God's Great Outdoors

There are few places or activities more relaxing than a trout stream with a fly rod.   The art of fly fishing has very little to do with fishing and more about peace and tranquility and time with our creator.  On today’s show we will meet a fisherman who began his lifetime pursuit of his passion at a very young age.  He learned early on that flyfishing is a passionate pursuit.   If you ‘ve never experienced the arching line whirling overhead and a fly settling gently on the water’s surface, you are missing one of the greatest and most refreshing experiences in God’s Great Outdoors.

God has given each of us gifts and abilities.  Sometimes it might take a little digging to discover what He has provided.  Once we find them,  we are  called to put them to use   On today’s program we’ll  meet a young man that was raised in Southern Indiana in the woods and fields.  God gave him a gift of a mechanical mind and a heart for service.  We’ll learn how his gifts have been used to changes lives in many ways for people all over the world.  As you listen, we challenge you to consider what talents and tools God has blessed you with that you are not using to His glory.  Consider how you might be used to change lives for those less fortunate and to advance God’s kingdom.

It’s a very special week, all over the world… Easter Week.  The week, on the show, we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many of us can remember the old cartoon character, Ziggy, the little depressed guy that walked around with a black cloud over his head all the time.  Today’s guest has a close connection with Ziggy, as she went through many years with seemingly one bad hunting experience after another. This past fall was different, after a disappointing beginning she killed the best buck of her life and was redeemed.  She’ll share the stories of victories and defeats as well as a wrong choice and another redemption story.

Most of us have eaten countless meals of shrimp and fish in our lives and never think of what it took to get them to the store or restaurant.  On today’s show we’ll meet a 3rd generation net maker from the very NE corner of Florida.  We’ll hear Johnny Burbank’s story of overcoming an addiction to alcohol and God has used him ever since that time.  We will see how God can transform what looked like a wasted life into a strong man of God that has been used by God in amazing ways.

Today’s guest is a friend that everyone tells me is the best steelhead fisherman in NW lower Michigan.     In an off-air conversation he said to me “wouldn’t it be great if we were known as a man of God first and then a great hunter, fisherman or outdoorsman”?     God gives us all gifts, many are rarely used the way God intends them… and to His glory.    Let’s Join our host Dean Hulce and his steelhead fishing guest, Matt Stevens as we see a man that shares how God us working in his life… while sitting in a riverboat.

Every one of us that hunts or fishes spends time in preparation for our sport.  There is scouting, hanging stands and many other things to prepare when hunting.  In fishing we get the boat ready, check lake maps and charts, getting rods and other gear ready before we head to the water.  In life we also prepare for the future as well as special opportunities that also come our way.On today's program we will hear from Pastor Adam Ray who has a deep passion for the outdoors.  He is a very successful hunter and fisherman, as well as a successful father and husband.  One of the things he prepares for every day is to be ready to give an when he is asked where his hope comes from.

It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine.  And on today’s show we will certainly get our prescription filled.  Even the writer of Proverbs wrote  “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Today our host Dean Hulce and I sat with two great friends of ours.  These two brothers are some of the funniest outdoorsmen you will ever meet.  We will have a lot of laughs but we will also hear an a great story of salvation and a slightly miraculous baptism. Come along now on the trail to adventure as we share some great outdoors stories and a lot of laughs.

Here in the North Country we are in the middle of winter and there is very little open water to cast a line into.  Only the hardiest of fisherman are on the rivers that are still flowing ice free.  However, the optimists among us know that spring is coming and will soon be here and it won’t be long until we will hear the sounds of boats on the water. On today’s show we will visit with fisherman Jeff Micolic that has devoted countless hours into the sport of musky fishing as well as the conservation and education of the sport.   He will share about his passion of sharing with others this sport and to give them the possible opportunity to land this extremely elusive fish.  He will also tell us about his desire to share something else far more important than fishing.

Have men in today’s world been robbed of their leadership and masculinity?  Has our media and entertainment stripped the strength from our men… or have we given it away freely? On today’s program we will meet with a father and son that love the outdoors…  Fishing, hiking, skiing and more…   But they choose to spend much of their time on a different endeavor, building strong relationships that help build stronger and more godly men.  A strong man is not judged by his outward appearance, but on his heart…  What lies within the Heart of a man?

All of us have struggles to overcome in life.  For some it might seem like a small hurdle and for others it might feel like we’ve come up against a grizzly bear.   Well one of this week’s guests was in fact attacked by the monster grizzly bear in the Northern Canadian Mountains.  He was slowly bleeding to death and God spared his life.  Up until that point our guest was running as far away from God as fast as he could.  Life was spent gathering as much as the world had to offer.  The bloody attack on the mountain redirected his life. Today, we’ll learn about the aftermath of the attack and recovery.  Our second guest will tell about how she prayed for her husband for over 10 years and how God used that bear attack to answer her prayers. If you are worn from praying for a person or situation in your life and you wonder if God is listening, play close attention to this program.  God hasn’t forgotten you, He is listening and He will answer in His timing and in your best interest.  Don’t give up.