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Are You Available?

Do you ever notice those outdoor signs as you drive down the interstates and even the back roads of this country? You can’t help but see them. They are everywhere. What if one of those signs represented you and your life?

Are You Available for God?

It may just be me, but it seems that nowadays most of the billboard signs out on the highways and byways are advertisements for lawyers. You know the ones. You’ve seen them. There’s the lawyer with his picture on the sign saying “One call that’s all”. There’s the other sign with the young lawyer and his slogan, “Been hit? Then call Whitt!” Then there’s “Under Arrest, Call the Best!” On and on. You haven’t gone two more miles down the road when on your right there’s another big sign. Wait! In big capital letters it says, “God is Good”. But underneath the “God is Good” letters it says brought to you by so and so lawyer and lawyer associates. What’s up with that?

Several more miles of driving, now I see a sign showing lawn mowers for sale. There’s one advertising land for sale. Uh oh, now another lawyer sign. It’s just a few hundred more yards and I take a picture showing the sign I’ve shared above. It’s available.

There in broad daylight is a sign that’s a big as half of Kansas . What, no lawyer needing another sign? Then I get to thinking. What if I put my name on that sign. Better yet, what if we put your name on that sign.

If your life could be seen by all the world on one of those outdoor billboard signs, what would people see? What would be your slogan?

Let’s dig a little deeper here. In this spiritual journey that you and I are on, when people that are on the highways and byways of life pass by you, what do they see?

The only Jesus that some people see, is the Jesus seen in you and me. That’s an accurate statement right there! You and I realize our weaknesses and shortcomings, so it’s almost disappointing to us to realize that we may be falling short of being a good example of a follower of Christ. We feel bad when we think of how we show our Christianity to others. There’s no way I can represent Jesus to others! They don’t need to look at me. The overwhelming thought, I…AM…NOT…GOOD… ENOUGH… takes over! It robs us of our joy!

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

A good ole country boy/cowboy sayin goes like this,….. “it ain’t what ya got, it’s how you use it.”

I think on our Christian walk on this Earth, God takes that saying and turns it into this. “It’s not your ability but your availability that I want from you.”

You are a billboard for all the world to see. Don’t worry about what “road” you are set beside. No need to fret over how big your “posts” are or how much “plyboard” you’ve got to show. Hmm, say you’ve got “termites” trying to tear your sign down. God knows all about you. (Even the ‘termites’ in your life).

What a wonderful blessing to know that God knows all about me,………. and He still wants me to be available for Him. That’s got to make you want to praise Him. Do any of you know that old little children’s song?

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine! Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.!

What would be your slogan in this Christian journey?

See ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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A Bad Connection

Beep Beep BEEEP!!! A Check Trailer Wiring error is showing on my truck panel. There it goes again Beep Beep BEEEP! All I can think of that caused this was that I hit a bump in the road and Boom!

The irritating noise began . A check trailer wiring signal is blinking like a non stop Christmas light and the irritating noise is causing me, well to get irritated.

I stop after many miles of this torture to check on the problem. Like all guys who honestly don’t know much about their vehicles, it’s google to the rescue. You ever done that? You know, google your latest problem, whether it’s a health problem, or in this situation a mechanical issue. Happens every time, You have to read the worse possible scenario. Health issue? Yep search reveals you may have a rare incurable disease. Search for this particular mechanical situation concerning a Check Wiring irritating signal. Yep, got to take it to the dealership to replace a faulty thingamabog that’s causing the whatchamadoodle to show an error. (told ya I wasn’t much of a mechanic.)

But there was in my search somewhere that said maybe check your connection to the trailer. Can’t hurt so I give it a try . I unhook the cable from the RV that hooks to the truck grab the connector and give it a few whacks against the bumper. Why you say do I do this? Because I can’t kick it. Most of my mechanical issues that I’m not able to solve involve giving the object a good kick. A good kick relieves the stress every time and on occasion has been known to somehow fix the problem.

Look what shows up after a couple whacks.

Look at that dirt! There’s enough dirt in there to plant a couple of tomato plants! Dunno how it got in there, but it’s out now. I plug the connector back in to the truck and …….. it’s working. No error messages and no irritating beeping. The problem has been solved which makes me one small step closer to becoming a good mechanic after all.

There are times when all of us face a loss of connection whether in our vehicles or in our hearts.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

On your spiritual journey, you hit a “bump in the road” and get that irritating feeling that somehow you have become disconnected from God. Deep down maybe you sense the error messages letting you know that some dirt/sin has come between you and God. That by the way is the definition of sin. Anything that comes between you and God is sin. Yep, it’s irritating you isn’t it?

So just how can you give your soul a few whacks to clean out the dirt/sin? Prayer. Praying to God, asking Jesus to renew, reconnect, and restore the connection between the two of you. It may involve asking for forgiveness. To ask for and be given forgiveness for whatever dirt that is between you and God is where we get to see God’s grace, His mercy, and His love. Focusing on God’s Greatness and not on your dirt brings back the joy.

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth, Wilderness Preacher, driving somewhere across Texas, renewed and reconnected

I’ve been writing a book. The very rough draft of this book has been written. It needs polishing, editing, and given a look over by others who have done this before. So stay tuned, it will be finished in the future. In the meantime, I’m back in the saddle writing this blog. My hope and prayer is that you join me on this journey. When you ask to see God in everything, you start seeing God in everything!

Stay in touch! Drop me an email. Share your times of reconnection

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The Fork In The Road (I’m writing a book!)

When you come to the fork in the road, take it!

I’ve been asked “Well, Dan, have you quit writing? Nope, completely the opposite. I am now writing a book! There is time now to edit, write, rewrite, delete, edit, and write some more. You guys are seeing the trend here. I am setting aside time to write. And motivation! Friends who have written their own books (shout out to June, Geno, Ralph, Barry, and Gary) in their own ways have encouraged me to write the story as though talking to a friend . So while there won’t be new material on this blog post, know that sometime in the next year or two there will be a book. I’ll keep ya’ll posted!

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth Wilderness Preacher……… and writer