It started with a run...

It started with a run…

 

My run this morning was doomed from the start. I got up later than I wanted to, could not find any of my running clothes, and my running watch was dead! I never run without my watch! To top it all off, I had not drank nearly enough water last night and was afraid I was going to be dehydrated. As I was getting ready to leave, I asked Christie how far I should run.  Her answer: 5 miles. Now here lately I have been doing the minimum to get by, running as little as possible. So out the door I go, just me and a small water bottle. Totally unplugged, no running watch, no music, just me and the road. The run started out like any other. I hated the fact that I was there but at the same time it felt good. Since I had no way to keep track of my pace or distance I was just left with my thoughts. I decided that this was a perfect time to open up the lines of communication between myself and God so I started to pray.

 

To say that I have been struggling lately with my prayer life would be an understatement. I find myself trying to define my life and my relationship with the Lord. Trying to figure out my ultimate purpose here on earth in Gods plan. I see others around me having these great revelations and being so inspired by God with plans for their lives that I find myself searching for something. I have even gone as far as to try to make my own plans into something inspired by God. Ever try to force your own Ideas on the Big Guy? Not a good idea at all.

 

Christie had started a Run For God group at church and to be honest with you, in the beginning, I was just along for the ride. Somewhere along the way I started feeling a little purpose in being involved with this group, if for no other reason than just to share the story of my journey over the past year and a half with others. One of the things we had talked about was being able to spend some of that run time, that alone time, communicating with God. Without going into it right now, I can tell you that there are countless similarities between our relationship with God and running.

 

So here I was plodding down the road. I was just really starting to feel the run and had settled into a good pace when I started thinking again about my purpose in life. When I say purpose in life, I don’t mean the obvious like being a good dad and husband but more of why God created me, what was His purpose for me. I don’t know about everyone else but conversations between myself and God can some times get a little spatty. Almost like two good friends going at each other and even arguing a little bit. It was at this point that the Lord let me know that He did indeed have a purpose for me and that I should quit trying so had to define myself. “Calm down, Ive got this.” And just like an argument with my wife, I was not about to let it go with out more answers. I always tell Christie not to ask questions that she doesn’t really want the answers to because I will 99.9% of the time tell the truth. So God gave me a taste of my own medicine. “I created you for a purpose…” and he continued to speak to me in a way that he had never done before. All at once I was dealing with a flood of emotions that I could never put into words. A combination of emotions and feelings that I have never experienced before. Ever try to run while crying? Not easy at all. In true form, after getting my emotions and breathing back under control, I kept pushing. I wanted to know how and when? Once again, after putting a death grip on my heart and lungs I heard “Calm down, I’ve got this” and as quick as that feeling came, it left. It this point I felt a calm come over me like none other. I had about a mile and a half left in my run and was just enjoying being out there. Suddenly it started to rain and not just a little bit either it was a down pour! Immediately I looked to the sky and thought in a smirkey sort of way “is this just to spite me or show me who’s boss?” Once again that feeling came over me and as the Lord gripped my heart and squeezed like only he could, and said “No, this is to show you that I can wash away your sins at any time and cleanse you new at will. No matter what you have done and where you go, you are a child of God and always will be.” As soon as I could breath again, I begged God to let me just finish my run! “Calm down, I’ve got this” and the rain stopped. I finished my run with and ease and energy that totally amazed me. I walked my cool down and made my way back to my truck, unlocked the door, and sat down. Just as I shut the door, it started pouring down rain once again and I could almost hear him chuckle…

 

It started with a run, and it was the best run of my life…

 

Ask, Seek, Knock

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Everything will be ok...

Ok, I have started over again. I am going to do a self study so to speak of the New Testament. So, here I am starting with Matthew. Now just to back up a little bit, I have been struggling with my job situation for a very long time. Now things are coming to a head and I have to make a decision. Now! No more time to ponder and think. Matthew 6:25-34 Do Not Worry. DO NOT WORRY!!! It says right there in the bible that to worry is to sin. For the most part we have all heard this before but have you ever really stopped and thought about it. Apply this to your every day life. If to worry is truly a sin, how many times a day do I sin just by worrying alone? Way too many! Matthew 6:27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life”? Stop the bus, really? It’s written in red right there for you to read. It goes on to say; (33-34) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. My first thought was “ok, Ill give this a shot and see what happens”. After thinking about it I know that it doesn’t work that way, that would be like testing God and we all know that won’t have a favorable outcome. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” only through complete surrender and trust can we achieve these gifts of gods grace. He is telling us right here that if we do, everything will be ok.

Today I Found...

Today I found Grace in awakening.

Today I found Hope in a sunrise.

Today I found Beauty in my every day walks.

Today I found Love in the eyes of my children and the voice of my wife.

Today I found Strength in a run.

Today I found Wonder in the future.

Today I found Comfort in The Book.

Today I found Peace in the darkness.

Today I found Myself...

Thank you Lord for all of your gifts.

Belief

It’s not a coincidence that my weight loss over the last 6 months coincides with much growth and strengthening in my faith. Many times in my life I have tried to regain my health and fitness and failed but this time it’s different. This time it was not as difficult and has never seemed like a “chore” but more like a life style change. This change could not have been achieved with out help and support. The help comes from the Lord our God who walks every single step of this journey with me and the support comes from my wife who like God has always believed in me. Having someone believe in you is empowering and with that empowerment you feel like you can accomplish anything! I think that some times I take for granted the belief in me that my wife possesses and in realizing this feel as though I have almost disrespected her by not living up to my fullest potential. Same can be said in our relationship with God. We tend to forget that no matter what we do or where we go God will not only believe in us but will be right there by our side every step of the way. Thank you Lord and thank you Christie! I love you!

Underdog!

“There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!” He would swoop in wearing his red tights and blue cape to fight the bad guys and save Sweet Polly. Defending the world against anything and everything evil! Now when I was growing up, this was a cartoon that originally aired between 1964 and 1973 (124 episodes to be exact.) How many of you remember this?

My point? Well, we don’t have a real life super hero that will save us from all the evil in this world… Or do we…

Psalm 23:4 “Even thought I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” God is telling us that no matter where we find ourselves or what we are going through He will be there to comfort us. We need not fear anything!
Matthew 8:24-26 “Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying Lord save us! We’re going to drown! He replied, you of little faith, why are you so afraid? Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves and it was completely calm.” Here is Jesus telling us that as long as he is with us we have nothing to fear! “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Why are we afraid? Human nature I guess, but let’s look at it this way, if we believe in the one and only true living God, we have the greatest super hero of all on our side. I have a lot more I would like to write about fear but I think it can wait until a later time. There is some thing else I need to address now.

To someone very special in our life who is facing a great unknown (you know who you are and I know you read my blog), don’t forget to pray with audacious faith! Pray with strength and conviction. Pray with no fear. And pray knowing that God is always with you! Never give up! No matter what you find or how you find yourself, you are and always will be a child of God! We love you and your family, and will be praying for you!

Choices

Choices, we all make them. We make them every day. Some as menial as what to wear or even what show to watch on tv. Some seem menial but actually affect the rest of our lives. I think that a lot of the choices we make are not fully understood until it is too late, partly because we (or at least I) don’t spend enough time thinking about them before we make them.

Food is a tough choice for me but a choice that I have to make every single day. Here is the problem, in the past I have made bad choices when it came to what and how much to eat. These choices really have affected the rest of my life, not only my life but my family’s life too. I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This is something that will affect my family and me from now on. Since my diagnosis I have begun to make better choices, and am on the road to taking back control of this part of my life.

With our faith, we have the same problem. We make choices every single day that will not only affect the rest of our lives but I truly believe these choices also affect our family and their future too. If I choose to over eat and not exercise, what am I teaching my kids? If I choose to ignore God and his plans for us, what am I teaching my kids? Here is a perfect example of how growing my own faith has also affected my children and their faith. A while back I felt the need to start praying before our evening meal. I am not sure why but that is how I felt led at that time. Now my wife has worked with the children on praying so this was not something totally new to them, just new to this time and place. We have said meal time prayers in the past but usually something generic and the same every time. I wanted to start using this time to pray for whatever/however each of us felt led. Not long into this process, it was the children leading the evening meal prayer. How cool is that!

I heard something a while back that fits both problems/solutions in my life and I want to share it with others. We need to start thinking about the ultimate and not the immediate. The ultimate goal is to live a long and healthy life and spend an eternity with the Lord. This should influence every single decision that we make no matter how big or how small.

I choose to start this and every day to make better decisions in my life, not only for my health but for my faith.

Thank you Lord for opening my eyes to the mistakes that I have made. Help me find the strength to stay the course, not only for me but for my family and most of all for you.

Do we live for today or do we live forever? It’s your choice…

How many times can I fall?

How many times can I fall?
As I watched my now 5 year old son ride his new bike this weekend, I started asking myself this question. This was his first attempt at his new “big boy bike”. Even though it has training wheels he manages to fall over about every 5 minutes, each time picking himself up and getting right back on the bike. I had to wonder to myself, how many times can he fall before he gets tired of getting hurt and gives up?

Psalm 18:1-3 “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”

How many times can I fall?
I have come to realize more lately that I fall every day. This is a tough realization for me because I am not one who likes to “fall” or fail. I have a tendency to be a bit of a perfectionist. As a Christian you have to realize 2 things. Number one is that God never fails, and number two is that we fail God all the time. So, I fall a lot. God wants me to live in a way that glorifies his most holy name in everything I do and some times this can be a little overwhelming. I make mistakes. I know this, but so does God. The question is this; “how many times can I fall?”

Psalm 18:16-19 “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”

How many times can I fall?
This is a prayer that I tend to say quite often; “I give myself over to you oh lord, body, mind and soul. Make me the vessel of your word, to show the world by my actions that you are the one true God.” I pray this prayer and yet I fall every day… but not near as much as I used to.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

My son never quit riding his bike, at least not of his own accord. I had to practically drag him into the house, and more than once he tried to sneak the bike in with him. He was never going to give up, no matter how many times he fell. The bike is something that brings him great joy and for that reason he will stick with it. We are the object of God’s joy and he will never give up on us either.

Revelation 2:5 “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.”

So, how many times can I fall? Evidently as many times as it takes as long as I get back up and get on that “bike” again.

Camouflage

Camouflage: is a method of crypsis (hiding). It allows an otherwise visible organism or object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment.


Last night I noticed 2 visitors on our front porch after the storm went through. One was a moth and the other was a frog. What my 4 year old son pointed out as I was taking pictures of them was that they were both camouflaged.

Each one was created to blend in with its environment, yet each one was totally unique. Unique in looks and unique in its purpose for its camo. Now I don’t know this for a fact, but if I were to guess I would say that the moth uses its camo to hide from those that would seek to eat it, from predators. The frog might be using its camo to hide from its prey. Either way the object is to remain unnoticed.

Now being a hunter and former military I think of myself as a camouflage oficinato of sorts. I like camo, a lot. I have camo seat covers for my truck. I have camo clothes both for hunting and casual. My favorite coffee cup is camo. Love the fact that my 4wheeler is camo too! You get the point.

I think that in life people tend to use camo, per say, for all sorts of reasons. More often than not its to blend in, get lost in the crowd so to speak. Many people don’t want to be noticed, don’t want attention. We all just want to go on with our day to day life.

I don’t know how God feels about the camo that I wear while hunting. In my mind, he’s pretty cool with it. I think it’s the other type of camo that he has a problem with. In fact, I know that he does. As christians, God wants us to stand out in a crowd. He wants us to be noticed for who and what we are. We were created to serve and glorify God and what better way to do that than to stand out! I’m not saying that every christian needs to spend all their time trying to preach to the masses. Some of us can do just as much good leading by example. Show the world that its ok to be kind to your neighbor, help those in need without judgement or persecution. Compassion and understanding can go along way these days in our world. Maybe it’s time that we all give it a try. Drop the camouflage and become noticed for who we are, christians. Just a thought…

Any Given Sunday

I know, I stole that title, but for some reason it just fit what I was thinking about. It can happen any given Sunday. Growing up a Minnesota Vikings fan I have had occasions to pray on behalf of my professional sports team. If you think about their unprecedented super bowl record, their tendency to lose all focus in the first round of the play offs, or even the whole Favre situation of the past few years, you will understand what I am talking about. Why, why, why I ask myself year after year, do I put myself through it all? I don’t have any good answer but something keeps me coming back. Could it be the improbable run several years ago that ended against the Saints in the playoffs? I guess but that is kind of the point. If I had given up, I would have never seen that incredible run towards the super bowl. So they failed…big deal. I am used to it by now. I have been a fan all of my life. This year I am just hoping that we have a season. I already have tickets to a game. I have not watched one live in 30 years! So, miss a game and you miss a chance to feel that spark, that hope, that joy that just maybe this is the year! Now days I am starting to feel that way about church, I am becoming a fan of Jesus! As much as I look forward to seeing the purple and gold of my Vikings on tv, I look forward to hearing the word of God in church every Sunday. Since redirecting my life towards Christ, I have been excited about going to church again. I say again because I can remember a time when I was growing up that I looked forward to church. I can tell you that for many years that feeling was gone. It fell by the way side for one reason or another but it was gone. Not any more. I wake on Sunday morning with excitement and enthusiasm. I look forward to hearing the word of God. The reason? Have you ever had that moment in time when it all clicked? When you felt the hand of God directing you to a goal or a purpose? Or maybe just helping you make a decision that you have been struggling with for a while? Well now days that is what I get out of church. A very smart person once told me “you will never really hear God until you know him better and the only way to know him better is to become familiar with his word.” Never truer words have been spoken. Every since I have taken it upon myself to become better acquainted with my bible, I have realized that God has been speaking to me all along. I just couldn’t hear him because we were still just acquaintances. Now that I know him better through his word I have realized all the times that he has been speaking to me. Sound like something you might want to experience? All you have to do is show up on Sunday morning and I don’t mean for the football game. It’s the chance to feel that spark, that hope, that joy…just maybe this year is the year! It could be the best year of your life if you just give it a shot. It could happen, on Any Given Sunday.

Could God be a 4 year old boy?

I am a father of 6 boys ages 3,4,6,13,21 and 25. By no means do I have it all figured out! I have been raising kids since the age of 18 and I am still learning as I go. Every one of my children is as unique and different an individual as you could imagine. They are all night and day from one and other. As much as they are each their own special mold, there is one age that they all most resembled one and other, the age of 4. At 4 years old each boy has been a carbon copy of the other. Here are a few things I have learned about 4 year old boys along the way.

No mater how loud or how quiet you speak they will hear it if they want to.
Always check their pockets before you put their cloths into the wash.
They will eat anything once.
Never let them go outside unattended before church.
No small animal is safe with a 4 year old boy.
You can never satisfy the curiosity of a 4 year old.
Baseball, basketball, football and hockey are all outside games.
There is never enough food in the house.
4 year olds shoes are made from inferior material.
Lizard tails only come off by accident.
A 4 year old can get tooth paste out of a tube that a 1000 pound gorilla couldn’t
It is a physical impossibility for a 4 year old to pass a puddle without ascertaining its exact depth.
4 year olds can smell candy from a mile away.
4 is much too old to be taking naps.

They can be a lot of fun at that age and yet such a pain in the butt. I have learned so much over the years from my 4 year olds and it amazes me the parallel between the lessons I have learned from them and the lessons that the bible teaches us about the love of God. Unconditional love, acceptance, forgiveness, trust, lack of fear and flattery through imitation are just a few of the things that I can name off the top of my head.

God loves us unconditionally and proved it even though he didn’t have to. He sent us his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. He made the ultimate sacrifice for us! It that is not unconditional love then I don’t know what is. 4 year olds, they are mad when you send them to bed but are all smiles and I love you when they wake up.

Acceptance by God is pretty easy to see. Ephesians 1: 4-5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, make us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved” God accepts us no matter what we have done. We are his children. 4 year olds never judge us for what we are or are not, in the eyes of a child we are perfect.

Forgiveness from God is yours for the asking. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Forgiveness from a 4 year old is also yours for the asking and in my 25 years of parenting has never been denied.

God trusts us to carry out good works in his name. Ephesians 1:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. We were placed on this earth to glorify God. A 4 year old will trust us to care, feed and cloth them without ever giving it a 2nd thought.

The bible teaches us that with Gods love we have nothing to fear. Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” As a rule, 4 year olds are fearless! It is the age that they are fearless to a fault! If by chance you find something that they do fear, dad is the “go to guy” and can handle pretty much anything.

Flattery through imitation. Genesis 1:26-27 “Then God said, Lets us make mankind in our image, in our likeness… So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” I don’t know a single 4 year old that doesn’t imitate his dad so you had better be careful what kind of example you are setting for your children!

That Color of Green

Although I have never been asked this question, I have seen it in people’s faces. Why do you hunt? I could come up with many answers but today I chose this one. Have you ever looked at a Mallard Drake up close? Most people haven’t. The color of green in the feathers of a drake mallard are simply amazing and most likely impossible to duplicate. Now I know what you are thinking, “I could go to a farm and look at one”. True, but it would not be the same. Wild ducks born of the prairie regions in the Dakotas and Canada have colors like no other, colors that have been bread out of tame ducks years ago. These ducks come into this world at a huge disadvantage. From day one they are sought after by many predators, coyote, skunks, fox, birds of prey and in some areas even large fish. They grow and become strong over the summer in preparation of the yearly migration south for the winter. During their migration, they experience some pretty harsh winter conditions. Some say that these conditions add to their inherent colors. The orange in their legs gets oranger and the green in their heads gets greener with every freezing mile they fly. Now these are strong birds. They have to be to withstand these conditions and cover the distances that they do. “Why would you want to end the life of something that has worked so hard and overcame so much to get to where it is at”? At this point there are several arguments, one being for the nourishment of our bodies. Many will dispute this but I have 4 boys at home that will argue duck makes pretty good table fare. Duck breast sliced thin and marinated in a lemon and garlic sauce, placed on the grill with a slice of white onion….well let’s just say it will not last long on our table. That is how we do things in our house. We feed our family with meat and veggies harvested from the land, things that we have grown or hunted by our own hands. But let’s take this even one step further and look at another reason. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt I have seen and felt things while duck hunting that you will not find any where else in this universe. Sun rises so beautiful that you can almost hear them and sun sets that Da Vinci himself could never duplicate. I have seen stars so clearly in the darkest sky, a darkness that you can’t experience any where close to human structures. All these things God placed here for us. I can’t even begin to explain the feeling of reverence and respect I feel when I hold one of these birds. You can’t help but feel gods love and that he had something really special in mind when he created That Color of Green.

$20.00

What will $20 get you these days?
Several days ago I had an encounter with a man at a gas station. It took place around 5:45 in the morning so I can honestly say that I was not at my sharpest point in the day yet. As I pulled up to the station the get my morning fix (diet mt. dew) I saw a man standing out front. At first glance I thought that I knew who this guy was but soon realized that I did not. He was taller, slender, mid 30’s maybe and in need of a shave. As I walked by him to go inside I saw that he had bags sitting behind him like he was traveling or waiting on a ride. I went about my business and then headed back to my truck. As I walked past this guy I thought I heard him say something but it wasn’t until I reached my truck that It registered that he was speaking to me. Some what in shock I walked back to him and asked him what he said. He had to repeat himself several times before I understood that he was asking me for spare change for a cup of coffee. I went back to my truck to grab some change out of the door pocket but then for some reason decided to reach for my wallet. I had nothing but 20 dollar bills and just grabbed one and handed it to him. He asked me if I was sure, I said yes and got into my truck and drove away.
Now, here is where it starts to play back in my mind. As I am driving, I am going over the events that just took place. It is not unlike me to give money to anyone that is in need and especially if they ask. I have been desperate before and know what kind of courage it takes to ask for help. This time was different though. As I picture the events I realize that when I walked out of the gas station to go to my truck I was looking away from this guy. I was actually trying not to make eye contact whether it was consciously or subconsciously. Now at this point I am starting to feel really bad. Did I give him the money because I was trying to make myself feel better or because he needed it. The guy only asked for change and I gave him $20. I understand that we see people every day and for the most part will never really know any of their stories. Who they are and where they come from is not our main concern during our day to day activities. But what if we changed that? I know for a fact that I missed an opportunity to get to know a person who may or may not have been in need of someone to just take notice of him. Someone to make him feel like he mattered or that he was important. God gave me an opportunity and I completely whiffed! Swing and a miss! It all comes back to the same thing. We were put here on earth to glorify god and spread his word. Now I am not saying that this particular person needed to be “saved” but I will never know whether he did or not because I didn’t take the time to find out. We can’t ever know what sort of impact we might have in some ones life if we never stop and take the time to get acquainted. Think about that next time you see some scruffy looking person on the side of the road holding a sign asking for help. It just might be that they really do need help and are not just out there trying to scam you out of your pocket money. I believe that God puts people in or paths for a reason; we just need to figure out what that reason is. If our minds and hearts are not open we may never know.
What will $20 get you these days? Maybe more than you bargained for.

Walk the Walk

A few weeks ago I went to hear a friend of mine speak at a local church. His name is Buck Gardner. He is a world champion duck caller and an all around good man. I did not get to hear his entire message but the part that I did hear was plain and simple. If you are going to talk the talk then you need to walk the walk.
Going to church on Sundays is good but do you continue to glorify God throughout the rest of the week? I have considered myself a Christian for a long time but never sought to show the rest of the world how I felt or attempted to share the word even if just by my actions. If you are going to talk the talk, then you’ve got to walk the walk!
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

PSALM 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.