Got a nice surprise on Sunday at Freshlife

The last time I went over to Two Medicine in the winter, my contact ended up ripping.  Not a big deal for most folks, but when you are as blind as me, that means that depth perception is completely gone!  I didn't end up with a splitting headache, like I thought that I would, but I did spend most of the ride in the car with my eyes closed to avoid one.  (No, I wasn't the driver!)  I guess what that means is, I didn't pay enough attention to the route we took to get there.  So this time, we found out that if you go all the way to Browning, and double back, you can't get to Two Medicine.  So we went North to Many Glacier instead.  I don't know exactly what the temp. was, but it was warm, and we really didn't need any snow shoes, either.  I took my skis, and it was a matter of trying to keep the 2-3 inches of snow, on top of 2-3 inches of slush, on top of 2-3 inches of water from creating a suction on my skis each time I went to glide forward.  It didn't take long to wear me out, and you'll notice that the pictures I took don't include any of the return trip.  That's because there came a point when this old, fat man was only worried about making it back to the car!  There was good fellowship on the way back though.  Todd H. was kind enough to turn back early with me, and we had a great time talking about what Jesus is doing in our lives, and our families.  The rest of the the guys made it to the Many Glacier Hotel, which was about a 16 mile round trip.  It was a fun day, and a nice trip over and back, with the music selection of Sabriand.  I would like to try to get up somewhere higher in elevation this next trip. May the Living God bless you guys in everything you take on this week!

Holland Falls

Fire Day

So . . . just some photos this time.  It was relaxing and fun.  Ya shoulda been there!  Don't miss out on Holland Falls this Saturday the 21st.

How Cold is Too Cold to Fish?

So here we go!  We had our first trip last Monday, and kicked this thing off right.  It was all about beer mugs and wine glasses.  Huh?  Well, it goes like this . . . 

Things in our neck of the woods can get pretty dull this time of year.  Nothing but gray, gray, gray.  Without all the vitamin D providing rays of sunshine we enjoy come summertime, it can get pretty miserable right?  I can find myself lazing around the house nursing my "cabin fever" into depression if I don't get out and do something.  Anything!  Then I find myself wondering if God is with me or not, and not to far off, the whole mess turns into my wife finding her husband as a sniveling, snot-nosed little punk that keeps mumbling something about summer, and trails, and camping.  A far cry from the solid manly-man that enjoys life to its fullest because of the love he knows is from his Savior, which He wants us to be.  You know that God? The one that is a "Consuming fire".  I feel consumed alright, but it's not from my God.  I end up being consumed by my fear of life instead.  So the whole 

deal is, as I walk with God, He is continually showing me that He loves me thoroughly.  When I am afraid that He has left me to poke my blind man's cane around in the dark ahead of me, what I really need to do, is look right into my Dad's full-of-grace, compassionate, encouraging eyes.  That is probably the manliest thing any of us can do.  If I do, it is then that I realize that He really is for me, and not against me.  His intentions are to rear His son into a man and not let me go off on my way and get lost in the shuffle.   

So back to the beer mug thing.  Guys, we are called to be an emotional beer mug for our families.  While my wife is the one that can and does enjoy the spiritual delicacies of life (like a wine glass), it is my job to take the hits and be knocked around without getting shattered.  I can't do that.  I would say I can't do that until. . . but the truth is, we are just not man enough to do that.  Even though we are heat-packin', extreme cold enduring, animal killing Montanans, we are not tough enough to stand the test of life.  That's why we look to our God that did it for us.  He died from emotional stress that we can't bear.  Once we get that, we can trust in our God.  Trust that He can and is going to take us through this life, and supernaturally naturally 

give us the strength to be the men we are supposed to be.  All the while, we know that we are really just little scared to death second graders with a Big brother that handles all of our fights for us!  Then we are the Men of the House that we want to be.

So there we have it.  That is what this group is all about.  It let's me relax, and enjoy my time spent outdoors to know that while I am out spending some time with my Creator, He is all the while taking care of everything else.  When I get back

 to my family, and there is any trouble on the home front, I know it's going to be OK.  I have spent my before-the-fight pep talk time with my Big Bro (and my other brothers) and I am encouraged.  Even King David took time to "encourage himself in the Lord".  If he did, we should also.  It is going to be great to be able to spend time doing what we love to do with our brothers, I think.  My hope is that we will all be encouraged in the Lord and can go back to work and  get back to our families ready to let our Heavenly Father take on life for us.

Monday went well.  It was around -2 when I left my house.  I had plugged my truck in, so it started just fine.  No biggy that I wasn't quite all the way awake at 3:30 in the a.m. and backed into the handrail of my porch. . . with my tailight!  $30 and a day later the new one was installed.  We met at the parking lot across from the Exxon station just before Sommers heading South on 93.  It was pretty dang cold by then.  When we got to the lake, you had to keep your hands covered or they were instantly painfully cold.  I wanted to try the the bay on the west side of the lake in front of the old access.  It was dark and we didn't make it quite there.  We got the holes drilled, and set up the ice house.

  There was moisture frozen in the zippers which made it difficult to get them open.  (Not much good to have an ice house that you can't get inside of!)  By the time I got to my hole to drop my line it, there was a half an inch of ice.   It was cold enough that you could watch the crystals form over the water in your hole.  When you brought your lure out of the water to check it, your maggot was frozen solid before you got it to your hand!  It was -18 on the West side of Kalispell, and we think that it was a little colder than that on the lake.  I cought three little perch in the first five minutes, Josh had a bite, but it didn't make it to the ice, and that was it.  Not even another bite.  There were only three of us this time, and the vote was unanimous.  There is not much sense sitting on the ice when it is that cold, when your not catching fish.  It was a good day!