods. How often do we intentionally hang out with or start a friendship with an unbeliever. Do we try new ways to minister and reach out to others with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Going on that coon hunt reminded me of something the HOS fellas have been talking about a lot lately: being creative, thinking outside the box and being intentional about reaching people. Doing something different and trying something new can be especially good. Try it…who knows, you might hear that sweet music. A song like Roscoe’s, a song of excitement, success and praise – a song about one sinner who repents.

“…there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:10

Solunar Hunting and Fishing tables for October

2007-10-11T21:01:00.001-04:00

I don't know if this is useful, but it might prove to be a psychological advantage. The weather is getting cool and critters should be moving soon. I suppose alot of us will be out in the woods this weekend. I know I'm going both tomorrow, Saturday and Monday. Good luck everybody. Mark Ridenhour and I were commenting on how much closer we sense God is to us when we're in the tree stand. I pray that is the case for all of us.

The Redneck Champ!

2007-10-11T07:35:00.000-04:00

Kirk got goosed

2007-10-10T14:50:00.001-04:00

Here are some great shots from Kirk Fessler's Goose hunt. He won the trip at our "biggest dadgum outdoor bazaar in Cleveland ever" bizarre bazaar. Now that's a mouthful. Way to go Kirk, looks like you had a great time! Looks like the Christmas goose is ready to go as well.

My Way News - Christian Activist Killed in Gaza

2007-10-08T10:49:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that in many places throughout the world, its dangerous just to be a Christian. The problem with murdering Christians for mission work is that it rarely has the desired effect of the perpetrator. Intimidation and threats of violence meant to silence believers many times only fuels our devotion to God and thus fuels His work in and around us. As history has proven the blood of the saints is the seeds of new churches. Keep an eye on Gaza. We pray today and give thanks for this brave follower of Jesus who in the face of numerical superiority chose to fol ow His God and took the path of most Resistance. We pray for his family who at this moment grieve and we pray for the Gospel to spread in Gaza and that many Arabs would find peace in the name of Jesus.

My Way News - Christian Activist Killed in Gaza