Tag Archives: advice

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How to Reach Out and Touch God

windmill reaching out

This windmill reaches out and turns its own direction to an invisible source to receive  power.  Power to move,  to be,  to “come alive”.

While we were traveling from Colorado back to Mississippi, I caught this picture right at daybreak.  Amazing to me how the windmill was “reaching” towards the sky.  Its blades were higher than the surrounding landscape.  This is necessary so that the windmill can pick up the air currents that are moving around it.  It’s tail points the blades in the direction that the wind is coming from.  This allows the windmill to receive the full force from the wind.  The invisible wind.  The powerful wind.  The wind that is high above the landscape here, but also close enough to give this windmill movement.  To make it come alive.

God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. 28 For in Him we live and move and have our being. 29 As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring’.  Acts 17: 27 -29

Paul is writing in this scripture about why God sent Jesus into this world.  Jesus was sent as a way for us to reach out to Him. To feel the power of God.  How do you reach out and touch God?  Well, by actually reaching out.  You have to be like this windmill.  If you stayed “on the ground” you would be distracted by…….. let’s say……. the dirt.  The wind (power) comes from above.  So try reaching for a higher power than the dirt around you.  Asking God to come into your life (to give you His power) is a big step for reaching God and His presence.

How do you know where God is?  Well, the windmill turns its direction to the invisible power by using its tail.  So, basically what I’m saying is that you need to use your “tail” (your physical body), to turn from your ways, and now constantly let it be turning to God’s way.   How many times have you said to yourself, “well, now I’ve gotten my tail in trouble again.” “My tail is in hot water this time.” “My tail got caught this time.”

Wouldn’t it be better if you could say……….. “my tail  keeps me in touch with God (just like this windmill’s).”  Also when you reach out to God, then turn “your tail” to use God’s power in your life.  This allows you to be in God’s will.  This allows you to have more power in your life than what “dirt” has to offer you. This allows you to actually feel and be in an invisible power.  This reaching out to God and changing your tail’s direction to stay with God…………. you have now  come alive spiritually !!!

Reach out and touch God with a prayer.  Reach Him in an early morning quiet time.  You and this windmill are a lot alike.  Keep your tail out of trouble and start using it to point to God.  Reach out to Jesus, He’s reaching out to you.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher, “pointing my tail in the right direction”

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When Mama Ain’t Happy ……………

mouse

Funny how such a small thing can cause a rift the size of the Grand Canyon between a loving and happy husband and wife.  In other words, we have a mouse.  Get rid of IT!  Cause if Mama ain’t happy,……… ain’t nobody happy.

Staci (Mama) was in our shop in the garage.  First of all, she shouldn’t have been in there.  It’s my man cave.  I keep all my tools there.  Also it’s where the bird feed and cat food bags are stored.  She was in there I guess looking for somewhere to put the last of the Christmas decorations.  And that’s when she saw the little fellow.  He came wigglin’ out between the cat food and bird food bags.  That girl can run!  She came in the house ranting/yelling/hollerin/ telling me in no uncertain terms that there was a mouse in the shop and that I needed to do something about it.

Silence……… Then I did it.  I said it.  “Sure honey, I’ll fix a little cardboard box for the cute little squeaky to live in.  That way he won’t have to worry about our cat.”  “Mama” then proceeds to describe this tiny creature as something you would see in those Zombie movies.  Fangs, claws, teeth and a horrendous tail.  I commented that the cat should be able to take care of this “Zombie” Rat.  She commented that the cat was worthless as a mouse catcher.  Stupid Cat!   Silence……. Then I did it.  I said it.  “Baby, don’t worry about a little mouse.  He won’t hurt anything.  What are you getting so bent out of shape about.  Here, have a snickers!”…………………………………….

Now, I’m in the doghouse.  The cat’s in the doghouse.  The dog…….. the dog is in Mama’s lap eating popcorn while they watch a movie on TV.  I on the other hand have been sent on a mission to rid our property, all 43 acres, of any and all varmints.  Stupid cat, it’s your fault.  Stupid me, it’s my fault.  Stupid mouse. It’s on now.

Traps are set.  Feed bags are tied up and put in Tupperware containers. But the rift has been created and I’m not sure what will lead to a successful outcome to this catastrophic event for “Mama”.   I actually catch one. I  consider this a success.  Mission accomplished.  The cat and I are celebrating and dancing.  Hive fives and paws.  I bust in the house with the good news.  We Got Him!

But this is for “Mama”.  When you “solve” the first problem, i.e. catching the mouse, you  hear this.  “I bet there’s more where he came from.  They are probably even in the house.”  ” Go set more traps…. and quit jumping around dancing with the cat“.

Silence………. Then I did it. I said it.   I said “Yes M’am.”  Hey I’m getting smarter.  Smarter than that stupid cat anyways.

Ephesians 4:2,3  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

When mama or daddy, or brother, or sister, ain’t happy…….. could this be an opportunity for you?  An opportunity for you to put forth a little effort to keep this unity of the Spirit going in the right direction.  Better than allowing a rift to develop.  I’ve noticed that lot’s of times when something trivial turns into a big problem, it’s because other trivial problems have built up inside.  I’ve noticed that in others because I’ve noticed that in me.

Let me challenge you to make an effort to keep the peace.  Go out of your way sometimes to help someone in their situations.  And learn to say “Yes M’am”.

p.s.  Sweet potatoe fries make a good mouse bait.  Caught 4……  Mission Accomplished……….Mama’s happy……. “Yes Ma’m”

See Ya!    Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher, log cabin builder, successful trapper

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I agreed with the Atheist, and then……

bible - food for the heart

Last week, I was an extra on the movie set again near Baton Rouge.  My role this day is to be a Confederate soldier.  Being an extra in any movie requires a lot of “hurry up and get ready, then wait “.  All the extras were told to wait in building #2 (basically a huge circus tent).  What’s the reason I’m being in the movies ( three so far) as an extra?  It’s on my bucket list.  I want to see the “behind the scenes” activities of the movie industry, and to meet people that I wouldn’t normally meet. Today I met the Atheist!

O, he was a nice guy, but from the get go he was wanting me to know how and what he thought.  We were sitting across from each other (waiting) so I struck up a conversation.  Just small talk.  Where do you live?  Why are you being an extra in the movie?  Wife? Kids? etc.etc.  Then when I said that I was a preacher he changed gears on me.  Like going from 1st gear in an old Ford pickup to grinding them gears all the way to overdrive in a Mac dump truck.  He was loaded for bear.  I was in the line of fire and he let me have it with both barrels.

His conversation went from normal to a very loud.  He changed from his Cajun accent(which I liked) to a California accent.  He must have picked this up from his days at University of California, Berkeley.  I know all this because he told me where he came from.  He also told me how he is known for his intelligence, his ability to understand anything from business models, to structures related to polymer something or another.  Also he let me know he is extremely proficient with communication.  I interrupted him long enough to say that I definitely believe him. (But I’m wishing that he wasn’t “communicating” so loud….. 4 other guys around me have been drawn into his communicating because he’s loud enough for them to hear). I also let him know that I have trouble communicating sometimes.  Why, I even get tongue tied when ordering at the Mcdonald’s drive thru.  I’m not sure he hears me,….. he is too busy “communicating”.

I’ll save you guys some time.  He basically was telling me his educational background, and his intellectual accomplishments to give him the authority to say this to me.  “Preacher I don’t believe in your God!”

He shares that as a child, he was active in the Catholic Church.  But he quit going and now…….. Well, let me give a shorter version of what he said.  “You people believe in a God.  A god who keeps up with all that you do wrong.  He then punishes you for being disobedient.  You aren’t supposed to do this or that.  You can’t hang around certain people because you think you are  better than them.  You think that if you are good enough that your god will reward you.  You people spend your whole life scared of what a god will do to you.  You people are not smart enough to question anything.  You follow a God because  other people tell you to do it.  Besides if you did ask a question about anything in life, your religious leaders or God himself would tell you to “shut up””.

TIME OUT  While this guy is talking I can sense that he is definitely a man with a very high intellect. But I also sense that he is now talking from his heart, not just his head.  And his heart is hurting.  I say a quick prayer, “Lord help me, I don’t know what to say.”   He finishes his remarks by saying, “That’s why I don’t believe in God.  Who needs it?  Why live your life afraid of all you do wrong and worried about trying to do right?”

And then the unthinkable happened………….    “I agree with you“, was my reply. ” You have expressed your thoughts very well.  In fact I will say it myself.  I don’t believe in a God like that”.

I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.   Jeremiah 24:7

“The God that I know is a living loving God who dwells inside of me.  I see God and His Glory in all things, especially the outdoors.  My God is a forgiving God.  There is no list of Bad things I do.  My Heavenly Father doesn’t punish me, but he disciplines me because He loves me. (I know, this takes time to comprehend).  I stay away from certain things of this world for my own good.  I’m learning to love everyone.  Religion may shun my questions about life, but not my Lord and Saviour.  Each day is another mystery full of questions that I’m blessed to live through. How and why Jesus came to this Earth for me and you is something I can’t explain to you in a way that your intellect would understand.  (I can’t even explain it to myself.)  The God you don’t believe in, you know of him and about him in your head.  My God that I do believe in, I know Him in my heart.”

I’m sharing from my heart.  He’s listening from his head.  I never know how well that works, but I continued.  “I can’t argue with a man of your intelligence.    There is a God.  You know of him and about him in your head.  My God that I do believe in, I know Him in my heart.  Where and how do the words faith and trust exist in your life?”  He stopped talking and you could tell he was in deep thought.  His reply, “I’ll have to ponder and think on what you’ve said.”

That’s where our conversation ended.  There is a part of me that wonders if our chance meeting was for him,….. or for me. There is a part of me that wonders if each and every day the chance meetings, the opportunities, the problems, the situations, the moments of every day life are for me and for you.  Just in case, I’ll live each day living and learning from my heart.