For the Love of Archery >>--->

ARCHERY! ARCHERY! ARCHERY!

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     If you can't tell, I love archery. I did archery before Katniss was cool, lol. My Dad was first introduced to archery by his friend when I was nine, and that's when he started to teach me as well. It is a wonderful sport that we learned together. We are traditional archers through and through.
     Archery is all about self discipline, focus, and being attuned to your surroundings. When I get anxious, stressed, angry, or depressed that is when I go to my bow the most. It reconnects me, especially spiritually. I am forced (in a good way) to slow down, relax/release my tension, connect with my surroundings, and calm myself emotionally. I believe the trick of traditional archery is calm. You can't hit anything when your emotions are raging all over the board. Archery helped teach me to control myself and not let my emotions control me (and with my depression that was greatly needed).
    

     Archery has and will always be an integral part of my life. I remember when I joined the archery program in my 4-H. There was a Senior in high school in the program who was training for the Olympics (I was eleven). That was a huge moment for me. I knew then I was going to shoot for the Olympics one day. Archery is a community. When I got to Jr. High I felt outcasted. I did not fit in the popular crowds and I was decidedly not athletic, lol. Archery was my home though. My father co-founded archery in the neighboring county's 4-H program. So three days a week I was with him and our family friends teaching and helping run archery there. Those were my friends. I made friends there that are still in my life today. Archery even ran through all my relationships, lol. My two boyfriends and I had archery at our core. Then, my husband and I bonded closest once we realized that we shared the love of archery, as well. (I got him converted from compound to traditional-WOOT!) Now we are on the road to teaching our son the love of bow and arrow!

 

 

      About a year ago I started teaching a couple of girls archery. It has been awesome! I miss working with the 4-H archery. I love bringing new kids in to a sport that will last a lifetime and get them through anything!
     I fell in love when I discovered that in the UK it used to be a practice that churches did archery. It was an integrated system! WHAT?! My two loves combined? Thank you Lord! I read an interesting fact about a year ago that statistically more Christians are archers over firearms people. I'm sure you can find a hundred different ways to explain that, but after I read that there is really not much refuting that. It's one of those things that you realize in the back of your head, but don't really put it together until you hear it.

     Since last year I have been working on an archery mission! A way to use the love of archery and connect people to God with it! It has been a healthy challenge to my hobby and knowledge in my faith. I am blessed that my husband is coming along side me to help with this as well. It has taken such a root in our lives (my husband and me) that the weekend of Easter we got our Archery Instructor Certification!!! WOOT!!! A brief drive out of state for a Saturday class, and then last week we received our certificates with USA Archery! So blessed by God's will! I have been working on lessons to coincide with classes! Especially where we live, outdoors is a way of life!

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