Daily Devotional - God's Great Outdoors - Trail To Adventure

MEETING THEM AT THEIR PASSION

Dean Hulce — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:30:24 +0000

MATTHEW 4:19
And He said unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Every year about this time the walleyes come up the local rivers to spawn. Around Michigan and Wisconsin fisherman gather at the places where the fish stack up in huge schools preparing for the right time to drop their eggs.

The Saginaw River, Detroit River snd the Menominee River are all places where this annual occurrence happens. Fisherman know that going to these places will produce successful harvest.

Walleye fisherman would make great evangelists if that was their calling. They know not only the places to find what they're after, but also what things to use to make a successful harvest.

In Matthew chapter 28 Jesus tells His disciples to "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations". When we're told to "go", we must consider where the best places to go. Like the walleye fisherman, we need to know where to find where the people that need Jesus are. Find out what their passion is and the ln speak into their language.

To reach a fisherman go to where the fisherman are and speak to them connected to their passion. For hunters bring the message of Christ in terms that are easy for a hunter to grasp. What ever a person's passion is, is the best place to meet them, build a relationship with them and share the goodness of a savior.

Go out and become a "Fishers of men."

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KEEP YOUR SHIELD UP

Dean Hulce — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:30:15 +0000

Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift all of you (disciples/followers) as wheat”.

The enemy was asking to violently test their faith. Jesus stood between the enemy and those who had committed to follow Him, and He prayed Peter’s faith would not fail, and that he would be able to strengthen his brothers.

It was a beautiful October afternoon. I was in one of my tree stands on one of my favorite farms to bow hunt. The colors were brilliant in the afternoon sun. I just felt blessed to be there, enjoying the genius of God’s handiwork. Off to my left, I saw a squirrel really acting up; not noisy, just jumping around, acting agitated and anxious. As I watched, a hawk swooped in front of me and attempted to snatch the squirrel in its talons. The show was incredible over the next few minutes. The hawk would spread its wings and hop around the tree or up on its trunk. The squirrel merely moved at each attempt of the hawk to keep the tree as a shield between them. Eventually, the hawk gave up and, I suppose in hawkish frustration, flew off. The squirrel moved on as well, leaving me to ponder what I had just witnessed.

Hebrews 7:25 came to mind: “….He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

How many times has Jesus’ intercession for me been like that tree for the squirrel? To know that the Creator of all things prays for my faith not to fail, and to be able to strengthen my brothers, is humbling, yet comforting.

How are you doing with keeping the shield of Christ between you and the enemy who would delight to sift you as wheat?

Today’s devotional is presented by Gary Archer, friend of God’s Great Outdoors

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Muy Grande

Dean Hulce — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:30:06 +0000

Psalm 86:13

For Your graciousness toward me is great,

And You have saved my soul from the depths of Sheol

As a very young man I remember reading about a special deer hunting competition in deep south Texas. I dreamt of hunting the area and being at the measuring activities during the hunting season. Bucks from all over South Texas come to the small town of Freer, Texas to a restaurant, gas station, convenience store, feed store and gift shop to enter their bucks in the Muy Grande Big Buck competition.

The last few years I’ve stopped into the Muy Grande store and looked around. This year I was so blessed to do an interview with the owners along with the pastor (and his wife) of the Muy Grande Ministries.

Each year, for the last 62 years, the Muy Grande staff measure 100’s of deer antlers. Bucks are scored for several different categories, and the best score wins the prize.

In the Spanish translation of the Bible we can find the words Muy Grande in Psalms 86:13. In this chapter David finds himself in need of God’s help as he is under attack by many men seeking to kill him. David’s words to God declare that His “graciousness is Great” (Muy Grande”

David also said that even if he were to die in this situation that he is sure that God will save him after his death. You and can rest assured that God is not only good… He is always Great, and He will always protect us when we are working in His service. We need not worry if we are His child. We know that if we were to have our life taken, He will still raise us from the grave like He did with His Son.

We can always count on Him, His love is Muy Grande

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Tried By Fire

Dean Hulce — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 08:30:10 +0000

1Peter 1:6-7
"In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith may result in praise and glory."

Several years ago, I tried my hand at making some custom, homemade knives. I had access to some flat steel stock and handle material. I had accumulated a good amount of whitetail deer antlers that could easily be transformed into beautiful knife handles.

The blades were cut into rough shape and then ground to a finished state. They could then be polished and sharpened and attached to the handle. Not being a seasoned knife maker, my first attempts were crude and amateurish. There was one step that I failed to do during the process which was not tempering the blade. Tempering steel is the process of heating the steel to extremely high temperature and then quenching the steel to harden it. Raw carbon steel is very soft and requires high heat tempering to be useful as a tool. Without tempering, my knife blades would dull easily and be subject to damage during use. Not good qualities for an effective, useful tool. Benefits of tempered steel include reduced brittleness, increased toughness, enhanced wear resistance, and stabilized metal structure.

This concept of being tempered is true in the life of a Christian. We are not promised a life here on earth of comfort and ease. Many things will come into our life that put stress on us. In John 16:33, Jesus told his disciples; "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Often times we go through tests, trials, and temptations that are meant to benefit us and make our faith in Jesus stronger. James 1:2-4 tells us to "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

These tests of our faith lead to spiritual growth that develops perseverance and deepens our faith. If you are going through the fire of trials and tribulations, remember that God can use it to make you stronger, more mature in the faith, and draw you closer to Him. In our times of weakness, if we rely on the promises of God, it is then we are at our strongest.

Thank you Tim Jones, Chairman of the Board GGO

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OUR MOST IMPORTANT DAY

Dean Hulce — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:30:33 +0000

Psalm 91:11
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;

43 years ago I sat in a hospital room waiting. It was an exciting time. There was a lot of hustle and bustle in and out of the room, giving updates and information. Finally our first son arrived. What joy and celebration. Our first child had arrived (and our second 3 years later) and at the time it seemed like the most important days in their lives... and it was until the following day.

Our birth is often considered the most important day in our lives. While it's pretty important on that day each day after that should become the most important day. Each day that we move into should become that most important day.

For those that have had a rebirth into the family of God, we might think that the day that we accepted Christ and were born again is going to carry as the most important day in our life. But even that day should only be considered our most important day for a short time. We have living to do, beyond that day and loving of others with the love of Christ

In Francis Schaeffer's book, "True Spirituality", he wrote this...
"In one way, the new birth is the most important thing in our spiritual lives, because we are not Christians until we have come this way. In another way, however, after one has become a Christian, it must be minimized, in that we should not always have our minds only on our new birth. The important thing after being born spiritually is to live."

Yes, we should be grateful for our past and God's gift on that day. We look forward expectantly to the bright future ahead with Christ. But our present walk with Christ, right now, is the most important moment in our lives.

All of the following verses speak in the present tense. This means that each day gives us new direction through God's word that is fresh and new for today.

Romans 14:17 says, "The kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

1 John 1:7 reaffirms this emphasis on the present—true spirituality is concerned with walking in the light "as He is in the light, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin."

We need to refocus today (and every day) on our present walk with Christ. If your fellowship with the Lord is broken, let 1 John 1:1&9 light the path. It says, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Each and every day is the most important day of our lives... we need to live them out like that.

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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Dean Hulce — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 08:30:18 +0000

Ephesians 5:1
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
.
A few weeks ago Linda and I were in Texas, recording podcasts and meeting with ministries and churches. While we were there we spent time hanging around a lot of Texans. If you've ever been there, you know that Texans have a very distinct accent in their voice. I love the accent.

Over one weekend we went to far South Texas to guide friends on a turkey hunt. Many of the people we worked with on the ranch, where we were hunting, were born and raised in far South Texas and their ancestors came from parts of Mexico. While in South Texas I often had to listen while staring at the speakers mouth of attempt to understand what they were saying.

One thing that amazed me was that within a couple of days I began to sound very similar to those I was spending time with. I also noticed that Linda began to sound like a true Texan as well.

It should be obvious to us that the more we spend time with people, the more we become like them. The same is true when we spend more time with God.

When we get up in the morning if we start the day with a conversation with Him we begin more and more like Him. If we spend time in prayer we begin thinking like Him. If we spend time in His word, we sound more and more like Him. His words become our words and His heart becomes our heart

Acts 4:13-14
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

Become more like Him

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IF TODAY WAS YOUR LAST DAY

Dean Hulce — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:30:44 +0000

1 John 2:6
Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

I remember well one of the last times that I hunted with my dad. I was with him when he shot a big mule deer buck. We sat on a rock outcropping with our feet resting on the flank of the trophy buck and we talked about life and memories. Dad and I both knew that his days were almost up, as he had terminal cancer and he had little time left. All those things that we had never said, but wanted to say, were said that day. It was a great day... not sad, great. There was nothing else needed to be said.

I've been asked many times, if I had one day left to what would I do? That's a hard question, there really are so many things to do, mostly selfish things. Mostly I would want to say goodbye to all my family... but even that is a selfish thing.

Today, online, I read something that said, "what would you do if you had one day left to live." Again, my mind spun... what would it be?

Down the page from that question it said... "Jesus knew He was in His last couple days, what did He do? He washed feet"

That struck me so hard. Jesus showed love, and He did it as a servant. He didn't run around trying to get as much done as possible. He knelt down at the feet of His friends and washed their feet. And another thing He did was kiss the man that had taken money for turning Jesus over to those that would kill Him.

This should make us consider, where is our heart?

1 John 2:6 says,
"Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."
This verse emphasizes that an authentic, abiding relationship with Christ is validated by a lifestyle that imitates His character, actions, and obedience to God, rather than merely making a verbal claim of faith. He served until His last day.

How about you and me? If we knew today was our last day, would we do what Jesus did?
Think about it.

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The sun and the Son

Dean Hulce — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:30:11 +0000

Job 8:16 "He thrives before the sun,
And his shoots spread out over his garden."

Over the winter dead limbs and branches have fallen from trees onto our wooded trails, so today was trail clearing time. In June I will need to go through all the trails again and trim back lots of new trees, branches and plants like wild raspberries, gooseberries, and all sorts of weeds. Anytime there is an open area like our trails, that gets extra sunlight, everything competes for it and soon there is a lot of new growth. In the dense wooded areas where the tall trees shade the ground from the sunlight, there is little or no new growth. As I was clearing the limbs, my mind couldn't help but make some spiritual comparisons.

The sun warms the earth and brings life, the Son warms dead spirits and brings life.

Ezekiel 36:26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart a flesh."

The sun helps things grow, the Son helps us grow spiritually.

Psalm 119:130 "The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple."

The sun gives energy; the Son gives energy to the weary soul.

Isaiah 40:31 "Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

The sun illuminates the sky; the Son illuminates our hearts.

John 8:12: "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"

Heavenly Father, Light of the World, sometimes I feel lost in the darkness of my circumstances. I ask that You shine Your light into the dark places of my life. Remove every shadow of fear and doubt that keeps me from walking in your light. In Jesus name, Amen.

Thank you, Joel Raygor

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BLIND FAITH

Dean Hulce — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:30:04 +0000

John 20:28-29
Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

Good hunters are a faithful bunch. They will sit for days waiting in one spot hoping that their prey will come by. There was a time, and it wasn't too many generations back, where it was a matter of life and death. If you didn't harvest an animal, you didn't eat meat for a while. Today it's different. We don't have to count on game meat to survive. We also don't have to wonder if game is in, or travels through, our area. Some hunters use feeders & trail cameras, which will capture photos & video of the animals and their habits and send them to their phone. There isn't a big need anymore for a great amount of faith in most hunting.

The day after Christ's resurrection He appeared to the disciples. According to John's account, Thomas wasn't present at first and didn't believe it was really the Messiah that the others were seeing. He needed proof. I can't say that I would have had more faith than Thomas.

The Christian life, as in hunting requires a great deal of faith and trust. We can either doubt that He will come through when we need Him or we can wait patiently for Christ to show us He is real and we can count on Him.

Don't be a doubting Thomas. Trust that Christ is real and is always there beside His children. We don't need to see Him, we can see what He does and how He works.

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FEEDING HIS SHEEP

Dean Hulce — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 08:30:22 +0000

John 21:6, 9-10
And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught."

Reading these verses this morning reminded me of my childhood. Each summer from the time I was 8 until I was 18 I would go to Lake Ellen Bible camp. Generally one or two mornings each year we would go out to a place where a big old army tent was set up. We would have a campfire in the evening and then in the morning the leaders would cook us a breakfast over the campfire.

I remember especially Darwin and Jerry that always seemed to be there with us and they would be selflessly serving us kids. With each breakfast or campfire they would tell a story of Jesus and how He loved us.

These two men loved us as well and with each summer camp they were teaching us to men... but not just ordinary men... but men of God. What an amazing investment they made in boys. Investments that lasted a life time for most of us.

Jesus did the same things with his disciples, right there on the sea shore. This was the third time He had appeared to His disciples after His resurrection and the last time He would eat with them here on earth. Jesus didn't just come out that morning to eat with these men, no, He came to spend some time and use it as a teaching time.

The book of John could have ended nicely where Jesus cooked breakfast for His friends, but Jesus used this time to teach His disciples how they were to carry on without Him. He told Peter three times what he was to do when He would be gone... Jesus told Peter to tend to His flock until He returned.

We carry the same responsibility as Peter did. If we've made a choice to follow Jesus, we are not here to just wait for His return. We are here to bring others into His family and to take care of those that are part of the family. We're to care for Jesus lambs.

Jesus might return for us today, or it may not be in our lifetime. His children long for the day when He returns. But we've got a job to do until He comes for us. We can't just look to the east watching for Him, we need to be taking care of His business by spreading the good news of the Gospel message. There are so many that need Him and so little time.

The times with those men on the shore, in the woods and later on the mountains were very special times... and they were where I learned what it meant to be a man. It took time for them to teach me. We need to have the same care and compassion for those that don't know Jesus. We need to lead them towards Jesus, then we need to help them grow into the men and women God wants them to be. It's what He's called us to do.

John 21:17
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was hurt because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "feed My sheep."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep".

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EQUIPPING THE CALLED

Dean Hulce — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 08:30:49 +0000

Psalm 51:10, 17
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise"

Many years ago my dad met an older gentleman by the name of Bill Gooseman in the mountains of Colorado. Dad and our family hunted on this man's land for many years and became good friends. Bill once sat and told me about his past. As a young man he became well known as a notorious poacher, one that the authorities couldn't catch. He told of escapades that made us laugh and while he said they were all true, some seemed unbelievable. Stories of giant elk and mule deer, so big that many would have scored high in the record books. He had 4 or 5 Mason jars full of elk ivory in his house, that backed up his claims.

The local authorities were well aware of his illegal action and eventually came to the conclusion, "if you can’t beat um, join um." They decided the best way to get Bill to stop what he was doing was to hire him to work as a game warden to catch the others that were out doing what he was doing. They gave him all he needed, equipping him with guns and a vehicle. It worked and Bill spent the rest of his adult life working for the right side of the law. He eventually wrote a book about both sides of his hunting... called, "In Pursuit".

There is old saying that says, "God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called!".

The truth is that none of us are really equipped on our own. We are far from perfect and we are broken and failing people. But the Good News is that God uses exactly that kind of person to do His work here.

In the old testament, David was caught in a very sinful, uncomfortable position, however, because he turned back to God it was later written that he was a "man after God's own heart". Even More importantly, Jesus came from the "line of David". David was a murderer, liar, adulterer and yet when he had hit rock bottom, God used him to build His kingdom upon.

Today, if you are feeling broken, bruised, like damaged goods... Remember you are today EXACTLY where God wants you to be to use you for the future.

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Creation Calls Out To Us

Dean Hulce — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:30:23 +0000

Romans 1:20
"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse".

A few weeks ago I was in South Texas for the opener of spring turkey season. I had our friend Kristen in the blind with me, along with her 3 year old son. It was a beautiful clear morning with stars shining brightly against the dark purple sky. Just as the sky began to lighten I heard my first gobble of the year. There is something special about that first gobbler, as it breaks the silence of a spring morning. A hunters heart skips a beat at the sound of a big gobblers booming gobble.

When this happens I'm reminded that God's presence is constant. The sights and sounds of God’s creation force me to pause and listen for God's voice, which is often just a whisper, in the noise of life.

Psalm 19:1-4 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through the earth, and their words to the end of the world."

This scripture teaches that God provides sufficient evidence of Himself through creation, making a lack of knowledge of Him a deliberate turning away, rather than an ignorance.

It's in these times of hearing Him that I find myself thanking Him for His amazing creation, for the land that sustains us, the game that feeds us, and the hunt that blesses us. I pray that it will continually remind us to always respect His creatures, and grant us wisdom to take only what we can use and to give back more than we take. It also reminds me of His immense love and care for us, God’s children. This same God that gives us so much that fulfills our every need, loves enough to send His Son to die on the cross for us to give us a true and pure hope for an eternal life with Him one day,

Don’t allow the enjoyment of His creation overshadow all else that He has done for us.

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THERE'S NOTHING SWEETER

Dean Hulce — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:30:38 +0000

Ephesians 5:8
"At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."

The beginning of spring is a messy time. There is generally mud everywhere as snows melt and rains begin. It's a time of hope and disappointment when one warm sunny day lifts you and the next day is cold and windy, lowering your expectations.

But there is one sure, sweet thing about spring and it flows each year right from the trees... maple syrup. I've got some fond and some not so fond memories of making maple syrup. If you've never done it you're missing out on a great experience; a great, exhausting, cold, wet tiring experience. But there is a sweet reward in the end.

Most people have never actually tasted pure maple syrup. You may have thought you were tasting it when you read a label and saw, "contains pure maple syrup" but by law that product only needs to have 2% pure maple syrup in it. If you've had pure maple syrup, you'll most likely never go back to off the shelf maple flavored syrup.

Each spring as the days warm and the nights remain cold the sap begins flowing through maple trees like blood through our veins. The first runs of the spring contain the highest concentrations of sugar and make the most mellow and sweetest syrup of the year. As the season goes on the sap becomes cloudier and a little more bitter. By the time the buds start arriving on the trees the syrup is a lot stronger in taste and sometimes even a little bitter when finished. It's this syrup that is sold just so other products can claim to contain "pure maple syrup".

The life of a spring syrup season is very similar to many Christian life walks. The faith and joy of a new member into the life of Jesus Christ is sweet and joyful and many times as times goes on, the walk starts to move away from the Lord a little at a time and things become a little more bitter.

What happens is many begin to mix in other things to the pureness of we have in Christ. They are no longer just living in the pureness of Christ; they've lost the joy and sweetness that came from our early relationship with Him.

The apostle Paul laid it out clearly in Romans 12:1. Paul wrote,
"I appeal to you by the mercies of God to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

We all occasionally allow little pieces of worldly things to get mixed in to our lives that create an impure product. We allow lust, jealousy, covetousness, greed and other sins a foothold and soon the original sweetness is gone. We've begun again to conform to the "things of this world"

In Revelation 2:4 John wrote the words of the Lord to the Church Ephesus
"But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.". Revelation 2:4

That church had walked away from their first love and confirmed to the world again. Have you mixed in worldly impurities to the sweet, pure life that was given to you in Christ? It's not too late to make it right. Turn back and remove the things that you've added to your life that are not of God. Come back to the sweet pure relationship that you were meant to have with Him.

There's nothing sweeter.

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AN AMAZING TRANSFORMATION

Dean Hulce — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:30:13 +0000

2 Corinthians 5:17
If any man be in Christ he is an new creation; the old is passed away, behold the new is born.

This past week I was blessed to be able to guide a turkey hunt in far south Texas on the Mariposa Ranch. It's an amazing piece of property, full of a multitude of habitat types and animals of a wide variety of species, some of which are found in few other places.

On the logo of the Mariposa is a beautiful butterfly. While on the ranch we somehow got on the subject of Monarch butterflies and I learned so much that I had never known about God's amazing creation. Here are just a few facts, of many that I've learned since my Mariposa visit.

1. As a caterpillar it digests only one type of plant, the milkweed, which is poisonous to other animals that eat it, but not to this caterpillar.
2. The caterpillar increases in weight 2,700% in 20 days!
3. The butterfly, once it comes out of the cocoon, navigates alone to a never-before-seen location over 2,000 miles away!
4. The monarch butterfly chemically reconstructs itself from a caterpillar with 6 simple eyes which can only see in black and white, having a chewing mouthpiece, 16 legs, and the ability to crawl. Yet, it becomes a butterfly with 2 eyes that can see in color (each with 6,000 lenses), a sucking mouthpiece, 6 legs, 4 wings and the ability to fly!

After reading all of these amazing transformative qualities, I again think of the scripture above. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "If any man be in Christ he is an new creation; the old is passed away, behold the new is born."

Trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior; coming to him and admitting that we know we are sinners and have no place in God's kingdom, because of our imperfect nature, brings with it a miracle gift of transformation, a metamorphosis. Jesus will forgive us, wipe our sins from us, and give us new life!

Remembering now how the butterfly was immediately equipped with the ability to navigate to a never-before-seen location over 2,000 miles away? When you ask Jesus to forgive your sins, you become a new creature... a Christian. You also receive the promise of eternal life in God's new Heaven and Earth, which is far beyond the realm of this old world.

Consider the probability of random-chance mutations evolving through this perfectly timed, chemically miraculous metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a monarch butterfly is far beyond the realm of reason. It is more proof that there is a creator that loves us... even far more than the monarch butterfly. He loves enough to send His Son to die for us. Now that's the most beautiful part of the Monarch transformation.

Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD; plans for good and not for evil, plans to give you hope and a future."

When we've come to Christ, we are an amazing transformation.

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STANDING FIRM

Dean Hulce — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:30:59 +0000

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

In the summer of 2009 I was hunting blacktail deer in the mountains of Kodiak Island, Alaska. A young, inexperienced hunter and myself were walking down a flat creek bottom when we jumped a deer on the hillside above us. As the deer bounded away I instinctively began to call, sounding like a fawn in distress. The deer bounded down the hill and landed right in front of us. As it was just a doe, I continued to call. From behind me and across the creek I heard some breaking brush and I spun around, expecting another deer to come running to me. Instead what appeared from the thick tag alder brush was a huge brown bear, who was charging hard looking for a meal.

I screamed "BEAR!" and threw the rifle to my shoulder. Slapping the safety off and centering the crosshairs on his large head, I began to reason in my head what my options were. The bear was coming far too fast to run, so my only other option was to stand firm and take the shot if necessary. Within a couple jumps he splashed into Salmon Berry Creek, small stream 15 yards away.

When my hunting partner heard the splash, he spun around and accidentally pulled the trigger of his 30-06. The BOOM caused the bear to stop in mid stride and then turn and walk away, questioning the noise that scared him.

Often we come to a place where we question to run or stand firm in life. If the situation is similar to Joseph in Podiphar's bedroom... we need to run away. But in most situations we must "Stand Firm" and face those things that would be attacking.

"STAND FIRM", if you've been called, by God, to do a job, don't waiver from that calling.

A quote from Called Magazine says, "NEVER APOLOGIZE for following God's plan for your life. – People will try to manipulate you, guilt-trip you, and even bully you into following THEIR plan ... BUT FOLLOW GOD!" And Stand Firm

God has an amazing plan for each of His children, follow it and don't stop or change for anyone else.

2 Thessalonians 2:14-15
To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.

Stand Firm!

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WHAT ARE YOU REFLECTING

Dean Hulce — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 08:00:01 +0000

1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Linda and I spent a night at an amazing place as we traveled through North Texas this past week. It was a camp built to honor veterans that have served us all in protecting our country, but more importantly, to serve the Lord, while serving the vets. The camp is called Heroes Ranch.

I got up early on Saturday morning to watch the sun come up and to do some writing. As the sun rose, I was watching the enormous Texas flag wave over the lake in front of the camp. It was mesmerizing. There seemed to be no wind, yet that flag waved overhead as though it was working from memory.

As I looked down from the flag I saw something amazing. There on top of the water was the perfect reflection of the flag on the calm surface of the water. I stared at it for quite some time until a light breeze came up and the reflection was distorted and it became harder to see what I had seen so clear just seconds earlier.

As I considered what I had seen happen it struck me that what I had seen in the calm water was a perfect reflection and it became distorted by the wind.

We are called to be a reflection of Jesus in all we do and who we are. When we are resting on Him and we allow our hearts to be at rest and calm in Him, it is far easier to be that reflection. When we allow the world to churn up the waters of our lives, that reflection of Christ gets far harder to see.

When others look at us, if we're truly a child of God, they should see His reflection in how we treat others... in how we show His love.

In the outdoor world there are some amazing places and amazing people that reflect Christ to those that the come in contact with. Heroes Ranch, Two Hats Ranch and a few others do that.

How are we doing? Do others see the reflection of Christ in our lives? Are we remaining calm when the winds of stress to attempt to churn the waters of our lives? Or do we allow God to be seen in the calmness that can only be seen because of Him.

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

I challenge you to consider, what is it that you reflect in your life as others see you?

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IN THE STORMS AND OUT, TRUST IN HIM

Dean Hulce — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:30:42 +0000

Psalm 46:1-3 & 11
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.

It's been a tough winter in the Great Lakes and Midwest regions of the country. They have suffered greatly from terribly heavy snowfalls. The giant storm that buried much of Michigan last week, dropped nearly 4 feet on my house. Much of our wildlife has been under enormous strain.

A few years back, at our house, we fed approximately 40 deer and 35-40 turkeys through the winter. They got corn, quality alfalfa and some high protein pelletized food. Many of the deer and turkeys may have died without the food being supplied by individuals in our area. Its been the same case this winter.

Next to the garage in my back yard stands a 6 ton capacity grain bin containing corn. Each day when the deer would hear the auger running as we filled buckets, they would run towards the yard and wait until we were back in the house. As soon as it was safe they would be eating. The last couple of days the weather has been much milder and I've noticed a trend.

At the end of winter, the deer that are still hanging around the places where they've been fed, will stay back in the woods watching as the food is put out. They no longer will run to the feed. They don't come to feed much at all. The activity level will dropped considerably. The wildlife doesn't seem to have an urgency to consume the food they need.

What an example this is of most people when it comes to their relationship with God. When we feel trouble coming on us, i.e. we get bad news from the doctors, our marriage is rocked or we lose our job etc... we suddenly look to God to rescue us from whatever it is that is oppressing us. We cry out for His help and even those that rarely open His word start reading their Bibles. We know that we can count on a God that loves us and we suddenly attempt to rely on His goodness and power.

However, after a while things calm down, the medical treatments begin working, our relationship smooths over and we find a new job. Things are getting better. Somehow we slowly slide back into the pattern we were in before the trouble started. Our prayer life slows down or ends all together, our Bible goes back on the shelf and we become too busy for church. We are no longer in need of God to answer our urgent prayers.

Like the deer in back yard we get comfortable in the nice warm sunshine of our life. It's almost as if we never faced a hard time. We stand back in the distance looking on, knowing that if we need to be fed again, we can call on God to fill our needs.

But this is the wrong attitude. We all have friends and family that we only hear from when they are in need of our help. We could go for months and months without hearing from them and when we see their name on the caller ID on the phone, we know they need something. That feels somewhat hurtful. Now consider when we rush to God only in our time of need. This is the same God that gave us our very life and the same God that was willing to sacrifice His own Son so we can have a relationship with Him. He held back nothing from us, His children, and yet we ignore him until the storms of life bury what we need. It's only then that we rush to Him for our needs.

1st Chronicles 16:11 tells us to go to the Lord continually, not just in times of trouble... "Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!"

Our God is there for us in the hard times of life, but our relationship with Him should be so much more. Learn to stay with Him to be fed in the good times and bad. Learn to remain fed when there is plenty in our lives and when the storms of life come we are already strong in the Lord.

John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Abide, or remain, in God all the time and we can know that He has gone before us in the storms and we will remain fed in the good times and bad.

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IN THE STORMS AND OUT, TRUST IN HIM

Dean Hulce — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:03:41 +0000

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NO WEAPON FORMED UP AGAINST US

Dean Hulce — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:30:15 +0000

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the Lord.

A friend and myself were in the southern Missouri mountains turkey hunting many years ago. It had been a slow day with no birds being heard. We had been walking a ways, stopping and calling, waiting a while and moving on. At one point we were walking down a narrow dirt road that had been bulldozed into the side of the hills. I was leading as we walked and we had just called from one location.   We came around a sharp curve in the road when just 15 yards or so in front of me I saw the end of a 12 gauge shotgun barrel pointed right at me.

The thoughts that go through your head at a time like this are not good thoughts. I fully expected to see a flash from the gun, I thought I was a goner. Before I could say anything the turkey hunter jumped up and took off down the mountain.   I was shook all day and even today, 25 years later it still bothers me when I think about what might have happened.

I'm not sure about everyone else, but I know there are days when I certainly feel like there are weapons coming against me that are prospering in destroying me. I feel as though I have a shotgun pointed at me and the one holding the gun is squeezing down on the trigger.   And yet at the end of the day I still stand and the Lord stands with me.

I read a short note once that said, "God never said that the weapons wouldn't form, He just promised that they wouldn't prosper". If we have a personal relationship with God and weapons come against us in life, we have the promise that they will not prosper. Our God still sits on His throne in Heaven and He is still in control.

As I grew up I was told that someday, as Christians, we would come up against those that would want us beaten back, or even dead. 50 years ago, as kids, we saw that as a scare tactic... but today it's a reality. The spiritual forces of this world seem to be coming down against us.   The weapons being used against Christians are far different than what I imagined as a child. The media, our own government and so many other weapons are pressing in hard on Christians today.

Most of us, including me, would prefer to think of our nation as godly, as our forefathers meant it to be. We don't want to think that something as ugly and brutal as combat could be involved in any way with God's spiritual realm. However, would any true Christian say that Calvary Hill was not a sacred space? Yet this was a place of terrible, spiritual warfare. The enemy today is coming against us as hard as any time in the past.   He doesn't want God's word out there. He wants us beaten back, he wants us silenced.

The weapons of man, a sword, a hammer and spikes, a crown of thorns, a whip, lying tongues (the greatest weapon of all) and even a brutal cross were all brought against Christ... But in the end not one of these weapons won. Three days after Christ died, He rose again... Even the weapon of death didn't stand up against Gods power. We've got that same power available to us 24/7. We know that in the end, after all the world does to us, God prevails.

The only power satan has to harm us is when we believe him. To believe him is to disbelieve the promises of God. But if we will walk in faith, we will beat back all his judgments against us.

So take on God's armor and trust that while they might be built to hurt us, "no weapon formed against you shall prosper, all those who rise up against us shall fall."

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THE RIGHT PREPARATION

Dean Hulce — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 08:30:31 +0000

1 Peter 3:15-16
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

The last few days have been devastating to the people of much of the Upper Peninsula. Snows of up to 3 feet have pummeled the area and the worst of it fell right over our house. Linda and I are on the road, but our neighbors are completely snowed in. Our driveway has too much snow for the plows to even begin to move it.

The news had forecast the storm enough that most people got out and got the supplies that they needed. Others didn't prepare and are stuck without the basic essentials.

I put time into my hunting preparation. I study maps for months, prepare my gear and my mind prior to a hunt, it's a passion. When we've guided hunts in the west over the years we've been successful because of the preparation before the trip was made. Success depends on preparation and training... in hunting and any other part of life. Especially our spiritual life.

When it comes to big storms, we might only get one chance. We've all heard of people that don't prepare, and when the hurricane, tornado or massive blizzard hits they weren't prepared and they paid a heavy price... sometimes with their lives.

Its somewhat like a single elimination tournament, like this weeks NCAA March Madness tournament, if you're not prepared you are out. It's a "one and done" event.

Each of us lives a "one and done" life. There are no do overs to be had, this is just the here and now for this world. We've got one chance to live this life the best that we can. To many people this life has no real meaning, it's just a "eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die" mentality. For those that have a close relationship with Christ, there is the hope and assurance of the eternal life beyond this life, but still we have a life to live to the fullest while we are here.

If we have no "do overs" for this life, why don't we prepare for it better? Life is far more important than a basketball tournament yet we go through it without preparing ourselves.

2 Timothy 2:15 tells us, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Be prepared to live a godly life, "study to show thyself approved ". A life that shines for the Lord. A life that points others to a relationship with Christ. This life is the "Big Game", there are no do overs. We have one chance to live it. We can live it for God or waste it, it's up to us.

There's an old poem by C.T. Studd that speaks to what is really important and why we prepare for this life.

"Only one life, will soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last."

What are you preparing for? Be successful, be prepared.

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