Page 115 was a quiet day of rest and reflection.  I did not take any new photos today, so the ones attached are from yesterday . . . but I’ll get to that later. 🙂  I spent this morning with my family, and church family, in Bible study and worship.  The Sunday morning Bible study class that I’m a part of is still going through the book of Proverbs and gleaning much wisdom to learn and apply.  Our preacher is in the midst of a series through the Sermon on the Mount and today’s message was about “Doing Right . . . The Right Way”.  We heard from the teachings of Jesus about giving the right way, praying the right way, and listening to God the right way.  At the heart of each of these spiritual activities is the need to keep the focus on God and not make them about ourselves.

After our church worship gathering, we had lunch and then I began going through the 750+ photos I took during our Friday afternoon and Saturday family adventure.  The photos I’ve included on this page were taken yesterday when we stopped at Sleeping Bear Dunes in Northern Michigan looking for the best vantage point to view and photograph a couple lighthouses that are offshore from the mainland.  We had to walk over sand dunes and and up a rather steep trail to find the views we were looking for.  While MJ and I enjoy taking photographs of the incredible beauty of God’s creation, Susan simply enjoys being with us out in the sunshine.  To walk hand-in-hand with her over the sand dune hills, or see her put great effort into hiking up a trail, and in all of it watch the great joy expressed on her face, I know that the time we spend together as a family is a valuable treasure.

There have been times in my life when I’ve allowed various things to keep me from enjoying the time with my family that I believe God has brought us together for.  Sometimes it has been my decisions and priorities that have kept me too busy and other times it has been the expectations of others in work and ministry.  I think it is far too easy to believe that there will always be a tomorrow with the family but if I don’t jump at every expectation of my workplace, there may not be a tomorrow at work.  My work at camp was like that and eventually taught me a lesson of setting limits that I’ve learned to apply to my work at Deer Run now.  Susan’s health, particularly the frequent seizures, remind me often that she is God’s gift on loan to us for an unspecified amount of time.  I have a cousin — actually my wife has a cousin but I claim her as well — who has been battling cancer for a long time but has reached the point where it seems the battle may be nearing an end and her life also reminds me that each of our lives are but a vapor and we should make the most of every opportunity we have.  

That is my lesson I share today — give the greatest value to the things that are the most important and the things that are the most important aren’t things at all, but they are the people God has allowed to be a part of your life and you a part of theirs.

Page 114 was a very good day, but also a very long day — thus my writing of it taking place the next afternoon. 🙂  We had spent the night at a hotel on the Lake Michigan waterfront so I was up before sunrise to capture some photos of the moon and lighthouse reflecting off the water.  The peaceful beauty was present both inside and out as the sun began to rise and slowly illuminate the day.  Susan’s recurring seizures have served to remind me that I need to enjoy whatever time God gives us as a family and trips like this 33 hour lighthouse adventure are a part of that enjoyment.  On page 114 we saw and photographed 6 lighthouses that we hadn’t been to before.  With the one we visited Friday night and a stop in South Haven on the way home, we were able to photograph 8 different lighthouses on this trip.  I’ve always loved lighthouses as far back as I can remember — which is somewhat strange considering I grew up with a fear of heights.  As a boy, I remember climbing the stairs to the top inside the Key Biscayne lighthouse in southern Florida.  There is something special about not only their purpose, but the perspective they give when you reach the top.

Most of these old lighthouses have small openings, windows, in the brick structure as you climb your way to the top so that the interior has at least some natural lighting.  Each level of windows also gives an increasing glimpse of the view that awaits those who make it to the top.  Once to the top, a view opens up that you could only imagine existed before seeing it with your own eyes.  It made me wonder about this walk through life each of us is on.  As we travel that narrow path that leads to life eternal with God, could it possibly be viewed a a spiral staircase where each successive step not only gets us closer to our destination but also offers us an increasingly clear glimpse of God’s perspective?  Is our walk with God giving us glimpses of His glory so that it increases our anticipation of what we will experience when we reach the top?  Does our daily walk not only increase our perspective, but more importantly help us to see things from His perspective?  When I visit a lighthouse, I always think of Jesus stating that we are the light of the world.  On the surface, that sounds like a huge task and responsibility.  But then I think of Paul’s teaching about each of us being a jar of clay that contains a precious treasure which is Christ.  This jar of clay is meant to be a lighthouse — not something designed so that those in trouble say, “Look!  A brick tower, jar of clay, Christian person, etc.”.  No, the design is such that when lived correctly people should say, “Look!  The light of Jesus!”  Or as Jesus put it, “Let your light so shine that people may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

I pray that you and I would live life each day to the full.  I pray that we would value the families God has given us, whether they be biological families or not.  I pray that we would recognize that since we’ve not yet reached our heavenly home at the top, we do not yet have a full and accurate perspective on the things of life around us.  I pray that we would continually seek to know God’s perspective in all things.  I pray that we would serve well as structures which show the light of Jesus to people living in darkness.

Our final stop on the way home on page 114 was in South Haven, Michigan to photograph the lighthouse there with the setting sun backdrop.

With a long awaited trip north on our family schedule, page 113 began extra early today.  I did the normal daily cleaning then did the hallways with the floor scrubber before taking out the trash.  I needed to finish mowing some of the areas that are difficult to do without disturbing people while school is in session, so I had the mower going in the early hours of dawn before the sun had fully risen for the day.  After the mowing was done, I spent some time in the office doing some more writing and then once preschool was out for the week I cleaned the glass entry doors and made sure the bathrooms were still in decent shape.  By 1 in the afternoon I had already put in a full day of work and I headed home to throw some things in a bag in preparation for a quick family trip to northern Michigan do photograph some lighthouses we haven’t gotten to yet.

We arrived in Frankfort, Michigan around 6:30 PM and checked in to our room which has a patio door and deck with a view of Lake Michigan and the lighthouse.  We threw our stuff in the room and headed to the beach to take some pictures.  With plenty of daylight left before sunset, we headed north a few miles to photograph another nearby lighthouse.  At that location, the beach area was covered with an assortment of stones of various sizes but all worn smooth by the constant action of the sand and waves against them.  When we returned to Frankfort, the sun was beginning to set so we spent some time taking sunset and lighthouse photos until the sun dropped below the horizon.  Dinner was some Subway sandwiches we picked up and brought back to the room.  While we took some after-dark photos of the lighthouse from our deck, Susan had a seizure which pretty much finished her day.

Sometimes life and the schedule we keep seems rough — perhaps even abrasive at times.  The waves of life crash against us and we don’t like the turbulence we experience.  When we are in the midst of it, it is often unpleasant and rarely makes sense.  It is not until time passes and someone notices how “smooth” we have become that we realize the work God has been doing in our life through the storms.  Little by little, God uses the sand and waves of life to smooth out our rough edges and polish our spirit until it begins to reflect Him more clearly.  As He smooths out our life, we become more attractive to the people around us — but it’s not actually us, it is Christ in us that becomes more visible.

I pray that  you and I would grow in our appreciation of the work God does to smooth out our rough edges.  I pray that we would understand this shaping is a work in progress not only in our lives, but in the lives of those around us.  I pray that we would desire that God works on our life in ways that makes Him more visible to the people around us.

Page 112 has been an indoors kind of day.  When I went in to work, it was dark and raining lightly.  As I finished up the morning cleaning daylight had arrived as much as it could through the heavy cloud cover.  As I took the trash out in this overcast dawn, two deer were grazing at the top of the hill behind the building.  I grabbed my camera and searched for a setting that would work in the low-light haze of the drizzly morning.  The beauty of digital photography and patient deer is that I was able to play with the settings and get about half of the pictures taken to turn out like I wanted.  

As the school day began, I put on my IT hat and helped a teacher with some computer issues she was having.  Susan had a seizure to start her day so the off and on rain which kept me in the building ended up being a good thing as I could keep an eye and ear on her while I did some writing.  I was able to put together and send out the monthly Impact Prayer Ministry newsletter as well as continue work on the devotional series I am writing.  By late afternoon as I grabbed a late lunch on my way home, it appeared that the clouds were breaking up and the sun was trying to make an appearance in time for an early evening walk.  I laid down on the couch to rest a bit before going out to walk and when I woke up not only did the clock say an hour had past but it was raining outside — I guess rest was more important than the walk today.  

One of my favorite photos of the deer this morning was of one of them as she was looking at me through the swing set.  My first few attempts at photographing this didn’t turn out well — at least not like I was wanting it to.  But rather than give up, I kept adjusting settings and focus points until I got a picture I was satisfied with.  I’m afraid that we often don’t have the same persistence when it comes to doing the things God has called us to.  How often do we attempt something because we are convicted by God’s Word of our need to do so only to give up when our first attempt doesn’t turn out the way we had hoped it would?  Yes, when our attempts at something fails we do need to carefully evaluate just whose plans they were to begin with, but sometimes the problem isn’t with the plan itself but with our needing to learn how to approach it most effectively.  Very few preachers would preach more than one sermon if they gave up after the first one that didn’t accomplish what they had hoped it would.  Few children’s classes would be taught if every teacher quit after the first lesson they felt didn’t go over like it should have.  God has called us to grow in our relationship with Him because growth means learning and gaining understanding not only from our success, but perhaps even more from our failures.  When things don’t turn out like we had hoped, we go back to God and listen more intently for His instruction and we take care to follow it.  Sometimes He calls us to make adjustments and changes.  Other times He calls us to just remain faithful in doing what we’re doing as we learn to trust Him for results we can’t yet see — and results we may never see.

I pray that you and I would continually grow in our relationship with Christ.  I pray that we would grow in our practice of doing the good works God has created for us to do.  I pray that we would keep seeking God when things don’t turn out as we expected.  I pray that we would not let our definition of failure keep us from doing what God has called us to do.  I pray that we would not become weary in doing good, knowing that in due time we will reap a harvest..   

If there was any doubt, page 111 was proof that spring has replaced winter for the time being.  With the possibility of rain in the forecast, I took care of the morning cleaning and building prep early so I could start mowing when the sun came up.  I’m one that puts off the first mowing of the season as long as I can because once the lawn is mowed in the spring it becomes a regular task until late fall.  My ideal target is to not have to mow until May but with the recent warm temperatures I knew it would need attention well before then.  I actually enjoy mowing so I’m not real sure why I make any attempt to delay the mowing season.  For me, it is very relaxing to be sitting on the mower seat with the sound of the engine behind me and the beauty of creation around me.  There is also a special beauty to be found in a freshly mowed lawn.

With plenty of lawn to mow and the enjoyment of doing so, I found myself working through lunch and into the late afternoon hours.  While it would have been easy to keep going even after I discovered how late it was, I continue to work on taking time each day for my family to spend together.  After putting the mower away and finishing up work for the day, I went home and had a Klondike bar for lunch then headed to the riverwalk in Mishawaka with my family for a relaxing time taking photos and getting some exercise.  We made it to the river around 5 PM and as we began our walk we went past a lady that looked familiar to me.  My first guess was that she looked like the professor I had for most of my writing classes at IUSB.  As we made it about halfway around the first small loop of our walk, our paths crossed again and as we said hello I asked her if she had taught writing at IUSB.  Sure enough, that is why she looked familiar.  We chatted a bit and she asked what I was doing so I was happy to tell her that I was putting what I had learned through her teaching into practice, having written a half dozen books so far.  It was good to be able to thank her for her work and service as I know teaching can often be a thankless job.

The lessons today were many but the value of family and gratitude were the two that stood out from the others.  Throughout our walk tonight we saw many geese with their young families.  Whenever we would see the young goslings, the adults would be nearby keeping a protective eye on them.  We saw them swimming together, eating together, walking together, and even resting together.  One of my favorite sights was a group of goslings all huddled together with their mom resting between them and the open water.  The evening breeze had picked up and there was a coolness to the air that seemed to cause these young geese to huddle together for warmth.

How do we do at huddling together in our families to warm, comfort, and protect each other?  Do we value the families God has given us even more than we value our jobs, our recreational activities, or anything else other than God?  Do we live with gratitude that we express to those who have helped us learn and grow?

I pray that you and I would find ways to spend time together with our families in ways that are enjoyable to all.  I pray that we give a similar value to the church family that God has put us in.  I pray that we have the courage to thank those who have helped us get to where we are in life.

Page 109 got the work week started in much the same way as most of my work weeks begin.  It was up and out the door early to get the building cleaned and ready for the school day.  It was a short night, but our family trip last night to the lake for some sunset photos was well worth the missed hours of sleep.  Once the cleaning was done and the students began arriving for the day, I took some time to write page 108 since I didn’t get that done last night.  After that was done I settled into my Monday morning routine of time with God putting together next week’s prayer guide.  After realizing a couple weeks ago that I haven’t done separate prayer guides for all of the parts of the fruit of the Spirit, my time with God this morning focused on goodness.  We experience God’s goodness far more often than we normally acknowledge or even notice.  The bigger issue for Christians is how are we doing at allowing God’s goodness to flow through us into the lives of others?

With a few breaks to work on other issues that came up, the prayer guide and writing took up most of the morning.  With a meeting to attend in the evening, I finally made it out of the building by 1:30 PM for a lunch and kayak break. 🙂  With the sun shining brightly and the temperature reaching 80 degrees, I put my kayak in the truck and stopped by Subway on my way to Potato Creek.  When I arrived, one of the bald eagles was waiting in the tree by the boat launch area to greet me.  I took a couple photos but the sun was directly behind him so all I was getting was a silhouette.  As I got the kayak in the water and loaded all my camera gear, the eagle took off from its perch so I set off to see if I could find out where it went.  Before I was too far away from shore, he returned to his usual location and sat there while I made my way around the corner to where the sun was behind me and I could get some good photos with decent lighting.  While he perched there in the tree through all the photos I thought I could possibly take, he kept a very vigilant eye on me.  He wasn’t going to be frightened off too quickly but  he also wasn’t going to let down his guard while I was nearby.

While vigilance in regard to our physical surroundings and potential danger can be useful, it is more important as Christians to be vigilant about our spiritual surroundings and the things the enemy wants to use to destroy us.  There is a difference between fear and vigilance although a healthy fear may be part of the seed of vigilance.  The eagle gave no indication that it was afraid of me but that didn’t mean he was willing to let me out of his sight.  Because the power of God in our life helps us to live without fear, sometimes we let down our guard and find ourselves giving in to temptation that we should have been vigilantly guarding against.  The temptation was nothing to be afraid of  — at least not until we failed to recognize its desire to destroy us and we let it get through our relaxed defenses.  God has given us the armor we need in order to be protected from the attacks of the evil one but it is up to us to be diligent in putting it on and always being aware of the spiritual warfare that surrounds us.

I pray that you and  I know the goodness of God and share it with the people around us.  I pray that we would vigilant in our battle against the varied temptations the evil one tries to destroy us with.  I pray that we would recognize the true source of danger and not be deceived by the illusions of safety that surround so many temptations.  I pray that we would daily put on the whole armor of God as we stand firm through prayer and the power of His might.

Page 108 was a very full and very good page . . . so full that I’m writing it the next morning instead of at the end of the day.  🙂  Page 108 was a Sunday which meant a little later wake-up time before gathering with other believers for Bible study and worship together around the Lord’s Table.  The Sunday School class that I’m a part of is working our way through the book of Proverbs.  One of the tough parts about doing a study through Proverbs is that almost every verse could anchor a stand-alone study . . . that, and each one can be very convicting.

I suppose the ability to create and see vivid pictures in my mind is a part of the qualities that influence the writing and artistic parts of my life.  It seems that I have always had that ability.  Some of my earliest memories are of my mom reading to me but the memory isn’t really so much about mom reading as it is the “movie” I was seeing as she read.  I grew up without a television in the home — ours broke when I was very young and with no money to repair it, mom and dad decided there was enough to do on the farm that we didn’t really need TV.  So, instead of television shows I had Hardy Boys mysteries that when I read them I could see all of the action taking place — probably even more clearly than if someone had made a television series out of them.  I don’t remember what it was, but I do remember being extremely disappointed the first time I saw a movie that was “based” on a book I had read.  Not only did they leave so much out, they didn’t do it right! 😉  Unfortunately, we have created a culture that no longer imagines, dreams, or envisions what could be.  We simply hand everyone a screen and convince them of “what is”.

I write all of that to introduce an element of page 108 that was caused by such a vivid imagination.  After some great songs of worship and an update from the Literacy Ministries about their work in Zimbabwe, it was time for the sermon.  Our preacher is doing a series based out of the Sermon on the Mount and this particular message was “Raising the Bar”.  The introduction of the sermon began with a story about a man who became trapped when a boulder fell and pinned his arm to a canyon while while he was climbing.  It is a story I’ve heard before, which probably didn’t help as I could begin to see the entire scene even before it was being told and in greater detail than what it was being described.  Anyhow, it wasn’t long before I could feel the tell-tale signs that this “movie” in my mind would soon cause me to pass out if I didn’t find somewhere to lay down and get some air.  🙂  A great imagination is a wonderful tool for a writer and artist.  Not always so great for someone who becomes faint at the sight of blood — even if that sight is only in the mind.

Anyhow, I quietly got up and went into a side room where I could lay on the cool tile floor.  My wife and some friends saw me leave and came in to check on me — my wife mainly to make sure I hadn’t actually passed out and hurt myself (she knew quite well this wasn’t the first time for this experience), the others to see if I was okay and if there was anything they could do to help.  I made it back in the auditorium for the last part of the sermon and once the picture in my mind had been replaced with more pleasant scenes I had no further problems.  After lunch I went home and eventually made it out to mow the lawn while the beautiful weather seemed to demand that I be outside doing something.  By late afternoon we decided to head up to Lake Michigan to take some sunset photos with the St Joseph lighthouses in them.  This mind God has given me is an incredible thing.  I can “see” the pictures I want to take even before I leave home.  For me, the challenging part of photography is in trying to take pictures to match the ones that already exist in my mind.

As I thought about the day, I think one of the reasons why I love to read and study God’s Word is that through it I create and refine pictures in my mind of God, of heaven, and of what it looks like from His perspective for me to be a disciple.  Sometimes the picture is so clear and vivid that I begin to think I may, like the apostle John, “fall like a dead man” at the incredible purity and beauty of what I see.  Other times it makes me anxious for the day that I will no longer need to imagine because I will see it in person.  And then there is the occasional moments when that same purity burns into my life with great conviction.

I pray that you and I would daily fill our minds with the beauty of Christ.  I pray that we would spend purposeful time in His Word so that His Spirit can use it to show us more about God and about ourselves.  I pray that we would share the picture of God that He has not only placed in our mind but has revealed in His Word.  I pray that the beauty that God reveals to us through creation would help us to have a greater desire for the true beauty that is found in Christ.