Tag Archives: Being God’s Creation

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The Dark Side

bat

Working in my log barn, I moved a plank from the wall and noticed a small furry fluffy thing.  It was asleep(hibernating).  When I placed it into the sunlight it quickly warmed up and turned into this nasty little creature.  (Nice teeth you have there fellow.)

bat teeth

He’s been hiding in my log barn all this time.  I’ve been putting my snacks right there all this time.  Been sitting right there.  I sure won’t be doing that anymore.  Look, I’m really not afraid of bats.  They are pretty neat at what they do, flying at night catching and eating insects, (that’s what those teeth are for).  But I don’t think I want one sittin’ by me when I’m eating my snacks.  I also don’t think I need a bat hiding in my house or barn.  Let him find a home in a hollow tree or cave.  Now I’m aware that there may be others hiding in my barn.

Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” Isaiah 29:15

It got me thinking about what else may be hiding in my barn.  Then that’s when I got to thinking about what may be “hiding” in my own life and spiritual journey.  I wouldn’t have seen it was a bat until I brought him out into the light.  The same goes for some of our plans and deeds.  Surely you don’t plan on anything evil or bad.  But it’s the dark side so who is going to know or see?

Maybe it’s best to bring our plans and deeds out into the light.  God’s light.  Then we can see what it truly is, (and if there are teeth to look out for).  Too, too, many times we Christians (yes, me too) have gotten into situations where we later said “I didn’t know it was going to turn out like this…….  I didn’t think no one would know…….. It seemed like a good idea at the time……”

How can you use God’s Light?  It’s when we lean on God’s direction and guidance.  That’s what I mean by God’s light.  Just that simple, small, but POWERFUL prayer, “Lord help me” can be uttered before any situation or circumstance.   Then you are following in His light rather than in the darkness.  What’s in the darkness  can cause hurt and pain.  Let God’s light shine in your life.  Let your own light shine in this world!!

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, “Batman”

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Nothing to Worry About

Let’s learn a lesson from these birds.  They DON’T worry!

Where will their food come from?  Well the last few days they have dined at the “All You Can Eat Buffet Outside Dan and Staci’s Window”.  The bird feeder for short.  It’s finally turned cold here in Mississippi, but the birds continue to thrive.  Where will they stay?  They find perches and roosts in shelters provided by trees and shrubs.  Notice though, that they do work, they do hustle, they are full of activity to continue living their lives.  They also are BEING what God has created them to be.

What are they not doing?  Sitting on the couch watching “I love Lucy” or maybe watching “Keeping up with the whoevers”.  What I’m saying is that they are not watching the world go by, waiting on a handout.  If my feeder goes empty, or my dancing cat decides to stay too close to the feeder, they move on.  They search for their next meal.  If you yourself can be classified as a “hard-working, and honest” citizen, then you can relate to them.

Your situation may sometimes change.  Job changes, health reasons, weather, and many more reasons are out there that affect your hard working and honest attempts at keeping the food on the table.  That’s when you feel as if your “feeder has gone empty or a stupid cat of some kind has taken over your activities”.

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)  Do Not Worry     25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Don’t worry. Easier said than done, right?  Those bills need paying, right?  But what the scripture is telling us here is that worrying doesn’t help one bit.  It actually harms.  It allows those doubt monsters to come in.  It allows the”what ifs” to come between you and God.  Things that can become even more harmful than the “cats” that cause problems in your life in the first place.

You are valuable to your Heavenly Father.  Very valuable.  It’s not because of who you are.  It’s because of who HE is!

I enjoy the beauty of these birds.  I’m in joy over the fact that God considers you and me valuable to Him.

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, bird whisperer

 

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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!