Category Archives: Steps Along This Journey

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Dealing With Woodpeckers

When Your Heart's Being Torn Apart From the Inside

Woodpeckers!!!  A devil’s bird for sure right?  This destructive bird has not only come to my log home, but is actually INSIDE the house!!!  He is physically destroying a 2 by 6 piece of lumber.  Not a log, mind you.  Not a piece of wood on the outside of the house.  Nope, He flies into my house (windows are not installed yet).  C’mon bird.  You know there is nothing in a kiln dried factory machined piece of lumber.  No bugs to eat there.  No place to construct (or destruct) a hole to live in.  You are just using your talents and abilities to destroy.  I’m a big outdoorsman, a nature lover, and have a love for animals (and birds),  BUT,…… I have to stop you from destroying me and my log house from the inside out.

In today’s society, we hear a lot about how we must all get along,….. how we need to be tolerant.  I need to be tolerant of your beliefs, your way of life, your activities, your opinions, and your way of living your own life.  At the same time, you need to be tolerant of me.

Hey, just because I like Mississippi State football, or hunting, or eating cake mix raw, or that I refuse spicy foods,….. you have to be tolerant of me!  OK?

Or, because I am a believer in Christ, you can’t ask me to be tolerant of you and then you proceed to tear apart my Christian way of life.  If you want tolerance and acceptance and open-mindedness from me,…… well, shouldn’t this be a two way street from you too?

Back to ole woody woodpecker.  I’m tolerant of this creature.  I will actually put out a special bird feeder for him.  To make a bird feeder for woodpeckers (and lots of other birds as well), Take a log, drill lots of holes in it, and put peanut butter and suet in the holes.  They go crazy over this type of feeder.  I personally get a kick out of watching them.  Hard to understand that I love to bird watch (including woodpeckers)?  Well, you’ll just have to tolerate me tolerating the woodpeckers in my yard.

Here’s where I draw the line.  When the woodpecker that I tolerate at my bird feeder comes into my home and begins destroying me and my log house, it’s game on then.  Tolerance and acceptance does not mean that I allow you to destroy me (even if it’s just one peck at a time).

I’ll set up an owl decoy.  This usually works and scares them off.  A rubber snake set up in the window can deter them from staying.  A picture of a cat, wind chimes, blowing pieces of sparkly paper,……. and finally the BB gun.

How did I get rid of this particular woodpecker?  Well, remember I said that he was coming inside the house?  I installed the window through which he was flying in.  I also removed all labels from said window.  Shined it up until it was spotless and you could see through it like it wasn’t there at all.  I pictured this bird flying back to his area of destruction, except this time he’s got a big headache from flying into a pane of glass that wasn’t there before.

Can you picture that?  Bam!!  Woody woodpecker crashes into glass!  Dazed and confused, he flies off never to fly into that window again.  ‘, scuse me for a moment,………  bahahahahehehohohaha(snort) hhahahaaaa(snort)(cough)agghhhahah(gag)(choke)hohohehehhehahaha.  That’s funny I don’t care who you are!  I also laugh at videos of squirrels on bird feeder, or dogs and especially cats falling down!!!!  Got a problem with that?  Then you need to be more tolerant of us folks that enjoy a good laugh.

 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  2 Timothy 1:7

This subject of being tolerant is a sticky subject I’ll agree.  This world needs more understanding (from all sides).  The world needs more love (God’s Love).  I have chosen to tolerate.  I will tolerate to the point of being uncomfortable (with myself).  But Christ living in me is (my window).  I will see the world through Him.  I will see the world as He sees, and He will also protect me.  This relationship with Jesus Christ that I have is very personal.  It’s not just looking at the window (Christ), but it’s allowing the “window” to let me see a view of the world as He sees it.  It’s also allowing “the window” to protect me from the world (cold, wind, storms,……… and woodpeckers!)

(Window where woodpecker formally came in)

See Ya!!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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Magnify Your Lord

actually feeling like you're right there with God

Pretty picture, that’s for sure!  Now let’s zoom in and magnify what’s seen.

Wow!  When I looked through Jamie’s (my daughter’s) camera, she had the zoom lens on.  The camera magnified the image so that I felt like I was actually there!  So,………if I magnify what I’m focused on, it will become even more clear to me.  Vivid even!  Bam!! There’s a spiritual lesson in this photography lesson if ever I’ve seen one!

What’s so special to me is that I have been on the tops of these mountains.  Now with the help of a zoom lens, I can get (even closer) to these special places.  By magnifying what I’m focusing on, I now see a clearer more meaningful picture.

 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.Psalm 34:3

God is already bigger than any mountain.  Magnifying Him doesn’t make Him any bigger.  It just makes me see MORE of Him. (Also makes me see LESS of me.  Also makes me see less of my whiny problems, my shortcomings, my insecurities, and most of all my own doubts)

By magnifying and focusing more on my Lord, I’m not hiding my head in the sand.  Instead I’m lifting my head for guidance, seeking His love to share with others.

Once more……….O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.Psalm 34:3

He’s My All, My Everything     song by Jack Woodson and Dan A

There’s trouble in this world today, it comes from all around.

We’ve got so many questions, the answers can’t be found.

Well maybe we should turn to God, He’ll help us find our way.

He’ll give us love, He’ll share His joy, and we can proudly say- ay-aaay

He’s my Saviour, Lord and King. He’s my all my everything.  I just want to let the whole world know.  He’s my Saviour Lord and King, He’s my all my everything. Just let Him in your heart.  Give Him control.

Now I got to tell you this one thing, and you better believe it’s true.

If you don’t know my Jesus, then you’re singing with the Blues.

Cause if you don’t have Him my friend, You’re goin’ the wrong way.

But if you know Christ as your Lord, then you can proudly say-ay-aaay!

He’s my Saviour, Lord and King. He’s my all my everything.  I just want to let the whole world know.  He’s my Saviour Lord and King, He’s my all my everything. Just let Him in your heart.  Give Him control.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. It saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.

Those words were written long ago, in an age that’s past away.

But the message that those words contain, grows stronger ever day-ay-aaay!

He’s my Saviour, Lord and King. He’s my all my everything.  I just want to let the whole world know.  He’s my Saviour Lord and King, He’s my all my everything. Just let Him in your heart.  Give Him control.

(If you want a copy of this song recorded with the music, send me an e-mail or message)  See Ya!!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

 

 

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Too Full of Joy to Die

How to LIVE! When You Are Dying

Meet Jim!  He should have been dead 3 times by now.  He has been battling Pancreatic Cancer for 2 plus years.  Yep, He’s been given the death sentence from doctors and lab tests.  But,…..an even more powerful event is going on with Jim.  He’s been given a life sentence by God,……. a life sentence filled with JOY and PEACE.

Jim truly lives each minute of every day by seeking joy while here on this Earth.  I’ve honestly come to realize that Jim is seeking joy, but joy is seeking Jim wherever he goes.

Several years ago,I asked him what changed in his life when he was given the “dreaded news” of Cancer.  My particular question was, “Did you start praying”?  Did you start praying HARDER???”  He told me that since he was already a praying man, that nothing really changed, he just planned on keeping on praying as he has always done.  Wow, a man walking with God through thick and thin.

Something else from Jim.  “When you lose your future you no longer dwell on the past, that leaves only the present. ” (That’s deep thinking for me and you, but it’s deep living for Jim.

He’s explained to me that since his life “is over” he devotes his time and energy to restore, to renew, to rebuild others.  He gets such a deep sense of joy from living like this. What a way of truly living your life.  I’d of never thought of living that way.  Living your life helping others,……. just like Jesus would do.  Oh, wait, that’s called living like a Christian.

And this subject of DEATH.  I deal with it like every body else in the good ole USA.  I never think about it, …..act as if it will never happen to me.

Jim explained it to me this way.  Dan, (insert your name here _______), dying for me will be like this.  I’ll cross a bridge on my journey that I’ve not crossed before.  YOU CAN’T CROSS IT WITH ME!  Not just yet anyways.  Crossing this bridge will seem like a big step for you.  But for me it’s just a  continuing of my journey.

Jim is a strong believer in Christ.  He tells me he doesn’t intend to live like he is dying.  That’s so obvious Jim, my friend.  You inspire others more than you will ever know.

Hey!  You folks out there reading this.  Do you want to talk with Jim yourself?  Are you dying from a dreaded disease?  Are you running out of time because of something this world has thrown at you and into your life?  I’ll give you Jim’s phone number.  He can restore the joy into your life just by talking and sharing with you.  He seriously doesn’t have the time.  But what time God gives him, he turns around and gives to others.

I’m glad God placed Jim in my path on my Christian journey.  I’m fighting things of this world that try to steal my joy.  Big things like a flat tire, delays, spilling my coffee, a deer hitting my truck.  These things are stealing my joy.   I feel like such a pansy.  Instead of whining about losing my joy, maybe, like Jim, I should be growing it more!!

Jim is fighting, no battling, no Jim is LIVING his life in a way that his JOY is increased each day.  LIVE ON JIM!!!   You inspire me as well as all around you.

You have not only have you brought joy into my life.  God Himself has been pleased by you.  Your Heavenly Father is pleased with His child named Jim.  You give Him joy by how you live.  Well done!!

John 11:25  Jesus said…… he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live…

We will meet you again on the other side.  The journey will continue…….

 

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher (filled with joy)