Author: Scott

Today is a day every year on the calendar that many of my family and friends circle. It is a day that many people across the state of Missouri make note of. It’s the beginning of archery deer season. It lasts through January 15. It’s a date that many of us look forward to as soon as January 15 ends. Because when January 15 ends, we begin the countdown to September 15 arriving. 

Many of my friends, that don’t hunt, wonder why it is that I do. I’ve even heard, “How can you shoot something so beautiful?” And I agree with part of this question. The deer are beautiful. And it really is hard to explain to someone who doesn’t hunt, why it is I enjoy it. But the answer is simple. It’s not about shooting deer. It’s not about shooting turkey. Or shooting other animals. That is a very small part of what it is about. Yes, I want to accomplish that. And actually, more often than I do get an animal, I come home empty-handed. And that is totally fine with me. Because, hunting is about being out in God’s creation. It’s about respecting God’s creation. It’s about honoring God‘s creation. And when I do that, I grow closer to God. Because, while I am waiting for an animal to come in, I am talking with God. Praying to God. Reading about God. And then…If I am blessed to take an animal, I lower my head, and I say a prayer of thanks to God. My prayer is to thank God for allowing me to be in the creation. My prayer is to thank God for the meat that it’s going to provide my family. My prayer includes feeding others. Last year, we were able to feed dozens of veterans and their families with the meat from the deer that were taken during the season. And that is incredible.

If you don’t realize it yet, this devotion is not about hunting. It’s about being thankful to God for his blessings. It is about being thankful for providing us opportunities to provide for our families. It is about being thankful for providing opportunities to provide for our friends. It’s about being thankful to God for his love for us. Sometimes, I just happen to show my gratitude through hunting. I just happen to show my gratitude for being able to provide to those I love. So today here is my challenge for everyone, find something to be thankful to God for. Find something in your life to tell him you are grateful for it. Look around, and I’m sure you will see it. I know you will see it. It is there. It’s there because God provided it for you. And that…my friends…is beautiful.

I’ve been able to talk with one of our Veterans/supporters multiple times. His wisdom is something that I value tremendously. In one of our conversations, we talked about my paralysis. And how far I have come in the last 34 years. It’s hard to believe it’s been 34 years. But, this November is exactly that: 34 years. Anyways, we were talking about being able to move forward with what happened to me. And I remembered a time that really hit home with me. A time where I felt like life was not going to be worth living. There’s only been a handful of times like that. And those all took place during the first few months. But that was one of those times. One that stands out. One I will never forget.

Since I was 20 years old when I was going through physical rehabilitation in Colorado, I had to sign paperwork for myself. Release paperwork. Paperwork that said the hospital would not be responsible if something happened to me during certain tests. Back then the MRI was a big deal. Because the magnet could pull metal. My neck had wires in it. Still does. This one particular time, my arms were just starting to come back. And I could not sign my name on a piece of paper. I did not have the strength to do so. And it rocked me. Literally shook me. That’s how bad my condition was. Not being able to sign something. How did I get to that point? What have I done to myself? But that was my reality. And I felt anger. I felt sorrow. I even felt shame. Ever feel that?

This world is broken. Whether we want to believe it or not, it is broken. And shame is part of that brokenness. And if we allow it to, we can let it become part of our identity. And that is unfortunate. Often times, shame will be the result of sin. And that is a natural thing to feel. But we can’t let it linger. We can’t let it define us. Because if we do, we can allow shame to dictate our actions. And that could include more sinful actions. And that will divide us from God. And we don’t want that. Something that is so powerful about our God is this, with Jesus in our lives, we can overcome anything. Including shame. With Jesus in our lives, the cross makes sense. And what I mean by that is this…His sacrifice for us will not be in vain. His sacrifice covers our sins. His sacrifice can cover shame. And then that will allow us to grow closer to God. Strengthen our relationship with God. And move forward in our lives with God.

This past weekend was Operation Spring Canyon. Our annual event held at Spring Canyon Retreat and Conference Center. Just west of Buena Vista, Colorado. Going up the Cottonwood Pass. There were 25 veterans and volunteers on site for the event. The veterans’  military backgrounds ranged from The Vietnam War all the way through the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. They served throughout the different branches as well. It was amazing. Volunteers serving veterans. Veterans serving veterans. And veterans serving volunteers. And one word comes to mind for today’s devotion: Grace!

God’s grace is bigger than anything we can imagine. It is all encompassing. No matter what we think, it is always present. It is a gift, not something that we can earn or purchase. It is love. It is sacrifice. It is serving. And it is so much more than all of those as well. Even when we don’t deserve it, God shows us grace. Even when we run from it, God shows us grace. Even when we rebel against it, God shows us grace. Because his grace is one way that he shows us his love for us.

And even more amazing about God’s grace is this: It’s available for all of us. Every single one of us. And that includes you. Even if you don’t think it does. It’s available. And he’s waiting to give it to us. He’s waiting for us to turn to him to receive it. God is waiting for us to believe in him. Accept him. And welcome him into our hearts. So, let’s remember this. Let’s remember his arms are wide open waiting for us. No matter our struggles. No matter our failures. No matter our trials. God will show us grace if we simply turn to him. And his grace is more than enough. His grace will see us through. His grace is a true sign how much he cares for us. God loves us. He always has. He always will.

Yesterday was a Day of Remembrance. Patriot Day. A day that will forever be remembered as life-changing. World changing. There were ceremonies commemorating what happened 23 years ago. Let’s come back to all of this in a minute. When my father was still alive, we lived in housing with other military families. I went to school with other military brats. It’s hard to explain to somebody that never lived that life. But, I grew up in an atmosphere where we were united against a common enemy. We knew what our parents did for a living. We knew the enemy lived on the other side of the globe. Even though all of us neighborhood kids may not have been best friends, we still were bonded by the stripes that our parents wore. I miss those times.

This might sound odd to you, but I would like to go back to this date in 2001. Not because of what happened on 9/11. Not the destruction. Not the destruction. Not the despair. Not the death. But because of what happened to the people of our country in the days following 9/11. There was a unity that I don’t remember ever feeling before in my adult life. There was a bond against a common enemy. There was an anger pointed at a common enemy. If I remember correctly, both sides of the aisle came together. Agendas didn’t seem to matter at that moment. Conservatives and Liberals united. We were Americans. And we were ready to protect ours. We were ready to fight for ours. That feeling is gone. So much so, it’s hard to remember what it felt like on September 12, 2001. 

It is sad that it takes something like what took place on 9/11 to bond the people of our country. It really is. But what is awesome about times like that, is how it shows that our country is still the greatest country in the world. Because of the people. And it’s during those times that you see Americans go to their knees to pray. Even the “non-believers” do so. That’s because we find ourselves not knowing what else to do. So we turn to God. Which, by the way, is the right thing to do. We turn to God, asking him to provide peace to those who have lost loved ones. We turn to God, asking him for wisdom on how to move forward. We ask him for strength. Point is, we turn to God. And God is there. He will provide all of what we ask for. It may not come in the form that we want it to. But…He will provide. So today, let’s try to remember what it was like to be united. Loving one another. Bonded like never before. Let’s try to remember what it was like when everyone turned to God. And then, I know this is a big ask, let’s try to incorporate that into our every day lives today. United. Bonded. All under…The One True God! Because that is exactly what we need. Because that is exactly what our country needs. Because that is exactly what our world needs.

Patriot Day! September 11, 2001 is a date I will never forget. It’s my prayer that none of us do. I’m sure almost all of you have heard the question, “Where were you when…?“ Each generation can fill in the blank to fit their lives. My mother has told me she remembers where she was when JFK was assassinated. When man first stepped on the moon. For me, there are two big ones as well. The space shuttle exploding after takeoff is the first one. I was a freshman in class watching it live. It was terrible to watch. And the second one is 9/11. I was also in school because I was teaching at that time. The disbelief is something I will never forget. The uncertainty. The sorrow and the anger. It was bone chilling. Looking back at it, the world has changed so much since that morning. Some are good changes. Others not so much.

60 Minutes on CBS featured a story on the New York Fire Department since 9/11. I’m sure you can find it online if you do a search. It will be worth your time. But, there are over 60 children of NYFD fallen firefighters from 9/11, that now serve as firefighters in the NYFD. NYFD lost 343 that day. A number that we should all remember. I don’t know the statistics, but I’m guessing almost all of them lost their lives when the towers came down. Something that we all watched live on TV. One of the 60 Minutes interviews is with brothers who lost their father that day. The first tower had already fallen. Yet…he and others still decided to go into the tower still standing to try to rescue all they could. Knowing very well what was probably going to happen. Isn’t there some thing in the Bible talking about laying down one’s life for their friends?

One thing that caught my attention during the interview was how one of the new firefighters said it was not 9/11 that led them to follow in their father’s footsteps. He said it was the days that followed. Starting with September 12. He was talking about how everyone around them stepped up to help take care of his family. His mother was now a widow raising several children. And everyone around them came in to help try to fill the hole that was left with his father‘s death. He is forever grateful, and wanted to pass on to others what he was given. So now he’s trying to do that. Simply amazing! So today, let’s be thinking about what it is that we are grateful for? And I think as we ask that question, let’s look at what God’s grace has done for us. Let’s be grateful for that. We are undeserving of it. We don’t earn it. We never can. But God‘s grace is still there. Not to make life easy. Not to erase our pasts. But to cover us so we can then show grace to others. Even when they don’t deserve it. Let’s be grateful for the sacrifice Jesus made for us. So we can have eternity with him. So today, let’s remember September 11, 2001, and…Let’s simply be grateful!

Every now and then, it seems like there are moments where Satan is on full attack. Those attacks can come weekly. May be daily. Maybe hourly. And if you look, a lot of the times you will see that he compiles a series of attacks. Trying to put them all together into one large attack. Trying to keep the ministry from doing what it supposed to be doing. He is such a snake and coward. Working behind the scenes. These past few days he has been at work. Trying to make us focus on security and maintenance issues at the office. Trying to ruin an event while it’s taking place (He attacked the hearts of some guests.) And trying to put other things in the way of us achieving our mission. But he has been…and will continue to be…Defeated! 

In the book of Acts, we learn about Steve. A man that was full of wisdom, faith, grace, power, and the Holy Spirit. All very important traits. Especially the Holy Spirit. If you know the story, you know that he was accused of blasphemy. Which was completely false. And even though the accusations were happening, it didn’t sway him from serving God. It didn’t stop him. He kept moving forward. He kept witnessing to people. Even when it wasn’t comfortable. Something we ALL can learn from.

Let’s think about ourselves for a minute. When times are uncomfortable, do we let that keep us from spreading the word? What about when we are anxious? What about when we are facing illness? Depression? Work issues? Do we let those keep us from spreading the word? What about accusations like Steve had? When you go through moments like that, do you still show grace? That’s what he did. I’m fully aware what I’m asking can be very challenging. Because I have been through it. And I have failed showing grace multiple times. I know it’s challenging. But we are called to do it. No matter what. Being a believer in Christ, means that we are called to do this. There are a couple of final points I wanna make about being a believer. Believing in Christ means that we must worship Christ. Believing in Christ means that we must talk with him. Believing in Christ means that we must tell others about him. It’s not a decision. It’s not a choice. It’s not a suggestion. It’s something that we MUST do. And here’s why. I want you to think about the first time you felt the Holy Spirit. Was it when you first accepted Christ into your life? Did it motivate you? I bet it did. As you think about that, remember this, there are people everywhere that have never felt that. Have never heard about Jesus. And have never accepted him into their lives. That’s why it is a MUST for us.

Here are more questions for us to consider. For us to really think about. But this morning, I’m wondering where it is that we look for God? Do we look for God in big moments? Do we look for God in times of despair? How about looking for him in international issues? Local? Do we look for God in times of joy? Or times of sorrow? These are really good questions for us to reflect on. But mainly, what I want you to really think about: When is it that you truly look for God?

A lot of us try to find him in those moments that you can really feel what is happening. Nothing wrong with that. Unless, that is the only time that you are looking for God. My suggestion is that we look for God in all things. Big and small. Joy and sorrow. Light and dark. Because, he is in all things. Everything we experience. Everything that we do. Everywhere we go. God is there. And if we don’t see him, it’s because we are not looking. Get the point?

I think we all already realize just how big God is. Actually, we have no idea how big he is. It’s more than we can comprehend. More than we can imagine. And it’s so incredible to think about. Because as big as he is, God is very gracious. And he is ever present. Never wavering. Just think of the ego that he could have if he wanted to. Instead, God chooses to  pursue us. He chooses to pursue our hearts. God chooses to be the light when times are dark. To be the comfort when there is pain. God chooses to be joy when we celebrate. He chooses to do all of these things because he loves us. He has always loved us. And he always will. That’s how big God is. And that’s why we should look for him in all things.

About this time last year, Barbara and my family surprised me with a 10 week old yellow lab. She’ll be 15 months old next week. Her name is Penny. She began her training to be my service dog unofficially pretty quickly after I got her. Her official training began in January. She graduated in June. What’s pretty cool about the whole thing, is how they surprised me. Because I had no idea they were thinking about this behind the scenes. It was truly shocking when it took place.

Anna had been looking at the possibility of buying a newer vehicle. She asked her mother and me if we could go look at one on Sunday evening, August 27. When we get there, I see a vehicle with Roper on the license plate. I had told her to look at Roper because they offer warranties on some of their used vehicles. So my assumption was that she was doing so. As we get out and look at the vehicle, I noticed behind it, a fenced in area with five lab puppies in it. And I made a comment about how cute they were. Anna then tells me, “Dad, I think he has five for sale.“ I thought that she meant he had five different vehicles to choose from. And then I realized what she was talking about. And I was speechless. I really didn’t know what to say. I was so humbled by what they were doing. Here is what really was cool about the whole thing. They had a certain puppy picked out for me. And when they released all five of them from the fence, they ran out excited about new people. One of them can you directly to me. Multiple times. She kept trying to get onto my lap. It was very clear that she was picking me. She had chosen me. So there really was no decision to make. Because Penny had done that for us. I wish you could’ve seen the moment. Because it was obvious. Isn’t that awesome!

And that’s what’s “cool” about our God as well. God has chosen us. He chose to create us. He chose to love us. He chose to give us hope. And he chose us to serve him. He did so because he loves us. And he loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us. Holy cow! Think about that for a minute. Jesus came to earth to die for us. He could’ve chosen to not do this. He could’ve said no. But he went through with it. And the death that he suffered was terrible. I could not imagine the pain he endured. I don’t want to imagine it. But what I can imagine, and what I can believe, and what I can trust, is that God chose us. And Jesus chose to die for us. So today, let’s do what we can to honor being chosen. Let’s do what we can to teach others about Jesus. And let them know that he chose them as well. He chose to die for them too.

Here is one thing that I know with all certainty: There is a God, and I am not him. I think we all know this. Or at least we should. There’s something else that I know as well. And I know it with all certainty. God is good. No doubt. God is good. Period! I know it’s hard to believe that all the time. I know it’s hard to believe that when we are going through real difficulties. Or when someone we know is going through real difficulties. Especially when it’s loved ones. No matter the pain. No matter the exhaustion. No matter what life throws at us. God is good. All the time!

Some people might question just how good God is. They might question this when times are tough. Ever hear someone say, “If God is so good, why does he let bad things happen to good people?” That is a natural question to ask. And it’s a hard one to answer. Especially when the question is coming from someone who doesn’t believe in God. I may be wrong, but my answer is this…We live in a world where humans get to choose. Humans get to make decisions. And humans sin. We all do. Doesn’t make it right. But that is reality. Since we live in this world, we are subject to bad things. And that goes back to the decisions made in the Garden of Eden. The choices made back then opened up the door for sin and suffering. And we now face that daily. My answer includes this as well…As believers we know that there is a time coming where we will no longer be subject to sin and suffering. 

God will pursue us our entire lives. Because he loves us. He loves us that much. He will not give up on us. That’s how good God is. I was just texting with a friend of mine a little while ago. He’s waiting on biopsies to come back. So that means he’s dealing with the possibility of having cancer. Even though this is something that he is facing, he told me he’s gonna be just fine. Because he knows that God has him. Another friend of mine told me this a few weeks ago when he was diagnosed with cancer. He told the doctor that’s good news. It’s a win-win. Because either he’s going to be cured and be here on earth with his loved ones. Or he’s not going to be cured and he’s going to be spending eternity was God. What a powerful thing to say. I just hope that I can have that much faith if I ever face that situation. Either way, God is good. Always has been good. Always will be good. So today, even if you’re having a hard time, find a blessing. Find something to celebrate. It’s there. It may not be easy to see. But it is there.

Last year, Barbara and I were wrapping up her surgery visit and we stopped for dinner on the way home. While we were there, I received a text in a group message that was sent out by Chris Calliotte. For those of you that read these daily, you will recall his name from two days ago, September 4. Chris was part of what I thought might be my last hunt ever with Anna in 2017. Also part of that hunt was Josh Barron. He was the dog handler that day. He is the veteran that ended up having ALS and passed away a few months after the deer hunt in 2018, that we put on for him and his son. 

Amy Barron was Josh‘s widow. We got to meet her when we put on the deer hunt. And after Josh’s passing, we stayed in contact a little bit. She actually invited us to come to the graduation party she put on for her twin boys. One of which was part of the hunt with Josh. The text from Chris was not one anyone would want to receive. Amy had unexpectedly died the night before. I was shocked. Couldn’t believe it as I read it to Barbara. Our hearts broke for the boys. It seemed like there was a string of bad news coming constantly. Ranging from Covid hitting loved ones. To a dear friend of ours being diagnosed with cancer. To hearing about Amy‘s passing. It comes in waves sometimes. And it seemed to be that way then.

When Barbara and I went to watch The Passion Play, we had dinner while we were there. We met a married couple from Kansas. The husband, Paul, sat next to me. We had a great conversation while we enjoyed our meals. Talking about where we live. Our families. Our friends. And our faith. Part of the discussion about our faith was having hope in Jesus. And how it’s hard to understand living life without hope. Because we question what it is, those that live with that Jesus, have hope in. That’s the life that I lived at one point. No Jesus. No hope. And the good news is everyone we mentioned earlier…either knew Jesus, or they know him now. And that’s what it takes for us to have eternity with him. Knowing him! That’s the same for all of us. We need to know him in order to have that hope in him. And if we have that, then no matter what it is we face or go through, we can get through it because of his love. His strength. His hope.