Category Archives: People I’ve met along the way

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I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

You Are Not To Be Alone In This Christian Journey

It’s My log house!  But I need help from my friends to complete it.  I’ve built it, but I needed help with the construction up high, (since I’m scared of heights).

I also needed help with the tedious, hard to fit, most precise pieces of this puzzle that I call a log home.  I’m not good with exact measurements.  “Eyeball” measurements are what I use.  Make it close enough and that’s good enough.  If I’m building this house and make a measurement and it’s within a half inch of what it’s supposed to be, then “nailer tailer”.  That means it’s close enough, so to me it’s good enough!!

But not my friends from the construction crew.  Nope,….. Stuart, Chris, Rip, and Scott want the best for my log house.  They want the best for me!!!

Being within a half inch may be “good enough” for me, but it’s totally unacceptable to these guys.  Get this.  They will saw, cut, measure, move, pry, measure, shimmy, adjust, measure, and then measure again until it’s within an eighth of an inch!  That’s the space between these to lines. (II) In a house measured in feet, they won’t stop until what they are constructing measures to within 1/8 of an inch of being exact, of being perfect.

They are my friends.  I’ll admit I couldn’t do this without them.  They can see things that I wasn’t looking for or even that I myself wasn’t even aware of in my own log house.

They are able to make My log home even better than what I myself could be doing.  Why are they doing this?  Like I’ve said, they are my friends.  They want what’s best for me.

Well, that’s great and all.  But it’s my house, and honestly I grow tired of waiting.  I grow impatient.  I grow “antsy” because it’s taking too much time.  I grow restless, I grow annoyed.  But I grow,…….hmmm I grow to be more exact and perfected.

Don’t get me wrong, this log house is full of crooked logs, bent, scarred, and full of (Character/flaws).  But with the help of my friends, it’s being “perfected”.  Kinda like how our lives as Christians are being perfected.  You and I are all full of scars,we are crooked,we have flaws (or character) and yet, God is “perfecting” us each day.  Lots of times, it’s with the help of our friends.

Hey, I know, you and I don’t enjoy having other people tell us what to do.  We certainly don’t like people telling us how to live our lives.  I’ll confess. I’m at the top of that list.  But I’m not talking about people in general.  Not the know- it-alls, the busybodies, the do-it-my-way people.  What I’m talking about are the true friends.  Friends who care about you, who want the best for you.  Friends whether they realize it or not,………..that are being used by God to “make you a little more exact and perfect”.

James 1:4 and let steadfastness have its full effect,that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Proverbs 19:20  Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.  Many are the plans in a persons heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Is my log house perfect?  N0 way!!  But with the help from my friends, it has become more exact and more close to perfect.

Is my life perfect?  No way!!  But with the help from my friends, It is growing to become more exact and more close to what God wants me to be.

This coming week, I’ll be at a men’s retreat with a bunch of guys who are my friends.  The Noble Heart is an online group of guys who help each other with their God given calling.  They help each other continue on this Christian journey, they offer support, they pray.  They are true friends.

Is your life perfect?  Aw c’mon no way right?  Do you allow your friends and family to offer help and advice on how to live your life?

Maybe, just maybe one of those “good for nothing” friends is actually being used by God to make an improvement in your life.  Maybe just maybe one of those family members may be God’s way of getting through your thick skull so that you can be made better, more exact, even more perfected.

Think about it.  You belong to God.  He wants the best for Himself.  He will perfect you and make you more exact to what He wants you to be.  In spite of ALL your flaws, He is in the being made perfect and whole business.  Don’t rob your friends and family of the opportunity of letting God use them to speak some words of advice to you.

It’s your house, I mean it’s your life.  You must decide who,what, when to listen to.  Your friends just may be how God chooses to GROW you.

“Lord, I thank you for my friends.  Help me to know and understand when You may be speaking thru them to get to me.  Help me become more exact and “perfect” to what you’ve created me to be.  Help me to truly care for others so that You may use me to speak to another.  Amen.”

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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I Never Told Him Goodbye

I never told him goodbye.  Even when we were there as he drew his final breath.

My Daddy was a special man.  He and I had a special relationship.  He trained me well, whether it was the chores on the farm, or how to enjoy life, he gave me a lot of his insight and wisdom.  Most of the time I learned just by being with him.  There are many days I can remember riding with him in his beat up Chevy truck. Whether it was riding through the farm, (and opening all those gates) or a quick trip to town, my Dad and I would always have a good conversation about pretty much any and everything.

He loved life, sharing God’s love, and family.  That’s what he was all about.  He had a way with animals.  He could sense when the cow was sick, or when the chickens were hungry.  He knew how to grow some outstanding hay.  He knew when to cut the hay and when it was cured enough to harvest it.

Goodwater Baptist Church was a HUGE part of his and my Mother’s life.  All the people there were his extended family.  I truly didn’t mind “sharing” my father with them.

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
 You know the way to the place where I am going. John 14:2-4
I never told my earthly Father goodbye.  We always told each other “so long”.  “So long”, as in  we will be apart for a while, but then we’ll meet each other again.  My Dad is in Heaven.  I will see him again along with other friends and family.  Your friends and family will also be there.  Jesus promised us that.  He promised us that we all will be together WITH HIM!  Those are not just words.  This is how my Father and my family live.  We believe.
I will miss my Daddy.  But only for “so long”.  “So long Daddy.  I’ll see ya again!”
So long to all of you out there.  See Ya!!   Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher
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Would You Eat Here?

God's Love (spiritual food) is a Gift to All

Yep, there are 3 fly strips above the salad bar!   Flies, gnats, bugs, … critters of all kinds are stuck on the sticky tape and……….. Staci and I just lost our appetite.

We were traveling somewhere in the middle of nowhere west Texas when I got hungry.  I really enjoy driving off the beaten path.  It’s a great way to enjoy the scenery, see small towns, and even meet new people.  Most of all, it’s a great way to find small “Mom and Pop” restaurants that 9 times out of ten are exceptional with their food.

Uh Oh. This was the 10th out of ten.

We opened the door at 10:58 am.  Lunch is served, starting at 11.  Immediately upon entering we are greeted by (Vern), a man in his 50’s who is mopping up a mess.  “Come on in” was his welcome in a friendly voice.  But he quickly resumed mopping and discussing and cussing his current situation of having to clean up a mess that he himself had caused.  I’m guessing that his day wasn’t going smoothly.  Course, I really didn’t need to guess as he was diligently telling me how he hates cleaning up “messes”.  In between his cussin’ and discussin’ Staci inquires as to what food tastes good in his place………….  It couldn’t have been easier, or harder, if we had been FBI agents conducting a raid and investigation.  Every question she asked, (Vern) would beat around the bush, talk about his other foods, and continue to complain about the mopping.  What was puzzling to me was how he kept saying that we were early and that the “normal” lunch crowd would be there  any minute.  He also said that they sat at “THOSE TABLES” there.  (I can read body language, he was telling us we couldn’t sit in THOSE 5 tables because they were for the normal people, not us)

This was getting interesting.  There were three items for lunch listed on the hand written sign.  We both picked “Southern Fried Catfish”.  He said “Good choice! Now give me a few minutes to go catch ’em, then clean ’em, then cook ’em so you can then eat ’em.”  I started to volunteer to help “catch ’em”, but I was afraid to leave Staci by herself.  Ok Ok, I’ll admit it.  I was afraid to go anywhere alone with this guy.  He was beginning to give me the “Heeby Jeebys”.  This decision (mine mostly,) to stop and eat here was beginning to look like a bad idea.

The fish must not have been biting, cause it took a long time before our meal was ready.  (It’s now 11:20…. still waiting……, oh yea and there are no “normal lunch crowd” there yet.  none, nada, zip)  (Vern) does come out after a while and asks if we would like a salad while we wait.  “Sure thing” we both say.  Might as well eat a salad WHILE WE WAIT!!!

I tend to get amused when things aren’t going as pictured or planned.  Staci, well, she is welling up inside (I can tell) and will pretty soon be giving someone(VERN) a piece of her mind.  Uh oh.

Vern proudly takes us over to the salad bar.  It’s empty.  “S%&#” he yells. “Forgot to put the stuff out”.  He quickly comes back with the containers of salad bar entrees.  Salad, beans, carrots? maybe?, cole slaw, and some kind of liquidy green substance that wasn’t stirred up very well.  AND………and it all was only half filled, as  it appeared to be left overs from the night (or week) before.

First time I ever saw Staci pass on a salad!  Me, I filled my plate up with lettuce and cole slaw.  I passed on the liquidy green substance because, well it reminded me of the pond scum and moss where I had fished two days earlier.

“Not hungry, sweetie?” I asked, relishing the moment, knowing that I wouldn’t hear the end of this for a long time.

Staci had a look of dismay and disgust on her face.  “Did you see it?” she asked.  “What the pond scummy stuff”? I wondered.  “Nooooo!  The fly strips under the salad bar cover”  (time out)  Under the “sneeze guard” of the salad bar, there were three lights.  Wrapped around the lights and hanging down, were three fly strips.  They obviously were hanging down, because they were loaded, weighted down with flies, bugs, gnats, and…….. I think I saw  a grasshopper!!

No salad for her,……….. I think I’m gonna pass on that cole slaw now.

11:40  Here comes (Vern) with our fish plates.  Staci is already looking pale, nah it’s more of a bluish color.  I begin to eat the fish……….. or at least try to.  But Vern wants to know where we are from, what we are doing, who we voted for, why are we where we are.  I can’t eat for trying to talk.  It’s then that I realize Staci is striking up this conversation just so she DOESN’T HAVE TO EAT!

The fish wasn’t that bad.  At least mine wasn’t.  Staci’s pretty much remained on her plate.  She did pick at it.  Looked like a 13 year old  picking at broccoli.

I’m normally scolded by my wife for eating too fast. But today, she is quickly up from the table headed for the door, (still talking to Vern).  I stop to take a quick picture of the fly strips.  (I’m hoping (Vern) doesn’t see me).  He doesn’t, he’s too busy telling Staci how he does this, that, and the other.

I meet him at the counter to pay.  (Staci is doing her stretches which means she’s fixin’ to bolt out the door).  I wanted to ask ole boy Vern where the “normal lunch crowd” was and why we couldn’t sit at their reserved spots. (It’s now 11:50 and we are still the only ones here!!!!)   But, I knew that might be opening a new can of worms……. and in this joint there apparently were plenty of cans of worms.

Staci and I literally run out of the doors  to our car.  (Forrest Gump would have been proud).  We exchange looks at each other while sitting in the car and both of us burst out laughing.  What had we just experienced?   Dunno!

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  … James 2

What did this event teach me?  Well, the 10th out of 10 restaurants is not a place to go if you are hungry.  And friend, also this.  You yourself are on this Christian journey.  You yourself will meet others who are “spiritually hungry”.  My hope and prayer is that you (and I) will always be willing to share this Christian way of life.  I hope we don’t become “obsessed” with the mopped up messes and the critters and flies in our lives.  If we are obsessed with all the bad around us, then we can’t give the “good spiritual food” that you and I could be sharing with others.  That’s what this event taught me.

Oh, and one more thing this event taught me.  I didn’t know Staci could still run as fast as she did running out of the cafe.  40 plus years I’ve been chasing her,……… and I still can’t keep up.

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher