Tag Archives: fly fishing

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Give Thanks, No Matter Your Situation………Seriously??????

ontarket1

You’ve got problems.  You’ve got bad times, and here I am telling you it’s best to give thanks.  Hear me out before you tune me out.  Believe me, I’m hurting along with you.  Many of you are hurting, (and have shared with me your hurts).

In the picture above, I’m doing my best to stay on target.  That splash you see directly in front of the camera is my fly hitting the water.  That’s a bad thing.  It’s not going as planned or as it should.  The purpose of fishing a fly is to hit the target with a gentle throw of the rod and line.  The fly is then supposed to gracefully land on the water as if it were a real live fly.  Not go SPLAT!!  But hey, made the cast and went through all the motions to make it right.  Did I say I went through the motions?  Uh Oh, I’m goin’ through the motions………

Take a breath, count to 10, realize that a day fishin’ is better than a day doin’ anything.  I need to give thanks.  Thank You, Lord.  Thanks for the outdoors, thanks for this opportunity to fish.  Now all of a sudden it seems that I’m not just “goin’ through the motions”, but I’m actually “in the groove.  No more Splat! on the water.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 1 Thessalonians 5:12 -22 KJV

How does this relate to you and what’s going wrong in your life?  Take a look at this version from the Message.

16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. 

Those of you out there facing big problems, this fishing example is a feeble attempt to help us understand what this scripture is pointing out.  I should apologize for the feeble attempt, but I will never apologize for what this scripture says.  Give thanks, for this is what God wants.  No, no, don’t give thanks for being in the hospital (Splat), or struggling with a job (Splat), or hurtful relationship (Splat) or current bad event in your life (Splat, splat ,splat).  Don’t look for someone else who is having a worse time than you so that you can say, “Well, it could be worse.  At least I’m not like ole so and so……  But instead, look to God.  Stay on target.

Splat happens.  When it causes us to “go through the motions”, life just got less meaningful.  If we stay on target, life takes on new meaning.  Folks, we are all a  spiritual being living in a temporary physical body.  Yet, we don’t seem to live that way lots of times do we?

It’s Thanksgiving!  Be cheerful (stay on target).  Pray (helps with that target thing).  Thank God no matter what happens (He is the target).

         Lord I pray now for my friends that have Splat going on right now in their lives.  I wish they didn’t have to deal with it.  But I most want to thank You for who You are to us, and what You mean to us.  Thank You that you will be there beside each and every one.  You are a most awesome God.  Thank you for what you do and are going to do!  Help me and my friends not go through the motions because of “Splat”, but stay on target and stay “in the groove” with you. Help us focus on You.  You Lord, are worth living for.

May our Thanksgiving become a ThanksLiving!

See Ya God and friends!!!!!!        Dan Ainsworth  wildernesspreacher

 

 

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Do you feel you’re stuck in the mud?

stuck

I’ve walked through this so much that now it’s become a rut…… and now I’m stuck.  How did this happen?

Well, in this particular instance I’m walking the edge of a pond to get to where the fish are.  That’s a good thing.  Striving to do good (catch fish) has caused me to make this same move time after time.  What was once wet but solid ground, now has turned soft.  After a few more trips it’s turned into a rut………. and now I’m stuck.  Worse than that, my foot didn’t move when my brain said move, causing me to FALL into the mud. Landing on both elbows with a thud, mud splashes onto my shirt, face, and glasses.  I even bit my tongue. Definitely not a good time for a selfie. 🙁

I thought I was prepared.  Hey, I even had on hip boots because I knew about the mud.  But, big ole heavy hip boots aren’t the best thing to have on when you are fixin’ to faceplant in the mud your trying to stay out of.  I couldn’t help but laugh at myself.  Stupid me for not seeing that my walking was causing this stupid mud to grow and get worse.  I’m creating a rut myself that will cause me to get stuck in “MY” own rut.  Even though I’m striving to do good(catch fish) I’m blind to what I’m doing to myself.

Did you notice how many times I said me, myself and I?  Let’s face it, we can be our own worst enemy.  Even when we are trying to do good, we get into a rut.  We just can’t see it happening.  We have become blind.

Read this. Grab your Bible or Smartphone with verses.   It’s the story of you and your friends.  Look up  Mark 10: 46 – 52

You see, this blind man was in a rut.  He was…… well, he was blind.  But he knew it.  He also knew Jesus was walking by.  He started hollering and yelling.  And his friends, well, they were blind too, but in a different way.  They told him to “be quiet”.  They were blind to what can happen when someone calls out to Jesus.

But this didn’t stop the blind man.  When you have been in a rut, and have fallen you tend to cry out.  I know I did.  As I was falling all kinds of thoughts were going through my head……. will this hurt?  how stupid can I be? I don’t guess there’s a snake in this water? Did anybody see me?

Those thoughts were going through my head, but “AAAAAAAggghhhhhhhhhoooooooooooo” came out of my mouth.  I now know I should have kept my mouth shut as I face planted into the mud.  At least I didn’t break my fishing pole.

But the blind man cried out for Jesus.

Mark 10: 51-52 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.  The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”  “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”   Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

The blind man got out of his rut by asking Jesus for help.  You can get out of your rut the same way.  We become blind, even when trying to do good.

Let me give an example of a rut.  How many times do you sing or hear the song, “Amazing Grace”?  Over and over, time after time, right? Maybe next time when you hear that verse, “was blind, but now I see” you’ll realize it’s not always the physically blind that can’t see, it’s also all of us striving to do good.

What to do?  Cry out to Jesus!  What to say?  “Lord help me” works pretty good.  If all you can get out is “AAAAAAAggghhhhhhhhhoooooooooooo”,  He’ll get the message.  Have the faith my friend.

 

ps check out this blog from The Noble Heart by Gary Barkelow on how to get unstuck.  It’s a good read.

click here    http://thenobleheart.com/2014/04/9-ideas-that-will-get-you-unstuck/

See ya!  Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher (who falls in the mud)

 

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The Touch of the Master’s Hand

Jim Kilburn MasterFlyfisherman

Meet Jim,  a master at the art of fly fishing.  God put this man in my path, literally.  I was driving down a Colorado gravel road and Jim and his wife, June, were walking on the road.  I slowed down my truck, (probably was speeding), and when I recognized him my heart and soul wanted to meet this man.  I’ve known about him. Actually met him once before.  This guy knows how to fish.  I need help, I’ll confess to you.  I need help so bad, that I’m going to give Jim a call.  But I’m nervous.

See, Jim is a master at fly fishing.  He has fished with  guys that have written books about fly fishing .  Jim, himself, could probably write his own books, but honestly I think all his time has been spent fishing rather than writing about it.  Like I said, I’m nervous but I’m taking the plunge.  I ask him will he teach me how to fish.  I’m prepared to hear him say anything.  Anything like, “Well, someday”, or “you’ll have to get back with me”.  I’m even prepared to hear him say, “No, I don’t have time to teach someone like you.”  But he says, “Sure, be glad to.  I can go in the morning”.  Now I’m really nervous.  The Master is going to teach me how to fish.

jimtyingknot

Does he teach me how to fish?  Well………….first he taught me some knot tying.  I’ve tied knots all my life, but Jim had several knots that he says are the best….  and they were.  I’m all fumble fingers, but I could sense the patience from the Master as he showed me (over and over) how to tie the knots and the flies.  Does he show me how to fish?

jimbughuntin

Well,……. now we study the “bugs” that are in the creek and under the rocks in the water.  He shows me nymphs, and well, I don’t know the names of all the “bugs and worms and critters” that he is showing me.  I’m hoping that there is not going to be a test on what I’m being taught.  I don’t know the names, but I now know what they look like and I’ve got flies that match what is naturally in this river and lake and that’s what I’ll be using for bait.  I’m fixing to catch fish!!  Bam!!!

But first,…….

jimcasting

Jim shows me how to cast a fly rod.  I’m in heaven!!   Jim is in his Glory!  I’m witnessing a beautiful event.  The rhythm of his cast, the smile on his face, the splendor of the mountains and lake.  This is great……. until he says……… “Here use my rod, now you try it”.  Uh oh, uuhhhh, now it’s more like heck because I’m fixing to royally mess things up.

I’m whippin’ the rod, popping the line, but hey, I’m casting.  Jim has patience as I’ve said.  He also has understanding, a teaching heart, and even more patience with me.  It’s becoming obvious to me now, that Jim has a love for fly fishing.  So much love that he is willing to give of his time to be with me on this fishing adventure.

He has been standing far away, probably so that he won’t get hit by my hook while I’m casting,(or should I say whippin’, flappin’, jerking’,popping his fly rod).  He walks over and says the most unusual thing.  “Listen to the rod“.  Hear the whoosh the line makes as it’s being cast.  Well, knock me down with a feather, (or 8ft 6weight fly rod).  I hear it.  By hearing the “whoosh” sound I’m able to get the “rhythm” of the cast.  It’s almost magical the difference  this has made for me.  I’m “in the zone”, “in the groove”, “back in the saddle”.  I’m ready to catch fish.  Bring it on!!  But wait……..

Has Jim taught me how to fish like I asked of him?  He’s taught me how to tie knots, to see what insects are available, to cast, to read the water, how to move around and in the water to approach fish.  Now he’s teaching me how to fight!  This day had started with a terrible hard blowing wind.  I honestly expected the master to call off today’s fishing adventure because of the difficult wind.  Instead he shows me how to fight……. yes, to fight the wind.  Wind may ruin a lot of fishing days for some folks, but not Jim.  And now not me.  I’ve learned techniques to use to battle this foe.

But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33 NIV

On our spiritual journey just like this fishing adventure, we must come to the point where we ask the Master for help.  What we sometimes don’t realize is that our Master is helping us live this Christian walk.  But it’s the small things that make the journey.  God’s time with each of us is priceless.  He teaches, (with lots of patience and understanding).  He prepares us for the big adventure of living our lives by showing us day by day, event by event, good times and bad.  He also teaches us and prepares us for the fight.  The fight against evil forces, the fight against my own self lots of times.  Does God teach us how to live?  Did Jim teach me how to fish?  I really can’t pin down the moment I learned how to fish from Jim or for that matter when I learned to live a Christian way of life from my Heavenly Father.  I think in both instances the realization came to me that it wasn’t my learning that was important, but the spending of time with the Master……. Jim in my fishing adventure…….. My Lord and Saviour in my Christian journey.

I’m sure that I should write more concerning this subject.  But I’ve got fish to catch…… and a Christian journey waiting to be explored.  Good luck.  And fight that wind!!!!!

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth apprentice fly fisherman, apprentice Christian, wilderness preacher

dantrout1

“Learning as I spend time with the Master”