Recently, some Christian men, who also happen to be avid bowhunters, received an invitation to travel to Nashville, TN to participate in a 3D archery event and do a little recon for a future HHAUSA archery shoot. Chris Hamm co-owner of HHA Sports and founder of HHAUSA; Chad Stillman, retired LEO, SWAT team sniper, FBI gang task force member, and realtor; Chad Davis, bodybuilder, photographer and founder of BOWADX, and I received an invite from Logan White of The Archery Den to come on out to Nashville and have some fun at an archery shoot. It’s no secret that I’m a country music fan, I love Tennessee, and I love to shoot my bow. We prayed about it and it didn’t take long before we graciously accepted! God had a plan.
The weeks prior to our arrival held some mountainous challenges that nearly kept me from going. Continual prayer and giving God the burdens was key. My faith kept me going and as I have grown wiser, I’ve seen God work more and more in my life. You see, this wasn’t any ordinary shoot. We were there for a purpose, we didn’t know exactly what, but we knew God had a plan. We knew the archery shoot was put on by Music Row Outdoors, The Archery Den and hosted by country music artist Heath Sanders. We knew some of the attendees were to include country music artists, songwriters, first responders, military, and our faithful foursome. What a great mix of people for an archery shoot!
One of the major things I love about Tennessee is the people. They are downright friendly, which is a completely different vibe from Southern California. Take for example walking into The Archery Den for the first time ever. We started talking to others in the shop as if we’d known them forever. No one acted above anyone else and they were just as excited about archery and bowhunting as we were. Logan took us on a tour of the area and we met up with Don Nelson of LaCrosse/Danner Boots and had an incredible lunch. We talked Tennessee, hunting boots, country music, whitetail deer and our faith. Say that three times fast!
After our lunch tour, Chris, Chad S. and I made our way around town for a couple hours to embrace what Nashville had to offer. Later that evening, we met up with filmmaker and outdoorsman, Josh Vegors, and Ira Dean of Trick Pony at a BBQ joint called The Ridge. For five and a half hours (no lie) we talked country music, hunting, trauma, songwriting and the list goes on. It was one the best nights just to sit back and listen to story after story. We closed the place down and finally decided we needed to head home before our ride turned into a pumpkin!
The following day was Sunday, September 11, and with thundershowers passing through, it was a blessing the Music Row Outdoors 3D archery shoot was held in the afternoon. Remember when I said I love the people of Tennessee? We rolled out of the truck and immediately struck up conversations with complete strangers. Getting to know everyone made for a great start to the shoot. After we signed in we took a long moment to remember September 11, said a prayer and thanked God for our freedom. After our groups were chosen for the archery shoot, we made our way to our designated starting targets. I was blessed to shoot with a songwriter named Mark and a security guard named Zach. This was my first legit 3D shoot, complete with scoring and no rangefinders. Without a rangefinder things got real, very quickly!
(Images below were provided by Abram Dean and others. Used with permission.)
Shooting a 3D course with good people makes for a great afternoon. In fact, I have no idea how long it took us to shoot the course because we were having such a great time. By the end, we were all smiles and ready for a great pulled pork sandwich. Right after lunch they announced the top five 3D scores, and low and behold Chad Stillman and Chad Davis both qualified! It was great to be a bystander (that kind of pressure is crazy!) as Chris and I watched the five shooters compete. In the end, the two Chads shot well, but three other archers shot a bit better and walked away with some amazing prizes.
Hands down, the weekend provided the best times I have spent with a group of Christian men. I sure hope this is a future location for an HHAUSA 3D archery shoot because I believe people will love it and I hope to be a part of it.
I must thank God for working through the men and women in my life to bless me the way I have been. Thank you Chris Hamm for the encouragement to fly across the country for this event. God had a plan and I am incredibly grateful for your encouragement. Thanks to Chad Stillman for the heart-to-heart chats, laughter and sharing your new single with us. Thank you Logan White for the invitation to attend. Your humble hospitality made us feel truly welcome. We are proud to be a part of the family. I am looking forward to my next visit out there! Thank you to Rick for the amazing lunch on Saturday. To Josh Vegors and Ira Dean, thank you for the great conversation, hunting stories and belly laughs. I’ll never look at hunting out of a blind the same again. Thank you Abram Dean and Music Row Outdoors for your hospitality and Tennessee welcome. I am looking forward to hearing big things from you! Last, but not least, thank you to my amazing wife, Kymberli. Her encouragement to go on this trip was paramount. Her support allowed everything to come full circle and I am blessed to have her as my partner in life. Thanks babe!
The events of this trip continue to resonate strong in my soul. God willing, I will be back Nashville very soon. There are no coincidences, simply divine intervention.
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