Category Archives: Being What God Created

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Carved Trees and Lasting Legacies

While bushwhacking in the Colorado wilderness, I discovered this carved tree. This aspen tree shows evidence of Mr. Monte’s presence. There were no roads or trails in the vicinity. My search for a quicker route to a fish-filled mountain lake resulted in this discovery. It makes me curious to think about how many people have walked this same spot. Maybe just old Chas and me. I’m willing to wager he was riding a horse. What motivated him to write this message? Was he starting an adventure? Might those have been his last days on Earth? We can only guess why Mr. Montes stopped 75 years ago, but I’m thankful he did. It prompted reflection on my lasting impact. How will people remember us? Ever thought about it?

Well, think about this. The legacy you leave can be the life that you lead. That’s a pretty neat saying! Some leave a legacy for others to remember them by as a building, a sizeable chunk of money, or a monument. Chas Monte left a message on a tree. 

We have the power to build a lasting legacy. I advise against carving messages into trees. So, how is that done? You define your legacy by how you live your life. Guiding your life is much like leading a horse.

Whoa! (Grab a cup of coffee as I explain). Have you ever considered the idea of your life being like your own horse? Consider this: you’re in charge of both your life and your horse. You lead your horse to water, down the path, over the river and through the woods. I think you get the idea. You also have your own life to lead, don’t you? Your life is in your own hands. Your actions, destinations, timing. You determine your life’s path.

Yes, we sometimes feel out of control. A scared or disobedient horse causes the same ‘out of control’ experience. Life can feel the same way. We sometimes get spooked. Sometimes we act against our better judgment. We don’t practice what we preach. Your frightened horse will go off the path. My horse and my life share a tendency to stray. I’m still trying to guide my life. Life’s journey is a struggle; things aren’t always falling into place.

Your life reflects your choices and actions. Your life follows your lead. You lead and guide with your heart and soul. That’s the best I can explain it. You have chosen your horse. Saddle up, take the reins of your life, and trust and pray as you continue on your Christian journey.

The righteous will stand firm. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Psalm 112: 6,7.

We have the privilege of making our own decisions. I determine the path my life takes. I lead and guide according to my beliefs, following my Lord and Saviour with all my heart. My life and legacy will reflect how I follow God’s lead and guidance.

You can pass your legacy, the life you lead, on to others. Not that you go around bragging, tootin’ your own horn. Your life draws attention. They see your trust in the Lord. They feel your heart. You’ve taken the reins of your life. While you lead your own life, it’s good to follow God’s lead and direction.

Lead as you are being led. Follow Him!

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher “learning to follow as I’m being led”

Leave a comment, or send me a private message describing your legacy.

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How Hawks Use Talons: A Lesson for Your Spiritual Journey

Are those claws sharp? That’s the most asked question about my hawks and owls that I fly. And YES!! They are sharp!


Claws? Talons is a more correct word used for birds of prey. Talons must stay sharp as they are the tools the bird uses to grab, hold, and tear prey apart. Not only are they sharp, but there is immense power in the hawks “pressing power” This is her ability to squeeze, whether its prey, or as it perches on my glove.

When training a hawk, a great way of knowing her mental state is by how she is pressing/squeezing my gloved arm. If she’s nervous or scared she clamps down with intensity. If she’s relaxed there is very little if any pressure coming from her talons When my hawk gets excited to go hunting she will “dance” on my glove with a grab, release, grab then release motion indicating her raised level of excitement. So I do talk or should I say communicate with her. She makes me aware of her thinking by the amount of pressure applied to my glove.

These talons and beak must stay sharp! The beak and talons are critical tools that these birds of prey use for their survival. Hawks have a way of sharpening their tools. It’s by continually using them. If you place a hawk in a pen, always giving it cut up meat (they don’t eat salads ya know), their beaks will grow abnormally long. This would require a manual process called “coping” to file the beak down to where it would function. My hawks must always be able to rip and tear their food. They have been created to do just that.

“Talons/tools” used on your spiritual journey

What are your ‘tools’ that you must use on your spiritual journey? A) If I’m not continually sharpening my relationship with God, it stands to reason that it will grow dull. A dull, boring walk with God doesn’t give you the joy and peace that would come if you stay sharp.

B) Another tool I value is my guidebook (the Bible) to keep me on the right path and provide spiritual food.

C)I value the power/tool of prayer as it sharpens my awareness of what I’m sharing with God as well as what He’s sharing with me.

D) I value the worship that I have to Jesus for His not only forgiving me, but His desire to walk with me each and every day

All those tools just mentioned are our “talons” that have been given to us to keep us going and growing on our spiritual journey. How do you stay sharp? By continually using these “tools/talons”. My prayer for you this week is that we stay hungry, and that we stay sharp!

I have come to realize the power that talons give my Redtail hawk. (I’ll show you my scar from wearing too short a glove one day.)

For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword (or talon I might add). It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 Now that’s sharp! See Ya! Dan Ainsworth Wilderness Preacher

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Leaving Things Better: A Wilderness Preacher’s Lesson

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased Hebrews 13:16

Several years ago I enjoyed a long hike into the Colorado Wilderness. When I say that I enjoyed, it means that I endured, persevered, and patiently withstood the trek straight up into the mountains. But the beauty and the amazing sites on top of this mountain made this strenuous hike enjoyable.

On a trip of 5 miles one way, you need to carry as little weight as possible. I’ll always remember the guy who would cut his toothbrush in half to save the space and weight. Seems such an insignificant thing to do right? Yet this guy would be ready for an amazing backcountry trip carrying only 26 pounds on his back. Me? My pack would be totally ready for the same exact trip but would weigh in at 38 pounds! Who knew that extra socks and clothing, extra food (just in case), extra batteries, and those EXTRA bag of cheetos would add so much weight!

One thing that I did learn over my many mountain adventures was how necessary a saw would be. Maybe I should say how necessary a saw BLADE would be.

Think about the difference in size and space. A saw, let’s say a bowsaw is considered light. But that handle is extra weight that will add up when you count each step up the steep, steep climb. Why take a handle when you can FIND a handle when you arrive at your destination?

See the L shaped tree limb in the picture above? I found it. Perfect! Yep, it made a perfect handle to the saw that can now be used at the high altitude camp location.

I shared some advice with several younger guys who were heading out on a hunting trip and were planning to camp at this very same camp I was at months earlier. I said to them, “Look around when you get to the campsite. There will be a rusty, but sharp handsaw that you can use when you get there. No need to burden yourselves with the extra weight as you ascend to the top. The saw will be hanging on a tall tree to the left of where previous campfires were established.

I honestly forgot about that saw blade. I left it knowing that someone else could benefit from my actions. Isn’t it a good feeling to know that YOU can do something that will help others. And you don’t do it to promote yourself. You don’t do it to collect “brownie points”. You do it because somewhere in your journey on this Earth you learned to ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’.

I’ve never considered helping others to be a sacrifice. But God does! So give, give, give! Give to others what you have. Not just money, but give of your time and talents. Someone you know may be feeling down. Reach out with a few cheerful words. Someone may be going through marital problems, or bad days at their work, or just plain experiencing the age old situation of “everything that can go wrong is going wrong”. You don’t have to be a professional counselor, or expert on giving scholarly advice, or even someone who is able to solve each and every problem.

YOU JUST HAVE TO BE SOMEONE WILLING TO GIVE A LITTLE OF YOURSELF TO OTHERS!!! even if it’s just a rusty saw blade.

Giving of yourself. I guess that’s why it’s called a sacrifice. If you and I keep everything to ourselves then that action of giving is not experienced. But when we give of and from ourselves to others, then that experience of giving is activated. Thus a sacrifice has been made. No need to focus on whether the actions were microscopic or super big!

Oh yea! I honestly forgot about that old saw blade I left for others. Until, until these young hunters brought it back down off the mountain to give it back to me. “We figured you would want it back. Thanks for leaving it there for us to use. It really helped.”

Hmmm. Now what am I going to do with this rusty saw blade that is now 5 plus miles from the camp? Well seeing it again gave me this idea for another wilderness preacher story. And you know? This saw blade has something in common with me as well as a lot of you out there. We may have become rusty over time, but we still can be useful to others.

Hmmm. Guess I’ll head back up the mountain trail. Just to leave this saw again for others. In some small way I sense that God is smiling. I know I am.

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher rusty but still being useful