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How to be successful in LIFE!

success!

Wow!  Look at all the delicious fruit on this tree!  Success!  Outstanding crop!   Who wants to produce the same success as this tree?

Remember this tree?

a separate persimmon tree surrounded by an oak

How about that! It’s the same tree!  The tree that “wasn’t going to amount to anything” is loaded with fruit.  It is having a very successful year.  The secret of being successful in LIFE?  Well, in good ole country boy terms here is the secret….  It ain’t what you got, it’s how you use it.  If you are new to wilderness preacher, of if you’ve forgotten about the story of this tree, you can read about it.  Click on the following:        Bloom where you’re planted

So, to be SUCCESSFUL in LIFE you will just like this tree, bear fruit. Producing “fruit” will bring success in your work, your family, your very own life. Not just any fruit, but good fruit.  It can be done.  You’re going to need some help.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Galatians 5:22NIV

When God’s Holy Spirit comes into your life, you now have help in producing your fruit.  You now have help in living a successful life.  But,……….there is a big problem.  It’s in how we view success.

In our “business and work world”, it’s all about the numbers.  We view success in other people as well as ourselves by this numbers game.  How much money was made.  How many sales produced. How much production.  It’s all about me, myself, and I!

In our “religious” world (let’s be truthful and admit it), it’s also about numbers.  Too many times we view success as how many times did I go to church,  how much did I give, how long I’ve been a teacher/deacon/preacher/choir member/etc.  It’s all about me, myself, and I!

How to be successful in life?  Here it is again…. it ain’t what you got it’s how you use it!   You’ve been given God’s Holy Spirit, now use it!  But if it’s all about me, myself, and I then there’s no room for God’s Holy Spirit to work.

To be successful in living requires us to focus on God.  Seek Him, trust Him, follow Him.  This cause us to care less about me, myself, and I.  It allows us to focus on these “fruits of the Spirit”.  We don’t worry about the “barbed wires” in our lives, we don’t fret over where we’ve been placed in this world.  We focus on LIVING in and with God’s Spirit.  We focus on the fruits.  Looking back on my own life the past few years, I’ve not made the “top ten” in money, sales, production, attendance, or amounts of any kind.  But I am living in a world being filled spiritually by a “PERFECT TEN” with peace, love, and joy.  I am using it(God), and He is using me?  Sounds strange?  Yep, but a loving relationship is growing. I am living a successful life.

Now go be successful in life.  With help from the Spirit you too can produce fruit.  Time to share in a pie don’t ya think?

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher

 

 

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Take a break. Have a drink. with Verse

drinking water

Let’s Take a Break!  Have a drink!

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.  Proverbs 11: 25 NIV

When traveling on our journeys, it’s refreshing to take a break.  Stop hiking to rest.  There’s nothing as refreshing as a cup of cool clear mountain creek water.  Still, I filter this water to prevent any unwanted bugs or bacteria.  I’m betting though, that this water (even unfiltered) is probably cleaner than what comes from your faucet!

Back to taking a break……….. mmmmm……mmmm…mm.  That’s some good water!  Hiking can really give you a thirst.

This spiritual journey can really give you a thirst.  Take the time to sloooooow down as you travel.  Let God refresh you with His Word, His Love, and His Presence in your life.  If you journey wide open, never stopping, constantly going and going, you’ll get fatigued.  Those “water breaks” are meant to refresh, restore, renew.  Drink up!

If God has suddenly told you “take a break, have a drink” as you travel WITH Him, then STOP.  Take a break.  Life is not a race …. but indeed a journey.  And while you’re at it, share what God refreshes you with.  If it’s a cold drink of water, let others know you got some to give.  Maybe on this step on your Christian path, He gave an extra cup of love, or patience, or understanding.  While you have stopped, look around.  I bet you see someone who needs that extra cup you were given.  Well, refresh others.  There you go.  Another step in being a Christian.  Ready, Let’s go.

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Climbing over your Difficulties

Crossingoverboulders

Climbing  Boulders

A good friend of mine shared a dream he had about traveling through boulders.  It sounded scary to me.  He questioned whether he was to go around the boulders, over them, or maybe avoid them all together.

Well, I had to actually cross some boulders to get to where the fish were.    I found a great high mountain lake in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  The only place the cutthroat trout were feeding was at the bottom of 15 foot boulders.  God has a sense of humor.  He knows that I am afraid of heights.  But, He knows I have a passion for fishing.  With the trout feeding below me (you can see them swimming in the video), I forgot all about boulders, the distance that I was above the water, my fear of this height, and everything else in this world. I just forgot about everything. My focus is on the fish. I’m a mountain lion fixin’ to pounce on my prey.

Fish ON!!! Was God laughing?  No doubt.  If anybody had been around they would have been rolling.  I’m scrunching and sliding and booty-scootin’ across those boulders.  My rear end is holdin’ on like a clamshell.  My toes are curled.  My fingers are monkey grabbin’ (Oh well, so much for me comparing myself to an agile mountain lion.)

Deep down, in spite of my human frailties and fears, I kept my eyes on the fish.  Carefully, (and awkwardly) I placed my feet where they would safely hold me up.  It’s 15 feet high guys. Give me a break!    I got my fish, eased away from the boulders, and resumed “being” a mtn lion again.

Your turn………. Do you face boulders in your everyday life?  Obstacles that you aren’t sure whether to go around, over, or maybe avoid them altogether?  Have you ever thought that God allows these boulders to be in our path so that He, and you can see just how much you want something.  Your “fish” might be a new friendship, a new beginning, a better way for your family, more Realness in your life.  And those dad’ gum boulders get in the way.  A scripture that goes along with boulder crossing is Proverbs 4:25…….. Let your eyes look straight ahead (at your fish) .  Focus on the passions God has given you.  Not on the “worthless” distractions (those big, bad boulders).  I hope you skin your knees and cut your elbows, (I have).  That way you’ll know you are crossing boulders and NOT getting stuck in your tracks.  (continued in verse of the week    Click on that tab)