Author: Scott

Losing a job can be humbling. It can rock you to your core. Losing two jobs can be life altering. It can change the course of your life. It did me. In 2005, I lost a job that I had held for over a decade. It made me feel expendable. And that’s a bad feeling. But, I didn’t dwell on it. I learned from it. I built on it. Our faith based basketball program came out of the whole situation. In 2020, due to budget cuts from the virus, my position with the state was cut. But by this point in my life, I knew there was a reason. God was closing one door as he was opening another. Actually, the floodgates opened. Charlie 22 Outdoors exploded after the state let me go.

We all experience loss at some time in our lives. Loss comes at us in many different forms. There’s death. There’s being let go from our jobs. There is the end of relationships. When we play sports, we will lose at some point. And there are so many other ways that we experience loss. It’s going to happen. Nothing that we can do to prevent it. Being human means we’re going to have to face it. Sometimes what we lose has very little meaning in the big scheme of things. At other times, loss can have long lasting affects on us. Sometimes they can’t be replaced.

Although, what we go through can be very painful, God can use those moments in big ways. In the Bible we read of Ruth. Losing her husband was not her end. She remained faithful. Followed her convictions. She didn’t stay focused on what happened. She didn’t stay focused on her circumstances. Instead, she moved forward as she was feeling sorrow. As she was feeling loss. And because so, God blessed her. And those around her saw it. They learned from it. We can all learn from it. We should all learn that God can restore us if we remain faithful. God can take what seems like the end and make it a beginning. God can take what seems like has been turned upside down and make it righteous. God can restore anything if we let him work. And if you let him work, others will see it. And they will grow as well. And that my friends…is glorious.

Anna has finished her first full year in the Social Work program at Missouri Southern State University. This is such a blessing for her. She had been struggling trying to figure out which way she wanted to go. She was accepted into nursing school. But, she soon  realized that was not the path for her. After researching different options, she felt like God was telling her this is where she needs to be. So awesome. Part of the application process included writing an essay. And in that essay she needed to do discuss why it is she wants to be a Social Worker. 

She talked about being lost in her journey, trying to figure out her career path. I don’t blame her. When I was 19, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Then she began talking about praying to God for wisdom. And how he started to show her different things to consider. And then he put it on her heart that Social Work was the way to go. With our family history of medical issues, hospital Social Workers have played an important role in our lives. Anna is going to be fantastic at that. Then she began to mention praying over, and even helping, others who have hurt her. People who have done her wrong. Wow! We can all learn from that. Talk about taking a heart that has been broken by those that you trust, and then turning around and helping them anyways. Amazing stuff. Very clearly…this demonstrates how our hearts should be focused on what God has for us.

There’s a lot of brokenness in this world today. A lot of hate. A lot of evil. Every time you turn around, you see someone harming somebody else. Or trying to. Just turn on the evening news at the national level and I bet several stories of the week will be discussing these very things. You see it at the national level of our politicians as well. There’s so many good people there. I like to think that they are doing their jobs the best they can. But, there are also so many people there just back biting each other. Just fighting back-and-forth to be fighting back-and-forth. Crazy stuff. I find it childish. And I am wondering how much the rest of the world laughs at us. If I let it, it could be disheartening. But I choose not to. The solution to all of these things that we are seeing is to break our hearts. And to let God take control. If we let God take over our lives, good things will happen. We let God take over our homes, good things will happen. We let God take over our nation, good things will happen. We let God take over our world, good things will happen. We won’t have to be reacting. We won’t have to change the channel because we can’t stand watching what we’re seeing on TV. We won’t have to do these things because, God will help us prevent all the ugliness before it takes place.

If you follow what I write, I don’t think it’s a secret that I am a sports fan. I love all sports. Basketball being my favorite. I just admire what athletes are able to accomplish. Truly incredible. I tell you that to tell you this. There’s a good chance if you were to come visit me any morning of the week, you would find SportsCenter on my TV. Catching up on what happened the day before. Recently, as I was getting ready, a story came on that caught my attention. It was about Derick Hall. For those of you that don’t know, he is a linebacker who played at Gulfport High School. And went on to Auburn to become 1st Team all SEC. Was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks. But what caught my attention is the story about him being born.

His mother went into labor 4 months early. The doctors told her he would be born without a heartbeat. They said he had a 1% chance to live. And if he did live, he most likely would never walk, talk, breathe, anything. They prepared her to let him go. But she refused. Her comment was that she needed to give him a chance. And that God had selected her to be his mother. After five months in the hospital, he went home and began his childhood. It wasn’t without difficulties. But as he grew, he developed into an incredible athlete. And none of this would’ve happened if she had decided to let him go. If she had no hope. A 1% chance grew into an NFL athlete. Simply amazing.

Our spiritual lives can be like this. Some of us feel like we don’t have a chance . We have no hope. We feel like the 1%. We feel like there’s nothing that we can do to change that. Nothing we can do can give us hope. And we are right. Because nothing that we can do will change it. Nothing we can do will give us hope. All of that comes from Jesus. Plain and simple. Jesus is our hope. Jesus can change anything. Jesus can take us from 1% to a life full of grace. A life full of hope and love. No matter how dark. No matter how bleak. No matter how hopeless life seems. We always have a chance with Jesus. He can pull us up from the depths that we have put ourselves in. He can bring us out of places that we have found ourselves in because of our choices. He can do all of these things for anyone. And that includes you. If you don’t know Jesus, make today the day to get to know him. Make today the day that you give yourself a chance by letting Jesus take control. And watch what happens. It will be awesome.

It’s that time of year. The time of year when the NBA season is drawing to a close. The playoffs are in full swing. This is the best time of the season in my eyes. Because this is the time that I believe the players really perform at the highest level. I first picked up a basketball when I was in the 5th grade. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of those plastic rubbery things. Not the greatest. It even warped into egg shape one day when I left it in the sun. Believe me…lesson learned. But regardless of it’s condition, it was still my ball. It felt good in my hands. There was an instant connection. And I knew I wanted to learn how to play the game. The seed had been planted. 

As I grew into my teenage years, I developed a love for the game. I felt drawn to it. I was never satisfied with my ability. Constantly practicing and playing to get better. What’s brilliant about the game is that you can play it alone. It can be the goal, the ball, and you. Beautiful. Basketball was something I could turn to when I needed a release. Or a time to work on me. At any moment I could work and grow. What’s also brilliant about the game is the ability to play on a team. And the lessons we can learn from teamwork. Life lessons. Especially in practice. I loved practice more than the games. The learning that I got during the workouts. Alone or as a team. And the same can be said about my walk with Christ. Yours too. 

When we first accept Jesus, the seed is planted. The love relationship begins. We have joined his team. But we have much learning to do. Therefore we must pursue him as he has pursued us. We must become intimate with him. This is how we grow. We learn to practice our faith. Building different skills in it. Strengthening them. Prayer. Love. Patience. Discernment. So many more. All skills we can improve on. We can work on our faith by ourselves and also as part of a team. As we continue to grow we will move towards maximizing our potential. And here is what is awesome about this whole thing. What is awesome about working on our faith. God will show us our greatness. He will bring it out. He will use it for his good. But remember, for this to happen, we need to work on drawing close to him. Seek him. Pursue him. Make him our focus. And he in return he will bring it out of us.

One thing that is hard for us to do is to surrender ourselves to something. To turn our desires and goals over to somebody else. We live in a world where “Get Yours” is the motto. Meaning go out and take it. Put yourself above others. You are number one. And so on, and so on, and so on. By being a believer, we are supposed to surrender to God’s will. We are supposed to put others before ourselves. These are ways that we are showing that we are truly following God. Surrendering.

Now here’s the deal. Surrendering does not mean there is no action. Actually, surrendering is an act. It’s an act of us moving forward following God. It is an act of us seeking his will for us. Following the path that he has paved for us. One day at a time. One step at a time. We must move forward. Even if we don’t know where God is leading us. We must move forward. Even if we don’t know, we must surrender.

If we do this, God will show us where he wants us to be. He will place us there. It might not happen today or tomorrow. It might take longer than we hoped. But, he will show us. Yesterday, Barbara and I watched the production Esther. This story is a great example of what I’m talking about. She became queen without them knowing she was Jewish. A decree had even been put into place to kill all the Jewish people. Malachi was very concerned about her. He thought that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. She was in a bad spot. But nothing could have been further from the truth. She was exactly where God wanted her to be. And he blessed the whole situation. So maybe you are as well. Either way, whatever it is that you’re doing, the Bible tells us to put our heart and soul into every activity. It tells us to do every activity like we are doing it for the Lord himself. If we do that, God will bless it. He will bless us. So today, keep moving forward. Keep serving God. Keep serving him in all that you do. And he will put you where he wants you to be.

When reading the Bible, we cannot avoid learning about Moses. And the things that he was able to accomplish. Pretty incredible things. In Exodus, we read the story of him leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Taking them away from Egyptian slavery. Some 600,000 Israelites. You read that correctly. 600,000. Holy cow. It was on that journey that they came to the Red Sea. I believe you know the rest of the story. How incredible it must have been to watch the waters part. Then there is Mount Sinai. This is where Moses received the 10 Commandments. Also pretty amazing.

But did you know this about Moses? Did you know that he felt inadequate? When God called on him, Moses was hesitant. He didn’t believe he was the man for the job. Didn’t believe he was qualified. God promised Moses he would be with him the entire time. Yet, he did not believe he was good enough. It was to the point that he asked God to send someone else. Even with God assuring him, Moses felt these emotions. You would think that talking to God would have given him the confidence. You would think that he would have felt assured. But he didn’t. Think about that for a moment. Moses, one of the most important leaders in Israelite history, felt unqualified. Ever feel the same way?

Are you in a spot in your life where you feel incapable? Do you not believe in your ability? Maybe you don’t feel like you have the right talents. Or the right gifts. Some of you might even be comparing yourself to other people. Comparing yourself to what they have accomplished. Don’t do that. Nothing wrong with being motivated by what others have done. But if you begin comparing yourself to the point that it affects what you are doing, you are missing the point. Your capabilities are unique to you. Your gifts are unique to you. And God will use those to fulfill his plan. Trust him. When he convicts you to do something, do it. Do it while you trust him. Do it while you know that he loves you. Do it while you know that he will always loves you.

We serve such an amazing God. We really do. He is so amazing that he can use our pain and turn it to good. I know it’s hard to see that sometimes. Especially when it seems like pain keeps coming and coming. Suffering keeps coming and coming. Difficulties keep coming and coming. In our personal lives. Or in the lives of others that we know. Hard times seem to just continue to attack us. There are many stories in the Bible talking about this very topic. Just look at Job. Over and over, we see God using these times to show his glory. I bet some of you can really relate to this. My family can.

Our family has experienced multiple deaths in the past couple years. And it seems like a continuous cycle of health issues amongst our loved ones. My bride is going through one right now. Even watching dear friends go through similar things. Two of the veterans that I have been blessed to meet, are being buried this week. No matter what any of us are going through, these are times that we have the opportunity to show others, to show the world, just how awesome and glorious our God is. We can use this for our purpose. We might even find a new purpose. Charlie 22 Outdoors is an example. 

Now…this might seem harder than we think it is. But think about your past. Think about what you are going through right now. Have you had marriage issues that you worked through? Did you have, or do you have now, a teenager that is working through mental health issues? Do you know anyone who battled cancer and won? Do you know anyone who lost? These are all examples of the point we’re trying to make here. These are examples that make us qualified to show others the glory of God. How you handle times like these makes you “uniquely” qualified. Whatever your story is. Whatever your testimony is. God can use your pain. And he will if you let him. You may not know why now. And you may not see the light at the end. But I want you to think about the power behind what it is you will be able to share with others. And then realize this: There is hope in what you are going through.

Recently I have been asked several times about how I was paralyzed. Been asked what it was that led to me being in a wheelchair. For those of you that I don’t know, I was involved in a car accident when I was 19. Of course, the normal response from everyone is…”I’m sorry.” I always show my gratitude. And I try to reassure them that there is no need to be sorry. I let them now that I have had a blessed life. Which in many aspects is a miracle. So let’s talk about that today. Let’s talk about miracles.

What is it that you consider to be miracles? The obvious ones will be those that Jesus performed. Walking on water. Restoring site. Feeding the masses. So many more. Can you imagine what it must’ve been like to see those take place? Awesome stuff I’m sure. But let’s talk about those that aren’t quite as “glamorous” in our eyes. I have several. I have been able to watch people serve others, after the recent tornado, out of the love of their hearts. Miracles. I have got to watch a young boy and his father smile as they talked about catching fish after fish. Miracles. I got to watch a Korean War Veteran and a World War II Veteran have fellowship with their families and perfect strangers. Miracles. And I have go to watch my granddaughter just absolutely crush it during her choir performance. Miracle! I also look at the sun rising. The birth of a child. The unconditional love of a dog. My bride’s beautiful eyes. all miracles. And finally, when loved ones find peace through Jesus when they lose someone in their final moments. Absolute Miracles!

But, why do I consider those miracles? They didn’t walk on water. They didn’t heal a paralyzed man. They are miracles because I believe miracles are meant to draw people closer to God. They are miracles because they show his grace. They show his love. And that’s why Jesus performed those. He was showing people the glory of God. His mission was to draw us closer to him. And performing miracles was part of the mission. So I challenge you today to look around. What do you see daily that are miracles in your lives? What is it that you see is in your life that draws you closer to God? Look around and I’m sure you’ll find something. Now back to my personal miracle. Why didn’t Jesus heal me? Why am I paralyzed? Why? I am still on this chair because of the miracle of drawing me closer to him through it.

Sometimes we wonder why God brings people into our lives or puts us on to paths that we don’t quite fully understand why he did so. And sometimes, the answer to why he did so, may not come for several days, weeks, months, or years. Sometimes the answers why are very clear. Other times, the answers why are not so clear. But I can tell you this, when we do realize why God did what he did, it can be overwhelming and so very incredible. Our relationship with Little Flat Creek Ranch (LFCR) is very clearly an example of what I am talking about. We have hosted hundreds of veterans and their family members at this property since 2018. We have been there dozens, and dozens, and dozens of times. What’s even more incredible to me is how our relationship started. It’s too lengthy to put into this devotion. Here is the short version.

In 2017, Barbara and I were asked to serve as hosts for the Catch A Dream Foundation (CADF). I am sure you have heard of Make-A-Wish. CADF is the hunting/fishing version of it. As we were going through the application process, we got to meet with the President of CADF. And we met with the owners and managers of LFCR. After I got sick and had surgery, we had to push pause. Everyone understood. Then, after Charlie 22 Outdoors was founded, I bumped into the owner of LFCR. That was at a high school basketball game of all places. He wanted to hear more about what we were doing. And that led to us hosting our first Whitetail deer hunt on their property in 2018. As stated earlier, we have been on the Ranch around dozens of times now. There really are no words that I can say to describe how blessed we are to get to work with them. No words. When you get time, find them on the Internet. You will see why I say that.

Now here’s my attempt to explain why this all happened. Please bear with me. God puts us on a path that leads to eternity with him. And unfortunately, this path is not paved. It’s not smooth. It’s not flat. It’s a path that is full of bumps. Turns, twists, obstacles, etc. The enemy does all that he can to you push us off of the path. Pull us off the path. Whatever it takes, he does. Believe me I know. He’s pulled me and pushed me many times. He does this because he knows that if he can get us off the path, he then can influence us. Let’s remember he is a snake. And a lot of us will jump off the path we are walking on when we see a snake on it. Now, here is what is cool about our God. Not only does he put us on the path, he provides us the power to stay determined on the path. And let’s remember this as well…Satan is a snake because God has disarmed him and defeated him. God is our armor against him. We didn’t know it when we founded Charlie 22. But God put everyone involved with LFCR in our path for a reason greater than we could ever realize. We know our mission is to show hope, love, and a personal meaning through God’s grace. And that’s exactly what’s happening at that piece of the creation.

I was paralyzed in the year 1990. Seems like just yesterday. I spent six months in a hospital for rehabilitation. Hard to believe that long ago. Crazy to think that I have lived a majority of my life in a wheelchair. For a year or two after I was dismissed from the hospital, I would return for check ups. Re-evaluations. To see how my body was responding to paralysis. I should probably go do it again sometime soon. To learn how to grow old in a chair. But anyways, each time I went there I learned more about life with a disability.

One of my first return trips I went solo. The girl I was dating at the time drove me to Springfield, Missouri. That’s where my flight was out of. We were just a minute or two late to board the plane. Not much. But enough that they had already closed the main door into the plane. But to their credit, they found a way to get me onto the plane. Let’s just say that it involved a forklift, a pallet, and going into the side door where they loaded the kitchen items. It actually was pretty cool. They went out of their way to lift me up. To take care of me. To serve me. And that was awesome.

That’s what we are called to do. We are called to lift others up. To serve them. I think that one of the greatest examples of doing this took place on the final night that Jesus was with his disciples. And I fully believe the lesson he was teaching them is what we’re talking about right here. Lifting others up. Serving others. Lowering ourselves below them. How did he do this? Jesus washed their feet. He lowered himself, raised their legs and feet, and washed them. I am certain this was not simply to wash feet. I am certain that he was teaching them one more time. Showing them that the proper way to serve others is to lower theirselves below them. By lifting them up. So today, look for opportunities to lift others up. Actually, every day, look for opportunities to lift others up. Look for a ways to serve others. And do so because Jesus loves us. And we should love him.