Tag Archives: a step onward and upward

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Happy Year of New

Happy Year of New

Happy Year of New   Celebrating and shooting fireworks with the family!

Well Happy New Year!!!   Or better yet, Happy Year of New!!!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

We’ve just celebrated Christmas.  I’m rejoicing over the fact that God sent His Son for everyone including me and you.  He came to BE with us two thousand years ago.  He came to BE with us today.  He will continue to BE with us forever.   Oh yeah, you have to BE in Christ as well.  To Be or not to Be, that is the question.

By choosing to be in Christ, you have made the decision to live your life because of, for, and with Jesus.  It’s a spiritual thing, so it’s not easily understood.  It’s more of a Being in life than it is a doing of life.  That’s why I love this scripture.  It gives me meaning to what I’m being and doing while here on this Earth.  Accepting the Christian way of life allows you to see/live/be using God as your compass.  As a Christian you view people more from the inside than what they show on the outside.  You view your hard times and difficult journeys with the knowledge that Christ is right there with you.  You have hope.  You have joy.  You have a realization that EVERYTHING that you face both good and bad is to be experienced from a totally different point of view.  A NEW view.  It’s not like the world looks at things.  It’s not like how you looked at things even in your past.  This new view of life and how you see yourself is from God.  It’s a way of life that has been designed by God Himself.  A way of life that ultimately gives the Glory of your life, (yes you have a glory of your own), to honor and give glory to God up above.

There are copycats out there that want you to do as they do.   Positive thinking, meditation, sacrificial living, religious activities, etc., etc., but friends aren’t these all things activities that you DO?  They may be fine and dandy, but I want MORE out of life.  I WANT MORE!!!  I want to BE what God has created me to BE!  I want to be that new creature that gets to live/see/BE my own life.  I choose to use God as my Compass.

A friend, (shout out to Gary!), gave me a compass as a gift this Christmas.  That made my day!!  This compass will remind me to keep on course, the true course.  God Himself gives us a gift of all things becoming new.  All Things!!!  That just made my year!

So how can you truly live? Live by not just doing as a Christian, but BEING a Christian.  How?  This age old hymn says it best:

When we walk with the Lord in the Light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our way!

while we do His good will, He abides/lives with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to BE happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

See Ya!

Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher, celebrating the year of NEW!

 

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Until the day I die, as for me and my LOG house……….

model of new cabin

The cabin in the background was built by me 30 years ago.  I told 100 people back then that I was going to build it myself. Ninety five of those people told me “you can’t build a log cabin”, “you don’t know what your doing”, “you’re not strong enough” and on and on. Those people were right except for the “can’t ” part.  Well, I showed them didn’t I?

See, I didn’t know what I was doing, I wasn’t strong enough.  However…….., God gave me a talent of being able to read a book, and use this for learning…. always learning.  From a book I learned how to move 1200 pound logs with ropes and pulleys by literally using one hand.  There is no such word as can’t.  Say it with me out loud…..There is no such word as CAN”T!

It’s surprising to me that this cabin was built 30 years ago.  Not surprising that it was built, but that it’s now been 30 years.  Lots of great memories, family times, and most definitely a spiritual place for me.  Why did I build it?  Well, the challenge was there.  I needed to prove to myself that I could do it.  (And yes, I wanted to prove to all those who said “I can’t”).  But the main driving force was this.  I needed something physical to show what my spiritual being was about.  The cabin has been my passion, my love for the outdoors, my desire to build it myself, the beginnings of wilderness preacher. All these traits in my life came from my Lord up above.  I used them for my own life, but at the same time to give honor and Glory to God.  It’s called serving Him.  It has been rewarding.  How?  By allowing my spiritual being trapped in this body to actually make me “feel alive“.  That’s why there is a cabin in my life.  I wanted to “feel alive” before I die.

So, what passions, desires, motivations, or yearnings does your spiritual being want You and Your physical body to do and/or be before you die?….. Well,…….Ah…… You don’t have any?  Then you’re already dead.  Sorry to be as blunt as a grizzly bear attack, but “you dead!”  Spiritually, you’re dead.  Now you’re just waiting on your physical body to catch up.

……… Choose whom you will serve……. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Joshua wrote this to make a stand.  He was now on old warrior.  But he wanted all the people to know that EVERYTHING he is, owned or had influence with would be serving the Lord.  Now that’s commitment.  That’s taking a powerful stand.

Back to you now with those passions, desires, motivations, and yearnings.  You go find out from your spiritual “heart and soul” what it takes for you to come “alive”.  With God’s help live this way until you die whether it’s 3 days, 33 weeks, or 35 more years!!  Your passion may be your children, your garden, your guitar.  Your desires may be to help others, to build something.  Your motivations may be with charities and church.  Your yearnings may be to read the Bible, to connect with other Christian warriors.  Any and all of these will cause you and your physical being to “come alive” in  a way that is only brought on by the spiritual.

Over these past thirty years my hair has thinned and grayed.  I’m getting old….. like Joshua.  I am a Christian warrior….Hey, like Joshua.  OK, Joshua and I have got something else goin’.  I’m joining him to make a stand.  Everything I am, all I own, and whatever influence I may have with others I will do and be so that I can serve the Lord. I make this commitment before you my friends.

How do you serve the Lord? By becoming “alive”! Take those passions and yearnings that’s been given to you by God and use them to Honor and Glorify God!  That’s serving God Joshua style! What about you? Can you be a Joshua or a Joshuette?

What’s next for me as the wilderness preacher?  Well ONE of the things that my physical body will be doing  to give  more spiritual meaning and insights to me is to build a new log house.  Why you say?  I’m already hearing the “can’t ” crowd as I share my plans.  “You can’t build a log house, you’re too old, it won’t be good enough, why bother”, etc, etc.  Oh yeah, expect to hear from the “Can’t crowd” as you pursue your own passions, desires, and yearnings.

Choose this day who you will serve (the Can’t Crowd?), but as for me and my LOG house we will serve the Lord!!!!!!

1st log to be cut and the model of the log house

1st log to be cut and the model of the log house

See Ya!    Dan Ainsworth wildernesspreacher, log home builder

 

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Plowing a Hard Heart

plowing hard ground/heart

What was a beautiful garden with corn, potatoes, and squash is now nothing but hard dirt.  So hard it won’t let the refreshing rains in……….so hard that is, until I plow it using the turning plow.

Boy, I timed it just right too.  Two days after plowing, a rain came and soaked this plot of land.  Instead of running off because of the hard crusted soil, the water soaked in. I’m already preparing for next spring’s crop of early corn and ‘taters’. (My mouth is watering just thinking about that corn on the cob).  Turning the soil over allows it to mellow and absorb moisture.  Turning the soil will get rid of bugs and weeds.  It allows old corn stalks and old growth to become one with the soil.  Turning the soil basically allows what was once a prepared  garden to go from a hard patch of dirt back to a ………..well, a prepared patch of garden.  This turning of the soil is so important in maintaining a productive plot of land.  Why?  It keeps the soil from becoming hard.

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.  Hosea 10:12

We are always talking about how God showers us with His blessings. I guess it’s like the rainfall that showers down on the land. But what if your heart has hardened?  My garden that produced a wonderful crop last year has gradually hardened over time because of my neglect.  I didn’t take care of it.  Weeds took over, the summer sun baked it, more weeds, more harsh weather, and lots of neglect on my part.  But with the help of my turning plow, that’s about to change.

I’d hate for all the winter rains and spring showers to fall down on the land but runoff because my garden plot had grown hard.  Whoa, I’d hate for God’s showers of blessings to rain down on me and you but we missed out and didn’t receive them because we had grown hard spiritually.  Our hearts can grow hard.   How?  When we neglect to “turn our hearts” so that we can receive from God.  Over time, from daily spiritual battles, from spiritual “weeds”, we grow hard.  If we allow this to continue and neglect to prepare a place to receive God’s blessings in our hearts and lives, well……..we miss out.

Hey, it’s raining!  Is God soaking in or is He not allowed to come in to your life because you have become hard again. It just rained and you didn’t even get wet.  Nothing soaked in.  It all rolled off like it was on a duck’s back.  You’re a hard hearted soul.  Bummer.

Get you a “turning plow” and prepare yourself to receive a blessing from God.  How do you “turn your heart” to prepare for this?  Maybe your “turning plow” is a song you can sing.  Or maybe you “break up the hard dirt” by prayer.  Or you break up your hard heart by talking to/with Jesus,  maybe nothing more than a quiet time alone with Him. What ever “turning plow”  you use, you better use it.  God’s got another shower of blessings on the way.  Preparing your heart to receive anything from God allows your soul to become a prepared garden that will yield abundant fruit for your Lord and Saviour.  I can taste the spiritual “corn on the cob” even now.