Monthly Archives: November 2015

Posted on

Give Thanks, No Matter Your Situation………Seriously??????

ontarket1

You’ve got problems.  You’ve got bad times, and here I am telling you it’s best to give thanks.  Hear me out before you tune me out.  Believe me, I’m hurting along with you.  Many of you are hurting, (and have shared with me your hurts).

In the picture above, I’m doing my best to stay on target.  That splash you see directly in front of the camera is my fly hitting the water.  That’s a bad thing.  It’s not going as planned or as it should.  The purpose of fishing a fly is to hit the target with a gentle throw of the rod and line.  The fly is then supposed to gracefully land on the water as if it were a real live fly.  Not go SPLAT!!  But hey, made the cast and went through all the motions to make it right.  Did I say I went through the motions?  Uh Oh, I’m goin’ through the motions………

Take a breath, count to 10, realize that a day fishin’ is better than a day doin’ anything.  I need to give thanks.  Thank You, Lord.  Thanks for the outdoors, thanks for this opportunity to fish.  Now all of a sudden it seems that I’m not just “goin’ through the motions”, but I’m actually “in the groove.  No more Splat! on the water.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 1 Thessalonians 5:12 -22 KJV

How does this relate to you and what’s going wrong in your life?  Take a look at this version from the Message.

16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 

Those of you out there facing big problems, this fishing example is a feeble attempt to help us understand what this scripture is pointing out.  I should apologize for the feeble attempt, but I will never apologize for what this scripture says.  Give thanks, for this is what God wants.  No, no, don’t give thanks for being in the hospital (Splat), or struggling with a job (Splat), or hurtful relationship (Splat) or current bad event in your life (Splat, splat ,splat).  Don’t look for someone else who is having a worse time than you so that you can say, “Well, it could be worse.  At least I’m not like ole so and so……  But instead, look to God.  Stay on target.

Splat happens.  When it causes us to “go through the motions”, life just got less meaningful.  If we stay on target, life takes on new meaning.  Folks, we are all a  spiritual being living in a temporary physical body.  Yet, we don’t seem to live that way lots of times do we?

It’s Thanksgiving!  Be cheerful (stay on target).  Pray (helps with that target thing).  Thank God no matter what happens (He is the target).

         Lord I pray now for my friends that have Splat going on right now in their lives.  I wish they didn’t have to deal with it.  But I most want to thank You for who You are to us, and what You mean to us.  Thank You that you will be there beside each and every one.  You are a most awesome God.  Thank you for what you do and are going to do!  Help me and my friends not go through the motions because of “Splat”, but stay on target and stay “in the groove” with you. Help us focus on You.  You Lord, are worth living for.

May our Thanksgiving become a ThanksLiving!

See Ya God and friends!!!!!!        Dan Ainsworth  wildernesspreacher

 

 

Posted on

Do you feel you’re stuck in the mud?

stuck

I’ve walked through this so much that now it’s become a rut…… and now I’m stuck.  How did this happen?

Well, in this particular instance I’m walking the edge of a pond to get to where the fish are.  That’s a good thing.  Striving to do good (catch fish) has caused me to make this same move time after time.  What was once wet but solid ground, now has turned soft.  After a few more trips it’s turned into a rut………. and now I’m stuck.  Worse than that, my foot didn’t move when my brain said move, causing me to FALL into the mud. Landing on both elbows with a thud, mud splashes onto my shirt, face, and glasses.  I even bit my tongue. Definitely not a good time for a selfie. 🙁

I thought I was prepared.  Hey, I even had on hip boots because I knew about the mud.  But, big ole heavy hip boots aren’t the best thing to have on when you are fixin’ to faceplant in the mud your trying to stay out of.  I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.  Stupid me for not seeing that my walking was causing this stupid mud to grow and get worse.  I’m creating a rut myself that will cause me to get stuck in “MY” own rut.  Even though I’m striving to do good(catch fish) I’m blind to what I’m doing to myself.

Did you notice how many times I said me, myself and I?  Let’s face it, we can be our own worst enemy.  Even when we are trying to do good, we get into a rut.  We just can’t see it happening.  We have become blind.

Read this. Grab your Bible or Smartphone with verses.   It’s the story of you and your friends.  Look up  Mark 10: 46 – 52

You see, this blind man was in a rut.  He was…… well, he was blind.  But he knew it.  He also knew Jesus was walking by.  He started hollering and yelling.  And his friends, well, they were blind too, but in a different way.  They told him to “be quiet”.  They were blind to what can happen when someone calls out to Jesus.

But this didn’t stop the blind man.  When you have been in a rut, and have fallen you tend to cry out.  I know I did.  As I was falling all kinds of thoughts were going through my head……. will this hurt?  how stupid can I be? I don’t guess there’s a snake in this water? Did anybody see me?

Those thoughts were going through my head, but “AAAAAAAggghhhhhhhhhoooooooooooo” came out of my mouth.  I now know I should have kept my mouth shut as I face planted into the mud.  At least I didn’t break my fishing pole.

But the blind man cried out for Jesus.

Mark 10: 51-52 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.  The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”  “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”   Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

The blind man got out of his rut by asking Jesus for help.  You can get out of your rut the same way.  We become blind, even when trying to do good.

Let me give an example of a rut.  How many times do you sing or hear the song, “Amazing Grace”?  Over and over, time after time, right? Maybe next time when you hear that verse, “was blind, but now I see” you’ll realize it’s not always the physically blind that can’t see, it’s also all of us striving to do good.

What to do?  Cry out to Jesus!  What to say?  “Lord help me” works pretty good.  If all you can get out is “AAAAAAAggghhhhhhhhhoooooooooooo”,  He’ll get the message.  Have the faith my friend.

 

ps check out this blog from The Noble Heart by Gary Barkelow on how to get unstuck.  It’s a good read.

click here    http://thenobleheart.com/2014/04/9-ideas-that-will-get-you-unstuck/

See ya!  Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher (who falls in the mud)

 

Posted on

Why There’s a Turkey on Airport Road

turkey

What’s the story behind this hedgebush being pruned every year into a “Turkey”?  A couple of years ago, I was cleaning the fencerows at the end of my driveway of weeds and brush.  There were a couple of bushes that had grown underneath the fence.  The cows had munched on them giving them an odd shape and appearance.  I’m cleaning up the fencerows of all this undergrowth and these two bushes stick out.  I know that they are just ordinary bushes, but I see the shape of an elk and a turkey.  I’m betting that I am the only one at the time that sees anything in these bushes because every one else that drives by on airport road is probably too busy to see anything but maybe two scraggly, weedy bushes.  Shoot, anybody speeding down Airport road probably doesn’t even give a thought to what’s under the fence, much less to what I see.

So, instead of killing these bushes, I decided to be a little creative.  I prune and cut limbs, branches, and twigs to the shapes that you see here.  Honestly, I do this because I enjoy being creative.  I see something in this bush, which makes me want to bring it out even more.  Will my creativity be accepted and highly thought of?  Will my pruning efforts be considered works of art?   Showing others what I see in the ordinary…… is this considered a noble effort?  I don’t really know that answer.  Are my  bushes that resemble an elk and turkey perfect? Well, I do know the answer to that. It’s a big NO.  Hey friends, if it was perfect, then no one would believe that I did it! 😉  That is not my motivation.  I’m motivated more by what I feel on the “inside” to somehow be shown to the “outside”.

Last year two ladies stopped by the house.  I was in the front yard working on the lawnmower, (so Staci could mow the yard).  They wanted to know if I am the one that “grows” the animals at the end of my drive. ” Yep, that’s me,” I replied.  The lady then goes into how every time she drives by on airport road she gets a feeling of calmness and peace by slowing down to see the elk and turkey.  She thanked me over and over for doing this.  It brings a small amount of “calmness” and “peace” (those are the precise words she used) to her travels every morning she drives by.  I thanked her for sharing her thoughts.  She must have really meant it, by  taking time from her work and day to come tell me how this affected her.

When she left, I walked up to the road staring at the bushes for a while.  I was looking for that calmness and peace she was talking about.  I found it.  I also sensed God’s presence.

1 Thessalonians 5:10-12New International Version (NIV) 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

You see, in some small way, my whittling on these simple bushes brings a satisfaction to my inner most soul.  Why?  Because I see something in the ordinary that compels me to bring it out into the open.  It is a most spiritual thing for me.  It’s a most personal thing for me.  It’s between me and God.  If others slow down as they drive along Airport Road and are encouraged by what I’m doing, then my giving Glory and Honor to God is also helping and building others up.  Being blessed by being blessed.

It’s the same process going on with the wilderness preacher blog.  I share what I see.  Usually it’s in the most ordinary of things.  Why do this?  It brings a satisfaction to my soul.  It’s a most spiritual and personal thing for me, between me and God.  If you are encouraged by what you read on the wilderness preacher as you travel your spiritual journey, then my giving Glory to God is also helping and building you up.

Consider me as your guide.  A friend (Hey Gary!) shared the other day that every good movie, song, or story  has this classic setup.  A hero is living his life, meets a guide who shows him/her something that can happen in his/her life.  The hero faces a challenge (is he up to it?).  There is a consequence if he doesn’t, but a reward if he does.  The story is if and how the hero lives out his life.  Example Star Wars movies, pretty much any western movie, all Hallmark channel movies,  etc, etc

Here’s what I’m trying to prune and carve from this.  Let me be your guide.  You be the Hero.  Live your life facing the classic setup and challenge of facing the monster inside of your head that asks “do you have what it takes?”  Realize that there are consequences if you choose not to do certain things, but also realize there is a reward in choosing to do and BE certain things.  Sound complicated.  It is.  It’s called life.  But that’s why I recommend taking one step at a time.  Let’s do this together.  It’s not about me.  I’ll be the guide, but more importantly, you be the Hero.

My pruning a bush into a turkey, my telling a story with scripture each week as the wilderness preacher helps as your guide to bring you another step closer on your own spiritual journey.  I accept this position as the guide because it’s what God has created me to be.

You, living your everyday life with all it’s decisions and challenges.  You are the Hero of your very own life.  Will you accept this position?  You are writing your own story of your own life.  It’s what God has created you to be.  What in your next chapter?  Stay in touch.  I’m curious how all you heroes are going to face the next challenge.  And don’t forget……… I got your back!

1 Thessalonians 5:10-12New International Version (NIV) 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.