Category Archives: People I’ve met along the way

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How to Bless a New Home: A Spiritual Journey

We prayed over dirt, rocks, and the squared-off location of a foundation for a new home. Just close friends and family attended this blessing. Today, will you join us? C’mon, you’re being invited!

How do you bless a future home? How can someone ask God to bless what’s not even there yet?

My prayers must be more substantial than a simple “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food.” It needs to be special. Special, like how this young couple has become to Staci and me.

They’ve moved into this Wet Mountain Valley by way of California! They definitely are “riding different horses” on their journey than this old country boy from Mississippi.

For years I’ve said that we all ride a horse on this spiritual journey. It’s my way of explaining our personal journeys. While we all ride different horses, we are all headed in the same direction.

Some, like my young friends here, had “horses” that carried them on journeys in the big concrete cities in our country. My “horse” carried me to adventures in small-town Mississippi. My friend’s “horses” carried them into the corporate world to make money/hay. Me? Well, my “horse” carried me into the literal hay fields to provide money/hay. Guess I grew up more of a cowboy than I thought.

Our “horses” propel us on our spiritual journey by giving us everyday experiences. This helps us grow our very personal beliefs in a Higher Being.

You’re riding your horse, and for no reason she spooks and throws you. Or maybe she’s stubborn when it comes time to open a gate. Perhaps more common among us all is this. You lack direction, thus your “horse” is lost.

I’ve ridden that horse many times in my journey through life.

What gets lost on this trail of life are all the things we have in common. Seems like the world today wants us to focus on our differences rather than what we have in common.

The differences? This young couple is from California! I’m from Mississippi. They worked and lived in huge concrete cities. I worked barefoot in the mud. (I didn’t want to get my shoes dirty, ha)

They are healthy and choose to eat healthy food. I eat Cheetos!

I could go on and on about how different we are. But then again, I won’t. Why? Even with all the differences in our “horses”, they are so much like Staci and me. I hope in their eyes that it’s a good thing.

Our “horses” provide a way of giving and receiving love with our family members. We have a love for the land and wildlife that we get to enjoy. Laughter is something we all enjoy. Spending time in nature is something we love. We choose to live life to the fullest. We love the outdoors. With prayer, we thank God for all that He has provided.

This might explain their asking me to invoke blessings for their new dwelling.

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 23: 3-4.

Symbolic meanings filled my prayers. That’s why I wove a rope decoration for their new home. Everyone there tied a small piece of cord to each other, forming one unified rope. This demonstrated community support for their new home endeavor.

I wrapped a gold cord firmly around the balled-up cord representing all individuals connected to these couples. This demonstrated God’s provision and protection for residents plus this house being built.

The cross in the decoration is symbolic of how Jesus is the go-between for me and this Holy Omnipotent Being that I’m asking for blessings. I can talk to Jesus just like I can talk to a horse. What’s crazy is that I can hear from them both!

All this symbolism and me saying a prayer wouldn’t give a raindrop’s amount of blessings to this new home. There was even another great prayer given by someone who gave such meaningful words.

Our prayers asked for peace, joy, happiness, love, laughter, whew, and a higher way of living for this future home.

To show respect to this property and realizing we weren’t the first people to ride “horses” on this ground, I gave a lot of the blessing using Native American language. It gave it an organic, authentic voice, asking for blessings on their time spent on this mountainside.

This home will be blessed. Not from my praying, but who we prayed to. Not from our prayers, but from our God because of Jesus. All who enter my friend’s new home will feel His love, His mercy, and His protection.

I can’t wait for this house to be built and truly become a blessed home. I bet they’ll let me walk in barefoot!

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The Power of Heartfelt Worship: A Christmas Reflection

I have a confession to share. I heard someone sing a Christmas song over twenty years ago that changed forever how I hear someone sing. Confused? So was I.

Someone invited my family and me to this small country church. Christmas was just days away, so they decorated the small country sanctuary with poinsettias in every window. A tradition in many Baptist churches was about to unfold. This was a Sunday night sing. Everyone is encouraged to sing. It’s your chance to sing a solo, maybe join a quartet, or someone play an instrument. C’mon, one and all. Or maybe not.

This middle-aged man had already signed the official “Who’s singing tonight” list. I learned to say that he was slow. The term intellectually disabled is now used.

As we were being greeted by church members, a shall we say squabble was going on in the back of the church.

A prominent lady in the church was attempting to get this guy, we’ll call him Paul — not to sing. I’m shaking hands with folks, but my attention is on Paul and this lady; let’s call her Edith. Edith, Paul, and the sound man are having what I see is a one-sided conversation.

The sound man interrupts the greetings in this small church when he shouts, “he wants to sing, let him sing!”

All the church members and visitors alike heard and felt an awkward silence.

Edith sees that everyone is watching them. She quickly marches down the aisle, huffing and puffing, revealing she’s not getting her way.

The pastor greets everyone and invites us to join in the worship and celebration of Christmas. Holiday music has always been a favorite of mine. I grew up singing all the carols of Christmas. So, I was excited to be here and to join in the singing.

Several folks, young and old, took their turns singing for the crowd of maybe 40 people.

Even Edith! She had a reputation for being a talented singer. She proved that as she sang “O Holy Night” for her contribution to the night’s singing. That’s one of the hardest songs to sing!

Impressive is how I would describe her voice. Powerful, and technically correct in so many ways. However, its emptiness disturbed me. I’m here to worship, yet I’m feeling empty after hearing a beautifully sung song. What’s wrong? Is it me? How many times have you been in a church service to worship and it just ain’t happening?

Paul’s turn has now been called out from the list of singers. He has been sitting on the very back pew. It takes several moments for him to make his way to the front and grab the microphone. Whispers intermittently broke the silence. The whispers may as well have been shouts as it was obvious people were disapproving of Paul’s attempt at singing.

He announces his song for the night. It’s the “Little Drummer Boy”. Did I just hear a snicker from someone in the audience? I’m pretty sure it was Edith.

Paul has no accompaniment tape. He has no one playing the piano accompanying him. No one is encouraging him. There is no one supporting him. No one is helping this man. He has no one.

Whether it was from the uneasiness of the moment, or from just not knowing what to expect, not a sound was being made from the congregation.

Paul clears his throat. He sings with his head bowed low. I’ve got to tell you I was pulling for him, hoping he could at least make it through the song.

“Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum”. Paul is barely audible. I struggle to hear him.

“Baby Jesus, I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum.” OK good, he’s singing a little louder, and it’s on key enough that everyone, even Edith, should feel he did a good job.

What happened next is what I remember every Christmas season. Paul raised his head, looking towards the ceiling. Tears flow from and down this man’s face like I’ve never seen before. What’s striking is that Paul is singing as he is crying. What is a difficult task for vocalists, regardless of skill? Why, it’s singing during a cry.

As he’s looking up, he sings the words, “Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum.” The biggest smile came over this man’s face. Whatever he was experiencing was contagious because the biggest smile came over my……… soul.

I saw a humble man, with no help from anyone, give all that he had to his Jesus. And Jesus smiled at him.

There in that small country church I saw true worship. I heard someone sing to their God. It wasn’t showy, superficial Edith. It was Paul. Just Paul. He showed his love to God, and I got to see Paul’s response as he knew God was smiling back at him.

All these years later, I enjoy talented singers. It’s fun to hear exceptional singers use their voices. But I’m always on the hunt for singers who sing from the heart. They sing to their God. They live for their God. And He smiles at them. He smiles not because of what we have or don’t have. He smiles because he loves. God is Love. Paul knows that. Do You?

You and I have no gift worthy of giving to a King. Yet, all God wants is you and me, just as we are. In this hurry-up, hectic world during the Christmas season, we lose focus. Busyness causes anxiety. Stress causes us to lose sight and sound of the true Christmas story.

For God so loved the world, that He GAVE us His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

Watching and listening to Paul those 20-plus years ago still motivates me to sing from the heart. More importantly, Paul gave me encouragement to LIVE from the heart. It’s not what you do, but who He is that causes God to love you.

Does God love me? You’d better believe it. He’s got my picture on His Heavenly refrigerator door!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Dan Ainsworth Wilderness Preacher

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Healing Pain: Trust in Jesus the Chiropractor

Jesus is a chiropractor

This pain has got to stop. Even though I hide it well, I’m suffering. Hey, I’ve done all I know to do; something has got to give. I need help.

I set the appointment, filled out all the paperwork, checked in, and now I’m waiting. That was quick; now I’m in the doctor’s office. Didn’t even have time to get more nervous and scared. In walks this young man with a beard. He speaks to me in a gentle voice. He told me his name. (His initials are J.C.) Then he asked me what my problem is. It causes me to ponder that he asks that question to complete strangers every day, in and out. But without a doubt, he seemed to be totally interested in my life and what was going on.

Okay, I’ll interact with this guy. I tell him about the pain. I also tell him about the stupid stuff I’ve done over the years to cause damage to my body.  Stupid stuff like all the dares and risks we took in our younger days when we think we are invincible.  (I’m being real here and confessing the stupid stuff, so, you be real and admit you’ve been stupid too). You know, the sports activities, lifting loads too heavy for your back and shoulders, neglect, bad posture habits, on and on. It’s unreal what we do to our bodies.

He listens. Something that seems to be missing in this world.  He listens. Then he says, ”let’s see what we can do about this”.  He lays his hands on me.

 What I will always remember is that he immediately touched the muscles in my neck that were hurting.  He used big words that I didn’t understand.  Said I had a something in my whatever muscle. There was a “subli something or another ” in my vertebra.  What I’m trying to say is this.  I didn’t understand what he was saying to his assistant who was writing it down, but I knew that he knew more about what was going on inside of me than I did.

Then he looked inside me. ,In this case, he used an X ray. Told me exactly what was wrong. Showed me why I had such pain in my life. Then he said, “We can fix this.” He didn’t say, you’ve done stupid things, or you’ve waited too long, or anything to make me feel unworthy of seeking his help. He just calmly said, “I can help”.

So now he asks me to stretch out on the table face down. He places one hand on my neck and brings my arm behind my back….. (time out) Now you guys know me, my involvement with falconry, with wolves and predators. This position that I am now in, is totally a submissive position. In the wild, if you have a claw on your neck and your wing, leg, or arm is pulled behind your back, you are totally in submission.   Why would I submit to this?  Because I trusted J.C..  I didn’t understand, nor did I really know this guy.   But I trusted him.

What happened next is a blur. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, kick myself for not doing this sooner, or………..  My neck went ccccccrrkkk.  He realigned me. He began a physical journey that I am now on.  A journey that doesn’t have pain from the past going along with it.

So, my daily devotion for this day was this (and it can’t be a coincidence).  John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Why had I not gone to see the chiropractor before this? Well, I didn’t believe in their ways. You know, the world says that when you have pain that you need a pill, or shot, or surgery, or well, let’s just do all of these. Then we’ll cover up the problem with numbing medicines.. Does that sound like your life?  Also I thought I could handle this on my own.  After all, who better to run my life than me.  A chiropractor?  All he will do is some touchy feely stuff. Then he will yank on your head.  People will expect me to say ‘‘I’m Healed!” And he’ll want to keep seeing me. Honestly though, I was just scared of him.

I want to ask you a most serious question. Is your spiritual life filled with pain? Go see J. C. “the chiropractor”, Jesus Christ. He’ll listen to you. He’ll look inside of you, and show that He knows more about what’s going on inside of you than you yourself. When you come to the point that you trust Him, he will realign your life.  Don’t expect to understand, or know what words to use.  Just Trust!! 

The world we live in these days has so little that we can trust in. Hard to put trust in politicians, advice from so called experts, even Facebook. They all have a way of letting us down when all we want is the truth. The Truth. Will you trust me enough that I could give you a good recommendation for the hurt in your life? If it’s physical pain, I have J.C. the chiropractor’s number. Give me a call. If it’s spiritual pain, let me share Jesus with you. Leave me a comment (it will be private).

And by the way, J.C.(Jesus Christ), will want to continue to see you.  It’s a good thing.

I thank God for J.C.

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth Wilderness Preacher