Tag Archives: a step onward and upward

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Wind Beneath My Wings

osceolaflying

Look closely.  This guy is hang gliding, but tagging along for the ride is an injured Bald Eagle named Osceola.  Osceola is 35 years old now, but when he was two he was injured from being shot.  His wing had to be amputated because of the damage, so he’ll never be able to fly until……….

While making a trip through Rock City, Tennessee, Staci and I had the good fortune to meet John Stokes.  He has a passion for flying (hence the hang glider) and a passion for flying birds.  More specifically, birds of prey.  He gives a talk with his hawks, owls, and the Eagle Osceola sharing his knowledge to any and everyone.  I was more than impressed with his show and exhibit.  (Really enjoyed seeing the vulture or what you and I call a buzzard running around and flying around us as he talked!

He took the time to share with us the story about Osceola.  Watch the video of them flying at the end of this blog

How many of us get “shot down” at some point in our Earthly lives.  How many of us would ever think that we would “fly” again after getting “shot down”.  No way, especially with only one wing.  Yet a relationship exists between two entirely different creatures.  This relationship is difficult to explain, but so obvious to see.  The eagle is able to fly.  Not from it’s own ability or effort, but from a creature (John) that has a love for this eagle.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

You and I use our own abilities and efforts to “fly” in this world.  Only when we get “shot down” do we realize how our efforts are only temporary.  God’s Love comes along and carries us.  God sustains us, strengthens us, and most of all is there right beside us.  Even through all eternity.  Soar higher my friend.

Two entirely different creatures……. God,……. and you.  It may be only when we get “shot down” that we realize how we use our own abilities and efforts to “fly”.  But you and I and our efforts are temporary.  We can only fly so high and so far for only a short time.  Unless,….  you have the Love of God in your life.  Why would this most awesome God want to help me, uphold me, be with me to “fly” forever and ever?  Oh yeah, it’s because He Loves Me!!  I’ll tag along for this ride!!

Thank You John for what you do.

And Thank You Jesus for what you do.  (prayer) “Lord be with my friends out there who have been shot down.  Let them not be dismayed by their circumstances.  But let them experience and see You and Your Love as you are the wind beneath their wings.  Amen

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

Watch this perfect example of someone’s love allowing Osceola the eagle to fly again

 

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I’ve Got a Light in This Dark World

light

Electricity!  I’ve got lights in the log barn now.  For those of you keeping up with my log home project, I’m half way through building the nine foot walls for this cabin.  The summer heat has been relieved by daily storms and rain showers. It’s great that it’s cooler, but with the cloudy rainy days, now it’s too dark to see inside the barn. Even though it’s daylight, it’s hard to see the lines I’m carving, and more important, hard to see the lines as I cut with the chainsaw,……. even though it’s daylight, inside the barn it’s just too dark to see.  I need a light.

Much to my surprise and amazement, when I tied the light fixture above me and turned on the light I could see SO MUCH better.  I didn’t realize how I had been straining.  I didn’t realize how hard I was making it on myself.

See, every log in my house is “scribed” to fit the log below it.  I take the scriber and trace along the two logs to know exactly were they must be cut to fit.  This line that I trace is the line that I cut with the chainsaw.  When I cut inside of the lines, the logs don’t fit together.  Even bigger problems will show up.  Problems like leaks between the logs, and worse than that, structure instability with these logs that aren’t fitting together.  If I cut over and outside of the scribed lines, more problems.  Problems again with the structure and security of the logs themselves.  Rule number one for a handcrafted log home,……….. All joints and notches must fit.  For my logs to fit tight and soundly together, I must stay in line!!

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

This scripture was my daily Bible reading for the very day that I turned on the lights where I build my barn.  Coincidence?  Direction from Above? God interacting with me? Divine Intervention?  Really and honestly I don’t know.  But here is what I DO KNOW.

Each and every day I ask God to “help me”.  (Just like plugging in the light).  With His Light, I can now see so that I can “Stay In Line” with my life.  Each day even though it’s daylight, having God’s Light shine in my life gives me a new outlook on how to live.  With His Light I’m no longer blind, but now I see!  I can live a fuller and more meaningful life by staying in line as I carve and whittle each day into what will be my life and journey here on this Earth.

What I here from folks a lot of times is that they are scared of God shining His light on them.  They know that then all the mistakes they have made will show up BIG time.  Well, buddy, Don’t ya think that God already knows about your past and all your mistakes and blunders?  He knows about all my “Boo-boos”.  That mistake on log number three, that cutting I did on the second notch…… nobody knows about those mistakes I made but me and God.  But get this.  God’s light was given to us not to show how bad we are or can be, but Jesus Himself came not to condemn but to save.

As far as the light now being on while I’m building my log home,  It (the light) is saving me.  It’s saving me from myself.  It keeps me from carving and cutting too far out or too far in.  It keeps me in line.

Do you have God’s light shining in your life?  “Well, turn on the switch, plug in the cord.”  How do you do that?  Ask Him.  Say Lord, “help me”.  It’s an everyday activity.  Pray to God…… and listen for His still small voice.  Read a scripture every day.  There are lots of apps that will give you a daily “plug in” from God on your computer or phone.  Then each day as you live in His Light you will experience things that couldn’t be seen before.  Hmmm……. are you experiencing coincidences……direction from God…… Divine Intervention???  Again, I wouldn’t know.  But what you will know is that you will see things in a different light than before.  Gives a new meaning to the phrase “was blind, but now I see.  Thank you Lord!

I’m proud that you’ve “plugged in”.  See Ya!!

Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, part time chainsaw log home builder (using the light)

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Immediate Returns on This Investment!

keep a sharp saw

Wow! What you are seeing is a cloud, a shower, a “big ole pile” of wood shavings coming from this chainsaw.  That is a sign that this guy is using a sharp saw.  I asked him how he can cut so much wood so fast.  His reply……. ” I use a sharp saw”.

Reminds me of a couple of stories I heard a long time ago.   A  strong, muscular, ripped  young guy challenged this old dried up man to a wood cutting contest.  He bet he could cut more wood in 3 hours than the old timer.  They both started cutting.  (They were both  using an axe, this was back in the day.)  The young fellow notice the old guy stopping and resting several times.  Laughing to himself, the young guy using his strong muscles knew this bet was going to be a piece of cake.  When the time was up, all the wood was stacked and to the young guys amazement, the old man had cut more wood.  “How can this be?” he yelled.  I saw you stop and rest many times while I continued to cut away.  The old man’s reply?  “I wasn’t resting, I was sharpening my axe”.

If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.  Ecclesiastes 10:10

The other story is about someone who was cutting wood with his chainsaw. A friend saw that there wasn’t a cloud of shavings coming out of saw as he cut.  He was cutting, but only dust was appearing as he “worked his tail off”.  The friend suggested to him that he needed to sharpen his saw.  The reply?   ……….. “I don’t have time to stop and sharpen the saw, I’ve got too much work to do to stop and take time for that”.

So, you want an immediate return on your investment?  Then sharpen your saw.  We all face “dull saw moments”.   I know I should stretch before I work out, but I’ve only got time for workout.  I know I should eat better, but I don’t have time except for fast food.  I know I should have quiet time, read the Bible, pray, but…… there are only so many hours in a day.

I KNOW I SHOULD  ….. fill in the blank here, BUT I   …..fill in the blank here. 

Most of the TIME, the reason we can’t find the TIME to “sharpen our saw” is because we feel we are wasting our TIME.  My TIME is important to me!!  I’ve only got a certain amount of TIME!!!

We laugh when we see a guy whittlin’ away with a dull knife.  Sure, he’s busy and working hard, but he’s using his time to kill himself by working so hard.

What’s not so funny is when you realize that You are the guy with the dull blade.  You value your time so much that you won’t take the time to sharpen your axe, your knife, your saw,………… your life.  Not laughing about that now are ya?

That immediate return on your investment??????  Well here it is.  “Sharpen your saw”.  In the business and job world take the time to organize, delegate, plan and pursue.  By taking time out of your busy schedule to create a better use of this time (sharpening) you will increase your returns.  (Makes sense now that the old man was stopping a lot while cutting with his axe, doesn’t it)

So, how does one “sharpen his saw” spiritually?  You mean you don’t know?  (You must be living using a dull blade, which in turn means you are killing yourself by working so hard.  Trying to do it alone aren’t you.  Let me suggest this.

Here is how to “sharpen your saw” spiritually.  1) By taking time.  Yep, friend here is where the investment pays off.  Take the time to be with God.  This Christian walk is not meant to be walked alone, but with Him.  But we feel that time is wasted by trying to “sharpen our spiritual saw”.  Our time is valuable.  So valuable that we need to focus on God.  Focus on praying, reading His word, timeout for quiet time with Him.

  Jesus is the ultimate “saw sharpener”.  His ways will focus us to make better use of our time.  This will produce immediate returns on the investment you have made with Him.   Allowing a spiritual “saw sharpening” will produce a “big ole pile” of shavings as you cut through this life.  In other words, blessings and joy will flow as you go through this life.  Even when cutting through the “hard” times.  That investment (Your Life), will be in good hands following Him.  I’m all in.  What about you?

“Sharpen your saw” spiritually.  It will achieve a better return on your investment, (your life).  You want to make a bet on it?

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, part time “saw sharpener”