It is a Wednesday which means there is a lot to be done before the day comes to an end.  Page 109 began with the early day cleaning as I made sure the building was ready for the school day.  Once the cleaning was done I finished up the writing of yesterday’s page and then headed out to mow as the sun was trying to make its way up over the eastern horizon.  By late morning I had mowed most of the back lawn and needed to get more fuel for the mower so Susan and I made a quick stop at the zoo while we were out.  When we got back, I refueled the mower and set out for round two to try to get the mowing done.  By mid-afternoon I was finishing up the next to last section of lawn and the mower quit.  As it seems is often the case, I was about as far away from the garage as possible.  After walking to the garage to get some tools and then back down to the mower, I got it started again just in time for the sky to open up and let loose with a steady rain.  I was still as far away from the garage as possible, and already wet, so I finished up the few passes in the section of lawn I was mowing before putting the mower away.

I had a dry shirt in the office so I was able to change shirts and start to dry out as I checked messages and finished putting together the things I will need for the prayer ministry display this weekend.  Once the after-school program was done I picked up trash and made sure the building was ready for Wednesday evening Bible studies before heading out to get a lunch/dinner combination.  When I got back to the office I posted some of the zoo pictures and began writing today’s page as I wait for the building to clear out so I can get it ready for tomorrow.  With long days coming up on Friday and Saturday as I represent the prayer ministry, my plan is to work late tonight so I can try to rest up tomorrow.  

Today’s photo is one that I took at the zoo this morning.  As we went past the alpaca enclosure, one of the alpacas had its face buried in the hay feeder.  I thought it was funny enough to take a picture but as I went through my photos later, I thought about the lesson this has for all of us.  How often are you and I so hungry for the Word of God that we bury our faces in it because we simply can’t get enough?  Yes, we can nibble around the edges and reach some degree of satisfaction, but it would be so much better to dive into the depth of scripture and consume the meat of the Word that can fully satisfy.  

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

• Finishing begins with starting.
• While there are things that I have started that I have not finished, there is nothing that I have finished that I have not first started.
• What opportunities would you have taken today if you knew that you would never get those same opportunities again?  How will that change the opportunities you take tomorrow?
• Problems are rarely convenient and often seem to happen in the most inconvenient ways possible.  
• Sometimes it is easier to finish a task, even in the midst of a mess, than to quit while knowing you still have to go back to it later.
• God’s desire is that we would hunger and thirst for righteousness to the extent that we would bury our face in Him as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

Page 108 was another good day filled with a balance of work and family time.  I’m doing the writing of the page the next morning as I’m finding the longer amounts of daylight keep me busy later into the evening and I’m tired by the time I sit down.  Writing in the mornings may become a new “normal” for a time — at least when the day provides good weather to be outside with my family in the evening.  

The day began with the usual cleaning and building prep tasks with a break in the middle to catch some sunrise photos and some building photos for our social media presence.  My workday was filled with a combination of sermon prep, prayer ministry display prep, and minor maintenance tasks.  At one point as I worked in my office, I noticed a large bird gliding in circles overhead.  I have a pair of hawks that are frequent visitors, so I thought it may be one of them and I went outside to try to get a few pictures.  It ended up being a group of six of these birds gliding with ease on the rising air currents.  With that many of them together, I doubted they were hawks and after looking at the photos I discovered I was correct — they were vultures, buzzards, turkey vultures, or whatever the going name is for this large carnivorous bird that looks for dead things to eat.  While seeing them tear apart roadkill can be an unpleasant sight, watching them glide in circles high up in the sky was actually a beautiful thing.  It is God who made them with the ability, and desire, to clean up a dead carcass that would otherwise likely spread disease and it was God who gave them the ability to fly with such beauty.  It made me wonder about how often we judge a person by what they do rather than notice who they are and the purpose God has designed just for them.

After the workday, I had a late lunch and a little bit of rest before going to Potato Creek State Park for a walk with my family in the midst of a beautiful spring setting.  Early in our walk, we passed by the nesting pole for a pair of Osprey.  As has been the case much of the time, you could see the head of one of the osprey peeking out of the top of the nest while the other stood guard on a cross-member further down the pole.  Occasionally you will find them both in the nest, but more often one of them will be in a nearby tree or out where there is a more complete view of the surroundings.  Today’s photo is of that lookout osprey sounding the warning that a potential threat was nearby.  It made me think of God calling the watchmen of Israel, and us, to account.  The responsibility lies in sounding the warning when danger approaches.  There may be no control over how anyone responds to that warning, but if the warning isn’t given then the responsibility for loss lies directly on the watchman who failed to give warning.  That is an important lesson, at least for me, because I know I get tired of warning people about the consequences of their decisions or actions only to have them pay no attention to the warnings.  It is easy to think, “why bother?”, but God reminds me that my responsibility isn’t their response to the warning.  No, my responsibility is to speak up and be free from the guilt of the destruction that is to come.

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

• Just because something has always been done a certain way, it doesn’t mean that it necessarily always has to be done that way.
• I love routine and an illusion of “normalcy” but also realize that growth doesn’t happen without change.
• When something becomes a burden, it is wise to figure out why.  And, if it’s important, figure out if there are ways to make it less of a burden.
• Things, and people, aren’t always what they appear to be.
• Our job, or the tasks that we find ourselves doing, is not the full measure of who we are.
• There are a lot of unpleasant tasks in this world that are done by very pleasant people — and there are a lot of pleasant tasks that are being done by very unpleasant people.  Being pleasant or unpleasant is our choice — choose wisely.
• The task of a watchman is difficult, but even more so when his warnings are not heeded.
• The response of people, or the lack of response, shouldn’t change the content or urgency of our message even if it changes the style.

Page 107 was the official work start of what will be a long week.  Not that the week has more than the usual seven days, but I have a lot to get done through the first part of the week so I am ready for the upcoming weekend when I’ll have an Impact Prayer Ministry display at the Michigan Christian Convention.  My day began as a typical Monday often does, up early and headed into work to get the daily cleaning and building prep done before the start of the school day.  It was a busy morning as I not only did the necessary cleaning, I also finished the writing of yesterday’s page before settling into the Monday morning routine of spending time with God putting together the next weekly prayer guide.

As I was cleaning, the view out of a couple different windows made it look like the sunrise would be worth setting up my camera to time-lapse record it.  As I set my camera up, a deer was standing along the edge of the woods watching what I was doing.  It was still in the twilight time between dark and light and she kept an eye on me to see if I was one she could trust.  Today’s photo was taken as my deer friend watched me and before she moseyed down to the far end of the lawn where she continued to observe my movements.  Trust is a tough thing to build whether it is with animals or people.  It is even more difficult to regain it once something has been done that breaks that trust.

Once the building was ready for the day, it was time to see what God would put into my mind for next week’s prayer guide.  As I spent time in prayer, two things seemed to stick in my mind — the second primarily the result of the first.  I had been told last week that CJ would likely be preaching from the book of Daniel this next Sunday.  That information likely led to the old Sunday School song, “Dare To Be a Daniel”, being stuck in my head.  As I prayed with those two pieces of information rolling around in my head, the idea of a “Dare To Be a Daniel” focus began to form in my mind.  As I spent time in the word, I found that there are six characteristics that Nebuchadnezzar looked for in bringing back young Hebrew men to Babylon after he had laid siege against Jerusalem.  Given that I always encourage people to pray on Sundays for the preaching and teaching that takes place within the local church, the six characteristics fit well into the remaining days of the week for the prayer guide.

The morning was gone by the time I finished the prayer guide and had it formatted and scheduled to go out next Sunday.  My early afternoon hours were spent working on some things for the prayer ministry display and starting to get things put together for the convention.  By mid-afternoon it was time to head home and get some lunch before back-filling the trench I had dug on Saturday.  It seemed like filling the trench in was almost as much work as digging it was.  It was a beautiful afternoon to work on some outside projects at home as well as eventually fire up the pellet grill to fix some bacon cheeseburgers for dinner.  As I finish up the writing of today’s page, it will soon be time to call it a day and get some rest to prepare for another day tomorrow.

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

• While some days or weeks seem longer than others, they all have the same amount of time in them.  How we use that time determines how long, or short, it feels.
• Finishing a task makes the rest of the tasks on the “to-do” list seem more manageable.
• Careful, and even casual, observation goes a long way in helping us see the wonder that God creates and puts on display every day.
• Doing the right thing depends more on the commitment to do so than on the circumstances we find ourselves in.
• If you’re going to take a dare, why not make it a dare to represent God in all you do.
• Finishing a project can be as difficult as beginning and while both stages bring their own form of satisfaction, it is the satisfaction of finishing that lasts.
• Beginning a walk with God is a very satisfying thing but finishing life still walking with God will bring the greatest satisfaction imaginable.

Page 106 was a Sunday and after my ditch digging work of yesterday, it felt good to sleep in and get some extra rest.  I did make it up in time for the morning worship gathering with my family at Deer Run.  It was a great Easter Sunday spent with my family and by evening, my mind and body were both tired so the writing of the page was put off until the next morning.  

The church service was well attended and it was good to see so many out to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.  David’s message centered around a narrative of the resurrection account that combined details from all four gospel writers.  For the Christian, our hope dwells in the fact that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive and at work in us so that we too may be raised.  Because each gospel writer saw the events of the resurrection from their own point of view, they each tell different details of the same story.  There are some who claim that such differences have to mean the story isn’t true, it’s just something they made up.  Experience would say that just the opposite is true — if the stories were completely identical with no differences allowed for personal observation, then a rational person would say it was a well-rehearsed made-up story.  

David did a great job not only telling the story, but challenging us to consider its importance in our own life.  As he told of the apostles commitment to the facts of the resurrection — a commitment so great that they were willing to keep telling the same story even to the point of death.  It reminded me of the old story told of four teens who had not prepared for an exam so they skipped class.  The next day, after they had prepared, they told a story of having a flat tire on the way to class.  In fact, not only did they have a flat tire, when they got their spare tire out it too was flat so it took most of the day to get help and back on the road.  They begged their teacher to allow them to take the exam late, given the circumstances.  Finally the teacher agreed to give them a new exam that they would take with each student in a separate room by them self.  The new exam had one simple question, “Which tire?”.  The point is, is that it is difficult to keep track of the details of a story that is made up and sometimes you don’t even think of all the details you need to fabricate.  Not one of the eleven remaining disciples ever wavered from the story of the resurrection and its importance in their own life.   

The message also covered the authority of scripture, the empty tomb itself, the impossibility of the disciples to actually overcome the group of Roman soldiers that were guarding the tomb, the transformation power of the resurrection in many people including a man named Saul of Tarsus, and the fact that so many people in the first century were believing in Jesus that it was being said that the message of the gospel was “turning the whole world upside down”.  

Even with all the proof, the problem with believing is that it requires us to do something about it.  When I led the prayer time at the end of the service, I asked the congregation one question — “Do you believe?”.  As you would expect, there was an audible response from the vast majority of those present — “Yes!”.  But as I shared then, the real answer isn’t what we say with our words inside a church building, the real answer is how we respond with our life both inside and outside the building.

Following the worship gathering, we had lunch at home and eventually made it out to the river walk for an afternoon family stroll.  Today’s photo was taken during that walk as this great bird stood motionless along the riverbank as we stopped to photograph.  So much of the wildlife we photograph seem to begin with a protection mode of blending in to their surroundings.  If that doesn’t work and they feel that they have been noticed, they take to plan B which is to leave as quickly as possible.  I get it.  I often live life in one of those two modes.  But as Christians, we are called to “shine like stars in the universe” as we represent the One who was raised from the dead.  

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

• Hard work is good for both the mind and body but like most things, done to excess causes problems.
• It is just as easy, sometimes easier, to become enslaved to good things as it is to bad things.  I personally have to be very careful not to become enslaved to habit, tradition, or routine.
• If you’re going to tell a story that lasts, the truth is much easier to remember than all the details of a made-up story.
• Just because we each see things from a different vantage point doesn’t necessarily mean we are looking at different things.
• If the power of the resurrection “turned the whole world upside down” in the first century, what is it doing in your life today?
• What we believe will determine what we do.  If it doesn’t, then we really don’t believe.
• If you and I are to “let our light so shine”, then we will have to get beyond the blending in and running away responses when it comes to living our faith.

Page 105 was a Saturday with summer-like weather.  So much so that I even broke the shorts out by the end of the day for a family walk.  I managed to sleep in a little bit, but once I was up I began my day with my morning coffee and some time with my friends list on social media.  Even though there is so much trash that I have to sort through, staying connected online still works well for me.  

With the beautiful weather today, I didn’t stay inside very long.  After finishing my coffee, I put on my work boots and headed outside with my figurative ditch-digger hat on.  The ground where I live is heavy clay and therefore doesn’t absorb water well.  A few years ago, I had fashioned a dry well where my sump pump empties to help absorb the water it pumps out.  That had quit functioning so it was time to try something different.  I dug the gravel out of the dry well and then dug a fifty foot trench down the slope of the lawn.  By the time I had dug the trench, the morning was nearly gone so I fired up the pellet grill to begin to cook a turkey for dinner.  As the turkey cooked, I spent the afternoon getting supplies and lining the trench with gravel before laying in a four inch drainage tile to extend the drainage capacity of the restored dry well.  

By late afternoon the turkey was done and I was done for.  I pulled the turkey off the pellet grill and let it set before eventually slicing it for dinner.  It was a good bird and after we had eaten, we headed to the river for a family walk to finish out the day.  Today’s photo was taken on that walk as I admired the beauty God had dressed this flower with.  

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

• Sometimes it is easy, and often tempting, to throw out the baby with the bath water when it come to using technology.
• There is a lot of garbage online, but also a lot of good connection opportunities.  Which you spend your time with is your choice.
• Sometimes things that worked for a time no longer function the way they were meant to.  
• Redesigning a plan is often more productive than simply giving up.
• Sometimes redesigning isn’t enough and we have to replace what isn’t working.
• Some things only turn out well if you give them enough time to be completed at the proper pace.  Not everything can, nor should, be rushed.
• Even after a long day of hard work, it is relaxing to spend time out walking with my family.
• God’s care for His creation is so obvious to me that I am constantly reminded of His care for me.

Page 104 was not only Good Friday, but it was a good Friday as I was able to sleep in, put in an eight hour workday, and still get home about six hours earlier than a typical Friday.  I began the day by finishing the writing of yesterday’s page before heading into work.  With the school and preschool both out for Good Friday, it was a quiet day at the building as MJ, Susan, and I each did our work in the peacefulness of the empty building.  After taking care of a few things in the office, I went out to finish up the mowing for the week so the grounds would have the appearance of a fresh haircut for Easter Sunday.  My goal is always to wait until May to begin mowing, but the lawn was already looking shaggy and keeping the grounds looking nice is more important than my keeping to an arbitrarily set goal.  It was a rather chilly morning on the mower, so once I was finished I headed inside to warm up with a cup of coffee.  

After a morning outside, the afternoon was spent inside getting the building cleaned and ready for Sunday.  As I worked my way cleaning from one end of the building to the other, I spent time praying for the people who would be present for Easter Sunday in each area.  I enjoy celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus each Sunday that we gather together as a church family, but I also realize there are those who will give thought to the message of the gospel this weekend that don’t normally think about the events we gather to remember.  I prayed for visitors who may be considering attending a church service on Sunday.  I prayed that the enemy would not be effective in keeping them away.  I prayed for those of us who normally attend.  I prayed that we would look beyond ourselves and our routines and be welcoming to those who visit.  I prayed for those who will led in worship.  I prayed for David and the sermon he will share.  I prayed for those who will serve throughout the building.  I prayed that God’s name would be glorified in everything that is done.

As I took the trash out late in the day, a pair of hawks were soaring overhead in the clear afternoon sky.  The evidently have a nest and live nearby as I see them almost every day as they play in the spring breeze and hunt for food.  Later in the day as my work was done and I prepared to leave, they were still out soaring so I got my camera out and took the shot that made today’s page as one of them flew directly overhead.  They are a beauty to see from a distance, but even more so when the camera brings them up close with their wings and tail spread out so they can glide through the sky.  I used to dream that I could fly and soar through the sky like this hawk — I’m obviously not equipped to do so as he is.  Once home, I have spent the evening relaxing as I write today’s page and look forward to a Saturday with my family.

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

• “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” is a principle taught by Jesus that is true in regard to more than just a day of rest.
• God’s laws, commands, and precepts are meant for our good and not for our harm.  They are designed to free us rather than enslave us.
• When your plans don’t match the actual need, it is best to change your plans.
• A little warmth on the inside goes a long way toward warding off a chill on the outside.
• “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike.” (Romans 14:5)  Personal preferences that are different doesn’t necessarily mean that either person is wrong.
• While I consider each day alike, I know that there are those who consider Easter Sunday as a special day and that consideration provides an opportunity that may not exist on other days.
• Wherever you are, there are things that you can, and should, pray about.
• God has equipped you for the good work He created for you to do, not the work He created for someone else.

After choosing to head home before cleaning the building last night, page 103 began early as I went into work to do the cleaning and building prep for the day.  Some days are easier to get up and going than others, but the peaceful atmosphere of a quiet building is always worth it.  Once the building was ready for the day, I took care of some correspondence and messages and then thought about doing some writing but my mind just wasn’t focusing.  With needing to work on Good Friday to get the building cleaned and ready for Easter Sunday, today was a planned short workday.  By mid-morning I had wrapped up my work at the building for the day and Susan and I headed out to pick up some janitorial supplies that I will need tomorrow.  I had thought we might stop by the zoo on our way to Gordon’s but it was rather cool and drizzling when we left the building so the zoo trip will wait for more suitable weather.

After picking up the supplies, we headed home where I fired up the pellet grill to make some bacon cheeseburgers for lunch.  The afternoon was spent in rest and relax mode as I spent time on social media and playing Wii games.  One of the things I continue to notice on social media is how easily angered people seem to be.  I get it.  Many of the articles, news stories, and opinion pieces are designed to tug at our emotions and one of the emotions that is often tugged at the hardest is our anger.  It’s not that this tugging is new, perhaps the frequency and availability have increased, but rather the opportunity to instantly respond has caused many a word to be “spoken” that never should have been said.  At one time, we would take in these hard to digest stories and opinion pieces at a much slower rate.  While they would still often anger us, there was rarely an option to respond immediately so we had to deal with out emotions and even allow them to challenge and convict us regarding the specific point that angered us so greatly.  Our response, if we ever gave one, was generally delayed so that it was reasoned and based on truth.  God tells us through His servant, James, that “everyone is to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.”  Sounds like good advice for daily living and great advice for social media users.

As evening came, we headed out to have dinner with my parents.  As the years go by, the thought that they won’t always be here to have dinner with gradually increases.  It was a good dinner with a few stories of years gone by.  There was talk of re-roofing buildings that I had roofed and a barn that dad put a new roof on when I was young and it just didn’t seem like either of those original events was long enough ago that new work would be needed.  But as we added up the years that have passed, the numbers told a different story.  As I came home from dinner and began to write today’s page, there were only a few photos I had taken during the day.  A pair of cardinals came by the office in the short time I was there, so today’s photo is of one of them as he searched the lawn for bugs, worms, and nesting material.  In between his meals and work, his song of praise joined with others to fill the morning air.  I wonder how often my meals and work add to my songs of praise and how often they distract from it.  About midway through this writing, weariness overtook me and I went to bed to finish up the writing of this page the next day.  And so, as a new day begins I reflect through writing on the page just lived.

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

• Finding a place of peace and quiet can be difficult but sometimes that place isn’t as far away as you might think.
• Not planning for times of stillness will usually mean we don’t find, or notice, them.
• You will read and hear things that make you angry.  How you respond says more about you than about the one who has angered you.
• The emotion of anger often shows up unannounced.  
• Being “slow to become angry” often begins by learning to be “slow to speak”.
• When anger is present, our response time usually has a direct correlation to the inappropriateness of the response.  
• “Stop, look, and listen” are not just good instructions for approaching a train crossing, they are good instructions for approaching the issue of anger as it rises in us.
• Spend time with loved ones when you have the opportunity.  Someday that opportunity will not exist.

After heading to bed early the night before, page 102 began early as I left for work with frost on the truck and a bright full moon shining in the crisp early morning sky.  I began with a quick walk-through of the building to see what needed done then sat down with a cup of coffee to finish the writing of yesterday’s page.  While I had begun the writing last night, my mind was too weary to finish it so I got the sleep I needed and felt better about writing it this morning.  After yesterday’s page was written, I did the usual morning cleaning and prep so the building was ready by the start of the school day.  

Once the school day began, I spent some time on some minor maintenance issues that were out of the way of the day’s activities.  Eventually I made my way back to the office to spend some time in prayer, listening, and writing.  As I was writing, a bright red cardinal came and perched in the brush outside my office window.  After posing for a while, he flew off and it wasn’t long before I noticed a turkey walking past my window.  There is a small group of wild turkeys that I’ve often seen on the property, but this was the first that I had one walk by without a group with him.  A good sign that spring has arrived is discovering that the lawn needs mowed.  After taking a walk outside to see how it looked, I discovered some of the lawn areas would look much better for the weekend if I mowed them.  So I got the mower out and spent the afternoon in the bright sunshine mowing lawn.  There is something about sitting on the mower seat with the hum of the engine around me and the warm sun shining down upon me that makes me sleepy.  I did get mowed today what I hoped to and now we will see if I do the cleaning for tomorrow after the building clears out following the Bible study classes or if the sleepiness takes over and I decide to come back early tomorrow to do the cleaning.

While I was mowing, there was a pair of hawks circling overhead most of the time.  I don’t know if I was disturbing their resting places or if they were hopeful my mowing would scare up some dinner for them, but they were beautiful to watch as they soared high overhead with seemingly little effort.  As I sat down to write this page, a blue jay came and perched outside my window in the evening sun.  I love the variety of birds and wildlife that God has placed around me.  It is a joy both to see them and to photograph them so they can be shared with others.  Today’s photo is of my evening visitor that God sent so I could share him with you.

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

• Sometimes it is important to press through our weariness and complete a task.  Sometimes it is important to rest from our weariness and complete our tasks later.  Wisdom is knowing which time this time is.
• Often the “why” is as important as the “what” — maybe even more so.
• Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.  I want both to be pleasing and acceptable, but choosing to work on the heart results in the outward appearance being changed as well.
• There is beauty in the ordinary situations of life if we pay attention enough to notice it.
• Sometimes I wonder if the Christian community has turned Resurrection Sunday into something we worship instead of worshiping the One who is Resurrected.
• When God says to make the most of every opportunity, special days such as Easter can often be an opportunity to share about the hope that is within you.
• What has God put into your life today that He wants you to share with someone else?