Tom’s Book of 2016

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2016: Page 15

Earthdate: 20160115 —  These are the ramblings of one traveler’s journey on earth as he makes his way toward a heavenly home.

Finally a snow-free morning but the floors once again needed extra attention due to the previous day’s snow.  Some days the character quality of perseverance is necessary to keep doing what needs done no matter what.  While this is true in many life situations, it is even more important in our daily walk with God!  Jesus made it clear that we would have trouble in this world.  In those times of trouble we are often tempted to look for a shortcut or easy way out of the difficulty.  We must decide daily that the relationship we have with God through Jesus Christ is important enough to keep at it no matter what.

 While the day was filled with mostly routine tasks, God reminded me that routine doesn’t necessarily mean unimportant.  As Christians, it is so easy to get caught up in the routine of doing what we’re supposed to be doing that we miss the importance of the faithful life we are living.  My goal, and I pray the goal of every believer in Christ, is to hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  I pray that I will continue to learn to heed Paul’s advice that in whatever I do, do it to the glory and honor of Jesus.

Part of my routine has found me at work every day since Christmas, and I need to be back tomorrow, so I headed home early in the afternoon to just rest and relax.  It is good to be able to take time to unwind and allow the body and spirit to be refreshed.  God’s design for a day of rest was intentional and sometimes I need to be creative in finding the times of rest I need.  When I begin to become weary, I look back at all of the times of refreshing God has brought into my life and I trust  Him to continue to provide those opportunities.

River Reflection

Kayaking on the St. Joe River.

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2016: Page 14

Earthdate: 20160114  —  These are the ramblings of one traveler’s journey on earth as he makes his way toward a heavenly home.

Sometimes the day to day routine becomes so routine that it is easy to miss both the lessons and the beauty of the day.  It was another early morning to clear the dusting of snow that fell overnight.  Once inside, the floors needed extra attention again along with the normal daily cleaning tasks.  Each lap around the hallway with the floor scrubber restored one more row of floor tile to a clean shine.  Now if only I could play the Tom Sawyer role and convince people to come in and do these laps as part of a fitness routine . . ..  🙂

After getting the building ready for the day, I went back to some research on the building’s heating systems.  As I began that, I was called in to rescue a computer that was continually crashing.  After a few attempts at some simple adjustments and settings, it became apparent that the only hope that this computer had for a return to normal function was to go in and restore it to be like it was designed.  Over the years it had accumulated files, programs, and settings that were causing internal conflicts and making the computer non-functional.  Out come the recovery discs and the selection to “restore to factory settings”.  

Sometimes we need that . . . and I’m not just talking about our computers!  God gives us a chance every day to pull out the “recovery discs” of His Word and the restoration He offers through His Son, Jesus.  I’m guessing it is not just my life that accumulates files, programs, and settings that cause internal conflict.  Most of the time this accumulation is just a little bit here and a little bit there.  It is so subtle that we don’t even realize we are not living the productive Christian life that we once did — and that we were designed to do.  Daily time in God’s Word is critical to understanding the desire God has for us to live a life that reflects His righteousness.  Our time in prayer keeps the communication open as we listen to God for help in making the changes that He would have us do.  Our repentance is the change of mind necessary to turn from the things we let clutter our lives so that we can pursue God fully.

As the clouds scattered, the sun made an appearance as the temperatures began to rise.  With the bright sunshine, the underbrush outside my window became filled with cardinals enjoying a beautiful winter day.  It seems even they have been “restored” by the light God shines upon the earth.

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2016: Page 13

It was a rather brisk morning to clear the overnight dusting of snow off the walks before heading inside to clean.  With the temperature falling below zero, I bundled up well and found myself singing, “Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.  Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow.”  The words of the old hymn echoing through my soul made the task not only tolerable, but enjoyable.  Jesus said that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks.  People and circumstances may plant various things in my life, but what I cultivate and allow to grow in my heart is my choice.

With the arrival of the snow and its ugly companion, salt, the floors needed more attention than usual.  Winter seems to compound my need for an early start to work as I get up earlier to clear snow before cleaning, yet the cleaning itself takes longer so I get up even earlier to try to be done by the students arrival.  As I clean, I realize the building seems to be cooling down so a quick check on the boiler shows that it decided to shut itself off.  After a few times of resetting it only to have it shut back off after another 15 to 20 minutes, it was time to call the repairman.  As I waited on him, I spent some time researching our heating system in an attempt to have a better understanding of how to provide a more balanced heat throughout the building.  The arrival of the repairman got us going and gave me more information about how our heating system works.

Some days it is very tempting to let the circumstances win.  On those days, as on all days, it is critical to look for God’s “way of escape” from the temptation.  Look even more carefully at the reminders God puts around you of His love and care.  During the hard and unpleasant tasks, allow Him to fill you with His presence through a heart filled with scripture and praise.  As with my boiler, realize there are times that you need even more help than usual.  Don’t be afraid to ask God, and the people He has put around you, to help you through the difficult times of life.

As the work day approached its end, more snow began falling.  Even knowing that it meant more work to come, the beauty outside my window was another reminder of God’s wonderful creativity.

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2016: Page 12

After missing it completely just a few days ago, the weather forecasts were pretty confident the snow was coming this time so I was up at 5 in the morning and sure enough, the snow had begun.  That seems to be the key word for the day, begun, as the snow kept coming throughout the day.  The sidewalks were cleared, school was delayed, the sidewalks were cleared again, and then cleared a couple more times before the day was done.  It didn’t seem to amount to a whole lot, maybe 4 to 6 inches total, but it came at a steady enough rate to keep things messy — but also enough to cover everything with a clean, glistening coat of white!  Perspective makes a lot of difference.  The snow that was causing a lot of work and difficulty in travel was also creating great beauty and peaceful scenes.  The one I focused on had much more to do with me than with it.

Many of the situations we face in life are like that, aren’t they?  The process may seem messy and troublesome but when we step back and take a clearer look, particularly through the perspective of God’s Word, we begin to see a growing scene that is filled with beauty.  Paul looks at the troubles he faces in life and writes to the Corinthians that such things are but “light and momentary troubles” compared to the overwhelming glory that belongs to the children of God.

After dealing with the mess part of the snow all day, I made a quick trip to Potato Creek State Park to enjoy the beauty of the snow.  While only 15 minutes away from work, it really is a world away.  As the lake effect snow bands had shifted to the north and east, the sky cleared over the park and I made it there in time to catch the setting sun.  As I gazed across the frozen lake, an eagle soared above the trees in the distance — this time too far away for even my best zoom to capture his photo.  A quick one mile hike on a snow-covered trail allowed me a good view of the sun setting over one of the wetland areas.  As I stood to take it all in, both visually and photographically, a great sense of peace filled me as I witnessed and took notice of a small piece of God’s creative handiwork.  As I take photos and share them with people, I try to constantly remind them that God has given us the opportunity to glimpse the beauty of His glory all around us if we were to simply be still and open our hearts and minds to His presence.  So, I’ll leave you with one of the scenes that God left me with as page 12 of this calendar year came to a close.

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2016: Page 11

Not much to clear off the walks this morning but with a temp of 4 degrees and wind chills well into the negative numbers it was nice not to  have to spend too much time outdoors.  I write a weekly prayer guide that I publish online each Sunday and Monday is usually the day I write the prayer guide for the next week so that I’m not rushed and can spend adequate time in prayer putting it together.  Today I was drawn to a passage from 2 Corinthians which lists six things the Christian should excel in.  So, the next prayer guide published will focus on praying about the things we ought to excel in.

Sometimes I settle for “good enough” and lose sight of the fact that God wants me to not just get by, but to excel!  To do something with excellence is not an easy thing.  To be someone who excels in godly character qualities is much more difficult.  Just as excelling in a sport or activity takes work and practice, excelling in the qualities that God wants in our life requires that we work at it with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

With the bitter cold, the birds would still visit outside my office window but stayed a little inside the tree line so as not to be fully exposed to the wind.  It was still beautiful to watch the cardinals play and to even have a pair of bluebirds stop back by.  I knew that today would be a busy day from start to finish so I called my mom last night to wish her a happy birthday.  She and dad were enjoying a warm evening in sunny Florida.

As I thought about my parents vacationing in Florida, I carved an hour out of my schedule to head down to Potato Creek State Park to take some pictures and enjoy a short hike.  Even in the cold of winter, God provided great beauty and peaceful surroundings to remind me of His presence.  Winter hiking is tough because it is difficult to know exactly how to dress and how many layers are really  needed.  I found myself adjusting layers as I did the two miles so that I wasn’t cold, but so I wasn’t overly warm either.  Once I found a good balance, my hike was enjoyable and the crispness of the air was refreshing.  The beauty of the ice crystals and snowflakes against the  backdrop of an ice-covered lake was amazing.

As I closed out the day at a church leadership meeting, I was reminded of how God uses such a diverse collection of gifts and abilities in a diverse group of people to accomplish His great purposes.  Just as they say the snowflakes are each unique and special, so are you and I.

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2016: Page 10

I was up early to check on the weather and see how much work the forecasted winter storm had brought with it.  Instead of the 6 to 9 potential inches, there was just a dusting of snow with a haze of ice underneath.  So I bundled up and headed to the church building to sweep off walks where the snow had accumulated and put down some ice melt to clear off the ice before people began arriving for Sunday School and our morning worship gathering.  As I warmed up in my office following the outside work, a few cardinals came by to play in the brush outside my window.  Their beauty always catches my attention and I made the mistake of not bringing my camera with me because I thought I was just making a quick trip to do the walks.

Always be prepared.  I understand that is a motto of the scouting organization, but it’s also a good idea for the rest of us.  Many of the wildlife and scenic nature photos that I take are possible because I plan ahead to have a camera with me.  Being prepared is more than just a good idea for weather and photo opportunities.  It is what we are called to be when opportunities arise for us to share about the hope we have in Jesus.  When I prepare for work, and even for photo opportunities, I spend time learning what is most useful in a variety of situations.  When those situations arise I don’t have to guess about what to do, I simply do what I’ve learned will be most effective.  I do have situations arise that I’ve not seen before and have no experience with so while not prepared the first time, I use the opportunity to learn so that I am ready for the next time.  As you share about the  hope you have in Jesus, there will time you encounter people that present a unique situation that you are unprepared for.  That is okay.  Take the time to listen and learn so that even in your learning you are making the most of the opportunity that exists.

Speaking of opportunities, I took advantage of a quiet Sunday afternoon to continue work on my next 31-day devotional journal.  It was good to spend time with God and make progress on this project.  I managed to do the initial writing of the devotional questions and thoughts for half of the days and trust that God will give me the words for the remaining days according to His timing and purposes.

The day drew to a close early as the outside temperatures plummeted and I needed to get some sleep in order to be prepared for whatever the morning weather brings.  While not of this morning’s visit, here is one of the cardinals who paid me a visit a couple days ago.

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2016: Page 9

Sometimes I am asked where I find the time to go to Potato Creek, the Riverwalk, or anywhere else and take pictures.  Today was a good example of my typical response.  I began the day early cleaning the building to help get it ready for Sunday, knowing that I would only get it partially done before the first “BAM: Be A Man” meeting of guys at the church that would take place.  It was a good group of guys out for the breakfast, fellowship, and study.  I followed the meeting with more cleaning to finish the weekend prep before heading home.  If you’ve followed these daily pages, you may notice that each one this week started early at the building.  My focus point today was flexibility.  That is what allows me to do the work that needs done when it needs done and also to get away for times with God in the beauty of His creation.

As I do maintenance and janitorial work to provide a living for my family and I while pursuing Him and directing a prayer ministry, I recognize God’s hand in taking care of my needs while giving great flexibility to do the ministry He has called me to.  Sometimes I forget, but God has surrounded me with people who are willing to  cover various tasks for me when I get to travel on behalf of the prayer ministry.  They do it because they believe in me and the work God has called me to.  While rarely noticed, they are a big part of the Impact Prayer Ministry team.  I thank God that He has surrounded me with such people who give me the flexibility to maintain a job and a ministry.

The weatherman is calling for a winter storm.  So, after a trip with the family to Sam’s Club for a few things, I spent time during the afternoon putting together the snowblower I bought a couple weeks ago to replace the one that had been stolen.  As I put it together and realized how nice it was, as long as I was inside out of the rain, I decided to pull out the  pellet grill and have some smoked chicken for dinner — not bad when the weather allows for grilling on January 9 in northern Indiana!  As the day came to a close they downgraded the forecast to less likelihood of a significant snow, but I still have to be up early in the morning to clear walks of whatever snow and/or ice may come.  So my flexibility says it is time to call it a day and be as prepared as possible for what the next one may bring.

When the mighty oak waves its branches and shows its flexibility, it can stand a great amount of wind.  When it dies and loses its flexibility, it can be brought down by what would seem to be a small gust.  I pray that God keeps you and I growing and flexible.

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2016: Page 8

A week has gone by and so far I’ve managed to write on each page of my Book of 2016!  I guess it is kind of like a “Dear Diary” kind of thing but it has been fun to spend time each morning looking back at what stood out about the previous day.  Much of my life I’ve lived day to day and have often praised God in the moment for the things that are noticeable.  But I’ve not been consistent on looking back and praising Him for the things that were often too small to be noticed until they added up through the day.  It is amazing what each day holds and how much God wants to make His presence known through His still, gentle whisper when I’m quiet enough to hear it.

My work day began at the usual 6 AM.  It is strange for me to even be able to write the word “usual” with 6 AM.  I spent some time reflecting the day’s prayer focus of “Pleasing Sacrifice”, then I did the normal building maintenance and cleaning that each morning calls for and then sat down to check messages.  As I followed up on different messages and finished writing the “2016 page” about the previous day it seemed God was prompting me to keep writing.  So I picked up the outline that I had already written for my next 31-day devotional journal and began to spend time with God working on the content.  The book title will be, “Watch Your Mouth: Choosing Words Which Honor Christ”.  It was fun to once again watch the words flow as God and I worked on the first few daily topics.  I suspect that He is leading me to finish this for a purpose, so I anticipate we’ll keep working at it in the days to come.  As I worked on that, the first of the printed copies of my second poetic devotional book arrived!  It was as if God was reminding me in very clear ways that He is producing good things that are being used throughout His kingdom.  As the morning drew to a close, I had lunch with a good friend.  When he arrived he told me he had read my book, “In Christ Alone”, last night.  Being that reading is hard for him, this too was a great blessing to me to hear how it had encouraged him.

After lunch I finished up some projects and decided I would come back the next morning to do my normal late Friday night cleaning.  I pray that I will continue to pay attention to the work God is doing in me, through me, and around me.  I pray that you would be encouraged by God to remain faithful in being who He created you to be.