Page 117 was a day of rest.  With dinner plans for the evening, the rest of the day had no plans other than to be ready for dinner. 🙂  No new photos taken and, on the surface, it would seem like very little to write about.  But sometimes those days have been some of my longest posts, we’ll see.  Today’s photo is one I took on Wednesday and seemed fitting as the bobcat was resting in the sun.  It is not often that a day off becomes as much about rest as this one did, but sometimes we simply need rest from the routines of work and sometimes we just need rest.

I was awake by 7:30, which is actually sleeping in a couple hours, and began my day with God and coffee.  I’m not sure my mind knows how to completely rest as I found myself contemplating throughout the day on the text and outline for the sermon I’ll share on Sunday.  But, at least for me, contemplating on the Word of God is about the most restful thing I can do.  I still had to decide what I would put on the grill for the evening’s dinner plans, so once Susan got up we headed to Sam’s to see what we could find.  After picking up a few groceries, it was back home where I fired up the pellet grill to work no lunch.  That left me with a couple hours to rest while the meat for lunch cooked.  After smoked pork chops for lunch, I had a couple more hours to rest before starting up the pellet grill again to put some chicken on for dinner.  Maybe you’re seeing a pattern?  Eat, rest, eat, rest, eat, rest . . . — not a bad pattern when your goal for the day is rest.

As evening approached, my niece and her future husband came over and we enjoyed a nice meal together and talked about what they wanted in their wedding ceremony that I’ll officiate for them this summer.  The conversation made me think back and wonder if anyone is ever as ready for marriage as they think they are.  Not that they said anything that made me question their readiness, but more like nostalgic thoughts that came out of nearly 36 years of experience.  The Bible says that marriage between a husband and wife is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His church and I think the core instruction to a person entering into either relationship is the same — stay the course.  Yes, I understand that in human relationships staying the course is not always possible, healthy, or even safe.  I believe there are legitimate reasons to step aside from a relationship, but too often people make up reasons simply because there is no commitment to stay the course — in either our human relationships or our relationship with God.  Life gets hard.  I expect every marriage will face troubles and difficult times.  Jesus even promised that if we follow Him, we can expect trouble.  But the reward in our relationship with Jesus belongs to those who are faithful to the end.  And I believe the reward in marriage belongs to those who are faithful to a commitment to stay the course and work through the hardships, troubles, differences, and misunderstandings.

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

• Rest takes many forms.  The rest you need today may not be the same as the rest you need next week.
• God doesn’t stop working in your life just because you are resting.  Sometimes His greatest work takes place when we are still.
• God has given marriage to mankind as a picture of the relationship He desires to have with us.
• Our culture’s picture of marriage is often a far cry from God’s view of it.
• When in doubt, choose God’s perspective.
• Planning for a great wedding can be a beautiful thing.  Planning for a great marriage is even more beautiful.
• Commitment is a characteristic that carries us through the troubles that are sure to come.
• God desires and rewards faithfulness but He is also faithful even when we are not.

Page 116 has been the warmest day of the year so far with the temperature rising into the eighties.  It was a day to test the air conditioning systems before the temperature plummets with forecasted highs struggling to reach fifty degrees tomorrow and for the next week.  I arrived at work early to get the cleaning done and the building ready for the day so I could start mowing around the building before the students arrived.  I began with a light jacket but that didn’t last long as the sun eventually crested the horizon and broke through the early morning clouds.  I managed to get a couple hours of mowing done before running into an issue that required a trip to get parts.  I took Susan with me to Lowe’s where I was able to get the things I needed.  

Knowing it was going to be a long workday, I decided it was time for a break and took Susan for a quick visit to the zoo while we were out.  She was happy to see the tigers and one of them came right up to her when we arrived — it seems they were happy to see her too.  Today’s photo is from that zoo trip as the Macaw was out on its perch, posing for all to see.  I am fascinated by the intricate designs and the vivid colors that God gave this bird.  I enjoy our trips to the zoo.  One, because they are great times to spend with my daughter, and two, they give me an opportunity to see a variety of God’s creation that I would otherwise miss out on.

After our visit to the zoo was over, it was back to work where I finished out the morning working on getting information about the church’s VBS posted on our Facebook page and website.  I had that done shortly after noon and it was time to head back out and finish the mowing as the forecast is calling not only for cooler temperatures, but for rain to move in for the next few days.  As I mowed, I could see traffic noticeably slowing down as they crested the hill and came by our property.  I suspected I knew what was happening, and sure enough, as I made my way to mow along the roadway there was a police car setting at the end of our drive watching for drivers who grossly surpass the speed limit.  Without some measure of observation and enforcement, many drivers fly by as if there is no speed limit at all.  Even when we know the law, or what God expects, many times it is only the fear of being caught and suffering consequences that drive us to obedience.  How much better would it be for everyone if we learned to obey out of love because it is the right thing to do.

I finally finished mowing late in the afternoon and went and got a very late lunch before coming back to the building to take out trash before the Wednesday evening Bible studies.  As typical for my Wednesdays, I’m writing today’s page as I wait for the building to clear out so I can do the cleaning and prep for tomorrow.  

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

• Testing an air conditioning system when it is sixty degrees outside isn’t as effective as testing it when it is eighty. 
• True testing sometimes requires extreme circumstances.  It is easy to think you’ll act a certain way when the heat is on but you really don’t know for sure until you’re actually in the middle of the heated circumstance.
• Accommodating others isn’t always required but it is always appropriate when possible.
• When things aren’t working as they should, sometimes the best thing to do is to stop and figure out what needs fixed or serviced.
• God displays His creativity in many ways.  It is good not only to enjoy it, but to help others see it as well.
• Our behavior is typically influenced by who we think is watching.
• It is easy to say we believe God sees everything, but do our actions show we believe it?
• God’s love for us desires that we live lives obedient to Him.  Our love for Him ought to fill us with that same desire.

My workday began by turning lights off that had been left on all night, then I focused on the usual cleaning and building prep that needed done for the day.  After my initial round through the hallways, I spent some time working on one of the A/C units as I had a note left for me that it wasn’t working and the forecast was calling for a couple days of summer-like temperatures.  With the early morning outside temperature in the forties, it was difficult to give the system a good test, but it seemed to be working by the time I was done with it.  After a long winter’s rest, sometimes these systems just want a little attention to convince them to run again.  

Once the building was ready for the day and the trash taken out, I spent time doing some research to find some parts that I need for some maintenance issues.  I eventually tracked down a supplier and was able to order the parts.  I was preparing to go outside and work on the lawn equipment before mowing when Susan had a seizure.  My plans quickly changed as I held her and helped her stay safe through the seizure and early post-seizure confusion.  Once the seizure was over, she rested in my office as I turned my attention to some more prayer and work on my sermon for Sunday instead of going outside.  Today’s photo was taken as I worked in my office and could see a pair of cardinals playing in the brush and picking up biscuit crumbs I had scattered on the lawn.  This cardinal wasn’t about to let the size of the crumb stop him from enjoying a good meal.

After Susan had rested and she and MJ left work for the day, I turned my attention to the large A/C system for the main part of the building.  Spring and fall can be difficult seasons to efficiently keep the building comfortable.  With morning outside temperatures in the forties and afternoon highs near eighty, the system controls get confused about whether to run heat or A/C.  Add to that the inconsistency in temperatures from day to day, and the process is difficult to program.  This week there is one more day with a forecasted high near eighty and then a number of days that will struggle to make it to a high temperature of fifty.  It seems each day presents a different need for the system programming but I’ve learned to be cautious in making changes as it is easy to change it too much at once which really messes with the results in a way that is not good.

By mid-afternoon my workday was over and it was time to get some lunch and head home for the day.  At home I rested for a short while before going out and mowing the lawn on what turned out to be a beautiful afternoon.  When I was finished outside, I spent some time on my social media accounts and then took a short nap before sitting down to write today’s page.

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

• It is nearly impossible to teach someone something that you yourself have not learned, or are in the process of learning.
• It seems many people desire to be teachers, but few desire to be learners.
• Disuse will eventually cause difficulty in functioning properly.  This is just as true of God’s Word in our spiritual life as it is in A/C system components.
• In a society where most things are viewed as disposable, it is often difficult to find parts to repair things.
• Sadder yet, is the difficulty in finding the tools, resources, and desire to repair the brokenness in people.
• Caring for people is more important than caring for things.
• Outside factors can make consistency in life difficult, but that shouldn’t keep us from giving our best effort as we turn to God.

Today was our monthly pest control service at work, so I was up at 5 in the morning in order to meet our service tech at the building.  The early start to page 114 allowed me to clean the building in the quietness of the outside darkness.  As I cleaned, I prayed for a stillness of spirit that would match the stillness of the morning.  

Once the building was ready for the school day, I settled into some time with God as I worked on the prayer guide for next week.  This one took a little longer as I wanted it to serve as a follow-up to the sermon I will share at Deer Run on Sunday.  So, not only was I writing the prayer guide this morning, I was also writing the outline for my sermon.  The prayer guide will focus on the subject of a prayer of faith and, unless God changes it before Sunday, my sermon will follow the same focus.  James has a lot to say about faith and about the elements of faith involved in our prayer life.  The writer of Hebrews says that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  He goes on to say that “anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”  Faith is imperative to a lifestyle of prayer because our belief in a God that exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him draws us to praying with expectation and hope.

With the early start to the day, by mid-afternoon my mind was fogging over and it was time to call it a day as far as work was concerned.  At home I spent some time relaxing before heading the the River Walk with my family for a late afternoon stroll.  There were a number of good photo opportunities, including today’s photo of a goose and a few of her goslings taking a nap.  As I took this photograph, I thought about Jesus weeping over Jerusalem and longing to gather the people to Himself as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings — but they were not willing.  God still longs to draw His children to Himself and give them rest — but even today many are not willing.  

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

• The stillness of our surroundings don’t always reflect the stillness of our spirit but it ought to remind us to pray that God would still our spirit before Him.
• Spending time with God ought to allow Him to direct the flow of the time.
• My plans, even when born out of prayer, ought to be subject to God’s authority to change them.
• Not only is it impossible to please God without faith, we are unlikely to pray unless we believe God hears and answers.
• God doesn’t promise that we’ll have a smooth life.  In fact, He says that we will face trouble and even be persecuted for His name’s sake.  But He does promise to gather us under His care and protection if we are willing to accept it.

Page 113 began with the writing of page 112.  Some days it feels as if I don’t write the lessons from that day down before I go to sleep, I will never remember them.  Yet other days my mind is so tired that nothing makes sense until I get some sleep and do the writing the next morning.  For a person who thrives on routine and schedule, learning to be flexible in when the actual writing takes place has been an interesting lesson in itself.  I keep thinking I need to decide when I’m going to do the writing and just about the time I make up my mind one way, it becomes easier to do it the other.  I know that for some of you, that doesn’t sound like a big deal.  For me, it is a bigger deal than it probably should be. 🙂

Once yesterday’s page was written, we headed to the church building for Sunday School class and the morning worship gathering.  The class I attend began a study of 2 Thessalonians today and we began by considering the reputation the Thessalonians had because of their abundant and growing love for one another.  We concluded our class time this morning by beginning to look at the warnings Paul gave concerning those who would attempt to deceive them in an effort to lead them away from Christ.  While there are passages of scripture that would tend to make one believe there is a Antichrist that will appear at the end of times, there are also many warnings of those who live as an antichrist throughout all generations.  These antichrists are dangerous because they often come with an appealing message that, while having an appearance of good, is rotten to the core.

Our morning worship gathering included a message by CJ from Daniel 9.  In the message, CJ looked at the prayer life of Daniel and how that led him to seek God in the midst of desperate times.  Daniel had plenty of desperate times as an individual, but he also lived at a time when the Jewish people faced desperate times as a nation.  Their holy city, Jerusalem, had been destroyed and many of the Jewish people, including Daniel, had been taken captive to serve in Babylon.  God had called His people to repentance for years yet they continually ignored Him.  Eventually God’s discipline involved sending in the Babylonians to rule over the people for a period of time.  Daniel understood through reading the writings of Jeremiah that the time span of captivity was set by God to be seventy years and that time would soon be up.  There was a desperation not only in the circumstances of captivity, but in the need for the people of Israel to repent and turn back to God.

Daniel’s prayer life was built on the foundation of a relationship with God.  His practice of prayer included sacrifice, humility, and a recognition of who he was compared to who God is.  Daniel knew through experience and through a knowledge of God’s love for him, that God would always respond if he did not delay his prayers to Him.  It is important to note that there is a difference between praying in desperate times and prayers of desperation.  When prayer becomes a lifestyle, prayer even in desperate times is not an act of desperation, but an act of hope

The rest of the day has been spent relaxing so today’s photo is one I took yesterday on my way home from the convention.  The setting sun reminds me of God’s presence and warmth.  He lights up the evening sky with His beauty to end the day and again to begin the new one.  Even when we can’t see it because of cloud cover, the beauty still exists and is just waiting for the veil of clouds to be pushed back for the beauty to be seen.  Sometimes, as in the case of the Israelites of Daniel’s day, the cloud cover is of our own making and is torn asunder by our turning back to God in repentance.  

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

• We can often be more productive if we work smarter rather than harder.
• What works well in one place and time may not be the right approach for a different place and time.
• A church congregation will rise and fall based not only on the love we have for God, but also on the love we have for one another.
• It is important to always be on guard as many who are against Christ will try to deceive and offer a cheap imitation.
• Your practice of prayer, or lack of it, during good times will be reflected in how you respond to bad times.
• Prayer should always be the first option for everything so that even in times of desperation, our prayers are not an act of desperation but rather an act of faith. 
• God’s beauty and presence is always nearby.  When it seems less visible, we need only seek Him in repentance for His light to be rekindled in our life.

Page 112 began with my waking up in time to get breakfast at the hotel before heading into the convention for the day.  Many people say that breakfast is the most important meal for the day.  For many of the same reasons, and more, starting the day with some intentional time with God is the most important thing you can do.  It’s not that God’s presence isn’t always available to us, but if we don’t seek and acknowledge it, we can do a pretty good job of hiding from and ignoring it.

My morning was spent at the prayer ministry display as I talked with people about the ministry and shared with them about the work God does within a lifestyle of prayer.  During the lunch break, I had lunch with a young man who was a student in my first youth ministry.  We talked about ministry and family and how each of those change the other.  Sometimes one changes the other in ways that are harmful which ends up hurting both.  But wisdom teaches us how to embrace the changes that are beneficial to each and reject those that would cause harm.

After lunch it was back to the convention for an afternoon of talking with a few more people.  The traffic through the display area didn’t seem to be very good this year, so I pray even more that the conversations that did take place would bear much fruit for God’s glory.  As the convention concluded, it was time to pack up the display and load everything into the truck for the journey home.  The trip home would take me near Lake Michigan shortly before sunset, so I stopped by to spend some time with God and take some photos.  The water was a little bit choppy but the sun was shining brightly when I arrived at the lake.  The wind coming off the lake was filled with moisture and sand which added to the chill in the air.  Today’s photo is of a duck riding the waves.  There were several of these out bobbing on the water as they would rise and fall with each passing wave.  Occasionally they would disappear from view only to be seen a short while later on the back side of a big wave that had crashed over them.  

While most of us would prefer the smooth waters of life, that isn’t what we always experience.  Sometimes we live in the midst of choppy waters and sometimes the waves of life reach massive proportions as they are driven by the winds of this world.  While there are times when we have some choice in the waves we experience, other times we are left riding waves that are not of our choosing.  When we live in Christ, He helps us to stay afloat and endure the waves — perhaps even enjoy them at times.  But there are also those times when we call out to Him to save us and His voice calms the raging sea within us.

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

• A deliberate time with God to start the day helps you to be aware of His presence throughout the day.
• Sometimes God brings many people across our path that He wants us to interact with and sometimes that number is few.  
• God’s not as concerned about the total number of people we share with as He is about out being faithful in sharing with those He gives us opportunity with.
• God’s presence helps us to ride the waves of life with endurance and even enjoyment.
• God’s presence also has the power to calm the storms and the damaging waves which threaten to destroy us.
• Trusting God is the only way to live with peace.

While it has felt like a long day, page 111 will end up being a shorter workday than most Fridays are for me.  I slept in too late to get breakfast, but I did make it to the college in time to get my display set up before the start of the convention.  When I checked the schedule out last night, I noticed a name that was familiar so I wondered if it was the same person I knew.  Sure enough, as I was setting up the display an individual who had been a student in my first youth ministry stopped by to say hello.  He and his wife were leading the opening worship time to get the convention started.  It was good to see him and even better to see him honoring God with his life and abilities.

The day has been a combination of spending time with God, listening to teaching, and talking with people about prayer and the ministry God is doing through me.  In one of those times with God, I took advantage of a break in the schedule to take a short walk along a path that runs between the shopping mall and a housing development.  There were a variety of spring flowers blooming along the path and the birds were continuously singing their songs of praise as I walked.  I was trying to photograph some cardinals who were not being very cooperative, when I noticed movement in the underbrush that was more than just birds flitting around.  As I looked more closely, there were three deer grazing nearby with little concern that I was there.  A short time later, I found a raccoon peeking out of a hollow tree that seemed as interested in me as I was in him.  It made me think about how often I miss things because I’m not looking for anything.  More specifically,  how often do I miss the working of God simply because I’m not looking for Him to be doing anything in my life.  

After an evening spent talking to people about the prayer ministry, I stopped for dinner on the way back to my room.  Now I’m sitting here writing today’s page while eating butter brickle ice cream (technically frozen custard) from Culver’s as it was cheaper to buy a pint and bring back to the room with me than to have a two-scoop sundae while I was there. 🙂

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

• Priorities say that you do what is important to you even if it costs you something you enjoy.
• I get it when John writes that he has no greater joy than to hear that his children walk in the truth.
• Seeing people from a dark time period in my life who are honoring God today, not only reminds me of the pain from that time but also of the good God was doing in spite of the pain.
• There are days that my mind tells me, or at least the enemy whispers quite loudly in my mind, that I do so little good that my breathing is a waste of good air.
• On those days, God uses people, places, and/or things to remind me that He doesn’t love me because of what I do, He loves me because of who I am.
• Many times God’s love and presence seems to be highly elusive but when we seek Him with our whole heart we find He has been near all along.
• The enemy knows how to discourage.  God knows how to encourage.  Which one do you listen to most?

Page 110 was the rest day in between a long workday on Wednesday and long workdays coming on Friday and Saturday.  I was awake and enjoying my morning glass of grapefruit juice by 8 AM, which has become my new definition of sleeping in.  Susan slept in a little longer than I did, which gave me the opportunity to simply enjoy some quiet time with God as I prayed for my friend and coworker who would have knee replacement surgery today.  When Susan was finally ready to wake up, I helped her get ready for the day and then she enjoyed watching me play some Wii games for a while.  Eventually she went out and sat on the porch swing for a while and I fired up the pellet grill to have bacon cheeseburgers once again.  

After lunch I did some work on a few photos I had taken and then started putting things together for my trip to the Michigan Christian Convention.  On one trip up from the basement, we found Susan in an unresponsive seizure on the couch.  It went on for a while and required extra meds to bring her out of it which generally means a chaotic scene as her brain wiring fights to reconnect.  Sure enough, it wasn’t long after the additional medication that she fought her way out of the seizure — with fought being the key word.  The process requires some degree of restraint to keep her from seriously injuring herself, but it leaves all of us with bruises and scrapes that I’m sure is just a fraction of the discomfort she ends up enduring.

While it was good that I was there to help with the process of getting through the seizure, I did need to get my Friday morning work done tonight so I could hit the road before it got too late.  Susan was resting peacefully on the couch as I said goodbye and went in to do the cleaning and prep to have the building ready for tomorrow.  Once it was ready, I headed out for Lansing, Michigan where I will set up the prayer ministry display first thing tomorrow morning.  As I drove to the east, I could see the sun and clouds setting up behind me for what had the potential to be a decent looking sunset.  As I eventually turned to head north, the clouds had begun to build up to the point where I knew I would have a small window of opportunity to capture the scene that would present itself.  I took the first exit off the highway and stopped at the top of the interchange to shoot some photos as the sun streamed through the clouds with golden beams of light touching the earth.  As I continued my trip, it wasn’t long before the entire sky was overcast and the visible traces of the sunset were gone.  

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

• Each of us have work that is ours to do.  God’s desire is that we would do it as if we were working for Him — because we are.
• Sometimes God gives us times of quietness for the purpose of our spending time with Him.
• Planned quiet times are good and necessary, but unplanned ones usually have a reason that becomes obvious if we are still enough to listen.
• Praying for one another ought to be a joy and not a burden.
• Enjoy the times of peace God brings into your life because we often have no idea what is coming next.
• Keeping someone from seriously hurting themselves can be painful but we do it anyhow when we love someone.
• The scrapes and bruises of life really are “light and momentary afflictions” when compared to the surpassing greatness of God’s love.
• As in photos, some opportunities with people are open-ended while others only exist for a limited amount of time.  Since we rarely know which we currently face, it is best to make the most of every opportunity by doing good when it is within our means to do so.