Thankful for You

Each of us will be taking some time this week to reflect on what we are thankful for in our lives. As the increasing uncertainty of life passes us each day, we become more thankful for and content with our family, our health, our source of income and the simplest things in life that we used to take for granted. I would have a hard time acknowledging in this post all the many things for which I have been blessed with and am thankful for in my life, many of which I all too often overlook or forget. But one in particular that I am clearly aware of and extremely thankful for is the significant number of opportunities that I have been given to spend time in the outdoors hunting and fishing during 2013.

Psalm 100:1-5 (NASB)
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

There have been those opportunities I look forward to each year - waiting in the darkness for that gobbler to announce the start of a new day, chumming and trolling for Chesapeake Bay rockfish, opening day dove shoots over cut corn, hearing the first light whistle of wood ducks dropping below the tree line, and soaking up the last few moments of daylight elevated on a field edge waiting for a deer to emerge. There have been new and unique experiences too - hunting plantation style quail and pheasant, in-your-face crow shooting, tagging out on three hard-earned Easterns, floating the Shenandoah, fly casting in Smoky Mountain streams, landing cobia, gator trout and stout redfish on the Eastern Shore, and battling marlin, tuna and dolphin off the Outer Banks. And then there have been opportunities to give back knowledge and expertise to the next generation of sportsmen through DGIF Hunter Education, youth turkey hunts and Centershot Archery. Each and every one has been a blessing from above, and regardless of the place or activity, there has been a central component that made each and every adventure this year truly memorable - you.

There are some of you that I have just begun to share time with in the outdoors, while with others we have added another year's worth of memories. Regardless of the activity or time of year, we now have stories and memories that we will be able to look back on for a lifetime. Without someone to share these experiences with, I would just assume not have taken them at all. Time with you in the outdoors has been what has made these moments truly special. And I cannot go without acknowledging the many of you who are not necessarily passionate about the outdoors but have still been extremely supportive of Scope & Hook. God has blessed me with relationships with many awesome and inspiring friends who share my passions for the outdoors and for living a life worthy of the calling of Christ. And for that, I am truly thankful, regardless of what the future may have in store for 2014. - GE