I headed to the woods the other morning with my 3 boys to knock out some post-season deer hunting chores. Reloading trail cameras, freshening up salt licks, and pulling a few treestands was the mission of the morning. It wouldn't take too long, but I knew we'd be gone all morning. 
"Y'all be sure to grab something to eat before we leave," I said to the boys earlier that morning. 
Their reply - "Nah, we're good to go. We're not hungry."  
Of course, hours in to our work in the woods, the boys realized they weren't good to go. They were hot, sweaty, tired, and hungry. "I'm starving," one of them said as we finished at our last farm and climbed back into the Jeep. 
On the way back to the house to grab lunch, one of the boys dug into the console of the Jeep to do a little snoopin' and discovered a Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie left over from duck season. Their reaction was priceless! 
You'd have thought they just watched Jesus feed the 5000. There was no doubt in  their mind the Little Debbie was a miracle from God. 
Not sure exactly how to handle the situation of one Little Debbie for 3 starving boys, I snatched it from them, ate half, and explained to them how man cannot live by bread alone - and they  should have listened to their father earlier in the day when I told them to eat. 
Seriously, it proved to be a simple reminder that there's a hunger inside of us that leaves us unable to say, "I'm good to go." 
The boys were reminded that if they don't have water, snacks, and Little Debbie's, they're not good to go. Likewise, without Jesus, none of us are good to go. 
Without Jesus, there's a hunger within us that cannot be filled. Do you know Him? Have you made Him the boss of your life? 

When the sun finally set on this weekend, the 20/21 waterfowl season came to a close. For many, it's been a 60-day grind, full of all the highs and lows that come with chasing ducks and geese across the country. There's been good days, and there's been bad days. There have been days when the ducks played the game right, as well as days when we came out empty handed. 
But ask most any duck hunter, and they'll tell you, the best days typically come at the very end. They grind it out throughout the season knowing, the best is yet to come. The season may be tough, full of long days that we'd rather forget, but we rest in the fact that a better day is coming. We saw it this weekend as a duck blind full of kids shot their limit of ducks, putting the wraps on a long, tough season. 
Life is much the same way. There will be times when it seems like we stay stuck in the struggle of life. There are times when the tough days seem to far outweigh the number of good days. The trials of this life are part of the journey. But even in the midst of the trials, we can find joy knowing that a better day is coming for those who have their hope in Jesus.
In the Bible, 1 Peter 1:6-7 says it best  - "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." 

​Wonderful joy lies ahead! So be glad, in the good days and bad, knowing a better day is on the way.