Tag Archives: a step onward and upward

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Walking In My “Bare” Feet

Train up a child in the way he should go!

I told my mother that I’m walking outside in my “bare” feet.  She scolded me and said, “get your socks and shoes on or you’ll catch ‘new moan’yer’.  (Hey, that’s how we pronounce it, so…. that’s how I’ll spell it!)

It reminded me of when I was 12 years old.  She said the same thing back then.  I hated socks and shoes.  Rather be barefoot anytime!  But in a Mother’s eyes, I’m just asking to get sick.  Playing in the rain, or snow, or in mud puddles for some reason didn’t seem like much fun to her.  But, to me….. yeehawwww!

There were many times my parents were “training” me back then.  I’m reminded of it almost every day, because I’ve “used” this training each and every day of my life.  It also reminds me of this……..

Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not turn from it.  Proverbs 22:6

I got my training from two wonderful parents.  I’ve given my training to two wonderful children.  So I’ve seen this “training” experience from both sides.  Funny how I’ve passed my parents training of me down to my training of my children.  Yeah, I’ve even told them that “they better quit that or they are gonna catch new moan’yer’.

I think you have got to agree with me that our Heavenly Father also is in the training business.  Least I hope He is cause I need a little help being His Child.  I even ask Him in my prayers for this “training”.  Most of my prayers include asking Him to lead,guide,and direct me.  That’s what I call TRAINING in a most personal way.  Thank you Lord!!  Pray and ask God yourself for this training.

Relax, Mother……… I was outside in the cold in my BEAR feet, not bare feet.  I’ve listened and learned from your advice…….and I thank you as well.

Now, about that “Don’t eat raw brownie mix” advice……………

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth wildernesspreacher  a grown man, but still haven’t “growed up”.

 

 

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Don’t Let Your Heart Grow Cold and Bitter

How God Keeps Your Heart "Warm"

Merry Christmas!  And then you hear “Bah, Humbug!”  Well, that’ll just ruin your day.

My, my, you’ve got the Christmas Spirit.  You’re wanting to spread joy and good tidings, (and hot chocolate).  Then after a day of seeing scrooges, hearing all the bad, (spilling the hot chocolate and COFFEE!!) you’re ready to give up.

Your heart that was warm and toasty is now beginning to get cold, it’s turning bitter, it’s growing numb……… your heart is turning hard.   That’s what happens when exposed to the cold ,cold world.  You better find a way to “warm things back up”.

This is how I “warm things up” in the log house we’re building.  See all those pipes, tubings, pumps, electrical dodads.  Well, that’s infloor heating for ya!  The pipes are going through the concrete floors warming the floors up.  This radiates to me and you in the room.  It’s comfortable.  It’s warm.  It’s a pleasure especially when it was -9 degrees outside.  When Mike the plummer was explaining to me how it worked………… well, he must have seen my eyes glaze over.  He’s explaning how the boiler heats the water and the computer gizmo activates the valveamabob.  Then the whatchamacallit releases the thingamado………….shoot,….. my head is still hurtin’ from all the info.

So finally Mike says, “Just trust me, all you need to do is work the thermostat.  If you’re cold turn it up!”   Hey, I can understand that!!!  If I get cold, just turn it up.  Easy enough.

So, when you and I start feeling cold spiritually, do we “turn up the thermostat”?  Sounds easy enough.  But for some strange reason, (probably that we are human), we tend to stay in our own little world and grow cold.  Then grow colder.  Then grow bitter, then stone cold, then HARD!!

 

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;   you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused;   they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears,  understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. Matthew 13:13-15

What Jesus is saying here is “I will heal you”.  He will make our lives better.  We hear but don’t understand. (Mike the plummer just as well to have been Jesus because I was hearing, but I sure ’nuff wasn’t understanding!!!)

Ok, how do we HEAR from God??   By Believing and trusting!  There are those two little words again.  Seems like they are always somewhere close by when it comes to taking a Christian journey in this world.  I can’t see or understand with my own eyes.  But, if I use my Heavenly Father’s eyes it gives me a whole new vision.  It restores my soul.  It warms my heart.  It gives me back my Christmas Spirit.  The true C H R I S T mas Spirit.

“Lord, I know sometimes these true stories I share with readers are really simple.  But you speak to me with these everyday happenings.  I’m asking that You speak to the one reading this prayer.  Give them the gift of seeing with Your eyes.  Give them a moment when they feel your presence in an everyday activity of their own.  Keep their heart from growing cold.  Let an opportunity happen today when they feel your “warmth” in their heart.  Amen”

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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Detour Ahead

But God asks to go along? What's up with that?

Hey! You and I are a lot alike.  We plan our trip, make plans for today, even make a plan for the rest of our life,……..and then there it is.  Detour ahead!!

Detours????? That usually means wasted time.  Why am I having to take a detour anyway?  Is the bridge out ahead? (well,  I won’t be so upset if I find that out.)  Is it because of road construction? (and all those orange barrels that go along)  Is it for no reason at all? (meaning there is no reasonable explanation.)

But, this detour is a little different.  It’s a lot different.  It’s concerning a path that my life must take.  A detour that many of you are on.  The detour of a financial difficulty, a health problem, a season of waiting, a detour that you didn’t plan on taking but you HAVE TO GO in order to keep traveling on your journey.  Problems, problems…….yet someone is asking you can they come along.  Who wants to go with you on this detour from your plans and journey?  God.

It never dawned on me until the other night.  I was listening to The Noble Heart campfire conversation online.  John (shout out to John) was talking about his father passing away a few days ago. I can so relate to that.  He expressed that he felt like his life was being taken on a detour.  But,…….. then he said this.  He sincerely felt that God was asking him if he would allow him (God) to go with John while on this detour.  I was sensing the same thing in my detour of life.  I never truly thought on this, but God asks to be invited into our everyday lives.  You ever thought about it that way?   Have you ever sensed that God wants to be in your (each and every day) life?

Think about this with me.  We are traveling with our loved ones down the road and there is a detour.  But what if when you hit the detour you suddenly stopped, made everyone get out, then when you finish the detour, you load everyone back in.  Doesn’t make sense does it.

But think about this.  When we are on a detour because of finances, health, bad situations at school or work, we tend to TRY to handle it by ourselves.  We literally make everyone get out (including God) as we charge into the detour and all its expected frustrations and wasted times.  Detours give us unexpected problems, unexpected time delays, and well, they just get us out of our plans and routines.  Bummer, now I’ve also gotten rid of all my passengers on this detoured trip.  Double Bummer!!

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.  Proverbs 16:9

Back to that God asking me…… and you.  Do you ever sense our God asking you if He can be with you everyday?? (even in and especially during detours in your life?)  Do you ever wonder why an all powerful, all knowing God wants to be involved with a human like you?  Difficult to explain, I know. But I sense that it’s because of His Love.  At the most difficult times, we humans tend to focus on the detour and all it’s problems on our plans.  We then make everyone “get out of the car”.  Silly humans!

I’m going to let my Lord and Saviour go with me on this detour.  He will no doubt show me some things as we travel together.  Hmmm,… maybe even see and experience some things on this detour that wouldn’t be seen on the normal usual road.

Good luck on your journey (and those detours that will come).  Remind yourself there is an all knowing,all powerful, omnipotent Being that wants to tag along.  This detour may be just the thing needed for the two of you to truly get to know one another.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher (On a major detour in life, with God right there with me!!!!)