“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  I’m not sure if that is the exact quote, but you get the idea.  You won’t get anywhere until you begin.  Page 72 was a day that included a lot of steps — pretty much however you want to define step. 🙂  Saturdays can be difficult days for me to get started if  I don’t have things that absolutely need to be done.  While days of rest are good, and even necessary, at least for me they only really accomplish their purpose if they are intentional days of rest.  To simply not do anything because I haven’t planned on doing anything often makes me more weary because I know what needs done and I wasn’t even intentional about actually getting rest while I wasn’t doing anything meaningful.  For many of us, the most difficult step of the day can be getting out of bed and deciding that the day will have purpose.

With an event scheduled in the building during the day, I knew that I would be here at the church late tonight finishing up cleaning and prep for Sunday.  Not only that, but somewhere between page 72 and page 73 an entire hour will come up missing!  So, knowing those things, I wanted the day to be low-key and relaxing whether it ended up being restful or not.  In the morning I spent time on the computer catching up on messages and organizing photos I had taken throughout the week.  I took a break from that to get the wood pellet grill out and got it going to see what I could do with a beef roast on it.  After about 8 hours on the low/smoke setting, I think it turned out pretty well.  Once that was going, my family and I went to pick up some groceries and then out for lunch.  MJ had a shower she was headed to in the afternoon, so Susan and I went to Potato Creek State Park where the day’s theme of “steps” really set in.  Our first stop was at the area where I often see the Bald Eagles, but no such luck this time so I got Susan’s wheelchair out and we hit the trails.  We ended up doing an almost 4 mile hike, which isn’t too bad for us if the terrain is not too wild.  We started on a trail we have done often but then connected it with a portion of trail I have hiked before, but never pushing a wheelchair.  I knew there was a section with a lot of wooden steps  to get you through a major elevation change, but I had forgotten how much elevation change takes place on the trail in addition to those steps.  I had planned it so we would be coming down the actual steps, but that really didn’t matter as I was pushing the chair up steep  hills and holding it back as we came down the other side.  We made it to the steps which overlook a swamp/wetland area and was able to sit and rest while enjoying the sounds of nature with a variety of birds and frogs joining together for a beautiful symphony.  This was at about the mid-way point and the trail back to the truck from there was more gentle in its terrain.

When I got back home, and as I’ve worked at cleaning tonight, I thought about steps.  I thought of the Proverb that says that we may plan our course but it is the Lord that directs our steps.  I’m afraid that often we lose sight of the fact that God wants to be involved in the details of our daily walk.  Even as Christians, we often think of God directing the “big picture” as we journey this earth toward heaven but we act like the choice of each step ought to be ours.  Yet God wants it to be the other way around!  We get to choose the “big picture” course when we decide if we will walk the path that leads to eternal life or the path that leads to destruction.  When we decide the course of our life is to walk with God, then our steps are to be ordered according to His Word, not according to our flesh.  It is only through complete surrender and submission to Christ that we can hope to attain to the goal of eternal life that we desire.  The individual steps are important because the more steps we take on our own, the further we find ourselves from where the steps directed by God would have taken us.  When I am out hiking, I set the course based on where I want to go and what I want to see but I find the hike is more enjoyable, and direct, if I allow the park map to direct my steps.

I pray that you and I would choose the only course that leads to eternal life.  I pray that we would accept that the only way to stay on that course is to follow the directions God has for our daily steps.  I pray that we would constantly keep the course objective in mind as we walk each day so that it would be obvious when we misstep or find ourselves on a path that leads somewhere else.  I pray that a conscious decision to allow God to direct our steps would fill us with confidence and hope, especially when the steps seem difficult and unending.

Earthdate: 20160310 — These are the ramblings of one traveler’s journey on earth as he makes his way toward a heavenly home.

Some pages of life are more difficult than others to stand tall and faithfully represent true freedom that is found in Christ.  We want freedom, but we’re not so sure we want others to have it — at least that’s the way we act.  Today began with the usual work of cleaning and building prep before spending some time catching up on missions correspondence and re-doing the Impact Prayer Ministry bulletin board at church.  As I worked on writing another week’s worth of daily devotions for the current series I am working on, I realized I was tired.  Not a sleepy-lack-of-sleep kind of tired, but a weariness of wondering about the paradox of humanity.  It was probably fitting that the focus of the daily devotions I worked at writing today was on serving with faith.

As I observe leadership at all levels including church, business, ministry, and political, I’ve reached the conclusion that despite all the anti-bullying rhetoric that is promoted in our culture, we actually like bullies as long as we’re not the one being bullied.  We use different words because we’ve made bully sound as bad as it is, but we like the take charge do whatever it takes to succeed attitude to exist in those who lead.  We want results and we’ve bought into the lie that it doesn’t matter how we get them.  We turn a blind eye to the strong-arm tactics of those who lead because we like what they offer.  By the time we realize that we too are being strong-armed, it’s too late and no one is left to object.  

This isn’t a new problem by any stretch of the imagination.  The crowds in the days of Jesus wanted to make Him king by force — not because they valued His humility and service, but because they believed He had the power to give them food, or freedom from Rome, or whatever else their minds could imagine.  If Jesus would just use His power and ability for their good.  If He would just be the ultimate bully and force submission of all the enemies of the Jewish people then the crowds would have continued to hail Him.  Instead, their shouts of “hosanna” turned to screams of “crucify Him” in just a few short days.  The crowds wanted a “bully” who would be on their side but Jesus wanted disciples who would be on His side.  In spite of the intense pressure to do otherwise, Jesus remained steadfast in His determination to “humble himself and become obedient to death — even death on a cross”.  

There are no easy answers, but the choices haven’t changed in over 2000 years.  Do we seek someone to be our “bully champion” who will get us everything we want, or do we seek a path of humble submission that calls us to serve even those we consider least?  I pray that you and I would reject the temptations to exalt those who lead by force of any kind.  I pray that we would oppose all forms of intimidation and bullying even when they are done in ways that benefit us.  I pray that we would repent of the “bullying” we have done to get our way — especially when we’ve cloaked it in the guise of doing “God’s will”.  I pray that we would not only live in the true freedom we have in Christ, but that we would not restrict the freedom in Christ that others also have.  May we truly live to serve one another in ways that consider their needs above our own.

With yesterday’s temperature reaching 70 degrees and warm weather in the forecast, I slept in a little this morning since there was essentially no chance of needing to clear snow from the walks. 🙂  The winter weather and schedule seems to have caught up with me so the extra hour of sleep was helpful.  After getting the building cleaned for the day, I responded to phone and email messages that came in after work hours yesterday.  As I worked on that, word came that the school was having printer issues on the network.  Much of the rest of the morning was spent working on computer, printer, and network issues as they seemed to have problems communicating with each other.

The troubles seemed intent on confounding me so I went to the beginning point of the network and worked through each trouble spot in order.  By the time I got to the end where most of the problems had presented themselves, I had everything working as it should.  While my need to “have all of my ducks in a row” has frustrated people around me at times, it is an ability to see and follow a pattern that helps me figure out and resolve problems when faced with a troubleshooting situation.  God says He is not a God of chaos but a God of order.  Watching the complexities of nature continually convinces me that everything has a designer and its designer is a creative God that works in order and patterns.

Once those issues were resolved, I spent some time working at updating an Impact Prayer Ministry display with current information and needs.  This was a good task for me as it not only needed done, but it caused me to spend time reflecting on how God has worked in and through the ministry to this point.  Times of reflection are good as long as they are used in a way that reveals God’s working and presence in all things good.  When our work is done in the power and strength of God’s Spirit, it is God that should be seen clearly in any reflection of our work.  If God is not seen in our reflection, we have a serious problem with the way our life looks to the people around us.

Eventually I realized I had once again worked through lunch and needed to call it a day as far as work was concerned.  One of the hardest things for me to do is to leave a project for later when I feel I could finish before the day is over if I just keep going.  While that may be good for short term productivity, it causes more problems than is often imagined.  I had been at work long enough for one day.  It was time to practice the discipline of balance and head out to spend time with God and the evening at home with my family.  Balance is a difficult discipline to live because we daily face so many expectations that many of us are wired to try to meet.  True balance in life is found when God is first in all things and He sets the schedule and agenda for everything we do.

As I left work for the day I stopped and grabbed a sandwich to eat on my way to Potato Creek State Park where I could do some hiking as I spent time with God.  I took a variety of photos during my hike and when I returned to my truck an eagle was perched in a nearby tree.  I was able to take several photos of it before it took flight and soared off into the distance.  When I got home and went through my photos from my hike, the one I attached to this post stood out as a picture of the lessons of the day.  God had lined up these turtles with order and a beautiful symmetry.  The still water created a beautiful reflection that exposed a greater creativity of the One who made them.  As they basked in what little sun was present, they continued to maintain perfect balance on this rounded log.

I pray that you and I live life recognizing that perfect order, reflection, and balance comes from God.  I pray that we would seek God and allow Him to bring order to the chaos that life throws at us.  I pray that we would gaze intently into the perfect law of God’s Word and see His reflection in our life.  I pray that we would live with the balance that comes from doing all things in submission to the authority of God.

It seems like some life pages have a theme woven through them.  Other pages appear to be a random collection of events — at least until you can look back on the entire story.  The practice of writing out a page for each day has at times helped me to see the bigger picture of the story.  Today’s page had its usual work tasks along with a variety of surprises.  Not bad surprises which sometimes have a way of showing up, but just unexpected things that kept me from setting cruise control for the day.  

These are usually productive surprises because they require I stay focused and pay attention rather than go through the day on automatic pilot.  After the morning cleaning and building prep, I had some good ministry discussions that had not been planned by anyone but God.  As the day went along, I continued work on the next week’s worth of daily devotions for the series I am writing.  Each devotion that I worked on focused on a different aspect of how God wants us to serve with excellence.  As I wrote questions and devotional thoughts for each day, I thought about how easy it is to coast, even as we serve, if we are not focused on serving in all ways with excellence as if we are serving God Himself — because we are!

Following a late afternoon dentist appointment I headed to the river with my family for a 3 mile walk along the beautiful riverwalk path in Mishawaka, Indiana.  In keeping with the “hidden” theme of the day, my eye and then my camera would notice things that the crowds appeared to be walking right by with no idea of what was near.  The beauty of some early crocus breaking through the ground with a vibrant yellow blossom about to open.  A dove quietly perched in a tree.  A raccoon peering out from a hollowed area of a tree.  All were reminders of God’s creativity and the beauty He surrounds us with daily if we were to pay attention.  

As I reflect on the day, I realize once again that nothing catches God by surprise.  I may experience surprises that are both good and bad, but He already knows how they can be used to benefit the kingdom and my growth.  The pleasant surprised remind me of God’s love and how He wants to bless my life in ways that allow Him to be seen more clearly.  The unpleasant surprises are reminders of God’s care as He continually carries me through the heartaches and disappointments in ways that all Him to be seen more clearly.  Either way, His goal and purpose is for me to live in such a way that people will see my good works and glorify my Father who is in heaven.  The surprises make me look to Him when my focus begins to drift away from the One who calls me to Himself as His child.

I pray that you and I pay attention to the surprises of life regardless of whether they are of a nature we like.  I pray that we would turn to God in the midst of life’s surprises so that He is seen in the way we live through them.  I pray that we would pay more attention to the lessons God desires for us to learn each day.

Page 67 is a Monday so it was up early and in to work to clean and get the building ready to start the school week.  As I went about my early morning work, I could once again hear the cardinals singing outside in the darkness.  As I took the trash out, the eastern tree line was beginning to light up with the waking of the sun.  Back inside I went to grab my camera to record some of the morning beauty in both still photos and a couple videos that would also capture the sounds of the early morning birds.

By the time I got around to spending time with God in putting together the prayer guide for next week, I think the singing birds were still in my mind as I went with the topic of “Sing a New Song”.  As I spent time with God and His Word, I was reminded of just how much music was involved in the daily worship of God.  I fear many Christians view the songs they sing in a church service as being worship and all other music they sing and listen to outside of a church setting is entertainment and has nothing to do with God or worship.  I believe that a Biblical approach is to live life in such a way that all we do, whether musically or not, is presented to God as our life of worship.  As I watched the sunrise and heard the birds singing, it was easy for me to imagine a song of worship being presented before God.  I wondered, though, if the birds were observing me as I watched the sunrise would they imagine what I was doing being worship presented to God?

What if you and I would see our life as a song?  What genre would it be classified as?  Would it be approved for all audiences or would we find a label attached warning that we were for “mature” audiences only?   Would it be easy to classify or filled with such extremes that no one would be real sure what we stood for?  Would we be pleased to offer the entire “song” to God as worship or would we attempt to hide part of it from Him?  When we sing a new song, we sing a song of consistency that communicates the message of Christ no matter what we are doing.  When we lose consistency, our message becomes confusing.  James asks, “Can fresh water and salt water come from the same spring?”.  The implied answer is, “Of course not!”  His desire is that we would recognize that cursing and praise have no place in coming from the same mouth . . . or the same social media account.

I pray that you and I would recognize God’s beauty and presence throughout each day as you learn to sing a new song that give praise to Him at all times.  I pray that we would speak, write, post, and live with a consistency that leaves no doubt about Who is center to our life to those listening and watching.  I pray that we would examine the details of the song of our life and seek to make every note of it be praise of the God we serve.