Tag Archives: nature

Posted on

The Dark Side

 

bat

Working in my log barn, I moved a plank from the wall and noticed a small furry fluffy thing.  It was asleep(hibernating).  When I placed it into the sunlight it quickly warmed up and turned into this nasty little creature.  (Nice teeth you have there fellow.)

bat teeth

He’s been hiding in my log barn all this time.  I’ve been putting my snacks right there all this time.  Been sitting right there.  I sure won’t be doing that anymore.  Look, I’m really not afraid of bats.  They are pretty neat at what they do, flying at night catching and eating insects, (that’s what those teeth are for).  But I don’t think I want one sittin’ by me when I’m eating my snacks.  I also don’t think I need a bat hiding in my house or barn.  Let him find a home in a hollow tree or cave.  Now I’m aware that there may be others hiding in my barn.

Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from the LORD, And whose deeds are done in a dark place, And they say, “Who sees us?” or “Who knows us?” Isaiah 29:15

It got me thinking about what else may be hiding in my barn.  Then that’s when I got to thinking about what may be “hiding” in my own life and spiritual journey.  I wouldn’t have seen it was a bat until I brought him out into the light.  The same goes for some of our plans and deeds.  Surely you don’t plan on anything evil or bad.  But it’s the dark side so who is going to know or see?

Maybe it’s best to bring our plans and deeds out into the light.  God’s light.  Then we can see what it truly is, (and if there are teeth to look out for).  Too, too, many times we Christians (yes, me too) have gotten into situations where we later said “I didn’t know it was going to turn out like this…….  I didn’t think no one would know…….. It seemed like a good idea at the time……”

How can you use God’s Light?  It’s when we lean on God’s direction and guidance.  That’s what I mean by God’s light.  Just that simple, small, but POWERFUL prayer, “Lord help me” can be uttered before any situation or circumstance.   Then you are following in His light rather than in the darkness.  What’s in the darkness  can cause hurt and pain.  Let God’s light shine in your life.  Let your own light shine in this world!!

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, “Batman”

Posted on

Nothing to Worry About

redbird

Let’s learn a lesson from these birds.  They DON’T worry!

Where will their food come from?  Well the last few days they have dined at the “All You Can Eat Buffet Outside Dan and Staci’s Window”.  The bird feeder for short.  It’s finally turned cold here in Mississippi, but the birds continue to thrive.  Where will they stay?  They find perches and roosts in shelters provided by trees and shrubs.  Notice though, that they do work, they do hustle, they are full of activity to continue living their lives.  They also are BEING what God has created them to be.

What are they not doing?  Sitting on the couch watching “I love Lucy” or maybe watching “Keeping up with the whoevers”.  What I’m saying is that they are not watching the world go by, waiting on a handout.  If my feeder goes empty, or my dancing cat decides to stay too close to the feeder, they move on.  They search for their next meal.  If you yourself can be classified as a “hard-working, and honest” citizen, then you can relate to them.

Your situation may sometimes change.  Job changes, health reasons, weather, and many more reasons are out there that affect your hard working and honest attempts at keeping the food on the table.  That’s when you feel as if your “feeder has gone empty or a stupid cat of some kind has taken over your activities”.

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)  Do Not Worry     25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Don’t worry. Easier said than done, right?  Those bills need paying, right?  But what the scripture is telling us here is that worrying doesn’t help one bit.  It actually harms.  It allows those doubt monsters to come in.  It allows the”what ifs” to come between you and God.  Things that can become even more harmful than the “cats” that cause problems in your life in the first place.

You are valuable to your Heavenly Father.  Very valuable.  It’s not because of who you are.  It’s because of who HE is!

I enjoy the beauty of these birds.  I’m in joy over the fact that God considers you and me valuable to Him.

See Ya!   Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, bird whisperer

 

Posted on

How to be successful in LIFE!

success!

Wow!  Look at all the delicious fruit on this tree!  Success!  Outstanding crop!   Who wants to produce the same success as this tree?

Remember this tree?

a separate persimmon tree surrounded by an oak

How about that! It’s the same tree!  The tree that “wasn’t going to amount to anything” is loaded with fruit.  It is having a very successful year.  The secret of being successful in LIFE?  Well, in good ole country boy terms here is the secret….  It ain’t what you got, it’s how you use it.  If you are new to wilderness preacher, of if you’ve forgotten about the story of this tree, you can read about it.  Click on the following:        Bloom where you’re planted

So, to be SUCCESSFUL in LIFE you will just like this tree, bear fruit. Producing “fruit” will bring success in your work, your family, your very own life. Not just any fruit, but good fruit.  It can be done.  You’re going to need some help.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Galatians 5:22NIV

When God’s Holy Spirit comes into your life, you now have help in producing your fruit.  You now have help in living a successful life.  But,……….there is a big problem.  It’s in how we view success.

In our “business and work world”, it’s all about the numbers.  We view success in other people as well as ourselves by this numbers game.  How much money was made.  How many sales produced. How much production.  It’s all about me, myself, and I!

In our “religious” world (let’s be truthful and admit it), it’s also about numbers.  Too many times we view success as how many times did I go to church,  how much did I give, how long I’ve been a teacher/deacon/preacher/choir member/etc.  It’s all about me, myself, and I!

How to be successful in life?  Here it is again…. it ain’t what you got it’s how you use it!   You’ve been given God’s Holy Spirit, now use it!  But if it’s all about me, myself, and I then there’s no room for God’s Holy Spirit to work.

To be successful in living requires us to focus on God.  Seek Him, trust Him, follow Him.  This cause us to care less about me, myself, and I.  It allows us to focus on these “fruits of the Spirit”.  We don’t worry about the “barbed wires” in our lives, we don’t fret over where we’ve been placed in this world.  We focus on LIVING in and with God’s Spirit.  We focus on the fruits.  Looking back on my own life the past few years, I’ve not made the “top ten” in money, sales, production, attendance, or amounts of any kind.  But I am living in a world being filled spiritually by a “PERFECT TEN” with peace, love, and joy.  I am using it(God), and He is using me?  Sounds strange?  Yep, but a loving relationship is growing. I am living a successful life.

Now go be successful in life.  With help from the Spirit you too can produce fruit.  Time to share in a pie don’t ya think?

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth  wilderness preacher