Shoot Out!

Picture for a moment a bunch of grown men standing around telling stories, shooting shotguns, fellowshipping with one another and praising God in the process.  Picture seeing some of the rough and tumble type of men from your church in their element...on their turf, where they feel the most comfortable.  They are doing what they love and sharing what they love with others.


The joking, the camraderie, the smell of chicken smoking on Traegers, and the constant barrage of shotgun blasts followed by laughter, cheering, and "dog-gone-its."  It is a good time.  Way different than Sunday school.  And in many ways more powerful.  Let me explain.


Now picture that you are a young man being invited to join in the fun with these men who you respect.  They want you to join them because they value you.  They offer you a place in the adventure they are having as men.  Then, they turn their focus to helping you have a good time.  They are engaged and willing to help you learn.  Their desire is to pass on skills and knowledge in hopes that you will enjoy yourself.  They accept you as a man, in the company of men.  They laugh at your jokes.  They have a genuine interest in your life and they ask you questions to try and get to know you.  They encourage you.  They cheer for you.  They are in your corner.


This is what happened last weekend at the Schoenborn Ranch in Yamhill county.  I want to thank  the Coast Hills Community Church mens ministry for allowing Faith in the Field to be a part of their annual shotgun shoot and BBQ.  We serve a God that is such a genious.  Really!  To use a bunch of men, a bunch of shotguns,several cases of ammunition and about 2,000 clay targets to minister to and affect the lives of several men and boys who were present.  Well, it is awesome!  You have to love the way God uses people and the things we are passionate about for his purposes.


Enjoy some of the photo's from last weekend.

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My Favorite Hunting Story

I love hunting with my dad, probably because I followed him around the woods before I was old enough to hunt myself. When I turned 12, Dad was the one who took me out on the morning I got my first deer. I spent lots of mornings nearly freezing to death while we glassed for elk in the shadows of Trask Mountain. Once I was old enough to head out on my own, I started exploring the far corners of the state, but in the last few years I’ve been back in the woods with Dad several times. I find that I hunt with my eyes on the hillside in front of me and my ears tuned in his direction for the sound of his rifle. More than once I’ve realized while hunting that I’m hoping for Dad to get a deer just as much as I’m hoping to get one myself.


Hunting with Dad is also special because about 9 years ago he was diagnosed with lymphoma. It took surgery, chemo, and radiation, along with the prayers of lots of friends and family, and he made it through. Without a doubt, it made us appreciate our opportunities a lot more.


This story happened on one of the last days of the general rifle season about 5 years ago. I stopped in at Dad’s office in the afternoon and talked him into heading out for an evening hunt. Our main problem was that I had a rifle with me and Dad didn’t. When we reached our parking spot, we decided to do the logical thing and have Dad carry the rifle since he had a buck tag and a doe tag, while I had only a buck tag. We had barely left the truck when we caught a brief glimpse of a deer running up the logging road ahead of us. Neither of us saw it well, but both of us sensed that it was a buck. In our whispered conversation, Dad offered to give me the rifle so I could shoot it, but I told him to go ahead. So we slipped ahead with Dad in the lead. We saw the deer a couple more times moving in the Scotch broom, but it never stopped, and we still weren’t sure it was a buck.


Finally it figured out that we were there and headed for the edge of the clearing at a trot. Once in the open, we could see it was a buck, and Dad got one shot and missed before it accelerated into the brush. We hurried after it because it was headed toward the bottom of the clearcut we were planning to hunt that evening. When we got to the clearcut, there was no deer to be seen, so we concluded that it had gone on around the hill. Just as we turned to hurry ahead in that direction, I caught a movement on the hillside and realized that the buck was still in the clearcut after all. Dad stepped behind me and rested the rifle over my left shoulder while I stood as still as possible. The buck stopped squarely behind a tree and stood there for several agonizing seconds. Then it took two steps, and Dad pulled the trigger. This time he connected, and the deer rolled down the hill and expired. With the dead deer in sight, we waited an hour or so to see if anything else would show itself, but the buck had apparently been alone.


He turned out to be a 3x2. Not as big as he had grown in our imaginations over that last hour, but still a fine buck. We shared a feeling of satisfaction as we dragged him back to the pickup.


This story was a great memory in itself, but the true significance came about later. The next April Dad’s cancer returned. The doctor had told him that if it ever back, chemo would not work a second time. The only thing left was a stem cell transplant. Dad spent about a month in the hospital in Portland while we waited and prayed. There were scary moments at the point where he had essentially no immune system and he was delirious with a fever of 106 degrees, but we thank God for bringing him through. Doctors tend to avoid the word “cured” after you have cancer, but Dad is pretty much as busy today as he ever was.


I was slow to recognize it, but now I realize that through this story God gave me a special gift. If Dad had not survived the cancer treatment, I could look back on a successful hunt as the last time I had been in the field with Dad. I would remember that when Dad offered me the rifle, I told him to keep it, and he shot his last buck. And while Dad did survive the treatment, I suspect that when that inevitable time comes, whether from cancer or something else, this story will mean even more to me than it does now. We often talk in a vague sort of way about finding God in our times in the outdoors, but I have no doubt that God’s hand was deliberately on this hunting trip to give me the gift of this memory of hunting with my dad.


Last fall, when my wife and I went deer hunting in northeast Oregon, my parents came along for the first few days. We took one day off from hunting to drive over to Imnaha and up to Hat Point to see Hell’s Canyon. We stopped off at the point looking down over Freezeout Saddle to get a snack and look around. In between sandwiches and candy bars and Capri-Suns, Dad was more interested in glassing the canyons, and before long he spotted a herd of elk. We got to do the age-old ritual of, “See where the timber ends on the ridge…down below there’s a log lying at an angle on the hillside…to the left there’s a yellow bush…the elk are in the draw about 50 yards below the bush.” It was fun to take my parents to see one of my favorite places, but I got a special feeling of joy and contentment to be able once again to watch my dad glass the hillsides and canyons until he found a herd of elk. I hope it happens again soon.


Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you!

-Quinton Nice

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Kids and Trout!



Morning Limits for Grant and Joel!!!

Well, we had a blast at Diamond Lake last weekend and I wish I could share all all of the photo's with you but with 3 different camera's, a snow storm, and my apparent inability to get pictures of my daughters, and my sisters kids to upload I guess we'll just have to settle for the ones off of Jeff's camera!

His kids are pretty cute anyway.  Finn, (above) got the same handsomeness gene as his uncle Scott.  And Boone (below) must have gotten his cuteness from his mom.  Neither one of these kids will have to be behind the camera like their father.  They look good enough to be on film. :)

Below is a shot of my son Grant and my nephew Joel discussing who caught the biggest trout.  It was hard convincing them that it was a tie. That is Joel in the background doing girth to length calculations in his head and then using his water displacement theory and figuring how much the lake level dropped when we pulled all of these fish out of the water.  (He's smart like that)

Spring at Diamond Lake is a tradition in my family that dates back to when my dad was a kid.  My grandpa used to take him and his brothers up there for trout fishing and then I remember my grandpa and my dad taking my sister, Jeff and I fishing in grandpa's boat when we were kids.  Now my dad is 'grandpa' and he is still taking his three kids plus all of our kids fishing in his boat.  I think it is called leaving a legacy.  Or a heritage.  It is putting a stamp in all of our memories that will never fade away. Family, fun, fish, being outdoors in a beautiful setting, sharing those moments with loved ones...that is what it is all about.

Us adults didn't catch many fish.  These trips are all about the kids and letting them reel in as many fish as possible.  It was fun to watch each of them reel in the first few fish frantically and with such concentration.  So excited, but so scared that they were going to lose them.  Then after 3-4 fish they settle down and things become 'old hat'.  It no longer requires deep concentration and they even continue talking about whatever they were talking about while bringing in the fish.  Like they were pros or something!  It was really fun to watch.  But one thing that never went away was the smiles when the rod bent, or when the fish finally hit the net.  Our family has been cracking smiles at Diamond Lake for 4 generations now and I feel like we've been really blessed.

But then my thoughts turn to kids who don't get these same opportunities.  There are so many kids out there who don't have a dad to take them fishing.  The legacy or heritage that they are left with is abandonement.  Who will lead these kids into the kinds of adventures that touch the deep longing in their souls for beauty, adventure, risk, being outdoors in the wild?  Will they get a chance to be smack dab in the middle of creation and enjoy all of the beauty of the world God created for them?  Without a loving and engaged earthly father, how will they come to understand that there is a loving and engaged heavenly father?  If they don't know what a relationship with an earthly father looks like how will they understand that they have a heavenly father who wants a relationship with them?

Friends, that is why we are developing an outdoor ministry aimed at mentoring fatherless boys.  We want to reach out to these kids. Lead them into these kinds of adventures to discover the generous God who created all that we enjoy.  And we want to help lead these boys to a relationship with their heavenly father who will never abandon them.  We are well on our way to getting this crucial ministry started but we still need help.  There are many things we are seeking from land access, to guys who want to mentor, to financial help, to gear and equipment, expertise, prayer support, legal help, etc.  If you want to help partner with us in this ministry and help us make a difference in the lives of the fatherless please contact us at info@faithinthefield.com

God Bless,

Scott

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Quotes...

I keep a notepad in my desk drawer, and from time to time I write down quotes that strike me. This week I wanted to share some with you. -Jeff

"It isn't what you look at that matters, it's what you see." -Henry David Thoreau

"Without the anticipation of better things ahead, we will have no heart for the journey."

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." -Ecclesiastes 3:11

"You don't have to be a scientist to learn from God's marvelous creation, you only need to stop long enough to observe and let God reveal His wonders to you."

"Beauty speaks of an Eden we've never known, but somehow know our hearts were created for." -Captivating

"He made the heavens and the earth in all their glory, the desert and the open sea, the meadow and the Milky Way, and said, "It is good," but it was only after He made YOU that He said, "It is VERY good" (Genesis 1:31). Think of it: your original glory was greater than anything that's ever taken your breath away in nature!" -Captivating

Men and Women are 3-part beings. We all consist of body, mind and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge the 3rd part of our makeup, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. -Darrell Scott, father of Rachel Scott, who was a victim of the Columbine School shooting

"Fairy tales don't tell kids that dragons exist, they already know that. Fairy tales tell kids that dragons can be killed!"

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Living Revived!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!  
2 Corinthians 5:17

Yesterday I was out with the lads, doing a few laps around the property. Life was everywhere. Each step seemed to lead me into another patch of wildflowers that covered the ground in a carpet of beauty. The slight breeze occasionally sent a ripple through the blossoms; reminding me of a tattered blanket being fluffed. Only these flowers weren't tattered- they were fresh. Vibrant. Rested. Invigorated. 

I got to thinking about how we as humans are so tattered... so worn out, lacking energy and fullness of life. We are so quick to forget that Christ alone is the source for restoration. He provides the refreshment that comes from living in the raw. Over and over again, my attention was drawn to these fuzzy weeds...

 So comparable are we to them: blowing away with the slightest gust that comes our way.

I think I prefer to be comparable to ground cover. It might get trampled time and again, but it always finds a way to spring up again and regain it's perkiness (even at the tramplings of little feet playing "hunting the elk and deer").

Even an old pump house can display beauty. Beauty is transcendent. It grows amongst the scars that occur along the way; and somehow, with God, the scars aren't so ugly anymore. 

It takes time to bloom. Plants need lots of water, sun and time.

I suggest you drink up lots of Living Water, soak up the Son, and watch the beauty that will take place. 

Living revived,

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Turkey Tales

Last weekend my dad, Jeff, my son Grant and I headed south for a little turkey hunting weekend.  We had a blast!  Dad booked a guided turkey hunt with Jody Smith Guide Service and Jody's right hand man, and pro turkey guide, Dave Powell took us around and showed us some fabulous hunting.

This was a special weekend for me because my 9 year old son would get his first chance at hunting something larger than squirrels and tweety birds.  I was set to let him use my tag under the mentored youth hunting program here in Oregon.  A couple of weeks before the hunt we got out and started practicing with a youth model 20 gauge and after overcoming the realization that the recoil was not going to hurt him he started shooting good enough that I was confident, given the right set of circumstances he could get a bird.  And so that became my goal.

You know how it is when you set your mind to something and you're not really satisfied until you accomplish that task.  That is the wrong attitude to have while hunting but that is the exact attitude I had last weekend.  I was so focused on the goal that I forgot to enjoy the process.  We had some incredible things happen.  It was fun.  It was intense.  I wish I could go back and do it again with a different attitude.  With less stress.  I would enjoy it more.

Grant never got a bird. He missed one tom at 40 yards.  Actually the pellets hit him in the tail feathers and sent him on quite a turkey trot.  Then he just missed a tom at 25 yards.  Shot a little behind the neck and head.  He had another chance or two but the birds caught his movement as he was getting set up to shoot and spooked.
 Here is what I learned.  My first goal should have been to introduce Grant to hunting and make sure he had a great time.  Really, that was the goal until I saw how well he could shoot and then things changed.  I wanted more!  Not that it is bad to want your kid to be successful, but in making that the overiding goal I missed out on all the other great things that were happening. 

Grant stepped up on this hunt.  He was belly crawling across grass fields.  He was crossing creeks and climbing steep hills.  He was fighting his way through blackberry bushes....and he was loving every minute of it.  He hunted from sun up to sun down (16 hrs) with wet feet and never complained.  He asked a lot of questions, and we talked about many different things. We saw deer, elk, turkeys, and bears...sunrises, sunsets and awesome country over the weekend. I know he felt special being out there and being accepted by his dad, uncle, and grandpa.  I will forever be grateful for the way they accepted him and made him feel on this trip.  Dave Powell was awesome.  He was encouraging to Grant and very helpful.  And he got us on some birds that I'm sure Grant wouldn't miss again. 

 My son is a tough little dude.  I really enjoyed spending time with him out away from the manufactured world.  I loved talking with him and laughing with him.  I loved seeing him step up the toughness.  He surprised me.  I learned something about Grant this weekend and I think he's gonna be a great man someday.  And a force to be reckoned with in the woods!

 And next time, I am going to enjoy the process first and remember that hunting is about way more than the kill.

-Scott

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It's worth THIS just to know Jesus...

Jeff, Scott, Dad and Grant (Scott's son, my nephew) took off this weekend in search of a few gobbling Toms- I won't spoil the surprise and tell you that they tagged out- but I will tell you that honey is headed home tomorrow! They asked me to fill in once again on the blog- hope you don't mind!


This excerpt is from a phenomenal writer, who I admire a lot. I have recently been dealing with a difficult situation that is close to my heart. The pain is strong, the hurt is real. When I read this it just fit- it was such a great reminder. I really don't have much more of an explanation than that. My hope is that it touches you, or someone close to you in their time of trial.
 -Mindi




"...It's worth THIS just to know Jesus..."


That was the spoken words of a woman who was in an accident and has lived the rest of her life in a wheelchair.


My mind went back on the things in my own life - those things that have seemed too hard to live through - those things that hurt the most, emotionally often times...


My mind tried to wrap around the undeniable truth that God is the God of my yesterdays and He orchestrated them yes! No, He didn't fall off His throne during those times and give a blind eye to my circumstances, but rather was the God of them.


I have had moments of struggle, still do, where my mind fights the naggings of wanting to re-do, re-live, re-write, OH, to have those years the "locust seem to have eaten!" along the way. The fleshly nagging of "WHY?" The self-pity of hurting, saddened fleshly heart.


Sometimes, the pain of the past is too great to even contemplate. It just brings too much emotional pain. Feels like too much loss, too much regret, or maybe just too much imperfection?


AND YET, for me it has been the pain of yesterdays that has brought me to know my Savior much, much more than I did. And I will, I do say, though weak in heart at times, but Jesus knows I believe, "It's worth THIS/that just to know Jesus."


OH, worth it just TO KNOW JESUS!!!


-----------~ ~ ~


Which brought me to another day, another moment with Him this week where I was absolutely blown away by HIS knowledge of me. Reading in John 2, verses about in the twenties I think...


It says Jesus knows ALL about all people. No person is excluded from his knowledge, and no part of our life is excluded from his knowledge.


He knows everybody—and everything about everybody.


Here’s what Jesus says later on in John 6:64: “There are some of you who do not believe.” And John adds, “For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.”


It's a striking thing to realize even the heart of Judas was open before Jesus. Jesus was not surprised when his betrayal came. Judas was not a surprise to Jesus.


There is nothing in us that is a surprise - He knows all about us.


I had to just let this truth about Jesus sink into my heart. Not that I haven't known and believed this, but there are times where a truth known before becomes more to me... it moves to a deeper level in me.

"If you have ever been impressed with any man’s knowledge about people or wisdom in discerning motives and explaining actions and predicting behaviors—if any character in fiction or person in history or living counselor or scholar has ever impressed you, the knowledge of Jesus should be infinitely more impressive." J. Piper


Discernment is a very important quality to me, and something I admire greatly when I see it in others. It is something I admire more than a lot of qualities. And in my flesh, the lack of discernment - well, there is little that turns me off more.


And to think, God is beyond discernment. He is ALL KNOWING.


I really don't think I, humans, get any sort of grasp of that unless it's supernatural revelation.


The person who matters most in the universe knows most about me! Wait a second. I need to reread that.


And what really does this mean?
It means that there are no complete secrets in my life.
One may have succeeded in hiding something all their life from everyone on this earth.
But it is not hidden from Jesus.
The person who matters most knows most.
The person whose judgment about me and that which is all important, knows all.


I sit here and want that to sink in all over again. I am totally known. Totally.
There is not the slightest part of my heart unknown to Jesus, at this hour, and every hour.


This means that there is always at least one person I must relate to who knows everything about me. This should shape my relationship with the Lord. There is One, who when I look Him in the face - He sees totally through me into the heart of me.


When I relate to Jesus do I relate to Him as one completely laid bare before Him? Totally known?


If so, what an amazing relationship!


So often I feel I want others to understand me, to know me for who I am, to BE understood and not misunderstood, to be seen not through their eyes of judgment, but of love and understanding.


There is One, and only One, who totally knows me. Nobody else even comes close. Nobody.


I like how one preacher put it: "Your spouse’s knowledge of you, or your best friend’s knowledge of you, compares to Jesus’ knowledge of you like first-grade math to quantum mechanics..."


I am fully known by one person, Jesus Christ.


Therefore, I always have someone to go to for help in knowing who I am. Jesus Christ.
There is always one person who knows my heart perfectly. Knows it better than I do. Jesus Christ.
Therefore, I always have a person who is willing to love me, knowing absolutely everything about me.


Jesus Christ.


“To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).


If you have received Him - you are His child, there will always be one person who will love you knowing everything, absolutely everything about you. You can say with the disciples in John 16:30, “We know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”


I have felt a passion this week to pray, to want, this glimpse of the glory of the All-knowingness of Jesus Christ... and that it would move me to admire HIM more than anyone, and love and trust Him and follow Him with all my heart, soul and mind.


-A. Ann

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