Thanksgiving reflections...

11.26.2010

As Turkey Day neared this year, I had a rather lazy approach to the reason for the season. It has no obvious spiritual tie like Christmas or Easter, and it's easy to simply look forward to a tasty meal and time with family. But as the fam and I made the eight hour drive to Boise for my cousin's wedding today, I had time to reflect on Thanksgiving...in between feeding time for Finn, stopping to look at deer and "cantalope" with the "minawcoolers" as Boone would say, and swinging through the occasional drive through for mom and dad as the boys slept.

I found myself reflecting on the usuals to be thankful for...my wife and kids, our home, a job, life in America...but I was also diagnosing my lack of a deeper interest in the all too common celebration of Thanksgiving Day...turkey, stuffing and everyone mentioning something they're thankful for...simply another family get together with food!

Somewhere along our journey today, as everyone else was fast asleep, God reminded me that every holiday is an opportunity to glorify Christ...and Thanksgiving is a chance to be thankful for the selfless gift God's given us...eternal life for all who believe in Christ. We are so often sidetracked by things of this world, and focused on the surface of our life. Of course I want to reflect on and thank my wife for the home she's made and the way she cares for all three of her boys, but don't want to overlook the way God's sought after me, fought for me and saved me...and you. I hope you all found the time to thank the Lord as you reflected this week. May we run the race with out eyes fixed on Heaven to come! We have more to be thankful for and look forward to than we know!

Happy Thanksgiving!
Jeff

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Window decals now available!!!

11.19.2010

This week's blog is a little informal, but we wanted to send out an announcement and reminder...

After several of you requested window decals, WE NOW HAVE THEM!!! They are available on our website or by clicking HERE. They're high quality vinyl decals, and we have 3 sizes to choose from. If you have any questions, email us!

Also, thank you to all who've submitted a photo for the photo contest! We have some great entries! However, because we've got several new folks on our email list and there are hunting seasons going through the end of the year, we've decided to extend the contest to include photos from the entire year! We're offering the same great prizes...winners will be picked the first week of the new year! Also, for those who submit appropriate pictures and give us the okay, we'll add your photo to the slide show at the end of our 2010 hunting DVD, due out by February!

To revisit the photo contest rules and prizes, CLICK HERE

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Hanging in...

11.11.2010


Last Thursday night at this time (9:30 pm) Jeff and I had just gotten our last load of meat out of the canyon and were back at the truck. What a hunt it was!

So many emotions. So many highs and lows. So much anticipation and so much dissapointment. So much hard work. So much pain. Many hours spent talking with God. Many hours experiencing the silence of God. Doubt that God would come through. Doubt that my knees would hold up. Discouragement. Fear that it wouldn't happen. Hope that it would happen. Realization that I had no control of the outcome. Helplessness. No control over the weather. No control over the elk. Trying to maintain a positive attitude. Really sucking at trying to remain positive! I was in a place of utter dependence on God and I wasn't enjoying it very much.

Then there was beauty. There was solitude. There was room for my heart to take a sigh of relief from the normal day to day. Time for my mind to rest. God did speak in moments. Like a wise and loving Father he gave me some advice on how to live. He used situations from the hunt and spoke into those moments to convict me on issues in my life I need to deal with. He encouraged me to keep pushing myself.

By day six I was really beginning to doubt that an elk was going to happen. And I reached a place in my mind that was okay with not filling my tag. Resignation. I really was, I think, at my limit both physically and emotionally. I was missing my family. I was tired. I was frustrated. I was thankful for the good hunt and the good experience but I was a little tweaked that my prayers had gone unanswered.

And then, walking over the 153rd ridge top in 6 days it happened. And it was all worth it.

I think maybe....
maybe that is what life is like. Frustration, blessing, defeat, beauty, resignation, hassle. And then you find it. That which is truly life. And then all of the hassles and the exhausting journey to get there become worth it. You end up with set of antlers for the wall and a good story to tell.

Enjoy the video below,
Scott


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