Category Archives: Steps Along This Journey

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How to fill ‘er up spiritually

The one thing that keeps our vehicles running, and we act like it’s a hassle to take the time to “fill ‘er up”.

While making a trip to Houston to see my son, I stopped a few times to get gas.  I like to watch people going about their everyday activities.  What was amazing to me was how everyone at the gas stations were in such a hurry.  They obviously needed gas as they were all filling their cars.  But while filling, they also were texting, cleaning out trash, washing their windshields, etc., etc.  I mean let’s be efficient with our time, but c’mon people, have we gotten in that much of a rush?  Hey. Hey. HEY!!!  Lady, I wouldn’t set the gas nozzle on and leave it if I were you.  I guess it’s important that she goes and talks with the guy 3 pumps over.  (Looks more like they were in a heated argument!)

I have fond memories of when I was very young and going to my grandfathers house to get gas.  This was years ago and in a different way of life.  But papaw had a gas pump that you had to hand pump to put gas in the car or tractors.  I got to do this myself.  It made me feel all grown up.  I would crawl up on the tank itself after I put the hose in the car and pump away.  I wouldn’t stop until the gas overflowed!  Filling the car and tractors back in the day was an activity that I truly enjoyed.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope FILL you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now, I’m not saying that when you fill your car with gas you should stop doing everything else, stand there, and shout and sing as loud as possible the song “Cause I’m Happy……..”  nope, nada, ney, ney.   I’m saying spiritually that we need to focus on this loving , living, Lord and Saviour that is filling our lives with love and hope.  Take the time to just be with Him.

Has life gotten you in such a rush that when the time comes to be filled with the Spirit, (by the Spirit), that you are too busy doing other things?  Too busy to be filled to overflowing from a Living, Loving God?  You call this a hassle?  Well, you act like it is.

How do we “fill ‘er up” spiritually?  Prayer time is high octane.  A quiet time alone with God is a great way to get you on down the road.  Worship in your church fills “your tank” so that the rest of the week can be traveled through.  Basically, any time spent with God is a time of renewing,  a time that we get to “fill ‘er up“.

Don’t let your “fill me up” time with God become as a hassle to you.  Stay forever young as a child in His presence.  Enjoy filling up until it overflows.  God will put a “tiger in your tank”.  The other activities in your life, especially dealing with trash and heated arguments, can be put on hold.  So “fill ‘er up”.  By the way, God’s paying for it.

See Ya down the road!!    Dan Ainsworth wildernesspreacher

 

 

 

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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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Do you need to restore your joy as a Christian?

RE-store, RE-condition, RE-connect, RE-vive!

RE-store, RE-condition, RE-connect, RE-vive!

After 15 years, I’ve decided our deck needs to be worked on.  It’s weathered, cracking, splintering, and you know, just wearing down from the forces of nature.  The Mississippi sunshine beats down on it.  The rain has a big part in wearing down this decking.  Also the human traffic, dragging chairs and furniture, the salt and chlorine from the pool….(even the cat who claws the post). Any and everything that can wear this wooden deck down is in high gear to try to turn it from a well conditioned deck into a rotting mass of wood and decay.

Until! ………..  DadadaDAAAAA! (Musical Intro!)  Until I hear about the 40% off all paint at the paint store.  My wife and daughter always tell me they shop because of sales.  (Seems like they always BUY because of sales too).  Well, I’m joining in myself.  Save 40%, so I’ll buy a bunch of buckets of paint for that deck of mine.

I’ve known for quite some time that the deck was needing a RE– conditioning.  I’ve just let it rock on.  The store has a paint that will RE-store your deck.  It also will RE-condition, and RE-vive.  Even says on the paint can that it will “make it like brand new again”.  I’m wondering if it works that well if I can take a drink of it.  A big ole swig just might be what I need for myself.

Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and let a willing attitude control me Psalms 51:12  International Standard Version

OK, personal question here….. Is the joy of being a Christian fading, being worn away, and is being lost from all the weathering in your earthly life?  Well, it’s time to get RE- ‘d.  Anything that begins with RE-.   Restored, revived, realigned, reconnected, recharged, rekindled, REVIVED.

What’s amazing is that God Himself will be the one that restores you.  You are the one that must become motivated enough to ask for this reconditioning.  It’s a process between you and God.  It may not be an overnight thing.  It might take a “couple of coats”.  You gotta believe that your Lord and Saviour wants you to have a life that’s protected from this world’s harm.  You gotta believe that He knows and cares about your condition.  You gotta believe. You do don’t you?

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher