Page 207 has been a fairly routine Monday which is a good thing considering the events of the past couple weeks.  Much of the morning was spent with God working on the prayer guide for next week.  As I worked on the prayer guide, I also took care of the paperwork for our pest control service and followed up with the ordering of some supplies for continued work on the floors as well as getting ready for the start of school soon.  Once the prayer guide was ready and scheduled to be sent out at the beginning of next week, I continued work on workshop material I will share at a conference early next week.  Sometime around 4 PM I came up for air and decided it was probably time to call it a day and get some lunch.  As I left the building I decided it was probably a little late for lunch so I headed home and fired up the pellet grill to make some mushroom bacon cheeseburgers to go with some fresh sweet corn for supper.  After supper I grabbed my camera and took a stroll outside to see what might catch my eye.  One of the eye-catching sights was a rose bud that was catching the rays of the sun from the early evening sky.

As I reflect on the day, I think of the beauty that God surrounds us with — a beauty that is so often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  And while it is sad that so many miss noticing the beauty of creation, the real tragedy is that we pay even less attention to the beauty of God’s Word.  The prayer guide that God led me to write for next week is based on the things from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that God says Scripture is useful for.  Many times we miss the sheer beauty of Scripture because we fail to see its usefulness in our everyday life.  God wants His Word to transform us from the inside out through the power of His Spirit be we often settle for reading it as nice, inspirational literature — if we read it at all.  I find that God’s Word is useful in transforming my life only when I pay attention to what it says and look for how it applies to everything I do.  One of the workshops I will be leading next week is on developing a lifestyle of prayer through listening.  One of the key components in doing that is paying close attention to the usefulness of what God says in His Word.

I pray that you and I would live with an awareness of God’s beauty displayed not only in creation, but throughout His Word.  I pray that we would view God’s Word as useful in our life and allow it to transform us more and more into the image of Christ each day that we live.  I pray that the usefulness of God’s Word would lead us to listen more intently to what He says as we spend deliberate time reading, studying, meditating on, and sharing the Word of God.

Page 206 began early as I headed in to work to clean bathrooms and make sure the rest of the building was clean and ready for the Sunday morning Bible studies and worship gathering.  Once I was done, I headed home to change out of my work clothes, get dressed for church, and head back to the building with my family for a time of study and worship.  Our Sunday School class began a study through the book of Ruth and today we looked at the first chapter and Ruth’s commitment not only to Naomi, but to her people and her God.  It was this commitment of hers that put her in a position to not only meet the man who would become her husband, but to end up listed in Matthew’s account of the genealogy of Jesus!  

Following the morning worship gathering, we headed to lunch and then spent a good part of the afternoon relaxing before deciding to head to Potato Creek to see if the eagles were out enjoying the beautiful afternoon.  We made it to Potato Creek and it was just as hot and humid there as it had been at home.  The eagles were no where in sight when we stopped by the area where we usually see them so we drove through the park to see what else might catch our eyes and want photographed.  It was too hot to spend much time out of the air conditioned truck, so after driving through the park we left without taking any pictures.  Instead of heading home, we decided to take a scenic Sunday afternoon/evening drive.  We headed toward Lake Michigan on our drive and eventually ended up at Warren Dunes State Park.  My initial plan was to just stop for a short time, take some pictures and perhaps wade in the water to cool off before heading home.  As we got out of the truck and began to take pictures, the rumbling of a storm could be heard in the distance as the clouds began to build out over the lake.  So, our quick visit turned into several hours of watching and photographing the arriving storm and sunset.  Because of the clouds over the lake, the sky gave the appearance of a sunset very early in the evening as the sun had dropped behind some of the storm clouds and illuminated the sky with the colors of a sunset.  Eventually, the sun dropped into the gap between the clouds and the lake, creating a sunset that made the earlier version pale in comparison.  Throughout this process and into the late evening, an incredible lightning show flashed through the sky around us.  I tried to photograph the lightning and didn’t think I was very successful until I got home and put the photos on my computer where I could see that I had indeed captured a glimpse of the lightning several times.  

As I thought about the day and went through the pictures I had taken, I chose one of the sun setting and shining up through the clouds to be the photo for today’s page.  It was hard to choose, but this one captured my eye with its warmth and beauty as the glow of the sun spread to all of its surroundings.  That’s the way it ought to be when the presence of God’s Son is in our life through His Holy Spirit.  The glow of the Son ought to be so real and powerful in our life that it spreads to all of our surroundings wherever we go.  

I pray that you and I would have a whole-hearted commitment to God as we seek to do His will and honor Him in all things.  I pray that we would set aside regular time to rest in His presence as a part of His family.  I pray that His presence in us would shine a great light into the darkness that fills the world.

Page 205 has been a day of rest in an attempt to overcome the weariness from yesterday’s 14+ hour workday.  With nearly 12 hours of that spent swinging a mop putting down floor finish, I thought my back and arms would be the main issue I would be dealing with today.  Nope, they don’t bother me.  The bigger issue is the mental fog that those long hours put on me, especially when I’ve not yet come back fully from the weight of my niece’s death.  The sad part is that I know better.  I often know when I’ve exceeded what my body can physically, mentally, and emotionally take but I can’t seem to walk away when I reach that limit if there is work that needs done and others are expecting me to do.  Fortunately, this doesn’t happen often anymore and I eventually get through it as God restores and refreshes me from the inside out.

My morning started somewhat early as I was checking on a free book promotion I had tried to set up late last night.  With my latest writing project, “Almost Heaven: Devotions For The Journey Home”, becoming available on Amazon in print and Kindle versions, I wanted to offer the Kindle version free in memory of my niece to all who would want it.  Amazon gives me a limited number of days that I can offer the Kindle version on a free promotion that costs me nothing and the “buyer” nothing.  I am somewhat surprised that my Facebook promotion of the offer has 15,000 views, but there has only been 12 people take advantage of the free Kindle book so far.  If you’ve not gotten your copy and would like one, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IPEB6IM.  The free offer is limited to 3 days — July 23, 24, and 25.

After I worked out the bugs in the book promotional offer, I grabbed my camera and went out to sit on the porch swing while it was still somewhat cool.  My first photo was all clouded over and while the effect looked kind of cool, I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t a sharp image.  After a quick look at the end of the lens, I discovered that bringing my camera from the air-conditioned basement to the humid porch had caused the lens to fog over.  After a quick cleaning of the fog, I shot this beautiful yellow rose and bud with the sharpness I had expected.  

Throughout the morning I would check on Susan as she wasn’t eager to get up and start the day.  Even the enticement of our Saturday morning zoo trip wasn’t enough to get her out of bed.  I decided she probably needed the rest as much as I did as she seems to be such a reflection of me in so many ways.  So while she rested, I rested.  When she finally got up around 11:30, I headed out to get the pellet grill out and ready to fix lunch.  The heat and humidity about melted me, making me think passing on the zoo trip this morning turned out to be a good decision.  I was out of bacon so we had to settle for mushroom cheeseburgers today but a later trip to Sam’s Club restocked my bacon supply for future needs. 🙂

I pray that you and I would learn to recognize the signs that God has created within us as warnings that we are in need of rest.  I pray that we would be mindful of the rest that others need.  I pray that we would seek true rest and refreshment of spirit through time spent with God, just being with Him without having to “do” anything.  I pray that when life “fogs over” on us, we would turn to God for clarity and sharpness as individuals created in His image.

Page 204 is turning into a long day as I’m putting down four coats of floor finish in seven classrooms.  The day began with the good news that I will have an extra workshop time at the National Student Conference next weekend.  After following up with that, I wrote yesterday’s page in this page-and-photo-a-day adventure I’ve been on this year.  Once that was written, it was time to start in on the floors.  The finish needs to dry for an hour between coats, so I started with the four rooms that were ready and began a rotation from one to the next.  By the time I had put a coat of finish down in the fourth room, I usually had about 15 minutes to wait before I could begin the process for the next coat.  

In one of those waiting times, the printed proof copies of my latest book had arrived from Amazon so I looked through them to make sure they were printed as expected.  They passed my approval, so I went online to finish the set-up so they would be listed for sale on Amazon along with the Kindle edition that I had already approved.  By late afternoon, the print edition was live on Amazon as is the Kindle edition.  Eventually Amazon will combine the two pages into a “book” page and offer both versions from one location.  

As I think about the day, I think about the shine that the floors now have while trying not to think very long about how short-lived it will be.  It seems everyone wants a nice shiny floor in their classroom, but no one wants to take much responsibility to help keep it that way.  I think far too often that statement could describe our daily walk with Christ.  We reach a point of conviction where we come to Jesus to have our sins washed away and to be cleansed from all unrighteousness by the blood of Christ.  The cost of giving us a shiny new life was the very blood of God’s Son, Jesus.  The work that He accomplished on the cross makes the work of refinishing floors seem like child’s-play.  Yet what do we do with that “new creation” life that God gives us?  We like the shine of God’s Spirit within us, but how much effort do we put into maintaining the purity that He restored in us?  Does my life shine today as much as, or more than, it did the day Jesus washed my sins away?  Have I allowed Him to do all of the work in restoring me to Himself, only to allow my life’s witness to be tarnished through neglect and inattention?  Do I daily put on the armor of God to protect who He has created me to be, or do I put on the things of the world so that I am not even recognized as His?

I pray that you and I would realize the incredible shine that we have as the light of the World with God’s Spirit living within us.  I pray that we would be diligent with time spent in prayer and God’s Word in order to maintain the purity that God has restored in us.  I pray that we would put way the things of the world and resolve never to wear them again.  I pray that we would daily find ourselves clothed with Christ so the world sees Him as they observe us.

Sometimes life just flies up in your face and all you can do is take cover until the storm passes over.  Page 203 was a productive day overall that I had planned to be even more productive than it was.  The morning was spent with a few office tasks and then it was outside to finish mowing in the cool of the day (meaning it hadn’t reached the 90 degree mark yet.).  As I mowed, I prayed about the constant eroding of integrity that takes place.  People saying one thing, making a commitment based on certain criteria, and yet using their position to make what they want happen regardless of their previous pledge.  I can only pray about that for so long before I start to get angry, so most of my mowing time was spent praying for a spirit of peace to be upon some specific families I’ve been praying for, upon the church, and upon our nation.  

I finished the mowing around noon and came in to cool down and re-hydrate before going back out to run the weadeater and do some trimming.  While cooling down, I wrote another week’s devotions for the “Devotions For Those Who Serve” series.  I skipped ahead to the end one in my current series outline which is about serving as you go.  It is one thing to serve at a place that is set up to facilitate service to others, the goal of those times always ought to be to prepare people to serve everywhere they go.  Once I was cool, hydrated, and finished with the writing, I headed back out into the heat to finish the outside work.  As I was nearing completion, a light drizzle began to fall and it felt pretty good so I kept on with the weed trimming.  By the time I had gotten away from the building, the sky opened up and I was doused by a sudden downpour of rain.  At the same time, my weedeater quit running and wouldn’t restart, so I decided it must be time to go in.

 Once inside, I learned that the classroom floors had finally been scrubbed clean and ready for new floor finish to be applied.  As I had not yet had lunch, my plan was to get some lunch and then rest for a while before coming back and finishing the floors through the night.  After a stop for lunch, I decided part of my rest time would include a trip to Potato Creek to photograph the storm coming over the lake.  By the time I got there, the storm had passed and I ended up with visits from two adult bald eagles and one of their young.  There were also a number of heron active in the post-storm coolness so I got quite a few photos of birds in flight.  After I was finished there, I stopped at home to take a quick nap, knowing that it was going to be a long night before the floors were done.  I laid down on the couch sometime around 7 – 7:30 in the evening and when I woke up at 1:30 AM, I decided the floors (and the writing of the day’s page) would have to wait.  I got up and went to bed where I slept until 7:30 this morning — thus page 203 being written at the beginning of page 204. 🙂

As I thought about the day, my mind considered how often we plot and plan and put all of our effort into making our plans succeed and then dust the entire process with a coating of “spirituality” and try to pass it off as a godly endeavor.  At least in my life, many times we “hit the wall” because our efforts are never enough — especially when they are being expended in an area that God is not directing.  The proverbial wall is one means that God uses to get our attention and tries to create a pause before we move forward with a bad plan.  Too often, instead of turning to God during that pause, we use the time to create an even worse plan because our pride will not allow us to admit we were wrong.  I was set on getting those floors finished last night but by “hitting the wall”, God gave me a time of much needed rest instead of a night that would have added to an already fatigued mind and spirit.  This morning, my mind is still troubled but my body is in a much fresher condition to do the work that needs done.

I pray that you and I would be people of integrity even when it requires us to swallow our pride and perhaps even look foolish to those who don’t understand the value of integrity.  I pray that we would look for, and listen to, the lessons from God regarding the times when He calls for us to “come aside and rest”.  I pray that the turmoil of life would never appear greater than the peace that God offers — because it isn’t.

Page 202 was another day of weathering the storm that has taken up residence in my head.  Overall, it was a productive day but it was apparent by mid-afternoon that the weariness was setting in and shortly after that I knew that I had mentally “hit the wall”.  I began the day taking care of some things in the office and finishing up some details for my most recent book to become available on Amazon soon.  While it was still somewhat cool, I headed out to get some of the mowing done for the week and spent most of the morning on the seat of the mower.  Shortly before noon I had finished mowing most of the “up front” areas of the property.  Covered in dust and grass clippings, I stopped to take a break and drank several bottles of water — I guess it was a little dry out.  

As I enjoyed the cool, refreshing water, I began to work on the next week’s devotions in the “Devotions For Those Who Serve” series I have been working on.  This is a series I began early in the year and then it got set aside as I poured my writing time into the devotional journal, “Almost Heaven”.  A little over a week ago, I received an email from a camp director that is using the series and was about to start the last week that I had written but still had two weeks of camp left to go for the summer.  It was the first indication I had that anyone was actually using them, so I finished the next one in line last week and sent it to him and was able to send him another one today.  There are still three more that I have planned out for the series, so I will probably go ahead and try to get the series finished soon.

Today’s writing project was a booklet of 7 daily devotions using the theme “Serving By Listening”.  Throughout the early afternoon, I spent time with God writing out each day’s devotional questions, thoughts, and prayer points.  As I did so, God was also refining some of my material for a workshop I will lead later this month at the National Student Conference with the subject, “Developing a Lifestyle of Prayer Through Listening”.  One of the daily topics is about how we serve by listening when it comes to the matter of reconciliation.  Social media is a very good tool when used with wisdom and restraint.  However, I saw someone today describe the current atmosphere on most social media as an online version of road rage.  As I scan my social media newsfeeds, it is apparent that there are a lot of opinions and anger present but very little indication of listening taking place.  We feel safe when we can sit at a distance, critiquing others and condemning all who disagree with us.  Instead of listening to what is actually being said, we take everything as an attack on our position and we become defensive about everything.  As I was mowing today, I thought about something as simple as the current Pokemon Go craze and how defensive some friends of mine have gotten when they read anything that they take as speaking negatively about it.  I thought about it because I spent the morning mowing and bouncing over ruts where cars have driven through our lawn as the drivers try to capture different pokemon they believe are on our property.  In addition to the ruts, the trash they left behind needed picked up as well.  From my perspective, the problem isn’t the game but rather the lack of respect for private property that some of the players have.  When similar incidents are posted online, there is an entire list of people who, rather than listening to what is really being said, quickly become defensive and accuse those affected by disrespectful behavior of being negative and lumping all game players in a single negative category.  On the other hand, if we sit down together and listen to each other we just may discover that we agree about more than we would imagine.  Instead of being at odds with one another, when we listen we discover the beauty of reconciliation as we have a greater understanding of what each other really means by the words they use.

Once I had written the entire “Serving by Listening” devotional and posted it on my website, it was late afternoon and my mind had hit the end of its usefulness for the day.  Not only had my mind reached the overload stage for the day, it was late so I headed out to a 4 PM lunch before heading home to take a nap.  As I wrote today’s page, I thought about some storm photos that I took from the airplane when we flew to Florida a couple months ago.  The photo is a reminder that whatever storm I am going through, my view of it is different than the view from above.

I pray that you and I would be more deliberate in listening to God and to each other.  I pray that we would seek to listen when our human reaction is to become defensive.  I pray that we would turn to God in the midst of all of the storms we face in life, knowing that His perspective of them is more accurate and He has a view of our storms that sees them from beginning to end.

In some ways it is hard to believe this is page 200 already in this page-and-photo-a-day adventure I am on this year.  In other ways, like most habits, it seems like such a natural part of what I do that it is surprising that it is only page 200.  

Page 200 had many elements of a routine Monday as life begins a return to normal following a turbulent week.  I began the day in the office catching up on messages and correspondence that had accumulated from the end of last week.  A good part of my morning, both in time and content, was spent with God putting together the prayer guide for next week.  We finally settled on a topic of respect with each day’s prayer focus being about some aspect of respect that ought to be present in our life because of our respect for God.  Once the prayer guide was written, I did some minor editing to my latest 31-day devotional journal and ordered the 300+ copies that I expect to give out at the National Student Conference later this month.  After those were ordered, I got out the missions folder and spent the rest of the workday taking care of the financial record-keeping and writing checks to the missions that the church helps to support.  Throughout the entire process I am praying for the missionaries and the work that God is doing through them.  When I had all the missions records and financial books caught up to date, it was time to call it a day and head out for a late afternoon lunch after a stop by the post office to drop off the mail to the missions.  

Once home it was time to relax and unwind a bit, but first a walk around the home property with my camera shooting a few photos of things that catch my eye.  While I began with the flower beds, it wasn’t long before I made my way to the garden and found a few pictures just waiting to be taken. 🙂  One of those photos made today’s page as it reminded me of the teaching of Jesus that He is the vine and we are the branches, apart from Him we can do nothing.  Sometimes we become so enamored with our own plans that we find the vine somewhat confining.  So we disconnect ourselves from the vine and set off on our own to accomplish all the greatness and glory that our plans entail.  Sometimes we have enough within ourselves to make something out of our effort, but it never amounts to what it could have been if we had only stayed connected to the vine.  It is often our pride that makes us unwilling to admit that somewhere along the way we disconnected from the vine and are trying to accomplish our own plans in our own power.  When that tomato remains connected to the vine until it reaches full maturity, there is nothing quite like it in terms of flavor and substance.  Yes, you can remove it from the vine and force it to “ripen”, but no one who knows the real thing would choose this over a truly vine-ripened tomato.  Too often we seek God for direction or purpose and then once we’ve begun to grow into what He desires, we decide we can finish the things that need done on our own and eventually are left wondering why our life seems to lack the vibrancy that we expected.  

After my garden walk, it was time for a nap as I allow the refreshing of God’s Spirit to begin to renew my strength that had been depleted through the events of the past week.  Even the resting is a connection, or re-connection, to the vine as I draw strength, energy, and life-giving nutrients from the only source which enables me to do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

I pray that you and I would stay connected to the vine of Christ in everything we do.  I pray that we would honestly evaluate our pursuits in life in order to bring any that we are attempting to do on our own back into a connection to the vine of Christ.  I pray that our continual connection to the vine would give the world a full taste of the sweetness of Christ.