Page 157 was a continuation of trying to figure out my summer work routine.  With a summer schedule that includes a week with the prayer ministry display at the North American Christian Convention in Kansas City and a week at the National Student Conference in Evansville, I’m not sure that a regular routine will actually be achievable.  But I work best with some semblance of order even if it will be interrupted throughout the summer, so I press on with at least an attempt at routine.  🙂  

My workday began with a morning walk-through of the building.  While I was writing yesterday’s page last evening, I remembered that while I had written the next prayer guide I had not yet formatted it or scheduled it to be posted online and sent out via email.  So, once I had checked on the building, I spent the first part of my morning getting next week’s prayer guide ready to be published.  After that task was complete, I spent a good part of the morning writing, and sending out, an Impact Prayer Ministry newsletter.  After the writing tasks were completed for today, I went outside with a sprayer fill with weed killer to work on some of the grass and weeds that had grown up along the sidewalks and in the cracks of the asphalt, as well as between the asphalt and sidewalks.  It was a beautiful morning to be working outside and I anticipate the results of my work will improve the appearance of the grounds once the spray takes effect.

After I used up all the weed killer I had, I spent the rest of the workday continuing to get things ready for the prayer ministry display I will have at some events this summer.  By mid-afternoon I headed to lunch and then called it a workday after finishing up the housing arrangements for my trip to Kansas City for the North American Christian Convention.  My late afternoon and evening were spent relaxing and working on some of the details for my trip to the National Student conference and the teaching I will do there.

With no new photos taken today, today’s photo is one from our recent family vacation.  The day was overcast and was building toward a storm that eventually moved in.  This was the first photo I took that morning and the result gives the appearance of a hazy morning fog coming off the water.  I really like the photo and the look that it has, but I used the word appearance on purpose.  It wasn’t hazy or foggy at all — at least not over the water.  No, the haze was the result of bringing my camera out of the air conditioned room into the humid warmth of the Florida day — it was my lens that fogged over, not the waterway. 🙂  Not everything is always as it appears.  The Bible teaches that the devil himself will at times masquerade as an angel of light.  It is important that we look beyond what appearances to understand what actually is.

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

• Even when you know it can’t be maintained every day, it can still be helpful to develop a good daily routine.
• One advantage of keeping a daily journal in this written fashion is that the writing of it often reminds me of tasks that are in process and still need completed.
• More importantly, the writing serves to remind me of the incredible work God continues to do in and through me.
• Sometimes tasks need done in a way that show immediate results.
• Sometimes the tasks that we do take longer to produce what is wanted, but they won’t produce anything until we do them.
• Advance planning can be fun when you keep in mind the results you are planning for.
• Not everything is as it appears.  Wisdom will look beyond appearances to seek the truth.

Page 156 was back to a somewhat normal Monday routine, except school is out for the summer.  While I was still woke up at my usual school-year wake up time, I was able to go back to sleep for a little while and feel more rested when I did get up and go to work.  While there was no need for the daily cleaning of the bathrooms and hallways, I did begin my day with a walk-through to make sure nothing needed attention following yesterday’s church service.  I took care of some minor issues and then turned my attention to the Monday routine of seeking God for direction regarding next week’s prayer guide.

As I spent time in Scripture and prayer, I considered several topics before finally settling on the topic of having God’s protection.  While there is precedent in Scripture for praying about our physical protection, God’s Word seems to put much more emphasis on praying about a protection of our faith, and of our soul, from the evil one.  In fact, Jesus tells us that we will face trouble in this world so the protection we pray for isn’t necessarily to avoid all trouble, but to remain faithful through the trouble.  When bad things happen to good people, it is important that our heart, mind, and spirit are protected from the lies of the enemy who wants us to believe God has somehow failed.  Yes, we pray that God would protect us from harm, and many times He does just that.  But we also pray that God would protect us from heading down a path of sin when circumstances aren’t what we expect and harm comes our way.

Once the prayer guide was written, I turned my attention to doing some preparation for the Impact Prayer Ministry display I will have at the North American Christian Convention in a few weeks.  After doing inventory and realizing my book supply was quite low, I ordered copies of all eight of the books I have written and published.  These books, along with prayer ministry information and resources, will be shared with individuals at the convention who will use them to grow in their relationship with God through prayer.  With eight titles now in print, the restocking of my supply for a convention can become rather costly but I continue to trust God to provide the resources that allows me to freely share what He has given.

Before I knew it, the afternoon was nearly over and I hadn’t even made it to lunch!  As I left work, I decided that it was late enough that lunch would be skipped as it wasn’t long before it would be dinner time.  At home, I relaxed a little bit before firing up the pellet grill to get some chicken started for dinner.  After dinner, I took my camera out on the porch and snapped a few photos of a hummingbird and the roses.  Today’s photo is of a yellow rose bud that captured my attention with its color and beauty.  

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

• For me, adjusting a routine takes time so I have to consider if the change will provide a benefit that outlasts the time required for it to take place.
• I don’t like surprises, so it is always good to find out early about things that need done. 
• It is better to check on potential problems and find none than not to check and discover later that there are problems.
• Being protected from physical harm is a good thing.  Being protected from spiritual disaster is an even better thing.
• You typically don’t know for sure what you have, or don’t have, until you stop and count.  That’s true for God’s blessings just as much as it is for books in inventory.
• Giving away books is not only something that God has convicted me to do, it has become an act of faith that helps me to grow in my trust of Him.
• God continually captivates me with both the simplicity and complexity of creation.

Page 154 has been a laid back, reflective kind of day.  I slept a little later than usual, but was still up early to put some more study and work in on the sermon I’ll share tomorrow.  As I worked, I would peek in on Susan every once in a while.  She was very content to be left alone so she could sleep the morning away while she had the chance.  By late morning Susan was ready to wake up, so I took a break from my study to help her get around for the day and then fired up the pellet grill to work on lunch.  

After lunch I relaxed for a while, then took my outline and Bible out to the porch to continue my work while watching for hummingbirds at the feeder.  As I worked on my sermon, every once in a while I would look up and a hummingbird would be at the feeder.  By the time I picked up my camera it would be gone, so I finally set up my camera on a tripod with a remote shutter release that I kept in hand.  Even with that, it was difficult to catch the quality of shot I would have liked because they just don’t sit still very long.  I guess it is another aspect of photography that I will have to study and experiment with to see if there are camera settings more beneficial than what I was using.

By late afternoon, I fired the pellet grill back up and put some pork chops on to slow cook for dinner.  As they cooked, I went back out to the porch to continue my study and bird watching combination.  Today’s photo is one that I captured as it perched on the feeder for a brief stop.  Even though the photos were few, it was fun to watch the hummingbirds come and go as they would dart in for a quick drink, then fly off at top speed into the midst of the pine trees.  While it was a joy to watch them, the variety of songbirds singing in the trees added to the beauty of the afternoon.  

By the time the pork chops were done, I packed up my camera and study material so I could enjoy dinner with my family.  Now as evening winds down, I will finish writing today’s page, wrap up my study, and get some sleep as I still need to go to work early in the morning to finish the cleaning and prep of the building that I didn’t get done Friday.

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

• For me, a sermon is never completed until I preach it . . . and even then it is only my part that is complete, my prayer is always that God continues to do His part in producing good fruit from it.
• One of the primary keys to being a person “after God’s own heart”, is to learn to guard our own heart.
• An unguarded heart can quickly lead us to great trouble.
• It is not good enough to guard part of our heart while leaving other areas of it unguarded.  The enemy who seeks to destroy and devour will always find the unguarded area.
• The more still I become, the more I’m aware of God’s presence in and around me.
• A guarded heart equips us to live as the Lord’s servant in the way we serve others.
• While there are certain tasks I need to do each week, I am very thankful for the great flexibility I have regarding when I do them.

Page 153 was back to work after a great family vacation, but it began with the writing of page 152.  With school out for the summer, I started my workday a little later than I had been during the school year but I was still awake at what has become my normal time before the sun is up.  There was a chill in the air as I went to work so I was glad I had a jacket in my office to put on as I began the mowing for the day  My day was a combination of mowing and sermon prep, which worked well as I was able to think through the sermon outline as I mowed and would use short breaks to jot down thoughts or look up scriptures that I would then meditate on during the next mowing segment.  

The sermon that I will share on Sunday at the North Wayne Mennonite Church will continue the series of character studies about living as the Lord’s servant.  This week the character we will consider is David.  When people think about the life of David, there is usually one of two stories that come to mind first.  What story from the life of David comes to your mind first?  Is it the story of David and Goliath or the story of David and Bathsheba, or do you think of something entirely different in the life of David.  It is interesting because the two stories are complete opposite in regard to how David handled each specific situation.  Yet it is not based on David’s success on the battlefield nor on his failures at home that we will consider his life as a servant of the Lord.  Rather, it is the commentary of scripture that states David was “a man after God’s own heart” that teaches us the most about how we ought to live as the Lord’s servant.  David’s life ought to be encouraging to every believer because in God’s eyes it is the desire of our heart that He notices whether we appear to rise with success or fall in failure.  

By late afternoon, the mowing was done and the sermon was simmering so I went inside to get the building ready for Sunday.  There were still a few people throughout the building so with a tiredness that was helped along by the warm sunshine upon my face and the hum of the mower engine behind me all day, I decided to call it a day and come back sometime before Sunday morning to do the cleaning.  Once I was at home, I relaxed for a while then pulled out my camera and went outside to photograph some of the flowers that were blooming around the house.  Today’s photo is one of those blossoms that caught my eye with its striking beauty and the subtle tinge of color around the petal edges.  It was just one more reason why I enjoy taking photos that remind me of the incredible creativity and wonder that God chooses to share with us.

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

• Waking up early each day of vacation to photograph the sunrise helped it to not be so difficult to wake up early on the first day back to work.
• An early summer Indiana morning doesn’t feel the same as an early summer Florida morning.  It is wise to know where you are and to be prepared for it.
• If you’re doing a task that safely allows your mind to wander, it is always good to let it wander toward the Word of God.
• Whether you feel like you’ve defeated a giant or feel like you’ve defeated yourself, God always examines the heart.
• Victory is only sweet if it is obtained through a heart that fully seeks God.
• Failure is never eternally fatal if you return to seeking God with your whole heart.
• Sometimes it is important to do specific tasks right away while other times it is more productive to wait.  Wisdom is knowing which course is right.
• God is never lacking in the creativity and beauty departments.  If we’re not noticing it, we’re probably not paying attention.

Page 152 was the dreaded “travel home from vacation” day.  While I don’t really like to see our time away come to an end, I do enjoy being home so it really wasn’t all that dreaded. 🙂  I was awake early again for some final sunrise photos over the water and a last walk along the gulf beach for this trip.  Then it was time to try to make everything fit back into the suitcases and pack up the car — double and triple checking everywhere to make sure we didn’t leave anything behind.  

We had a little time between check-out and needing to be at the airport so we made a quick stop for our traditional “last day of vacation” photo and then went to a county park to walk and take some photos.  Today’s photo is of a young alligator that was one of several we saw at the park.  As I watched them, and then saw one of the adult alligators swimming out in the lake, I thought about how much they change as they grow.  Stories abound of people who find them as babies and think they are cute, so they take them home only to abandon them in public waters somewhere when they grow and mature and the cuteness turns to dangerous.  That’s often how sin takes hold in our life.  We start with what seems like just a small thing, that at the time appears cute.  But as it grows and matures, it is no longer cute at all but rather it becomes a sin that can completely devour us unless we remove it from our presence.

After our visit to the park, we ate lunch then headed to the airport where we began the process of checking our bags, going through security, and waiting for the flight.  While there are plenty of things that could easily frustrate a person on either side of the counter through that entire process, choosing a pleasant attitude sees to be the most productive for all involved.  As in our trip to begin our vacation, this return process seemed to go as smoothly as expected and we were boarding the plane without waiting very long at any point in the process.  The flight home had a brief “bumpy” time, but overall was smooth and did what was expected — got us from point A to point B safely and in an appropriate amount of time.  I believe life is a similar journey as we choose to live in Christ.  Choosing a pleasant attitude, or as Paul puts it, “learning to be content in all circumstances”, goes a long way toward making the journey enjoyable for all involved.  Yes, there may be some “bumpy” spots in life, but the goal is to reach our eternal home safely and at “just the right time”.

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

• The same God that calls us to rest also calls us to work.  The key is to find a healthy balance between the two.
• While I may enjoy this journey on earth, I realize that one day it will end.  But that’s okay because I also long to be home with God.
• Bad behavior that is laughed at as “cute” in a two year old quickly becomes obnoxious behavior when it persists into adult life.
• It is easier to remove temptations form our life when they are thoughts — before they mature and give birth to sin which desires to devour us.
• Our attitude is a major component as to what kind of journey we will have on this earth.  
• Our attitude is influenced by many things but in the end, we choose what attitude we will have.
• The journey won’t always be as smooth as you would like and may even take some detours but when you keep your mind fixed on your destination, you learn to accept the journey for what it is.

Page 151 was a relaxing day following Susan’s massive seizure the evening before.  I don’t think any of us slept well, but I was still up early to go out and photograph a beautiful sunrise and some early morning scenes.  Susan woke up happy and doing well, so we headed back to Fort De Soto Park to walk the pier, that we didn’t make it to the evening before, and look for dolphin.  We found one that was playing around the pier and having fun with the fishermen.  Those fishing for large fish would use small fish as bait, and the dolphin would grab it and pull it under the pier before slipping the fish off the line for himself and leaving the fisherman with an empty hook.  Others would come up in boats and cast nets to catch “bait fish” . . . the same fish that the dolphin was there to eat. 🙂  If those casting the net weren’t paying attention, and sometimes even if they were, the dolphin would take advantage of someone collecting a group of fish together and have his meal along with the bottom of the net. 🙂

We spent the rest of the morning watching the dolphin while enjoying the beautiful weather on the pier.  As lunch time approached, we left the park and stopped for some more of the “cookie tray” seafood platters.  After our seafood feast, we rested for a while before MJ headed to the beach and Susan and I eventually made our way to the pool.  By evening, we decided to head back to Fort De Soto for the sunset as it would be a different scene than what we’ve been photographing at the beach across the street.  There was still a dolphin out playing with the fishermen and the sunset was stunning as it dropped into the gulf.  While we were watching and photographing the sunset, a man hooked a small fish on his line and asked if Susan wanted to reel it in so she could catch a fish.  She agreed to do that and then wanted to hold the fish once it was in. 🙂

We did some photographing of the pier after the sun set, and eventually decided that our last night of this vacation would have to end sometime so we headed back to our room.  We each started through the photos we had taken throughout the day before eventually deciding it was time to sleep and the rest of the photos would have to wait until we make it home.

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

• Sometimes you need to rest and sometimes you need to just keep going.  Wisdom is knowing correctly which time you are currently at. 
• When plans don’t work out, it is good to evaluate whether it was a good plan at the wrong time or simply a bad plan.  If it was a good plan, keep looking for the right time.  If it was a bad plan, discard it and move on.
• Just as in fishing for fish, when fishing for men it is good to be aware of the dangers that exist before you cast your net.
• It is much easier to be content when you are helping others find enjoyment.
• If you’re letting your light shine, don’t worry too much about the darkness.  Your light will appear brighter when surrounded by darkness than it does when surrounded by light.

Wow, what a day!  Page 150 began with a peaceful and relaxing morning and eventually ended with sort of a return to that, but the in between was filled with excitement — both the good kind and the not so welcome excitement.  Today’s photo of the day is a reminder that sometimes you just have to dive in head first and pray for the best.  Now granted, it helps if you know what you’re doing or at least what you expect to accomplish.  This pelican was fishing and his diving in head first was intentional and for a purpose . . . he wanted a meal! 🙂  

The morning began somewhat cloudy so I went back to sleep for a little while after seeing that the sunrise wouldn’t be visible . . . at least not in the way I wanted to photograph.  I did go out a and shoot a few early morning photos after the sun had made an appearance an hour or so after the official sunrise time.  It was peaceful and beautiful and I didn’t have to worry about people walking into my photos . . . there weren’t any out!  Eventually we decided to head up the road a ways to see about taking a boat ride out to look for dolphins.  We had lunch and then went out for a very enjoyable ride on Little Toot — a wonderful little tugboat that we’ve been out on in years past and always enjoyed the trip.  This trip was no exception as we had a great ride and took some good dolphin photos from the boat.

After our exciting boat trip, we headed to the beach to relax and swim in the very warm gulf water.  As evening approached, we decided to head down to Fort De Soto Park to see if we could find some dolphin playing around the pier.  Our first stop at the park was on a loop with a view of the Sunshine Skyway.  We stopped and took a few photos of the bridge and a variety of birds that had gathered.  As we left there and headed to the pier area a minute away, Susan had a seizure that turned into one of her big ones.  This excitement wasn’t the welcome kind as her post-seizure state from these major ones looks rather wild and out of control.  It looks that way because that is exactly what it is.  After fighting to come back from the seizure for half an hour or so, and a visit by a park ranger, Susan was calm enough to get her into the car and head back to the room.  On the way back, a little over an hour after the seizure began, she eventually reached the calm and sorrowful stage and was happy to rest peacefully on the couch when we got to the room.  As she settled in for a good rest, I headed over to walk the beach with my camera where I could finish the day and unwind.  

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

• Excitement comes in many forms.
• Diving in head first can get you what you want, but it can also get you killed.  It is wise to known the what, why, and how of your diving before you simply jump in.
• Even when the view isn’t what you want, it is still possible to see beauty if you look for it.
• I enjoy adventure, but I tend to go with what I know and have already tried than to take a chance on something new.
• There is great beauty in watching God’s creation swim alongside you boat and playfully leap out of the water.
• You don’t know what tomorrow will bring, let alone what the next moment will hold for you.  Make the most of every opportunity.
• Their are often many unpleasant storms in life but after the storm is over, no matter how long it takes, there will be peace and rest.