Month: April 2023

Yesterday, I was blessed to be able to sit with a dozen veterans and just listen to them talk. Mostly talking amongst themselves. But every now and then, talking with me. When we were done with the meeting, two of them and I were able to sit with a woman for an interview on her radio program. She wanted to hear our stories. Our story about Charlie 22 Outdoors being founded. And their stories for the military. It took a little over three hours to do this. But it was amazing.

As I was sitting there listening to them talk about their personal experiences in the military, I kept seeing a common theme. Whether they were in Vietnam, or Afghanistan, didn’t matter. What they experienced was very real to them. What they experienced has led to dark moments. It has led to PTSD. Anxiety. Suicidal thoughts. And more. I’m sure, that most of the veterans that we serve probably can relate. Especially those that have been in combat. Male and female. Hearing the stories is very humbling to me. Hearing them puts a whole new perspective on how I view them personally. My respect for them has always been there. But, my gratitude for them continues to increase.

War is not pretty. It is a very dark moment. It’s a very dark time. Dark things happen. I would never understand this, because I have never been there. So I don’t pretend like I know what it’s like. None of us that have never been there should think we understand. There’s no way we can. The countless battles they were in. The blood shed that they saw. The friends that they lost. War can take its toll on people. and I’m not just talking about the deaths. One of the things that my wife brought back from this last weekend was this statement: “It takes many battles to win a war.” That was not something being told to soldiers. It was being told to civilian females. The whole point of it was, that life is going to be like a war. Every day is a battle. Just as our soldiers fighting war. It takes many battles to win. Our daily lives are like this. We battle Satan every day. He is after us. He wants us. But let’s remember this, Jesus won the war for us. He declared victory years ago. Let’s battle every day knowing this. Let’s battle Satan, knowing that with Jesus, we win!

There are so many things that I love about Charlie 22 Outdoors. So many, that I can’t put them all into words. I couldn’t fit them into three paragraphs. The ministry has been blessed beyond anything we can imagine. Six years ago the journey began. Here we are with over 100 opportunities this year for veterans to serve, or be served. How amazing! Watching God work has been incredible. But one of the things that really sticks out to me, is the volunteers giving all they can. Doing so without seeking anything in return. This is biblical.

In the Bible, we read that God will see what we are doing because he knows our hearts. He knows why we do, what we do. There’s no hiding it. Not from him. We also read that as believers, we should be serving others. That’s part of our faith. Giving to others. Putting others above our self. Serving them, to serve them. Not serving them, to serve our selves. If we do this, we will be rewarded by our Lord and Savior. I don’t know how. I don’t know when. But we will be rewarded. It will be as God sees it. And I promise you this, it will be lasting. Something you will truly feel and treasure.

Years ago, when I began serving veterans, I went into it with the intention of giving back to them. Just trying to make their day better. Doing what I could to let them know that I love them for who they are. I had no idea how God was going to bless me in return. I’m not talking about any “outside” gain. I’m not talking about anything, anyone can see. Internally, I cannot tell you how much I was blessed. I had no idea how God would fill my heart. Emotions that I felt, that I still feel today, are impossible for me to explain. So I challenge you today, find some place to serve others. Find some place to put them above your self. Serve them, to simply serve them. Do this with an open heart. God will bless the entire process. He will bless everything about it. Because that’s what he does.

This past weekend, Charlie 22 Outdoors hosted several women at two different retreats. Barbara took 7 to Ashes to Beauty (Women’s Encounter). This was over at Lake of the Ozarks. About a dozen other women were at our Spring Women’s Retreat Session I. It was hosted at Little Flat Creek Ranch. Just east of Purdy, Missouri. I am always blown away by what I hear took place at our events for female veterans and female spouses of veterans. 

Barbara and I were reviewing her notes from the weekend. Comparing them to what our daughter had written down as well. Let’s just say that Anna wrote a book. Barbara…not so much. But, as she was telling me what she had written down, several things stuck out to me. One thing in particular is this quote: “As soon as you open your eyes, you’re in spiritual warfare.” I’m not sure a more true statement has ever been said. This is spot on. As soon as we wake up, the battle begins. Daily. 

There are two sides in this daily battle. Team Jesus. And Team Satan. We know about Team Jesus. We know what he stands for. So let’s talk about the other side. Satan is a snake. Sneaking around. Lurking in the shadows. Using opportune moments to attack us. Layoffs, debts, health issues, etc. Using our emotions against us. Anxiety, depression, anger, etc. He doesn’t do anything in the open. It’s all behind the scenes. Because, he knows he will be spotted for who he is. So each morning, let’s be sure to wake up understanding that he is coming after us. Let’s put on our armor to fight him off. But more importantly, let’s wake up knowing that Jesus has us. The victory has already been declared. Satan has already lost. Our Lord and Savior take care of that for us years ago.

Today is the running of the 127th Boston Marathon. Men and women, ages 18 and up, able-bodied and wheelchair-bound, will take to the course that is 26.2 miles long. Completing the course is an incredible feat. Completing any marathon is an incredible feat in my eyes. What might be more incredible, is the preparation that it takes to run one of these. But, let’s talk about something else that is forever tied to the marathon. 

Barbara and I took Anna on a cruise 10 years ago. While we were on our trip going through the gulf of Mexico, the news broadcasted about two bombs detonating at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It became obvious that it was a terrorist attack. There were multiple injuries. Including several people losing limbs. And there were three deaths. The youngest was an eight year old boy. His name was Martin Richards. He was there as a spectator with his family. One member lost their leg. Another was blinded in one eye. And his father now has hearing problems. I’m sure they would gladly accept those injuries, if in return, Martin was still alive.

As with many terrible events like this, there seems to be incredible human stories. Martin’s is one example. He was a second grader at the time. At school, his class was doing a study on non-violent protesting. He made a poster during that lesson. You could find a photo of it online pretty easily. The photo went viral after the bombing and his death. It went viral because of what he put on the poster: “No more hurting people. Peace.” Almost like a rally cry after the attack. President Obama made reference to it as well. We talk a lot about the innocence of children. How much wisdom there is in the things that they say. Even though they might not understand the depth of what it is they are saying. His poster is an example. We all want peace. And I think that the only way of finding true peace, is by finding Jesus. His peace is greater than anything we can ever imagine. I’m sure many people found peace in his love after the tragedy in Boston. And we should all realize, it is available for us…if we ask for it.

I know this may not be popular with everyone. But, I think that Top Gun: Maverick might be one of the best movies ever made. There are a lot of reasons for me thinking that. Too many to go into. It’s simply one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Barbara will tell you, I am always looking for life lessons out of movies. Things that I can learn from. Even though they are for our entertainment, I believe movies can teach us some things if we look for them. There are three lessons in this movie that stuck out to me: Preparation, Protection, and Doing what is right even though it is not popular. And these can also be lessons for our Faith.

Preparation: Jesus prepared a place for us. He is still preparing it. He ascended to heaven and is awaiting us. What are we doing about it on earth? Are we secure in our faith? Do we have salvation awaiting us? We need Jesus in our hearts to receive it. That is first preparing. If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail. Scary thought when thinking about eternity. Protection: Satan is on the prowl. Sneaking around. Just like the snake that he is. Waiting for that one moment to strike. Using our emotions against us. He has so many tactics. And he’s good at what he does. More importantly though, God is better at what he does. He will protect us from Satan if we let him. Attacks will come. But, protection will come from our Lord and Savior if we turn to him. Doing what is right even though it is not popular: The world tells us that certain things are right. And right now, there’s a lot of evil that is considered right. There’s a lot of “wrong” that is considered right. Following Jesus, is not the most popular thing to do. Actually, some people are being condemned for doing so. But, following Jesus… Is the right thing to do. Plain and simple.

To wrap this up, let’s remember that Jesus is there. He is ever present. He’s not going away. He is waiting for us. How awesome is that! There are no words. God does so many things for us. We can’t list them all. But what we can do is prepare our hearts to be with him. If anything, he deserves us doing that. Especially, when we consider the sacrifice on the cross.

Yesterday, I had to go to the office to meet one of our volunteers (Gary). He was going to set up a booth at a local event. He and his wife have been volunteering with us now for quite a while. Amazing people. We were gathering up items for him. Also gathering items for me to transport to a couple other volunteers. They are setting up a display booth next week in Kansas City. Husband and wife combo. The story about meeting them is pretty incredible. I will save it for another day. While we were there, I received a phone call from another one of our volunteers. She and her husband have been volunteers with us now for five years. She was calling me to tell me a funny story.

While I was at the office, her sister drove by. Her sister has a three-year-old child. The three-year-old saw me sitting on the parking lot talking to Gary. She noticed my wheelchair. She made a comment to her mother that I was sitting in my “magic” chair. I love it. What a great way of looking at things. Magic chair. She understands that the chair helps me get around. Therefore it’s magic. Don’t you love the innocence of a child. The way they view things. Sometimes, I wish I could see things through their lenses.

Something else that I view as magical. Some thing that we should all view as magical. Because of the way it helps us get around. That is the love we get from our Lord and Savior. It’s not magic in the true sense of the word. It’s “magical” because it’s powerful. His love is beyond anything we can ever imagine. We are his children. He is our protector. He is our teacher. I think it’s time that we start looking at him in these ways. We should revere him. We should honor him and look at him through the lens of a child. And see him for all that he is. 

Yesterday, I heard a devotion from one of our veterans/volunteers. He talked about three important points of Jesus’s sacrifice and resurrection: The empty cross proving that Jesus died for us. The empty tomb proving that Jesus rose again. The empty clothes proving that he is definitely alive. Very powerful stuff when you think about it.

He died for us. Dying for our sins. He rose to heaven. He did so to prepare a place for us to be with him. He left the clothes to prove that he indeed is alive. Proving that he fulfilled his mission being human on earth. Something else about that time period 2000 years ago that hits home with me. Jesus knew this is all coming. He knew about the pain that he was going to endure. Something beyond our imaginations. He knew these things, but he still bowed down and washed feet.

I’ll look at these as four amazing examples that we can learn from. Examples that we should follow in serving others. Putting others above ourselves. Placing their lives above ours. Doing what we can to help others see the hope that comes from Jesus. Ultimately, being willing to lay down our life if necessary. Wow! Easier said than done. I’m fully aware of that . But wow, just wow! Where are you in your heart when it comes to serving others? Are you doing it for them? For yourself? Are you laying aside your personal desires? Difficult questions I know. But important questions. Today let’s work on this. Let’s work on truly serving others, by placing them above ourselves. Just as Jesus did for us all.

How many times have you done something, either by accident or on purpose, where you were forgiven? Maybe given a warning? Ever get pulled over for speeding, or another driving offense, and be given a warning? What about as a student? I know that I did a few things while I was in school where I was given a warning. Even as a child at home, my parents warned me at times. I know as a parent, we have warned our children on occasion. And I know that often times, I didn’t deserve a warning. Punishment was very appropriate. 

But, how does this go along with our faith? Forgiveness and warnings? The answer is probably pretty obvious if you think about it. Jesus forgives us of our sins. Without hesitation he does this because he loves us. Even when we do not deserve it. Actually, I don’t think we ever deserve it. We didn’t earn his sacrifice on the cross. Some argue just the opposite. That our sins, along with those from people before and those coming behind us, are what lead to the cross. So you can see we definitely did not earn what he did for us. We never will. And all we have to do to receive forgiveness is to ask for it. To confess our sins and ask for it. 

Let’s move on to warnings. Let’s see how warnings pertain to our faith. Once again, I believe the answer is pretty obvious. We must have faith. We must believe. We must follow the commands. We must do all of these things to inherit the kingdom. The Bible is full of verses telling us this. Very clearly, these are warnings. And let’s not kid ourselves. God is not afraid to punish us. He won’t hesitate if it’s the only way to get our attention. Think about the flood. Think about Sodom and Gomorrah. No doubt those were punishments. Today is a great day to heed these warnings, and move away from sinful actions. Today is a great day for us too turn our eyes on God. Follow his commands. Serve others as we should. Let’s not put ourselves into a position where we need to be forgiven and to be warned. Let’s put ourselves into a position to please God. Let’s put ourselves into a position where we honor the sacrifice Jesus made for us. And let’s put ourselves into a position where others can learn from us. Because God loves us. He always has. He always will. 

Barbara and I have been watching the series on Netflix called The Chosen. It really has been interesting. The last episode that we watched was over the miracle that Jesus performed with the paralyzed man. His friends had brought him to Jesus. And the only way they could get him in Jesus’s presence was by lowering him through the roof/ceiling of the house Jesus was in. For obvious reasons, the story has personal meaning to me.

Could you imagine being there at that moment. Could you imagine being there to witness a man who had been paralyzed since childhood, standing up and walking away. How incredible that must’ve been. Along with other miracles that Jesus performed, the people that witnessed these must have been blown away by what they were watching. Getting to see things take place that can only be explained as being miracles. Walking on water. Feeding the 5000. Curing a man of leprosy. These truly were incredible miracles that Jesus performed. 

Makes me wonder how many people began to believe in our Lord and Savior after seeing what they got to see. I wonder how many people changed their lives after witnessing those moments. Also makes me wonder, why is it that sometimes we need to witness miracles to truly believe? I don’t know the answer. I guess we just need to have proof. But I’m still not certain. All I know is this, our Lord and Savior loves us tremendously. We may not get to see miracles like those in the Bible got to see. But they take place every day. One example is taking a near death experience years ago and bringing people together to found a ministry that’s changing lives through the hope and joy only he provides. Truly awesome. I’m sure if you think about it, there have been times in your life that are similar. Coincidence? I think not. God has a plan. And if we open our eyes, we can see his plan taking place.

I was having a conversation last night with one of our board members. Talking about faith. Talking about our relationships with Christ. We agreed that being humbled quite possibly is one of the most important times in a man’s life. It’s in those moments that we can truly look at ourselves and figure out what it is we need to work on. Those times can be hard. Very hard. But, those times can be beneficial. Very beneficial. If we let them. We have to look at those as the times we can truly grow. It’s up to us.

Some might think I was crazy. But, when I used to work out, I loved the pain. I knew the pain was going to lead to building strength. During those moments of pain, our muscle fibers are being broken down, then built back up. The same can be said about our spiritual lives. God provides moments for us that can be painful. Moments where we wonder, why it is we are going through, what it is we are going through. We question those times. How could God allow this to happen? Moments where our health isn’t so good. Moments where our relationships seem to be falling apart. Moments where we lose loved ones to death. So much pain can come from these. It’s natural to wonder why.

For believers, I would like to suggest that it’s during those times that God is building us for something that’s coming. Preparing us. We might not know it at that moment. But hold fast. God is setting us up for something. For non-believers, I would like to suggest that it’s during those moments that God is breaking their hearts. Convicting them. Telling them that they need to turn towards him. Telling them that he is there if they seek him. He will not stop convicting them either. Actually, he will not stop convicting us. As I said earlier, it’s during those moments that he’s building us. So today, let’s look at those hard times as opportunities to grow. To grow in our personal lives. To grow in our personal relationships. And most importantly, to grow in our relationships with our Lord and Savior.