Fisher's of Men

7.29.2011

The Lord's blessed us with some great hunts again this year! We've been invited to film another once-in-a-lifetime bighorn sheep hunt in SE Oregon! We'll also be after bears in August, we have some promising archery elk hunts coming in September, and will of course have some down home western Oregon rifle deer season footage...along with several other hunts still in the works.

As exciting as the hunts will be, we most look forward to the time spent in fellowship with new friends, old friends, family, and time spent with God. Not every trip out ends with meat on the table, but every time out we experience our Creator...maybe not in conversation or prayer, but certainly in the beauty of the sunrise or gradeur of a sunset, the chilling sound of a bugle and oneness felt with creation, the eery calm of a crisp morning in the fresh mountain air, the solitude of the backcountry or the comfort of your own turf...God is there. We're excited to experience Him this year, and can't wait to share it with you!

Our vision statement for Faith in the Field is, "Introducing people to Christ through the glory of God's creation." And that's what it's about for us...for me...and there's no greater feeling than beginning the journey with my almost 3 year old son. May he see God in all he experiences...

Enjoy this quick clip of his first outing on the lake this year...  

-Jeff

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A Lesson in Suffering

7.15.2011

Suzi has always said that I was born with nine lives, given the close calls and near death experiences I have had over the years. Some of them, well, all of them are rather incredible really. I started out this fall having already exhausted at least six that I am aware of, and returning home from a hunting trip in Montana, I was pretty sure I used up the remaining three.

A group of us were hunting in a remote location where we had to travel by boat to get there. As we left in the morning for a day of hunting, the drizzle of the 38 degree rain was uncomfortable but tolerable. Warm clothes and rain gear kept the wet and cold at bay for a while but as the day wore on, the drizzle gained momentum and the temperature dropped. By noon, the group of us was soaked by the big wet snowflakes.

I always get mad when I watch the TV show Survivor, and they can’t make fire given a large pile of perfect tinder and a fire starter. It took me only minutes to make a roaring fire for lunch time, from the tools in my fanny pack. We huddled around the glow as our bodies absorbed the heat. I’m not sure how long we huddled around the fire but when two of us turned so our backsides could enjoy the heat, we both noticed the dark clouds and the heavy weather front in the distant sky bearing down on us. After a short discussion to give up the hunt for the day and head back to camp, we climbed in the boat and started the journey back to the boat ramp.

We hadn’t gone far before we found ourselves in the middle of a blizzard. The temperature plummeted and the wind increased. The journey went from a short run to a three hour tour, yes a “three hour tour” (Gilligan’s Island reference). As the boat crept along, under full power, pushing directly into the full force of the storm, the waves would crash over the boat drenching us with spray. As time went on and the temperature dropped, the spray and heavy snow mixed to encase our soaked bodies and boat in a layer of solid ice. By the time we reached the boat ramp, everyone was approaching severe hypothermia and very much at risk. It took me six times to reach into my pocket and pull out the keys to my truck. The temperature gauge on the truck read 11 degrees.

At one point on the boat ride, my cousin turned to me and yelled above the roar of the storm, “How much longer must we suffer?” I just smiled. When we were all out of our wet clothes and warming ourselves next to the woodstove in our tent, my cousin asked me why in that dire situation, I was smiling. I said, “You asked the question, how much longer must we suffer, and I smiled because that didn’t entail suffering to me. That was pain, and I knew shortly that it would be over one way or the other. Either we would make it or we wouldn’t but it was something that was easily endured over a short period of time.”

Suffering is something I have felt several times in my life as I have been forced to endure great pain for long periods of time. Perhaps, the biggest obstacle for a non-believer coming to faith in God is the question of how a loving God could allow so much pain and suffering to exist in this world. While asking this question, people ignore the fact that an estimated 95% of all suffering is mortal or caused as a direct result of the actions of people or sin and not what is equated to an “act of God” such as the recent earthquake in Japan.

Paul suffered from what was referred to as “a thorn in his flesh.” We read in 2 Corinthians where he prayed for relief.

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NIV)


8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I find it interesting that right next to the word “suffering” in my dictionary is the word “suffice”, which is the root word of sufficient. God asks us to focus on Him and His grace will always trump our suffering. A lesson from a dear friend has taught me that when I find myself suffering and in unbearable pain, I should go to my praise chair, crank the praise music and sing with all I have while I focus on Him. My suffering seems so small in the shadow of His grace.

In the love of Christ,

Eric Schoenborn

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A "propositional" Christianity

7.08.2011

This week we want to share an email devotional we received from Ransomed Heart this week. The bible isn't just history, it transcends time, and offers hope for the future. It should be awe inspiring, and take our breath away......

We have lived for so long with a "propositional" approach to Christianity, we have nearly lost its true meaning. As Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen says,


Much of it hinges on your view of scripture. Are you playing proof-text poker with Genesis plus the Gospels and Paul's epistles, with everything else just sort of a big mystery in between-except maybe Psalms and Proverbs, which you use devotionally? Or do you see scripture as being a cosmic drama-creation, fall, redemption, future hope-dramatic narratives that you can apply to all areas of life?


For centuries prior to our Modern Era, the church viewed the gospel as a Romance, a cosmic drama whose themes permeated our own stories and drew together all the random scenes in a redemptive wholeness. But our rationalistic approach to life, which has dominated Western culture for hundreds of years, has stripped us of that, leaving a faith that is barely more than mere fact-telling. Modern evangelicalism reads like an IRS 1040 form: It's true, all the data is there, but it doesn't take your breath away. As British theologian Alister McGrath warns, the Bible is not primarily a doctrinal sourcebook: "To reduce revelation to principles or concepts is to suppress the element of mystery, holiness and wonder to God's self-disclosure. 'First principles' may enlighten and inform; they do not force us to our knees in reverence and awe, as with Moses at the burning bush, or the disciples in the presence of the risen Christ."


(The Sacred Romance , 45)

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Let the planning begin!!!

7.01.2011


Congrats to all who successfully drew a tag this year! I've become more anxious each year as the unveiling of the results nears...adding OWFW's site to my "favorites" list on the computer, re-memorizing my license number, and checking more frequently each day. I didn't have high hopes this year, so I wasn't too surprised to read "unsuccessful" all the way down the page. Loving the west side of our state takes the pressure off the draw for me, because no matter what, I count my blessings that I can hunt blacktails and roosevelts annually over the counter. We're lucky in that regard here in Oregon. We're blessed with an extremely diverse state and abundant opportunities each and every year! And so, let the planning begin!!!


It's like Christmas morning in June...the phone calls, tags drawn, the immediate talk of when to scout, where to camp, and which ridge you'll find yourself on come opening morning. Memories and dreams collide, causing sleepless nights and anticipation for weeks ahead. Goals are set and the motivation kicks in...losing weight, strengthening those lungs, drinking more water, less pop and junk food, begin growing the beard out ;) ...our mode changes. For some, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, for others, a last in a lifetime opportunity...for many, a first time opportunity. A first trip with dad or a last trip with dad...an unknown adventure, a familiar campfire, relaxation and adrenaline, highs and lows, hits and maybe misses, challenges and success...there's nothing quite like it. It's a measuring stick of sorts, with many different approaches and mindsets. And to each of us, there's an innate desire to experience one or all aspects of the outdoors.

Our desire to spend quality time in nature is our desire to spend quality time with the One who created it. The beauty of the outdoors speaks of an Eden we've never know, but know we were created for. It draws us closer to God, renews our heart, mind and our soul. Life is different out there. It's.........good.

So as you plan for fall and begin to work out, eat healthier, shoot your bow, sight in your rifle, make your lists and study your maps, know that God is just as excited for the hunt as you are! I can't wait to meet Him in camp...

Seeking the One!
Jeff

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