Heart Shots

by bro

On a recent hunting trip, I found myself climbing aboard an airplane in the midst of a storm. The wind and rain were blowing sideways. One would think that with enough time in the air you’d become accustom to about anything the elements can throw your way. Not me. It seems the more and more I fly the more I see “what could happen.” I still get sweaty hands and say extra prayers when the winds are whippin’ and my plane is being bounced around like tumbleweed on the open prairie. But on this trip, like many of the ones before it, I saw the simple reminder that always puts my mind at ease. It was that moment when after being pounded by the turbulence of tough winds and dark, heavy clouds that our plane broke through the storm and began to fly above the clouds where the sun was shining. In a matter of minutes we broke free from darkness into beautiful light. It still fascinates me every time! The transition from a dark and ugly day, to one where the sun shines brilliant is nothing more than a change in perspective. A simple change in elevation brings a dramatic change in our outlook.

It was a reminder that even on the darkest days the sun is still shining. We must simply get back to where we can see it.

Listen, it’s not a matter of if, but when, the dark and ugly days of life will come our way. We’ll experience moments when we feel as if the pain and problems of life pound us beyond what we can bare. I want to encourage you to look up. The Son is shining. Regardless of the crisis, you will not stay there. You will once again rise above…back to a place where you will once again experience the brilliance of the Son’s presence in your life. If you’re in the midst of a mess today, I want to encourage you to hang in there. You can have hope in the Son, Jesus, who over and 0ver again calms the storms of life and reminds us that He’s always shining above.

“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

by bro

On a recent turkey hunting trip in Nebraska, I had the opportunity to sit in a ground blind high atop a hill overlooking miles and miles of prime turkey country. My hunting buddy, Don Miller, and I saw a number of birds both near and far. But the one that I’ll never forget is the one that walked right up in our lap. There were two gobblers that we’d been calling back and forth with all morning. And up until about 10:00am, the birds had managed to keep their wits about them and stood their ground. Despite our best calling efforts, they just wouldn’t leave the safety of the timber and the hens that seemed to lead them away from trouble. But around 10:30am things changed. One particular longbeard got lonely. When I peeked out the back of the blind, I could see this turkey quickly making his approach toward our decoy. As the bird began to close the distance to within bow-range of our ground blind he became cautious and a bit hesitant in his commitment to come to the decoy. The bird skirted around our setup just outside of shooting range, as if he knew better than to walk into the trap. My heart sunk as we watched yet another bird walk over the hill and out of sight. But that wouldn’t be the end of this bird. As quickly as he disappeared, his red head again popped back over the hill for another glance at the sights and sounds of the seductive hen that was tuggin’ at his attention. He liked what he saw, and he could no longer handle what he heard. He went back into strut and never came out of it. The gobbler looped around in front of our blind and made his approach to within four yards of our ground blind before I turned an arrow loose. He played the game…he paid the price. That second glance was a deadly look that cost him his life.

It’s painful to think of the countless men and women that have been deceived much like this lonely longbeard. We know what’s right and what’s wrong…but that second look is a deadly glance that can lead us to destruction. I often think about King David from the Bible and how he fell into this very trap when he found himself lonely and in a place he should have never been. In 2 Samuel chapter 11 we find the sad story of David’s deception. It was spring time, the time when kings normally go out to war. But David sent others in his place. He stayed home. He got lazy, and he got lonely. While walking around on the roof of his palace he noticed a beautiful a woman. If David would have just walked away things would have been much different. But he didn’t. He took a second glance. He began to inquire as to who this fine specimen of a woman was. He was warned to stay away. He was reminded of the dangers. But he blew right past all the red flags and caution lights. The deadly glance led him down a path of destruction that led to adultery, murder, and destroyed lives.

I want to encourage you to guard your eyes, your hearts and your minds today. Don’t be deceived by the deadly decoys that satan puts in your path. Don’t be a victim of that second deadly glance. Keep your eyes fixed on Christ!

by bro

In less than 24 hours turkey season will finally open in many states across the northwest. With great expectation, we’ve eagerly waited on another hunting season to unfold. It’s amazing to me how much of my thoughts, time, and energy are consumed with preparation for opening day of hunting season. There’s honestly not a day that goes by that I’m not thinking about shooting something and longing for the next opportunity. It’s really pretty crazy when you stop to think about it. 365 days of practice, preparation, and anticipation…for one little vapor of a moment. We do it all for one fleeting encounter with a wild animal. All the hours, days, and months come down to one majestic moment of truth. Many will say, “It’s what I live for!” when speaking about their passion for hunting. And yes, I’m probably dangerously close to being lumped in to this group of diehard hunters. And it’s crazy! We live for that handful of brief moments in life when we can see it, hear it, and live it once again.
But what about the rest of life?
Is there not so much more to it?
When I think about the consuming passion I have for hunting I often think about how in life we too seem to have a limited focus. We are consumed with this 75-85 years of life we have on this earth and never really stop to consider that there is so much more beyond this brief vapor of a moment we have here on earth. And if we look at the grand timeline of our lives, this short moment on earth is just that….a vapor. Maybe we’ll live to be 100. But that’s still a fleeting moment when you think how it stacks up to the millions upon millions upon millions of years that we live throughout all eternity.
There’s an opening day coming…that first day in heaven…and my prayer is that you stop to look past this fading flash of time on earth and evaluate whether you’re truly ready for the moment of truth when you stand before God at His timeless, ageless, throne.

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is a vapor…it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” James 4:14

by bro

I recall a hunt from a few years back when, shortly up the trail, a “friend” of mine began to realize that he was unable to carry the load he had crammed into his backpack. We’ve all been there before. With fear and uncertainty of the trail ahead, we pack ungodly loads that we sooner or later realize we can’t handle on our backs. My buddy quickly acknowledged that he couldn’t do it on his own. I flashed a bitter smile knowing what this meant. Either he would have to shuck the gear from his pack and leave it along the trail, or I would have to carry the weight for him. The uncompassionate side of me wanted to tell him to suck it up and get to climbing the mountain. However, the other side of me knew that he needed me now more than ever. So I took his water bottle, his binoculars, and other weighty items, and added them to the load in my pack. I’ll never forget when we finally reached the top and began to setup camp, he said, “I could never repay you for carrying my stuff.” Weary and worn I remember saying, “Man, you don’t owe me a thing!”

I can’t help but think about this hunt every time the Easter season rolls around again. I think about the contrast of Christ carrying the weight of all mankind on his shoulders when he died on the cross compared to the simple burden I carried for one man. I grudgingly carried the load for that fella that had more than he could handle on his back. I didn’t want to do it, and I probably mumbled ugly things most of the way up the mountain. I bad-mouthed this guy for being unprepared and inadequate for the journey. Christ said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Isaiah 53:4-6 says, “Yet it was our weakness He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins. But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all.”

Did you catch that? The Lord laid on Him (Jesus) the sins of us all. There’s no words to even begin to describe how huge that is! The sins of every person that ever stepped foot on this earth was upon Jesus. He carried the load for us on that cross.

But not only did He carry it, He also canceled it.

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14

Jesus carried the load for us on the cross. He paid a debt we could never pay. He paid the price with His life.

by bro

I was out behind the house recently, slingin’ arrows across the pasture with my little boy, Aidan. Such times have become my favorite part of the day. We both enjoy sneakin’ out of the house after dinner when the days get longer, and we can shoot our bows ‘til nearly bedtime. We’ve discovered it to be a great way to avoid chores and taking a bath. On this particular evening I noticed Aidan squirming around in circles as he tried to shove his handful of arrows into the back pocket of his jeans. When I asked him what he was up to he simply said, “I wanna put my arrows in my back pocket, just like you dad!”
It was a simple reminder of how closely my son watches every move I make. I am humbled by the fact that he wants to do what I do, be who I am, and act like me…even as a six-year-old boy. The reality of the fact that my little boy follows my lead is a tremendous blessing. But more than that, it’s a gut-check to the fact that I’ve gotta man up as I lead that little dude. The question is: What am I leading him to? What am I leading him through? And what am I leading him away from? Do we as dads lead our children to uncompromising faith in Christ? Do we help lead them through the tough days of life and encourage them to keep longing for the better days that are sure to come? Do we lead them away from the danger of a life of sin that wants to seize and capture their soul?

As a dad, we are either leading our children to a life of great and godly things, or a life of death and destruction. That’s it! There’s only two trails to take. Which path are you and your child on today?

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children…” Deuteronomy 6:5-7

by bro

Several years back, while on an elk hunt in the high country, I found myself and a couple of buddies in a pickup truck slippin’ and sliding our way up a muddy mountain road in the early hours before daylight. We were in a race against the clock to arrive at the trailhead with ample time to hoof it in to our location to listen for bugling bulls as the day began to break. The road was nasty and rough…and my buddy was driving way too fast. With windshield wipers working overtime to keep the rain and mud from the windshield, visibility was questionable at times. And one of those questionable times is when it happened. In our mad scramble up the mountain, our driver failed to recall the rough spot in the road. It was a washed out spot in the road that needed careful attention to traverse. We hit it at what seemed like 45 mph! The truck went flying! I was in the back of the cab and my face quickly met the back of the front seat resulting in an early morning bloody nose. I was lucky. The passenger in the front seat met the windshield. Somehow he didn’t crack the glass, but he sure managed to blacken his eye and make his already-ugly face even less attractive. The unharmed driver simply said, “Man! This road is getting a little rough!”

Hey, if you haven’t figured it out already, tough times in life are sure to come. They are part of the journey we all must face. Sometimes we adhere to the warning signs. Other times we blow right past in our mad dash to other things that hold our attention.

I love the hope and encouragement found in John 16:33 where Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

There will be no shortage of rough roads to come in our lives as we take this short ride toward our eternal destination. When those times come, I pray you find the peace that passes all understanding as you draw close to the One that has overcome and conquered even our greatest crisis.

By Efton Green

When I stepped out of my truck I could feel a cool breeze hit me in the face and I thought to myself, “It’s going to be a good afternoon.” I grabbed my Z7 and made a quick inspection of my arrows and Land Shark broadheads. It was my goal for the afternoon to let those Land Sharks feed on some swine that I had had on my mind. As I slowly began my still hunting adventure, I said a little prayer and started walking. Returning back to the area that I had noticed a lot of pig sign, I began to hear some squirrels going crazy so I headed in that direction. When I got closer to where I believed the squirrels were, I stood motionless; scanning for any movement when a small group of pigs caught my eye. I was nocked, cocked, and ready to rock!  All I needed was to get a little bit closer. As I stalked closer, the wind direction was right and my heart rate began to elevate; I breathed another small prayer, “Lord help me make a good shot.”
You know, the Bible says in Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Even if those pigs had winded me or heard me, it would not have taken away from the fact that God is good! Regardless of what is going on in the world; as a follower of Christ, my focus should not be on what I perceive a situation to be but on what the Bible says. God is GOOD! Mark 11:22 tells us to “have faith in God.” True faith believes the Bible over any circumstance that takes place in life. We’ve got to choose to believe the Word.
Back to the hunt – I moved into position, my sights were set on a big, red and black spotted hog; but there was too much brush. A smaller (aka good eating size) hog was clear for the shot so I drew back, put my pin on her and turned my Land Shark loose to feed… And feed it did. When my arrow struck its mark, the gilt ran about 40 yards and gave up the ghost. As I stood over her, I rejoiced in the day God had made!
Make the choice to rejoice today!

by bro

Some years ago while on an out-of-state hunt, I had the opportunity to spend some time in hunting camp with a fella that appeared to have won a shopping spree at Cabelas. The guy had it all! He had the latest and greatest in camo, complete with matching pants, shirt, vest, jacket, gloves, and cap. His camo clothes were clean and crisp, and I honestly think he was afraid to get them dirty. His high-end binoculars and rangefinder were proudly dangling from his neck, regardless of whether he was actually hunting or just hanging out at camp. He had the finest equipment. From the year’s best selling bow to the spendy Italian leather boots on his feet, this dude had it all! It was enough to make some guys in camp grunt with jealousy (not me of course!). But what I found interesting about this guy is that while he loved to dress the part, he had actually never shed the blood of any critter that walks, crawls, or flies across the earth. He liked to look as if he were an avid hunter to his peers, yet when it came to spending time in the woods in pursuit of game he was lost. By his own confession, he always climbed down from his stand before primetime to escape the woods before darkness fell. He headed in to the timber after daylight in the mornings in an effort to avoid stumbling in the dark, or becoming disoriented as to his whereabouts. He came in early for lunch and napped well into the afternoon. After hearing his story, there was no wonder as to why he failed to produce year after year on the critters he pursued. He was going through the motions to look like a hunter, yet he wasn’t willing to do what it takes to get it done. The end result was a season of regrets.

Success in the woods takes so much more than simply dressing up in camo and sitting around the campfire. You gotta live it out! You have to stay in the hunt, even when it hurts. The cost of success on the hunt is great, and it will often take its toll on our bodies physically and emotionally….but the rewards are priceless!

I’ll be real honest. I don’t want to come to the end of my season of life and find myself with a long list of regrets. I don’t want to simply go through the motions of this life only to be filled with regrets at the end of my journey. I want more than a life full of playing the part. I want to truly live it out. I want to be the husband, father, and child of God that I’ve been called to be now, instead of reflecting back on wasted years later. I want no regrets at the end of my race.

A song by Matthew West features the lyrics…
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

Are there things in your life right now that need to change in order to prevent later regrets when you find yourself at the end of the journey? Live it out…No Regrets!

by bro

On a recent roadtrip across the state of Montana I once again found myself caught up in the beauty of Big Sky Country. Having spent the early years of my life in the big city, dealing with bumper to bumper traffic and congestion, I’ve grown to appreciate the splendor of wide open spaces all the more. The picture perfect scenes of the Montana countryside make the time on the road a blessing. And this particular roadtrip was no different. The snow covered mountains reaching towards the cloudy sky was truly something to behold. But somewhere along the way I realized I hadn’t passed another car or truck in over an hour of driving. There was no one coming, no one going. The road truly was mine! But I couldn’t help but think, “There’s a lot of people missin’ out on experiencing what I’m experiencing as I travel down this road.”
I was reminded of the passage in the Bible that speaks of the road of life and the brutal truth of where it leads for many people. Matthew 7:13-14 says, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is very difficult, and only a few ever find it.”
Did you catch that? Only a few ever find it. It’s alarming to me that the Bible says “many” people are on the highway that leads to hell. It’s bumper to bumper traffic with the lives of people headed down a path that leads to death and destruction. That ought to keep us up at night! It’s time for many of us to pull out a map (the Bible) and see where we are…and where we need be.
Are we a part of the few headed down the road that leads to life or are we rollin’ with the masses? Choose to go against the flow today!