Tag Archives: nature

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The Beehive

God is my Rock, my Fortress, my Place of Safety

That’s the entrance to one of my beehives here in Colorado.  It’s gotten down to -9 degrees this year and they still survive.  It’s just so amazing to me that this colony of bees can survive such harsh bitter cold.

Notice that they made the entrance to their hive even smaller.  They take propolis (bee glue), and form a more perfect fitting entrance for their colony.  The original hole is too big.  It allows too much valuable heat to escape.  They constructed a smaller entrance.  It still allows them to venture outside on warmer days (50+ degrees).  But they seek refuge inside on the cold days.  The hive provides them with a warm place to stay.  Also it’s a place they can get nourishment……..honey!!!

How do they stay warm?  They form a big cluster of bees the size of a basketball and continuously vibrate their wings which gives off heat.  The bees on the outside of the cluster,(where it’s coldest), gradually work their way back into the middle of the cluster, (where it’s warmest….around 70 degrees).  It’s a continuous journey from outside, to inside, to outside, to inside the cluster with several meals of honey along the way.  The queen stays in the middle where it’s warm.  Get this…… this spring when it’s time to begin laying eggs, she’ll tell the ‘thermostat committee’ of bees that it needs to be 90 degrees.  The bees vibrate their wings and increase the heat for the queen and her eggs.  Amazing how all this comes about.  Now you’ll just have to trust me on it being 70 to 90 degrees inside that ball of live honeybees……….unless you want to stick your own hand in there!

Their beehive is not just a place to store honey.  It’s there refuge.  Their place of safety and comfort.  It’s home!

Be my rock of refuge,
    to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.  Psalm 71:3

I have a place that I can go in times of stress.  I go to my Lord and Saviour.  I call out to Him in prayer.  I sing praises to His name.  I search for a quiet place to BE with Him.  He gives me nourishment for my soul that’s as sweet as honey.  He also “warms” my soul as I travel in and through this “cold world”.

Maybe you’ve been on the outside too long and now it’s time to work your way back into the inside.  Back into the warmth of a continuous relationship with God.  This Christian journey is not a one time event.  It’s a continuous daily walk.  Jesus has provided us with a way to experience life to it’s fullest.  We live in this world, but spiritually we have Him to provide us with shelter, a place of rest and refuge,………. and spiritually………..HONEY!!!!

Lord, BEE with us as we travel in this world.  Help us in our everyday activities.  Provide us with opportunities to share your love.  Thank You for BEING my refuge and shelter.  Thank You for our blessings (honey).  Help me and all my friends reading this……… Help us to BEE what you’ve created us to BEE!    Amen!

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher

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Why You Are Different From Everyone

Discovering Yourself

 

photo by Randy Ainsworth

It’s obvious that the one sunflower plant doesn’t quite fit in with all the others.  What’s up with that?  I mean, they all are in the same field, same growing conditions, from the same bag of seeds, and yet……… There she is …….. different.  I wouldn’t say different in a bad way, but different.  I see that plant all by itself out there and it reminds me of ME……, and it reminds me of YOU.

I remember being told that I was different.  I talked different.  I preached different.  What I also remember was that the person telling me this was trying to get me to conform to his ways.  He was telling me to be and do like he and they said I should. (Who is he and who is they?)  That got me to thinking. (Oh yeah, I was told that I think differently as well,…….go figure!)

But I got to thinking that in this spiritual journey that I am on, do I DO as others tell me?  Do I conform, try to “fit in their box”?  No, I chose to be and do something that is SO DIFFERENT in today’s world.  I didn’t choose to be like someone else.  I chose to be ME.  The me that God created.  The me that follows my Lord and Saviour seeking His will for little ole me.

Don’t get me wrong.  I listen to other people’s advice. Other’s experiences can be valuable for me on my own journey.  What I’m talking about is listening to others and not listening to my own heart.  I’m talking about following others, not following Christ and His teachings.  To me, that’s living your life without TRULY living.  I chose instead to “come alive”.

By focusing on what God has given me, that’s how I come alive.  His grace,His Love, His direction and guidance all help me to be what He has created.  And it helps you to come alive as well.  But dig deeper my friend.

That passion you have for the outdoors, the desire to help others, the ability to lead, your love of music…….on and on (and so very different for each of us).  Maybe your gift from God is the ability to connect with others, or a talent of working with your hands, or painting, or working behind the scenes.

Maybe what God has given to you is being hidden inside of you because you feel that it causes you to be “too different”.  UH OH  That’s not a good way of thinking right there.

 Romans 12:6-8 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

A better way of thinking is this.  God has created me.  He made me a unique child of his.  I’m different from others (and this whole wide world) because I am ___________ and I look _______, I feel  __________ .  My passions are _____________ . My God given abilities are _________  (Spend some quiet time with God and the both of you fill in these blanks.)

I certainly wish I could change some things about myself.  Let’s see, be better looking, not be afraid of heights, wish I could play a guitar, be better looking, wish I could work my phone, and be better looking.  Even with all those changes, I would still be ME!

A very sad thing is there are lots of people who can’t stand themselves.  They don’t like who they are.

I have to realize that God created me.  I have to live with me!  Me is who God created me to Be!  Me, myself, and I are the ones on this spiritual journey.  I myself, must choose to be Me!  (told ya I think differently)

God created me.  He’s still working on me.  He’s got a hold of my life.  He is in control.  I come alive by living for Him, and with Him.  Boy, that makes me different.

How different are you?  Are you like the tall sunflower standing alone in the field?  Next week I’ll share what it’s like to be a wolf in a “puppy dog” world.

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher  living fully alive (and that’s different)

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Faith Like a Farmer

"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"

 

You see a picture of vines, mud, bugs, and dirt.  The farmer sees……. WATERMELONS!!!

What’s the difference?  Well, it depends on who’s point of view that you are looking from.  A casual passerby looks across this field and all he sees are the vines.  If he looks closer he might notice the mud and dirt.  But not the farmer…….

The farmer sees watermelons!  Why?  Because he’s been living out in the field for several weeks.  Preparing the soil, putting in fertilize, planting the watermelon plants by hand, keeping the weeds out, his work goes on and on.  Why does he do it?    Answer…… FAITH!!

The farmer knows that there are many flowers (baby watermelons) out in his field.  The potential is enormous as to how many TONS of watermelons that possibly can be harvested from his field.  There is also a huge possibility that his crop will never materialize because of disease, bad weather, bugs, too much rain, too little rain, etc, etc,.  So why does a farmer take such a big risk on his time and investment?  Answer…… Faith!!

To me what is missing in our society today is the farmer’s faith.  A faith that is lived regardless of life’s conditions.  A faith that better things are to come.  A faith that drives every farmer to battle all the negative things thrown his way.   A faith, hope and belief in waking up each brand new day realizing………… “you aint’ seen nothing yet”!  Don’t you wish you could wake up every day with this attitude?

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1

So even if you live in a concrete city, or work inside all day, you can still be a farmer.  Grow your faith.  Read the word, pray, search for the friendship and fellowship of God.   The potential is enormous.  Sadly, there is a huge possibility of negative things coming your way to hinder or even stop you from growing with God.  Well, you got to have faith.

Back to what is missing in our society (and maybe even in your life).  When the farmer encounters bad weather, bad conditions, bad ANYTHING, does he give up?  Nope, because he has faith.  If his crop doesn’t produce a new world record for production does he give up?  Nope, cause he has faith.  And strange as this may sound, if the crop was a total loss, would the farmer quit?  Nope, because he has faith.

A farmer’s faith does not depend on the conditions around him.  It depends on the “condition” inside of him.  Faith from within,……. it’s needed in a farmer’s life.  He lives and breathes everyday knowing that the next day will be another one of those “you ain’t seen nothing yet” days.  This world calls a farmer “backwards”, “naive”, or “simple”.  But with faith like that I call him “NOBLE”!

Mr. Farmer, you keep LIVING your faith while many around you just “talk” it.  I myself will continue to live my faith in my spiritual journey.

I will continue trusting God to help me make right decisions.  I will continue to realize that sometimes even when I make “wrong” decisions, it turns into something right in the long run.  My faith points that out to me.  By faith, I will live this life not in fear, but in great anticipation that even in all the NEGATIVE around me, there is an assurance of things not seen.  There is a POSITIVE force leading me to unknown mysteries.  There is a Lord and Saviour who considers me one of His “watermelons” and has promised to be with me every day of my life.

There is a promise from God that………”you ain’t seen nothing yet”!

See Ya!!   Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher  Becoming “alive” because of faith!