Month: September 2023

These past few days have been full of different things going on with the ministry and personally. Going back to last Tuesday, Barbara had her surgery. Still recovering. But she’s doing amazing. Thursday, our volunteers arrived at Spring Canyon to prepare for the veterans arriving on Friday. Last night was the first speaker. Sounds like it was an amazing evening. Yesterday, our veteran and our volunteer returned home from Maine. No bear was taken. But according to what I was told, the fellowship and devotions were incredible. Lots of laughter, smiles, and tears. And that’s what our events are supposed to be about. Not the animal. Not the fish. Not the food. They are supposed to be about the Holy Spirit.

Today at church, Robin preached a message that really hit home. He always does. But every now and then, I feel like he’s talking to me. And only me. Today was one of those days. And I think it’s something that we all need to know more about. 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 always has loved us. And he always will. That’s how big God is. And that’s why we should look for him in all things.

Some of you probably already know this. But I imagine several of you probably do not. Either way, Barbara and my family surprised me with a 10 week old yellow lab a couple of weeks ago. She’s going to be trained to be my service dog after she turns one. Truly, an amazing blessing to be gifted her. Her name is Penny. 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 pretty cool about our God as well. God has chosen us. He has chosen to create us. He has chosen to love us. He has chosen to give us hope. And he has chosen 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.

This morning I had something in mind I wanted to write about. But that has changed to due to what happened yesterday. As Barbara and I were wrapping up her surgery visit yesterday, 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, Monday, 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 we put on for him and his son. As I stated, what I planned on writing changed after a message I received from Chris. 

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 yesterday 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. Seems like there’s been a string of bad news lately. 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 seems to be that way right now.

On Saturday, when we 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 now. 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. 

Today is September 5, 2023. September 5, 2017, is a day that I will always remember. It was the day that we went to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The day I went there for surgery. The day that I lost my right kidney. The day that I lost my gallbladder. The day that I learned to just how sick my body was. I look at it as being an important date that is part of the journey that led to Charlie 22 Outdoors. 

We knew going into the surgery that my gallbladder and kidney were going to be removed. What we didn’t know was just how bad things were. The gallbladder was distended four times the size it was supposed to be. The kidney was so dead that it was like a piece of stone. They couldn’t even cut into it. But what was even more concerning was the aorta and vena cava. They were both calcifying. They had to chip away at the calcium, because they were going to eventually constrict. That would be the end of circulation. And we know what that means. So, leaving it alone was not an option. The concern during the surgery was chipping too far. Too deep. Because that would lead to penetrating one of them. And that results in bleeding out within seconds. This is all information that I learned after I recovered. The 2 1/2 hour surgery ended up being for five hours.

Yesterday, we mentioned not knowing who we are going to meet at certain times. That is exactly what happened here. We first learned how sick I was in July 2017. While we were in the hospital then, we met Dr. Brookover. We didn’t realize the blessing of that meeting until later. He convinced us that we needed to go to Tulsa for the surgery so his teammate could use robotics. Looking back now, God brought us together because of what they found when they were in the middle of surgery. Because it took robotics to chip away at the calcification. And I believe that is what ended up saving my life. Going back weeks earlier to meet Dr. Brookover…lead to going to Tulsa. Which led to surgery with robotics. Amazing how that happens. How God orchestrates things in our lives. Just as he did for me. Knowing that would lead to people serving God, by serving others, through Charlie 22 Outdoors. Ultimately, bringing more people into his glory. And that is awesome.

September 4 six years ago was also Labor Day Monday. And I remember it very distinctly. That’s because that was the hunt that I took Anna on which I wasn’t sure if it was going to be the last one I would ever do with her. It was a dove hunt. AJ Stock set it up for me. He contacted Chris Calliotte. And Chris contacted Josh Barron. It was an amazing morning. The reason why it was so significant is because the very next day was when I had my surgery. It is also significant because of the people involved. Let me explain.  

A few weeks after my surgery is when we founded Charlie 22 Outdoors. AJ was a founding Board Member. Today, he serves as the president of the ministry. Chris Calliotte is a veteran. We met him when he was part of the shooting range north of Webb City. Josh Barron was also a veteran. He was a United States Navy rescue diver. He was the dog handler on that hunt for Anna. 

Here’s how it all ties together. Charlie 22 Outdoors was founded in October 2017. As I stated, a few weeks after my surgery. A short time late, Josh found out that he had ALS. And he wanted to try to get his son out for one more hunt before he couldn’t. Much like I was doing for Anna. We contacted the owners of Little Flat Creek Ranch. Explained what was going on. The graciously opened up the property for us. Therefore, Josh and his family were part of our very first deer hunt. It was an amazing blessing. Because it was a few months later that Josh was gone. The point here is pretty obvious. You never know who you are going to meet. You never know when. You never know where. You never know how or why. And you never know what it is you are going to say at a certain point to someone that’s going to resonate with them. You never know! But we know this, Jesus does this all the time. He puts people in our paths at certain times in our lives. And it’s our job to witness to them. Because there’s going to be a day that we are all going to meet him. And we better have “things in order” with him before that happens. So today, let’s work on that. Let’s make sure that we have our “eternities” set up for when that time comes. Let’s make sure we have Jesus in our lives. And today, let’s make sure that we don’t hesitate to let others know about him. Because there’s a chance, we might be the only people to ever tell them about Jesus.

For those of you that follow us on Facebook, you saw where Barbara and I had went down to Eureka Springs yesterday. We spent the afternoon and evening together. By ourselves! Unfortunately, we don’t get to do that as much as we want to. We still go on dates. But to have that much time together by ourselves is a very rare thing. So we took full advantage of it. And it was great. We went to Eureka Springs to see The Passion Play. I’ve been to the property before. But never to see the play. She went there as a kid to watch it. One thing that you will find on the property is an art museum. Actually has several items that Jack Dawson has done. So that was pretty cool. But, what caught my attention the most were the paintings and items from the 1500s and 1600s. Really amazing stuff. And then there was a sculpture of Jesus‘s silhouette. Dating back to 800 A.D. Holy cow! 1200 years old.

As I was looking at it, something struck me. His silhouette from that point of history is basically the same thing that we portray today. And that is very fitting. Because Jesus is the constant. He is the one thing that has never wavered. Ever! He is the one thing that will always remain the same. Humans fail at this. I know I do. We are constantly changing. For some of us, it’s day to day. Because we find ourselves selfishly doing things. Maybe unknowingly. But we do it. If we can find ourselves in emotional roller coasters at times. Some of you can really understand what I’m talking about. The point we’re trying to make here is…no matter where we are in our lives. No matter what we are doing in our lives. Jesus will be steadfast. he will be the constant. He will always be here for us. We just keep our eyes on him, and he will see us through.

I have used this Bible story before. Actually, several times. Because it’s very fitting for what we are talking about. On that stormy night, everyone in the boat found theirselves fearful. Found theirselves scared of the possibility of sinking. They even thought they saw a ghost. It was Jesus in the water. Standing there. On the water! And Peter got the courage to go out to him. And he was successful, because he kept his eyes on Jesus. He had faith in our Lord and Savior. And Jesus blessed him by making it possible for him to walk on water. So awesome. But as the story goes, Peter loses site of Jesus, gets anxious, and begins to sink. He was going to drown. Jesus never wavered. Remained constant. Reached down and pulled Peter back up out of the water. That’s the kind of Lord and Savior that we have. Never wavering. And always reliable. All we have to do is accept him and keep him in our focus. It’s up to us. If you haven’t done so, make today the day that you accept Jesus. And rest easy, knowing that he will always be here for you. Because he loves you. He always has. And he always will.

This morning as I was getting up, there was a great story on ESPN. I’m so glad that the reporters take time to share stories like this. Especially in this day and age where, whenever you turn on the news, it seems like we are just being force-fed negativity. We are being force-fed division. We are being force-fed things that are evil and ugly. I know that is what grabs attentions. But I’m tired of seeing it. So much to the point that I don’t watch the national news much anymore. But the story today is different. This is one that should inspire us all. Because it is one of truly serving somebody else. Giving some thing up for the good of somebody else.

Chris Creighton is the head coach for Eastern Michigan University‘s football team. On August 3, he was talking to his team. Talking about Zack Conti. Zack is a senior offensive lineman on the football team. He has been a walk on his entire career at the school. During which he has played 23 games in the last two seasons. But this year he is going to be starting. Going into the camp, he was still considered a walk on. For those of you that don’t know what that means, he’s been playing without a scholarship. He’s been working a different jobs to raise the money to go to school. Because he loves football that much. Brian Dooley is also a senior on the football team. He is from Bowling Green, Ohio. Which means he is out of state. Prior to this team meeting, he went to the head coach and told him he was going to give up his scholarship in order for Zack to have one. Yes, you read that correctly. He gave his scholarship up so his teammate could have one. Now…that might not seem like a big deal. But it is. Especially for this reason: Brian is taking out a $25,000 student loan to go to school this year. Would you have done that?

We’ve been talking a lot about serving others. We’ve been talking a lot about the Holy Spirit taking control. We’ve been talking about our Lord and Savior loving us so much that he sacrificed himself for us. So today, let’s all learn from Brian. Let’s all learn about truly giving what you have to serve others. I’m not saying you must go out and give up your scholarship. I’m not saying you must go out and give out money you don’t have. What I’m saying is, let’s find ways to give of ourselves, to serve others. Just as Brian did. Just as Jesus did. Just as Jesus still does today.

Here is an interesting question. One that might really cause you to think. This is a question that we should all really consider. Because I think it reveals what it is that we are prioritizing. The question that I am asking today is, “What is your most prized possession?“ There’s probably several ways to look at this. Is it something that is of monetary value? Like a home. Maybe a vehicle. Is it something that we rely on daily? Like my wheelchair. Or is it something that we cherish with all of our hearts? Maybe like a family heirloom. Whatever it may be, I definitely believe it reveals our priorities.

In the Bible, there’s a story that is a great example on what we are talking about here. You probably know which one I’m referring to. In Luke, there is a woman who had a bottle of perfume. Probably one of her most valuable possessions. This woman was known for her sins. And she took her perfume and poured it on Jesus’s feet. A very kind gesture. One of the great symbolism if you ask me. And there’s an amazing lesson that comes out of it because of what Jesus did. He was being criticized for allowing this sinner to approach him the way she did. But in typical Jesus fashion, he welcomed her, and he forgave her of her sins. How awesome is that?

We are talking about this story, because that is what encountering Jesus should be. It should be worth more than any possession we have. Anything we could ever value. And we should be willing to turn whatever it is, that we consider valuable, over to serving Jesus. Our time. Our resources. Our money. Placing him above anything we consider valuable shows our Lord and Savior just how much he means to us. So let’s think about that for a moment. The think about ways that we can prioritize our lives around Jesus. Let’s think of ways that we can serve others by putting Jesus first. And let’s be thankful at the same time. Let’s be thankful that we have a Lord and Savior willing to allow sinners to approach him. I know I am thankful. Because I would be lost if he would turned sinners away. I would be lost if he had not forgiven me of my sins.