Faith and Fishing

[stinger63]

While I dont push my faith upon others I do believe and have it.I speak with god almost on a daily basis and I have found prayer is helpful in my success as a fishmen.
An example I can give you recently while fishing with a friend one night recently on my birthday on november 2nd I knocked a nice steelie that he had waited for all night to catch and I accidently knocked it off while trying to net it.I felt very bad for doing so and definately didnt do it on purpose.I asked God to help me catch another one on my poles so he could have another chance at getting one.I had already caught my limit so if I could make it up to him somehow especialy with gods help it would please me a great deal.After 10 minutes of prayer it happened and my pole goes with another large steelie actualy the largest one of the night actualy.He fought and tired the fish out on my pole and brought it close to shore where I was able to recoup from my 1st mistake and landed the fish for him.Just something to ponder was it a fluke or did God actualy answer my prayer?Well I believe in faith and thats my answer.
Aaron

[Blueump]

I find more often than not, God uses the "quiet" times in my life, like when I'm fishing, to speak to me. One of my favorite songs, even as a kid, was the Gaither song, "God Loves to Talk to Boys While They're Fishin".

When nothing else is going on, while you sit quietly in the boat waiting for that hit, or sitting on the bank waiting for your bobber to go under, or casting that spoon repetively off the pier waiting for the sudden stop; I can reflect on all the good things God has done for me. I take those times to "Count My Blessings".

Many people are too hurried or too busy to listen to what God really has to say to them. I'm not preaching here but in I Kings 19, Elijah was waiting to hear from God. He waited through a giant storm, an earthquake, and even the crackling of a fire...but when he finally heard God, it was through a still small voice.

That's what I find most often. When God really wants to speak to me, to change me to be more like he is, He'll do it while I'm sitting in my tree-stand, or floating along fishing quietly. His still small voice is his way of talking to me!

[thousandcasts]

Fishing is more than a sport. It's a period of peace. A time to spend with good friends in the center of creation. When I'm out there by myself and I'm quietly pondering all of life's little details, it's then when I can take comfort and give thanks for all the blessings I've received thus far.

[Steven Arend]

Fishing is more than a sport. It's a period of peace. A time to spend with good friends in the center of creation. When I'm out there by myself and I'm quietly pondering all of life's little details, it's then when I can take comfort and give thanks for all the blessings I've received thus far.

Very well said!

It’s at that time of peace that you can hear god’s word in the wind blowing through the trees, in the rustling of the leaves, the water running over the rocks, or in the water cresting over a wave.

Steve

[sfw1960]

Very well said!

It’s at that time of peace that you can hear god’s word in the wind blowing through the trees, in the rustling of the leaves, the water running over the rocks, or in the water cresting over a wave.

Steve
The Lord does indeed work in strange ways - but I do not question it at all.
:)

[Ranger Ray]

Ever notice you ponder more when not catching? I knew there was a reason for why I don't catch many fish. :lol:

[toto]

even though I struggle with my faith on a daily basis, and sometimes, frankly, I fail; while I'm fishing it renews my beliefs. Perhaps thats why I like trout fishing so much in the summer months, although I don't get to do it as much now. Theres just something about being on a trout stream and just slowing down to think, and thank God for what we have in this great country, and for making things like that.

Also, in my job, as I'm in commission sales, I find faith helps me more than anything else. When things seem to be going badly, I also remind myself that God will take care of it, and you know, he has never, in 24 years, failed me, why would believe he would fail me now? There may be much left over after paying the bills, but I never have fallen short, even in the worst of times.

[thousandcasts]

even though I struggle with my faith on a daily basis, and sometimes, frankly, I fail; while I'm fishing it renews my beliefs. Perhaps thats why I like trout fishing so much in the summer months, although I don't get to do it as much now. Theres just something about being on a trout stream and just slowing down to think, and thank God for what we have in this great country, and for making things like that.

Also, in my job, as I'm in commission sales, I find faith helps me more than anything else. When things seem to be going badly, I also remind myself that God will take care of it, and you know, he has never, in 24 years, failed me, why would believe he would fail me now? There may be much left over after paying the bills, but I never have fallen short, even in the worst of times.

That's just it, Toto. In the last four years I've been through a divorce due to a cheating wife, hitting rock bottom and having to file for bancrupsty (prior to the divorce), lost my job, and basically had to start over as a single dad with absolutely nothing. In three years, I've rebuilt everything--my credit, my self esteem, a good job and two healthy/happy little boys. I could say that I've done it and continue to do it all by myself, but I know I've had some help along the way. When things were at there worst, something would happen to give me a little more strength and little more hope. Three years later, I'm a stronger person who has rebuilt himself. On the surface, it appears I do it all alone, but that's not true...

When you get to rock bottom, there's two options: stay there and live a miserable life or pull yourself together and work your a** off to climb out of it. I chose the latter. Since I don't drink or do drugs, I'm proud to say that I went through all that crap without ever taking the easy medication of being drunk or high in order to cope with things. I can tell you this though, all the time I spend fishing is my time to reflect and draw further strength.

[BoonDog]

For what it's worth TC, I commend you for your strength and pulling yourself off the rockbed. To me, whether you had help or not doesn't matter -what does is that you made that choice to get up and make things better. I wish you the best moving forward, and I'm sure your kids will oneday understand what you went through, and they'll see their pops is that much greater. :)

BD

[toto]

I'll second what Boondog said. As rough as it must have been, and I can only imagine, you came out the other side as better, stronger, and wiser person. As I'm sure you are aware, it doesn't end there, your two boys are going to see that one day, and they'll understand what it took for you to pull through.

I went through those days of doing drugs and alcohol, and I can tell you from experience, that doesn't get you anywhere. Somehow, someway, there is a higher power that has the ability to bring out the best in all of us, its up to us to listen to him, and understand that he too, only want whats best for us. Myabe that was the whole point to what you went through, to make you stronger person, and ultimately a better father. To that end, and I hope you've known this over the years we have chatted on this board, that you can always contact me, if for no other reason than to have big shoulders. We all need someone to talk to, to encourage us, and not feel any different should we make a mistake along the way. I look at each mistake I make in life, and there are a lot of them, as a learning experience, and I tried mightly not to repeat it.

[thousandcasts]

I don't question any of it. I just know that fishing provided me a time to get away from everything that was dragging me down and I've seen enough people who drink themselves into a coma, yet never rise above adversity and I wasn't about to become one of those people. When I was out fishing, that was when I was asking for strength instead of asking "why me?"

My personal philosophy is that any day above ground is a good day. The past is history, tomorrow's a mystery and today is a gift.

[toto]

Couldn't have said it better myself, good job. BTW, any more books in the future?

[thousandcasts]

Couldn't have said it better myself, good job. BTW, any more books in the future?

Yes, more books in the future. I published "Fish of a Thousand Casts" in 2002, but I'd started working on the next book right around that time. I've actually had that second book done for about 3 years now, but obvious circumstances have delayed me getting it published. Another thing was...well, it was written when I was married and thus many of the stories reflect and acknowledge that. So, I wrestled with the notion of maybe re-writing certain stories in it because it does contain a bit more personal stuff than the first book. Then I realized that each book I write is a snap shot of that particular time in my life when I wrote it...no need to rewrite things or remove certain things when that's exactly how my life and happiness was at the time. Long story short, I'm now at a place where I can finally get the second book published and I expect it'll be out mid-next year or so. The plan was to have it out by 2005, but that plan got derailed--other priorities to attend to.