I received this as an email forward today and I'm sure some of you have as well. I rarely pay attention to forwards, but since this was from someone who I know doesn't just forward everything I took a closer look. After reading the story I checked it out and from all accounts it is true. Read on...

Isn't it just like our politically correct times for someone doing work in a politically hot topic field to receive more recognition than this heroine? Ah... such is our times.

The dewy grass sparkling in the early morning sun must have been playing tricks with my mind: for there, from behind the trunk of a towering pine, came the biggest Blacktail buck I had ever seen in my life.

His posture belied his regal heritage as he surveyed his domain, which unbeknownst to him held a very green and very excited young bow hunter, yours truly.

As he stepped tentatively out into the field below where I was hiding, I got a good look at his magnificent rack as he turned broadside; this buck had to be the Boone & Crocket world record! I slowly drew my bow, took aim and...

“Theron, wake up. You're foot's slipping into the creek!”

It was my brother Calvin. Sure enough, my foot had slid down the creek bank I had been napping on and was almost in the water.

It was all a dream. A wonderfully twisted and tortuous day-mare...

It took me a minute to get my bearings back. We had been bow hunting for four days, getting up before dawn and hiking out to our hunting grounds to hunt the elusive Pacific Blacktail deer at daybreak. Problem was, we had yet to even see a buck, let alone get a shot at one.

“Remind me again why we picked Blacktail for our first bow hunt?” I sleepily asked Calvin.

“Because we like challenges, remember?” he says.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Ha ha. Very funny.

Blacktail deer are widely considered one of the hardest species in the Northwest to hunt, giving fits to even veteran black powder hunter Jim Shockey. And here we are, on our first bow hunt, taking on the hardest animal we could pick!

Just that morning we had passed an old orchard where a huge black bear was helping himself to a breakfast of apples. It would have been an easy hunt had we been hunting bear. “Dang, I should have gotten a bear tag!” I thought to myself as I fingered the pistol on my belt, carried legally in case of a bear or mountain lion attack.

But no, we're after more elusive prey. God knows how long it will take us to find Mr. Blacktail, but find him we will. We've trained for accuracy with our bows and are confident in our technical skills, but nothing prepares you for the absolute silence as you stalk or wait for a deer in the deep Pacific forest. It's another world out there.

Bow hunting will either make you extremely frustrated, or extremely determined. Anyone can buy a high powered rifle, spot a deer with a bazillion power spotting scope, “stalk” to within 500 -700 yards and shoot. But that's not really sporting in my opinion, that's meat hunting. It's great if you need to fill the freezer and feed the kids or get a nice trophy to hang on your wall, but not if you want that true feeling of primitive pursuit.

Bow hunting is hunting in the purest form like our ancient ancestors used to do it. It actually gives the animals an advantage over the hunter. It requires more than being a good shot to be successful; it takes nerves of steel (most shots are between 20 and 35 yards), patience like Job and the ability to think like the animal you're hunting.

And it takes minimizing your body odor because deer have an acute sense of smell. Which of course means I'm forced to take more showers than I'm comfortable with during hunting season, but sacrifices must be made!

Back in the woods the next day, I use binoculars to check the edge of the forest clearing for signs of deer. Nothing yet. Might as well get comfortable, Mr. Blacktail is taking his sweet time, why can't we?

Looking out over the peaceful golden meadow while watching and waiting, I can't help but feel like I'm the most blessed man in the world. It's moments like these when from the depths of my heart come prayers of thanks to the Creator for all His goodness. What a beautiful world!

It's moments like these too that I can leave my worries behind and just spend some time in quiet solitude. Perfect ingredients for yet another daydream...

There are some big changes afoot in America these days.

As I'm sure you're aware, there is a very important debate going on right now in relation to health care.

I believe it's very important for my friends to be aware of the nature of change that could soon be forced on us, hence I'm posting this note not as a politically motivated smear job, but as an encouragement to you to FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

The times now are such that you cannot hide from the debate because you don't want to make waves. The waves are going to be coming your way whether you want them or not, so it's up to you to be ready with your surfboard to ride them out... :)

There are some town hall meetings going on around the country right now and some have been getting bad press for the way in which the protesters are making themselves heard. My opinion on the matter is that we can get more done by civilized debate first, let's leave the shouting for when our leaders stop listening to our civilized debate.

This health care debate is fast moving to be more about freedom than it is about health care. Basically what we're looking at is in exchange for free healthcare, the citizen gives up their right to choose what kind of healthcare they want.

Make no mistake, the writers of this bill will claim that you can still opt out of it, but there is simply no way private insurance can compete with a government run program. Sooner rather than later private insurance will be put out of business, so you will be able to choose, but have nothing to choose from.

Don't let partisan propagandists try to fool you, our President is a supporter of eventual single payer (which means government run) health care. Watch the unedited video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE

Under the proposed legislation there will also be what are called "Health Choices Commissioners" who will be tasked with deciding what treatment the state can afford to provide for you. It doesn't matter that you might need a particular treatment to stay alive, if the HCC decides you don't need it, you don't get it.

This is discriminatory against our seniors because under this new law they will be subject to a government official, instead of qualified health professionals, telling them what kind of treatment they need. What better way to "control the population" (as Obama's Health Czar wants to do) than to let those who aren't "productive" in our society die off? It's a horrible thought, but in my conversations with radical proponents of this bill, it's not too far fetched!

And yes, ABORTION will be fully covered under this new plan.

To those who support this bill I have only one thing to say: Look at the way government runs other programs. Look at the IRS. Look at our federal deficit! That should be enough to scare you away from government run health care alone.

An ignorant citizenry is a citizenry in bondage. If we could just take a very short time to get informed about what's going on instead of relying on the partisan news networks to feed us with their propaganda, things will be different.

Let's not let what's happening in Iran happen in America. Stop the totalitarianism before it starts through honorable, civilized and well researched debate!

So if you happen to have a town hall meeting in your city with a Senator or Congressperson and are wondering just what this healthcare debate is all about, you need to read the bill first:

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text?version=ih&nid=t0:ih:402

After getting informed about just what this bill is going to change in America, then start asking civilized, calm and well formulated questions. Ask them firmly, but nicely. Keep in mind that those hotshots up there on the podium work for YOU and not the other way around!

Visit: http://www.scsuscholars.com/2009/08/questions-on-health-care-for-your.html to find some basic questions you can ask. There will be more posted on this blog in the future.

Let Freedom be the cry of all our hearts!

I have a confession to make, I'm a junkie. A news junkie. It started out innocently enough: a friend hooked me up with a subscription to a financial news e-mail list and I immediately went out into orbit. Pretty soon though I needed something harder: The Drudge Report. Then came Real Clear Politics. Then came... oh the shame of it all! I can't bring myself to admit all the news outlets I'm hooked on.

It wasn't until a loved one suggested that I might have a problem that I started to consider how involved news was in my everyday life. I started seeing the classic signs and decided to sign up for Newsaholics Anonymous that very day.

Through this great support group I've found that I don't HAVE to have news to get me through the day. If that link on my toolbar to the Drudge Report is tempting me, I call my accountability partners and they help me overcome the urge and we go to meetings and group therapy. It's been great.



There is a balance somewhere when it comes to staying informed, but not overly informed. A huge part of staying informed has to do with the sources we draw from for news. If you leave the TV on all day on the news channel, you're going to be brainwashed. If you visit only conservative leaning or liberal leaning blogs, you're going to have a bitter outlook on life because you'll always be concerned that "the other side" is just getting out of hand.

To be properly informed, the citizen needs some breathing space when it comes to media coverage. To be informed means to be able to understand how current events fit into our current lives, but not getting caught up in ratings driven sensationalism and the voyeurism of pop culture.

Being informed sometimes means knowing when to shut the news feed off.

R.I.P Michael Jackson

You've probably heard that Michael Jackson died yesterday. It's sad to see what show business can do to a person. Jackson had one of the tougher journeys in the business and regardless of whether you liked his music or not (I don't care for it even though I think he had talent), yesterday was a sad day.

The Greco-Roman culture of icon worship that both made and broke MJ has claimed another victim. I believe that's what killed Michael Jackson; he died broken hearted because he never could be at peace with who he really was.

Scandalous Scandalistic Scandalism

It seems like there has been a lot of sex scandals in the public arena lately, or at least the way the news media is reporting there has anyway.

Ho-hum... nothing new there. People seem to think they can do anything they want when they're in public office or famous, but it turns out they have to face the music too just like the rest of us. Imagine that!

I do think it's hypocritical to pass judgment on those caught in those sins, whether they be preachers or politicians. Were it not for the grace and mercy of God, there could go us if the sins we struggle with were as unsavory as the sins they struggle with.

Remember, it's those who set themselves up, or are set up by a worshipful mob, as having a handle on morality that have the farthest to fall. Humility is the main antidote to moral failure because as Proverbs says "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall".

With a heart for purity must come a heart of humility because pride is just as bad a sin as adultery.

On that note, let's get out there and live lives worthy of being called Christian! Changing the world for the better is up to us.

Oops... I just remembered I have a Newsaholics Anonymous meeting to go to...