Tag Archives: growing spiritually

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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

redbird

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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It’s Gone, now I can really Celebrate Christmas!

cleaning out barn

There was a lot of junk and bad, rotten stuff in my barn.  So, I cleaned it out!  It’s made Christmas time even more special to me.

Why clean out my barn?  Because, I’m getting ready to fill it with logs for my new log house that I’m building with my own hands, (and help from friends and the Good Lord).  Lots of old pallets, old rotten wood, pieces of junk are now piled into a fire.  I was surprised at all the trash that had collected in my barn over the years.  Lots of memories are being thrown into the fire as well.

Actually in my own special personal way, it’s turned into a worship service.  I’m rummaging through all the stuff and find things that have a good meaning and memories to me.  Memories of family events, things Staci and I did,……. there’s something the kids would want.  I place these items back in the barn in one of the storage containers.  Thank you Lord for these reminders.

But..…. I also come across some rubbish that reminds me of bad events in my life.  Times when I was not Being what God has created me to be.  Things that came between me and my God.  I call that sin.  I throw these reminders into the fire. Thank you Lord for these reminders that are now NO MORE.   Forever gone.  Burn baby burn!!! 

Psalm 103:11-12Good News Translation (GNT)11 As high as the sky is above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who honor him.12 As far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our sins from us.

For unto you is born this day a Saviour.  Well, there you go.  Christmas is about celebrating the birth of MY Saviour.  Why he came in a manger, a bright star, shepherds, wise men, angels, all that seems strange doesn’t it?  He loves us enough that he also removes our sins as far as sunrise is to sunset.  They are gone.  Burned up.  NO MORE!  Rejoice, celebrate, Merry Christmas.

Maybe you need to clean your barn/HEART from all the rubbish and rotten stuff that may have collected over the years.  Shucks, turn it into a special private worship service between you and God.  Hey, why don’t you actually build a fire and throw your sins into the fire to forever be gone.  That piece of wood can represent when you weren’t being what God designed you to be. That piece of paper you are burning can represent those things that may have come between you and God.  It’s called sin, remember?  Get rid of it.

Brother,……sister……I’m writing this from the heart.  Get rid of the guilt and hurt as well.  You know what you did.  God does too.  But when you ask for forgiveness, God takes it away. It’s gone.  He no longer sees it.  If you still dwell on it, this guilt and anxiety is coming between you and your Saviour.  That’s sin remember?  Throw this into the fire as well.  BURN, BABY, BURN.

WooHoo!  That’s a fire and a half there.  All that stuff is burning up to nothing.  Thanks be to my Saviour.   Time now to celebrate.  Pass the marshmellows.

Merry Christmas my friends.  Continue on this journey of yours.  You are doing this on your own.  You will also have friends along the way(count me in!).  But you also have your Lord and Saviour riding with you.  Now that He’s burned your sins away, He’s even more REAL and the REAL reason to celebrate Christmas!

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wildernesspreacher, log home builder, real Christmas party person