Page 294 was the first full day of our fall break and we made the most of it.  It was a family day of sightseeing with covered bridges being the theme.  We headed out around 9 AM and after 13 covered bridges, a variety of other beautiful scenes, and about 200 miles in the truck, we made it back to our starting point by 7 PM.  A few of the bridges had been relocated off their original sites to public places that weren’t always ideal settings for photos or authenticity.  One of the bridges is now on a county highway maintenance facility property with the ends closed in being used as a storage building or garage.  Most of them are no longer in use as traffic bridges, but allow pedestrian use.  And a couple of them still function as road bridges that are able to be driven across.  In between the bridge stops were a variety of rolling hills, one-lane gravel roads, beautiful vistas, and and a few old barns and churches that needed photographed. 🙂

The day began with difficulty finding the first bridge on our list as there was major road construction going on between where I was and where I wanted to be.  We finally made our way around the closed roads and found the first bridge for the day.  We arrived at the GPS coordinates of the next two bridges with no sign of either of them.  After looking for them for a short time, we skipped them and went on to find the next six on the list exactly where they were supposed to be.  Our route took us back by the two bridges I couldn’t find earlier.  After looking more closely at the GPS points on the map, it appeared that neither of them were on or near a roadway.  That information helped as we found the first one in the middle of a fairgrounds.  The next one was a little more of a challenge.  We narrowed down the location it should have been in but could still see nothing resembling a bridge.  It was in an area of businesses and commercial property so I finally went into the office of a concrete company and asked if there was a covered bridge nearby.  They pointed out theier door behind me and said it was the red building behind the county highway garage next door.  We had actually considered that until we looked more closely and it wasn’t a bridge, it was a building.  The information given was that the county had moved it there and closed in the ends to use it for storage.  

By mid-afternoon it began raining off and on, but that didn’t slow us down as it only added to the beauty of the day.  Today’s photo was taken late in the day as we drove between bridge stops and the rain and associated cold front created a mist hanging in the air throughout the hills.  This was actually on one of the nicer gravel roads that my GPS took me down today.  Several of the roads ended up being gravel tracks with grass and weeds growing down the center.  

As I think about the day, there are a number of things that were noteworthy but the thing that stands out the most to me is the difficulty in finding what you’re looking for when it isn’t where you expect it and it doesn’t look like you anticipate it to.  As a Christian it is important that we are not only built on the solid foundation of God’s Word, but that we stay on the foundation that our faith is built upon.  Not only is it important that our faith is built upon the foundation meant for it, it is also imperative that we look like the Christian that matches the name of Christ we wear.  Our witness is rather  unproductive if our life is not where we say it out to be as a follower of Christ.  When people are searching, are we where we say we will be in our walk with Christ?  Sometimes we wear the name Christian but we’ve completely changed what that looks like so it no longer resembles the Christ we are to represent.  

I pray that you and I would have the persistence to keep pursuing God when the obstacles of life get in our way.  I pray that we would be faithful in building, and keeping, our life on the true foundation of God’s Word.  I pray that we would hold fast to being a Christ-follower who seeks to look like Christ.

After a late night taking care of alarm system issues at work, page 293 began early with the usual cleaning and building prep for the school day.  The morning cleaning was filled with prayer and worship — helped along by the knowledge that fall break began for me once I was done for the day. 🙂  The school and preschool have Thursday and Friday off, so it’s a good time for me to take a break and do some sightseeing with my family.  With today being the transition day between work and rest/sightseeing, I didn’t take any photos.  I did see some photo-worthy scenes but didn’t have, or didn’t take, the opportunity to photograph them.  The photo on today’s page is from a couple years ago, but I chose it because of the deer I saw today.   I was driving when I saw them grazing alongside the road so I stopped, rolled down my window, and talked to them.  They looked up for a moment and then went back to grazing, undeterred by my presence.

For me, taking time to be deliberate about enjoying the beauty God surrounds us with helps me to notice it on a day-to-day basis.  Being able to take time to explore a variety of scenery with my family adds an extra value to what we see.  Whether it is lighthouse trips, covered bridge trips, state park trips, or whatever other focus we choose, there are always things to do and see together.  Sometimes we find what we’re looking for, sometimes we don’t, and other times we find more than we’re looking for.  The deer today were more than we were looking for, but always a joy to see them up close and unafraid.  They were obviously used to being around people and were not uncomfortable with my talking to them.  It made me think about the way people relate, or don’t relate, to God.  I cross paths with people on a regular basis who have no relationship with God and have no interest in building one.  They are like most wild deer running from people.  Any contact with the living God sends them running, as they’re not sure what to expect or even if they are safe in His presence.  It is through deliberate time with God that we begin to be comfortable, to a degree, in His presence.  I think of the line from “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis where the question is asked if Aslan is safe.  The response had to do with the fact he’s a lion — “of course he’s not safe . . . but He is good.”  When we spend consistent time with God, we discover that He is good even if He may not be considered “safe”.  

I pray that you and I would find times to take a break and be deliberate about observing the work of God around us.  I pray that our pursuit of God would be done both individually and together with the people God has brought into our lives.  I pray that we would pay attention to the lessons God desires for us to learn each day.  I pray that our time spent with God would increase both our desire and comfort of spending time with Him.  I pray that we would recognize God’s goodness at all times even when He challenges us to step outside of our comfort zones.

Page 292 found me at work by 6 AM to do the morning cleaning and get the building ready for the day.  Today’s photo is the view from my office window this morning that made me decide that today would be a good day to start getting things ready for cooler temperatures and the eventual arrival of winter.  Once the building was ready for the day, I spent some time making a mental list of the resources I would have on display at the International Conference on Missions next month so I could see what I needed to restock.  As I was working on that, I had a letter brought to me that had an interesting return address.  It seems to have been sent by, or on behalf of, a resident in a correctional facility in Florida.  I suppose the timing of it was interesting as I was working on ICOM material and even wondering if the investment I make in attending the conference and giving out resources really makes a difference.  The heart of the letter was a request for a 2017 daily Bible reading calendar.  As I looked at the quoted title, “Daily Bible Reading Calendar”, I realized there was only one way they would have requested that specific item from me at the Impact Prayer Ministry address.  Two years ago I had daily Bible reading calendars for 2015 imprinted with the Impact Prayer Ministry address and gave them out at the 2014 ICOM.  The title on the front was “Daily Bible Reading Calendar” and contained my contact info.  Somehow God took one of those calendars from my display in Columbus, Ohio and placed it in the hands of someone serving time in the Florida correctional system!  I did not buy any of the calendars last year and had not planned on doing so this year as I wasn’t sure the expense was worth it.  Needless to say, today’s letter changed my mind and I went online and ordered the calendars for 2017 so I will have them for ICOM and be able to send one to Florida to fulfill this person’s request.

After ordering the calendars, I headed out to mow.  It’s the time of year where each time I mow I think that perhaps it is the last for the season.  I suppose I will still run the mower a time or two to mulch/blow leaves as they fall on the lawn, but with cooler temperatures arriving I suspect the grass won’t be growing much more this season.  While the leaves are beautiful as they change colors and hang on the trees, they become work when they fall and collect on the lawn.  Many times in life we want the parts that are beautiful but we don’t want the work involved with the beauty.  

I finished the mowing in the middle of the afternoon and after putting things away for the day, I headed to lunch.  Lunch was followed by a little relaxing at home before heading to Sam’s Club, WalMart, and Meijer.  We made it back home by early evening and as I began to write today’s page I received a message that the alarm at work had been set off.  So, the writing was put on hold and I drove to work to check out the issue.  When I arrived, there were a variety of lights on in the building but no cars parked outside so I cautiously drove through the lot looking for any evidence of unwanted activity.  After checking out the building and finding no signs of foul play, I turned all the lights out then secured the building and rearmed the security system before heading home.  Alarm systems are designed to get our attention.  Occasionally, such as tonight, a false alarm is triggered by an unknown cause yet they need addressed every time they go off or they soon become useless.  God has designed our bodies, our minds, and our spirits with an alarm system of sorts.  His Spirit within us will warn us when things are not what they should be.  Physical and emotional pain serve as warnings that things in our life need to be addressed.  God gives us His Word to warn us of a day of judgment that will descend with all of God’s wrath on those who fail to heed His warning to be saved.  

I pray that you and I would pay attention to the signs of the times so we are ready for the day Christ will return.  I pray that we would recognize, and do, the work that needs to take place in order to fully experience the beauty of a relationship with God.  I pray that we would pay attention to the various means God uses to get our attention.  I pray that we would be wise stewards of everything God entrusts us with, but our doing so would be based on a wisdom that comes from God rather than from man’s wisdom.  I pray that we would always heed the warnings that we receive from God when things aren’t right.  I pray that we would warn others, not only of the danger faced by those outside of Christ, but that the warning would include the good news of how to avoid that danger.  

Sometimes when I write these daily pages it seems like an endless cycle, but that is only because I don’t remember the beginning and I can’t see the end.  Page 291 was a Monday which found me at the building early to get it cleaned and ready for the day.  The early morning hours were quiet and peaceful as I went about my work.  By the time the school day was set to begin, I was ready to settle into the Monday morning routine of sitting with God and writing a prayer guide for next week.  As I spent time in prayer, my mind reflected on life events, some recent and some not so recent.  In the midst of everything that life has held, it has been a great comfort to have God as my refuge.  It was with this in mind that I settled on the topic of refuge and some of the things that God says He is our refuge from.  Not only will next week’s prayer guide focus on how God is our refuge, it will also help to spend time in prayer about how we can reflect God’s nature by providing a refuge for those in need of one.

The photo with today’s page was taken last week at Potato Creek as I was out spending time with God.  While the park becomes a refuge — a safe place — for a wide variety of wildlife, it also becomes a location where I can take refuge from the chaos of the world and rest in the presence of God.  God expects us to live and be an active witness in the world but He also understands our need for a time and place of refuge.  Jesus set the example of taking time to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of life in order to spend time in prayer as He took refuge with His Father.

Once the prayer guide was complete I did some follow-up with our pest control service and then met with a sales rep for our janitorial supplies.  He had stopped by to drop off a promotional flyer for their sidewalk ice melt.  While I’m not ready to think about winter and the need for snow removal and ice melt, it is better to be reminded and prepared than to have no supplies when winter does eventually arrive.  The Bible teaches that the return of Jesus is coming.  That return is nearer now than it ever has been before.  While I can’t tell you the exact day or hour that the first snowfall will arrive this winter, I know that it is coming and I need to be prepared.  I also can’t tell you the exact day or hour that Jesus will return, but I know that He is coming and I need to be prepared.  Just as the salesman dropped by today with a warning, God’s Word gives us a warning regarding our need to be ready.  Not only do we need to be ready, but God has called each of us as His disciples to be the ones who would warn others of the judgment to come as we also share the good news that we can escape the coming wrath of God by being found in Christ.

I pray that you and I would realize that one day the routines of life will end and only the things that we have invested in the kingdom of God will last.  I pray that we would recognize God as our refuge, an ever-present help in time of need.  I pray that we would be a conduit for people in need of a refuge to find that safe place in Christ.  I pray that we would allow our times alone with God to recharge us for the work He has called us to.  I pray that we would walk fully in His presence even in the times we are surrounded by people.  I pray that we would understand the times and live as ones ready for the return of Christ.  I pray that we would share a warning with the people around us who need reminded that the return of Jesus is drawing near.

Page 290 was a day with no new photos — at least not yet — although the photo I chose for today’s page was taken last night on my way to bed after I had written yesterday’s page. 🙂  I found it fascinating that the moon, which has no light of its own, shines with such brilliance even on a cloudy night by actively reflecting the light of the sun.  I wonder how well you and I do in actively reflecting the light of the Son, particularly on the cloudy days of our life.   As I got up and around for church this morning, I realized that this week’s prayer guide had not gone out.  I don’t know if there was a glitch in the system I use or if I forgot to schedule it, but I spent the Sunday School hour correcting whatever oversight there was so the prayer guide would go out to the mailing list — a little late, but hopefully all in good time for those who use it.  The message during the church service today was another one in the series from the book of Nehemiah.  The focus today was on finishing strong as we finally reached the point where Nehemiah writes that the work on the walls of Jerusalem was complete.  

I love the story of Nehemiah and I use his example in some of the prayer teaching I do.  Sometimes as you get into the story that is written down for us, it is easy to forget that this part of the story began with Nehemiah being the cupbearer to the king.  It doesn’t begin with a prophet, a priest, a political leader, a military leader, or any other role that we may expect to find as the central figure in the rebuilding of the city walls of Jerusalem.  His upbringing, his training, his experiences in life were not what anyone would have looked for in recruiting and hiring for such an important task — well, anyone but God!  God called him to such a great work because he was a willing servant who didn’t just pray to fill time or to check it off his schedule, he prayed because it was an integral part of his life relationship with the living God.  

The message this morning addressed two aspects of finishing strong that we find exemplified in the life of Nehemiah.  The first is to live a life of perseverance.  While the “gracious hand of his God” upon him made it appear easier than it actually was, the reality is that Nehemiah began, and finished, a great task even in the midst of opposition.  While it might sound a bit simplistic, one of the necessary keys to finishing strong is to finish!  When we’re involved in the work God has called us to, you can be sure that the enemy will try every tactic possible to get us to just quit.  God says that the crown of life is given to those who finish the race — those who are faithful to the end.  Nehemiah faced opposition from those who were enemies and from those who should have been friends.  Often the opposition was relentless and would come with many twists and turns trying to get him to give up on the task God had called him to.  Too often we like to think that doing the work of God ought to silence any opposition because who would oppose God.  Yet pride takes up residence in the hearts of many and in doing so creates an opposition to the things of God.

The second part of finishing strong is what makes the perseverance possible — we must be persistent in prayer.  From the opening moments of the book of Nehemiah where we find him receiving the news about how bad things are in Jerusalem, we find a persistent prayer life in Nehemiah.  What remains unwritten, but visible by Nehemiah’s comfort in going to God in prayer, is the persistent prayer life that he had even prior to the events that we read about.  Persistence in prayer doesn’t just happen and when bad news comes our way, the depth of our prayer life will typically reflect the depth that it had prior to the bad news.  Granted, bad news may create a greater urgency in our prayer life and often leads to a growth in the persistence of it, but persistence takes practice and practice takes time, and time takes commitment.  Ever step of the way, and often in the middle of each step, we find Nehemiah going to God in prayer.  His persistent prayer life resulted not only in a finished wall, but in all of the surrounding peoples acknowledging that the work was done by the gracious hand of Nehemiah’s God.

I pray that you and I would seek to reflect God’s light no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in.  I pray that we would understand the importance of remaining faithful to God.  I pray that our desire to be found faithful would lead us to a life of perseverance.  I pray that we would grow in a lifestyle of prayer so that persistent prayer would simply be our way of life.

Page 289 was a restful day to relax, unwind, and recharge.  After sleeping in, my morning was a mix of computer games, reflecting on the past week, and doing some follow-up correspondence in some ongoing conversations.  As noon approached, it was time to fire up the pellet grill for the traditional Saturday bacon cheeseburgers.  After lunch it was time to gather up some food and lawn chairs then head down to Hoffman Lake for an afternoon cookout/picnic with some friends from church.  

The afternoon was absolutely beautiful for an outdoor event and I managed a few photos of the surrounding scenery.  The puffy clouds against the bright blue sky looked like you should be able to reach out and touch them.  The fish swimming in the channel next to the house looked like you could reach into the water and come up with dinner if you wanted to.  The areas of water sheltered from the afternoon breeze were so calm the reflections were as clear as the real things.  But better than all of that was the beauty of the people gathered to enjoy an afternoon together.  

As I sit down to write today’s page, I think about the events of the day.  One of this morning’s online conversations included the discovery of some similarities even in the midst of different circumstances.  It helped me put words to a belief I have often taught about how God uses our life experiences to prepare us to help others through theirs.  The words that came to mind this morning were, “One thing I’ve discovered is that while each person’s life journey is unique, the individual components of it are more common than we typically imagine.”  While our particular arrangement of life experiences is unique to us, the individual parts are not.  When we share from our life, particularly the difficult times that God has brought us through, we can help others have hope that their trying times are not permanent.  When we become reachable in a way that people can identify with us, the reflection of Christ we present helps them to see the real thing and how He can make a difference in their life.  The prince of this world will throw everything he can at us in an attempt to separate us from our pursuit of God.  He uses confusion, deceit, and distractions to isolate us and convince us that no one in heaven or on earth understands what we’re going through.  But the truth is that we have Jesus who has been tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin.  We also have one another and with there being “nothing new under the sun”, someone has been through what we’re in the midst of.  God says that we are comforted in out times of trials in order that we can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

I pray that you and I would be authentic and transparent in ways that are beneficial to us and to those watching and listening.  I pray that we would learn to support and encourage one another because we have received support and encouragement from our relationship with Jesus.  I pray that we would be patient with those who struggle, just as God has been patient with us.  I pray that we would not become victims of the enemy’s divisive lies that attempt to separate us from God and one another.

Page 288 began early and will end late but it will go down in the book as a rather pleasant day.  The morning began a little after six with the usual cleaning, building prep, and taking out trash to have the building ready for the day before eight.  Once that was done, it was time to catch up with messages and tasks from the day before.  In the middle of doing that, God put a new poem in my mind so I typed it out and shared it earlier today.  It was fun to watch God work because the poem started with two rhyming sentences about how I no longer use pen and paper to write.  I thought those sentences were it, but I typed them out thinking maybe God would bring me back to this later.  But as I finished the second sentence, the words kept coming and before I knew it a new poem was born. 🙂

During the morning, the promotional banner and proof copies for my latest book arrived so I began the work of what I hope to be the final proofreading before calling this project complete.  By mid-afternoon I was getting hungry so I headed out for a lunch break and some time with God.  After I got lunch I headed down to Potato Creek where I enjoyed some time along the lake on a beautiful fall day.  It was the kind of day where the photos seem to glow with the brilliance that existed in real life.  The trees continue their changing of color and the water reflected them and the crisp blue sky.  Much of my 3+ mile hike today was spent in praise and worship of a God that is incredibly creative on His own yet considers someone like me worth pouring His creativity into and through.  Finishing a writing project, whether it be a single poem or a devotional book, always makes me feel so amazed that God would trust me with such work.  

Once my extended lunch break was over, it was back to work to finish out the day cleaning the building once again and getting it ready for Sunday.  As I took the first collection of trash out, the sun was beginning to set so I grabbed my camera and shot a few photos of that part of God’s creativity.  A little later when I was out again, the moon had begun to rise opposite the setting sun so I took a few photos of that also.  In fact as I take a short break from the cleaning to start writing today’s page, it became difficult to decide what photo to use as God had given me so many good options.  I went with one from my walk at the lake as it shares a good variety of God’s handiwork at several levels.  

As I reflect on the day and get ready to get back to work and finish my tasks for the week, to say it has been a pleasant day would be an understatement.  Not only did God bless me abundantly, as He always does, He surrounded me with incredible reminders of His presence throughout the day.  I’m not saying that those reminders are missing some times, but there are times when I don’t pay attention and the day goes by without my noticing them.  

I pray that you and I would recognize, and use, the gifts God has put in our lives.  I pray that we would learn to be faithful with thing we consider small so that we can be trusted with things that we consider large.  I pray that we would live in a way that our lives reflect the brilliance of God as accurately as possible.  I pray that we would learn to pay attention to the reminders of God’s blessing and presence that He continually surrounds us with.   

Page 287 was a restful day that fits well between my two long workdays in the week.  When I agreed to teach a children’s class on Wednesday nights I wasn’t sure how I would make my schedule work without it seeming like I live at work.  After finally settling in on the idea of putting in double-shift days on Wednesdays and Fridays while taking Thursdays off, I’m not sure I could have come up with a better plan.  Once winter arrives and the snow begins to fly I’ll probably have to figure out a new plan, but for now it’s a good plan.  

Today I was able to sleep in a little but Susan was able to sleep in even longer.  After my morning grapefruit juice, I began the day with a cup of coffee and some prayer time.  The prayer time eventually led to some work on the prayer calendar I’m trying to put together for next year.  The prayer calendar will feature photos that I have taken and each day will have a prayer point that corresponds with the prayer points from my book, “Pursuing God”.  Eventually Susan woke up and I helped her get breakfast before I fired up the pellet grill so I would have mushroom cheeseburgers ready when Mary Jane got home.  While the burgers and mushrooms were on cooking, I did some follow-up on some details for the upcoming International Conference on Missions that I will have a prayer ministry display at.

After lunch we eventually made our way to Michigan City for some shopping and then on to Indiana Dunes State Park to take some photos and do a little kite flying.  While the photo opportunities, kite flying, and beauty of the park are all good parts of a great day, what makes it great is being able to spend it with my family.  The photo I chose for today’s page is one I took while I was flying my kite at the dunes today.  I shot it as it crossed directly between me and the sun.  I think it is a beautiful kite anyway, but with the sun behind it, it was illuminated like a stained glass window.  There was a gentle breeze coming in off the lake, so gentle that it was a challenge to keep the kite in the air.  But the beauty of watching the kite float through the sky made the work worth it.  After some time at the state park, we stopped back through Michigan City where I shot a few photos of the lighthouse before heading home.

As I thought about the day and the lessons God would want me to learn from it, a few things stand out.  One of those things is the importance of rest — not just physical rest, but a need to rest in the Lord as I trust Him from day to day.  When I combine a time of physical rest with rest for my soul, I find that I am more fully refreshed than if I settle for only one aspect of rest.  I also thought about how God’s light shining through us increases whatever beauty we may possess.  As individuals created in the image of God, we carry an inherent beauty that we may, or may not, recognize.  It is when we allow the light of God to shine through us, our true beauty is illuminated with a brilliance that cannot be hidden.  The third lesson from the day was about the value of the work involved in keeping our lives above the fray of the world.  Many times we think life ought to be easier than it is and we become weary as we work to keep all of our thoughts and actions from being dragged down to the level of the world.  Yes, it is work but the good news is that the work is worth it in our life and in the witness our life produces as we hold fast to the good news of God’s Word.  

I pray that you and I would seek and guard times of both physical and spiritual rest.  I pray that we would understand the beauty that God has put within us.  I pray that we would live in such a way that the light of God would illuminate His beauty within us.  I pray that we would make every effort to live in such a way that we rise above the turmoil of this earth and God’s love is seen through us.