Monthly Archives: July 2015

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I will lift up my eyes!

"I will lift up my eyes"

“I will lift up my eyes”

I look to the mountains for inspiration, but today I’m inspired by what’s 3 feet away.  God, what are you showing me?

This morning’s hike was at daybreak.  I actually was walking before daylight. I took this path, but when the sunlight began shining and showing the flowers and their glory, I turned and walked back.  And watched…… and watched……. and was inspired.

before the light shines

Before the sun came out, my focus was on the path and the mountains,…… and even what’s past that,…. the sky.  But as the light grew stronger I became more aware of the things closer to me.  I saw the trees, the pastures, and…… the flowers.   Those flowers!  As each one was being bathed by the new morning sunlight, I saw colors take on stronger hues.  Their intensity grew in every instant.  As the sun moved upon the horizon first one flower, then two, now five, now dozens…………. now the whole meadow is coming alive with colors.  My photography doesn’t do it justice, but you get the picture(Pun intended) 😉

These flowers are Being what God created them to be.  They are beautifully made, and God’s Glory shines all over them!

1 John 1:7The Voice (VOICE)7 If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son. His blood purifies us from all our sins.

beauty3

 

I do focus on the mountains and what’s far away.  God’s teaching me.  He’s not far away, He’s here….. focus on the next step, the next day, even the next moment.  If I walk in His light, He will reveal to me things on my journey.  Things like we are all forgiven of our sins.  Things like we all get to share in this wonderful light from God, (His Son Jesus).

I turn and can feel the sunlight warming up my face.  I also feel God’s light and Glory shining on me.  He’s not a mountaintop away, He’s ……. well, ….. I feel him.  He’s right here with me…….and you.

Share His love with others.  Let your light shine!

See Ya!!!  Dan Ainsworth  wildernesspreacher

 

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I’m not broken down, She is!

I''m not broke down

I’m driving down a Colorado road sightseeing.  This guy is pulled over, with his hood up, and he’s in the truck talking on his phone.  “Need any help?” I asked.  His exact words… “No, I’m not broken down, SHE is!”(as he points to his phone).

The guy with a strong Boston accent continues. “The only way I can help her is to look under my own hood.  She has a vehicle just like mine, I’ve had this problem before and I know how to help her.  Thanks anyways.”

Well, that just made my day!  To see someone actually stop their own journey to help another.  To see someone look under their own hood so they can help someone else, well, that’s neat (and unusual).

But first, all the questions I ponder as I continue on my journey sightseeing.  What’s someone from Boston doing way out here?  Sightseeing I guess.  What would be wrong with her vehicle that he can fix by looking under his own hood?  A wire? A belt? Oil?  Battery cable?  Who knows?  The point is that the guy knows what’s wrong with her vehicle.  Ah, who is her?  Wife, daughter, friend, girlfriend?  The point is that she is someone that he knows well enough to stop and help because he knows.

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. She knows that he knows, so that’s all she needs to know, ya know.  Cause when you know that you know, then when you don’t know you know to call who you know, ya know?  Whoa………..

Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The guy probably had some trouble before.  Now he was willing to help another by sharing his experience (even by looking under his own hood).  Do you remember that bad experience you went through a while back?  Been trying to forget about?  Hoping others have forgotten about it.  Maybe even in your spiritual journey something happened that now by “looking under your own hood” you can help others.  God blesses us with fellow Christians to help and support each other on our journeys.  God forgives and heals what’s under our own hood.  But it’s not just for your sake, it’s for others as well.

God’s a good “mechanic”.  Now we can look after the interests of others as well as our own.  You know??

I’m traveling down a road with friends that I know and a God that I know.  See Ya!!!

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These boots were made for walking

 

These boots were made for walking

These boots were made for walking

A ritual that happens in churches every Sunday is that the flowers are placed on the offertory table in memory of someone.  Flowers, but a boot on the offering table? Or is it the alter table? Or do you call it the communion table?  What ever you call it, there’s a boot with flowers sitting on the “in remembrance of me” table.

Now, maybe someone with an artistic eye is using the boot in a neat artistic way.  After all, I’m in a church service here in the West (Colorado).  Or maybe just maybe……… the person that we are remembering actually wore this boot.  Well, I hope they cleaned it up cause there is no telling where those boots have been!  Remember, I’m out West with all the pastures, mud, corral pens, horses, cattle, and ………… stuff that you need your boots to walk around in.

Then I catch myself………..  What is God showing me through someone’s idea of decorating the church with these flowers?

Why flowers?  It’s to remember someone with this gift that in turn is used to glorify God.  I’m “catching myself”, actually now I’m “kicking myself”, for looking for dirt on these boots rather than the flowers that are brightly shining from within.

Ain’t this a “poke in the ribs”?  It’s enlightening me as to how you and I view other people.  Even how we view other Christians.  Might as well get personal here……. even how we view our family and friends.  Well hey, yeehaw,  let me “stomp on your toes”, (since you’re not wearing the boot).  This is how you view yourself.  You focus on the dirt and crap on your boots, and not on the flowers blooming from within.   Say it with me…… I focus on the dirt and not on the flowers!

God put us on this Earth.  We each have a journey to travel, (some wearing Cowboy boots).  We all will get “dirty”.  You walk around in the mud and cattle pens called “SIN” and partner, you gonna have some dirty boots.  But back up on your horse here a minute.  God put us on this Earth.  He knows we are gonna get our boots dirty.  But He has planted a seed within our boots, (our heart) and one day this seed will bloom into a fresh bouquet of flowers.  Huh?  Hang in there with me. You see, His Glory will be growing, blooming, shining, for all the world to see right there inside of little ole you.  Don’t get hung up on whether it’s my glory, or God’s.  Don’t get caught up wondering if it’s my talents, or talents from God.  Everything about you is from God!!  Even those stinky boots.  I think He knows how to clean them up.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  John 3:16

Yep, He found a way to clean up your boots(your life) and even plant a seed of Glory (eternal life) inside of you.  I think you and I need to focus less on every one’s dirty boots and enjoy the flowers that will be eternally blooming from within.  To God be the Glory.

See Ya!!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher