Tag Archives: growing spiritually

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Until the day I die, as for me and my LOG house……….

model of new cabin

The cabin in the background was built by me 30 years ago.  I told 100 people back then that I was going to build it myself. Ninety five of those people told me “you can’t build a log cabin”, “you don’t know what your doing”, “you’re not strong enough” and on and on. Those people were right except for the “can’t ” part.  Well, I showed them didn’t I?

See, I didn’t know what I was doing, I wasn’t strong enough.  However…….., God gave me a talent of being able to read a book, and use this for learning…. always learning.  From a book I learned how to move 1200 pound logs with ropes and pulleys by literally using one hand.  There is no such word as can’t.  Say it with me out loud…..There is no such word as CAN”T!

It’s surprising to me that this cabin was built 30 years ago.  Not surprising that it was built, but that it’s now been 30 years.  Lots of great memories, family times, and most definitely a spiritual place for me.  Why did I build it?  Well, the challenge was there.  I needed to prove to myself that I could do it.  (And yes, I wanted to prove to all those who said “I can’t”).  But the main driving force was this.  I needed something physical to show what my spiritual being was about.  The cabin has been my passion, my love for the outdoors, my desire to build it myself, the beginnings of wilderness preacher. All these traits in my life came from my Lord up above.  I used them for my own life, but at the same time to give honor and Glory to God.  It’s called serving Him.  It has been rewarding.  How?  By allowing my spiritual being trapped in this body to actually make me “feel alive“.  That’s why there is a cabin in my life.  I wanted to “feel alive” before I die.

So, what passions, desires, motivations, or yearnings does your spiritual being want You and Your physical body to do and/or be before you die?….. Well,…….Ah…… You don’t have any?  Then you’re already dead.  Sorry to be as blunt as a grizzly bear attack, but “you dead!”  Spiritually, you’re dead.  Now you’re just waiting on your physical body to catch up.

……… Choose whom you will serve……. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15

Joshua wrote this to make a stand.  He was now on old warrior.  But he wanted all the people to know that EVERYTHING he is, owned or had influence with would be serving the Lord.  Now that’s commitment.  That’s taking a powerful stand.

Back to you now with those passions, desires, motivations, and yearnings.  You go find out from your spiritual “heart and soul” what it takes for you to come “alive”.  With God’s help live this way until you die whether it’s 3 days, 33 weeks, or 35 more years!!  Your passion may be your children, your garden, your guitar.  Your desires may be to help others, to build something.  Your motivations may be with charities and church.  Your yearnings may be to read the Bible, to connect with other Christian warriors.  Any and all of these will cause you and your physical being to “come alive” in  a way that is only brought on by the spiritual.

Over these past thirty years my hair has thinned and grayed.  I’m getting old….. like Joshua.  I am a Christian warrior….Hey, like Joshua.  OK, Joshua and I have got something else goin’.  I’m joining him to make a stand.  Everything I am, all I own, and whatever influence I may have with others I will do and be so that I can serve the Lord. I make this commitment before you my friends.

How do you serve the Lord? By becoming “alive”! Take those passions and yearnings that’s been given to you by God and use them to Honor and Glorify God!  That’s serving God Joshua style! What about you? Can you be a Joshua or a Joshuette?

What’s next for me as the wilderness preacher?  Well ONE of the things that my physical body will be doing  to give  more spiritual meaning and insights to me is to build a new log house.  Why you say?  I’m already hearing the “can’t ” crowd as I share my plans.  “You can’t build a log house, you’re too old, it won’t be good enough, why bother”, etc, etc.  Oh yeah, expect to hear from the “Can’t crowd” as you pursue your own passions, desires, and yearnings.

Choose this day who you will serve (the Can’t Crowd?), but as for me and my LOG house we will serve the Lord!!!!!!

1st log to be cut and the model of the log house

1st log to be cut and the model of the log house

See Ya!    Dan Ainsworth wildernesspreacher, log home builder

 

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Plowing a Hard Heart

plowing hard ground/heart

What was a beautiful garden with corn, potatoes, and squash is now nothing but hard dirt.  So hard it won’t let the refreshing rains in……….so hard that is, until I plow it using the turning plow.

Boy, I timed it just right too.  Two days after plowing, a rain came and soaked this plot of land.  Instead of running off because of the hard crusted soil, the water soaked in. I’m already preparing for next spring’s crop of early corn and ‘taters’. (My mouth is watering just thinking about that corn on the cob).  Turning the soil over allows it to mellow and absorb moisture.  Turning the soil will get rid of bugs and weeds.  It allows old corn stalks and old growth to become one with the soil.  Turning the soil basically allows what was once a prepared  garden to go from a hard patch of dirt back to a ………..well, a prepared patch of garden.  This turning of the soil is so important in maintaining a productive plot of land.  Why?  It keeps the soil from becoming hard.

Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.  Hosea 10:12

We are always talking about how God showers us with His blessings. I guess it’s like the rainfall that showers down on the land. But what if your heart has hardened?  My garden that produced a wonderful crop last year has gradually hardened over time because of my neglect.  I didn’t take care of it.  Weeds took over, the summer sun baked it, more weeds, more harsh weather, and lots of neglect on my part.  But with the help of my turning plow, that’s about to change.

I’d hate for all the winter rains and spring showers to fall down on the land but runoff because my garden plot had grown hard.  Whoa, I’d hate for God’s showers of blessings to rain down on me and you but we missed out and didn’t receive them because we had grown hard spiritually.  Our hearts can grow hard.   How?  When we neglect to “turn our hearts” so that we can receive from God.  Over time, from daily spiritual battles, from spiritual “weeds”, we grow hard.  If we allow this to continue and neglect to prepare a place to receive God’s blessings in our hearts and lives, well……..we miss out.

Hey, it’s raining!  Is God soaking in or is He not allowed to come in to your life because you have become hard again. It just rained and you didn’t even get wet.  Nothing soaked in.  It all rolled off like it was on a duck’s back.  You’re a hard hearted soul.  Bummer.

Get you a “turning plow” and prepare yourself to receive a blessing from God.  How do you “turn your heart” to prepare for this?  Maybe your “turning plow” is a song you can sing.  Or maybe you “break up the hard dirt” by prayer.  Or you break up your hard heart by talking to/with Jesus,  maybe nothing more than a quiet time alone with Him. What ever “turning plow”  you use, you better use it.  God’s got another shower of blessings on the way.  Preparing your heart to receive anything from God allows your soul to become a prepared garden that will yield abundant fruit for your Lord and Saviour.  I can taste the spiritual “corn on the cob” even now.

 

 

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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