"Hunting JESUS"

Dennis and my sis Jill,in back, my brother Ralph and Hannah Beth in front on a recently paddling trip to the Elk River.

Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.


Psalm 46:10a
"Be still, and know that I am God."


Dear Praying Friends and Family,

You all are such a dear blessing to my heart, and I want to thank you again for praying me through these two rounds of antibiotics this past month to kill parasites in my body. Due to me being unable to detox the antibiotics well, (GOD created me with some abnormal "detox" genes), taking the antibiotics has been a challenge. But thanks to GOD hearing and answering your prayers for me and HIM giving my dear doctor wisdom to help me, I have made it through! Now, if you'll pray the medicine did it's job, I sure would be grateful...
We traveled up to Nashville Tuesday to put Hannah Beth and Mishel's mom (our dear friends from CA) on a plane to CA. They will be out there for 10 days, and HB is helping our friend Ashlie with her two little boys, 2 years and 8 months, while their Daddy serves our country in Iraq...please remember Hannah Beth in your prayers and us:)...we miss her very much. It's bad when you watch "Hannah Montana," and "John and Kate plus 8" and Hannah Beth is not even here...yeah, we miss her.
In a few hours, Johnny and I will be heading up to Louisville to the National Leadership Conference for Growing Families International (www.gfi.org) with Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo and families from 24 states. We are so thankful for this opportunity to see the Ezzo's again-it's been several years since we've had the opportunity to see them, and to be encouraged in our walk with CHRIST, and meet new friends, and whatever the LORD has for us up there. We are also so excited about seeing our dear cousins that live there...Bruce and Sherry and their families. Please remember us...you know my traveling challenges, and for what the LORD has for us there. John Mac will be here holding down the fort, please remember him too...that he won't enjoy us being gone too much:)
This week, I have a real treat for you...my new brother in law to be, Dennis Marceau (welcome to our family, Dennis), has written down some thoughts about spending time with JESUS that he gave me permission to share with you. Dennis' wife of 29 years passed away with cancer and during this time of struggle the LORD drew Dennis closer to Himself than ever. Dennis, an avid outdoorsman writes from his heart, quiet lessons learned in the school of suffering about spending time with JESUS. Ladies, for those of you who don't like the outdoors I apologize. It was brought to my attention this week that some of my friends don't like the woods, and cabins, and ticks, and all that outdoorsy stuff and I hope you'll bear with me...maybe you can share this one with your husbands and sons:). I pray that your heart will be encouraged as mine was to spend time preparing our hearts to be with CHRIST as you read "Hunting JESUS." Thank you so much Dennis for sharing your life with ours, and encouraging us to prepare our hearts as we spend time with our dear LORD and SAVIOR JESUS.
I love you, and thank you so much, dear friends and family for all of your prayers and encouragement to my heart. You are such a blessing and joy to my heart...yes, you are!

With all HIS love,
mitzi



Hunting Jesus

by Dennis Marceau



On a recent morning I went to my normal place to pray and be with the Lord. I sat down and talked to Him as I would a friend. My mind was full and my woes were plenty. I completely unloaded on Him. I sat quietly for a minute and started to get up to go to work. I had one thing that the Lord “unloaded” on me. BE STILL and know that I am GOD.



Time passed quickly and I knew that I had to get going or I would be late for work. I got completely quiet, and I continued this way all day long. This is not my normal procedure. Later that evening I went to church two hours early and sat in the parking lot for an hour. I finally understood what God was trying to tell me. “Son,” He said, “when you are hunting for deer as you do every year you get prepared, don’t you?” I thought, Yeah, I go scouting ahead of time to pick out the perfect place to catch that deer. I put on camouflage, my boots and hat, and spray down with a scent that smells like the woods. I also get my rifle. I am ready and can sit still for hours listening for the rustle of the leaves (deer footsteps) which is crucial when hunting on the ground.



God wants me to do the same when I am hunting for Him. I quickly recognized that I spend more time getting ready to confront deer in the woods than my Savior Jesus. I wasn’t prepared to hear Him talk to my heart. I was not still long enough to shake the world out of my system. I also know from hunting that it takes a while for me to get in tune with the woods around me, usually a good 30 to 40 minutes of being completely still and getting my mind clear and focused on the surrounding sounds and smells. Then it happens, I am part of my surroundings. I can tell the difference in a squirrel playing in the leaves and an armadillo pulling straw back to eat bugs. Then, I hear that illustrious sound we hunters all wait for, the steps of a deer. That is what I have not done with the Lord. No wonder I can’t hear Him.



After being convicted of what I had been doing wrong, I wanted to get it straightened out. After the worship service, I thought about it some more. Sitting in the parking lot as the cars drove away and people scurried to their homes for the night, I wondered, Lord, what about me picking a spot. I think for different people it would be different. I have a wonderful place the Lord has given me. I have a little pole barn type building that has my smoker and gas grill underneath it and the morning sun comes in to warm me on chilly days. I started going to this spot when my wife was struggling with cancer. It was close enough so I could be at her side in a minute, but far enough away where I could reload for a hard minute or hours to come. I had the wonderful smell around me of smoked meat and for me, that’s a little bit of heaven in itself. I have spent many hours there during the days and nights of the past year and a half being with the only friend that I could call at anytime I needed, my friend, Jesus.



After being satisfied that my spot was good because the Lord helped me pick it out, I started thinking about the camouflage. What would I do to dress right for this hunt? I contemplated this question and thought about what pattern to wear. Would it be Mossy Oak or Real Tree? What would be the right pattern? I want to be a part of the Lord’s forest. I don't want to be camouflaged and just blend in with the world. I had a time with this. The Lord wants us to come to Him just as we are. He does not want us to camouflage ourselves when we are before Him. He wants us to open up completely to Him.We don’t need to hide ourselves or cover up the real us.

He wants us to talk to Him as a friend and He wants us to have an intimate conversation and personal relationship with Him. He wants the naked us no matter how torn, how shredded, or how bruised we are. He wants us to bring all of our weaknesses to Him. He wants us to humble and surrender ourselves before Him, the Ultimate Power in the universe. He made it. God says bring all that is wrong emotionally and physically and spiritually to Him, and leave it with Him.When we are finished, we don't need to go back and get it but we will need a weapon. Leave the Browning 300 Magnum on the gun rack. All we need to take is the Word of God, the Holy Bible. It comes already zeroed in and has the cross hairs on Satan. We will never have to pick up any ammo. The Word of God comes with a lifetime supply. We just need to pick it up and fire one shot at a time. We don't even have to pick out special bullets. Just pick a verse at a time. Before you know it, you will be firing on semi-automatic then automatic, and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.



Good hunting and God bless!