{"id":304540,"date":"2017-06-08T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-08T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/a-legacy-of-faith\/"},"modified":"2017-06-08T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T15:00:00","slug":"a-legacy-of-faith","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/a-legacy-of-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"A Legacy of Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hank Parker informs moms and dads on the benefits of taking their children hunting and fishing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2017-06-08.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:26:54","filesize":"24.63M","filesize_raw":"25831204","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2906,2812,2813,2827],"tags":[6260,6259,6258,2209],"podcast_series":[8213],"cwp_profile":[9458],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-304540","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-becoming-a-christian","category-realities-of-divorce","category-recovering-from-divorce","category-repentance","tag-family-memories","tag-fishing","tag-hunting","tag-parenting","podcast_series-gone-fishing-with-hank-parker","cwp_profile-hank-parker","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/304540\/a-legacy-of-faith","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/304540\/a-legacy-of-faith","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"kMvaDstLLF\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/a-legacy-of-faith\/\">A Legacy of Faith<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/a-legacy-of-faith\/embed\/#?secret=kMvaDstLLF\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;A Legacy of Faith&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"kMvaDstLLF\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Hank Parker informs moms and dads on the benefits of taking their children hunting and fishing.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2017-06-08.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Hank Parker is an award-winning, world champion fisherman. In the process of chasing that dream, Hank looks back and realizes he neglected something even more important.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>I was not the husband that God called me to be and the result was total devastation. The Bible says you love your wife as Christ loved the church and died for it. It is not contingent\u2014God tells the wife what to do, and God tells the husband what to do. So my behavior is not contingent on how well she does her job, and God showed me that clearly.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Thursday, June 8<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is the President of FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, Dennis Rainey, and I'm Bob Lepine. It is easy in the pursuit of our dreams to neglect what\u2019s really important in our lives. Hank Parker talks about that with us today. Stay tuned.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. I have been inspired this week. I think I can do it\u2014I think I can become a world class bass fisherman. [Laughter] I mean\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Bob\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Bob, I\u2019ve seen you fish. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Bob, tell the audience what kind of fishing pole I gave you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>We have been fishing together up on the\u2014what was it?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>The White River.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>It\u2019s in Arkansas. They\u2019re\u2014what are the fish called? They\u2019re trout?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That\u2019s what they are called. They have fins. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>They live in water.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>That is correct.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>And there was a nice man in the boat who took those fish off that hook for me\u2014I appreciated him a lot!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>But tell them about the pole I gave you. It was a kiddie pole\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>It was a Zebco<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014a little pink kiddie pole, that was about two feet long and\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>We\u2019re going to post on our website, at FamilyLifeToday.com, a picture of the fish I caught with that big fishing pole\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I was\u2014that was where I was going.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>\u2014because I caught a pretty good-sized fish.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I wanted to tell\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>It was the big fish of the day.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It was the big fish of the trip!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI got to introduce Hank Parker. Welcome back to <em>Bob Lepine\u2019s Outdoor Program<\/em>. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>The big-fish man caught it on a kid\u2019s rod and reel, and it was two feet long!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019ve never done that\u2014that\u2019s pretty special. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Hank is a world champion bass fisherman. He has a TV program called <em>Hank Parker\u2019s Outdoors<\/em>\u2014also has a hunting program with your sons. Share with our listeners about that broadcast.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>Okay. My fishing show is <em>Hank Parker\u2019s Outdoor Magazine<\/em>, been running for \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t34 years. Then, for 10 years now, I\u2019ve been doing a show with my two older sons called <em>Hank Parker\u2019s Flesh and Blood<\/em>. It\u2019s a hunting show over on the Outdoor Channel. We\u2019ve had a lot of fun with that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>So, I can look at myself in the mirror and know that I can\u2019t make it in the NBA\u2014[Laughter]\u2014okay? I\u2019m not tall enough \/ I can\u2019t jump that high. I can look at myself in the mirror and know the NFL is out for me. Can anybody be a world class fisherman?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>Absolutely! And that is what is so cool about our sport. I was talking earlier with some folks about the growth of high school fishing. These kids that are not athletic \/ these kids that don\u2019t necessarily qualify for any type of team sport\u2014the water is level. Whether you\u2019re a little girl, a little boy, whether you\u2019re tall\u2014it doesn\u2019t make any difference. You know, the water\u2019s level; and fish are not partial to anybody\u2014they\u2019re non-discriminate.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Well, the guy that we went fishing with that day, who was in the boat\u2014who took the fish off the hook for me? [Laughter] I saw what Dennis paid him at the end of the day. He\u2019s making a good living doing that. He\u2019s doing alright; you know?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>There are a lot of days when you don\u2019t go to work though, Bob.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Okay!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Alright. I want you to talk to our listeners\u2014we\u2019ve got other stories that I want you to tell\u2014but I just\u2014for a moment, talk to moms and dads about doing something like fishing or hunting with your son \/ with your daughter; because it really is a great way\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBob is kind of kidding about this\u2014but it really is a great way to bond and build relationships with your kids.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>I have the opportunity\u2014when I do fishing seminars, people will ask questions from time to time. I take every opportunity that I can to spread the word that fishing will break down a lot of barriers. In my life, it was everything. But almost every kid that you will ever see catch a fish\u2014whether they are 2 years old or 80 years old \/ old kids\u2014 everybody catches a fish smiles \/ it\u2019s fun.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut you know, we <em>all<\/em> are guilty\u2014I\u2019m guilty of driving the kids to school\u2014the bell is going to ring at 8:15, and we\u2019ve got to hurry and hurry. You kind of force feed a conversation when the mood\u2019s wrong. Man, you can take your kid out on a riverbank\u2014or in the boat and sit on the pond\u2014just let him or her just open up. Let the conversation flow. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe quality of the conversation you can have in the right atmosphere breaks <em>so many<\/em> barriers that we try to force on our kids. Communicating is not just talking. To be able to really reach your children, you\u2019ve got to work to create an environment. Fishing will help you do that. I promise you\u2014it will help you get that.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Have you thought about why that is? What is it about fishing that causes people to just to relax and have conversations that they might not otherwise have?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>I just think it calms your nerves. It is very <em>soothing<\/em> \/ it is no pressure\u2014you don\u2019t have to make a hoop \/ you don\u2019t have to be physically gifted to get it done. Man, you just throw a bobber out there. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFishing can be really sophisticated and complicated\u2014a lot of electronic equipment we use and some of the stuff in techniques and methods. But that\u2019s really not what fishing is all about. That\u2019s just a specialized technique for a very limited number of the people that participate in the sport. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tFishing is about families \/ fishing is about good times. Fishing is about sharing\u2014fishing is about being with someone \/ interacting\u2014you want to be with. And that\u2019s <em>really<\/em> what fishing is all about\u2014to take your kid and be able to put your arm around him or her\u2014just breaks those barriers. They\u2019re under no pressure. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, our kids today\u2014the academic demands are so hard on them. If you don\u2019t fit in to play team sports you get made fun of. So they\u2019re under pressure\u2014they\u2019re <em>constantly<\/em> being critiqued because they can\u2019t do this. I know how that feels. All of a sudden, you put them in an environment where there is <em>none<\/em> of that\u2014no pressure at all. Here we are, just having a good time. I think it just breaks down those barriers that allow them to open up. Boy, if you can ever get them to open up, then you can really start to communicate.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>One of my favorite moments, here, on <em>FamilyLifeToday<\/em>\u2014Bob will know when it was before I finish saying the name\u2014but it was a tribute given by RV Brown. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tR V Brown gave his father, who was\u2014lived to be in his nineties,\u00a0 I think\u2014didn\u2019t he, Bob?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And R V was one of 18 kids?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>He gave his dad a tribute. You know what he reflected on as he spoke to his dad in that tribute?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>No.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>He said, \u201cYou took me fishing,\u201d\u2014Willy Fish?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>He called his dad Willy Fish Brown.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>How \u2018bout that! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Did you go fishing with your dad?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>I did! Early on, before my dad got so consumed, we fished. It was so special\u2014it was incredible. If I can, I\u2019ll tell a really quick story. I\u2019ve had all these goals in my life. I was the first angler to ever win the Bassmaster Classic and the B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year\u2014I was the first guy to ever win the Grand Slam. I\u2019ve had some pretty good achievements. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u00a0A lot of times, people ask me a question about: \u201cWhat is your greatest moment in the outdoors?\u201d The greatest moment for me in the outdoors\u2014my youngest son, Timmy, who loves the turkey hunt. I\u2019m a big-time turkey hunter; so I\u2019ve got all these rules: \u201cWe do not talk in the turkey woods. You can break a limb and maybe you\u2019re an animal; but if you talk, you are a dead give-away.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe were sitting on the riverbank on the Broad River in South Carolina. This big gobbler was gobbling. Every time a bird\u2014if you are not familiar with turkey hunting\u2014in the morning, when they wake up, in the spring of the year, they gobble. He\u2019s up in the tree and he\u2019s gobbling. Every breath \/ every little tweety bird that makes a sound\u2014he is trying to out-gobble. Timmy pulls up on my shirt\u2014he just tugs my shirt. God had painted one of those <em>incredible<\/em> sunrises, and there was steam coming off the water. He was so overwhelmed with that\u2014he had to tell me. He pulled on my shirt. I looked down; and he said, \u201cDaddy, I love you.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was about to cry and the turkey was. It was <em>just so special<\/em>. But his little heart was <em>so<\/em> full of gratitude and just overwhelmed with being in that environment. That was my greatest moment in the outdoors\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>When you do go fishing or hunting with your kids\u2014well, it requires that you be all there. There is no competition with a screen or with the phone. It\u2019s just a relationship between a father and a son, or father and a daughter, or for that matter, a mother and her son.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Now wait, are you telling me you have to leave your phone in the car?\u2014or you can\u2019t take it into the woods?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I promise you, you wouldn\u2019t go turkey hunting with Hank Parker if you brought your cell phone on you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I was thinking about the similarities between the two of you, because you\u2019re both turkey hunters. I think one of the differences is you\u2019ve actually shot a turkey; haven\u2019t you, Hank? [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>Self defense.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Because, Dennis goes out every year; and every year, the turkeys have been safe. [Laughter] Have you ever shot a turkey?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>I have, Bob. But in recent years, they\u2019ve not been in danger. [Laughter] No; there\u2019s no doubt about it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou\u2019ve had quite a career\u2014winning all these accolades \/ inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and so many things that have come your way. You indicated that there was a bit of a drift in your life\u2014even after you came to faith in Christ\u2014that began to change at some point. Would you kind of bring us up to date on what took place in those years that led you up to that? And then, how did that change occur?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>There was a tremendous revival when my dad got saved. Then, I got saved; and I became very legalistic. I went through the motions and I did what I felt was expected of me. I worked bus routes to go seek kids to bring them to Sunday school, out of duty, not out of my heart. I was pretty tough on my family. I was so legalistic, at some points in time, in my life\u2014I was just bogged down in it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was married to a wonderful lady, and we had five children. I had gone to California on a little fishing trip; and I met her in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we were buying a house. She tells me she wanted a divorce. It rocked my world beyond\u2014I didn\u2019t see it coming\u2014should have. I was a part-time husband, at best. I, of course, blamed it all on her. It was completely her fault, in my mind; until one day, when I was shaving, God said: \u201cLook in the mirror, and you\u2019ll see whose fault it is.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Had you let career so dominate your life? I mean, because\u2014to be really good at something, whether it\u2019s basketball, golf, or fishing\u2014you\u2019ve got to be all there \/ to be focused.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>I didn\u2019t even know\u2014to be totally honest, I did not know how consumed I was with competitive bass fishing\u2014I had no idea. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI promised my kids\u2014my kids were growing up\u2014and their mom was an awesome mom. She was just great to those kids, and she worked hard at it. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut those kids had gotten to be 12 years old \/ 10 years old. They wanted to go race golf carts and go-carts, and they wanted to go climb trees, and deer hunt and squirrel hunt\u2014do things that moms are not normally willing to do. Some moms are good at that, but their mom\u2014that didn\u2019t interest her\u2014so they needed their dad. So I promised them\u2014I said, \u201cIf I ever win the World Championship again, I\u2019ll retire\u201d; and I did. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIn 1989, I won the World Championship the second time; and I retired. I was 36 years old. But it wasn\u2019t until I retired that I realized how consumed I was. My every waking thought was about the next lake \/ my next strategies\u2014what I am going to do. All of a sudden, the thing that hit me the hardest when I retired is: \u201cMan, my mind\u2019s cleared; because I\u2019m not thinking about the next tournament.\u201d\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t until <em>then<\/em> that I realized how consumed I was; but as far as my marriage was concerned, it was pretty much too late. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI came home to try to fix things\u2014in which I didn\u2019t know there was a problem in the marriage\u2014I knew there was a problem in my parenting \/ that I wasn\u2019t there enough. My kids would stand at the door every time I\u2019d leave and cry. You know: \u201cI\u2019ve got to quit doing this.\u201d So, when I retired, I did realize how <em>consumed<\/em> I was with the sport.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Would people in your church, where you attended, would they have said: \u201cYes; Hank and his wife are doing fine. He\u2019s very successful.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>Absolutely! No one in the entire <em>world<\/em> would have thought\u2014my children didn\u2019t see anything\u2014<em>no one<\/em> knew anything. My wife had just grown so frustrated with my being gone constantly and had no confidence that I would ever change. She had just resolved in her heart that I would never be there for her\u2014so she was moving on. She had got to that point and wasn\u2019t any changing her mind. For four years, we tried\u2014for four years, we tried.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>\u2014tried to push back against divorce. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>Tried to fight it. But I look back\u2014you know, I would <em>blame<\/em> her in my heart, but God showed me clearly it wasn\u2019t her\u2014it was me. Had my priorities\u2014you know, people\u2014I hear it all the time\u2014when the Bible says you love your wife as Christ loved the church and died for it; and then wives submit to your husbands. It\u2019s not contingent\u2014God told the wife what to do, and God tells the husband what to do. My behavior is not contingent on how well she does her job. God showed me that clearly. So I can\u2019t blame <em>anything<\/em> on her. I have to take the blame, because I was not the husband that God called me to be; and the result was total devastation.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>I want to ask you a really hard question: \u201cIf I could take you back ten years before your wife said, \u2018I want a divorce,\u2019 and I could put a path in front of you, and I could say: \u2018This one leads to bass championships and world recognition\u2014the Hall of Fame. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u201c\u2019This one\u2014you\u2019ll make a living for your family, doing what you enjoy doing. You won\u2019t get the endorsements \/ you won\u2019t be in the Hall of Fame, but you\u2019ll live it out and things will stay intact.\u2019\u201d Could you pick?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>I could pick in a heartbeat. There\u2019s no doubt I would have chose to take the job to make a living and keep my family intact\u2014no doubt.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>It was devastating to you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>You know, I don\u2019t tell this very often\u2014I don\u2019t know that I\u2019ve ever really told it\u2014but I walked away \/ I didn\u2019t take anything. I didn\u2019t take part of the home\u2014I walked away\u2014I didn\u2019t have a place to live. I lived with my son in an apartment for a year, because I wasn\u2019t capable of making payments. I left everything. I had about two million dollars worth of debt\u2014that\u2019s all I left with\u2014I didn\u2019t have anything. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut I wasn\u2019t able\u2014people: \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you fight for what your fair share was?\u201d I wasn\u2019t able to fight\u2014I was devastated \/ I didn\u2019t want to live. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI had gotten to the point where the papers\u2014when I got those papers, I cannot tell you what that did to me. But they\u2019re on my desk\u2014and the first time in my whole life I was afraid of my own self. I wasn\u2019t thinking clear. I went to shut the door of my office. I have a trophy shelf there with all my trophies. I looked down at the bottom, and I saw all my kids in a picture. I fell on my face in my office and I said: \u201cGod, You\u2019ve got to give me something I don\u2019t have. I\u2019m at the lowest point I\u2019ve ever been of my life.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, through this whole four years of fighting and trying to save my marriage, I was so angry with God. I didn\u2019t pray\u2014so I\u2019m the Prodigal Son now\u2014I\u2019ve been gone \/ I\u2019ve been in the hog pen. I fell down on that floor and the Father came. The Holy Spirit put His arm around me and said: \u201cI\u2019m here. I\u2019ve been waiting on you.\u201d It was a revelation that I had never experienced before or since. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tGod loved on me and gave me something inside, and this suicidal idea that I had left me. I don\u2019t say I didn\u2019t ever have struggles after that; but I never, ever got to that low, low point ever again. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI realized how much He loved me and all those legalistic years were now behind me. I served God because I thought this is what I needed to do for a lot of years. But the last 16 years, I have served Him out of pure love. I realize how much God loves me and that it all changed in just a second.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Hank, if there\u2019s a guy listening and he\u2019s thinking: \u201cIf we can just gut this out for five years \/ if I can just stay focused on the business and get this thing, I can be at the top of the game. And <em>then<\/em> I\u2019ll turn back around; and we can have it all, as a family\u201d\u2014what would you say to him?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: \u201c<\/strong>It doesn\u2019t work!\u201d This is what I did wrong, and I know this. My wife did not know how much I loved her\u2014I <em>never<\/em> conveyed\u2014I <em>never<\/em> put my arms around her and said: \u201cBaby, let\u2019s work this together. Here\u2019s my schedule; is this okay? Can we do this? I love you. I want to make this for you.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI never did those things\u2014\u201cI\u2019m the big tough guy \/ I\u2019m the world champ\u2014I\u2019m the man. You\u2019re going to do it my way.\u201d You can\u2019t say: \u201cI\u2019m going go off and fish these next five years and, then, I\u2019m going to come home and fix it,\u201d\u2014I thought that\u2014it didn\u2019t work.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>And what did work\u2014was finally emptying yourself. It\u2019s the only way a marriage can work\u2014is with a husband and a wife who decide to surrender to Jesus Christ and to what He has for them to do. And there are some duties we have to do that mean we can\u2019t outrun our wives and our children at home to accomplish something out in the world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tEarly in our ministry, I had to decide: \u201cWas I going to outrun my wife, Barbara?\u201d I don\u2019t know, Hank, why I could see something at that point that you couldn\u2019t see in bass fishing; because I could have made the <em>very<\/em> same decision, because the ministry can be intoxicating\u2014people telling you how you\u2019ve encouraged them \/ you\u2019ve ministered to them. But something spoke to me and said: \u201cIf you attempt to go do those things, and leave your wife and your children in the dust, it\u2019s not going to be good\u2014the outcome was going to be bad.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI\u2019ve made a lot of wrong decisions in my marriage \/ in raising our family. But in that one situation, I saw clearly that: \u201cIf you are going to make whatever it is an idol, in place of Jesus Christ\u2014not surrendered to Him\u2014and take care of Job One, which begins at home, you\u2019re headed for big time trouble.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>You know, I think, with me, I never really <em>thought<\/em> about anything. I just went at it so hard that I did not stop and think about the partnership of marriage. I didn\u2019t ever think I was doing anything wrong. I thought: \u201cMan, I\u2019m being a great provider\u2014I\u2019m giving them <em>all<\/em> these things.\u201d I never really felt that I was doing anything wrong. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThat\u2019s part of my problem\u2014was not reading the Bible \/ staying in the Bible and allowing God to talk to me. You know: \u201cI\u2019m going to help God. I\u2019m going to show Him how I can do things,\u201d\u2014it did not work for me. I\u2019m not an authority, but I can just tell you\u2014in my life, I messed it up because it was about <em>me<\/em>. Had I been in the Scriptures and had I been getting daily lessons\u2014and treated my marriage as a partnership, where I die to self and take half of her and she half of me\u2014we wouldn\u2019t have a divorce. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to tell you\u2014I would rather die than I had to go through a divorce. It was the most devastating, painful <em>failure<\/em> that I\u2019d ever been through in my life.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>So to that person, who is listening right now, who is maybe on the precipice of jumping, you\u2019d say, \u201cDon\u2019t do it!\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Hank: <\/strong>Absolutely! \u201cDo not do it! At all costs \/ at all costs, save your marriage.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob: <\/strong>If we can help, that\u2019s what we\u2019re here for. Our goal, here, at FamilyLife is to provide help and hope for marriages and families. I\u2019m thinking, Dennis, of our <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> <sup>\u00ae<\/sup> getaways\u2014and the couples who have come, who have lost hope; but who hear a message at the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em>\u00a0 that God uses to turn their marriage around. It doesn\u2019t always happen\u2014there are some couples who come and the breakthrough doesn\u2019t happen. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut for a lot of couples, the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em> getaway is the turning point for a marriage that has been headed in the wrong direction for a long time. They get rerouted and they find themselves in a new place on a new path. They have a fresh hope for their marriage. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI just encourage our listeners\u2014if you\u2019ve not attended a<em> Weekend to Remember<\/em> marriage getaway, go to our website at FamilyLifeToday.com to get more information. We still have a handful of these getaways happening this summer. Tomorrow in Texas\u2014in Austin and in Houston\u2014we\u2019ve got getaways kicking off; and then continuing through the summer\u2014in Arizona \/ Las Vegas\u2014other getaways taking place. You can find out more about the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em>, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can call if you have any questions at 1-800-358-6329\u2014that\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd if for some reason you can\u2019t get to a getaway, and you\u2019re in a desperate spot in your marriage, give us a call. We can recommend resources\u2014we can recommend articles you can read \/ programs you can listen to\u2014things that will hopefully give you a fresh perspective on God\u2019s design for your marriage and how it can, not just survive, but how it can actually thrive.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd by the way, we should say, \u201cThank you,\u201d to the listeners who support this ministry, financially; because you guys are a big part of all that God is doing through the ministry of FamilyLife. You make it possible for what happens here to be heard by more people around the world through more devices \/ through more <em>means<\/em> than ever before\u2014more people visiting our website \/ more people attending our events. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou make that happen every time you donate to support this ministry. You are extending the reach of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>,and we are grateful for your support. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou can give a donation today, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com. You can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to donate; or you can mail your donation to FamilyLife Today at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; and our zip code is 72223.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, tomorrow, we are going to hear about the Parker family\u2014the Parker boys. We want to hear about what your sons are up to\u2014have got some great stories to share with you tomorrow. I hope you can tune in as we continue our conversation this week with Hank Parker.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas; a Cru<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> ministry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2017 FamilyLife. 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