Just Thinkin'

We just finished up with a funeral for our friend and fellow pastor, Rev. Chester Tennant. What a time of celebration for this man's life. He was a great man of God and leader in our community and our church. What a legacy he has left his wife and family. Anyone who has ever know Pastor Chet would tell you that he was a great guy who loved God and loved people. He was a pastor for many years in West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania. His kids are living out his legacy. One of which currently pastors a church that his dad pioneered!! I write this with the anticipation that one day I can sit by him in heaven... more likely we will be running around and kicking and shouting praises! He was filled with the Holy Spirit and really let people know what a spirit filled life was all about. I am trusting God for just a small measure of Chet's faith and fire!! His boldness was contagious, as was his love and kindness. What a great guy, I am glad that I had the opportunity to know such a great man! God find favor on him and comfort this amazing family through their time of loss!!

Blessings,
Pastor Carl

I Know The Suspense is Killing You!!

This is the part where I tell the story of how I killed the Biggest Buck of My Life!!!

It was a very cold (37 degrees) Monday afternoon. November 10th, which just happens to be one of the best days of the year to kill a good buck (according to the experts- druryoutdoors.com). Anyway as I pull onto the road that leads to the parking area where I enter the woods, I look up to see a very nice buck pushing a doe across a backyard!! I immediately thought... come back here cross back over the road to my stand area!! Please!!! I got parked and it was about 2:40pm. I should have been in the woods already but I couldn't get out of the office any faster. I pulled my bow from the truck and quickly noticed that my 20 yrd. pin was messed up! I looked at it closer to see that the fiber light gathering element was shattered. I drew it back and determined that the deer would have to be close and there would have to be enough light to be able to shoot. I was a little bothered by it but what else could I do?

I made my way to the tree that I had climbed several times this season with it in my mind that I was going to move to a new tree down on a flat where I had been seeing deer moving through. As I approached the tree that I had climbed many times before I heard that sound that every hunter hates when walking to the stand. I quickly crouched down only to see a large doe, tail up, waiving at me as she ran down the point! Immediately behind her was a large buck at least an 8 pointer and then behind him was another smaller 8!! I stood there in amazement as I watched them disappear down the ridge line. The woods quickly became quiet again. I thought please, please come back later!! They didn't seem too spooked and you never know what will happen when the rut is on!!

I quickly headed past the old stand location to the first flat that I came to. I had seen several deer here in the past working out to the point where the deer just ran to. With fear of pushing out more deer I began setting up there. I noticed a scrape on the ground about 15 yards away and by the musty stink of rutting buck in the air I quickly recognized that a big buck recently worked it! I also noticed several rubs all around me.

I quickly and quietly climbed as high as I could, probably 25 feet or so. My Summit tree stand will climb just about any tree I want and just about as high as I have pull rope for. I got settled in just a few minutes and sat down in my comfy stand.

Not more than 15 minutes passed when I heard the sound that makes every deer hunter's skin stand up on the back of their neck. Running... through the leaves coming to me! I quickly grabbed by bow as I stood to my feet. I watched as two doe ran in to where I was and began to feed. I thought it somewhat strange that they ran in, and they bedded 50 yrds from me within a few minutes. I watched them for a while and then sat down again. This time for only about 5 minutes before I heard the sound again. Only this time it came from directly behind me. It was close and I didn't dare move until I saw it.

The deer got closer and closer till it was directly underneath my tree. I struggled to bend my neck to be able to see it, and as I got the first glimpse of it I saw that it was a gnarly little seven pointer. He worked his way out to where the doe were and nudged them in the butt to get them up only after he rubbed a nearby tree! It was pretty cool watching him work. From that point on it was one buck after another. I saw three more small bucks come up from the bottom and they sniffed around where the does were laying. Then a pretty decent shooter 8 pointer came and started really pushing the one doe around. They came within 20 yards and I almost drew up on him but he was moving too fast. He then chased her into the bottom out of sight. I thought wow that was close!

I then pulled out my grunt call and this is when it got really interesting. I let out a series of grunts on that call and immediately two more bucks came out of the bottom heading my direction. One was a pretty nice 8 pointer that anyone would shoot around here. He got about 50 yards and started sniffing around where those does were and he got hung up. I let out a couple more grunts and he headed right to me. He was crossing about 15 yards in front of me when I raised my Hoyt to draw up on him, it was perfect! Just as I started to put pressure on the string I heard walking off to my right coming down the ridge!

I turned my head trying not to lose focus on my target when I saw him. It was a GIANT coming right at me. I quickly repositioned my body for the shot. I had to turn all the way to the right as he was going to pass directly under my stand but behind me slightly. I drew up on him and bleated softly with my mouth to try to stop him. He stopped after taking three more steps, right behind a large tree. I couldn't shoot, I even leaned out to try to see if I could see the vitals but no dice. He began walking again, and I had to spin all the way around the tree to the other side. He stopped again literally at 3 yards. I ran the pin down his back to the vitals and eased pressure onto the trigger of my release. WHACK, the arrow hit exactly where the pin was on him. He ran a little and quickly slowed and stopped. I thought in my mind, go down big boy!! That's when I saw his body collapse backward into a pile and I began the victory dance in the tree! He was the biggest buck that I have ever killed and possibly the largest deer that I have ever had a chance to kill! What a memorable day it was! I can't wait to get the mount back and celebrate some more that amazing day... November 10, 2008 4:45 pm!!

Thanks for reading, leave comments if you like!
Pastor Carl Redding

Random Thoughs from a YP!!

So with President elect Barack Obama waiting in the wings, assembling his cabinet and moving his personal items into one of the most historic buildings in America, what is next for us Christian Americans?? We must not lose our focus as Christians. This is the primary truth that we must remember even if we were receiving the greatest Christian man or woman into the most powerful role in the world. We would not discontinue prayer for this person as we should not fail to pray for President Obama. We all find things to complain about, we all have issues, and we are all different in how we deal with things. Remember this country through the Clinton years. We impeached this president and yet our country remained strong. We went through 8 years with G.W. Bush who had some interesting ideas but was strong with the things he believed in including war! All of this talk about Obama being the anti-christ seems pretty unfounded to me! I highly doubt that this person would arise out of such a high role as the president of the United States.

I guess what I am saying is that OUR Country needs us Christians. This is our country!! I trust that you did your part to vote. Now our part is to support in whatever ways we can. We can all pray, and that is fundamental, but we must be reminded of this. We can all access our congressmen and women. They need to hear our voices. Call them and e-mail them, they listen to our voice. Be encouraging to them, do your part.

This is a new time in American History, we must bind together and we must be strong. Our strength will be powerful in numbers. The worst thing that we could do is live in discouragement and hide our faces because we didn't get what we wanted. That would be a shame. This is America, the Greatest Country in the world.... God Bless this land!!!

Watch this video from our General Superintendent Dr. George Wood

Blessings,
Pastor Carl