Category Archives: Father’s Love

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My Plumber Friend and the Promise of Heaven

How I KNOW my Mother is in Heaven.

My Mother passed away a few weeks ago. She is now in Heaven. The best way I can explain my KNOWING this is for you to read the following.

I invited some friends over to hang out, spend some time to watch a ball game, talk about fishing, and eat some BBQ. One of my close friends asked if he could invite one of his best friends over. I readily agreed, though I’d never met this friend of a friend.

Turns out, this friend of a friend, (his name is J.C.), was a plumber by trade. As he interacted with all of us guys, he became one of us. I mean, he loved fishing and sharing his stories. He also could eat his share of BBQ and was as big a sports fan as any of us. He’s just a fun guy to be around.

Coming back from my bathroom during a break, he commented the toilet wasn’t working, but that he had fixed it.

I’ll admit, I had been working on that leaking contraption for days. The float or valve thingy must have malfunctioned in some way. I checked. Guess what? There was no sound. No leaky noise, no hissing to interrupt what should be the normal quiet.

I asked J.C. how did he fix it? I’ll never forget his comment. “It’s what I do.” 

Jason, who brought us together, told me later. “J.C. is the only plumber I need to KNOW! He can fix anything. If you have a plumbing problem, He’s the only one I recommend. I BELIEVE in him. 

Hmmm. You know that old ‘country boy’ saying….. “It ain’t what you know, it’s who you know.”

How does my plumber friend, J.C., relate to your belief in Heaven?

Everything! I try to solve my plumbing problems, but J.C. comes in and fixes them (permanently, I might add). Even if he explained his work, I wouldn’t comprehend his methods. My experiences tell me I KNOW this guy is real.

There are other plumbers out there, but I’ve made my choice! It is J.C.!

I’ve got this friend, Jesus. A friend of this friend introduced him to me. Jesus didn’t just come in and try to “fix everything” in my life. Nope. He wanted to be in my life, even when I was fishing. He KNOWS about Heaven because He’s been there. There are many scriptures written about Heaven and how Jesus is there preparing it for my Mother. And me! And you!

It’s a choice, clear and simple. Jesus wants to just ‘hang out’, be a part of your life.

It’s a choice for you. Jesus could explain all the ins and outs of Heaven, still you and I wouldn’t understand how He does it.

It’s a simple choice for you to make. J.C. is my plumber. I believe in him. I know he can do what he says. That’s my personal experience, so let me know. I’ll introduce you.

Here’s another choice that is yours and yours alone. Jesus is my Savior and my friend. I BELIEVE in Him. I KNOW he can do what he says. That’s from my personal experience, so let me know. I’ll introduce you.

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher I KNOW what I know, ya know?

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I’m not Worthy

Not Being Worthy does not come from bad following, but from no following.
Not Being Worthy does not come from bad following, but from no following!

Meet Kylo! He’s a blonde Border Collie. He’s a great dog! He loves his Masters/owners. That would be Jamie and JM, my daughter and son-in-law. They love their dog without question. Kylo loves them like no other. He is also obedient, he does what they say. He is smart, affectionate, friendly beyond measure. But,…….

But, yep you knew there had to be a but in there somewhere. We talking bout a big ole “Bertha butt”. And here it is. Kylo will go anywhere Jamie and JM are going. He wants to be WITH them no matter where. You name it and he is there with the two that he loves, and lives to follow.

BUT, he will NOT follow them into the water. He is AFRAID to swim. That means he will not follow them if he has to swim. As the picture shows, he will follow around the edge of the pond consistently keeping the shortest distance between him and the ones he loves. But he will not swim. He will pace back and forth until they bring the boat back to shore. Once his owners are back on dry land it’s like the greatest reunion and lovefest you’ve ever seen between dog and man.

If Kylo won’t overcome his fear of water, then does that means he is not following? Does it mean he is UNWORTHY? Is he is no longer wanted, no longer loved? STOP! I can’t keep writing…. This is not the truth!

Matthew 10:38 New King James Version And he who does not take up his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.

Well, there it is in scripture. Jesus is saying if you don’t “take up your cross” then you are not worthy of Him. Understand what I’m getting at here. Take up your cross means to die to one’s self. Take up your cross means to let Jesus and His teachings of how to be a Christian be the driving force in your life. You follow Him, not your own thinking, planning, and living based solely on you and what you think is best for YOU! He becomes front and center in your life. See, if you choose to make Jesus your Lord and Savior, then you have “died” to your old self and become a new person through Him. He makes you worthy!

You get to pick. Choose to love Jesus more than everyone else—or not. Choose to die to yourself and live for Him alone—or not. To choose “not” is to become unworthy of following Him. Jesus does not declare them unworthy for following Him badly. Whoa! Say that again! You cannot say that you are unworthy because of following Him Badly! Those who will “not,” who refuse, make themselves unworthy because of their lack of complete and total commitment to Him.

There is a saying that is prevalent in religion. “God is good. I’m not. I need to get better”. That saying may be in man made rules and religion, but it’s nowhere to be found in a true relationship with Christ as a Christian. Follow, even if you’re afraid. Follow. Follow, even when you want to quit because this world is making you think you are not worthy. Follow. You are Worthy! Because of God’s Grace. Because of God’s mercy and forgiveness. You are worthy because of God’s Love! It’s nothing you’ve done. It’s because of who you are now following and what He’s done for you and me.

1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him

See There? You are Worthy! Share God’s Love!

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher. “Loving cause God Loves Me!”

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Are You Available?

Do you ever notice those outdoor signs as you drive down the interstates and even the back roads of this country? You can’t help but see them. They are everywhere. What if one of those signs represented you and your life?

Are You Available for God?

It may just be me, but it seems that nowadays most of the billboard signs out on the highways and byways are advertisements for lawyers. You know the ones. You’ve seen them. There’s the lawyer with his picture on the sign saying “One call that’s all”. There’s the other sign with the young lawyer and his slogan, “Been hit? Then call Whitt!” Then there’s “Under Arrest, Call the Best!” On and on. You haven’t gone two more miles down the road when on your right there’s another big sign. Wait! In big capital letters it says, “God is Good”. But underneath the “God is Good” letters it says brought to you by so and so lawyer and lawyer associates. What’s up with that?

Several more miles of driving, now I see a sign showing lawn mowers for sale. There’s one advertising land for sale. Uh oh, now another lawyer sign. It’s just a few hundred more yards and I take a picture showing the sign I’ve shared above. It’s available.

There in broad daylight is a sign that’s a big as half of Kansas . What, no lawyer needing another sign? Then I get to thinking. What if I put my name on that sign. Better yet, what if we put your name on that sign.

If your life could be seen by all the world on one of those outdoor billboard signs, what would people see? What would be your slogan?

Let’s dig a little deeper here. In this spiritual journey that you and I are on, when people that are on the highways and byways of life pass by you, what do they see?

The only Jesus that some people see, is the Jesus seen in you and me. That’s an accurate statement right there! You and I realize our weaknesses and shortcomings, so it’s almost disappointing to us to realize that we may be falling short of being a good example of a follower of Christ. We feel bad when we think of how we show our Christianity to others. There’s no way I can represent Jesus to others! They don’t need to look at me. The overwhelming thought, I…AM…NOT…GOOD… ENOUGH… takes over! It robs us of our joy!

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

A good ole country boy/cowboy sayin goes like this,….. “it ain’t what ya got, it’s how you use it.”

I think on our Christian walk on this Earth, God takes that saying and turns it into this. “It’s not your ability but your availability that I want from you.”

You are a billboard for all the world to see. Don’t worry about what “road” you are set beside. No need to fret over how big your “posts” are or how much “plyboard” you’ve got to show. Hmm, say you’ve got “termites” trying to tear your sign down. God knows all about you. (Even the ‘termites’ in your life).

What a wonderful blessing to know that God knows all about me,………. and He still wants me to be available for Him. That’s got to make you want to praise Him. Do any of you know that old little children’s song?

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.!

What would be your slogan in this Christian journey?

See ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher