The school and preschool were not in session today as they took off in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday.  The original tracking info indicated the rest of my book order was to arrive today, so page 16 found me at work even with the holiday status.  After I got to work, I checked on the delivery status and discovered that sometime overnight they had changed it to Tuesday due to “holiday closings”.  I had plenty to do so it was probably just as well that I didn’t take the day off.  I began the day by settling into some time with God as I prayed about the topic for next week’s prayer guide.  A few topics came to mind quickly as I spent time with God but none of them really grabbed my attention for very long.  Eventually as I sat and listened, the idea of following God began to resonate within my spirit.  

The rest of the morning was spent in prayer and Bible study as I fleshed out the daily prayer points to go with the theme of following God.  In a society where so many people spend their life clamoring to be a leader, there is often little emphasis put on learning to follow well.  I believe that much of the leadership void that exists in so many areas of life from home to church to business to politics, and so many places in between, is because of people who want to lead without knowing how to follow.  When I think of current leaders and historical leaders that I admire, as well as the future leaders that I would hope to see, their ability and desire to follow God is the single most important factor in being able to lead well.  When being a leader goes to the head, pride often takes over and our plans, desires, and agendas end up being pursued with no thought of what God’s plan, desire, and agenda happens to be.

As I worked on the prayer guide, a variety of wildlife was (somewhat) visible outside my office window.  At times it is a fascinating challenge to catch movement out of the corner of my eye and then try to figure out what it was that was moving and where it is at.  Today there were several bird species that had very effective natural camouflage that made it difficult to see them.  But today’s photo isn’t a bird.  As my eyes scanned the woods after sensing movement out in the brush, I eventually noticed this deer stretched out on the ground as she got some morning rest.  The photo was tough to try to get a depth of field setting that would see through the brush and focus on the deer, but I think it is noticeable and somewhat in focus.  

After the prayer guide was written, I spent the early part of the afternoon doing the cleaning and building prep to be ready for the school day tomorrow.  So, while I ended up working today it does mean that I won’t have to go in early tomorrow as the early morning tasks are already done.

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

• People often have individual criteria for observing, or not observing, special days.
• It seems that in our culture of division, everyone wants to claim that our nation’s heroes would be in agreement with them.
• It is easy to claim agreement, far more difficult to live in agreement.
• “Can fresh water and salt water come from the same spring?”  Can hatred and division exist in an atmosphere devoted to love and unity?
• Many times when we spend time listening to God we hear ourselves first, and unfortunately stop listening.
• The best leaders in any situation are those whose desire to follow God is greater than their desire to be seen as a leader.
• We become a better follower of God when we learn to pay attention to the details that God surrounds us with.

Page 15 was a Sunday and after deciding not to go in to work yesterday, today had an early start as I needed to do some cleaning and building prep before the morning church gathering.  As I cleaned bathrooms and took out trash, I prayed for the teaching and worship that would take place in the building throughout the morning and prayed that the teaching and worship would also leave the building and take place throughout the community during the coming week.  With no snow or ice to deal with, I was able to be back in the Bible School class where we finished up the book of Philippians today and will head into Colossians next.  

Our morning worship gathering maintained its central focus on Jesus while taking time to honor the ministry and vision of Martin Luther King, Jr as well as remember the value that all life has — from the unborn to the elderly to those who are different from us in a myriad of ways.  Life doesn’t “just happen”, it is a gift from God and we need to treat all life as having an inherent value that comes from God Himself.  When a society can kill millions and millions of its unborn citizens without batting an eye, we should not be surprised at the lack of value that many people seem to place on human life.  

The morning message during our gathering was brought by David as he continued his series in the book of Luke.  Today’s text covered the temptations of Jesus by the devil during and following the forty days of fasting Jesus did in the wilderness.  As with all good sermons, it wasn’t meant to simply inform us about the information surrounding the temptations of Jesus, but the purpose was to equip us to handle temptation in our life in a way that would honor Jesus.  Temptation does not have to lead us into sin.  God has equipped us through His Word and His Spirit with every tool we need to overcome temptation so that it does not lead to sin.  This morning we looked at three different aspects of our enemy’s approach so that we could recognize temptation when it comes our way.

• First, the enemy strikes when and where he thinks we are vulnerable.  Satan doesn’t know us like God knows us but he does pay attention to our weaknesses and often strikes when he feels most likely to succeed.  Knowing that he is looking for points of vulnerability ought to motivate us to be aware of our own weaknesses so that we can build walls of spiritual protection around us.
• Second, the enemy does a very good job at hiding his intentions.  Never will a temptation come that has an obvious disclaimer that its design is to destroy.  Most often, temptations are presented in a way that tries to make us think that following the path of that temptation would be for our own good.  From the first recorded temptation of Adam and Eve that eating the fruit would make them like God and down through all generations including today, our enemy wants us to believe that giving in is ultimately better for us than not.
• Thirdly, the enemy is relentless.  The story of the temptations of Jesus states that at the end of the recorded temptations, the devil left Him for a “more opportune time.”  The Bible teaches, and experience confirms, that the devil doesn’t give up simply because we successfully resist one temptation.  We must constantly be on guard against the attacks of the evil one as he prowls around seeking whom he may devour.  That is why God has equipped us with a full set of armor that when used, protects us against the schemes of the devil.  Our prayer life is the communication lifeline we have with God that empowers our ability to resist and overcome temptation.

After the church service, I had a missions committee meeting to be a part of and then headed home to eat some lunch and rest a while before heading out for an evening family walk.  Today’s photo was from that walk as the sun was preparing to set over the St Joseph River.  

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

• As Paul wraps up his letter to the Philippians, he highlights a life lived “in the Lord.”
• In a world that is full of trouble and disappointment, God has given us the ability to “stand firm in the Lord.”
• Even in the midst of conflict, we ought to be able to “agree in the Lord.”
• Life can be full of discouraging moments, yet God calls us to “rejoice in the Lord always.”
• When worry attempts to flood our hearts and mind, God desires to give us a peace that will guard our hearts and minds “in Christ Jesus.”
• When contentment seems to be out of our grasp, God promises we can do everything “through Him.”
• When we give sacrificially to the work of the kingdom, we learn to trust God to supply all of our needs according to His riches “in Christ Jesus.”
• Temptation is not sin.  Giving in to temptation is, but even giving in doesn’t have to define who we are in Christ.
• God is looking for trustworthy servants who will be faithful with whatever He gives them.

After a long day yesterday filled with variety, today was primarily a day of rest.  After sleeping in this morning, I got up and began the day with a cup of coffee as I checked email messages and caught up on social media posts.  One of the first email messages that I read was confirmation that Impact Prayer Ministry was registered to have a display at the Christian Camp & Conference Association (CCCA) super-sectional conference in March.  With my latest book being a collection of 13 weeks of daily devotions written with camp staff in mind, it will be the resource I feature at both the upcoming Christian Camp Leaders (CCL) conference later this month and the CCCA conference in March.  

As I spent time going through photos from yesterday, the photo for today’s page grabbed my attention.  The sun was still fairly high in the late afternoon sky but the cloud cover and haze in the air gave the feeling of a much later time than what it actually was.  It made me think  of how often appearances can be deceiving.  The haze of life often distorts our vision and gives us the impression that our circumstances are either different than what they really are, or unchangeable, or both.  The spiritual warfare that surrounds us is led by an enemy that wants to keep us in a state of confusion as he attempts to convince us that our situation is hopeless.  Yet even in the murky atmosphere of spiritual war, God’s Word is a light than can overpower any darkness.  We can live in hope, not because we have it easy or because we are strong, but because we have a God who has already overcome our greatest foe.

The afternoon included a trip to Sam’s Club followed by some rest before pulling the pellet grill out of the garage to smoke some pork chops for dinner.  After dinner I sat down to reflect on the day and write today’s page.  Reflection can be good as long as it teaches us lessons that need to be learned and propels us forward.  For me, I have to be very careful or times of reflection can pull me backward into the past rather than teach me how to move forward through the present.  

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

• Emotionally charged events can be as exhaustive, or more so, than intense physical activity.
• Sometimes an idea will enter your mind that is difficult to free yourself of . . . take that idea and wrap it in prayer as you allow God to bring it to fruition.
• While rewarding, obedience to God isn’t always easy.
• When your outlook appears hazy, spend more time focused on the light than on the haze.
• What God gives you is His gift to you.  What you do with it is your gift to Him.
• Spend time with God learning from your day and then follow Him forward.

Page 13 began in the typical Friday fashion with the cleaning and building prep necessary for the start of the school day.  The outside temperature remained below freezing, so yesterday’s freezing rain continued to cling to the tree branches with an appearance of glittering diamonds once the sun came out this morning.  While I was off work yesterday the first shipment of books for the upcoming camp conference arrived, so I spent time this morning making sure they were printed as expected.  After confirming that the boxes of books were what I had ordered, I finished up some of the travel arrangements for the conference and then worked on some of the ongoing writing projects that I have in process.  As I worked, the birds began to make their way from the depths of the woods to the outer edges where they were much more noticeable so I grabbed my camera and began to shoot some of the different birds that stopped by.  I had my usual collection of cardinals, robins, and finches as well as an occasional blue jay this morning and then about a half dozen bluebirds arrived for a short time period.  The bluebirds seemed fascinated with a dead tree that the woodpeckers had filled with holes.  Today’s photo is of a bluebird checking out one of the holes while another bluebird waited its turn.

While the day started out fairly typical for a Friday, I knew it was not going to stay that way so by early afternoon I headed home to eat some lunch and then take my family to Potato Creek for an afternoon walk.  After the 3 1/2 mile walk, it was back home to get ready to head to a ball game at the high school MJ and I graduated from back in 1981.  I was thinking I may not have been back to the school since graduation, but then realized I had not only gone to a few events to support students when I was doing youth ministry in Etna Green, but the high school was also where we went to vote when we lived in Bourbon so it has only been 16 years or so since I was last in the building. 🙂  I don’t follow sports of any level very much, so to head to a high school gym for a basketball game just doesn’t happen.  But tonight was different.  Tonight as a double-header of the girls and boys varsity teams playing in what was designated as “Ball Like Bre” memorial games.  The money raised at the game and through t-shirt sales prior to the game was presented to my brother and his family for the Breanna Lemler Scholarship Fund.  It was good to be there in support of my family and in memory of Bre, but there also ended up being some good basketball played with Triton winning both the girls and boys games.  While heading to the games means that I will have to do my Friday night cleaning some time tomorrow, it was well worth it.

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

• The desire for “more” often ends up causing us to have less.
• It is best to “do good” at the first opportunity you have rather than wait and discover that the first opportunity might have been the only opportunity.
• It is fun to watch the birds take turns and even more fascinating when I consider how difficult it can be to get people to take turns.
• For me, there isn’t much that can come close to being as relaxing as a long walk in the woods.
• Watching how God provides for the wildlife encourages me to trust His ability and desire to provide for me.
• Because everyone is a unique individual created by God, each of us face and deal with loss in our own way.  
• Going home isn’t always easy but there are times when home is where we’re supposed to be.

Page 12 began with my going to bed shortly after midnight following a late workday on Wednesday.  It seemed like I had barely fallen asleep when I was awakened by the sound of Susan having a seizure.  After sitting up with her until the seizure had passed and she was ready to go back to sleep, I headed back to bed only to be awakened some time later by round two.  The winter thunderstorms rolling through outside seemed to have their own version rolling through Susan’s brain and body.  After round two for the night was over, we went back to sleep until I was awakened by a phone call around 9 AM.  As I was on the phone, Susan sat up in bed all smiley and happy like she had just had the best night’s sleep ever.  Somehow she gets through the seizures with no memories of them and often appears to be less worn out from the lack of sleep than MJ and I are.  

After helping Susan get ready for the day and getting breakfast for her, I spent much of the morning working on details for my upcoming trip to the Christian Camp Leaders Conference.  By late morning I pulled out the pellet grill and got it going to make bacon cheeseburgers for lunch.  Throughout the early morning hours the temperature had fallen so the rain was freezing onto most exposed surfaces.  As lunch cooked on the grill, I grabbed my camera and tried my hand at shooting some of the ice-covered scenes.  Today’s photo is of one of the few maple leaves still clinging to the tree in our back yard.  As the rain ran down its surface and off the edges, the water would freeze as if teardrops mourning the loss of life.  Yet within this ongoing process there is a beauty that reflects a portion of its creator.

After lunch I spent the afternoon resting in a fashion while trying not to rest to the point I wouldn’t sleep tonight.  Last night’s late start and interrupted sleep was catching up with me but I knew I would need a good night’s sleep tonight in order to function at work tomorrow.  It is interesting, because I had given very serious thought yesterday of just coming home from work after the mid-week classes and going in this morning.  It ended up being good for both Susan and me to go ahead and work late so I could stay with her this morning.

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

• Adrenaline can be a helpful thing when your body supplies it in an appropriate time in the proper level.  
• The influence of adrenaline takes longer to dissipate than it does to activate.
• For a person susceptible to anxiety/stress/panic attacks, multiple events in a short amount of time that produce increased adrenaline can be somewhat overwhelming.
• God knows what we need and desires to give it to us even when we are confused about what our real needs are.
• God is not limited in what He can use to display His beauty and creativity.  He often uses things such as dead leaves and inconvenient weather to show He can make beauty out of whatever He desires — including you and me.
• After a conversation the other night, I thought today about some of the physical scars that I carry on my body.  Each one is a reminder of an injury that has healed but even in the healing the reminders of what happened never leave me.

With Christmas break over and a return to a more regular routine, page 11 brings back the long mid-week workday.  The day began at 6 in the morning and I’m writing this as I wait for the building to clear out after our Wednesday evening Bible studies so I can do the cleaning for tomorrow.  The staying late is my choice, though, because that means I don’t have to wake up early tomorrow.  The day began with the typical cleaning, taking out the trash, and getting the building ready before the start of the school day.  When that was done, I continued my work from yesterday of getting annual reports completed for the Deer Run missions and for Impact Prayer Ministry.  I also spent some time working on options for using some of my photos as wall art for conference door prize drawings.  As i worked, a squirrel stood in the grass outside my office window seeming to be begging for food.  He didn’t seem to like my movement and by the time I had my camera out he had headed for the nearest tree where he found a good spot from which to keep an eye on me.

With my next prayer ministry representation coming up soon and scheduled for Gatlinburg, I needed to make sure the fires that swept through the area last fall hadn’t disrupted the scheduled plans.  The publicly posted information was somewhat confusing to me as it still included a letter from the conference planners about the possibility of not being able to have it at the originally scheduled location.  After checking with them and finding out everything is a go as planned, I turned my attention to filling out the paperwork to have displays at events in March and April.  Once those forms were ready, it was time to grab a late lunch and drop them in the mail.  While I was out, I picked up some supplies in case I needed to teach a children’s class tonight and then made my way back to work to finish up the day.  I didn’t think I was scheduled to teach tonight but had forgotten to confirm that, so it was better to be ready than not.  🙂

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

• Routine as a concept is neutral.  If it’s a good routine, it is good.  If it is a bad routine, it is bad.
• Good routines, or habits, develop good character.  Godly routines, or habits, develop godly character.  There is a difference between good and godly.
• Most of us are willing to settle for our version of good while God desires that we pursue godliness with contentment.
• Every Christian has a part in the sharing of the gospel.  How are you and I doing in faithfully fulfilling our God-given role?
• Sometimes I’m sure my attention to detail is a blessing and sometimes I’m sure it is a curse.  I worry at times about what those who I end up bugging about confirmation of the details think.
• It is difficult to have a big picture, detail oriented mind when so few want to know all the things that they are not even considering will happen as a result of their decisions.
• Faithfulness to God is perhaps the highest calling we could attain to and should radically influence the way we do every detail of life.

It snowed overnight so page 10 began with the early morning clearing of the sidewalks at work.  The temperature was just above freezing and it had begun to drizzle so clearing the light coating of snow had more to do with keeping the soon to be made slush from being tracked into the building.  Once the outside work was done, it was time to head inside and take care of the cleaning and building prep for the day.  After the building was ready and the trash taken out, today was a day to pull out my “accounting hat” and work on year end reports for the church missions account and for Impact Prayer Ministry.  Each year as I look back on the work God has accomplished through the prayer ministry, I also look forward to what it might take if God were to make it possible for me to focus on the prayer ministry full time.  In 2016, God provided just over $10,000 which made it possible to provide prayer-based books, resources, and teaching at a variety of conferences and churches.  I know that is just a start to what God could do through Impact Prayer Ministry, so I continue to pray about His timing and provision and trust that He will continue to lead based on His perfect will and knowledge.  An estimated annual budget if God was to open up the windows of heaven and pour out the finances necessary to devote full-time work with Impact Prayer Ministry would be $50,000.  Until He makes it clear that it is time to do that, and provided the funds to do so, I am thankful for the work He provides for me at Deer Run that allows me to both earn a living and direct the prayer ministry.

As the work day continued, I did some inventory and ordered some janitorial supplies that are needed.  For some reason I was a day off, but I though today was my mom’s birthday so I called her to wish her a happy birthday and arranged to meet her and dad for dinner this evening.  Her birthday is actually tomorrow, which wouldn’t have worked as well to get together so I guess it was good that I had the date mixed up in my mind. 🙂

The wind was blowing mighty fierce through most of the day, but there was a brief time where the weather seemed pleasant and the birds showed up outside my office window to continue the work of harvesting the berries.  The bright red of the male cardinal is easily noticeable and I end up with a lot of photos of them, but I have to look closely to see the females that have also shown up for food.  Today’s photo is of a female cardinal that appears to have a nearly perfect camouflage for hiding in the brush among the berries.  It made me think about the way people sometimes try to live the Christian life.  There are times when we will stand out and be known as Christians.  In those times, it is important that we truly stand out for being Christ-like rather than standing out for being hateful, or angry, or vengeful, or anything but Christ.  There are other times when we will likely feel we are nearly invisible.  It is then that we must ask if that is so because we are being “all things to all people in order to win some”, or if it is because we have hidden our light under a covering.  

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

• A thin layer of heavy, wet snow is takes more work to clear than a deeper layer of light, fluffy snow.
• Sometimes you can let a problem take care of itself, but other times doing so will just cause you more work somewhere else.
• It is okay to think, and dream, and plan as long as you’re okay with God directing what actually happens.
• I have a greater level of contentment when I realize that my thoughts, dreams, and plans don’t have to become reality in order to fulfill God’s thoughts, dreams, and plans.
• God has given me a great family and it is a blessing to still be able to enjoy a meal with my mom and dad.
• Godly wisdom helps us to represent Christ in the way that is most appropriate for whatever situation we are in.

Christmas break is finally over, so page 9 meant it was back to the routine of rising early for work.  With no fresh snow since yesterday, all of my early morning work was inside today as I cleaned bathrooms and hallways and prepped the building for the day.  As I finished up the cleaning, students were beginning to arrive for the day so it was time to sit with God and work on the prayer guide for next week.  

Last week I began some writing based around a verse out of Jeremiah where God says, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”  Unfortunately, the response of the people given in the next line says, “We will not walk in it.”  As I spent time with God this morning, He drew me back to this verse and the promised result if we would “walk in it” — rest for our soul.  It is interesting to me that Jesus used this same phrase, “find rest for your souls”, in regard to our taking His yoke upon us.  As those two passages filled my prayer time, the idea for a prayer guide focused on “soul rest” came about.  The rest of the morning was spent with God breaking down the Jeremiah 6:16 verse into daily prayer points and then writing “prayer starters” for each day.  Once it was written, I spent time formatting it and scheduled it to be published Sunday on both the resources section of my website and the weekly prayer guide email that I send out.

After the prayer guide work was done for next week, I placed an order for the books I will need for the upcoming camp leaders conference.  Last fall’s International Conference on Missions had depleted nearly all of my book inventory, so I needed to order copies of each of the eight Impact Prayer Ministry titles I have written.  So, about twenty-four hundred dollars later I have eight hundred books that should be on their way soon.  I pray that God continues to provide the resources to put these into the hands of people who will use them.  Today’s order should cover a camp leaders conference later in January with at least some left for a different camp conference in March.

Today’s photo is from yesterday’s trip to the beach in St Joseph, Michigan.  It reminds me of the beauty that can be found through perseverance and endurance.  The frigid temperature made being outside unappealing to many, but as a photographer the chance to capture some beautiful winter photos was worth it.  While unappealing to many, the reward of rest for my soul makes walking in the “ancient paths” and “old ways” worth the effort that it takes.

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

• Returning to an early morning routine after two weeks of not having to be at work early can be tough.  
• Good routines can be as beneficial as bad routines are harmful.
• Rest for the soul sounds like it should be more desirable than what it apparently is.
• While we may not be so bold to say we will not walk in God’s ways, do our actions say that we will?
• The “ancient paths” and “old ways” are always good things when they are God’s ways.
• Most of us don’t like the idea of being “under the yoke” of anyone or anything even though we probably are.
• In spite of what the world may say, rest for our soul is worth whatever effort it takes to walk in God’s ways and take His yoke upon us.
• Obedience to God can be costly but it has rewards greater than we can imagine.