Category Archives: popular

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Don’t Let Your Heart Grow Cold and Bitter

How God Keeps Your Heart "Warm"

Merry Christmas!  And then you hear “Bah, Humbug!”  Well, that’ll just ruin your day.

My, my, you’ve got the Christmas Spirit.  You’re wanting to spread joy and good tidings, (and hot chocolate).  Then after a day of seeing scrooges, hearing all the bad, (spilling the hot chocolate and COFFEE!!) you’re ready to give up.

Your heart that was warm and toasty is now beginning to get cold, it’s turning bitter, it’s growing numb……… your heart is turning hard.   That’s what happens when exposed to the cold ,cold world.  You better find a way to “warm things back up”.

This is how I “warm things up” in the log house we’re building.  See all those pipes, tubings, pumps, electrical dodads.  Well, that’s infloor heating for ya!  The pipes are going through the concrete floors warming the floors up.  This radiates to me and you in the room.  It’s comfortable.  It’s warm.  It’s a pleasure especially when it was -9 degrees outside.  When Mike the plummer was explaining to me how it worked………… well, he must have seen my eyes glaze over.  He’s explaning how the boiler heats the water and the computer gizmo activates the valveamabob.  Then the whatchamacallit releases the thingamado………….shoot,….. my head is still hurtin’ from all the info.

So finally Mike says, “Just trust me, all you need to do is work the thermostat.  If you’re cold turn it up!”   Hey, I can understand that!!!  If I get cold, just turn it up.  Easy enough.

So, when you and I start feeling cold spiritually, do we “turn up the thermostat”?  Sounds easy enough.  But for some strange reason, (probably that we are human), we tend to stay in our own little world and grow cold.  Then grow colder.  Then grow bitter, then stone cold, then HARD!!

 

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;   you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused;   they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,  understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. Matthew 13:13-15

What Jesus is saying here is “I will heal you”.  He will make our lives better.  We hear but don’t understand. (Mike the plummer just as well to have been Jesus because I was hearing, but I sure ’nuff wasn’t understanding!!!)

Ok, how do we HEAR from God??   By Believing and trusting!  There are those two little words again.  Seems like they are always somewhere close by when it comes to taking a Christian journey in this world.  I can’t see or understand with my own eyes.  But, if I use my Heavenly Father’s eyes it gives me a whole new vision.  It restores my soul.  It warms my heart.  It gives me back my Christmas Spirit.  The true C H R I S T mas Spirit.

“Lord, I know sometimes these true stories I share with readers are really simple.  But you speak to me with these everyday happenings.  I’m asking that You speak to the one reading this prayer.  Give them the gift of seeing with Your eyes.  Give them a moment when they feel your presence in an everyday activity of their own.  Keep their heart from growing cold.  Let an opportunity happen today when they feel your “warmth” in their heart.  Amen”

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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The Prayer Chair

Praying to see and hear God

This is my “prayer chair”.  Can you see the mountains in the view behind? No?,…. neither can I.  That’s why I need a prayer chair.

Every morning before all the construction guys get here, I take a moment for just me and God.  I like sitting in the prayer chair and looking at the mountain view.  Except, this morning I can’t see the mountains.  I know they are still there, I just don’t see them.  Most mornings, I can actually hear the wind and waterfalls from across the valley.  Not this morning.  I don’t hear a thing.  I guess the clouds and fog are blocking my view.  I know the mountains are still there.  Something has come between me and “my” mountains.

You would think that something as BIG as 14,000 ft tall mountains would never disappear.  But something comes in between me and “my” mountains.  Maybe it’s low flying clouds.  Or smoke,…… or dust,……or rain.  What ever the reason, those majestic mountains become hidden from our view.  I know they are there, I just can’t see or hear them.

“My” God and I have a close relationship.  I cherish it.  But some days, I feel that I’m not seeing or hearing from Him.  I know He’s there.  It’s just that the “clouds”, “dust”, “rain”, and “smoke” of this life get in my way of seeing and hearing from God.  I bet you have trouble with your “hearing and seeing” from God too, huh?

You would think that someone as BIG, Mighty, and Majestic as God could never disappear…….  We all know that He’s still there.  It’s just that our view is  being blocked.  Matter of fact, on this day I actually drove my 4-wheeler over into the mountains.  Being on the mountain top itself there was no smoke or clouds to deal with.  It reminded me of why I first came to Colorado and traveled to these mountains  To be what God created me to be.  It was a time of refreshing for me.  A time to BE closer to my God.  Being on and in these mountains makes me more aware of God’s presence in my very own life.

My prayer time is my way of keeping my view clear so I can see and hear from God.  Things in life that I have no control over seem to constantly get in my way of “the view”.  Thus the constant battle of staying close to God.  Prayer has a way of flowing through the “smoke” and “clouds”.

Let your prayer constantly be one of seeing and hearing from God.  Even when life throws all the “smoke” and “clouds” your way.  Let your prayer time with God be your “4 wheeler” that brings your spirit back to the mountain top with Him.  Prayer is a vehicle we use to stay close to our Heavenly Father.  Happy Ridin’ partner!!

I will lift up my mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help comes from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.  Psalm 121:1-2

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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How I Know God Pulled Me to Colorado

The wilderness preacher's spiritual journey

To get to this most beautiful place you must break through the fence or better yet, head for the open gate!

About 4 or 5 years ago, I was facing a fence that couldn’t be crossed.  I was fed up with church/religion.  Sick mentally, physically, and spiritually from all the “going thru the motions”, the “I’m fine”, the “play church, it’s good enough for me” crowd.  Sharing with you from a person level here……and hoping it makes sense and that you will relate to it.

No, I wasn’t burnt out, I wanted to be on fire!  I wasn’t sick of people walking around and acting like they are dead, I wanted Me and them to come alive with this Christian way of life.  I wasn’t tired of hearing/talking/reading about Jesus in church, but I wanted more than a history lesson.  I wanted more. I wanted a living, loving, real relationship with my Lord and Saviour.  So I asked God could I have one.  I said a MOST POWERFUL prayer to receive this spiritual awakening.

Here it is.  I said, “Lord, HELP me!”   ……… and HE did!!

Out of the blue, I felt a pulling to go to a “men’s retreat”.  (I know now, God had a hand in all this, but at the time I was just seeking answers.)  The Noble Heart had this calling retreat.  Their goal, “helping you realize the life you are designed to live that brings life to others”.  Being what God created you to be!  That’s what I’m talking about!

So, at the “What’s Your Calling” session we had to gather pictures of things that we had a passion for.  Naturally all mine were outdoor pictures, a few pics of family…………… and a picture of two young girls.  Why did I pick that picture?  Well, it haunted me because from their body language I could tell they didn’t want to be there.  Someone was making them sit for the picture. They were being made to sit, stay, do something that they were not the least bit interested in.  They had cute faces, but that didn’t hide the scowl, nor the fact that they were wanting to be somewhere else.  And this……. it reminded me of ME in my church activities.  (Lightning hasn’t struck yet, so keep reading.)

I was asked a most troubling question at this retreat. (shout out to Jeff) Jeff asked me, “Tell us your story.”  HUH??  “Tell us what God is doing in your life, how you live each day being what God has created you to be.”

I’m fifty something at the time.  I’m an answer man at church.  I can quote scripture, give advice, have a prayer for you, tell you what you may be needing to hear.  But tell MY story.  I’ve never been asked to do this.  I broke down.

I broke down because I realized that for the first time in my spiritual life it’s not what I DO.  It’s what I BE.  I have lived my whole life doing good things, helping others, etc,etc.  But now Jeff, Gary, Sam, Ralph, and the other men are being used by God to help me. Help me to understand. My simple but powerful prayer was being answered.  God was more interested in a relationship with little ole me than the list of “good” things I was doing.

Jeff suggested that I get away.  “Religion”, not the true Christian walk had poisoned me.  I agreed.   So did God.

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.  The Lord is with me…….  Psalm 118: 5-6 NIV  

Yep, That’s how I know God called me to Colorado.  You can’t get anymore spacious than that.  But what God did and continues to do for me spiritually is this…………….. He left the gate open!!!!   Woo hoo….Yea boy!

   

Spiritually, I had to come to Colorado so I could concentrate on BEING with God. (not so much on the doing).  I experienced true Christian Love at Horn Creek church camp.  I had a one on one discussion with my Lord and Saviour in an 1800’s era outhouse of all places.  (Best worship service ever for me!)

But most of all, I came ALIVE!!!  I wanted more out of my marriage, my work, my everything.  It wasn’t anything I did, it was all God and His love for me.

So,………. is there a fence between you and a Truly living, loving relationship with Christ?  What’s keeping you back from this abundant life?  It’s a big bad fence, I know, six strands of barbed wire, electric, with razor wire too.  But friend, hear me…….. God knows where the gate is,……and He’s leaving it open for ya!!!  What are you waiting for?

You may not physically be pulled to Colorado like I was, but I’m bettin’ you need God to get you to a most “spacious place”.  That for you could be on the back porch, the woods out back, that favorite tree.  Maybe it’s just beside the coffee pot.  Somewhere where you can feel God’s presence. God’s a lot bigger (and spacious) than we truly let Him BE! Go where you feel His Love, His Will.  It’s where You can just BE!   Then all the doing will fall into place.  And the best part about all that Doing!  It’s all done on the other side of the gate!!!! 

See Ya!!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, living in a spiritually spacious place!