Page 302 has been a good day so far as I’ve packed a lot of variety into it.  The day began early with the morning cleaning and I’ve begun the writing of the page in the midst of the evening cleaning as I get the building ready for Sunday, so I anticipate it will be a long day before I’m done.  I’ve finished one end of the building and decided to sit down for a snack break before moving on to the other end.  I suspect that as I snack I will finish today’s written page and then go finish the cleaning and the actual doing of the page. 🙂

When I pulled into work this morning, their was a sliver of moon and a bright planet just above the tree line to the east of the building.  So, on my first trip out with trash I took my camera and attempted to catch a few photos of the nighttime beauty before the sun came up and chased it away.  By the time I finished the building prep for the day, the sun was crawling over the eastern horizon and there were half a dozen deer grazing in the morning mist at the back of the property.  The sun wasn’t up enough to get the best photos of them, but I did manage a few that I thought were okay.  My first task once the cleaning was done was to send my latest book files to CreateSpace to begin the process of making the book available on Amazon.  After that, much of my morning was spent doing inventory — counting and repacking books in preparation for the International Conference on Missions (ICOM) next month.  I had one title, out of what is now eight, in sufficient quantity for the conference so it was time to order books again.

By late afternoon, it was time for a lunch break so I headed down to Potato Creek to spend a little time before coming back for the evening.  It had been a long time since I had seen an eagle at the park so I was thrilled when I found a pair of them perched in a tree even though they were somewhat distant.  With a combination of zoom and cropping, I ended up with a few photos that I was pleased with even though they don’t have the clarity of some I have taken before when they were perched much closer.  In the United States, if there is one word that is most associated with the bald eagle, I would say it is freedom.  We love freedom.  We place great value on freedom.  Perhaps we even worship freedom to the point that we gloss over, or redefine, the teaching of Jesus regarding our need to serve others.  For the past day, there has been what I believe to be the opening of a poem that has taken up residence in my mind.  I keep thinking that more will come, but so far it is just a pair of rhyming lines.  As I saw the eagles and thought about our desire for freedom — often a freedom to exalt self — these lines returned to my mind:

“What do I want?”,
is a question we ask.
When we begin
almost any task.
But there is a problem,
I hope you would see.
When all of our actions
are focused on me.

The one person who has walked this earth and had every right to make it all about Him not only said, but set the example, that He did not come to be served but to serve.  We are never more like Christ than when we are serving those we would say don’t deserve it.  When we experience true freedom in Christ, it is not a freedom to do what we want but rather a freedom to serve others out of love rather than obligation.

I pray that you and I would experience the freedom that only Christ can give.  I  pray that we would use that freedom for the benefit of others above our own desires.  I pray that we would seek to be more like Christ each day that we live.

After a workday yesterday that began at 6:30 AM and didn’t finish until 10:30 PM, and another one like it expected tomorrow, page 301 has been a day of rest.  After posting yesterday’s page, I noticed that the “Tom’s Book of 2016” category on my blog only indicated there were 298 posts in that category.  Given that yesterday was page 300 and I knew I had written a bonus page or two, I decided I had either lost track of what day I was on as I numbered each page or I had failed to tag a few posts with the proper category designation.  I began by checking the numbering as that was the easiest to pull up  a list of post titles and see if they were in consecutive order.  I guess the good news is that the titles were all correct with no gap in the numbering so I didn’t have to go back and make corrections to what could have been a lot of titles.  Checking the titles also showed me that I had written an introduction page and one bonus page so the post count for this category should have been 302 instead of 298.  That meant that somewhere scattered through those 302 posts were four of them that I had not tagged with the proper category when I posted them.  

So, what began as checking the category listing on each post turned into starting at the beginning and reading the daily pages up until this point.  It was fun to go back and be reminded of the lessons of each day that ended up on the pages.  While I didn’t begin with the plan to include a photo each day, it was very early in the year when I realized how much the photos add to each page.  As I went through the pages, it was interesting to see how many of the things that were significant to write about were eventually used in ways that never crossed my mind on the day I wrote the page.  I also found the four untagged posts and was able to add them to the book of 2016 category.  I’m not sure what God will do with these daily posts in the future but, at least to me, it was an interesting read this morning.  

While I call the collection of these daily posts my “Book of 2016”, today found me needing to purchase additional ISBN numbers so I can finish the publishing of my next book that is not my “Book of 2016”.  These numbers identify each specific book and are needed by most sales channels, including Amazon, to be able to list the book.  It is the official identification number that is found on essentially every book that is published for any sales distribution channel.  When my first book was coming together early in 2014, I purchased a block of ten numbers because the cost was the same as buying two number individually.  I really didn’t think I would ever use all ten of them but my first book was published in both regular and large print editions so I needed two numbers.  Here I am, a little over two years later and all ten of those original numbers are in use on books I’ve written and I have another book ready to go which needs a number.  So, today I had another decision to make.  I could purchase another block of ten numbers, but with works currently in process, three of them already have “homes”.  The next step up is a block of one hundred ISBN numbers, which sounds like a ridiculous number to me.  Yet, with a special offer I received yesterday, the block of one hundred could be purchased for a little less than the costs of two blocks of ten numbers.  I can’t imagine using one hundred ISBN numbers but not that long ago I couldn’t imagine using ten of them.  But I do imagine using more than ten additional numbers so I went ahead and purchased the block of one hundred.  Now the fun part — seeing what God will give me to write and discovering how many of these numbers will end up being used. 🙂

Today’s photo is one I took a couple mornings ago and I include it today because it reminds me of the creativity and majesty of God.  I see His creativity in the beauty of nature and I see it in the work He has given me to do.  Our God is a God of both the big picture scenes and the smallest of details that are often overlooked.  Nothing escapes His notice and nothing is beyond His ability to use for His purposes and glory.  I write, not because I see myself as a writer, but because I am convinced God gives me the inspiration for words that He wants me to put into print.  The writing becomes more of an act of obedience than anything else and I attempt to share them as freely as possible because the words have been God’s gift to me.  

I pray that you and I would experience times of rest when we can draw into God’s presence and be reminded of how He has been working, and continues to work, in our lives.  I pray that we would recognize the goodness of God in doing far more than we can think or imagine when we put our trust in Him.  I pray that we would see no limits other than whatever limits God Himself would establish in our lives.  I pray that we would recognize the gifts God has given us and understand His desire that we would share as freely as we have received.

It is hard to believe I’m already at page 300 in this photo-and-page-a-day adventure I’ve been on this year!  In just two months time, Christmas will be over and we’ll be looking at the end of one year and the beginning of the next.  Today has been a rainy day with an extra chill in the air because of the dampness.  It has made me glad I began the cool to heat changeover yesterday in the building.  My day began with the usual early morning cleaning and building prep.  Once everything in the building was ready for the day, I checked on the boilers and continued the system changeover from cooling mode to heat.  This time of year is a delicate balance as it become very easy to confuse the system and make things either way too hot or way too cold.  After I was satisfied with the settings for today, the rest of the morning and into the afternoon was spent wearing my accounting hat as I worked on the church missions account as well as the Impact Prayer Ministry account.  By mid-afternoon I realized I was out of address labels, so a quick trip to the store remedied that so I could finish up a mailing.  I eventually made it to a very late lunch and then back to the building to finish up the final details for the lesson I taught tonight.  I’m starting to write today’s page as the building clears out after tonight’s classes and will then spend a couple hours or so cleaning and getting the building ready for tomorrow.

In the first through third grade class I’m teaching on Wednesday evenings, we are taking a journey through the Bible and tonight’s lesson used the story of Abraham to teach that God keeps His promises.  No matter how impossible the promise may seem from our perspective, no matter how limited our sight may be, no matter how stormy the night, no matter how perilous the waves; God always keeps His promises.  I wonder how often along the journey Abram asked of God, “Are we there yet?”.  I wonder what caused Abram to have a faith that stood out in a way that God chose him.  I wonder if I have a faith that not only gets God’s attention but that is following Him fully.  The writer of Hebrews commends Abraham for his faith by saying, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  The same writer, inspired by the same Spirit, tells us to “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”  Abraham had his eyes fixed on an eternal dwelling whose architect and builder was God Himself.  Are our eyes fixed on that same destination?

As I was finishing up the cleaning tonight, I thought about this lighthouse photo I took Sunday evening.  As I’ve been photographing lighthouses, I’ve learned that all of them have the same purpose but not all of them have the same function.  All of them are designed to help guide those on the water to safety.  Some do so simply as a warning device, letting navigators know of dangerous rocks or shallow waters that must be avoided.  Others serve as navigational aids, guiding ship traffic safely into harbor.  Because God always keeps His promises, His Word serves as both a warning device and a navigational aid.  It warns us of dangerous life choices and it also guides us into the safety of God’s family.  When I am tempted, I can gaze into the beacon of God’s Word and be warned of the dangers that lurk below the surface of the temptation.  When I find myself in the midst of a storm, I can always go to the lighthouse of God’s Word and know that it will guide me through the darkest of nights.  When I am lost, I can fix my eyes on Jesus and know that He will lead me safely into the fold of His love.

I pray that you and I would pay attention to the changing spiritual climate in our nation and our world.  I pray that we would remain faithful to God no matter what.  I pray that our faith would direct us in following Jesus with each step we take.  I pray that we would keep our eyes fixed on Jesus as He leads us heavenward on this journey of life.  I pray that God’s Word would not only be “a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path”, but that it would be the source of our comfort and strength.

Page 299 followed a restless night in which I didn’t seem to be able to stay asleep for some reason.  I almost got dressed and headed into work at 5 AM since I seemed to be wide awake, yet by 5:30 it was a struggle to wake up and get ready for the day.  But get up I did, as the building needed cleaned and prepped for the day.  As I went about the morning cleaning, I found myself silently singing a variety of songs and hymns in worship of a great God.  Intentional worship has a way of centering my spirit and finding rest for my soul as I become deliberate about communicating to God , as best I can, the incredible worth He has.  There are times when I know specific things that have triggered a skirmish in my mind.  And other times, like now, when the battle ensues and I have no real knowledge of the cause — although if I’m not too overwhelmed by the war, I always know the source of the conflict is not flesh and blood.  While I know there are times when my physical body seems to fight against itself, the real fight is always a spiritual one that would like nothing more than to find a way to destroy me.  That’s where the intentional prayer and worship reminds me of who’s in charge and who has already won the victory as He paid the price to redeem me from the enemy.

As I finished up the cleaning and took the trash out, the sun was causing a glow in the clouds on the eastern horizon while the sliver of moon was visible just above the cloud line.  I went back in and got my camera then continued to worship God as the sun slowly made its way over the horizon with an ever-increasing illumination of the clouds.  It’s as if the worship I had been doing all morning was now being amplified and God was giving another glimpse of His incredible majesty.

With an eye on the weather forecasts which call for continued cool temperatures, I spent time this morning beginning the process of bringing the boilers online so the building will have heat when needed.  While I worked on that process, I also did some follow-up to some messages I received while I was out of the office the last few days.  One of the emails I responded to was from a lady who does mission work in several African countries.  She was thanking me for the prayer guides I send out each week and letting me know that she often forwards them to the pastors in Africa as an encouragement to them.  Her email reminded me of how God has gifted each person in unique ways that, when working together, completes an entire healthy body — His body.   I thanked her for encouraging me by letting me know how much my work encourages others.  I suspect we all want to know that what we do makes a difference and rarely will someone know the difference they make in our life unless we tell them.

When I finished what I could do today with the heat system, I sat down to do what I hope and plan is the final proofreading of my book, “Serving God”, before I get copies printed to have available for the International Conference on Missions.  I only found four or five needed corrections this time through so I think its about ready to go to print.  As I worked on the proofreading I had a couple blue jays and cardinals stop by for a visit outside my office window.  They had discovered a feast of berries and sumac heads in the underbrush at the edge of the woods.  While many people claim these two birds don’t get along, the cardinals were helping themselves to the berries and the blue jays were right beside them eating seeds out of the sumac.  Today’s photo is of one of the blue jays after he pulled a bit of fluff out of the sumac head.  I suspect there is a seed attached to that fluff that the blue jay is enjoying as a morning snack.  Watching them reminded me of how God provides food for the birds of the air and promises to care for His children who He loves even more than the birds.

I pray that you and I would be intentional in our worship of God at all times.  I pray that each day we would fully cloth ourselves with the full armor of God as we recognize the battle that takes place in the spiritual realms.  I pray that we would encourage others at every opportunity we have.  I pray that we would know just how deep God’s love is for us.  I pray that we would trust God to care for us at all times.  

Page 298 was back to work — sort of.  While the preschool was back in session today, the school was still on fall break so I didn’t need to go in early to do the morning cleaning.  In fact, with Monday being my typical writing day, I worked from home so Susan could sleep in and hopefully catch up on some rest following our trip.  After making sure MJ could get the pest control guy access to everywhere he needed to be, I settled into my prayer and listening mode to see what God would have me put together for next week’s prayer guide.  Other than the morning cleaning that I usually do early, I typically try to protect my Monday mornings as it is always unknown how much time it will take to come up with the topic God wants me to write about and then the time to write it also varies greatly.  Today was one of those times when each part seemed to take longer than usual.  I always figure that is a reflection on my listening more than anything else as I anticipate God desires to communicate what He wants me to write about.

Because I try to practice the lifestyle of prayer that I teach about, there are weeks that I have a good idea what the next topic will be before I begin my Monday morning routine.  Even then, I spend time praying and listening as I want to make sure that the topic in my mind is really what God wants and not just something I want to write about.  There are also other weeks when it seems like the topic doesn’t want to come to mind and my time with God becomes more focused on listening to what His Spirit is saying through His Word.  With each of the prayer guides being scripture-based, it is important that I’m listening to God with His Word in my heart, mind, and hand.  Then there are days like today when the topic comes rather quickly but I spend time trying to see if there is something else — anything else.  Fairly early in my prayer time this morning, God directed me to the promises He makes to those who overcome.  It was not so much that the topic is one I wanted to avoid, but the scriptures that God filled my mind with were from the messages in the book of Revelation from God to the churches.  Because I believe some people tend to misuse Revelation to further their own agenda and others misunderstand it because of its misuse, I try to steer clear of passages that may cause further confusion and conflict rather than increased prayer.  And so I went back to God in my prayer time until I was confident about the topic of overcome and the corresponding verses from Revelation.

To me it is sad that there has been so much conflict over a book I believe God shared with us in order to help us remain faithful no matter what.  While so much attention is focused on the severe trials that take place and arguments arise as to when they will happen and where the Christians will be when it happens, the message woven throughout the entire book is that the crown of life will be given to all who overcome and remain faithful.  If life wasn’t difficult, if hardships didn’t come our way, if bad things didn’t happen, and if the wrath of God against unrighteousness wasn’t real, there would be nothing that needed to be overcome.  Each of the messages that God asks John to write down and share with the corresponding churches contains both a critique of how they’ve been doing when it comes to faithfully following God and a promised result that awaits those that overcome.  

So, with a topic in mind and the scripture texts to use for each day’s prayer focus, I spent most of the morning digesting those seven letters and writing the prayer points to be used next week.  Once the prayer guide was complete I turned my attention to writing the monthly Impact Prayer Ministry newsletter for October.  God continues to use the prayer ministry, and the resources He gives me to write and share, in places and ways that are often amazing and likely even more often in ways that are unknown to me.  Eventually I had put in a full day and finally sat down to go through all of my photos from our recent trip.  Today’s photo is from underneath an interstate road bridge.  It stands in stark contrast to the old covered bridges we had been photographing just days before.  In at least one way, it is also similar to those old covered bridges.  Some would say that this is a bridge that was built to last.  I’m guessing that something similar was said about many, if not all, of those old covered bridges when they were built.  The truth is that all of this stuff that  is “built to last” will eventually be gone.  Proper maintenance and good care will prolong its days of usefulness, but a day is coming when this earth and everything in/on it will give way to the coming of a “new heaven and a new earth”.  I pray that you and I will be found faithful and ready for that day as we are found among those who have overcome.

Page 297 was the official end of our fall break anniversary get-a-way as tomorrow we head back to work.  Our 35th wedding anniversary was September 21 but our schedules were not conducive to doing much at that time so we planned this anniversary get-a-way during the school and preschool’s fall break.  We left home around 1 PM after preschool was done last Wednesday and made it back home at 9:30 PM tonight after putting 1527.6 miles on the truck during our sightseeing adventures.  It seems like we packed a lot into the 4 1/2 days that we had, but there was so much more that we didn’t get to.

Today was our journey home and I began the day by soaking in the hot tub for a while as the sun worked at coming up over the tree line.  Then it was time to start the unpleasant task of packing up and getting ready to leave — unpleasant simply because it meant our short vacation was nearly over.  Once the truck was loaded, it was time to take some final photos of the lake and shoreline with the beautiful fall colors lit up by the morning sun.  On our way out of the park we stopped and hiked a short trail then it was time to head for home.  But just because we were headed for home didn’t mean vacation was going to be over — there was still a day’s journey to be had.  Our first stop after leaving the park was another covered bridge.  It was such a beautiful day that we decided to head north and make a quick visit to Cuyahoga National Park to see a few sights on our way home.  At the park we took a walk on the Erie Canal Towpath where I took today’s photo.  A portion of the walk was boardwalk through a wetlands area.  The beauty along the entire walkway was amazing.  After our walk we took a short drive to see an incredible waterfall in the park and then found another covered bridge to photograph.  Not wanting to give up, we swung up along Lake Erie to make a short visit to the Marblehead Lighthouse State Park to photograph the lighthouse.  After squeezing all that we could into the day, it was finally time to actually head for home and prepare for the workweek.

As I think about the day, I reflect on the effort we put on continuing something that we do not want to end.  I wonder how often we put that much effort into maintaining our relationship with God and with one another.  When we are pursuing God, do we long to have just one more moment together in our prayer and quiet time before we have to go on to other tasks of life?  Do we look for every opportunity we can find to spend time with those we love as we desire that those times would never end or are we satisfied with seeing time together end?  I also thought about the paths we walk.  Early this morning we walked a path that was narrow and not well maintained.  There were areas that were slippery and exposed tree roots threatened to trip up the casual hiker that wasn’t paying attention.  The early afternoon hike was on a wide path that was mostly level and smooth.  In places where mud would make the walk treacherous, a raised boardwalk had been installed.  It is in our time with God where we learn to follow the instruction of His Word that we are able to find the paths that He has made straight.

I pray that you and I would make the most of the opportunities God gives us to spend time with our families.  I pray that we would be creative in remembering special occasions.  I pray that we would hold fast to God, and to one another, as the value those relationships bring make us want them to never end.  I pray that God would make our paths straight as we learn to lean upon His Word for strength and direction.

Page 296 was another family day as we prepare to wrap up our fall break adventures.  The day began with a heavy cloud cover and cooler temperatures following yesterday’s rain.  If yesterday’s rain didn’t slow us down, a downturn in temperature wasn’t about to deter us from another family adventure.  Once we were up and ready for the day we threw the cameras in the truck and took off in search of the day’s adventure and things to photograph.  The primary subject today was once again covered bridges but we kept our eyes open for whatever photo opportunities would present themselves.  It ended up being another day with over 200 miles on the road looking for scenes to photograph.  But that also meant over 200 miles riding together, photographing, and enjoying the beauty of creation and the company of one another.

The photo for today’s page is one that made me think about the way we care, or don’t care, for things.  As we searched out covered bridges, a variety of other buildings would catch our eye.  Sometimes they were new buildings that were designed to be eye-catching showpieces.  Many times they were old buildings that had seen better days but were still (mostly) standing.  It would be easy to think that time had not been good to them and they simply outlived their ability to endure.  Even among the bridges, the condition of them varied greatly.  Some of the old covered bridges no longer exist as they have deteriorated and fallen apart — often into the river they once crossed.  Some still look attractive but are closed to traffic because the beauty is only skin deep.  The surface has been taken care of but the important parts that aren’t nearly as visible are lacking the ability to do the job they were originally designed to do.  And then there are those bridges that are still in use.  For generations people have cared for them from the foundation up and the bridges have rewarded their caretakers by carrying them safely across the river waters underneath.  

The photo contains an old shed with no roof, an abandoned house with sheets of the metal roofing and most of the windows missing, and a covered bridge that is still in use today.  I don’t know when the shed or the house were built, but I would venture a good guess by looking at the design and material used that they are both newer than the 1886 construction of the covered bridge.  The fact that the bridge is still in use speaks more to the desire of people through multiple generations to make sure it was maintained and cared for while the other two buildings reached a point where they were no longer cared for as they should have been.

The same is true of our lives and relationships.  Their usefulness today is a direct reflection of the time we put into maintaining them on a consistent basis.  It is when we become complacent in our relationships with people, and with God, that they begin to disintegrate without us even knowing it.  Most of the time it is the gradual decline that goes by unnoticed on a day to day basis until all of a sudden we realize things are falling apart.  It is at that point that many people decide it is too much work to restore what is broken and they give up.  The good news is that we serve a God who specializes in restoration projects of all sizes!  When we realize things are falling apart, it is time to turn to God and allow the power of His Spirit to bring life back into that which has died.

I pray that you and I would live life to the full as we discover the adventure of life God has given us.  I pray that we would pay attention to the condition of our life and our relationships.  I pray that we would work on both our life and our relationships on a regular basis rather than waiting for things to get bad before deciding something needs done.  I pray that we would pay attention to maintaining the foundation and the unseen parts of our life rather than focus only on what people see.  I pray that we would turn to God for complete restoration when we are in need of a rebuilding that only He can do. 

Page 295 was a rainy day from beginning to end with just a short time of the sun trying to break through the clouds as it set.  So, with a plan to do some sightseeing on our fall break and and a day of rain, waterfalls seemed like a fitting subject.  The rain served two purposes, at least.  One, it provided water for the waterfalls during a season when waterflow over the falls is rather hit or miss.  All of the material we read about the falls we ended up visiting said they were “seasonal falls”, best viewed during the spring when the creeks were typically running with water.  Well, they were running with water today and the result was some very beautiful scenes to take in and photograph.  The second thing the rainy day did was to thin out the crowds.  Being in the peak of the fall color season, the information for the park we visited said parking was limited so during weekends in the fall you either needed to arrive early or park at the lodge and take a shuttle to the main hiking area.  Parking was definitely not a problem today!  But better than not having an issue with parking was the ability to take photos without them being filled with people who couldn’t get out of the way of every picture if they wanted to.  The one thing that can easily ruin outdoor plans actually improved ours today.

Today’s photo was taken at our final waterfall stop of the day after hiking all day up and down steps, through and alongside creek beds, over and even through rock formations, and even on a couple concrete handicap accessible pathways.  This one included a hike of about one half mile each way with half of it being stairs and half fairly level path.  It is always a bonus when we are able to spend a day together as a family, even doing something that is strenuous and especially difficult for Susan and have her talk all the way back home about her fun day.  

As I think about the day, I realize there are many times when I fail to even look for the silver-lining in a day of less than ideal circumstances.  Today was a reminder that the rainy-day circumstances can bring great beauty with them if we only know where to look.  Granted, rain isn’t a benefit to every activity or plan.  A number of years ago we visited Bush Gardens in Tampa, Florida on a rainy day.  After paying our admission and spending a short time at the park, we decided it wasn’t going to be much fun.  A number of the rides and attractions were closed because of the rain and there wasn’t anything that the rain was going to improve.  It was at a time when I valued money much more than I do now, but in a moment of clarity I remember saying, “Just because we spent the money doesn’t mean we have to waste the day.”  The money was gone, but the day wasn’t.  We left the park and went to the nearby science museum where they had a weather display.  A part of  it was showing radar images and we could see that the rain was somewhat local and by driving an hour further south we would be out of the rain and could enjoy a Florida beach day.  So, we drove south until we were under warm, sunny skies and then headed toward the coast where we found a beach that we still enjoy visiting when we have the opportunity.

So many times things don’t go according to our plans and we quickly give up on God being able to make anything good out of the circumstances we find ourselves in.  We know God’s promise but we often fail to see, or even look for, how it applies in our life today.  We may believe that God will cause everything to work for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, but doubt fills our mind and we conclude that only spiritually and only in the future when Jesus returns and makes everything right.  There is an element of truth in that belief, but not all of the good that God works together for us is to be done in some future, eternal time element — some of the good that He wants to bring into our lives is today, tomorrow, and/or the next day!

I pray that you and I would understand and welcome the good that God desires to fill our lives with.  I pray that we would see the beauty that He has in store for us and realize the magnificence of it is worth the work and rain we must endure in order to see it.  I pray that we would see the value of enjoying time together with family as being far greater than whatever dollar figure that might cost us.  I pray that we would look for the silver-linings in the clouds of life and thank God for providing them.