The first hour and a half of page 221 was spent finishing the drive home from our Upper Peninsula trip and after a little unwinding, it was finally time to sleep.  Susan was going to need to sleep this morning, so I also slept in a little bit and did an afternoon and evening workday.  While Susan was sleeping, I started my way through the photos from our getaway.  I’ve not made it through all of them yet, but based on what I’ve gone through of them, we packed a lot into a few days — my truck computer says we traveled almost 1400 miles with a little over 26 hours of drive time in the three days we were gone.  We were on “roads” that we were doing good to travel at 5 miles per hour and roads with the speed limit of 75 miles an hour — each one had its purpose and added to the amazing trip.  Today’s photo is one from yesterday as the clouds began to gather over one of the lighthouses we visited.  It made me think of the need for a place of safety and refuge when the storms of life approach.  God has not only called His Son, Jesus, the light of the world, He also says we are to be the light of the world!  How much greater would our church families and communities be if each one of us was a visible beacon of hope and safety to those who find themselves in the midst of a storm?

I thought I would mow this afternoon when I got to work, but I got caught up in messages, maintenance research, and office tasks that kept me busy all afternoon.  All of the tasks seemed to involve things I was ordering or scheduling for later, so progress was made even though it didn’t feel like anything was completed.  By early evening, I went to get something to eat before finishing up my workday with the cleaning and prep so the building is ready for the start of school tomorrow.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Some days spill over into the next before they’re done — those often have some of the best memories.
• Sacrificing some sleep for the purpose of making family memories is worth it.
• I’m thankful to have flexibility in the day in regard to what block of hours my workday entails.
• Having an abundance of time to see the beauty of creation that God has surrounded us with is nice, but it is also possible to take in some if it within a limited amount of time.
• We didn’t see everything there was to see, nor everything we would have liked to, but we saw a lot more than we would have if we had decided we didn’t have enough time to even try.
• Jesus is my lighthouse and refuge in times of trouble and in times of peace.
• God wants me to reflect His light to others in their times of trouble and peace as well.
• It is nice to have plans, but it is also good to recognize when things need done that are more important than our plans.

Page 217 has mostly been about rest.  I slept in a little while compared to my usual time to wake up and began the day with a cup of coffee and the writing of yesterday’s page.  That writing used a lot of words, so perhaps today’s page will be a bit shorter. 🙂  It usually takes a bit longer to write the day’s page when I wait until the next morning, so the morning was nearly over by the time I finished writing.  I spent a little time updating my online presence before Susan decided it was time for her to wake up.   Once she was awake and ready for the day, I went outside to see what I could photograph.  A few of the hummingbirds were out and fairly active, so I got some photos of them.  

By noon, it was time to fire up the pellet grill for the Saturday bacon cheeseburgers.  While I waited on it, I wandered the front yard taking pictures of the flowers.  Today’s photo caught my attention as the golden sunflower sat in beautiful contrast to the blue and white sky behind it.  As I was ready to take the picture, I noticed a bee coming in to see if there was some nectar it could collect.  I suspect that far too often we try so hard to blend in with our culture that the true beauty that God created us to have no longer stands out.  I know I don’t like to be noticed for being different, but I also recognize that it is through the unique way God has created me that I have the ability to do many of the things that help others see Him in me.  To hide those characteristics so that I fit in with others may be more acceptable, but it wouldn’t really bring the satisfaction of being who God created me to be.

After lunch, I played some computer games and eventually took a nap.  The rest felt good and helped me to focus on the sermon which has been simmering in my mind all day.  I’m privileged to be able to preach tomorrow morning at the North Wayne Mennonite Church and will  be sharing another sermon in a series on Living as the Lord’s Servant.  The message for tomorrow will look at the life of Barnabas and focus on “Serving with a GIVER”S Heart”.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• When you find yourself in need of physical rest, it is likely not the only type of rest you are short on.
• For me, writing is a good way to process a day’s activities as it often helps me to see more clearly what the day involved.
• Some parts of my memory tends to fade with the passing of time while other parts become more vivid.   I need to learn to hold onto the good parts and allow the troubling parts to fade.
• Some things look impossible, such as hummingbirds and bumblebees hovering in mid-air, but they are always possible when it is what God created them to do.
• God created us to shine like stars in a universe of darkness.  We cannot do that if we try to imitate the darkness.
• Being unique can be difficult and lonely but that isn’t nearly as tragic as not being who God created you to be
• God wants us to serve with a giver’s heart in all that we do.

Page 216 was filled with a variety of work . . . so full, in fact, that I’m writing the page the next morning.  The day began with a middle of the night storm rolling through that caused our power to flicker and woke Susan.  The storm seemed to pass rather quickly, but it brought a lot of wind and rain with it as it went by.  After going back to sleep for a few hours, I was up and started on my workday.  After checking and responding to a few messages, I began the process of replacing all of the air filters in the building.  It is always interesting to see how dirty they become in a relatively short amount of time as they capture dust and who knows what else that is floating in the air.  It’s not that the air looks dirty before it reaches the filter, nor does it look cleaner after the filter; but the unseen particles of dirt are taken captive before they can enter the bodies of the people in the building.  Kind of reminds me of what God says His Word and His Spirit ought to be for our mind as we take every thought captive before it can soil our actions and our character.

By mid-day I had made it through the unoccupied half of the building so while there were people working in the other end of the building I took a break to do some more work on a sermon for Sunday as well as make progress on some work I began some time ago that will allow people to donate to Impact Prayer Ministry online.  Even with that option now available, it is still my prayer that the giving done to help the prayer ministry accomplish its work would be prompted by God.  It was actually the requests of individuals to be able to give in ways that are convenient for them that led to my completing this process.  It’s a find balance to me as I don’t want to people to feel pressured by me to give, but I also want people to be able to respond to God’s prompting so that I don’t rob them of the joy of giving . . . or make it so difficult to do so that they don’t.

As I finished up that task, UPS arrived with the first printing of my illustrated children’s book.  It was fun to have the early proof copies that I could give to the library in  my hometown and to my parents, but to have my first order come in is an exciting thing.  They did pack them in a rather large box that had more packing filler than books, but today’s photo is of today’s shipment.  While holding the proof copies in my hands last week made the project feel real, this first shipment makes it feel complete.

As I returned to working on the sermon, the sounds of a group of children playing ball in the hallways echoed through the building.  As the noise continued with no apparent end, I went out to remind them that the hallways were not the gymnasium.  The children responded well, but at the sound of my voice it was the adults around them that peered out from the work they were doing and gave me a look like I was the one doing something wrong.  There are so many times that I wish I could just ignore the wrong that people are doing, and the wrong that I am doing, but my mind and who I am doesn’t allow me to do that.  In the past I’ve had an elder at a church tell me I’m too honest.  He knew I was right but they didn’t want to be called out privately for a lack of integrity and doing things they had insisted they wouldn’t do.  It wasn’t that what I was saying was wrong, but that my standards of honesty and integrity were higher than they believed were reasonable expectations for them.   Anyhow, the end result whether I say anything or don’t say anything is usually some level of isolation.  If I speak up, no one wants to hear it and they find ways to avoid me.  If I don’t speak up, I withdraw from people so I don’t have to dwell in the midst of the wrong I know I can do nothing about.  I can keep busy enough working on the wrong I do without surrounding myself with situations that don’t want to change.

Eventually, the building cleared out for the day and I returned to my work of changing out the air filters.  My predecessor had made small marks in the ceiling panels where each filter would be located so they would be easier to find.  As I searched for those spots, most of them were easy to find but eventually I had two filters to replace that I hadn’t yet tracked down.  As I walked the halls looking for those elusive marks, I finally found them.  Once I knew where they were, when I came back with the ladder the marks seemed to stand out so clearly that you might wonder how I ever could have missed them.  I think sin is a lot like that in most of our lives.  It starts out as a small spot, so small that it’s hardly noticeable — certainly, we believe, not noticeable to a casual observer.  Then when God uses His Word, His Spirit, or His people to point it out, all of a sudden that small spot stands out like a splash of mud on a garment of white.  It becomes all we see and we become convinced that it is all anyone else sees.  I think that sometimes God allows our view to become exaggerated so that we are compelled to do something about the spot before it really does consume us.

After the filters were all changed, I began the cleaning and prep to get the building ready for Sunday.  As I started, my wife and daughter stopped by to help with the cleaning so that I could finish up the long day and begin a long weekend of rest.  There may be a short break in these pages in the near future as it sounds like I may be away from internet access for a few days.  I’ll try to write them in my mind, and perhaps even write them on paper (gasp) to be published later — we’ll see.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• Sometimes it is the disruptions in our life that are the most effective in getting our attention.
• Filtering the air we breathe is good.  Filtering the thoughts we allow to reside in our mind is better.
• Taking every thought captive, as God instructs us to, is a good way to filter the good from the bad.
• God wants us to do our best in everything but He also expects us to be honest in representing ourselves and the things we promote.  Sometimes we package things so they look more impressive than they are and I believe God would call that deceit.
• We will rarely think well of the person who corrects us until we are able to humble ourselves and accept the correction.
• Correction that leads to defensiveness builds a wall between people.  Correction that leads to change builds a bridge.
• Some sin is not obvious until it is pointed out.  Once we’re aware of it, it is often the only thing we can see.
• It is often much easier to see the sin in someone else’s life than in our own.  That is one reason having godly friends who are honest is so important so that we can be made aware of what others already know.
• Sometimes it is necessary to disconnect from a lot of things for a time in order to better connect with God and family.

With summer rapidly disappearing in the rear view mirror, I’m trying to get back into a school year routine.  It is difficult because it doesn’t seem right to start school in early August, but since I don’t have a say in those decisions, page 215 began with a morning walk-through of the building and cleaning of the bathrooms.  The students don’t start until next week so it’s not up to full speed yet, but it seems I am starting out tired.  Fortunately, I have a short break planned before the students start school so hopefully I can unplug and reset my mind and body to prepare for the fall.  

After the building was ready for the day, I checked messages and  did some more work on the Growing Strong retreat concept.  Eventually I took a break to get my driver’s license renewed and that was actually easier and took less time than I had anticipated.  I even passed my eye test which, considering my increasing need for reading glasses, I was a little concerned about.  I don’t have problems reading road signs or the instrument panel in my truck, but the closer up things get to be somewhat fuzzy without the readers.

As I thought ahead, I realized I would likely be without internet access on Monday so I spent most of the remainder of the workday spending time with God to put together the next prayer guide.  I have one that I keep wanting to write about integrity, but so far God keeps moving me in a different direction when I sit down with Him to write.  Ironically, I think the problem is that I have specific issues that I would be tempted to address instead of listening to God for His view in order to actually write it with integrity.  So, as I spent time wrestling with God, I eventually settled on the topic of living with strength.  God calls us to be strong, but He also gives us the way that is possible — be strong in the Lord.  Living with strength is not so much about us becoming more independent as it is about us becoming more dependent on God.

By the time the prayer guide was written, it was mid-afternoon and time to call it a day and get a late lunch.  The formatting and scheduling of the prayer guide for email and the website will wait for another time, but it was good to get the writing of it finished early so it is not something on my mind when I need to disconnect for a time.  After lunch, I headed home where I followed up on a couple messages and then took a nap.  I don’t know why I’m still so tired and whether my discouragement comes from the tiredness or my tiredness comes from the discouragement.  Either way, God’s reminder for me today was that my strength needs to come from Him and that He is both willing and able to supply it.

Today’s photo is one I took through my office window as I worked on the prayer guide.  The cardinals had been singing for much of the day before they finally landed in a visible spot.  The scene made me think of the old saying, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”  I don’t know what one in the hand would actually be worth, but it was priceless to me to see and hear this pair as they chased each other throughout the brush.  Sometimes it would appear that he was chasing her and other times it looked like she was chasing him.  I think they were just enjoying life together as neither one made any effort to quit the chase or leave the area.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• My mind has a tough time releasing things that I have no control over, but holding onto them makes me weary.
• I think there is a good tired and a not so good tired.  Sometimes not getting the rest you need when you reach the good tired stage can lead to the not so good tired.
• The Sabbath-rest is God’s idea and I don’t think we usually give it the attention it deserves.
• Sometimes we need help to be able to see clearly.  God gives us His Word, His Spirit, and His people to help us when things appear out of focus.
• It can be an easy thing to manipulate God’s Word to promote our own agenda — it is, however, never a good or right thing to do so no matter how right we think we are.
• Strength done Gods way is not so much about us becoming stronger as it is about God’s strength becoming more known through us.
• Two birds in the bush can be worth way more than a single bird in the hand when they remind you of God’s incredible care and love.

Page 214 felt like a more productive day than the previous one, but that was probably helped along by having some tasks that I actually could complete.  After doing the morning walk-through of the building, I put on my accountant hat and spent most of the morning working on the missions accounting for the church.  It is a task that I enjoy doing each month as it keeps me connected with the various mission works that Deer Run helps to support.  Throughout the morning, as my eye would need a break from the numbers, I would take care of some minor tasks in the building in addition to the accounting work.  

By early afternoon it was time to change hats as the accounting work was done for the day and I needed to do some work on the roof while the weather was cooperative.  It seems like the skylights on the building need resealed every year as I’ve yet to find a product that stands up to the the combination of the sun’s heat on the metal roof and the contraction and expansion that takes place as the roofing changes temperatures throughout the day and night.  It made me think of God’s instruction that we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”  Not that we can gain our salvation by our works, but that our relationship with the living God takes ongoing effort on our part.  God has done everything necessary for us to come into a right relationship with Him, but for that to happen we must willingly and deliberately die to self and draw near to Him.  At least in my life, I find that over time the ups and downs of my faith creates cracks that allow the storms of doubt to begin leaking through.  When doubt begins to leak in, it is imperative that we turn to God’s Word to strengthen our faith and seal up the cracks before critical damage is done to the interior of our temple.

After finishing my work on the roof for now, I finished up some office work before heading out for a late lunch on my way to my hometown of Bourbon, Indiana.  I had two extra copies of the final proof of my children’s book, so I had offered them to the library in my hometown and they were happy to accept them.  I have always loved reading and some of my earliest childhood memories include books and visits to the Bourbon Library.  Being able to give books that I have written to the library I grew up going to, is an incredible experience that I never would have thought of in my wildest dreams.  Speaking of wildest dreams, I just read tonight that E. B. White’s Maine farm where he wrote the book, “Charlotte’s Web”, is up for sale . . . anyone have an extra 3.7 million dollars they wouldn’t mind parting with? 😉  

After stopping at the library, I made my way to  my parents’ farm to pay them a visit.  While there, I took a stroll through the flower fields with camera in hand to photograph some of the beauty of what they grow.  Today’s photo is one of many I captured during my walk.  The rich color and almost glowing center of this day lily captured my attention as it almost begged to be photographed.  I obviously obliged with it and with 92 of its beautiful friends.  Photographing the beauty of nature is difficult, not because the photo opportunities are hard to find but because they are so numerous.  As I gaze through the viewfinder of my camera, each blossom has a unique beauty even when they have a very similar appearance.  I’ve had to learn to enjoy taking it all in visually as I attempt to limit the actual number of photos taken.

As I reflect on the day, here are some thoughts/lessons that stand out to me:

• When I know I have long-term projects I am working on, it is good to mix in some things that can be completed in short amounts of time.
• Sometimes I have to break large projects down into smaller parts so I can at least experience the completion of a stage during the ongoing larger process.
• While I am always fascinated with how God uses the work He does through me in parts of the world that I doubt I will ever visit, I am also humbled by the work He does through others in missions work around the world.
• Ongoing maintenance is a part of life . . . and ought to be a part of our spiritual life.
• It is important to pay attention to the cracks that from in our faith.  Sometimes the only way we become aware of the cracks is when we notice doubt begin to leak into our life.
• A combination of prayer and God’s Word is necessary to seal the cracks that appear in our faith.  Life has a continual way of pulling and pushing at us so that the cracks often re-form, so the sealing of them needs to be a regular part of our life.
• Just because things, or people, look alike at first glance, doesn’t mean that they are the same.  God has created each person with the similarities that come from being created in His image and the uniqueness that comes from being knit together by His hand.