Another day, another page.  And another Friday finding me writing the day’s page at work as I take a break from the cleaning, mopping, and floor scrubbing.  🙂  As I took the trash out earlier, the sun was beginning to  drop behind the tree line to the west.  It was starting to light up the sky with such beautiful colors that I went inside and grabbed my camera to take some sunset pictures.  When I went out the front of the building, there at the top of the drive with the sunset behind her was a deer grazing on the lawn.  But that was this evening, I’m getting way ahead of myself.

The day began early as I needed to do the usual cleaning and then some extra prep to get the cafeteria area ready to set up for a memorial service.  Once the inside of the building was ready for the day I headed out to start mowing around the building so I wouldn’t be doing that while the students were trying to have class.  As I moved toward the back of the property to mow, a vehicle parked out back and I stopped to see what they were doing.  The gentleman said he was going to go out in the woods for a while and hunt mushrooms.  I told him that there was a school on site and we could not have people wandering the property while we were in session.  Most of the time people understand that explanation and appreciate our desire to protect the children.  Not this guy.  He began to get a little belligerent and insisted that he wasn’t going to harm anything so it was okay for him to be here.  I restated that I was going to have to ask him to leave the property and his response was that he wasn’t going to take anything so he didn’t see why he had to leave.  (I don’t know if he didn’t plan on finding any mushrooms that he said he was hunting or if he was going to leave them with us.)  I explained it had nothing to do with whether he was taking anything or not, this is private property and he was being asked to leave.  As he continued to argue with me, I asked him if it would be okay for me to show up at his house at any given time, park in his driveway, and just wander around in his backyard looking for anything that I might want.  He insisted it wasn’t the same but he did finally decide to leave.

I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon mowing and working outside then headed down to Potato Creek for a Waist Management and Mental Health break.  The hike around the lake did me good as I spent time with God in the midst of the natural beauty of creation.  I thought about how often we insist on doing things our way even when God says it is not appropriate.  I’m afraid that far too often God’s Word brings about conviction and we spend an incredible amount of time convincing ourselves that we don’t really need to change.  Then we spend even more time trying to explain to God why following His instructions really doesn’t apply to us.  Sometimes I think we forget that the earth and everything within it, including us, belong to the Lord.  We become the piece of clay demanding a particular result from the potter.  From our view, our intents and motives are pure and harmless so we cannot understand why God would say no.  We’ve become so selfish that it is nearly impossible to grasp how our actions may affect someone else.  God’s view is so much wider and deeper and it is perfect.  His instructions, His plans, are not designed to harm us but to provide a nurturing environment in which not only us, but each person can grow into the image of  Christ.

I pray that you and I would stop and think about God’s ownership of everything when we are tempted to argue with Him about His instructions to us.  I pray that we would understand and trust that God’s care for us is absolute.  I pray that we would be more observant to the needs of others so that we would gain a better understanding of how God’s laws are meant for the good of all people.  I pray that we would appreciate the beauty that God surrounds us with.  I pray that we would grow in humility as we learn to practice submission to the Word of God.

Today’s page began a little later than usual as I spent a little extra time cleaning up myself before going in to clean the building so I would be ready for the National Day of Prayer service I had a part in.  As I worked at cleaning the building I also turned my computer on in my office and found out that a cousin’s (technically my wife’s cousin, but I claim her as well) battle with cancer had ended overnight.  God had given her so much strength to represent Him well throughout this battle and she was finally able to hear the words of her Savior, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  Come and share your Master’s happiness!”  While she leaves behind a husband, a family, and many friends who will miss her greatly, they can all grieve as those who have hope knowing that Kathy had lived her life with complete trust in God and in the work of His Son, Jesus, to present her to Himself spotless and pure.  If you would, please join me in praying for the Tison family in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

As I finished cleaning and taking care of things in the building, I spent time in prayer regarding my assignment for the National Day of Prayer service.  All of the publicity for the prayer service highlighted the first half of Isaiah 58:1.  The focus seemed to be on shouting aloud and raising our voice as a trumpet in prayer without holding back.  As I read through the rest of verse 1, and the rest of the chapter, it was obvious that this was God’s instruction to Isaiah to loudly declare to His people their rebellion and sin.  While the context deals specifically with the people fasting (with wrong motives) and wondering why God didn’t notice, I couldn’t help but compare it to the response of some people in this election year questioning why God isn’t hearing their repeated prayers and answering with just the right candidate.  My part in today’s prayer service was to pray for Christian liberty and the unborn.  As I spent time with God prior to the service and then prayed at the service, I felt convicted of a need to raise my voice like a trumpet in regard to our rebellion and sin in using our freedoms for selfish purposes and in not valuing the lives of the unborn, or life in general, as we ought to.

Our modern approach to Christian liberty isn’t new — the Bible warns us about those who had turned their freedom in Christ into a license to sin.  The American culture values freedom to such a degree that we bristle at any suggestion of our need to repent.  We redefine sin so that we can say it no longer applies to us.  We become convinced that when God says, “If the Son has set you free, you shall be free indeed.”, then we ought to really be free to do whatever we want with no regard to how it damages our witness and the lives of others.  The Christian liberty that God calls us to, and that I prayed about today, is a freedom to serve everyone in a way that makes Christ known.  It is a freedom that embraces the unborn generation AND the mothers who are carrying them.  It is a freedom that values all life in a way that gives of our self to serve those that our society would like to simply throw away.  

I pray that you and I would join together in lifting up and encouraging those who mourn.  I pray that we would raise our voice, with our self first, in a call of repentance for the rebellion and sin we commit.  I pray that we would use the freedom we have in Christ in ways that serve others and not ourselves.  I pray that we would value all life and find ways to promote life and hope to the unborn and the mothers carrying them.  I pray that this path we walk each day would be the path that draws us more fully to Christ and leads to His welcoming words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

The warm late-spring weather of page 124 disappeared by the time page 125 began and was replaced by a cold, rainy day of early spring.  It was raining as I left the house and headed to work in the early morning hours.  By the time the morning cleaning was completed, the rain had stopped but a cold dampness remained in its place.  The rest of the morning was spent catching up on some office work, doing some writing, and spending time with God in prayer about the opportunity I have to pray at a National Day of Prayer service tomorrow about our Christian liberties and the plight of the unborn.  In a culture that seems to value freedoms over responsibilities it is interesting to me that the organizers of tomorrow’s event combined these two particular prayer topics.  

By noon the crisp breeze had dried the lawn enough to start the mowing for the week.  As I sat on the mower it didn’t take long for the cold and dampness to settle into my body.  Once the mowing was done around the building, it was time to call it a day and head for a late lunch to warm up.  By the time I made it home, the couch was calling my name and I settled in for an unexpected nap.  As I woke up an hour later I was reminded of the alpaca I took a photo of at the zoo yesterday.  Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to pay attention when our mind and body tries to tell us of a need that we have.  Sleep and rest were designed and commanded by God, yet many times the demands of our time seem more pressing than the need for rest.  And because I continue to learn about my need for rest, today’s written page will be somewhat shorter than most of them have been.  🙂  If you want more words from today, check out my blog article on The Power of Hope that I wrote this morning.

I pray that you and I would understand the value of rest and pay attention to both our need and God’s command to rest.  I pray that we would also respect the need for rest that exists in the lives of those around us.  

Page 124 was designed to provide some balance to an extra long page 123.  After a late end to page 123, it was up early to get the building ready for the day before heading out to vote in the primary election.  After voting, I headed home to keep an eye on Susan so MJ could go vote before work.  Susan and I each decided a nap would be a good morning activity so we rested a bit before getting ready to head to the zoo.  As we were getting ready to head out, I got a call about a fire alarm system inspection for the church (which was just done a month ago) so I headed into work to straighten that out.  Once the alarm inspection company and I were on the same page that the inspection had already been done, Susan and I headed to the zoo for a short visit before I needed to be back for a meeting.

We had a good visit to the zoo where we saw her favorite animals and rode the new carousel.  While I enjoy visiting zoos to see the animals, there is a greater pleasure in taking Susan and watching her expressions of joy.  After the zoo visit, it was back to work for a lunch meeting and then some office work.  By mid-afternoon, my work day was done and we headed down to Potato Creek for a family Waist Management hike.  It was a beautiful afternoon and evening as the temperature was pleasant and there was a nice mix of sun and clouds to add beauty to the photographs.  We managed a total walk of about 4 miles through the park as we photographed wildlife, flowers, and lake/sky scenes.  We even managed to catch sight of a bald eagle as it soared over our heads and off into the distance.  As we were ready to leave, the cloud cover had begun to build and the rays of sunshine were shining down through them onto the lake.  

The rays of sunshine, and the photo I’ve added to this page, reminded me of a song that I learned years ago when I was doing youth ministry.  The lyrics say, “Mercy is falling, is falling, is falling.  Mercy it falls like the sweet spring rain.”  (At least that’s the way I remember them. 🙂 )  While each of us may have a somewhat different view on what specific weather defines the perfect day for us, showers of God’s mercy should always be eagerly welcomed and received.  Just as this shower of beauty that was present at Potato Creek was available to all who would show up and receive it, God’s shower of mercy is extended to all who would choose to receive it.  God’s justice and judgment are not diminished at all by His mercy and forgiveness.  In fact, it is because of His justice and judgment that His mercy and forgiveness is filled with so much power.  If God was not just and His judgment was not right, we would have little reason to pursue His mercy and forgiveness.  If there is no judgment for sin, why seek forgiveness.  The beauty of God’s sun shining through the clouds is amplified by darkness that it cuts through.  When we recognize and repent of our sin, God’s mercy and forgiveness shines His light brightly into what was once a dark life.

I pray that you and I would pursue and receive God’s mercy and forgiveness.  I pray that we would understand the reality of God’s justice and judgment for those who choose to reject God’s mercy and forgiveness.  I pray that we would desire the light of God’s Son shining into our life as we repent of our sin. 

Page 123 started the work week off with an early morning to get the building ready for the school week.  After the normal Monday morning cleaning and building prep tasks, I settled into some prayer time and writing as the weather was not favorable to outside work.  In spending time with God, we prepared the prayer guide for next week that will be focused on the gentleness that is a part of the fruit of God’s Spirit.  When it was completed, I spent some time working on writing more of the devotional pages for the “Devotions For Those Who Serve” series I am working on.  I now have 8 weeks of devotional material written for what is currently a planned 13 week series.  

As is often the case when I get into a “writing zone” with God, time just slipped away and before I knew it 2:30 had arrived and I had been at work for 8 hours before realizing that lunch was probably overdue.  With a meeting scheduled for the evening, I headed to a late lunch then went down to the riverwalk in Mishawaka to spend some time with God taking pictures and enjoying the beauty of nature even under a cloud-filled sky.  One of the first sights when I arrived was a goose who was paying an incredible amount of attention to its reflection.  A couple weeks ago a goose, likely the same goose, in this spot was attacking the visible reflection but today it seemed like they had decided to get along.

As I thought about that goose, my mind began to reflect on the passage from James where God says that if we hear His Word but choose not to do what it says, we are like a person who looks into a mirror and walks away forgetting, and not doing anything about, what we observed. When this goose first looked into the mirror weeks ago it saw a rival, or perhaps a threat to its mate who was on a nest of eggs nearby.  But whether it was a hatching of the eggs or a familiarity with the recurring reflection, somewhere along the line the goose became more comfortable with the presence of this “intruder” and no longer made any attempt to chase it away.  How often do we see something that we initially recognize as danger but when we don’t remove it completely from our presence, or remove ourselves from its presence, we became accustomed to it and then eventually accepting of it?  

Do we avoid looking intently into the perfect law of God’s Word because we don’t want to be convicted of changes we ought to be making in our life?  When we gaze into the mirror of God’s Word, do we like what it reveals about us?  Does what we see seem so threatening that we don’t even realize it is a reflection of who we really are?  The mirror of God’s Word can reveal even the parts of our life that we think are well hidden.  When it does so, we are left with a choice about how we will respond to the truth that God’s Word contains.  Today’s time with God was a struggle for me.  Not that it was difficult to spend time with God, but that it seemed to reveal a sadness within me that made me feel all alone.  As I walked through the park in the midst of God’s beauty and creativity, questions of worth and purpose began to flood my mind.  I began to wonder, is it my reflection that I don’t like or is it something more sinister?  Am I accomplishing the purpose in life God created for me?  Am I being faithful in being who God wants me to be?  Am I doing the things I should be doing?  These are questions I struggle with more often than not.  While there are many times that I want to hide this questioning side of my life, I’ve come to believe they are actually good questions that are not only helpful to me but also helpful for others to know that they are not alone in their questioning.  

I pray that you and I would pay attention to the reflection we see when we gaze into God’s Word.  I pray that we would make the necessary changes in our lives that such a reflection would indicate needs made.  I pray that we would realize we never walk alone, even and especially in our times of discouragement and doubt.  I pray that we would realize God’s great love for us that He would call us His children.

Page 122 was not only a Sunday, it was the first Sunday of the month which meant I got to preach at the North Wayne Mennonite Church in Dowagiac, Michigan this morning.  🙂  This morning’s sermon was taken from Philippians 3 and titled, “The ACT of Joy”.  As we unwrapped the third chapter of Philippians, I shared about the Attitude of Joy, the Commitment of Joy, and the Treasure of Joy.  While joy is a part of the fruit produced by God’s Spirit living in us, it is a process that begins in our mind with an attitude that sees beyond the day to day circumstances of life.  If our thought-life is the seedbed of our actions, our attitudes are the soil in which our thoughts either grow or die.  When we take on the attitude of Christ Jesus, who humbled Himself in obedience to the Father, we allow our thoughts to grow into actions that are filled with the deep abiding joy that can only come from God.  Taking on this attitude of joy is a daily commitment that decides to represent Christ well in all circumstances no matter what.  Paul counted all of his credentials that the world would have seen as valuable to be nothing more than garbage.  Instead, it was the opportunity to share in the sufferings of Christ that Paul viewed as having great value in not only identifying with Christ, but in sharing in the joy of the resurrection through sharing in His suffering.  Our attitude and commitment of joy leads us to the treasure of joy that is found within the family of God as citizens of heaven.

Following the church service, it was lunch at Subway followed by some Sunday afternoon relaxing.  By late afternoon, the cloud cover had become less intense so we headed to Mishawaka for an evening stroll on the river walk.  Even under gray skies, the colors of spring stood out in the trees and shrubs lining the walk.  Perhaps the gray skies make them even more noticeable than they would be on a bright sunny day.  As I thought about it, I think that is the lesson that was at the heart of this morning’s sermon about joy.  It shouldn’t be that difficult, or even that noticeable, to have joy when we are living in the beauty of everything going as we would like — as if that’s possible. 🙂  The true value of having the type of joy that is produced by God’s Spirit living in us is that it becomes impossible to hide it when the skies of our life darken and the storm clouds prevail.  When we have joy at those times, the people around us notice.  When people notice our joy in the difficult times of life, we are given opportunity to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.  God’s Word says that when we have that opportunity, we must give that answer with gentleness and respect to everyone who would ask.

I pray that you and I would seek God’s joy in our lives each day that we live.  I pray that we would guard our hearts and minds through consistent time in God’s Word and prayer.  I pray that we would live with a daily commitment to living with an attitude of joy in all circumstances.  I pray that we would recognize the great treasure we have, not only through our relationship with Christ but also in our relationships with fellow believers.  I pray that our joy in the midst of difficult circumstances would be used to represent Christ well in all that we do.

As with many Saturdays, page 121 came in at least two parts.  The first part was an unwinding at Steak-N-Shake for a late/early dinner following Friday’s work as page 120 ran right up to the start of page 121.  After spending the first hour of the day eating and unwinding, I headed to bed for some much needed sleep.  After sleeping in, the second part of the day was a low-key, relaxing day as the chilly temperature and light rain made outdoor activity not so desirable.  We did make it out to run some errands during the day, but much of my day was spent relaxing and going through the photos I took yesterday afternoon at Potato Creek.  

The photo included on this page is one that I took yesterday.  After a little research, I believe it may be a yellow warbler but I’m still at the very beginning stages of learning to recognize and identify the birds that I have the opportunity to photograph.  Regardless of what it actually is, its beauty in both appearance and song is incredible.  In the past three days I have seen and photographed a blue, a red, and a yellow songbird that were all new to me.  I’m pretty sure they are not new to the area and I very well may have been in their vicinity before, this was just the first that I noticed.  While it is nice to learn more about the subjects of my photos, my knowledge doesn’t influence them being what they were created to be.  They share their beauty and sing their songs whether I know what they are or even know if they exist.

In a recognition driven society, we can learn a lot from the ways of the songbirds.  Even among the birds, there are those who tend to draw my attention in greater ways than what these small birds do.  When I head to the park, I first look for the bald eagles, or the osprey, as their size and beauty in flight tend to draw attention and makes them easy to see.  The lesson learned though, is not so much about my reaction but about the faithfulness of each of these birds doing what they were created to do regardless of my knowing what they are or even knowing they exist.  Watching them go about their day singing their songs of praise, and knowing they do so whether I notice or not, makes me evaluate why I do what I do.  God says that if I do my “acts of righteousness” to be seen by people, then what little recognition that comes from people is all the reward I will get.  God’s desire is that we live in such a way that Christ is lifted up to be seen by others.  I’m afraid that far too often our praise and songs ebb and flow in direct correlation to how much recognition we receive.  How would our lives be different if the song of our life was consistent regardless of who was watching and who knew our name?  Some of the most beautiful lives I have known are those who have lived their life each day doing what they were created to do.  To do so with no thought of notice or recognition is an act of humble service and obedience.

I pray that you and I would seek to honor God through our faithful practice of worship, especially when no one is watching but God.  I pray that we would seek to be what and who God created us to be without concern for the titles and labels our human nature often desires.  I pray that we would pay closer attention to who others are in Christ than to who the world says that they are.  

Page 120 is a Friday so it is a long day for me.  As I have often done on Fridays, I am writing today’s page while I’m at work letting the floor scrubber recharge so I can finish my weekend cleaning.  I did something this morning that I rarely do — I hit the snooze button on the alarm clock and didn’t get to work until 6:30 AM.  Part of the morning delay was an extra 10 minutes of sleep and part of it was stopping to get fuel for the mower so I wouldn’t have to go get it later.  After the morning cleaning routine, I took the trash out and started mowing.  Even with a sweatshirt, windbreaker, and hat, it was rather chilly all morning.  Mid-way through mowing the back lawn, the moisture in the air was thick enough that it felt like drizzle even though nothing was really getting wet.  Once the back lawn was done, I came inside to do some work on one of my writing projects while I warmed up with a cup of hot coffee.  I was able to outline another 31-day devotional journal and begin laying it out in book form.  After completing each day’s focus page, I worked on the cover layout.  The photo with today’s page is what I’m currently looking at for the front and back cover spread.

Once warmed, I headed back out to finish mowing with the addition of gloves to my mowing attire.  Now my mind was set on the topics from the book I am writing and I began to feel a bit melancholy that I’m here and not there.  I began to silently sing, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.”  As that song played and replayed in my mind, I thought about the hymn that was sung as a decision song way back when I first made a public decision to follow Christ when I was in fourth grade.  The words are still some of my favorite, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim.  In the light of His glory and grace.”  When I fix my gaze on Jesus and set my mind on a destination that is an eternity with God, the stuff of this world has an ever-decreasing hold on me.  Once the mowing was done, I finished up some office work and headed to lunch around 2:30 to begin a break before coming back to to the weekend cleaning tonight.  Much of my break was spent taking a leisurely stroll at Potato Creek State Park with camera in hand looking to capture images of different things that would catch my attention.  Compared to most of my hikes there, I didn’t cover much distance but found a good variety of God’s creation to photograph. 

After my time at the park, it was back to work at 5 PM to start getting the building ready for Sunday.  As I worked on the cafeteria room floor, a person came to let me know a toilet had evidently overflowed and the men’s bathroom was flooded.  Sure enough, all of the toilets were filled to overflowing and at least one of them overflowed for quite some time.  As I mopped and mopped up water and then mopped and re-mopped again to clean and disinfect, I had to wonder how things could get so bad without someone reporting that there was a problem.  And as a sense of frustration began to build, God brought the words of the song back to my mind — “And the things of earth will grow strangely dim . . .”.  It was as if He was reminding me that this wasn’t nearly as big of a deal as it was starting to become in my mind.  I think so many things are like that.  The urgency, the unpleasantness, the mess, the tediousness, the ugliness, the so many other things begin to make whatever it is seem so much larger and so much more important than what it really is.  So, the clean-up is done.  The bathroom smells clean.  The rest of my days work continues to get done.  And God continues to lead me home.

I pray that you and I would never lose sight of where our real home is.  I pray that we would keep the troubles of this life in proper perspective.  I pray that we would always take time to enjoy the journey as we travel with God toward our heavenly home.