Have you ever gone on a God Hunt? A God Hunt begins when you teach yourself to look for God’s hand at work in the every day occurrences of your life. Here’s one of my personal God Hunt Sightings:
 
 
 
Because we had such a wonderful Christmas season with our extended family—adult offspring and grandchildren—I was sure I would be filled with wonderful memories of how God had met us during these holy days.

Why!—the house was all decorated three weeks before Christmas! I had time to enjoy the music and the Christmas lights and my beautiful Noel banner hung on the summer trellis outside our front door. We attended concerts in the city, shared a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner at my daughter’s, spent two days together in a timeshare in rural Illinois, went to Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago with the grandchildren, and ended our week with a sing-along around my son’s piano following an appetizer supper.

Even so, those specific details eluded me—why?—I hadn’t taken the time to journal. With everything going on, I had let the recording of God’s daily work in my life pass so when I sat down at the computer to recount His goodness for this blog, my recall—filled with Christmas and the start-up of this new year and the schemes crowding my mind of how to become more efficient (a lifelong pursuit)—was just flushed away. I could not remember the intricacies of God’s goodness over the past two weeks!

David, my husband, read this psalm yesterday in the morning office. It was a reminder to me that if I am going to be faithful in going on the daily God Hunt, I must keep a written record of all the ways He has intervened in my ordinary life. And, I must keep that record every day. The God Hunt must be an intentional action on my part, not just an “Oh, by-the-way…” byproduct of life.

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
Sing to him, sing praises to him, and speak of all his marvelous works.
Glory in his holy Name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Search for the Lord and his strength, continually seek his face.
Remember the marvels he has done,
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth.
He has always been mindful of his covenant,
the promise he made for a thousand generations.
The covenant he made with Abraham, the oath that he swore to Isaac,
Which he established as a statute for Jacob,
An everlasting covenant for Israel.

—Psalm 105:1-5, 8-10

A journal is key to remembering God’s marvelous works; when God works in your life (and in my life), write it down.

I spy God!
 
 
 
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Award-winning author Karen Mains has long had an interest in spiritual formation and the obedient Christian walk. She has written about the God Hunt in her book by the same name, The God Hunt: The Delightful Chase and the Wonder of Being Found. A hardback copy can be ordered from Mainstay Ministries for $10.00 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. Contact Karen at info@mainstayministries.org and she will be happy to autograph a copy for you.

Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, "Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains." In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags, Africa bags. This microfinance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

For decades, Karen and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

Likewise, pastors will find special resources to help them prepare effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.
 
 
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