Month: May 2023

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 it 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 his 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. Actually, you might be exactly where he wants you to be right now. The other day I had to do some blood work. The nurse and I were talking about this very thing. She said she wasn’t sure what God’s plans were for her. I told her she might be doing them right now. 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 is 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. And 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. Even watching dear friends go through similar things. Just this morning I read of a veteran that I know in the hospital. He’s having breathing problems. 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. Yesterday, I got to watch people serve others out of the love of their hearts. Miracles. I 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 then I got to go 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.

Yesterday we completed our second event of the year at Little Flat Creek Ranch. Today we have our third one. And from June through October, we will be there several more times. All told, we have been blessed to serve guests there over 30 times since 2018. Hunting, fishing, shooting, etc. We even host some of our Women’s Retreats there. Our relationship with the owners and managers has blown me away. And it continues to grow. 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. I am sure you have heard of Make-A-Wish. CAFD is the hunting/fishing version of it. As we were going through the application process, we got to meet with the president of CAFD. And we met with the owners and managers of Little Flat Creek Ranch. 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. 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 three dozen 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.

God puts us on a path that leads to eternity with him. 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. What’s 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 less remember this as well, Satan is a snake because God has disarmed him and defeated 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’s 33 years 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. Because, 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.

Here’s a pretty cool story for you. As I write it, it still brings a smile to my face. Hopefully it will you too. But, recently I was sitting in a checkout line. I looked up and noticed a woman walking towards me smiling. I could tell by the way she was looking at me that she was going to come and talk to me. As she approached me, I reached out my hand to introduce myself and say hello. She told me her name is Susan. And that I had spoken to her freshman orientation class at Missouri Southern State University in 1995. Back then it was still MSSC. She told me that my story meant a lot to her. And made a lot of impact on her. Wow! Talk about humbling.

As our conversation continued, we discussed how we are called to serve. How Jesus calls us to serve others. That “that” is why we are here. Serving others. Then she began to tell me how her husband had recently lost his job after several  years. That it was not expected. Kind of a bad deal. And how they are getting close to the end of the severance package. But what was cool, is how she talked about them doing a daily devotion all year long. And how God has been speaking to them through the devotions. And that they know they are going to be fine because God has them covered with his grace. Wow! Also talk about humbling. 

Recently, we talked about having purpose. So let’s emphasize that again, our purpose is to serve others. Our purpose is to serve others through Christ. No matter where we are. No matter what we are doing. We never know what we are going to say to somebody that’s going to make a difference. We never know when we are going to say it. We never know where we are going to say it. God puts people in our paths all the time. Just as he put me in her path 28 years ago. But we should be ready for that moment. We should be ready to serve whenever the opportunity presents itself. We should be willing to step out and share Jesus with other people. Plain and simple. We should be willing. So today, be ready for that moment. Be ready for when the opportunity comes. Be ready to share Jesus with others.

Often times it’s easy for us to question why we are here. Why is it that we exist? Many of us go day to day trying to find our purpose. Trying to figure out what it is that we should be doing with our lives. I remember years ago after my surgery wondering why I was still alive. I’ve always prided myself as being a good husband and father. But I felt like there was more being called of me. Actually, I knew there was more. I just didn’t know what it was God was telling me to do. Ever feel that way? I’m sure most of you have. You might be feeling that way now.

Here’s what I know. This is what I fully believe. We were all created by God. We were all created with a purpose from him. Not only that, we were all created with a purpose for him. Read that again. Created with a purpose for him. And I believe that our purpose is to serve him. The trick it’s to find out how to fulfill that purpose. It’s easy to get lost searching for that. It’s easy to go around trying to figure it out. But, finding your purpose might be easier than you realize. You have to do one thing to move in that direction. And that one thing is this: Search for God. Look for God. That’s it. Let me explain.

If we put God first in all that we do, he will show us what it is he wants us to do. He will reveal it to us. But first, he wants an intimate relationship with us. It doesn’t matter whether you are a cashier at a store. Or if you are a teacher in a school. Or maybe you own a business. God will have you where he wants you if you seek him first. He will use you to show his glory, wherever you are, if you do that. He will bring out your greatness. He will bring out your talents. So start by praying to him to draw closer to him. Start by seeking him in all that you do. Do that, and watch what he does with your life. It will be amazing. It will be glorious. It will be beautiful. No matter where he uses you, your purpose will be to fulfill what he has for you. And that is awesome.

When our kids lived at home, I would tell them that we understand when they felt bad. We understand when their bodies ache. Or when they are sick. Nobody is immune from that. You can’t control it. There are viruses and bugs all around. Eventually, we’re going to come across some. We also told them, those are not green lights to being hateful. Or rude. Just because you don’t feel well, you don’t have to treat others miserably. Those are mind over matter moments. We can control how we react to situations like those.

Our minds are powerful. Probably more powerful than we realize. Our thoughts are the same way. So powerful, that they can control us. Seriously! They can control us if we let them. Satan knows this. And he will use them against us if we let him. As I’ve gotten older, I have learned how to better control my thoughts. I have learned how to switch my thoughts from one thing to another. If I catch myself thinking about something I shouldn’t be, I intentionally move on to something else in my mind. or sometimes I will stop what I’m doing and begin talking to God. That helps me get my mind where it is supposed to be.

We can also strengthen our ability to control our thoughts. We can work on it. We can feed our minds with tools to help us battle what Satan tries to push on us. And as we do this, we can work on serving God better. We can train our minds and our thoughts to try to focus in on what it is he wants us to do. That’s where the Bible comes in the play. That’s where prayer comes into play. That’s where who we associate with comes into play. When I was coaching, we worked on perfect practice. That would better prepare us for the games we had. The same can be said about our spiritual life. Perfect practice will help us be better equipped for when the evil one attacks. So today, work on strengthening your mind and your thoughts. Let’s do this together. Let’s work on serving our Lord and Savior better than ever we ever have before. Let’s do so because he loves us. He always has. He always will.