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The Devil Uses What You’re Good At Against You

Meet Dakota (means friend)    Dak for short  A wild red tail hawk.  Incredibly he’s eating from my hand just 6 hours after being caught

I caught a wild hawk by using what he’s good at…… and using it against him.  Here’s how. [Note: Possession of any bird of prey requires a permit and falconry license.  They are not pets!!] 

A hawk survives by catching his food.  He has an unreal ability to see.  Their eyesight is phenomenal.  Put it this way.  They could read the print on this blog from four football fields away.  They use what they are good at (keen eyesight) to find and catch their prey.  I want to catch a wild hawk, so I will use what he is extremely good at …….. and use it against him.  Here’s how.

 

A Bal-chatri trap used to catch birds of prey

That’s the picture of the trap I use to catch a hawk (permit required remember?).  I place a hamster, or mouse into the cage. ( No harm comes to the bait animal on this adventure. )  The mouse will walk around in his cage.  This movement will catch the hawks attention.  What I usually do is drive the roads and highways looking for a hawk perched on a light pole or utility wire.  I’ll drop the trap out the car door and drive down the road for a ways.  Hawks instantly see the movement in the trap……. and begin their descent from above to attack their potential meal.  I’ve seen hawks try to literally tear the cage apart to get to their prey!

Notice the picture again.  See the nooses on the top of the trap?  As the hawk dances around on the cage, they entangle their talons in these snares.  Such great eyesight, but the focus is on the prey not on the trap with snares.  I only need a toe and this wonderful creature that was soaring high in the sky is now caught in my trap.

Notice the black snare around the leg.

Amazing how I used this magnificent creature’s outstanding ability (eyesight), but I used it to trap him.  That’s what got me to thinking.

What are you good at……… how are you successful?  Some folks are successful at making money, some are great around people,….. so many talents and abilities out there with you guys.  But what if the devil/ evil/ sinful human nature, (call it what you want, but you better call it cause it’s out there), what if the devil used what you are good at against you?

Here’s the trap.  Good at making money?….suddenly becomes greed.   Great interacting with people?….. suddenly becomes something inappropriate.   All the trapper needs is a toe.  Whatever is going on in your life that may be good can be used to trap you.  

Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me and from the snares of evildoers!  Psalm 141:9

So use your God-given talents and be what you are designed to be.  But remember, traps and snares are out there in this world.  Traps that will tie you down and keep you from flying high (spiritually).

In this case, the trap  caught a young red-tail hawk who is now my companion in the sport of falconry.  He already knows how to hunt, he will just have to get use to me being around him.  This is called manning.  There will be several blogs written over the next few days/weeks about my hobby of falconry.  How two very different creatures will bond together in a relationship that I’ve found so rewarding.  Hope you keep coming back to read, join in with me on  this adventure, and enjoy tagging along as we watch “Dakota” fly and be what God has created him to be!   

"Dak" the red tail hawk just hours after being trapped from the wild. He will be eating from my hand shortly.

Stay tuned…….  See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher and falconer

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Getting In Shape To Truly Come Alive

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I’m putting these boots back on!  Five years ago I bought these boots to wear as I walked/ exercised/ got in shape.  I was getting into shape to live above the world, (and in the peaks of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains).  But,….. I’ve been busy the past two years building our log home.  No time for exercise, (cause I been working), no time for the right kinds of food, (honey buns and ‘tater chips are quicker).  I can tell I’m not in shape to live life at it’s best.  How can I tell?

Mother gave me a to do list.  Landscaping, cleaning out the barn, more landscaping, winterizing where her plants grow for the winter, and….. more landscaping.  I’ve moved more pine straw with just a pitchfork, than what a 2 mile wide tornado would do!   I jumped on it.  Gonna whoop these chores.  AND I DID!!   But , man am I sore.  My muscles ache from head to toe. All that lifting, moving, swinging and dancing with the pitchfork……. I think I’m stiff hurting all over.  As I write this, my earl lobes even ache.  I must be out of shape!

Time to take some action.  I call my son Jordan for advice.  See, he is a Sports Performance Specialist working with athletes.  You need to increase your pitching speed from 89 to 92?  He can help.  You need to be faster, jump higher, farther etc.  He’s your guy.  What you have physically, he can take and tweak improvements.  It might take extra time, work, and or dedication, but he gets athletes to live at their best.  Maybe he can help me.

Our conversations turn into Jordan asking me what my goals are as far as being in shape.  Here’s my chance.  So I tell him…….. “I want to be that guy that’s always showing off his abs.  You know, the guy that is a picture perfect specimen with ripped muscles and no fat whatsoever.”

He doesn’t even laugh, at least not that I can hear him.  He begins explaining how a regimen of eating (or I would say, barely eating) proper foods plus extensive cardio training could give me those results.  There was no mentioning honey buns so I quickly came back to reality.  ” No, honestly, I want to be in shape enough that I can truly live life.  I’ll fight the arthritis, aging, weight gain…… all those things we all face.  But I want to know that I did what I could do by taking care of my body to fully live my life.  I may not look like and have a model’s body on the outside, but on the inside……. I want to give it my best.  So get the boots out and let’s exercise!!!

My personal sports performance specialist has now given me a series of exercises that are designed to do just that.  Doing these exercise makes me more mobile, agile, and a little quicker on my feet.  Might even lose a few pounds because of it.  The biggest difference?  It’s how I feel about myself.  There is more of a positive outlook on everything.  Not just how many reps I can do, but that I truly am doing something for myself that truly helps me live life better.  Oh I still get those aches and pains, still have to stretch tight muscles, still have to resist honey buns and snickers candy…… but I can feel it on the inside!  And it’s a good thing!

I’ve got a question that I’ve asked Jordan and now I’ll ask you.  What exercises are there that can help me spiritually to live life at its fullest?  Easy answer!  Read the Bible, pray, and meditate on God’s Will.  Easy enough because we all know these exercises, but are we doing them correctly?

Jordan text me his thoughts on this, and coming from this sports training professional it caused me to think harder on what he said.  Here are his words:

“I think a lot of people will pray, or think about things, but then just end up doing what feels right to them.  Just like when you are going hard at a workout, you feel like 3 sets might be enough.  Is it because 3 sets really is enough or because you got tired at 3.

For both things (physical and spiritual), I think a person needs emotional maturity.  If you don’t have it, you will quit when things get hard or be susceptible to only making the decision that makes you “feel” right.  You have trouble telling the difference between your emotions and the Holy Spirit’s guidance.”

I catch myself doing just that sometimes.  I’ll read a few verses, then think…..that’ll do.  I’ll meditate briefly, then think what all needs doing.  I’ll pray, but just the basics.    Hmmm……… sounds like I did three reps, figured it was good enough, or got tired one.  Not much exercise for improvements there huh?

Jesus said,……. “I have come that they may have life, and have it the full.” John 10:10

Jesus has given me and you a life to live.  If I can “exercise” to improve my spiritual journey, then by all means I’m ready to “put those exercise boots on”.

Praying and reading the Bible,…….. not just going through the motions, not just 3 reps and call it cause your tired.   But exercise your praying and reading to benefit your everyday living.

Spiritual Exercise is not an end all, be all, all by itself.  It’s to help you live.  It’s to help you live an abundant life.

Focus on letting your praying and Bible reading be exercises.  Exercises that pull you closer to God’s Will.  Exercises that help you live….. and come ALIVE!!  Now give me 5!!!

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher

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When You Follow The Wrong Path

The mountain lion was really a bunch of bull!

Boy, did I make a mistake.  Yep, ole mountain man has got to confess that he blew it.  Should of known better……..

There were tracks in the snow behind our log house.  Big tracks, tracks the size of my extended hand.  Something BIG had walked below our house.  Definitely not a deer, not a dog, it left a circular track with no claw marks.  That’s not a bear.  That looks like a ……….naw it can’t be.  Too big for coyote, or fox, or any other critter in the area.  I know what it’s not, just haven’t figured out what it is!  It’s too big for anything else.  The only thing it can be is a ………naw it can’t be that.  But it’s not anything else.  SO…..therefore it must be.  Yep, it’s mountain lion tracks.  I’m sure of it.  What else could it be?

Staci and I are exploring in the fresh 10 inch snow that is still falling on our property.  We cross this path of tracks and immediately begin to focus on what it is.  I saw a similar set of tracks years ago in the snow while elk hunting.  They were…… yep, they were cougar tracks.  A large cougar can have a big foot leaving tracks the size of your hand print (with extended fingers!)  That’s a big cat!  That’s what I was looking at here.  Any cat ( a mountain lion or your own little house kitty)  doesn’t leave claw marks when they walk.  There are no claw marks in these tracks either.  I am convinced based on my outdoor experiences that we have a cougar/mountain lion on our property.  So what do Staci and I do when we realize this?  Well, after a little (encouragement) from me, we BOTH start following the trail.  Staci did ask me what we will do if we catch up with the lion.  Hmmmm……… I haven’t planned that far ahead.  Actually the tracks appear to be a few hours old, based on the fresh snow that is partially filling them.  I’m too excited with the idea that a cougar has been on our property.  I want to see where he’s been and is going.  I don’t sense any danger… yet……….

We BOTH continue following the tracks for a way.  Guys, how do you feel when your partner in adventure is constantly second guessing you?   Staci is asking me, “Are you sure this is a good idea?  Do you really think this is a cougar?  What if he is just around the corner?   I try to to assure her (and myself), that everything is just like I see it.  AND THEN IT HAPPENED!!!!

As we were coming around the corner to our driveway, there he stood.  Huge, his hair covered in snow.  He was staring at us.  Looked like he was ready to run at any minute.  I was literally frozen for a split second.  (couldn’t even do the little girl scream I’m supposedly famous for)  My brain was concentrating on tracks, never thought I would see the animal face to face that had been making them.  But there he was……

A Big bull.  I’ve been following a bunch of bull!  Boy, do I feel stupid.  There is a stump in a Louisiana swamp that is smarter than me.  That’s how dumb I feel.  Staci is laughing (after she gets finished being scared), laughing at our situation and a little at me as well.

How did this happen?  I literally convinced myself that we were truly on a mountain lion trail.  Once convinced, I never took the time to truly look at what was going on.

Have you ever taken a wrong path in life?  Maybe didn’t know what you were getting into?  Maybe even to the point that you CONVINCE YOURSELF that this is a good idea?

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Psalm 119:105

On our Christian journeys and our walks with God,  I think we sometimes get ahead of God and His plan. Instead of totally hearing from God, we convince ourselves that we know what we are doing (or following).  We make the mistake of relying on ourselves…… and not God.

That’s where the Bible comes into play.  The Bible is a tool given to us to help us follow God’s will.  It is a light for our everyday paths.  How?  Look at it like this.  When I read my Bible whether a time of study, or maybe JUST my daily devotion, my focus is on God and His word.  It’s not on Dan and his limited source of knowledge.  The mystery behind reading God’s Word is that His Spirit helps us apply this scripture to our lives.  It helps us stay on course to follow the correct way.  (and that’s no Bull!)

If I hadn’t been so bull headed and stubborn, I might have realized that I was on the wrong trail.  But,……but…. I was convinced that I was right.  Here’s the problem.  I had convinced myself to follow what turned out to be a bunch of bull.  I don’t even need to follow myself.  I need to follow God’s will, not even mine.  Wheww, how do we do that?

By where we focus.  Focus on what God has in store for you each day.  One way to confirm, affirm, show the way,………. is to use the Bible.  It’s a light to help see.   Try it.  Grab your Bible.  Sign up for the many daily devotions that can come to your phone everyday.  You’ll be surprised how God speaks to little ole you through His scripture.  So many ways to study and read the Bible.  I’ll admit, it can get confusing as to the best way to use your Bible.  What book, what chapter, what should I read?

Try this.  Begin with the book of Proverbs.  Read a few verses.  (See how God’s light is coming on in your life?)  Want to know about God’s love for you?  Read a few verses from the book John every day.  You’ll see the “spiritual lamp” begin to shine in your thoughts and decisions.

God’s Word will provide a better way for you to see and follow God’s Will.  It will encourage you.  It will enlighten you.  It will protect you……. even from yourself.   And that ain’t no Bull.

“Lord I’m sorry when I try to make decisions on my own.  I need You.  I want You in my life.  Help me as I try to focus on you.  Help me as I read your Bible.  Help me to make it MY Bible from You!!  Amen.”

See Ya!! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher