Happy New Year
Since we are starting a New Year, how many of you start the year off with a New Year’s Resolution?  Mine always has something to do with a new exercise program.  I start off with a bang, then we start traveling for Almost Heaven Archers critter dinners and my nutrition starts going downhill.
Recently I started a new program and during the intense parts the trainer kept repeating the phrase “Commit to the Journey.”  I do not know why, but I couldn’t quit repeating that over and over in my mind. 
I felt like there was something that God wanted me to think about and to share.  As my thoughts started rolling I began to think about how, as a hunter, we commit to our hunt.  We get all of our gear ready, make plans, make an effort to scout, and then harvest an animal. But it doesn’t stop there.  We have to track that animal whether it runs up hill or down. Next we have to field dress it, drag it home, and then process the meat.  We don’t just leave them lay, we follow through. The blessing is on the meal plate, in the freezer, or sometimes hanging on the wall. 
That phrase isn’t just for fitness programs or hunters though. God also reminded me of Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Here are a few examples of those in the bible that stayed “Committed to the Journey”: Mary and Joseph, Noah, Abraham and Lot, Caleb and Joshua and of course, JESUS.       
However, we see in Genesis that Lot’s wife wasn’t committed to the journey. She didn’t make haste and flee as God had said. Instead she hesitated, looked back, (taking her eyes off of trusting God) and became a pillar of salt.
 
Also, we see that when the 10 spies were sent out from the wilderness, only Caleb and Joshua trusted that God could overcome the giants.  Although, the other spies and the people they were leading had seen God’s miracles, they still didn’t trust Him. So they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness until they died off.  They had not been committed to the journey. Only Caleb, Joshua and those under 20 years of age were able to step over into the land of Caanan.
 
I was also reminded of a funny hunting story that Tim and I got to experience.  We had headed out to Summersville Lake one morning.  When we got to the boat ramp it was so foggy that we couldn’t see across the lake, however, we knew the lake like the back of our hand so we decided to go to our hunting spot anyway. “We were committed to our own journey”…   (there was also a man at the boat ramp waiting patiently in his truck.)
 
We headed up to the lake, past the dusk to dawn light and all we could see was the little light at the front of our boat.  Tim was pretty sure that all he had to do was follow the bank until we could see the light at the marina and then we’d know where to turn.  It was going great for a while, until we couldn’t see the light at the boat ramp shining anymore, then …..well, we just kept going and going until Tim said,”We should have seen the light at the airport or marina by now.” I started to panic a bit.   We were in the middle of the lake, in the dark! What if we sink?  Are we lost?  I kept chattering which started to make Tim panic, so he basically said “woman be quiet!”   Finally we saw a big light!   Peace came over us, we’re in love again and on our way to our hunting spot.  As we got closer to the light, we realized that we had just made a huge circle and had come right back to the boat ramp where our truck was parked!  We busted out laughing and decided to wait for the fog to lift.  I bet the guy in the truck laughed at us the whole time!
 
This was a great reminder of what can happen when you take your eyes off of the light of Christ. Things may go ok for a while but you slowly start going off course without even realizing it and eventually lose your trust in God.  The darkness can become a scary place and whether we are aware of it or not, others are watching us too. 
 
So the phrase “Commit to the Journey” fits in all areas of our life, starting with our relationship with Jesus Christ………
 
Life is hard at times, but God is in control all the time!   We don’t have to be afraid of what the New Year holds, we simply need to keep our eyes focused on the light of Christ and put our trust in Jesus. 
 
Psalm 3:5-6 says 5I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. 6I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
 
I hope that this will encourage and strengthen you in your personal journey and strengthen us as an Outdoor Ministry.  God has shown in his word that His blessings will come to those who are committed to Him.  Let’s commit to being a shining light to those who are lost out there wandering around in the darkness.
 
Are you prepared to do what God has called you to do in 2019? Commit to the journey!

By Kari Mihal, Chairman Almost Heaven Archers

​The Bible tells us the way to truth and if followed will give anyone eternal life. Why, then must we preach Christ? Because He is the ultimate trail to eternal life!
Jesus said it first of himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes unto the Father, but by me.” (Jn. 14:6)
When Jesus came into the world over 2,000 years ago, things were in a big mess just like they are today.  He not only knew and understood the issues of His day but He gave insight into ways those evils would impact unsuspecting people. He came to earth for the express purpose of exposing evil and revealing the righteousness of His Father, who sent Him.
We live in a new time with the same evil deception of those old times.  The nature of man without God remains the same. Our times deny the existence of a Holy God. They teach the centrality and sufficiency of man, not Christ. They promote reason over revelation and evolution over creation. Because of this delusion of truth, our Nation has become a fertile seed bed for humanism, relative behavior, new age thought and non-Christian religions.
This is the world we live in. Ours is a world that needs Jesus. That is why we must preach Christ.
Paul tells us in II Corinthians 4:3, “But if our gospel is hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” The gospel is the story and meaning of the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Have you ever been lost physically? I remember an experience as a 13 year old boy getting truly messed up in my direction after shooting a raccoon with my first bow and arrow. I truly did not know which direction to go. I was very frightened – I felt very alone and at first panicked. When I stopped and thought about where my brother was hunting deer along a creek, I went down the hill, found the creek and eventually my brother. It was a terrible experience.
A person can be that spiritually. Many in our world today are. They need to first recognize their lostness, then stop and discover what the Word of God says. Jesus said, “I am the Way …”
In Matthew 7:13 we are told about two different ways, one wide, one narrow. Jesus is that narrow way that a person must seek out when spiritual lostness overwhelms them. These two different ways are like the difference between the wide and very visible caribou routes and the narrow and hard to find whitetail trails. If you have ever hunted these species, you have witnessed this.
The big problem in our country today is that people don’t realize they are lost. In our ever growing humanistic society people have little exposure to the solution for their lostness.
As a Christian, it is our responsibility to help our fellows find the narrow way Matthew talks about. They need to hear from us that Jesus is the way that leads to eternal life.
Jesus declared Himself to be truth. People want to know truth but they are looking in all the wrong places. Pleasure, stuff, secular knowledge and non-biblical religions occupy their searching time.
Chuck Missler from Koinonia House Ministries (now in heaven) said, “In a cultural war, truth is the first casualty.” That war is raging in our country today.
People today, for the most part, do not see Jesus as truth. Like Pilate of Bible times Jesus is only a problem to be dealt with.  But the fact is that Jesus is the truth people need to know. His life, death, burial and resurrection is the answer to all of our problems. Paul calls it the gospel in Romans 1:16. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” Jesus, the Christ, is truth. That’s why we need to share His story with those in our personal world.
Jesus also declared Himself to be the life. He was not just speaking of physical life, although He is the Creator of all life. Physical life for the most part is a blessing. Cullann and I have welcomed two great-grand -children into our lives since Sept. of 2016. What a blessing they are. We all want to experience a long, happy life. But are we looking for it in the right places or even seeking the right kind of life?
Spiritual life, found only through a personal relationship with Jesus, is what people need most. So few seem to desire it.
It has always been wonderfully amazing to me that, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life. John 3:16
The Bible tells us that life without the right preparedness through Jesus Christ will not end well. People need to hear from us that the answer to all life’s need is found in Jesus; He will help us in the way we can’t find by ourselves, He will tell us the truth we don’t know. He will give us the life we can’t live on our own.
That is why we must preach Christ.
By Dave Roose
 (Abridged from the Sunday AM message at the CBA National Shoot in Aug. 2018)

​Apart from two years when I had midterms in college I have not missed the Michigan rifle deer opener in 44 years. In that many years you develop some habits or rituals. Good habits like sighting in your rifle, freshening up your blind with new cedar boughs, washing your clothes in scent free soap, repacking your back pack with matches, compass, extra socks, shells, gutting knife, hunting license, water and of course snacks. 

In 1976 my dad, uncle, cousin and best friend Al "the Swamp Rat" were hunting together at our deer camp in Marion, MI. The 400 Club was the nicest piece of deer heaven a hunter could ask for. The 400 acres of rolling hills, mixed hardwoods, beaver ponds all bordered by farm fields. It was loaded with game. The typical routine was that my Dad, Al and I would arrive first and get the cabin propane stove fired up , the flies swept up , the wood for the wood cook stove stocked , water pumped for dishes, our bunks set up for the restless night’s sleep. Usually Uncle Ken and cousin Kenny would roll in sometime after midnight. They're ETA was always up in the air because of Uncle Ken’s work schedule. He would do all he could to get to camp for opening morning because in Michigan over 50% of the bucks were shot on the first day. You don't want to miss it! 

The three of us had dinner. Then we checked and double checked our equipment, told stories, and confirmed on the map which blind each would be hunting the next morning. The anticipation was high, and it would be 1-2 am before we would get into a deep sleep. Ken and Kenny showed up later and more tired than normal "Mike, what time did you set the alarm for?" " Five thirty " I replied and we finally all settled in. Wouldn't want to sleep in on opening morning and miss it! 

We don't know when the Lord is coming back, and we don't want to miss that either! He wants us to always be prepared because he is coming without warning. Heaven like deer camp is best enjoyed with those you love. Why would you want to leave anyone behind? 

The sun was streaming through the window and everyone was still sleeping. We had missed it! As I woke everyone up the question was "I thought you set the alarm?" I did it must be broken! The Swamp Rat took it out of my hand and says, "I will fix it." While the rest of us are scurrying to get ready. All at once we heard a shot just outside the cabin. We all ran outside to see who was shooting this close to the cabin. Here stands the Swamp Rat in his boots and pajamas with a big grin on his face "fixed that alarm clock”! 

The world we live in is in serious need of fixing. Man would rather live in sin than follow what is good and right. There will be a day when the alarm sounds (trumpet) and we will rise to be with Jesus. He is going to fix what is wrong with this world. I wouldn't want to miss it for anything even opening day of deer season. 

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  -  By M. Ritchie

​This is an ode of a flop-eared doe
That taught me things I need to know.
Now a flop-eared doe near a hilltop stood,
And a hunter stalked as hunters should,
With steps so gentle up from the West
And the wind direct in his face and chest.
As the doe fed aimlessly along
The hunter’s heart began a song.
Then the hunter knocked an arrow straight
And thought of when to shoot or wait.
Soon, like a flash, the wind did change
And the flop-eared doe did rearrange,
 Her North end quickly moved on South,
Then out of sight was the tiny mouth
Of the one who fed on acorns sweet,
The doe that caused my heart to beat.
 
A lesson now we learn from this
That things go wrong and fall amiss.
Sometimes our North turns and travels South
And leaves us stunned and dry of mouth.
But we must know God gives His best
To those who trust and stand the test,
To those who take the time to seek,
To those whose hearts and minds stay meek.
He leaves us not, nor lets us stray
Far from His care, His perfect way.
Those things that change, our “might have beens.”
We’ll understand on that day when
We see our Savior’s lovely face,
 And understand His love and grace.

By Dave L. Roose
​October 27, 2000

Psalm 121:1-3 (ESV)
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.  3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
 
Have you had days where by the end of the day you couldn't even lift yourself into bed?  A day where the emotional stress added more weight than the physical exertion?  No matter how hard you tried there just wasn't anything left to give.  Well if you haven't, I surely have.
 
As a hunting guide I can tell you that guiding hunters is strenuous exercise.  99.9% of my hunters are great people.  Actually, I can't even name the .01% that aren't great.  However, trying to stay on top of the daily physical, emotional and spiritual needs just wears a person out.
 
So how do we keep going when the daily chores have completely drained us of energy?  There is only one way... allow God to carry the load.  Without the ability to give it all to Him, I couldn't keep going day to day.
 
The people that observe us on our exhausting days need to see Christ in us as much as those that see us on our best days... even more so. 
 
If you believe that the Bible is God's word to us, His people, then you should never doubt His willingness to provide strength in our time of weakness.  Isaiah 41:10 confirms it.  This is God speaking directly to His people.
 
10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
 
Allow God to lift you when you can't get up, when you are completely and totally exhausted. After all, He really is the only One who can.

By Dean Hulce