Page 120 was a Sunday but it found me awake early as there was a lot I needed to get done before our Bible School and worship gathering times began.  With a group in the building, I had cut my Friday evening cleaning a little short so I began today with finishing up that cleaning and prep before people began arriving.  As I cleaned bathrooms, glass doors, and floors, I kept running through the sermon in my mind as God continued to refine if before my opportunity to share it.  Once the building was cleaned and ready, I turned my attention to setting up the prayer ministry display as I would have the opportunity to share about Impact Prayer Ministry prior to preaching.  As people began arriving, I would answer any questions they had about the prayer ministry and encourage them to take any of the printed material that they would use.  

During the morning worship gathering I was privileged to share a message from the book of James that I titled, “A Prayer of FAITH”.  The initial text was James 5:13-16 where James says that the “prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.”  Considering that I know of no individuals alive today that was living at the time James wrote these instructions, I believe we may need to examine how the sick person becoming well and the Lord raising them up are connected.  In fact, the next verse goes on to say the person will be forgiven if they have sinned.  The Bible teaches that those who have been buried with Christ will be raised with Christ, so I believe that being made well and raised by the Lord in response to the prayer offered in faith is a wellness that goes way beyond our physical infirmities.  But the heart of that discussion may be for another time, today’s focus was on having a lifestyle of prayer that continually prays prayers of faith.  As with most of my preaching, the outline followed a word and today’s word was FAITH.

• A prayer of faith is a prayer of Focus:  The Bible teaches that we should “set our minds on things above, not on things of this earth.”  This is critical in our prayer life as we focus on what God desires rather than on what we want.  A prayer of focus seeks to bring God’s view of everything into clarity and practice.  When we set our mind, and our prayers, on the things of God, we seek to follow a steadfast path that the Bible describes as “straight and narrow”.
• A prayer of faith is a prayer of Acceptance:  James teaches that we should “accept the word [of God]” that is planted within us.  When we apply this to our prayer life, we begin to accept God’s word as authoritative in everything.  We accept that God’s love for us desires only our good, so we pray with a submissive spirit that accepts, and follows, the example of Jesus who prayed, “not my will, but Thine be done.”
• A prayer of faith is a prayer of Insight:  Part of our prayer of faith are prayers that are prayed with insight that can only come from God and His presence revealed to us through His Son and His Word.  James tells us that we should “gaze intently into the perfect law which gives freedom, and then continue to do what it says.”  It is Gods Word that gives us insight into the heart, will, and desires of God so that we can pray according to what He wants.
• A prayer of faith is a prayer of Trust:  One of the great hindrances in the prayer lives of many is the level of trust, or lack of it, when it comes to God coming through for us.  We hear things, like “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well”, and we interpret them according to what we want.  When we pray and the sickness persists we begin to think God can’t be trusted because our expectation was a physical wellness.  James says that a person should “humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”  A prayer of faith trusts that God will do just that no matter what.
• A prayer of faith is a prayer of Hope:  Hope can be a difficult word in our modern culture because we often dismiss it as simply wishful thinking.  When the Bible talks about the hope we have in Christ, it is a confident expectation that if we “don’t become weary in doing good, that in due season we will reap a harvest.”  When James writes to those who are being persecuted, he tells them to “be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming in near.”  It is the coming of Christ, who promises to raise all those who are in Christ, that gives the Christian great hope in the midst of any and all circumstances.  Our prayers of faith aren’t wishful thinking, rather they are prayers of hope knowing that when Christ returns He will make all things right.

After the worship gathering I spent some more time talking with people about the prayer ministry before going to lunch with my family.  The afternoon has been spent relaxing and unwinding as I get ready for the start of another work week.  As I went through some photos I took on Friday, I chose today’s photo of a pair of osprey on a nesting pole at Potato Creek State Park.  I believe they are working on hatching some eggs as they took turns sitting on the nest and appeared very deliberate in the changing roles from sitting to standing guard.  God has called us into relationship with Him not just to free us from the penalty of sin, but to also equip us to care for one another as we nurture the young and stand guard against anything that may be a source of danger.

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

• God’s desire is that all of His children serve one another.
• Sometimes we like how, and who, God wants us to serve, sometimes we don’t.  Serve anyway!
• Our attitude in serving usually improves when someone appreciates what we do.  Be the one who appreciates the service of others and be sure to tell them so.
• When we surrender to God, He will use our weaknesses for His glory.
• God’s gifts to me are gifts He expects me to share with others.
• “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”  That truth explains why faith must be the fuel that powers our prayers.
• Authentic Christianity will lead us to caring for others as we learn to bear one another’s burdens through both prayer and action.

Page 119 was a day to sleep in and allow my mind and body to catch up on some rest.  Once I was awake and had my coffee started, I began the day by doing the writing of yesterday’s page.  There are times lately when I think the writing of these daily pages has run its course and I ought to quit doing them.  I’m not sure where that thought originates, but as I write I continue to be reminded of lessons that God teaches me through each day’s activities so I keep writing.  It is my belief that many of the lessons that we learn from God each day are not just for us, but are designed to help others grow as we share them.  So I will continue to write and share as I pray that God uses my daily lessons to strengthen and encourage others as well as myself.

After yesterday’s page was written, I spent some time meditating and reflecting on the sermon outline and texts for tomorrow.  A part of my sermon preparation process is to be prepared and then let all of the preparation simmer as God refines it in my mind.  Some may say I over-prepare, but I view it as being fully prepared and letting God refine the  preparation until the chaff is blown away and the pure grain is left to feed upon.

The afternoon was spent at a birthday party for a one year old.  Our nephew’s wife had asked MJ to take photos for her son’s first birthday so we took our cameras and teamed up to capture the joy of the day.    One of those photos made today’s page as another nephew came to the table with a plate of cake and cupcakes that made it appear he couldn’t decide what he wanted.  Actually his claim was that it was for his kids, but I never really did see who ate it. 🙂  I appreciated the beauty found in the variety of the colors, but also in the differences in tastes and preference that people have when it comes to cake.  When it came down to it, while the birthday cake appeared to be a central part of the celebration, it really only had a supporting role.  The important part of the day was the gathering of family and the celebration of the life of a one year old.  It made me think about how often we get sidetracked by good things that aren’t really the main thing.  

I’ll finish out the day in a manner similar to how it started — writing a day’s page and allowing the message for tomorrow to simmer longer in my mind.

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

• The mind affects the weariness of the body and the body affects the clarity of the mind.  Many times they both need rest in order to find peace for the soul.
• God teaches us for our benefit and so that we are a benefit to others.  We must learn to share so both of those things can take place.
• If we are faithful in using the gifts God puts in our life, He often uses them in ways we may never see or understand — be faithful anyway.
• Some preparation has immediate purpose, some preparation has future purpose, and some preparation has purpose beyond our time.  Prepare fully and let God use your preparations in His time.
• Celebrations are wonderful things if we stay focused on what we’re celebrating.
• Our worship gatherings ought to be celebrations of Jesus and the relationship we have with Him.
• Too often we allow the “decorations” of our worship gatherings to become more important than the One that ought to be the focus of our worship.
• When our focus is kept on Jesus, a lot of the relational distractions that exist between people no longer have the importance they once had.

Page 118 was a Friday, so I headed into work early to get the day started with the usual cleaning and building prep.  It also made it a perfect week of having lights left on all night somewhere in the building that I turned off as I made my morning rounds each day.  With the sun rising earlier each day, it now comes up in the middle of my morning cleaning time.  So, after turning out lights that didn’t need to be on, I set my camera up outside to do another time-lapse recording of the sunrise while I worked.  There was a good assortment of clouds moving through the sky, so the video turned out quite beautiful.  In addition to the morning cleaning, I also spent time working on the HVAC controls as the outside temperature had dropped enough that I needed to switch the system back to heating mode from the cooling mode it needed just a couple days ago.

Once the building was ready for the day, I turned my attention to my work for Sunday’s sermon.  As I finished up the outline and settled on some of the supporting texts that I will use, I sent the sermon info and a ministry description to the office for Sunday’s bulletin and sent the outline and text references to the worship and tech team to help as they also prepare for Sunday.  By mid-afternoon I reached a point where it felt like progress wasn’t being made on the sermon so I took a break to get lunch and take a walk.  The walk part of the break took me to Potato Creek where I was able to photograph some osprey and herons, as well as a variety of flowers and landscape scenes which show the beauty of the park.  The eagles did not make an appearance while I was there, but it was still a beautiful afternoon.

Once my break was over, it was back to the building to wrap up the sermon work that I left in progress and then work at the cleaning and prep needed to get the building ready for Sunday.  As I finished up the office part of my sermon prep, it was time to start cleaning where I could continue to work on the flow of the outline through my mind.  There was a small group in the building that would be there very late, so after getting the end of the building cleaned that they wouldn’t be using, I decided to call it a day and come back to clean the other end sometime before Sunday School begins on Sunday.  As I walked out of the building, the sun was setting in the west and there was small segment of a rainbow in the east.  By the time I walked to my truck and was able to get my camera out of my bag, the rainbow had disappeared but the sky was still begging to be photographed.  Today’s photo is of the sunset trying to break through a hole in the cloud-covered sky.  The colors  in the sky from one horizon to the other were astounding but impossible for me to catch all of it in a photo.  On the hillside opposite the sunset were my deer friends, grazing on the play field lawn with the sky lit up all around them in a variety of subtle pastel shades.  The scene made me glad I had decided to go home earlier than planned, otherwise I would have completely missed this particular blessing.

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

• Habits are powerful.  We have the choice, though, to develop habits which control us in unhealthy ways or habits which we control for our good.
• As summer approaches, God adds a little more light each day.  How are you and I doing at adding a little more of God’s light each day into a dark world that needs to see His light?
• Some days are a battle between efficiency and comfort.
• Many days, however, are a battle between effectiveness and comfort.  Too often we choose comfort over being effective.
• A prayer of faith is always about God and seeking His will rather than about us and convincing God to endorse our plans.
• God desires that we seek Him with our whole being, not just when it fits our schedule.
• Seeking, and finding, God can be accomplished anywhere as long as we seek Him with our whole heart.
• Sometimes disrupted plans simply feel disruptive.  Other times we see more clearly how God works for our good even when things don’t go as we expected.
• Faith believes not only that God exists, but that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

Page 117 was a day of rest.  With dinner plans for the evening, the rest of the day had no plans other than to be ready for dinner. 🙂  No new photos taken and, on the surface, it would seem like very little to write about.  But sometimes those days have been some of my longest posts, we’ll see.  Today’s photo is one I took on Wednesday and seemed fitting as the bobcat was resting in the sun.  It is not often that a day off becomes as much about rest as this one did, but sometimes we simply need rest from the routines of work and sometimes we just need rest.

I was awake by 7:30, which is actually sleeping in a couple hours, and began my day with God and coffee.  I’m not sure my mind knows how to completely rest as I found myself contemplating throughout the day on the text and outline for the sermon I’ll share on Sunday.  But, at least for me, contemplating on the Word of God is about the most restful thing I can do.  I still had to decide what I would put on the grill for the evening’s dinner plans, so once Susan got up we headed to Sam’s to see what we could find.  After picking up a few groceries, it was back home where I fired up the pellet grill to work no lunch.  That left me with a couple hours to rest while the meat for lunch cooked.  After smoked pork chops for lunch, I had a couple more hours to rest before starting up the pellet grill again to put some chicken on for dinner.  Maybe you’re seeing a pattern?  Eat, rest, eat, rest, eat, rest . . . — not a bad pattern when your goal for the day is rest.

As evening approached, my niece and her future husband came over and we enjoyed a nice meal together and talked about what they wanted in their wedding ceremony that I’ll officiate for them this summer.  The conversation made me think back and wonder if anyone is ever as ready for marriage as they think they are.  Not that they said anything that made me question their readiness, but more like nostalgic thoughts that came out of nearly 36 years of experience.  The Bible says that marriage between a husband and wife is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church and I think the core instruction to a person entering into either relationship is the same — stay the course.  Yes, I understand that in human relationships staying the course is not always possible, healthy, or even safe.  I believe there are legitimate reasons to step aside from a relationship, but too often people make up reasons simply because there is no commitment to stay the course — in either our human relationships or our relationship with God.  Life gets hard.  I expect every marriage will face troubles and difficult times.  Jesus even promised that if we follow Him, we can expect trouble.  But the reward in our relationship with Jesus belongs to those who are faithful to the end.  And I believe the reward in marriage belongs to those who are faithful to a commitment to stay the course and work through the hardships, troubles, differences, and misunderstandings.

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

• Rest takes many forms.  The rest you need today may not be the same as the rest you need next week.
• God doesn’t stop working in your life just because you are resting.  Sometimes His greatest work takes place when we are still.
• God has given marriage to mankind as a picture of the relationship He desires to have with us.
• Our culture’s picture of marriage is often a far cry from God’s view of it.
• When in doubt, choose God’s perspective.
• Planning for a great wedding can be a beautiful thing.  Planning for a great marriage is even more beautiful.
• Commitment is a characteristic that carries us through the troubles that are sure to come.
• God desires and rewards faithfulness but He is also faithful even when we are not.

Page 116 has been the warmest day of the year so far with the temperature rising into the eighties.  It was a day to test the air conditioning systems before the temperature plummets with forecasted highs struggling to reach fifty degrees tomorrow and for the next week.  I arrived at work early to get the cleaning done and the building ready for the day so I could start mowing around the building before the students arrived.  I began with a light jacket but that didn’t last long as the sun eventually crested the horizon and broke through the early morning clouds.  I managed to get a couple hours of mowing done before running into an issue that required a trip to get parts.  I took Susan with me to Lowe’s where I was able to get the things I needed.  

Knowing it was going to be a long workday, I decided it was time for a break and took Susan for a quick visit to the zoo while we were out.  She was happy to see the tigers and one of them came right up to her when we arrived — it seems they were happy to see her too.  Today’s photo is from that zoo trip as the Macaw was out on its perch, posing for all to see.  I am fascinated by the intricate designs and the vivid colors that God gave this bird.  I enjoy our trips to the zoo.  One, because they are great times to spend with my daughter, and two, they give me an opportunity to see a variety of God’s creation that I would otherwise miss out on.

After our visit to the zoo was over, it was back to work where I finished out the morning working on getting information about the church’s VBS posted on our Facebook page and website.  I had that done shortly after noon and it was time to head back out and finish the mowing as the forecast is calling not only for cooler temperatures, but for rain to move in for the next few days.  As I mowed, I could see traffic noticeably slowing down as they crested the hill and came by our property.  I suspected I knew what was happening, and sure enough, as I made my way to mow along the roadway there was a police car setting at the end of our drive watching for drivers who grossly surpass the speed limit.  Without some measure of observation and enforcement, many drivers fly by as if there is no speed limit at all.  Even when we know the law, or what God expects, many times it is only the fear of being caught and suffering consequences that drive us to obedience.  How much better would it be for everyone if we learned to obey out of love because it is the right thing to do.

I finally finished mowing late in the afternoon and went and got a very late lunch before coming back to the building to take out trash before the Wednesday evening Bible studies.  As typical for my Wednesdays, I’m writing today’s page as I wait for the building to clear out so I can do the cleaning and prep for tomorrow.  

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

• Testing an air conditioning system when it is sixty degrees outside isn’t as effective as testing it when it is eighty. 
• True testing sometimes requires extreme circumstances.  It is easy to think you’ll act a certain way when the heat is on but you really don’t know for sure until you’re actually in the middle of the heated circumstance.
• Accommodating others isn’t always required but it is always appropriate when possible.
• When things aren’t working as they should, sometimes the best thing to do is to stop and figure out what needs fixed or serviced.
• God displays His creativity in many ways.  It is good not only to enjoy it, but to help others see it as well.
• Our behavior is typically influenced by who we think is watching.
• It is easy to say we believe God sees everything, but do our actions show we believe it?
• God’s love for us desires that we live lives obedient to Him.  Our love for Him ought to fill us with that same desire.

My workday began by turning lights off that had been left on all night, then I focused on the usual cleaning and building prep that needed done for the day.  After my initial round through the hallways, I spent some time working on one of the A/C units as I had a note left for me that it wasn’t working and the forecast was calling for a couple days of summer-like temperatures.  With the early morning outside temperature in the forties, it was difficult to give the system a good test, but it seemed to be working by the time I was done with it.  After a long winter’s rest, sometimes these systems just want a little attention to convince them to run again.  

Once the building was ready for the day and the trash taken out, I spent time doing some research to find some parts that I need for some maintenance issues.  I eventually tracked down a supplier and was able to order the parts.  I was preparing to go outside and work on the lawn equipment before mowing when Susan had a seizure.  My plans quickly changed as I held her and helped her stay safe through the seizure and early post-seizure confusion.  Once the seizure was over, she rested in my office as I turned my attention to some more prayer and work on my sermon for Sunday instead of going outside.  Today’s photo was taken as I worked in my office and could see a pair of cardinals playing in the brush and picking up biscuit crumbs I had scattered on the lawn.  This cardinal wasn’t about to let the size of the crumb stop him from enjoying a good meal.

After Susan had rested and she and MJ left work for the day, I turned my attention to the large A/C system for the main part of the building.  Spring and fall can be difficult seasons to efficiently keep the building comfortable.  With morning outside temperatures in the forties and afternoon highs near eighty, the system controls get confused about whether to run heat or A/C.  Add to that the inconsistency in temperatures from day to day, and the process is difficult to program.  This week there is one more day with a forecasted high near eighty and then a number of days that will struggle to make it to a high temperature of fifty.  It seems each day presents a different need for the system programming but I’ve learned to be cautious in making changes as it is easy to change it too much at once which really messes with the results in a way that is not good.

By mid-afternoon my workday was over and it was time to get some lunch and head home for the day.  At home I rested for a short while before going out and mowing the lawn on what turned out to be a beautiful afternoon.  When I was finished outside, I spent some time on my social media accounts and then took a short nap before sitting down to write today’s page.

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

• It is nearly impossible to teach someone something that you yourself have not learned, or are in the process of learning.
• It seems many people desire to be teachers, but few desire to be learners.
• Disuse will eventually cause difficulty in functioning properly.  This is just as true of God’s Word in our spiritual life as it is in A/C system components.
• In a society where most things are viewed as disposable, it is often difficult to find parts to repair things.
• Sadder yet, is the difficulty in finding the tools, resources, and desire to repair the brokenness in people.
• Caring for people is more important than caring for things.
• Outside factors can make consistency in life difficult, but that shouldn’t keep us from giving our best effort as we turn to God.

Today was our monthly pest control service at work, so I was up at 5 in the morning in order to meet our service tech at the building.  The early start to page 114 allowed me to clean the building in the quietness of the outside darkness.  As I cleaned, I prayed for a stillness of spirit that would match the stillness of the morning.  

Once the building was ready for the school day, I settled into some time with God as I worked on the prayer guide for next week.  This one took a little longer as I wanted it to serve as a follow-up to the sermon I will share at Deer Run on Sunday.  So, not only was I writing the prayer guide this morning, I was also writing the outline for my sermon.  The prayer guide will focus on the subject of a prayer of faith and, unless God changes it before Sunday, my sermon will follow the same focus.  James has a lot to say about faith and about the elements of faith involved in our prayer life.  The writer of Hebrews says that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  He goes on to say that “anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  Faith is imperative to a lifestyle of prayer because our belief in a God that exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him draws us to praying with expectation and hope.

With the early start to the day, by mid-afternoon my mind was fogging over and it was time to call it a day as far as work was concerned.  At home I spent some time relaxing before heading the the River Walk with my family for a late afternoon stroll.  There were a number of good photo opportunities, including today’s photo of a goose and a few of her goslings taking a nap.  As I took this photograph, I thought about Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and longing to gather the people to Himself as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings — but they were not willing.  God still longs to draw His children to Himself and give them rest — but even today many are not willing.  

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

• The stillness of our surroundings don’t always reflect the stillness of our spirit but it ought to remind us to pray that God would still our spirit before Him.
• Spending time with God ought to allow Him to direct the flow of the time.
• My plans, even when born out of prayer, ought to be subject to God’s authority to change them.
• Not only is it impossible to please God without faith, we are unlikely to pray unless we believe God hears and answers.
• God doesn’t promise that we’ll have a smooth life.  In fact, He says that we will face trouble and even be persecuted for His name’s sake.  But He does promise to gather us under His care and protection if we are willing to accept it.

Page 113 began with the writing of page 112.  Some days it feels as if I don’t write the lessons from that day down before I go to sleep, I will never remember them.  Yet other days my mind is so tired that nothing makes sense until I get some sleep and do the writing the next morning.  For a person who thrives on routine and schedule, learning to be flexible in when the actual writing takes place has been an interesting lesson in itself.  I keep thinking I need to decide when I’m going to do the writing and just about the time I make up my mind one way, it becomes easier to do it the other.  I know that for some of you, that doesn’t sound like a big deal.  For me, it is a bigger deal than it probably should be. 🙂

Once yesterday’s page was written, we headed to the church building for Sunday School class and the morning worship gathering.  The class I attend began a study of 2 Thessalonians today and we began by considering the reputation the Thessalonians had because of their abundant and growing love for one another.  We concluded our class time this morning by beginning to look at the warnings Paul gave concerning those who would attempt to deceive them in an effort to lead them away from Christ.  While there are passages of scripture that would tend to make one believe there is a Antichrist that will appear at the end of times, there are also many warnings of those who live as an antichrist throughout all generations.  These antichrists are dangerous because they often come with an appealing message that, while having an appearance of good, is rotten to the core.

Our morning worship gathering included a message by CJ from Daniel 9.  In the message, CJ looked at the prayer life of Daniel and how that led him to seek God in the midst of desperate times.  Daniel had plenty of desperate times as an individual, but he also lived at a time when the Jewish people faced desperate times as a nation.  Their holy city, Jerusalem, had been destroyed and many of the Jewish people, including Daniel, had been taken captive to serve in Babylon.  God had called His people to repentance for years yet they continually ignored Him.  Eventually God’s discipline involved sending in the Babylonians to rule over the people for a period of time.  Daniel understood through reading the writings of Jeremiah that the time span of captivity was set by God to be seventy years and that time would soon be up.  There was a desperation not only in the circumstances of captivity, but in the need for the people of Israel to repent and turn back to God.

Daniel’s prayer life was built on the foundation of a relationship with God.  His practice of prayer included sacrifice, humility, and a recognition of who he was compared to who God is.  Daniel knew through experience and through a knowledge of God’s love for him, that God would always respond if he did not delay his prayers to Him.  It is important to note that there is a difference between praying in desperate times and prayers of desperation.  When prayer becomes a lifestyle, prayer even in desperate times is not an act of desperation, but an act of hope

The rest of the day has been spent relaxing so today’s photo is one I took yesterday on my way home from the convention.  The setting sun reminds me of God’s presence and warmth.  He lights up the evening sky with His beauty to end the day and again to begin the new one.  Even when we can’t see it because of cloud cover, the beauty still exists and is just waiting for the veil of clouds to be pushed back for the beauty to be seen.  Sometimes, as in the case of the Israelites of Daniel’s day, the cloud cover is of our own making and is torn asunder by our turning back to God in repentance.  

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

• We can often be more productive if we work smarter rather than harder.
• What works well in one place and time may not be the right approach for a different place and time.
• A church congregation will rise and fall based not only on the love we have for God, but also on the love we have for one another.
• It is important to always be on guard as many who are against Christ will try to deceive and offer a cheap imitation.
• Your practice of prayer, or lack of it, during good times will be reflected in how you respond to bad times.
• Prayer should always be the first option for everything so that even in times of desperation, our prayers are not an act of desperation but rather an act of faith. 
• God’s beauty and presence is always nearby.  When it seems less visible, we need only seek Him in repentance for His light to be rekindled in our life.