Tag Archives: Being God’s Creation

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Give Thanks, No Matter Your Situation………Seriously??????

ontarket1

You’ve got problems.  You’ve got bad times, and here I am telling you it’s best to give thanks.  Hear me out before you tune me out.  Believe me, I’m hurting along with you.  Many of you are hurting, (and have shared with me your hurts).

In the picture above, I’m doing my best to stay on target.  That splash you see directly in front of the camera is my fly hitting the water.  That’s a bad thing.  It’s not going as planned or as it should.  The purpose of fishing a fly is to hit the target with a gentle throw of the rod and line.  The fly is then supposed to gracefully land on the water as if it were a real live fly.  Not go SPLAT!!  But hey, made the cast and went through all the motions to make it right.  Did I say I went through the motions?  Uh Oh, I’m goin’ through the motions………

Take a breath, count to 10, realize that a day fishin’ is better than a day doin’ anything.  I need to give thanks.  Thank You, Lord.  Thanks for the outdoors, thanks for this opportunity to fish.  Now all of a sudden it seems that I’m not just “goin’ through the motions”, but I’m actually “in the groove.  No more Splat! on the water.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 1 Thessalonians 5:12 -22 KJV

How does this relate to you and what’s going wrong in your life?  Take a look at this version from the Message.

16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 

Those of you out there facing big problems, this fishing example is a feeble attempt to help us understand what this scripture is pointing out.  I should apologize for the feeble attempt, but I will never apologize for what this scripture says.  Give thanks, for this is what God wants.  No, no, don’t give thanks for being in the hospital (Splat), or struggling with a job (Splat), or hurtful relationship (Splat) or current bad event in your life (Splat, splat ,splat).  Don’t look for someone else who is having a worse time than you so that you can say, “Well, it could be worse.  At least I’m not like ole so and so……  But instead, look to God.  Stay on target.

Splat happens.  When it causes us to “go through the motions”, life just got less meaningful.  If we stay on target, life takes on new meaning.  Folks, we are all a  spiritual being living in a temporary physical body.  Yet, we don’t seem to live that way lots of times do we?

It’s Thanksgiving!  Be cheerful (stay on target).  Pray (helps with that target thing).  Thank God no matter what happens (He is the target).

         Lord I pray now for my friends that have Splat going on right now in their lives.  I wish they didn’t have to deal with it.  But I most want to thank You for who You are to us, and what You mean to us.  Thank You that you will be there beside each and every one.  You are a most awesome God.  Thank you for what you do and are going to do!  Help me and my friends not go through the motions because of “Splat”, but stay on target and stay “in the groove” with you. Help us focus on You.  You Lord, are worth living for.

May our Thanksgiving become a ThanksLiving!

See Ya God and friends!!!!!!        Dan Ainsworth  wildernesspreacher

 

 

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Why There’s a Turkey on Airport Road

turkey

What’s the story behind this hedgebush being pruned every year into a “Turkey”?  A couple of years ago, I was cleaning the fencerows at the end of my driveway of weeds and brush.  There were a couple of bushes that had grown underneath the fence.  The cows had munched on them giving them an odd shape and appearance.  I’m cleaning up the fencerows of all this undergrowth and these two bushes stick out.  I know that they are just ordinary bushes, but I see the shape of an elk and a turkey.  I’m betting that I am the only one at the time that sees anything in these bushes because every one else that drives by on airport road is probably too busy to see anything but maybe two scraggly, weedy bushes.  Shoot, anybody speeding down Airport road probably doesn’t even give a thought to what’s under the fence, much less to what I see.

So, instead of killing these bushes, I decided to be a little creative.  I prune and cut limbs, branches, and twigs to the shapes that you see here.  Honestly, I do this because I enjoy being creative.  I see something in this bush, which makes me want to bring it out even more.  Will my creativity be accepted and highly thought of?  Will my pruning efforts be considered works of art?   Showing others what I see in the ordinary…… is this considered a noble effort?  I don’t really know that answer.  Are my  bushes that resemble an elk and turkey perfect? Well, I do know the answer to that. It’s a big NO.  Hey friends, if it was perfect, then no one would believe that I did it! 😉  That is not my motivation.  I’m motivated more by what I feel on the “inside” to somehow be shown to the “outside”.

Last year two ladies stopped by the house.  I was in the front yard working on the lawnmower, (so Staci could mow the yard).  They wanted to know if I am the one that “grows” the animals at the end of my drive. ” Yep, that’s me,” I replied.  The lady then goes into how every time she drives by on airport road she gets a feeling of calmness and peace by slowing down to see the elk and turkey.  She thanked me over and over for doing this.  It brings a small amount of “calmness” and “peace” (those are the precise words she used) to her travels every morning she drives by.  I thanked her for sharing her thoughts.  She must have really meant it, by  taking time from her work and day to come tell me how this affected her.

When she left, I walked up to the road staring at the bushes for a while.  I was looking for that calmness and peace she was talking about.  I found it.  I also sensed God’s presence.

1 Thessalonians 5:10-12New International Version (NIV) 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

You see, in some small way, my whittling on these simple bushes brings a satisfaction to my inner most soul.  Why?  Because I see something in the ordinary that compels me to bring it out into the open.  It is a most spiritual thing for me.  It’s a most personal thing for me.  It’s between me and God.  If others slow down as they drive along Airport Road and are encouraged by what I’m doing, then my giving Glory and Honor to God is also helping and building others up.  Being blessed by being blessed.

It’s the same process going on with the wilderness preacher blog.  I share what I see.  Usually it’s in the most ordinary of things.  Why do this?  It brings a satisfaction to my soul.  It’s a most spiritual and personal thing for me, between me and God.  If you are encouraged by what you read on the wilderness preacher as you travel your spiritual journey, then my giving Glory to God is also helping and building you up.

Consider me as your guide.  A friend (Hey Gary!) shared the other day that every good movie, song, or story  has this classic setup.  A hero is living his life, meets a guide who shows him/her something that can happen in his/her life.  The hero faces a challenge (is he up to it?).  There is a consequence if he doesn’t, but a reward if he does.  The story is if and how the hero lives out his life.  Example Star Wars movies, pretty much any western movie, all Hallmark channel movies,  etc, etc

Here’s what I’m trying to prune and carve from this.  Let me be your guide.  You be the Hero.  Live your life facing the classic setup and challenge of facing the monster inside of your head that asks “do you have what it takes?”  Realize that there are consequences if you choose not to do certain things, but also realize there is a reward in choosing to do and BE certain things.  Sound complicated.  It is.  It’s called life.  But that’s why I recommend taking one step at a time.  Let’s do this together.  It’s not about me.  I’ll be the guide, but more importantly, you be the Hero.

My pruning a bush into a turkey, my telling a story with scripture each week as the wilderness preacher helps as your guide to bring you another step closer on your own spiritual journey.  I accept this position as the guide because it’s what God has created me to be.

You, living your everyday life with all it’s decisions and challenges.  You are the Hero of your very own life.  Will you accept this position?  You are writing your own story of your own life.  It’s what God has created you to be.  What in your next chapter?  Stay in touch.  I’m curious how all you heroes are going to face the next challenge.  And don’t forget……… I got your back!

1 Thessalonians 5:10-12New International Version (NIV) 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.