Tag Archives: Christianity

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She Died! But Three Days Later,………. New Life!!!

Trying To Explain How I Will Die, But Then Live Forever

Ole Sally Sue Died.  She was a good chainsaw. My pride and joy, my helpmate, my “dancing partner” of the past five years, finally bit the dust.  She kicked the bucket, she expired, she croaked, she’s gone to meet her maker.

Sally Sue chainsaw is survived by her family;  Buzz saw, Rip saw, Hack saw, Skill saw, and her eccentric aunt from Florida…….. See Saw.

Sally Sue was with me for three years as I did volunteer work at Horn Creek Christian Church Camp.  She turned many storm damaged trees into railings, braces, and various log repairs to the camp buildings.  Good ole Sally Sue was also with me from the beginning of the log home project.  She cut the first log, she cut the nine foot log walls (all of them), and she was there cutting the very last log needed.

She died peacefully.  Actually I think I flooded her trying to crank her.  I pulled and pulled on the starter rope.  I yanked and yanked but no purring of the motor I was used to hearing.  She dead.  She gone. I’m gonna miss that loud noise she was always making.

Sally Sue was laid to rest at Robby’s Small Engine Repair.  See, I heard that these guys can work miracles on dead lawnmowers and chainsaws. After three days.……………….

I don’t understand a lot of stuff.  I know how to use a chainsaw.  But when the saw dies and won’t crank, then I’m stuck,  my hands are tied, I’m in trouble.  I’m helpless.  I don’t understand how a chainsaw can be brought back to life.  But these guys at Robby’s did something.  They replaced a sprocket, adjusted the carberator,(I can’t spell it much less understand it).  Cleaned out filters, replaced a spark plug, on and on.  And Sally Sue has a new life.  She runs!!!  She cuts!!!!  She basically has a BRAND NEW BODY!!!!!

John 11:24-25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;  and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

OK, ok, I know it’s a chainsaw.  But my story hopefully helps to understand what I believe as a Christian.  I want you to see that I believe  Jesus will “do something” that lets me have life.  I don’t understand, (nothing says I have to), I just have to believe.  I don’t understand what Robby’s Small Engine Repair will do to my “Sally Sue”.  I just have to believe.  This belief causes me to walk in the door to their shop and say “fix this”!

So, friends, I believe that I can bring my life to Jesus and have Him “fix this”.  He can fix my life.  He can give me a new life while here on this Earth.  He will give me a new glorified body when it comes time for this ole body of mine to “croak”.  My new glorified body will live forever in Heaven.  Can’t explain it.  I’ve come close to having “panic attacks” thinking too deeply about how I will spend eternity.  I just can’t grasp in my mind how I live for thousands and thousands of years.  So I’ve decided to live a day at a time.  Enjoy life.  Enjoy the life my Lord and Saviour has given me today.  Enjoy the life I will be given for thousands and thousands of years. And even more.    HAPPY EASTER! my Christian friends!!!!

I think Sally Sue and I will go out and celebrate her new life.  I think we’ll carve a cross from one of the stumps.  I just hope I don’t “flood” her this time when I try cranking her up once again. 🙂

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher,  celebrating New Life one day at a time!!!!!

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That Sinking Feeling

What you see is what’s left of the ladder going to my Mother’s attic.  The step I was standing on broke. Then, two more steps broke under me as I made a short but intense journey down to the floor.  I know it was quick, but I remember thinking “This is gonna hurt”.  A big scratch from one of the now exposed nails, a slight twist of the ankle, a bruised tailbone (what, I still have a tail!), and hurt pride were my results from this encounter with the attic ladder.  I didn’t fall very far, but it was far enough.

My Mother needed help getting the Christmas tree and decorations down from the attic.  I’ve always like going back up in the attic.  Lots of memories up there.  Shucks, some of my toys from fifty years ago are still up there.  Today my assignment was to bring down the Christmas tree, lights, decorations, etc. for this years’ time of celebration.  To get to all the “stuff” that is in the attic, you have to pass through the gatekeeper.  You must climb the only source available to get to the attic.  That source?  An over 50 year old flimsy ladder.

It wasn’t a big surprise.  I had actually replaced a couple of steps a few years back. (Just didn’t replace the step I was standing on that broke).

What was amazing to me was how my brain was working.  In a split second it went from singing “I’ll be Home for Christmas”, to thinking I’m Fixin’ to Be on the Floor for Christmas.  From happy, carefree, holiday spirit to pain, anxiety, hurt, and thoughts of “this is going to be TROUBLE”.

2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

I’ve read that during the holiday season, many folks have that sinking feeling.  It’s a time of year when we should be joyful, happy and celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus.  But the way our brain works sometimes, it causes us to also realize the hurts and pains in our lives.  Maybe you’ve lost loved ones, a friend is moving, health issues, things just haven’t turned out this year like they should have.  All good reasons to feel sad and experience the sinking feeling.  That sinking feeling can happen in an instant.  Your living and loving life when all of a sudden, uh oh you are “falling from a ladder”, and your sinking feeling is overwhelming you.

Look at that scripture again.  Our troubles produce a glory??  Gotta be kidding right? Well, guess not, it’s right there in the Bible.  So, I’m hearing you ask me, “How do my troubles produce a glory from and to God”?  Honestly, I don’t think I can answer for you on that one friends.

What I can say and do know is this.  I speak from experience because I have “fallen from a ladder” several different times, both physically and mentally.  While my earthly body and brain are focusing on the current hurts and troubles that I’m experiencing,  there is a spiritual part of me that remains focused on Christ.  Even when the pains of the life on Earth are giving me depression, sadness, and hurt there is a part of me that stays with God.  I know that God is staying with me.  That’s how I feel that glory is being produced.  The glory that an all powerful God is taking time to be with me is an amazing thing.  The glory that I am giving to this all knowing, all powerful God because He is with me is my humble way of giving back to God.

The troubles that you are going through right now?  I bet it’s tough.  Probably like falling from a 20 foot tall ladder.  But hear this.  Your troubles are huge because they are your very own troubles.  But compared to ……….   Hmmm, compared to……..  Wow, compared to…..  to the Great  and Everlasting Eternal Love of God, your troubles are small and won’t last very long.

I’m not putting down your troubles as a trivial and meaningless matter.  I’m lifting up your troubles to our All powerful, great and mighty God.  Jesus is Lord.  He is Lord of our lives.  He is Lord of our good times,  and ……… He is Lord of our troubles!  To God be the Glory!

Merry Christmas!

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, full time ladder climber (to higher ground)

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Life In The Fast Lane

u-turn-lg

You’re kiddin’ me right?  The only way that I can cross this road is to make a U Turn?  Seriously?

In the middle of nowhere, rural south Mississippi, with very little traffic, there has been a major change.  Where is the stop sign? What’s happening here?  I mean, is there a legitimate reason for doing this?

To cross this highway involved stopping at the stop sign, looking both ways, crossing to the median, looking both ways, then driving on past.  You would leave the 4-lane behind and continue on your drive.  Not now buddy!  You can’t drive across anymore.  They (who is they?) have put a barrier up where the road intersection used to be.  NOW, you must turn right and merge into traffic.  Just a little ways down the 4-lane they give you a U-Turn lane.  To get to where you’re going, you take the U-Turn, then merge into traffic, then get in the right turn lane.  Then you’re back on track.

You got this?  Does it make sense?  Before it was this……… Stop at the stop sign.  Look both ways for any traffic on the 4-lane. (Never was hardly any.)  Then proceed with caution on your journey.  Now, now it’s like………. slow down at intersection, turn right, merge into U-Turn lane, go forward, get into right turn lane, turn right, go forward, now move ahead. (Now whip it!)

It’s all done without stopping.  It just doesn’t make any sense to me.  Was the intersection redone because of a safety issue?  Do the log trucks in this area create a problem with the (used to be there) intersection?  Has the Highway commission and public transportation seen a better way of doing things? I don’t know!  It’s confusing to me.  I don’t understand.  All I know now is that to get to where I’m going, I’ve got to turn right,make a U-Turn, turn right again and then I’ll be……….. uh….. then….. well I’ll be!!

I see a spiritual lesson here as plain as day, as plain as the new asphalt on this new intersection.  When we choose to become Christians, what directions do we take?  First, we come to God. (in a car we would turn to the RIGHT!)  Then we ask for forgiveness and change our ways. (We make a U-Turn).  Next, we turn right again (We follow God’s Will and Direction for our lives) and then……. we get to where we’re goin’.

I can make no acknowledgement that I understand this process. (either  the actual road intersection or the spiritual “intersection”)  I feel inferior sometimes when I can’t explain this process to others. (either one).  But what causes me to live my spiritual life as a Christian is the same reasoning that is used to cross this highway.  What is this reasoning?  Believe.   By believing, I choose to take a new and different path to get to where I’m goin’.  Whether I choose a new path to cross the highway, or whether I choose to follow Christ to get me where I’m goin’, it’s based on what I believe.  Not what I understand.

Isaiah 55:8-9New International Version (NIV)8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,    so are my ways higher than your ways    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher part time highway inspector, full time believing in a Holy Spirit filled journey