AHHH...TO BE A KID AGAIN

Can you remember the excited anticipation of the many “firsts” that you had as a kid?  Was it riding a bike for the first time, your first kiss, or maybe jumping off a diving board was more your thing? These are things that you never did before, but you were excited to learn.  Just before taking that first step your heart may have been racing and you probably played the “what if” game in your head many times. “What if I crash my bike?” “What if I kiss like a fish?” “What if I belly flop?”  However, eventually you took action; you started to peddle, you puckered up, and you jumped! You were nervous, but you did it anyway. Afterward you probably strutted around and thought, “it wasn’t that hard.” As a kid there were many firsts and each one had its own level of excitement and anticipation.

The “first” that stands out for me was fishing alone in a canoe. I was 12 and at Boy Scout camp. We arrived Friday evening and after getting camp set up, I wandered the area and found the Mississippi River bordering one side. This was where it was going to happen. Standing on the sandy bank I scanned the landscape. Next to me were canoes overturned to keep rain water from puddling up in them. The bank was wide open and hot from the summer sun beating on it all day. Looking out to the river, the speed of the flowing water was tough to gauge for a newbie. A leaf in the water seemed to quickly sail by; a branch lumbered by considerably slower. Next, the opposite bank of the river caught my attention. Large trees created a canopy overhead; it looked much cooler with many shadowy places. The water seemed slower there as well. The sun would be setting soon so I headed back to camp to get a good night sleep and be rested to hit the water at sunrise.

A good night sleep didn’t happen. My mind was racing with thoughts of which lure to use first and how to maneuver the canoe through the current. Eventually, the weight of my eyelids won. The sun was coming up after what felt like 30 minutes of sleep, but it didn’t matter because I was quickly heading for the river. Arriving at the river bank I grabbed a canoe, turned it over, threw a paddle and fishing gear in, and slid it towards the water’s edge. Slowly I pushed the canoe perpendicular into the river. The leading point of the canoe was quickly grabbed by the current, so I pulled the canoe back ashore. This forward and back action went on for several minutes keeping my goal of reaching the other bank out of reach. Finally, I decided to just go for it. I shoved the canoe into the river, jumped in and was quickly drifting down river. The excitement was immense as the canoe swirled in the current. I grabbed the paddle, gained control, and worked my way to the opposite bank. It was more beautiful than first suspected. There were backwash areas, lots of underwater structure, and the current was much slower. It allowed for many casts to be made before the need to paddle. The lure of choice was a frog pattern, Hula Popper. This top water bait makes a low “plump” sound when the rod is jerked slightly. The calm backwash areas were perfect for popping the bait. After one of the low plumps the water exploded and a small mouth bass wraps its lips around the artificial frog and proceeded to dance above and below the water surface. Eventually, I brought the bass into the canoe where it weighed just less than 3lbs.  I released it back into river; that was enough for the morning and I was getting hungry. I paddled back to the other bank, landed the canoe, and strutted around on the river’s edge and thought, “that wasn’t hard!”

Who wouldn't want to wrap their lips around this?

As adults we can get in our own way and lose at the “what if” game. Thirty plus years later, I remember that morning like it was yesterday. There will always be naysayers or excuses that keep you from achieving your goal.  When there’s a goal you want to achieve, think like a kid and just go for it.

Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

   



PROTECT YOUR TRUNK

You wake up in your tent and lie in your sleeping bag enjoying the peacefulness of the morning. You reminisce about the long weekend. The weather was perfect, you did everything you wanted to, and you really enjoyed your time in God’s great outdoors. It’s not as bright out as you think it should, so you peek out the window and notice the heavy cloud cover. The clouds that were predicted to move in later that day are hovering low overhead.  They are drifting by rather quickly and then you here thunder off in the distance. You are now wide awake and jump out of your sleeping bag. If anyone is with you, you quickly get them moving as well. You bundle your belongings up and throw them in your vehicle, no time for neat packing this morning. Everything is out of the tent and you start taking it down, then it starts to rain…of course!  The rain is light at first so you move as quickly as possible, if you have kids with you, the tension may start to build. You may start barking orders at anyone in ear shot. Something like: “Hurry! Untie the fly! Zip the doors closed! Drop those poles! Move, let me do that! LET’S MOVE PEOPLE!” The tent is finally down and all that’s left is to pull up the stakes. Then the rain really starts to come down. You’re getting soaked, the rain water is running down your back and making its way to your underwear. One more stake left. You pull on it and it doesn’t budge. You suddenly remember this particular stake was also a challenge going into the ground when you set up camp. A tree root or rock has a fierce grip on the stake. Your shoes are full of mud and at this point, not an inch of you is dry. You keep pulling on the stake...nothing. Next you pull the tent loop away from the stake, thinking to yourself, “I’ll buy another stake;” “No one’s looking;” What’s the harm in leaving one stupid stake in the ground?” You throw the tent in your vehicle, jump in your seat, turn on the wipers, and crank up the windshield defroster. As you drive down the gravel road leaving your campsite and that stupid stake behind, you see a sign that states, “Thank you for removing everything from the campsite...” Ugh, a character failure to say the least. What you think and do when no one is around shines a little light into what your character is made of.

Photo credit: wallpaperscraft.com
 

I connect many things in life to trees. One’s character is like the trunk of a tree; you know a good one when you see it. It stands solid with a good root system supporting it. It’s poised with confidence and strong enough to support the branches up above. You’ll also know a bad trunk when you see it. The bark is peeling off or there are woodpecker holes everywhere. Sometimes the holes are big enough to house a colony of rodents. There can also be some trunks that deceive you. You’ll notice these ones after a storm, that’s when they really show their weakness. They will be torn apart revealing a hollow shell. They may have looked good on the outside, but the inside has been eaten away by pests. In our lives pests can come in many different forms; lies, gossip, selfishness and guilt can eat away at our insides like bugs. Surrounding yourself with negative people or leading an unfulfilling life can poke holes in your character like a woodpecker. Leading a life filled with honesty will reflect the sturdiest of trunks.

"Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

 

 



DARKEST BEFORE THE DAWN

Have you ever been in a situation where it was pitch black? Pitch black to the point of not being able to see your hand right in front of your face? They say when you lose one of your senses the other ones become more sensitive. This becomes very apparent to me when I hit the woods turkey or deer hunting. I like to get in the blind/stand at least an hour before sunrise. That way the woods have a chance to quiet down before the action starts...if the action starts. After getting settled in the woods things get very quiet and if it's a cloudy night, it is very dark…pitch black. While sitting in the pitch black the first sense to kick in is my hearing. My hearing has been abused over the years so immediately the loud ringing kicks in. The ringing (which sounds like a train whistle) starts to subside after about 20 minutes. At that point the slightest noise sounds like a crash of lightning. A pine needle falling from an overhead branch sounds like a turkey flying out of gun range, or as a dried up oak leaf falls to the forest floor it sounds like a monster buck stomping behind you. The sense of taste also elevates and the toothpaste feels very effective. The smell of the toothpaste is so strong that any creature within 100 yards could smell it. Touch gets into the game as well. If it’s cold enough your fingers and toes have already made you aware of their uncomfortable presence. Heaven forbid a mosquito found its way to your skin, drilling into you like a dentist who forgot to use Novocain.

Eventually the pitch black starts to give way to the sunrise. This is my favorite part of the day. It’s when God’s incredible creations start to become visible. His light breaks through the darkness. First it illuminates the tree tops waking up the squirrels sending them up and down branches, then it cuts deeper in the forest and birds start to sing, then it touches your face and you feel His warmth, eventually it reaches the forest floor, and soon, if it’s His plan, the action really kicks in.

Ahhh, another chance to feel Gods light

Sometimes the darkness seems to last a lot longer than we care for. When it’s cloudy His light can seem out of reach. Feelings of loneliness, anxiety or depression can start to invade us. Whenever I’m find myself in a place where the turkeys aren’t gobbling, the fish aren’t biting, or His lights not warming my face, it’s time to move. Every day the sun comes up and God wants to shine his light on us. Hunt for His light; it is darkest before the dawn because God is showing us that He’s the way out of the darkness.

John 8:12

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

How many times have you been fishing and you set the hook on a huge lunker, or get the monster buck in your sites, maybe a job interview you felt went really well, or your child tried out for their dream team, but it didn't come through? The fish got off, the buck snuck away, the job didn't develop, or your child didn't make the team. We may feel like we did everything right and it still didn't transpire the way we wanted. I have had many missed opportunities outdoors and by many I mean waaay too many to count, like the needles on a pine tree.  

One opportunity that I can still picture vividly was during a recent fly fishing outing. Fly fishing is fairly new to me. A friend of mine got me hooked after he brought me to his secret fishing spot and I've sworn to keep it that way. It's a beautiful location. One bank of the stream is open and grassy, which is perfect for a beginner who is at high risk of snagging overhead branches and tangling the line around itself which I didn't think was possible until I did it several times. The other bank of the stream is a tree covered hill side casting shadows in all the right spots. During one of our first trips out I was working my way down the stream casting a Woolly Bugger (the Woolly Bugger is a fly that looks like a caterpillar with fluffy tail, yummy). While working from one pool and through some rapids to the next pool it happened; the line pulled tight and a big beautiful brown trout rocketed out of the water glistening in the sunlight creating a vision that will last in my memory forever. The trout pulled hard on the fly taking control of the situation. It blasted out of the water two more times before releasing the Woolly Bugger back to me. My heart quickly sank as the adrenaline still pumped through my veins. Standing on the bank with my head down and maybe a tear running down my check and reliving the moment in my head my friend walked up and said "nice LDR", "LDR?" I asked, "Long Distance Release" he replied. Long Distance Release sounds so much better than the one that got away.

Photo Credit: telegraph.co.uk

So many times in life we think about the one that got away. What could've we done differently? If only I practiced harder, studied more, done more research, had better equipment, or wore a different outfit to the interview. Something I recently learned is that it's all in God's time, not ours. He has us right where He wants us. Tomorrow He may want us somewhere else and He'll put us there, but it’s His plan. One has to spend time with God in order to get an understanding of where He wants us. Sometimes we may miss the first opportunity He gives us, but He always forgives us and gives second chances. Even though I want a second chance at that trout, it may not be God's plan.

Proverbs 3:5-6

BUT THE GREATEST OF ALL THESE IS LOVE

With Valentine’s Day just a few days past, I'd like to write about my wife. No, this is not an attempt to make up for a lame Valentine’s Day gift or some screwball mistake I made or will make. Because even though all of those have been true and probably will be true again, it's to share how blessed I am to have her.

It was the 4th of July 1987 when we first met, yes the fireworks started right from the beginning. She had the BIG rocking 80's hair, and I loved it. Being a 16 year old boy at that time, the physical attraction was immediate. “Boy” is the correct description, because it took a long time to get close to even become a young man. We did go through some very rocky times early on and at many other times over the years, but she knew we were meant to be together. Her intuition was, and still is, very genuine. It took a very long time for me to mature into the man she knew I was destined to be. I am continuously working on that and very glad she has never given up on me. She has shown me how it feels to be loved unconditionally. Thank you God!

Being an outdoorsman and raised in a family that camped a lot, I thought my wife and I should go camping. My wife was raised in a family that didn’t camp. That statement alone should give you an idea of where this is going. Our first trip was a canoe and camp situation with another couple, not the best idea for her first trip. The other couple were friends of ours and way better campers than us. The plan was to jump in our canoes Friday after work, canoe down the river and find our first camp site, and we did. However, it was infested with mosquitoes because it was basically a swamp! You could hear the mosquito’s dive bombing your head all night; yes we were in a tent, a crummy one to say the least. The next night was in a perfect camp site overlooking the river. That night it started to rain…a lot. The crummy tent leaked...a lot. She started to cry at some point. Not a great moment for this “outdoorsman”. Thankfully, the days were beautiful and we made it through the weekend. After arriving home, I immediately bought a new tent, and remarkably, she still loved me.

Fast forward several years and two sons later when we decided to take a camping trip to Minnesota’s North Shore (a very beautiful place). We were all looking forward to it. The first night it started to rain…a lot, of course, and the “new” tent (now 15 years old) started to leak...a lot. But this time we were better prepared: 1-we weren’t canoeing, meaning we weren't stuck on an island,  2-we had a SUV as an option to sleep in, and 3-our love was even stronger than before. So, somewhere around 3:30am, we deserted the crummy tent and sprawled out our sleeping bags in the SUV. But instead of crying, there was laughter and we had hilarious, goofy conversations until the sun came up, at which time we drove to town and had breakfast. Ahhh civilization.

This pretty much sums up the tents

The outside influences were the same during both situations, but the way we were affected by them was dramatically different because our love had greatly matured. The true love of a mother and wife is a very powerful force, and our family is truly blessed to have hers.

 

1 Corinthians 13:13

 

 

 

PROTECT YOUR ROOTS

I have been blessed with the opportunity of countless outdoor experiences, which have given me lots of time to think about life and more recently, my faith. Some people look at hours in a tree stand, ground blind, or trolling in a boat as boring. That has never been the case for me; I have never regretted spending time outdoors. What comes to mind during the solitude? My wife does...a lot, our sons, the dog, family, friends, faith, and sometimes work, but not very often.

 

Spending so much time surrounded by trees or admiring them from the water recently brought a realization about how much they are an illustration of our lives. Each one is unique, like each one of us, whether it's the purpose they serve, their appearance or ability to weather a storm. For example, roots can grow in rocks, sand, and of course, well fertilized soil. In order to really grow and support the rest of the tree, they need fertile soil that nourishes their growth and adds to their strength. Roots can't grow deep or build a strong foundation in rocky soil. Roots can grow deep in sandy soil, but they can be easily pulled up when the winds are strong enough. Roots thrive in well nourished and fertile soil, growing deep and strong. When the roots are as big as the tree above ground, almost nothing can take it down. Some branches may break, limbs may twist, and leaves may blow away, but the tree will weather any storm.

 

Photo Credit: shakyphotography.com

Photo Credit: myclimatechangegarden.com

 

For us humans, if we let everything else get bigger than our roots, we are asking for trouble. When our roots, more specifically our roots of faith, are well nourished and allowed to grow and strengthen, we too can weather any storm. Spending time with God is critical to make sure our roots are strong. Allowing the right people to nourish them also strengthens them. Some of our branches may break, limbs may twist and leaves may blow away, but we'll still be standing. Imagine what life would be like if our faith was as big as everything else in life.  

 

Matthew 13: 3-9, 24-30

 



GROW YOUR ROOTS

As children our roots start to grow before we have any idea of how important they are and will be to us. Parents, religious leaders, teachers, and coaches are some of the people who nourish that process.

  

Dad taught us incredible work ethic. He worked several jobs when our family was starting to sprout, making sure there was a roof over our heads and food on the table. He also taught us to work hard, intellectually and physically....with four boys, it was mostly physical. Faith was also a foundation for our family. My grandparents lived with great faith. When grandpa was too ill to make it to church, grandma would bring communion home for him.  Working hard and having faith was the example of my youth. At our house we said grace before meals and went to church on a regular basis.

 

Imagine sitting in church and these four boys come walking down the aisle.

 

We'll be quiet...honest

Odds are if you weren't praying, you probably started praying that we'd pick a spot several pews away because most likely two of us would soon be poking each other, another one would be kicking your seat, and the other was always dropping something.

 

Next, imagine those same boys in a 14 foot fishing boat. Man, talk about patience! It is a miracle all of us still have both eyeballs and no permanently lodged hooks in places they don't belong. To top it all off, we actually caught fish and usually a lot of them! Now, if you've ever launched a boat on a Midwest lake or river, picture the boat access. There's an obvious dock and ramp; what's not so obvious are the trees surrounding it, protecting it, just like dad did for us.