Page 288 was a Sunday and I continued my recent pattern of writing the previous day’s page first thing in the morning.  It had been a long week for all of us, and Susan was still saying she didn’t feel well or was having seizures, so she slept a little longer and we didn’t make it to Sunday School.  We had a good worship gathering at Deer Run and David continued a sermon series that he is preaching from the book of Acts.  This morning’s message was from Acts 14 and opened up a glimpse into the odyssey that was a part of Paul’s life, and ought to be a part of our journey as well.  We looked at three scenes from the chapter and focused on three words from the first scene.

• Scene One: Iconium.  When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Iconium, they did what they usually did — they went into the Jewish synagogue and shared the good news about Jesus.  The result was that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.  Great story, great success!  What could go wrong, right?  Well, that’s where the three words come in.
  • Refused.  While there were a great many who believed, the text says that there were Jews who refused to believe.  Not that they didn’t believe, or weren’t convinced, but the they had a firm enough understanding of what was being taught and deliberately chose to not accept it.  This always becomes the dangerous crowd, and it was in the lives of the early Christians.  No believing isn’t the same as refusing to believe, and once a person has enough knowledge to refuse belief, they become increasingly aggressive in trying to stop others from believing.  This group that refused had no tolerance for those who did believe.  They did everything in their power to stir up dissension and trouble.  Good thing that attitude of refusal was only a first century thing, right?  Think again.  So much of the opposition that you and I will face as we share about our faith is not from people who aren’t sure, but from those who have already heard the truth and refuse to accept it. 
  • So.  “So” is one of those big little words in the Bible.  God gives us information about what took place and/or what was happening and then He opens up the window to the response with the little word “so”.  Luke writes about the great opposition and the stirring up of trouble by those who refused to believe, SO, Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there speaking boldly.  That may not be the response you were expecting, nor the response that you and I may have given, but the word so means that Paul and Barnabas took into account the opposition and chose to continue to speak boldly.  The “so” in our life means we understand as much as possible what we’re up against and we choose to continue on, doing what is right and what God called us to in the beginning.
  • Continued.  Eventually a plot was conceived by a group of Gentiles and Jews working together to put an end to Paul’s message by stoning him to death.  Surely, that had to mean an end to this journey and a return home where they could be free from this violent persecution.  After all, they tried . . . the people just don’t want to know, or follow, the truth.  They did more than most, so now it is time to just mind their own business and lead a peaceful and quiet life back home.  Not if  you are doing life’s adventure God’s way!  Even when forced to flee one city, Paul and Barnabas continued to preach the gospel wherever they went.  People may reject them, may mistreat them, may even force them out of town, but they would not be able to put an end to the proclamation of the gospel by those whom Christ himself had compelled to go into all the world and tell the good news . . . oh, wait, that’s not just Paul and Barnabas, that is the instruction Jesus gave to all who would take up their cross daily and follow Him.
• Scene Two: Lystra & Derbe.  In some ways, scene two was a repeat of scene one, just in a different location.  As Paul and Barnabas preached the good news of Jesus, they encountered a lame man whom Paul “saw that he had the faith to be healed.”  Between the proclamation of the gospel and the healing of the lame man, the people were convinced the gods Zeus and Hermes and come to visit them.  Talk about a fickle crowd, after Paul and Barnabas insisted they were only human and shared with them about the real God, the trouble-makers from Iconium arrived and stirred up the crowds to the point they stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city gates believing that he was dead.  And I don’t think this was any “playing possum” routine to get them to quit throwing stones.  After the disciples had gathered around Paul and life returned to his body, he did the unthinkable — he went back into the city where he stayed the night before leaving the next day!  Oh, how easy it is to run away when things get difficult.  God calls each of us to a life that knows there is a truth far more valuable than any difficulty people may throw our way.
• Scene Three: The Return Journey.  After reading about scenes one and two, scene three can be a bit difficult to understand.  After rough treatment in Iconium and Lystra, which eventually brought Paul and Barnabas to Derbe, the decision is made to go back home to Antioch and to do so with stops in Lystra and Iconium!  The return journey was necessary to finish the work that God had begun on their first trip through.  The seeds of the gospel had been planted as they proclaimed the good news of Jesus and now it was time to pray and fast as elders were appointed in each church.  God wants us to allow Him to finish the work He began in us, and sometimes that means going back to a place where we weren’t treated well so that we can see the good results that He continued to produce.

After the worship gathering, it was time for lunch with my family and then some afternoon resting.  I managed a short nap before we decided to head to the lake to capture some wave photos.  The forecast was for high winds, so we bundled up and drove through periods of rain before arriving to the shorelines of Lake Michigan.  The waves and beauty of the sky did not disappoint and I ended up with over 600 photos taken throughout the afternoon and evening!  Today’s photo is one I caught as a wave was about to crash over the end lighthouse.  As I watched surfers and kite surfers playing in the waves throughout the afternoon, I thought about a God who could calm even the most turbulent scene with just a word.  That’s a God I want, and I have, in control of my life!

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Routines are good, especially if they are adaptable to actual circumstances.
• God gives us His Word to show us real examples of how people lived out their faith so that we would see how He would have us live ours.
• Some people don’t believe, but the group with even less hope is those who refuse to believe.
• There will always be facts and circumstances beyond our control. So, what will we do to move forward.  The “so” is usually our choice.
• When we know God’s presence in our life and His calling to us to share the good news of Jesus, we ought to continue to do that no matter what.
• While I enjoy looking at, and photographing, storms and waves that I can safely view from a distance, I am also glad I know the One who can calm those storms.

Page 287 has been a much needed day of rest.  I woke up late and began the day by writing yesterday’s page.  As I wrote about my Friday, a new poem showed up in my mind and as I put my fingers to the keyboard, I managed to coax it out.  Most of the poems I write begin as the “tip of the iceberg” kind of thing — I see a small piece of it in my mind that looks intriguing and so I begin to examine it only to discover there is much more underneath it than I had ever imagined.  Today’s poem, “Not Alone“, was one of them as the opening stanza drew me in with its heaviness and darkness.  While not as frequent as they once were, God uses these poems to encourage me and I always pray that as I share them, He also encourages others.

With the writing done for the moment, I checked on Susan and then went out to fire up the pellet grill.  We were expecting one of our nephews to stop by with his family for a visit later in the day and he promised that if I forced myself to cook them some BBQ, they would force themselves to eat it. 🙂  So, since I  had already cooked the pulled pork and it just needed to be warmed up, I got the grill smoking, prepped the meat, and put three full racks of ribs on to slow-cook for the next 6 hours.  Yes, six hours is a lot of time, but the result is worth it.  In our fast-paced world, it seems we are always looking for shortcuts and often find ourselves willingly sacrificing quality so that we can have what we want sooner rather than later.  Even in a relationship with God, many seek for ways to make it less intrusive in their everyday life and somehow think that if they can condense a lifestyle of prayer and worship into a couple twenty minute segments each week, the result ought to turn out as well as the one who actually lives that lifestyle 24/7.  Can I cook ribs in less than six hours?  Yes, but I would be embarrassed to share them with others because I know they are not what they could, and should, be.  Perhaps that is one reason so many are reluctant to share about their faith — they’ve not put much time and effort into the process in their own life and deep down are embarrassed because they know what they are offering is not what it could, or should be.

Once the ribs were on the grill and the cooking begun, the rest of the day was time to relax and enjoy a quiet day.  It was cool and rainy all day, so I didn’t manage any new photos — although by the time they were done, the ribs were tempting.  But, the temptation to eat them was much stronger than the temptation to photograph them. 🙂  Speaking of those ribs, the evening was a great time of eating and fellowship with family as we shared together not only the food, but a slice of our lives as well.  I did spend a little time going through the photos I took Friday evening at work, and today’s photo is one of the sun as it was dropping into a bank of clouds on the western horizon.  It was a great reminder of fall with its burnt orange coloring, and a reminder of God’s faithfulness in setting the universe in place in a way that makes life on earth possible.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• When our “to-do” list seems longer than what is reasonably manageable, I often hear people say, “Oh well, sleep is over-rated.”  I’m pretty sure they are wrong.
• Sometimes a day ends with so much weariness that it would not be productive to add one more thing to the task list by feeling I have to write that day’s page right then.
• There is a difference between setting limits and procrastinating.
• What we first see is rarely all there is to a situation.
• Sometimes God reveals the “tip of the iceberg” to us because we are not yet ready for the whole thing but we need encouragement to draw nearer to what He has for us.
• Some things take more time than we would like in order to do them right.
• Compromised methods always lead to compromised results.
• When we spend the time and effort to do something right, we usually have a result that we are proud to share with others.
• While I do write prayer guides and devotional journals, I never write them with the idea that they are shortcuts to a relationship with God.  Rather, they are tools to help you spend the time necessary to live in a lifestyle relationship with Him.
• The time we invest in pursuing, growing, and living a relationship with God ought to produce within us something that we are eager to share with others.
• Whether our actions at any given time are faithful or not, God is not caught off-guard and He continues to remain faithful.

Page 286 was a productive fall day.  A very long day, so I’m once again not writing the day’s page until the next morning — but a very productive day nonetheless.  I arrived at work a little before 6 AM to begin the morning prayer, cleaning and building prep and with the exception of a short break to pick up fuel for the lawn mower, and food for me, I didn’t leave the property until 10:30 PM.  In between those hours, I was able to enjoy a day filled with a variety of inside and outside tasks — and even managed a few photos to start the day and a few near the end of the day.

As I pulled into the parking lot to start the day, the moon was visible through a gap in the cloud cover so I stopped on my way into the building to take a few photos and to thank God for the reminder of His presence and His faithfulness.  As I did the morning round of cleaning, I talked with God about the upcoming day and asked for the wisdom to see it more clearly from His perspective so I would be better prepared to make the most of every opportunity.  After the building was ready for the day, I took the time to write the previous day’s page as I caught up on messages and information I needed to be aware of.  

By mid-morning I had caught up on the office work and it was time to head outside and enjoy the cool fall day from the seat of the mower.  I suppose it is the combination of being outside where I’m surrounded by the beauty of creation, and riding the mower where the constant hum of the engine behind me blocks out nearly all distractions; but I don’t know of too many work related tasks that draw me near to God like mowing does.  After a couple hours on the mower, I took a break to get fuel for the mower and fuel for me as well.  

The afternoon was spent finishing up the mowing.  Not only do I enjoy mowing (as long as I have a nice riding mower to do the job with), but that enjoyment extends to seeing the results of my work even as I  am in the process of doing it.  With each pass of the mower across the lawn, I can clearly see where I’ve been and what still needs done.  Some things in life are like that, but others are not.  Many of the tasks I do are more about being faithful and trusting God for a result that He will bring about in the right time — whenever that is.  Investing our lives in people will occasionally have those moments when we can see the good results of our relationships, but more often we will struggle through the ups and downs of life with our choice to either be discouraged at so little visible progress or be encouraged that God is continuing to use us somehow in a task that we don’t fully understand.

Once the mowing was complete, the building was nearly empty again so it was time to start the prayer, cleaning, and prep all over again to get the building ready for Sunday.  I had finished one end of the building by the time the sun was starting to drop over the treeline of the western horizon, so I took my camera outside to see if I could get some new photos of the building in the evening glow to use in our online presence.  While I was outside taking photos, my wife stopped by with some meds my doctor had phoned in, so hopefully I will be able to return to some healthier sleep patterns once I get the brain chemicals that cause the severe anxiety symptoms brought back into proper balance.  I’ve written at times about how my mind stores so many experiences and things in a manner that God uses to allow me to effectively teach and preach without manuscripts or notes — a down-side of that gift is I don’t have a way to fully filter what is stored so that it is only what is good and helpful from my perspective, everything seems to get filed away.  A few years ago, about this time of year, I had my office broken into two nights in a row and that event took me downhill rather quickly from a mental perspective as I found myself in a strange combination of being unable to sleep due to severe anxiety attacks and unable to really be awake due to the lack of sleep.  As a man, and as a prayer minister, I kept thinking I ought to be able to overcome this — I mean, no one was hurt and the things that were taken could be replaced.  While that was true of the computers and cash and physical things, the internal things that were stolen weren’t so easy to replace, let alone recognize.  Anyhow, long story short, I finally went to my doctor and learned about PTSD that is much more common than just what we hear about veterans having to deal with because of their experiences.  Stress and trauma hits us all in unique ways and often even in unique forms, but it is something that ought to be dealt with honestly.  From time to time since those events, I find myself sliding down a mental path that I know will not end well.  Sometimes I can change that path through deliberate changes in my routine that seems to naturally restore the internal chemical balances.  Other times, however, I find that I need help to change my mental path and right now happens to be one of those times when the help dealing with the anxiety attacks make it easier for my mind and body to get along and be restored.  Well, not what I had thought I would write today, but maybe God will use it to help someone have the courage to get help for the struggles that cannot overcome on their own.

While I was outside, I looked down the empty field and saw a deer standing along the woods at the far end.  As I made my way to a better, and closer, vantage point, I found this nice buck who appeared to be out enjoying the sunset just as I was.  I was able to take several photos of him as he stood and watch the sunset then appeared to watch me.  He would make a few deliberate moves as if he was going to disappear into the woods and then turn around to see I had taken it as a hint to leave or if I was still there.  Eventually he did walk into the woods and out of sight, and I went back inside the building to finish the cleaning and prep that needed done.  

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Knowing and/or feeling that you’ve accomplished something always makes a day feel better no matter how much time it took to do it.
• I’m not always the best judge of what I’ve actually accomplished.
• We could probably help make a person’s day by letting them know that we noticed what they accomplished.
• I find that I stay more aware of God’s presence when I stop and acknowledge it whenever I notice the reminders that He provides.
• Not only does my lawnmower need fuel to keep going, so do you and I.
• It is good to have some tasks that produce visible results quickly as they become the balance for the many tasks that don’t.
• God can, and does, bring balance to a person’s mind and body — sometimes He chooses to restore us with just a whisper from His mouth and other times He chooses to use the wisdom He has given to doctors and medical personnel in a wide variety of ways.
• Asking for help is not a sign of weakness — in fact it often takes great strength to do so.
• Our first request for help ought to be made to God but we must never neglect the help of others that He may direct us to.
• Some of our life stories are easier to tell than others.  Often the more difficult ones have the greatest ability to help someone else if we would have the wisdom to share them appropriately.
• I am always filled with joy when it appears I am allowed the privilege of being invited to share the beauty of God’s creativity with some of His creation from the animal kingdom.

Page 285 was a beautiful day even though it looked rather gloomy outside.  Between the weather and a long list of tasks to get done, it was also another day with no new photos.  One of those tasks was continued prep work on the Growing Strong retreat and that included some time spent going through photos from a late-August trip to the retreat location with my family.  Today’s photo was one I took during an early morning walk as I could hear this guy singing loudly but had some difficulty in finding him as he was at the very top of a tall tree.  It was as if he wanted the very best vantage point to both watch the rising sun and praise his creator.  I get that.  Most of my life I had not been a “morning person”, but that changed when I realized that the opportunity provided by a sunset to be blessed and worship God in His majesty also existed with the sunrise. 🙂

The day began with the usual prayer, cleaning, and building prep time which led into some small maintenance tasks.  I also took some time to research and register for display space at the North American Christian Convention which will take place in Indianapolis next summer.  When it comes to setting up an Impact Prayer Ministry display at a large convention or conference, I always tell people I study and study the exhibit hall layout in an attempt to determine the best location still available, and then I pray that God uses my selection to reach the people He desires to connect with the prayer ministry.  The good part is that He always does a much better job of bringing people to the display than I do of choosing just the right location.  I do believe He wants me to use the intellect and logic He created within me in order to make wise decisions, but I also know He wants me to trust Him for the results.  That can be a tough balance sometimes.

I had been asked to help a prayer group get started that wanted to use the weekly prayer guides that I write, so I spent time in preparation and prayer before heading to their meeting early in the afternoon.  My part of the meeting seemed to be a combination of explaining some of my prayer routines — specifically  in regard to developing the weekly prayer guides — and answering questions about prayer focus, about regaining focus when its been lost, and about using both scripture and hymns to keep the mind centered on the things of God.  The one hour prayer meeting ended up taking nearly two hours because the introductory parts and explanations took most of the first hour and the group was committed to not just learning about prayer, but to actually spending time praying.

After the prayer group had concluded, I needed to pick up some supplies from the other side of town, so I made my way to Sam’s Club where I got a very late lunch before getting the shopping done for the things I needed.  By the time I got home, the evening was spent unwinding and relaxing with my family before calling it a day and trying to get some sleep.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• The outside often has a profound effect on the inside.  God wants us to turn that around and allow His presence on the inside of us to have a profound effect on what is seen on the outside of us.
• God deserves our best.  I need to be deliberate about doing what it takes to worship God with my best.
• Finding the best vantage point to worship God often leaves me with both a greater blessing and a greater sense of having truly worshiped.
• The best vantage point for worship is the one in which we can see God best.  Sometimes that is a mountaintop and sometimes that is in what we would consider a low position of service.
• Trusting God often involves trusting Him to use the gifts and abilities He put within us as much as it is about trusting Him to use our weaknesses.
• Our best laid plans are only as good as our willingness to let God use and change them for His glory.
• It is fun for me to be able to share with people about some of the how and why of what I do.
• Instruction is great, but without practice the instruction is more easily forgotten.
• Learning about prayer is a good thing.  Praying is a better thing.

Page 284 ended early as my mind and body succumbed to too many restless nights, so I write this page the next morning.  There were no new photos taken during the day, so I went way back to find a photo for today’s page.  I shot this photo more than ten years ago and then added the scripture to it sometime later.  It has always been an interesting photo to me because it was taken at the front end of my entry into digital photography — before I had realized the power that exists in capturing photos of the beauty God surrounds us with.  I was on a prayer trip to Colorado Springs — my first trip to any part of the Rocky Mountain range — and I took this photo from the airport parking lot as I was leaving town.  It is hard to even imagine now, with the hundreds of photos I will shoot in a short amount of time in similar locations, but it was the only photo I took during that entire trip!  It was shortly after that trip that I was at a conference where the participants were challenged to spend an hour in “unstructured worship” — to find a way, or ways, to worship God that wasn’t built around a structured “worship service”.  My response to that challenge was a one hour walk spent taking close-up photos of the natural beauty I would find all around me.  The worship that took place during that walk was incredible and it ignited within me a hobby that not only allowed me to worship God in the midst of it, but gave me the opportunity to share His beauty and creativity with others — and the rest, as they say, is history. 🙂

Anyhow, long photo introduction which may end up being most of today’s page as it was a quiet day filled with usual tasks and an early ending.  During my morning prayer, cleaning, and building prep time, much of my prayer focus was on the upcoming Growing Strong retreat.  I prayed for those who have expressed an interest but have not yet committed to it.  I prayed for those who are unknown to me that God is at work in their heart and mind, nudging them toward a desire to grow strong in the Lord.  I prayed for the opportunities that I’m not even aware of to strengthen others through the work God has given me.  

The weather had turned much cooler overnight, so once the building was ready I spent time once again shutting down the air conditioning throughout the building.  There is no sense in it running when it is not really needed.  Now we’ll see if it can stay off until next summer — I had shut it down once already this fall but then it got too hot for the building to be comfortable without it.  The rest of my workday was spent on some record-keeping and creating a retreat promo/invitation video.  By the time I left for a late lunch, the parents were already lined up to pick up their students at the end of the school day.  At home, I spent the evening relaxing before finally giving in to a tired mind and body by heading to bed and going to sleep at 8:30!

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Knowing the difference between necessary, urgent, and important can be just as valuable as knowing what things are optional.
• When things are done according to a schedule we create, we ought to allow ourselves the freedom to adjust that schedule when wisdom says we ought.
• When God uses an event to begin something new in our life, we can either look back with regret that it didn’t start sooner or look back with gratitude on the beginning.
• Often God begins something in our life by planting a seed long before we even realize what He is up to.
• It is amazing how much we will begin to notice the presence of God when we look for ways to worship Him that are outside of our “normal” worship routines.
• Our worship really does need to be all about God, but He also wants to use it to make Himself known to those around us.
• I need to live every day with an awareness that my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

Page 283 has been a quiet day.  There was a haze lingering in the air as I headed into work early this morning.  The moisture-filled air created a muted glow in the nighttime sky as the moonlight was diffused by the morning fog.  After finishing my morning prayer, cleaning, and building prep time, I checked the timer for our outside lights and discovered that I needed to add more time of light at each end of the day.  The haze had turned to light drizzle by the time I took the trash out but it was not enough to completely wash the fog out of the air.  

A large part of my day was focused on the upcoming Growing Strong retreat and the International Conference on Missions that will take place soon after the retreat.  I have given away nearly all of the prayer guide booklets I have had printed to use as samples at conventions and conferences, so I spent time updating the first edition of the booklets so I could order more for ICOM.  Once the file was updated and sent to the printing company, it was time to do book inventory to see if I needed to order any of the titles before the convention.  With nine prayer-based books in print, it takes planning to have the necessary finances at the times needed to make the books available to people who will use them.  In the times I wonder where the money will come from for the next order, God reminds me that they are His books and He will take care of supplying them if I remain faithful in sharing them.

By mid-afternoon, my workday was done and I stopped for lunch on the way home.  The rest of the afternoon and evening has been spent relaxing as I continue to feel worn out physically.  With no photos taken today, I share one from our Sunday evening walk along the river.  This blue jay was squawking at us as we went by so I stopped to take its photo.  It wouldn’t set still for very long so I wasn’t even sure if I got a good photo or not, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see how this one turned out.  Sometime my photos are the result of careful planning and other times they have more to do with being in the right place at the right time and almost accidentally shooting at just the right settings.  When I look at a photo that I really like, it would be easy to take full credit and say it was completely the result of knowing what I was doing — but that would rarely be true.  We do that in life, though, don’t we?  We know full well that the things in our life that turn out the absolute best are the result of God’s working, but we are often tempted to take credit as if the work was all our doing.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Sometimes the haze of fog is a nuisance and other times it adds to the beauty of the morning — the difference is usually dependent on its intensity and how far I can see through it.
• While I generally like to see things clearly, there are times when the haziness of life creates a beauty caused by the required trust in God.
• Sometimes the rains of life require more time to clear the fog than we would like, but God’s timing is always right.
• A busy schedule is good only if the things on it are the things that God would have you be busy with.  
• If I’m not careful, it is far too easy to fill my schedule with the things that I decide rather than the things that God wants me to do.
• It is much easier to give away books and printed resources when I acknowledge that they came from God and belong to Him to be used as He desires.
• God wants, and deserves, the credit for the work He does in and through us.

Page 282 began under a sky filled with puffy clouds and just enough gaps in them to allow the moon to shine through from time to time.  Today’s photo is a trio of early morning shots that seemed to want to be taken as I arrived at work early this morning.  After shooting a few photos, I went inside and began my morning prayer, cleaning, and building prep routine to get the week started right.  By the time the building was ready and I took the trash out, the clouds had cleared away and the moon was shining brightly in the pre-dawn darkness so I grabbed my camera and took another photo to add to today’s page.  

Being Monday, next up on my agenda was settling in with God to put together a prayer guide for next week.  As I was praying about ideas for a topic, word came that a snake had been found in one of the offices.  My preference is to avoid snakes at all costs, so I asked if there was anyone in the building that didn’t mind snakes that would take care of it.  It didn’t seem like that was the case, so I gathered up a broom and dust pan to try to scoop it up and get it outside with as little interaction as possible.  By the time I arrived with my supplies, it had already been contained so I took it outside and released it in the woods even though my philosophy is the only good snake is a dead snake.

That interruption was one that took a while to recover from as far as getting back to the mindset of putting a prayer guide together.  I considered a variety of topics but none of them really seemed like the right one until I finally settled on discernment.  I suppose the craftiness of the serpent in the garden and the deceitfulness of satan in all things was brought to mind by the unwelcomed interruption of the morning.  God’s desire is that we have discernment so that we are not deceived by the schemes of the devil.  Discernment not only leads us away from the temptations of sin, but it also gives us the insight to choose the best instead of settling for “good enough”.

By the time the prayer guide was written, formatted, and scheduled to post online and email out next week, the workday was nearly over.  After taking care of some correspondence and maintenance issues, I headed home for a late lunch.  After lunch I took advantage of the summer-like weather and got the power washer out to start giving the house a bath.  It seems strange to me to wash the house, but my wife wants it done and it does make it look better — and besides, the water spray on a sunny day with the temperature in the low eighties kind of felt good.  After running through the first gallon of wash concentrate, I made a trip to Menard’s to pick up more and then fired up the pellet grill to make some bacon cheeseburgers for dinner.  After dinner it was time to relax for a little while before sitting down to write today’s page.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• I enjoy using the ultra-zoom capabilities of my camera and getting close-up moon shots — but sometimes I have to pan out and get a wider view to really appreciate the beauty God provides.
• Some tasks require more of a physical presence than a focused mental one.  By adding a prayer focus to those routines, I find greater purpose in things that would otherwise likely seem mundane.
• All of the prayer guides I write come out of my prayer time.  There is no “secret formula” and the process is not something I can force and expect anything useful to come of it.
• I have no use for snakes.  It doesn’t matter if it’s just a little six inch one trying to find refuge from the cold nights, it doesn’t belong anywhere near me.
• Having a routine is useful in finding my way back into “the zone” when that routine gets interrupted.
• Living with discernment can make the difference between being used greatly by God and settling for “good enough”.
• Sometimes you don’t realize how dirty something is until you start to clean it.  That is just as true for our life as it is for the siding on a house.