Tag Archives: nature

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You get out of it, what you put into it

You get out of it, what you put in to it

You get out of it, what you put in to it

A farmer and his three boys were working their garden.  A neighbor stopped and asked him one day why he was working his boys so hard to grow the garden.  The farmer replied, “I’m not just growing the garden, I’m growing 3 sons”.

Growing a garden to a lot of people is way too much work.  It involves too much time, too much sweat.  Why do I have a garden?  Well, I like to eat!  I realize that I could be spending my time (and sweat) fishing or doing something else that may be seem like more FUN than growing food.  But you reap what you sow.

2 Corinthians 9:6-9The Voice (VOICE)   6 But I will say this to encourage your generosity: the one who plants little harvests little, and the one who plants plenty harvests plenty. 7 Giving grows out of the heart—otherwise, you’ve reluctantly grumbled “yes” because you felt you had to or because you couldn’t say “no,” but this isn’t the way God wants it. For we know that “God loves a cheerful giver.”[a] 8 God is ready to overwhelm you with more blessings than you could ever imagine so that you’ll always be taken care of in every way and you’ll have more than enough to share.

Growing as a Christian to a lot of people is way too much work.  It involves too much time.  Why am I a Christian?  Well, I like to eat spiritually!   I say that little prayer, “Lord, help me”, and it grows into blessings beyond what I can imagine.  I know there are times that I am in my earthly garden of Christianity and it feels like a lot of work.  But I am beginning to realize that God is growing His garden, and “growing” me into one of his family, one of His sons.  Could you pass the corn and potatoes please?

See Ya  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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The birds and the bees

 

 

I told my wife, Staci, that I was going to write today and tell all I know about the birds and bees.  She said “Well, that won’t take long”.  Bam!    Grrrrr 😉

 

These are my bees

These are my bees

As most of you know, I’ve just started beekeeping.  Gonna make me some wilderness preacher honey!  Well, today I noticed this pretty little red bird perched beside one of my bee hives.  I was surprised to see her dart out in front of the hive and catch a bee in flight.  Wait a minute, these are MY bees. I have spent MY time and MY money.  This is for a good cause. I can’t have this.  No way am I going to let this bird eat MY bees.  Where’s my BB gun.  I don’t care how pretty she is, she’s going down.  My anger has taken over my walk today.

This pretty bird eats bees

This pretty bird eats bees

James 1:19-21New International Version (NIV)19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

This is a hard pill to swallow.  When we become angry about MY stuff, is it because we now are self- righteous, not seeking God’s righteousness anymore?  On the spiritual journey, the “my stuff” may be my works, my pew, my special mission project, my way of singing, my way of praying, my fill in the blank.  My, my, my, we’ve allowed something good to turn into something bad.  Even to the point that all our good things (being righteous) is getting in the way of seeking God’s righteousness.  Uh oh!

You see, this little red bird, (a tanager) will eat 8 or 10 bees a day.  The queen bee will lay up to 2,000 eggs a day.  That’s right 2,000.  I’m getting angry over letting this bird pick off 10 of my bees.  So angry that I lose sight of the 2,000 replacing them.  The same way with self-righteousness.  If you become self righteous in your spiritual walk, you lose sight of God’s true righteousness.  Angry over your 10, not seeking God’s 2,000.  …….. you get the idea.  I don’t like people becoming Pharisees, all high and mighty, all stuck on themselves and their self righteousness.  My, my, my.  That’s not what God desires.

As a Christian, you are going to get “picked off 8 or 10 ” times a day.  It may not be from a pretty little red bird.  It may be from friends, church folks, family, or the world in general.  But friend, when God’s there with His righteousness (of 2000),  stay focused on His Love. And share it!  Stay focused on His blessings.  And share them.  Stay focused on all that He’s doing and being in your life.  And share it.  When you get “picked off” but it’s from what God has put in your heart, well there’s lots more from where that came from.

God created the birds and the bees. (for us to enjoy I might add)  Don’t miss out on God’s abundance and  His righteousness, by limiting yourself because of your self-righteousness.  Who died and made you King?

Your self-righteousness, (I’ve got this God,… it’s for something good,…. and I’m good enough to do it myself,….  that’s why I call it mine), will limit you from God’s righteousness.

Allowing God’s righteousness to pass through you, ( His love, His forgiveness, His peace that passes all understanding),  will give you true righteousness from God, not from yourself.  He died, so that He could be your loving King.   This is God’s desire.

See Ya!  Dan   wilderness preacher

 

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Growing your garden of Faith

Growing your garden of Faith

That’s a picture of the corn I’ve planted in my garden.  Every morning I check my garden and work it.  The grass and weeds need hoeing.  I check for damage from the crows, coons and deer.  Some potato beetles are showing up.  Some days it’s too wet.  Some days it’s too dry, too hot, or well, …… you get the picture.  It’s never a perfect day seems like in the garden.  Pests, weather, plain ole bad luck, why bother with a garden you say?  Well, it’s the hope of a crop of good home grown fruits and vegetables.  I’m an optimistic person.  There’s lots of potential.  Even with all the pests.  I’ll grow enough that they can have their share with plenty left over for me as well as others.

Speaking of sharing, that’s the main reason of growing this garden.  Sharing.  Two different ways of sharing.  There is a joy I get from sharing the food from my garden with neighbors.  I get a “kick” out of calling them up and saying “corns ready, or taters are ready, come get you a big ole mess”.  I’ll even carry some food to some folks unable to pick their own.  The idea of sharing good food seems a part of my being.  It’s in my blood.  It’s a reason to grow my garden.

My other reason for sharing is more on a personal level.  My earthly father gets a “kick” out of seeing how my garden is growing.  He’s 85 now.  It’s past his time for hoeing, plowing, pulling weeds, throwing out fertilize.  But it’s not past time for him to get out every day, drive his beat up white Chevrolet pickup to the garden, inspect and supervise how it’s growing.  Usually, we go together to see how things are going.  We both get a “kick” out of this.  He’s there every day.  If it’s raining, or too dry, too hot, or well you get the picture.  He’s always there.

1 Corinthians 13:12-13New International Version (NIV)12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So, let me encourage you to grow your spiritual garden.  Why bother you say?  With all the spiritual “pests”, worldly forces, evil in this world, plain ole bad luck, what’s the use.  There are two BIG reasons.  Two different ways of sharing.  There is a joy you get from sharing your spiritual food with friends and neighbors.  A harsh reality is this though.  In the spiritual world people sometimes won’t grow their own garden.  Share with them from yours.  Even then, some will use it. Some will abuse it.  Some will refuse it, some will choose it.  No matter their choice, you continue to grow.  Grow your spiritual garden.  Rows of “faith” and “hope” and have a half acre of “LOVE”.  and share…..

The 2nd reason?   Your Heavenly Father gets a “kick” out of watching you grow your garden.  I’m not sure if he drives up everyday in a beat up Chevrolet pickup, but He’s there every day.

My friend, if you don’t feel God’s presence around your everyday life, maybe you’re neglecting your “garden”.  I sense His presence everyday.  How?   By looking, listening, waiting expectantly to hear and see Him.  Shucks, you can even join me in my earthly garden so that we can grow our spiritual garden at the same time.  Bring a hoe.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher

Spiritual garden rows of Faith ,hope, and acres of Love

Spiritual garden – rows of Faith ,hope, and acres of Love