Month: July 2023

I’m curious this morning that if I asked you what it is that you love, what your answers might be. Obvious answers for those of us that are married would be our spouses. Or if we have children, we would say our kids. Definitely, Barbara and I would say our grandkids too. What about our parents. Maybe distant relatives. Maybe friends. Some of us might love activities that we do. It’s my secret that I love hunting. I love being in the creation enjoying that time. I imagine some of you agree. Others of you might have different things you enjoy or love doing. But let’s take a look at that today. What is it that we love?

I’m asking this today because I want us to understand how important love is. Because love is something that we can build upon. One example of that is, we can build trust upon love. That’s because God is the foundation of love. True love. Let’s remember that God sent his son to be with us. To die for us. Is there a greater love than that? I think not. And since there’s not any greater love than that, then there’s no greater place to put our trust in. We can fully trust God. Because he is our Lord and Savior.

Now, since we can fully trust God, we can fully trust putting our hope and our future in him. And that’s because he knows what lies ahead of us more than we do. He knows our futures. This doesn’t mean that we just sit back and wait for our futures to happen. We must still strive to work daily on serving him. And that includes serving others. It means that our future lies in him if we accept him into our hearts. We let him be our Lord and Savior. It’s our choice. Unfortunately, many of us choose not to accept him. Therefore, they do not put their trust in him. And that leads to no future. So today, let’s work on true love. Let’s work on loving others as God has loved us. But more importantly, over anything else, let’s love God.

Pete Carril was the legendary basketball coach for Princeton. Coaching an Ivy League college and trying to make the NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Tournament is very difficult. Winning a game in that tournament is even more difficult. Pete’s teams achieved both. The offensive scheme that his team ran was brilliant. Just imagine a bunch of players running back door cuts towards the goal. Making layup, after layup, after layup. Driving opponents crazy. Especially those that were superior athletically. Which most teams were compared to Princeton.

Reason I’m bringing him up is because he wrote a book: “The Smart Take From the Strong.” I read his book while I was coaching. And just like his offense, it was brilliant. You can imagine what it’s about simply by reading the title. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel if others have been successful. Why not build off of what they have done. Why not take ideas from them. That to me, is being smart. And today I’m going to do the exact same thing. I’m gonna take some thing that I learned from my pastor at our men’s Bible study. Robin Sigars is leading this monthly meeting. And right now we are studying the book of Hebrews. So many lessons in that book.

Today we talked about being in the desert. The desert does not have to be what you are envisioning it. It does not have to be sand. It doesn’t have to be barren. It does not have to be hot. The desert is a place that we struggle in. And we all are going to be in the “desert” at one time or another. Think about people in the Bible that experienced going through the “desert” during their lifetimes. Paul. Job. Martha. And so many more. Even Jesus spent time there. This is a place that we can build our faith on. If we choose to do so. We can turn our backs if we want to. Because it’s not an easy place. As a matter of fact, it can be very difficult. And we can find having a strong faith as being something really difficult to do as well. But let me encourage you this way. No matter where we are in the desert. No matter at what point in our lives that we are in the desert. No matter what type of desert it is. Jesus will always be constant. He will never waver. And he will see us through. But we must keep our focus on him. That is up to us. And I believe that is the “smart” thing to do. He will keep his promise to us, if we keep our focus on him. Because he loves us. He always has. He always will. 

I’m not sure there’s a day that goes by that I don’t see a prayer request on Facebook. Sometimes they come out as an unspoken prayer request. Other times they are specific. Either way, I see them all the time. When I read a request, I think it’s a great opportunity for us to lift others up that we normally wouldn’t. Not because we don’t care about them. But because now we have a opportunity presented to us to pray over. I believe in the power of prayer. So does my family. The ministry does as well. Prayer is a very important part of our daily lives. And there are so many reasons for this.

First off, this is our way of reaching God. Our way of reaching out to him. It’s our way to talk to him. And there’s no bias. He doesn’t care about our race. He doesn’t care about our jobs. Where we live. Age. So much more. None of this matters in regards to being able to pray to our Lord and Savior. That door is open to us all. God wants to hear from us. And prayer is our way of doing so.

There are so many other reasons why prayer is so powerful. One reason is that there are things that we can learn from prayer. One important lesson is teaching us to listen for God to respond. To be attentive to him. Another lesson is teaching us to seek wisdom going through life. Teaching us how to face life. Prayer can also help us make better choices. To make choices that aren’t made on emotions. Prayer helps us think about our futures. Helps us think about our family’s futures. Although there are so many more reasons why we need to pray, there’s one more very important point about prayer that we need to make. This is one of our weapons against the devil. Satan can use our silence with our Lord and Savior against us. If we pray, it continually helps us in the battle against him. And he knows it. So today, let’s work on our prayer lives. Making it a priority each day. Do so, and watch how your relationship with God grows.

God continues to amaze me by the people that he continues to bring into our lives. He really does. Yesterday I was blessed to meet Amanda Hoenes. She’s a young lady from Missouri who served in the Marine Corps. You may know her if you saw her story. She paddled the Missouri River and Mississippi River in a canoe in 2021. Just her and her dog. It took several months to complete the journey. Along the way, she kept a blog on what was going on. And she didn’t hide anything. She talked about both the positives and the negatives. She didn’t sugarcoat it. She wanted people to understand the full scope of the journey. 

This meeting with her took place because of Katrina Hine putting it together. We were blessed to do an interview with her a few weeks ago. And she thought that Amanda and Charlie 22 Outdoors had a lot of similarities in their missions. As we talked about her past, her river journey, and what her future looks like, it became very clear to me that she is trying to figure out the best way to serve others. What is the best way to use her talents and resources to serve others. And I think she is somewhat surprised about the attention that she has received from what she has accomplished. But I also think that the attention is well deserved. My reasoning for that is because her story is reaching people. And those people are telling their stories. And then others are telling their stories. It will continue on, and on, and on. And we know from experience, that when veterans begin telling their stories, it helps them heal one story at a time. The same can be said for civilians. We all have stories.

Something else we talked about is how the Bible is full of stories. Stories that we can learn from. Because they are stories that show God‘s grace. They show how God is faithful. Stories are lessons for us. And they should motivate us. Just as Amanda‘s motivates others. Just as Amanda’s is going to motivate me. If we seek knowledge from the Bible, we will also find answers. These are answers that will help us with our futures. Because the answers can guide us. When we read the Bible and take it in to our hearts, it shows that we have a hunger. We have a hunger to draw near to God. And he knows that. He will see that. And he will bless that. And then he can use our stories to help others. He can use our experiences to show others his grace and his glory. So today I challenge you to continue diving into the word. Seeking wisdom. Be hungry to grow closer to God. And then watch how he blesses your efforts and your futures.

Have you ever felt anxiety about the future? Ever feel scared or uncertain about what lies ahead? When I was paralyzed, believe me, anxiety and fear set in. Big-time. I had no idea what my future would look like. Did I have a future? There were so many questions. And fear was a big part of it.

As I moved on into life, I still did not know what God‘s plans were for me. I began to realize I was still alive for a reason. But I did not know why. I never believed God paralyzed me. I knew that it were my own decisions that had done that. But it became evident that God could use me greater for his good in the wheelchair, more than He ever could out of it. But still, fear would creep in. 

This is what fear does. It makes you think you are powerless. It makes you feel hopeless. It makes you feel like you are not capable of achieving your goals. Fear is very powerful. If we let fear consume us, then we can lose sight of God. And that even includes losing sight of opportunities that God is giving us. So today let’s remember that we can overcome our fears with God in our hearts. With God in control. Let’s remember that he will not forsake us. We have a future which includes hope. We have a future which includes peace. And if we let it guide us, our future is gonna help us overcome our fears. Because God has us. So today, let’s try to shift our focus is off of our fears and onto God.

We’ve talked before about being convicted of something by God. Whether he’s telling us to stop doing something. Or maybe he’s telling us to start doing something. When God convicts you, he’s not going to stop until you act. And it’s your choice. You can act on it. Or you can ignore it. But I can promise you this, whatever you decide, God is not going anywhere. He will bless your actions. If that’s what he’s telling you to do. Or is going to continue to work on your hearts. Never wavering. He’ll keep pecking away to get you to follow his commands. Until your dying day if so be it. 

We’ve also talked several times about God using us in ways we can never imagine if we let him. Even those of us that we think are nowhere near where they need to be to serve God. An example for you I want to share is from the movie Sounds of Freedom. I’m going to do my best to make my point without ruining the story for you. Barbara and I watched it. Believe me, it lives up to the hype. I made a comment yesterday about how somehow you feel like you are part of the story. That’s pretty incredible for something that’s on screen to do. That’s my simple plug for the movie. Go watch it. But what does that have to do with my devotion! 

One of the characters in the movie was of “low” character. And I don’t say that lightly. But God convicted him. And he acted. And his actions were blessed. That’s all I’m gonna say about the movie. But just as he acted on God’s conviction, we need to get to the point where when God tells us to do something, we don’t hesitate. No matter how hard it may seem. No matter if the task looks impossible. If God is convicting you, the task can be done. I remember that day in church several years ago when he “attacked” my heart. It was very clear. He wanted us to act. So we did. And he blessed the efforts of everyone involved. To this day, he still is. Because the Holy Spirit is leading the way. And I’m not talking about me individually. I’m talking about the entire Charlie 22 Outdoors family. So today, take a look and see if God is convicting you of something. Is   he telling you to take action? Or is he telling you to stop what you’re doing? Go to your knees and pray for strength if you need to. Because he will see you through. There’s a purpose here that’s going to show his grace and glory. And that my friends is awesome.

This morning, I was struggling with a devotion topic again. Sometimes when I wake up I have it right there. Other times it takes me a while to come up with something that I need to tell myself. To teach myself. Today is one of those days. But I think God‘s timing is perfect. Actually, I know God‘s timing is perfect. Because this morning I had a comment on one of my posts from my sister-in-law. And struck a chord with me. And the comment came as I was trying to think of a topic. Let me explain.

A few days ago, I made a post on Facebook that was meant to be funny. And it would’ve been if I had a picture of myself in it. Basically, it was a photo of a father and his daughter at a bike race. One of the cyclists lost control and the father was holding his daughter up. And I made the joke about him using her as a shield. Although I’m certain he wasn’t. And I meant for it to be funny. My sister-in-law informed me this morning that the video of the incident was terrible. And that hit home with me. I’m so glad she brought it to my attention. I immediately deleted my post.

The point we’re making here is that we never know what someone’s going through. We never know what it is that they are facing. We don’t know their struggles. We don’t know their successes. Unless…we know. God knows. But we might not. Therefore, we shouldn’t make light of something unless we are certain what we’re talking about. We shouldn’t poke fun at it. Well, I clearly didn’t know the whole situation before I made the post. So now I apologize to everyone. I think you know me enough to know that if you’re following me on Facebook, you see that we make funny posts all the time about ourselves. And I need to keep it at that. I need to keep it at situations that I am fully aware of. I need to be better about lifting people up. I need to be better about praying for people. And I promise that I will. Today let’s all do that. Let’s work to be better at lifting others up. 

So yesterday we talked a little bit about an attack that we went through. And how in this world, spiritual attacks are gonna come at us from all directions. Even through those that we are close to you. Even through those that we love. None of us are immune to the attacks. So we must work on how we handle those. Because the way we do so can honor and glorify God. Or just the opposite. And we don’t want to do that. 

Let’s remember that we live in a world where we can’t seem to disagree anymore. Because if we do, we can’t be friends. It amazes me how quickly that happened. I have mentioned before how I have lost friends, that were childhood friends, because of not agreeing on something. It just blows me away to think that’s where we are. We can’t agree to disagree. An example we see all the time is through our politicians in Washington DC. Left or right. Right or left. Doesn’t matter. Disagreeing means we are enemies now. 

We also live in a world where if we love our enemy, we are wrong. But that’s exactly what we are called to do. Doesn’t mean we must associate with our enemies. Doesn’t mean that we must be around them. But we must love them. We must remember that God loves them too. Therefore, we must pray for them. Lift them up. Believe me, I know how very hard this is to do. Something that I have struggled with. But something that I’ve had to learn how to do. I pray for the person I mentioned yesterday. The one who wronged me. I forgave him along time ago. Although I don’t care to ever see him again. I still pray for him. So today, let’s remember the spiritual attacks. Let’s remember they’re going to come. But more importantly, let’s remember that we can face them head on. Because we have Jesus in our hearts.

Every now and then, I ask a question of you and I ask you to raise your hand if it pertains to you. Obviously I don’t see your hands go up. But the point is, I asked a question before we get going because if it does pertain to you, then maybe the devotion will hit home more. Believe me…it hits me every time because the questions I ask pertain especially to me. So the question for today’s devotion is this: “Have you ever been spiritually attacked?” Once again, I bet everyone raised a hand. If you did not, then I’m happy you haven’t been attacked. Or maybe you need to rethink it. Either way, attacks come. They’re going to always come.

What’s important is knowing that. And also knowing how to react. Or not react. I have a personal example for you. In 2016, I was attacked by someone I was very close to you. Someone that I worked hand-in-hand with. Practically on a daily basis. I don’t know if it was jealousy. I don’t know if it was spite. I don’t know if it was out of hate. But he disguised it as something that I had done. It floored me.  So I walked away. That bridge had been burnt. Walking away was a very difficult thing to do. Because I knew the fire was coming. And it did. I was accused of this and accused of that. Some people I was close to turned their backs on me. Barbara and I were even questioned about our marriage. It was really an interesting time.

When an attack comes, let’s remember that there is a very real battle going on spiritually. So try not to be shocked. Know that the enemy is the devil. Satan is the enemy of our souls. And he uses others in his sneaky ways. Even those that we are close to. Or we thought we were close to. Turning friends and family into enemies. Isn’t that crazy. He comes at us from all directions. Even though he’s already lost, he still attacks. But his attacks are incredible opportunities for us to do amazing things for God. His attacks are opportunities for us to show others God‘s grace. We can even show grace to the one who attacked us. Is there anything more powerful than that? I’m not sure there is in that type of situation. So today, remember they’re coming. The attack may already be happening. But more importantly, remember that God has you. He will get you through. And on the other side of it, you’re going to be stronger than ever were.

When our daughter, Anna, was 14 years old, she was a freshman in high school. She got her first job that year. Shakes Frozen Custard in Webb City, Missouri. I remember her interviewing over the phone when we were in Arkansas. She was with me that day when I was coaching basketball. We had to get a special provision signed by the school superintendent saying that she was capable of working. Missouri has a law in place that’s protecting children from child labor issues. She was only allowed to work a certain amount of hours per week and also to a certain time in the evening. I think it was 20 hours a week and to 7 PM. I also remember her not wanting to get a job. But she had a choice, school activity or job. So she chose to go to work. Track season was over and volleyball had not started yet.

Obviously, she wasn’t driving then. So her mother or I took turns taking her to work and then picking her up. We were together when we picked her up one day. It was the day that she received her first paycheck. She was in the backseat of the van. Barbara and I both were concerned that she was going to be upset about not making much money for working as much as she had. But just the opposite happened. It was actually pretty awesome. She’s in the backseat opening her check up with us anticipating frustration. And what we heard was…”$115! I GOT $115!!!!” She was so excited. We were excited for her. In her eyes she was rich. She was learning the rewards of hard work. She thought she had hit the jackpot. She really was thrilled. Makes me question us as adults. What is it that we view as wealth? What do we consider valuable?

I’m sure we have different definitions of what wealth is. I think that probably depends on who you ask. Obvious answers here would include someone that is wealthy, being someone that has financial wealth. But I wonder if someone that has large amounts of financial wealth, would consider themselves wealthy. See what I mean? I think it depends on who you ask. I’m sure if you would’ve asked Anna on that paycheck day, she would’ve thought she was wealthy. And what about things of value? What do you consider valuable? Land? Automobiles? Houses? Think about it. Once again, I think it depends on who you ask. We probably all have different definitions what is valuable. But no matter what we consider wealth to be, or what is of value, there really is one thing we should believe across the board. We should consider that whatever God blesses us with, that those blessings are considerable wealth and value. Doesn’t have to be money. Doesn’t have to be property. But his blessings are exactly what we need. And therefore, we should consider ourselves wealthy in that sense.