R.G. BernierPrinted in Partnership with American Tract SocietyP.O. Box 462008 • Garland, TX 75046www.ATStracts.org • Printed in USA • ©2008 72190

harder for me to imagine the fortuitous oppor-tunities that I have been granted. Growing up my aspirations were to play major league baseball and hunt whitetails. Both endeavors consumed all of my thoughts and energies. Early on I was diagnosed with a birth defect, a hole in my lower mitral valve within the heart.

They Discovered a

Hole in the Heart

As a nine-year old lad, little did I realize the magnitude or seriousness of the situation. Back in 1968, open-heart surgery was certainly not a common operation, and great risk was undertaken to repair the hole. Lots of thoughts ran through my young mind as I lay immobile for long durations following the operation. What happens if I die? Where will I go? What if I eventually live to be 100? Then what? I rationalized that there had to be something more after death than lying in a box buried beneath the earth. After a complete recovery and a clean bill of health given by the doctors, I went on to play three sports in high school: baseball, football and wrestling; as well as make my mark as a deer hunter. No matter what I attempted I always felt the need to be the best. This possibly came as a result of my dad expecting great things from his son, and I surely didn’t want to disappoint him.

R.G. Bernier,Legendary Buck Hunter

From the Northeast,Tells of His Greatest Pursuit

Following the twisting, turning track of a giant wilderness buck is often filled with unexpected surprises and adventurousencounters. R.G. Bernier’s life has been muchthe same. He has successfully tracked down and harvested some of the heaviest bucks to walk the forests of New England. R.G. has appeared in several major outdoor publications in America, and is currently the Northeast field editor for Deer & Deer Hunting. He has written and self-published four very popular books all devoted to the white-tailed deer, The Deer Trackers, On The Track, The Deer Tracker's Journey and Dickie the Deer. R.G. Bernier lectures to packed audiences across the Northeast, runs a unique consult-ing business for deer hunters, Big Whitetail Consultants, and has founded an annual deer hunting school to better today’s huntsmen. In his own words, here is where R.G. Bernier’s track has led him.

The Start of the Track

It’s difficult to believe I’ve reached the point in life where I now find myself. It’s even

Why Not Receive Jesus Today? Please pray this prayer now!

Heavenly Father, I'm a sinner, and I'm sorry for all the sins in my life. I ask that You would forgive me and cleanse my heart with the blood of Your son Jesus. I give You my life, Jesus. Come into my heart as Lord and Savior and direct my paths on this earth from this day forward. Thank You for giving Your life on the cross for me, and help me to always live for You. Amen.

Today I have received Jesus Christas Lord and Savior of my Life.

Sign___________________________ Date__________

R.G. Bernier presents his whitetail deer program to churches, public schools, civic clubs and sportsman’s shows throughout America. To secure him as a speaker, contact:

Big Whitetail Consultants77 Whites Bridge Road

Standish, Maine 04084 Telephone: (207) 892-3682 www.bigwhitetail.com

For a book on starting your new journey with Jesus contact God's Great Outdoors.

This true story is just one of a number of booklets (tracts) featuring Pro outdoorsmen that are available from GGO. Learn more about GGO

or listen "online" anytime at www.ggoutdoors.org or call 1-877-TALKGGO (1-877-825-5446).

72190 A DEAR TRACKERS JOURNEY.indd 1 10/27/08 11:20:11 AM

everlasting life” (John 3:16). To me, this was an easy track to figure out. All I needed to do was accept His free gift of salvation to be assured of eternity in heaven. Romans 9:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” On August 25, 1977, I knelt before God and accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. This essentially became the greatest decision I have ever made in my life.

The Journey Continues Placing my trust in Christ dealt not only with the question about where I would spend eternity, it also provided great peace and purpose to my life. As I follow the track laid out before me, with Christ as my Master Guide, it’s one of total fulfillment. Yes, whitetails have become a huge pursuit in my life, be it hunting, photograph-ing, painting, speaking or writing about them. However, the focal point of my life is not whitetail deer, but rather my God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13 states it well: “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” I echo the passion of the Psalmist, David, who wrote “As the deer panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God” (Psalms 42:1). If you’re searching for a hunt that will guarantee satisfaction, significance and security, the track to follow is the one leading to Jesus. My hope is that the track you pursue each fall leads to a giant whitetail. It is my prayer, however, that along this journey you make the decision to accept His free gift of salvation.

Question!

The Track Nearly Ends After high school, along with my new found faith, my buddy Scott and I headed off to Liberty University in Virginia. As part of a touring evangelistic team I traveled exten-sively. One cold, March night, as our van hit ice on the highway, we went into a tailspin and were hit broadside by an oncoming 18-wheeler. Closing my eyes upon impact, I felt great peace as I thought, “This is it for me.” A fractured cheekbone, a collapsed lung and several broken ribs were the result—but fortunately—I was alive. God obviously had further plans for my life.

The Second Greatest Decisionin My Life

Once I recovered from the near fatal accident, I became engaged to, and then married, my high school sweetheart, Sharon, and we began our Christian home together. God blessed Sharon and I with two wonder-ful children who have grown up within a happy, harmonious, stable and loving environment.

Where is Your Trail Heading?

The Tracker's Prize Little did I know what God had in store for me. I became best friends with two athletes whose fathers happened to be preachers. By observing their lives, it became apparent they possessed something I didn’t. During this time of my life I met and began dating a Christian girl, Sharon Swendsen, who also magnified a definite difference in her lifestyle. Finally, curiosity got the better of me and I invited myself to church with Scott (who later would be my best man). After several succes-sive visits and attending a youth church camp, I realized what was missing in my life.

I Discovered a SpiritualHole in the Heart

It didn’t matter how good I tried to be. All of my efforts—when stacked up against God’s requirements—fell far short as exempli-fied in Romans 3:10 “There is none righteous, no, not one.” I came to the conclusion that I, as all before me, was a sinner: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The penalty for my sin, according to God, was death: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The good news was that Christ had already paid for my sin by His death on the cross: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have On a Deer Track

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