Yes, we have bears on Bearwallow, and bobcats and coyotes. The bears have not come by this spring, but if they do we will hear them outside, poking through cans and containers looking for food.

Bobcats are like shadows. They sneak in late at night when most of the world is asleep and go fishing in the pond . We might catch a glimpse of them just at dawn, but mostly all we see is the pale grey droppings they leave behind.

But coyotes are another story. Occasionally we will hear a small pack yipping just after dark. Coyotes remind me of wolves,. Wolves run in packs and when they are hungry they will kill and eat anything that is not protected. We don’t have wolf packs here in our part of Appalachia. Unless I consider my mental wolves!

My thoughts are often like wolf packs, and sometimes me thinks my thoughts are gonna kill me. They circle, snarling, just outside my small fire of consciousness, and will devour me if they can get close enough. Their names are branded in their foreheads like tattoos. Self-pity is the leader of the pack. He is followed by Anger, Hate, Resentment, Revenge, Unforgiveness, Selfishness, Discouragement and Despair, destroyers from the pits of hell. The circle tightens. I shout and lunge forward just outside their reach, my arms flailing like a maniac. They stagger backward for only a few seconds then rush in again.

I scream, "My thoughts, my thoughts, oh God!! They’re gonna kill me!" I turn my face toward heaven and beg, "I can’t stand it any longer. Please help me." I drop my head and wait.

Soon a gentle voice whispers. "Come closer child. I am the Light. The destroyers can’t touch you if you stay in the Light. They fear the Light. Make the firelight stronger. "

I toss a song of praise onto the waning fire. The blaze surges up. I quote a scripture, "The Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword". I remember my blessings or intercede for others. The fire becomes a blazing inferno. As the wolves back away and disappear, a song of rejoicing pours forth from my throat. Victory!

Will the destroyers return? Yes. Just as soon as I move away from the light, the battle rages on. So, if I want them to stay away, I must keep the fire blazing and stay in the Light.  "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8--Rebecca Somoskey

     Father, so often we lay the blame for our sick nation on unbelievers when it’s Your people , the Church, who are responsible. Forgive us. Your specifically told us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sins and heal their land.

    You also said in Hebrews 12:5&6, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons:”My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him, for whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges every son whom He receives.” Now, we are being chastised because too often we have emphasized the blessings, more than the Blesser. To many of us have ignored Your guidebook, the Bible, for less than 15% of all believers today can quote the Ten Commandments or John 3:16. 

     Forgive us for letting the affairs of our government fall into the hands of wicked men and women because we have been too busy building our own empires to notice what was going on. We have believed Satan’s lies that we deserve our heaven here on earth. Like spoiled children we’ve demanded, “I want it now. It’s my right!”  We’ve misinterpreted prosperity to mean the gathering of stuff and enjoying this world’s pleasures instead of being rich toward You-- being Your child, knowing Your Word, letting You live through us. These are the true riches. You also told us in Luke 12: 21 that we are a fool if we lay up treasures for ourselves and are not rich toward You. So many of us have hoarded our blessings, or squandered them away, while half the world is hungry, cold and lost. You have specifically told us to share, but we have failed. Can You forgive us? 

     Meanwhile our nations is rampant with crime, drug problems, divorce, abuse and every imaginable wickedness that man can concoct.  We’ve even murdered millions of babies. We don’t deserve Your mercy, but we plead for it.

     So now we pray “ Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will you be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will you not revive us again that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, Lord, and grant us Your salvation.”  (Psalm 85:4-7)

 Amen --Rebecca Somoskey

Matt 4:19 Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. 

If  I am a follower of Christ, I am a fisher of men. That is my identity. Forgive me Lord, but I must admit that so often I have failed.

How about you dear Reader? When was the last time you went fishing? For souls, I mean. Oh yes, we have always prayed for souls to be saved, and often we have invited others to go with us to church. But have we ever went fishing for the lost? I can almost hear your answer. “But I don’t know how to fish!”

Well, perk up, fellow pilgrim. This inspiration is just for you. I call it FRIENDSHIP EVANGELISM.
 
Did you know that fishing for men is much like fishing for fish. Here’s what we need for both.

1.We need to wear the right clothing. 1 Peter 5:5.

2. We must have the proper gear: beginning with the pole of the ABC’s of salvation. (See below.) Our line is our own testimony. What God has done in our lives. Our hook is the Holy Spirit, the Power on earth who hooks and draws souls to Jesus. Our bait is a personal relationship with Jesus. We open the door and let Him in. Revelation 3:20.

3. We must go where the fish are. Luke 14:23

4. We must offer the fish our bait. Talk about your personal relationship with Jesus.

5. Be patient. It takes time to catch fish. Let him nibble and if he likes what he tastes he’ll swallow the bait.

6. Reel him in slowly. Don’t let him off the hook. Prayer will keep the Holy Spirit working to keep that hook in his mouth. John 6:63

7. Clean them up?  Sorry, this is God’s job. He is the only one qualified to do so. John 16:7-11.
8. Keep spending time with them, bring them to church, listen to them and pray with them and for them. 

“But I’m not sure I can do that!” you may say. Yes you can. Acts 1:8 says, “You will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses.”

 So now that you are equipped to be a fisher of men, let’s get started. Begin by asking God to send someone across your path who needs to know Him. Pray that you will know when that person comes into your life.

 Beloved, lost souls are dying moment by moment, so come join me and let’s go catch some fish before it’s too late!!

 ABC’s of Salvation: Admit, Believe, Confess: Romans 3: 23, Romans 3:26, Romans 10:9-10, 1John 1:9, John 3:16. --Rebecca Somoskey

A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1

Roosters, like many males in the different species, were created to protect the female and her offspring. That’s what they live for, and sometimes dies for.

Because of the winter’s confinement, Emory’s two young roosters hardly knew me. But on a rare sunny day I ventured outside to sit with him. Before I even sat down, both roosters came running to check things out. But instead of a friendly greeting, I faced them head-on and began chastising them for trying to flog our seven year old grandson, Landon, a few days before.

About halfway in jest, I scolded them, “Don’t come over here and try to jump on me! I’m bigger than you are.”  They stopped and stared,then one of them gave that warning sound they give when danger is near. But they didn’t move. “Come on!” I challenged. “I dare you!” They still didn’t move, just repeated the warning signal.

I ignored the warning and moved to get a nearby chair. As soon as my back was turned, something hit me in my legs. One of the little rascals had flogged me. The feathers around his neck stood straight out. “Git!” I cried, but he didn’t stop. So my only defense was to boot him away. But he was a die hard little guy and he kept coming back. I booted him again and again, until finally he gave up and ran away. I had no sooner turned back to find the chair when the other one hit me. It was a repeat of the first battle.

By then Emory was laughing so hard he almost fell out of his chair.

Later, I thought about the whole scenario. If I had approached the roosters with a little feed in my hand and a kind word, they would have behaved totally different. Perhaps been my friends for life.

It’s just like people. We approach someone, sometimes for the first time, with the wrong spirit, and just like the roosters, they will immediately raise their defense mechanisms. The next thing we know we are in a battle. After that, we don’t like them and they certainly don’t like us. Actions and words spoken can never be erased. They are forever.

I doubt those roosters will ever be my friends. So, Beloved, whether it be roosters or people it’s still true: a soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20