Return of the Neuroticflyfisherman

“There is no more critical goal in life than to keep a pliable heart before God.”

God cannot be seen by spiritual eyes that are shut.

God cannot be heard by spiritual ears that are plugged.

And God cannot be followed by a heart that stubbornly stays hard.

(Excerpt taken from ‘The Power of a Whisper’ pg.78 Bill Hybels)

Surrendering, obedience, sacrifice, denying-self, daily discipline, repentance, humility, confession, and serving are all terms that can bring up feelings of unwillingness and reluctance.

These ‘feelings’ come from our flesh and are contrary to God’s Spirit. However, the benefits of living for Jesus Christ are eternal and the ‘feelings’ of peace and joy that come as a result are usually something that take time and grow as one practices their faith. It is in the daily surrender of one’s life that meaning and purpose become realized in practical ways.

How do I get there? One word. Prayer.

It is only through deep and honest prayer with God that we can shift our focus from ourselves to Him. I need to be quiet and ask God about my heart. I mean really be completely honest! Is there a destructive habit that I have been rationalizing away? Is there something I have against someone, an unforgiving heart that is becoming more bitter day by day? Am I not doing something because fear is blocking my path?

And then I need to remember who God is. All loving. Creator of everything. All powerful. All knowing. All present. All the time. And enter His presence with thanksgiving.

And then go back to my questions. Ask God for strength that He provides. Wisdom that He gives. His Power to overcome. His Love to do what is right.

And act accordingly. That is the surrender part. And afterwards come the results. You feel peace and joy and love like you’ve never experienced before! It’s clean living friends! It takes some effort, that’s why Jesus said you must carry your cross daily. But the more you do, the more you find He is right there bearing the weight Himself. You just become a partner in what He is already doing. This is grace! God doing a lot with our little!

“‘Not by might nor by power, but my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Zechariah 4:6

So the beginning of a pliable heart is a heart that acknowledges God, and acknowledges my own brokenness. Take that to Jesus! The rewards are forever! The grace is amazing!

Have a great Labor day Weekend! And remember God is the One who provides the strength to do the work!

PM

Just enough trout for one day! It seems the quest is always, one more fish, one more cast, one more pool. One more. It’s what keeps us coming back again and again. It’s what propels us further into the forest and along the River’s path. The fly fisherman keeps on keeping on and it’s all fueled by passion.

Passion slowly feeds us as we taste of the scenery driving up into the Sierra and wind along roads that carry us to our favorite haunts. Passion is the scent of pine, the thunder of white water crashing against granite boulders, and the sunlight streaming though the forest floor lighting the way.

This same passion is what drives me closer to my Creator. His passion and His Creation reveal my heart and desire to know Him more. Passion becomes fruitful when realized. When noticed. When absorbed. Passion is revealed more than discovered. And it is revealed because we are trying to discover it. If you draw close to God, He will draw close to you. It’s as if God put this passion in me for fly fishing just as an avenue to know Him more!

Have you found your passion? Have you known it’s source? When you find your true passion, you find your passion has in fact found you! And the fountain of that passion is more fantastic than any one thing you can imagine! My passion is you….Jesus.

PM

My son Jason and I had an amazing weekend fly fishing(Me) and spin casting(Jason) up on the Tuolumne River just outside Yosemite National Park. We camped at Diamond O near camp Mather for a couple nights and fished several different places with pretty good results. The most excitement came last night when a mother bear and her cubs invaded some campers who left food out. People really need to listen the to camp host when they warn of bears! They wouldn’t have so many delinquent bears around! We brought Honey and she enjoyed just being with us by the river and watching us fish. We ate really hardy camping meals and splurged one night out at Evergreen Lodge with a burger. At night we had a fire and roasted marshmallow’s for s mores. Jesus has been so good to us! I’m  very stoked how Jason is becoming a strong man of God and living out his faith with perseverance and patience. Overall, a wonderful weekend campng and fishing  with Jason!

Reflections are good. On many different levels. Just as the mountains in the background of this picture are an amazing beauty in themselves, when reflected upon by the lake, it appears to us again. You get twice the image and from a different perspective! Upside down!

I think perhaps one of the main reasons I get so much from my faith is because I take time to reflect. I am simply doing what Jesus did on a regular basis. He often went up on a mountain to pray by Himself.

Jesus did amazing things while He was on this planet. And He told us He only did what the Father was doing. How did He know what the Father was doing? He had to talk to Him. Frequently. And look at the reflection He left us!

We all bare the image of the Father. There is a piece of light in us that God has placed inside every human being. This light within is meant to shine and reveal the Father to the world in which we live. To simply be a reflection of Him, of love, of light, of hope, of peace, of joy, and of redemption.

This light wave of reflection is a glow we receive from Our Father’s face and spending time with Him alone. He shows us how to really do life in a way that looks upside down to the world, yet when He looks down at us it appears rightside up to Him!

I’m living for Him and learning to be a reflection. I may not always be a clear reflection because of some form of broken disconnect. But I have learned from Jesus to get away and allow the Father to speak to me, restore me, and give me new light to share with you! Will you consider Him who made you today to bare His image and reflect His glory? It’s really not about us, but about Him being reflected in us! There is the prize!

PM

I’m amazed at how the Lord chooses to speak to me. This is a sign of immaturity that I’m realizing more and more about me. If I were God I would announce myself and let my words be so plain and loud that one could not ignore them. Yet I find God often speaks to me in whispers, allowing only glimpses of Himself. Why?

I can only surmise that it is because God wants me to be a good listener. If I am attentive to His voice then perhaps I will also be more open to what He may have to say. And If I am listening to Him, then perhaps I too will be in relationship with Him instead of treating Him like some kind of formula I’m always trying to solve. I think He prefers to be in relationship with me and that is His voice. Calling me. Come away. Seek me. Listen.

As a verbal processor, it takes much discipline to slow down my mind and be attentive and discerning. There are so many distractions that are constantly competing for God’s voice. I find that during heightened anxiety listening becomes almost impossible. It is in that period of darkness that God still chides me to come away to a quiet place of reflection and anticipation. I know enough to know that is always His desire.

And in these places I get a few glimpses of Him. A few words perhaps. A few moments alone with His Word and in prayer, I sometimes receive an instruction. But mostly I just get to hear Him speak about His Son and what He has already done for me. He is always repeating that to me. It’s as if that is what He wants Jesus to be the sole motivating factor of my life.

Many times when I feel distant from God, like I haven’t heard from Him, it turns out that it has only been hours since He spoke last to me. He knows what I am facing. He knows where I am. He simply wants me to be free in His Son. And then He speaks to me. And reminds me of His Son. Jesus.

Thank you for listening to me. I pray you will slow down enough to hear Him speak to you too! God Bless!

PM

I haven’t taken many pictures of me this past year, so here’s one for the books. Thought I’d shoot one since I’m all dressed up and stuff to go out!

I’m just a small cone, all alone, in my home.

Come and see, yes, it’s really me! If you dare to take a leap and seek to find beside your sleep, I will be here waiting, watching, to see you care.

I’m just a small cone, all alone, in my home.

Lift your eyes and be surprised, you will find It’s inside of your desire to be with me, this canopy, of love I bring. Offering of this I hope, you will be within my seeds, a place of rest in this wilderness.

I’m just a small cone, all alone, in my home.

Wait with me for Spring to come and open up my walls to you, for you shall find the rest you seek, peace inside, with great respect, a place to be who you were meant to bring, this remember and detect…I’m your perfect cone…small and home to you… all alone for you…a place of rest for you… come and nest with me…my perfect match you’ll see!

Poem and Image by Paul Menard

Yesterday I felt the urge for a road trip and drove 7 hours up into the White Mountains east of Big Pine and south of Bishop, to the Ancient Bristle Cone Forest. As you climb and wind your way up to 10,000 feet you become aware of the magnitude and vastness of our planet. It was really a spiritual journey for me as I felt the Lord speaking to me about His Creation on many levels.

In the stillness~ Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.” Up here in the forest of the Ancients it is so quiet you can here the few small bird’s wings flap. In that quietness you can sense God’s peace unlike any other place.

The Ancients~ Daniel 7:9 “As I looked, “Thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat.” These ancient trees are referred to as ‘The Ancients’ because of their longevity. The oldest living tree is called ‘Methuselah’, also the oldest living person in the Bible. I felt the Lord speaking to me about His eternal qualities. Romans 1 says that men are without excuse of recognizing God because His eternal qualities are seen in nature.

The Vastness~ Isaiah 55:9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways above your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Staring across at Mt. Whitney and the Death Valley below you feel you are on top of the world! It was a general sense that left me awe struck sensing that I am so small in comparison to my Creator.

I feel so blessed to be able to be so close to such an incredible piece of His Creation! One that testifies of His power, eternal quality, and divine nature. I’m thankful for a God that is in control and nothing escapes Him. Not even the small sparrows flying through the Ancients. And how much more will He care for you and me!

So if you need to get in touch with A God who is more than able, check out His Creation. It’s the finger prints of His work and majesty!

PM

Taken on my way home today as I was coming into Bridgeport. Great Fly Fishing out here if you ever get a chance to get this far! Tight Lines!

PM

The family that fishes together stays together! I love fishing. One of the reasons I enjoy this sport is the great fellowship that occurs when participating with our families. It draws families together. When I learned to fish during our family camping trips, my brothers and sisters would gather around to watch and join me. Often I began early in the morning and my pop would come down the rock to drink coffee and watch me. There is a special atmosphere about fishing where people can relax and enjoy each other’s company. Dad’s can teach their children and the kids can get really excited to be with their dads. Catching fish is a bonus to the whole experience, but even if you don’t catch anything, there is still valuable shared time. I hope you get a chance to take your family out fishing before the summer is over! Tight lines & good times!

PM (I added some post editing to make this photo appear aged, to remind myself of the 70’s when I grew up fishing and camping)