After some mid-January spring-like weather, winter has returned with snow in the forecast for the next several days.  The alarm was set for early this morning to head into work to finish the cleaning for the day and take care of any potential snowfall.  While there had been some light snow flurries overnight, the snow did not accumulate so my morning work was all inside.  As I cleaned the building to get ready for Sunday services, I prayed for each aspect of the morning gatherings and for those who would respond to God’s call to gather together.  

After the building was cleaned and the trash taken out, it was time for the morning Bible School class where we are studying the book of Colossians.  While not a lengthy letter, Paul packs a lot of content into it as he expresses his thankfulness for them and warns them of attitudes and practices that would get in the way of living a life of faithfulness to God.  As the foundation for all of their belief and action, Paul weaves throughout the letter many clear reminders of both the supremacy and deity of Jesus.  If our desire is to fully follow Christ, it is imperative that we know Him as our complete authority — and as God.  

After the Bible class, I stopped by my office and a deer was standing at the window.  I had not brought a camera with me, so I pulled out my cell phone and shot a quick photo before he decided to move on.  It wasn’t long before two more walked past my office but they didn’t stay around long as it appeared they noticed the activity in the other rooms along that side of the building.

After the Bible study hour, we had a great worship gathering as we sang praises to God, shared in communion, and received a message from God’s Word.  CJ Powell brought the message this morning from Luke 5 as we looked at the call of the first disciples to become “fishers of men”.  While it appears that Simon, James, and John were fishermen by trade, I always find it fascinating that they never seem to have much luck catching fish until Jesus shows up and gives them instructions on how and where to fish.  So, I’m not sure if those Galilean fishermen would have been considered average or advanced, but either way Jesus made them able to not only catch fish, but to catch people for His kingdom.  I suppose that when it comes to making disciples, most of us would consider ourselves average at best but a few may think of themselves as advanced.  The good news is that God can, and desires to, make us able to be “fishers of men”.  While disciple-making does require our involvement, the transformation of those being discipled is the work of God’s Spirit through us and in them.  Average or advanced, we are able because we have a God who is able.

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

• Anger is contagious but prayer has a way of dissolving the anger of others that has crept into your life.
• Peace can have a contagious element to it as well, but it seems it takes more effort on our part as a peacemaker before it spreads to others.
• The encouragement and warnings that Paul wrote to the Colossians were not just for them — they are for us as well.
• Instead of “yelling” at each other about our political and social positions, God wants us to pray for and love one another.
• Our view of how average or advanced we are doesn’t make that much difference when we look to God to make us able to do what He has called us to do.

After a week of early mornings and late nights, it felt good to sleep in today.  Once I finally got up and had my morning coffee, page 28 was a relaxing day spent going through the photos I took last week as I did some minor editing/adjusting to them.  Each photo was a reminder of a moment in time.  Today’s photo is one of those moments.  I was on my way through Cades Cove to spend some time in prayer and worship when I stopped along the road to shoot this photo.  The day’s forecast was for 100% chance of rain and while the dark clouds in the distance definitely looked like rain was falling from them, the sun was shining brightly across the cove where I was.  It was a perfect setting to spend some time in prayer and worship — while all settings really should be perfect for prayer and worship, some places tend to draw me to a natural response of worship more than others.

Eventually I took a break from the photo editing to go to the store with my family.  When we got back home, I returned to the task of going through the photos.  I ended up taking over 700 photos during my trip to the CCL conference so there are a lot of moments in time to go through.  I usually try to limit the number of photos I take and look for a scene that really captures my attention, yet I guess there are a lot of those because I am almost always surprised at how many pictures I have at the end of a day.

With today mostly being a day of rest, I guess today’s written page will be a little shorter than most but there are still some lessons to be learned.  🙂

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

• While we can capture a moment in a photograph, we can’t actually go back to it except as a memory.
• What we do in our immediate moment will influence the memories we hold onto in the future.
• My mind seems to have an easier time holding onto bad memories than to good ones.  For me, photos help to tip the scales in the other direction.
• What we take into our mind will influence our daily attitude.  That is why it is critical that we daily guard our heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
• It doesn’t matter how often and loudly they say it, someone saying you can’t be a Christian if you do or don’t do so and so, doesn’t make it so.
• God says that perfect love casts out all fear.  It would appear that all sides of our greatly divided nation could use a healthy dose of perfect love.
• Prayer and worship needs to be a lifestyle no matter the circumstances of life.  When we live in that manner, we find joy when a particular setting draws us even closer to God.
• When I allow the angry voices of social media to fill my mind, I find myself becoming angry.  When I allow the peace of God to dwell richly within me, I find that I am more peaceful toward others.

After a great busy week representing the prayer ministry at a conference, page 27 was a dive back into the deep end of work.  It was snowing when I went to bed last night so I set the alarm early to be ready for whatever needed done in the morning.  While it only ended up being a dusting of snow overnight, much of it melted as it fell and then froze onto the sidewalks and other surfaces creating a hazardous condition.  With a little ice melt put down as soon as I got to work, it wasn’t long before the sidewalks were in good shape for the day.  After doing some cleaning and taking out trash, I dug into the mail and messages that had accumulated during the week.

As I considered the feedback given by people who had picked up my latest book, I began to spend some time in prayer seeking direction for what God would have me to write next — if anything.  Eventually, the idea of writing another set of daily devotions in this “Devotions For Those Who Serve” series settled in my mind.  God calls all of us to serve one another but often we have great difficulty in serving with the attitude, and in the manner, that Jesus set the example for us to do.  As I continued my prayer time, I began to collect potential topics for the next thirteen weeks of daily devotions in this series.  When I came up for air, I found that I had nineteen topics selected for consideration so I guess I can select the thirteen I will use this time and have six already selected for the third volume.  Some of the topics being considered are “Serving With Compassion”, “Serving With Endurance”, and “Serving With Wisdom”.  

As I worked in the office, a number of birds eventually showed up in the brush outside my office window.  Today’s photo is of one of the birds as it was snacking on some of the berries still available in the underbrush.  The beauty and variety of the wildlife seen from my office is astounding at times and I am in awe of the creativity of my God.  By mid-afternoon it was time to get some lunch before starting the Friday evening cleaning to get the building ready for Sunday.  As I worked on one end of the building, the long days of the week caught up with me.  I was too tired to be very productive, so I finished up the areas I was working on and decided I would come back to work sometime tomorrow or early Sunday to finish up the cleaning. 

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

• It is better to be prepared for bad weather that doesn’t materialize than to be unprepared when it does come.
• As much as I don’t like ice melt tracked into the building; I dislike dangerous, slippery sidewalks even more.
• Life can become slippery in ways that cause many to fall.  
• Many times when we fall, it is because we have not taken appropriate measures to reduce the “slipperiness” of life.
• The longer we put things off, for whatever reason, the more work it takes for us to “catch up”.
• If we’re not serving on a daily basis, we need to spend time with God seriously examining why not.
• Serving begins with our heart and our attitude before it ever presents itself in action.
• God’s creativity extends beyond the wildlife and into the beauty of mankind.
• It is good to recognize there are times when it is wise to stop what we’re doing and rest so we can be more productive in accomplishing the work that needs done.

Page 26 began early as I needed to pack up my display, and my clothes, before breakfast so I could begin the trip home after I ate.  As I made a final check of the room, the sun had begun to illuminate the clouds that were hovering over the mountains.  It was raining when I went to bed last night, so this view was a pleasant surprise this morning.  This is one of the reasons why I try to keep a camera out and handy as much as possible as I was able to shoot a few photos of the beautiful morning sky.  

I love representing the prayer ministry at conferences and find that the opportunity to share about the privilege of prayer has a way of refreshing my spirit even as I pray that it refreshes those who hear what I share.  I guess I’m getting old though, as the long days and short nights catch up with me more quickly than they used to.  As I chatted with some camp leaders around the breakfast table, I was reminded of how God weaves together the fabric of our life in a way that includes the lives of others.  God uses the people around us to add value to our life and he uses us to add value to theirs. 

Once breakfast was finished, the conversations concluded, and the final display items loaded into the truck, I was ready to begin the drive home.  I was making a detour to pick up my father-in-law, so I left before the closing conference session so I could get home at a somewhat reasonable time.  The mix of sun and clouds added great beauty as I drove and could see the shadows of the clouds dancing across the hills and mountains as I drove through Tennessee and into Kentucky.  I spent part of the drive listening to worship music and part of the drive with the radio off as I enjoyed the quiet time with God.

About mid-way through the drive home, the sun part of the mix disappeared and was replaced by very light freezing precipitation that seemed to be trying to snow.  As we drove up through Indiana, the precipitation became more consistent until it finally turned into brief periods of heavy snow squalls.  The air temp was hovering at the freezing mark but the roadways were still warm enough that the snow did not cause any driving difficulties.  Finally, after eleven hours on the road, I made it home where I’m trying to unwind by writing today’s page so I can get some sleep.

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

• While I enjoy traveling to represent Impact Prayer Ministry, there is still no place like home.
• Everything we do on this earth has a beginning and an end.  How we finish a task generally says more about us than how we begin.
• The only thing we have which is eternal is the life we have in Christ.
• God brings people into our life, and us into theirs, so that each of us would be made complete and mature as we use our God-given gifts and abilities to encourage and equip one another.
• It is difficult to write about meaningful lessons learned when the mind is in a tired fog. 🙂

The long days have made for restless nights for some reason.  Most of the time long days make me tired enough that I sleep really well, but not at this conference.  Page 25 began early as I seem to be locked into a sleep pattern that includes a 5:30 wake-up time.  Usually when I know I don’t have to be up that early, I can go back to sleep rather quickly.  After trying that to no avail, I got up and set out for an early morning drive up the mountain where I hoped to be able to watch the sunrise as I spent some quiet time with God.  As I drove, I caught a glimpse of the moon which had just a sliver of it illuminated but as it was rising just ahead of the sun, the light was reflecting back to the dark part of the moon so that even it was visible.  It was still dark when I arrived at the top of the mountain, so I took a few photos of the moon while I waited for the sun to begin adding color to the sky.  As the sunrise began, I set up one camera on a tripod with a time-lapse setting where it would take a photo every five seconds and combine them into a video.  I used my other camera to keep snapping shots that would catch my eye as the sun made its way up over the horizon.  Today’s photo is one that was away from the actual sunrise but still contained some of the sunrise colors and the beauty of the mountains waking up for the day.  

Once the sun was up, I headed back down the mountain for breakfast to start the conference day.  The morning was spent at my display table talking with people about the prayer ministry and the resources that were available for them to use.  Much of the afternoon was a block of free time, so I joined a group that was headed out for a hike.  It ended up being a nice walk through the woods to the base of a waterfall that was pretty impressive considering how little effort it took to get to it.  When we got back to the hotel after the hike, I had time to clean up a little bit and then joined a group for dinner before the evening conference session.  Tonight the singing part of our worship seemed to be focused on us blessing God and the message was about understanding and overcoming frustration.  Many times frustration settles into our life because we have expectations that are not being met.  It doesn’t matter much if those expectations are realistic or not, if what we expect doesn’t come to be we tend to get frustrated.  It is through examining our frustration enough to understand the expectations, that we are able to overcome the expectations that don’t match with God’s.

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

• Restless nights are good times to talk with God.  I believe that sometimes God stirs my spirit to be restless because I need to talk with Him and there are times it is restless for other reasons but talking with God helps to calm those too.
• Darkness cannot overcome the light.  In God’s presence, even the darkness becomes light.
• God has gifted people with some incredible abilities that are being used for His glory.
• Most people don’t realize how incredible their gifting is nor how much God is using it for His purposes.
• It is fun to have opportunities to watch people catch a glimpse of what God may be wanting to do in their life as I tell my story and give God the credit.
• Sometimes even an introvert to the nth degree enjoys being with people when he can interact on his own terms. 🙂
• God wants our life to bless Him, and in so doing to be a blessing to others.
• When frustration begins to settle, we need to ask what it was we were expecting and why.

Page 24 has been a full day of representing the prayer ministry at the Christian Camp Leaders Conference.  I managed a few photos from my hotel balcony as the sun was rising this morning, although the clouds were so thick to start the day that it was more of a gradual illumination than a sunrise.  After that I was busy pretty much non-stop until a short break just before dinner when I was able to go outside and shoot some photos of the sunset as the sky had cleared throughout the day.  Today’s photo is one of those sunset photos a pavilion on the hotel property.  Just over the hill to the right is the burned out remains of a building that was destroyed by the fire that swept through the area late last year.  While this pavilion survived, the hotel staff said there were a number of rocking chairs on it that were severely damaged by the heat of the fire as it swept past.

A big part of my day was spent talking with people about pursuing God through a lifestyle of prayer.  Many times we want to feel a greater knowledge of God’s presence in our life but we fail to make spending time with Him a priority.  We often begin a greater pursuit of God with a conviction to pray more but soon give up on that when we don’t immediately receive the answers we had already decided were acceptable.  Unfortunately, when we begin a conversation with God with the acceptable answers already in our mind, that’s not prayer.

Not only did I get to talk to people about the gifting God has put within my life that allows me to preach, teach, and write, I was able to share some of that gifting with others as they picked up copies of the books and printed resources I have with me.  After dinner we gathered for a time of worship and a message from God’s Word as we were challenged to not only learn from our times of waiting, but to respond to those times with thanksgiving as we trust God.

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

• The sun rises each day and even when it can’t be directly seen, it illuminates the day in a way that we know its presence exists.
• We ought to live life in such a way that even if people can’t directly see Jesus in us, our life illuminates their day in such a way that they know He exists.
• God has given each of us a life story and desires that we find ways to tell our story and give Him the credit.
• Fire can destroy but it also can purify.  The result depends mostly on what you’re made of.
• Waiting often seems like a waste of time to most people, but it is in the waiting that God often reveals to us just what it is we have inside.

With a bright, sunny day yesterday when the forecast was for rain, I guess it was only fitting that today’s forecast of rain ending by 8:00 AM ended up being rain all day.  I began the day trying to get a handout printed for the conference.  I went online to see if I could submit a file to a local store and pick up the copies this morning.  I found a national chain that I’ve used in the past for printing but when I submitted my file and request for 50 two-sided copies, it said I could pick them up anytime after noon on Wednesday!  That wasn’t going to be helpful, so I canceled the order and headed down to the lobby to get breakfast to start the day.  After breakfast I packed my things for the move to the conference hotel and then drove a block to the copy store to see if Wednesday really was the soonest they could print my file.  They didn’t have much good to say about the online interface and had my print job done within 10 minutes.  

It was still raining lightly when I left the store but since I expected it to end soon, I headed into the park to do a little hiking before I needed to set up the prayer ministry display.  I had mapped out a trail loop of just under six miles that included at least one waterfall but some of the reviews described the waterfall as “so-so”.  When I reached the trail head, it was still raining but I decided that would just increase the beauty and flow of the waterfall so I put on my rain jacket and headed down the trail.  I soon discovered that when it rains in the mountains, nearly every hillside has a waterfall flowing down it somewhere — including down the hillside trails. 🙂  While many of them were in the midst of the forest with little opportunity to photograph them, the beauty of all the flowing waterfalls was amazing.  About midway into my hike, I reached the named waterfall that was the reason for my choosing this trail.  Sure enough, the rain had amply supplied it with water and it was well worth the hike to see it.

The parking for the trail head of this hike was in the midst of what used to be a community of homes and cottages along the river.  Today’s photo is of one of those homes that has been left to deteriorate after being bought to become part of the park property.  Some of the homes in one area have had some measure of preservation done in an attempt to portray to visitors a few of life from a generation or two ago.  But many of them are being left to die of natural causes as the roofs begin to cave in and the walls collapse.  This one caught my eye because it appeared as if it would have been a very nice home/cabin when it was built and being used.  The other side would have been the front and there was still evidence of a very nice stonework arch, sidewalk, and entryway leading up to the house.  I love the park and think it is a valuable asset to our country but I also feel bad for the people who had to sell their family property  because the park wanted it.  

After finishing the hike, I drove up the mountain to view more of the rainy day beauty from the dry inside of my truck.  After about 45 minutes of the heater blowing through the vents directly on me, my shirt was finally dry enough that I was comfortable again.  The rest of the day was spent setting up the display for the conference and then attending the opening night activities before unwinding with some time in the hot tub.

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

• You shouldn’t believe everything you read online.  Go to the source and see if what is being said is both true and in context.
• Sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone in order to get things done.
• They say that “into every life some rain must fall”, so I guess we better learn to enjoy what the rain produces.
• My endurance level seems to be proportional to my enjoyment level — and vice versa.
• Letting go of things for our own good can be difficult.  Letting go of them for the good of others often takes the difficulty to a whole new level.
• It is good to have the opportunity to share what God has given.

Page 22 was a day of prayer and worship as I spent time with God on some trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  When I woke up, the forecast was calling for one hundred percent chance of rain so I decided I to head over to Cades Cove where I could spend time in one of the old church buildings reading scripture, praying, and singing songs of praise.  I also packed some rain gear and decided I would brave the elements in order to get some photos and since waterfalls were one of the themes for the day, a little rain ought to help. 🙂  

As I reached the Cove, the heavy cloud cover had disappeared overhead but it looked like it was raining in the mountains.  I stopped and spent some time at one of the old church buildings along the roadway and spent some time in worship and prayer.  One of the reasons I conference location early when I can, is so I can spend time praying for those who will be attending.  When I reached the trailhead for a waterfall hike I planned on taking, it still looked like rain over the mountains but the sky was clear where I was.  Since I was prepared for the rain, I set out on what was a six mile round trip hike.  The sun stayed out for the entire hike and I found myself shedding the rain gear rather quickly.  Today’s photo was taken as I headed back to the truck with the sun filtering brightly through the trees onto the trail.  There were a few people using the trails, but for the most part I had them to myself and could softly sing songs of praise without frightening people.  

After finishing that hike, I snacked on some Subway cookies from last night’s meal as I set out in search of additional waterfalls.  There were several visible from the road and with the apparent rain that had fallen over the mountains earlier, the water was flowing quite well.  As I would stop and take pictures, I would keep checking to see if I had cell phone service.  After photographing the final waterfall that my map showed was visible from the road, I headed to the visitors center to see if I could use my phone there.  As it turned out, when I went to get my phone out of its holster, it wasn’t there!  The last place I had checked for signal was six miles back, so I headed back to see if by chance it was still laying next to where I had parked the truck.  No such luck, but I had taken a short hike along the river from that spot so I began to retrace my path.  I was almost back to the truck without finding it, so I asked God to help me see it if it was out there.  After praying, I took one step and it was right there face down in front of me!  The park was busy today.  I don’t know why I found it nearly half an hour after I dropped it.  I’ve prayed more earnestly about things of greater value that have been lost, without ever finding them or having them restored, so I don’t know why my prayer was answered the way it was today but I am thankful that it was.

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

• It’s good to consider “what might be” until it keeps us from doing “what could be”.
• Dressing to go hiking on a cool, rainy day doesn’t look the same as what is needed to go hiking on a warm, sunny day.
• Being aware of our changing surroundings can help us be appropriate in what we do and say.
• I hiked over 10 miles today because I love photographing waterfalls.  How far will I, do I, hike because I love people?
• Prayer is powerful and effective.  While it is easier to say that when we get the answer we want, it is just as true when the answer isn’t what we want.
• Oh, the one hundred percent chance of rain did come.  I came off the final trail for the day a little after 5:30 this evening and as I drove away it began raining within five minutes.