“Small Group Season”

October 1, 2008 at 4:04 pm · Filed under Blind & Stream, Cross Point, fishing, Hunting, Nashville and tagged: Cross Point, fishing, Hunting, season, small groups

As a long time hunter and fisherman, most of my year is countered and strategized daily around seasons. My typical year starts out right about now, well on Labor Day to be exact. September is actually my January. This is the time when I make all of my resolutions.

The first of September marks the time of first available hunting. Now, you hunters know that this is not entirely true. You can actually hunt squirrels in August, and I do like to hunt squirrel from time to time. However, nobody wants to be in the woods doing a whole heck of a lot in August. Ticks and mosquitoes alone explain why I believe in this. But when Labor Day rolls in, and those migrating beauties start appearing on every powerline between here and there, I know that dove season is here. It is time to replentish the freezer. Shortly after Labor Day, early Canadian Goose, Teal, and Wood Duck season come in for a weekend or two.

This past weekend is the next phase of my year….Bow Season. Now, bow is not some sort of unique bird or tree jumping animal. No. Bow is the ultimate weapon. The bow and arrow is a symbol of stealth and skill. Only Elitist deer hunters are emotionally rigid and patient enought to stalk hunt the great whitetail with a string and a stick. Why the most skillful hunting season arrives first in the year, I do not know. Nor do I care. All I know is that I can’t wait for it to get here so I can climb up in my tree.

The rest of my seasons then line up after this, in this order. Muzzle loader season (deer), duck and goose season (at Thanksgiving), and rifle season (deer). These hunting seasons all go out around the last weekend of January (my mid year, or July). Then, it is out of the Blind and into the Stream.

Time to chase those trout. Cold as all get out. Ice growing on the beard, can’t feel my legs cold. But man do those trout love it. Then crappie and small mouth bass kick into gear, and the largemouth bass and striper are right behind them. It is about here that we get a break in fishing and the end of the year hunting seasons for quail and Spring turkey come in. I absolutely love turkey season. Near the middle of May, the gobblers get a break, and so do I. Summer is my time of rest. Very little fishing. Working in the yard and around the house. Soaking up air conditioning. Praying for September to get here quickly so I can hear the deafening sound of my 12 gage again. That is how my year is planned out.

That has been true for so many years of my life. However, this year, I added a new season. The disappearing of the heavy heat and the welcome of the crisp fall air seems to be the perfect match for a new “Small Group” season at Cross Point. I cannot begin to describe how excited that I am about diving into life and tackling the associated challenges with my brothers in Christ.

So, this week is not only the beginning of Bow season, but also the beginning of small groups. It has been such and exciting week and there is still more to come. We started off the week by working the community build projects at Habitat for Humanity here in Nashville (see post below). Sunday at church spawned some exciting conversations about the upcoming week of “new small group meetings.” On Monday night, my new small group, Outdoor Expeditions, which I am leading, met for the first time. We were not strong in number this particular night due to some short notice, but the men that were able to make it were energized about the group and about next weeks meeting where we are expecting 13+ men to be involved. Tuesday morning at 6:00am, a great group of men joined together for the first meeting of Men’s Fraternity. This group of guys has taken a 24 week commitment to digging into their soles and becoming better and stronger men, husbands, fathers, and Christian leaders. The spirit was high after an hour and a half of self reflection and fellowship. Tomorrow morning (Thursday) will end my week of group. As I begin reading and studying tonight the book of Galatians for tomorrows meeting with some great brothers in the group I now call Paul’s Protege’s. I can’t wait to rise at five, read the chapters again, swing by McDonalds for coffee, and be standing in line at Jad’s office waiting to dive into this study.

So, just when I think I have conquered every season pertinant to man, in one way or another, God proves me wrong yet again, and hits me with my biggest challenge yet. “Small Group Season”. I am so thankful for each of these guys that I will be meeting with on a weekly basis, as I lean on them to grow in maturity and in spirit, to become a better servant for Christ, a better husband to Emily, and a better father to Ella. I may just have found my favorite season of all!!

Trout-n-Ducks

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