God's Great Outdoors

On this week’s program Gerry hooks up with Steve Chapman in Nashville, TN to discuss Steve’s new book “A Look at Life From a River Bank”. The two reflect on Steve’s first book that focused towards outdoorsmen of a similar title called “A Look at Life From a Deer Stand.” The book was first released in 1996 and is still going off of bookstore shelves as it has been reprinted numerous times. This book clearly addressed a desire by many women who wanted something that directed the reader to their love of the outdoors and specifically hunting, but also had spiritual impact and would change lives. Steve also discusses how important outdoor ministry can be in reaching the man and the impact that it can have on the family. As much as Steve loves hunting, and fishing, the hope for these books is to make trophies of grace for the Creator God Jesus Christ.

On this week’s program, Gerry visits with Russ Miller who is the founder of the Creation, Evolution & Science Ministries. The two talk about the battle that rages over this topic and the scientific facts that point to our Creator God speaking our world and the universe into existence as stated in the Bible. Russ guides tours in Arizona’s Grand Canyon and shows from the rock and fossil records evidence that backs up what his ministry presents. These adventures are not only great fun for the family, but certainly groups travel from across the country every year to join Russ and be a part of these fact-finding trips. Besides this interview’s discussion on Creation and how God has everything in control, the two talk about the struggles that come to all ministries that stand on the Word of God and refute what world science and opinion has to say. It was during one of these incredibly low times that Russ Miller asked God to make Himself clear in his mind that he was really doing God’s will in educating and equipping others through the ministry of Creation, Evolution & Science Ministries. This interview shares a time through Russ’s outdoor adventures when God clearly showed His love and support for him and his life’s direction.

At the Mathews Dealership Show in the Dells of Wisconsin Corinne Bundy, visits with Gerry and tells about her job at Mathews, Inc. Wearing several hats that include handling all of the business’s websites, social pages, and media promotion. As a little girl she helped her dad in their family-owned outdoor business and learned to be pretty good at counting worms that were sold to people looking for fishing bait. Later, Corrine started selling archery products, including bows, and also was shooting herself in the archery lanes at the family store. Her skill brought her to a place where she received a scholarship to a Texas university with her archery and shot on a team in both the USA and overseas. Today, Corinne’s office is adorned with a very large black bear on the wall which brings to mind fond memories and she tells the story of how she and her dad went on the bear hunt where Corrine harvested this Wisconsin bruin.

The inventor of Scentlock, scent eliminating products and clothing, Greg Sesselmann is the guest on this week’s program visiting with Gerry at the Archery Trade Association Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. Greg shares about growing up in a family that loved spending time in the out of doors. They would camp at most of the places they went to in their home state of Michigan and camping actually made up 80% of what the family did together on their outings. Whether it was a fishing or hunting adventure, the cooking of what was harvested was a major part of the time and interaction around the campfire. Grey had all of his guns stolen out of a car when he was a young man and so only having his recurve bow, the family started to focus on deer hunting with archery equipment way back in the early startup of this style of recreation. It was the need to get closer to the deer that Greg, being an engineer working with filtration systems, thought how carbon could eliminate human odor too. This is what started his experimentation in the business of Scentlock. He gives God the credit in his life and reflects on hard times and the valleys he has gone through, that allowed him increased joy when on the mountain tops. 

This week’s interview is with Monte Browning, who happened to be one of the speakers at a Trail To Adventure! conference in north Augusta, South Carolina. Monte shares of growing up without a father and experiencing at the church he attended men and families that did not include him in any of the things that they did as family. This even included the desire to be able to hunt and fish, which he had to try to learn to do on his own. Eventually the lack of interest in who he was caused him to leave the church. Growing to be a man he began to have opportunity to bow hunt all across the world. He has placed his adventures and photographs into a coffee table-style book titled “Bow Hunting” subtitled “A Passion for Life”.  In deciding to finally do the book, he prayed about it, asking God if he should even write it. Having started to attend church again as an adult he decided that he would make this a project that would give God the glory.

While turkey hunting in the Chamberlain, South Dakota area, Gerry hooks up with a past guest, Travis Vaad. Travis is a music song writer and praise and worship leader at this church. Besides the country music overtone to his songs, he also uses his music to praise the Creator God. He reflects on growing up on the banks of the Missouri River and all the adventures he had in the outdoors with his father and his entire family. He also shares about relationships he has had with the Native American people in his area and how several tragedies took place in these interactions eventually brought him to receive Jesus Christ. Travis shares about his second CD, titled “Fly," and a number of songs he wrote because of his father and how God uses the circumstances of our life to knock off the rough edges and make us the kind of men and women he wants us to be as we travel through life heading for eternity with Him.

On this week’s Trail to Adventure, Gerry is in Northwest Ohio for a multi-species fishing tournament that can even be won by a kid competing against adults, just by catching a green sunfish. He visits with bass fishing pro and outdoor tv show host, Jimmy Houston. Jimmy shares with Gerry about the old days of pro bass fishing as he was one of the first when this outdoor recreation turned to competitive fishing. The two talk about the many changes that have happened in the pro fishing world and how a number of large businesses have gotten behind the sport to make it an event where fishermen can win millions of dollars. Jimmy also tells of the changes that we have in our world as a whole and reflects on the fact that Jesus’ return could be imminent. Yet, regardless, the people listening to the program or who come to hear him speak, have no guarantee they even have a tomorrow. “Today is the day of salvation.”

The author of the tract "Up in Smoke," Bob Hodgdon, tells the story of how his dad's business, Hodgdon Powder, had its beginnings after World War II. Bob shares a funny story "now," of how as a 10 year old boy he almost blew up their house; his parents didn't find out about this until a family reunion 35 years later. Bob relates what a reader would see in the tract of how an explosion at one of their factories and four funerals for Christians who were killed at that tragedy, brought him to receive Jesus Christ. It was during these funeral services and seeing how the men being buried, their family and friends, though sorrowful, rejoiced and celebrated their homecomings in Heaven.Bob didn't know what they had or what was different about them, but he just knew he had to have it too.

This program is an interview with Dan Ryks, who is a fishing guide on the St. Croix River and lives in South St. Paul, Minnesota. He tells the story of how growing up an hour west of Minneapolis, Minnesota in Wilmer, he and other boys would duck hunt their way to school, leave their shotguns in the principal's office, go hunting during recess and then shoot ducks on the way home from school. Then he shares the story of how growing up he became an angry young man and got tied in with the wrong crowd. Losing his best friend to a drunk driving accident and then getting into a fight with his girlfriend, where she was accidentally killed, he winds up in jail. But persistent prayers by his mom and grandmother, and watching Billy Graham transformed this violent and angry inmate into a model citizen because of Jesus Christ.

This program begins with a description of what the retreats are like at Rushing Wind in Ontario, Canada an hour drive above International Falls, MN. At the flight service, you park your car and take a short float plane ride to Rushing Wind and through this ministry many lives have been changed for eternity. The guest this week is Vince Garcia who is a Navajo Indian and got the Hispanic last name when his grandfather was adopted by a family from Mexico. Vince shares the difficulties of growing up in an alcoholic environment and a physically abusive father who eventually threw him out of the home. His story goes on to share how he came to Christ and also a physical difficulty that developed after he had a stroke. Vince tells of the miracle over recovery in his life and how he uses what has happened to him to share the love of Christ Jesus with others, as he speaks across the country and ministers to his native people as well.