​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

​The end of most hunting seasons and the Christmas season occur at about the same time. Hopefully your hunting season was as successful as you wished it to be.  And hopefully your Christmas will be blessed with the Word through His words.
Christmas is a time which bears significant truth but Satan, the enemy of God, has obscured that truth by mixing a lot of pagan, godless practices into the advent of Christ.  Trees, men dressed in red suits , sleds, deer and burning  yule logs look more like an old fashioned hunting camp than the arrival of a man who created  the world.  Historical evidence even points to the fact that the date of Christ’s birth was most likely late September not late December.  But dates and traditions are of little help in understanding truth.
John’s gospel, chapter one, verse fourteen, (Jn.1:14) tells us the truth about this wonderful time of year. “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
What are words anyway? My definition is that they are audible expressions of communication which produce thoughts and ideas that reveal understanding and feelings which invites a response. Words are expressions from one person to another.
In John 1:14, the Eternal God of the Bible, expressed himself very vividly to us.  Do we really get what he is saying?
The use of the definite article “the” indicates that there is no other.  The word “Word” is the name of the God of the Bible. Therefore, this verse says that there is no other god than the God of the Bible. He is the one who spoke the earth, heavens, creatures and man into existence; the One who is the ultimate expresser of thought and ideas which begs a response from us. (Gen. 1:1; John 1:1)
Christmas, then, is the thought and idea of God, expressed to us by His Word through his words. “The Word made flesh and dwelt among us,….”
Christmas reveals to us the person of God through the Son of God, his visage of glory, his character of love and grace, his words of truth. “….and we beheld his glory …. full of grace and truth.”
Christmas is the celebration of God’s revelation of himself to us through Jesus his Son, our Saviour, who dwelt with men on earth.  (Matt. 1:21-23; John 3:16 )
Christmas, then, has nothing to do with the paganized commercial celebration of our modern world.
 The truth we need to understand at Christmas is:
That Satan has really messed things up by his desire to be like God.  (Isaiah 14: 12-14; Ezekiel 28: 13-19)
That God, (Father, Son & Spirit) is the Creator of the world. The world did not come to be by a process of evolution.
That God, the Father revealed himself to us through his Son, the man Jesus Christ, who dwelt among us.
That the word to us are words of love and forgiveness which reveals God’s grace.
That our response will dictate the eternal residence of our soul.
So, what is your response?
“God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past unto the Fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness  of his glory and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; “ (Hebrews 1:1-3)
And that is the word for us from the Word, through His word.
David L. Roose

​A good blood trail is what every bow hunter wants to find after releasing an arrow at a big game animal. I remember what I consider to be my best blood trail. Although it’s not a spot we should aim for, a femoral artery shot is deadly.  I remember what I consider to be my best blood trail.  In 1989 a fat spike horn whitetail came by me on an alternate trail while bow hunting in the Huron National Forest near Cadillac, MI. He only presented a sharp quartering away shot. I took the “now or never” shot which was intended for the rib cage and forward to the lungs. My anchor point was not good thus my arrow found the femoral artery instead. When I got down from my tree stand to check out the damage of my less than desirable shot, I was soon very pleased at the excellent blood trail. No bending over, no hunting for red drops, it was walk and follow the blood. Four hundred yards later I found him in the creek all bled out.
We know from the Bible that the blood is the life.  Genesis 9:3-4 gives us permission to eat meat but not the blood because it is “the life thereof.” Medical science reveals the same truth. If you’ve ever had the need of being in the hospital, you know well that drawing blood is done to help determine what to do for you. It is amazing to me that so much can be determined through the blood. Indeed, the life is in the blood.
This is not only true physically but also spiritually. The Old Testament reveals that it was the blood of sacrificed animals that was to be offered to God for the atonement of peoples’ sins. (Leviticus 8:14-21) The New Testament tells us that it is Jesus Christ who shed His blood, replacing the Old Testament sacrifices, thus taking the sins of all mankind upon himself, once for all, through his death, burial and resurrection. (Hebrews 9:11-14)
When it comes to this most important part of life, the spiritual life, it is true that our less than desirable life styles can be changed by the life giving blood of Christ. His is the trail of truth that has been followed by those who believe for two thousand plus years now.
Have you found that ultimate blood trail that leads to eternal life? Are you following it? If you are not sure, remember this, one must admit their sinfulness and ask for forgiveness, (Romans 3:23), then accept the gift of eternal life (I John 1:9) and begin walking in the ways of God (John 1:12) (Romans 8:1). Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life: no one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) Our eternal destiny and life depends upon following the blood. (Hebrews 9:28)
David L. Roose