Some thoughts, lessons, and/or reflections from the day: 

• My mind and/or body seems to anticipate the alarm going off in the mornings but I could get more rest if I was able to go back to sleep during the half hour between my waking up and the alarm going off.
• Layers seemed to be the early morning theme — my truck windows had a layer of ice on top of a layer of snow on top of a layer of ice that all needed removed before I could go anywhere.
• The wet snow and drizzle combination made me appreciate my clothing layers as I began the workday clearing walks.
• Removing an inch of wet snow seems to be as much work as clearing six inches of dry powdery snow.
• Keeping floors clean is virtually impossible this time of year so I settle for safety in my use of ice melt outside . . . which ends up inside. 🙂
• With the current prayer guide focused on “Seek”, it seemed fitting to write on today with the topic of “Find”.
• While I like to have uninterrupted blocks of time with God when I write the weekly prayer guides, that doesn’t always happen.
• It is always interesting to see how many layers of interruptions being interrupted that I can manage at once. 🙂
• One of the interruptions was a flooded bathroom.  I tried to tell the preschoolers it was preparing them for a lesson about Noah . . . I don’t think they were amused.
• I suppose interruptions are only interruptions because we make plans that we think are more important than anything else that happens.
• Even with the variety of tasks that I was unaware God had planned for my day, I managed to get next week’s prayer guide written and scheduled to be published and sent out next Sunday.
• By early afternoon the warmer temperature had brought out a wide variety of birds to resume their berry harvest.
• Today’s photo is one that I think could make a challenging jigsaw puzzle . . . or an intricate painting for someone so gifted.
• The melting snow will likely freeze tonight, so I’ll need to remember to use caution on my drive to work tomorrow.  It’s probably a good idea to use caution all the time.  🙂

Page 7 was a Sunday and I had the privilege of preaching at the North Wayne Mennonite Church, so I’ll add the main points of the sermon to today’s page in addition to the “thoughts, lessons, and/or reflections” from the day.  🙂

I had planned on using the sermon outline and points that I shared at Deer Run last week but as I prepared, God led me in a different direction and I ended up with a message today titled, “A God Who Will Be FOUND“.  Many Christians are familiar with the words from Jeremiah where God says, “I know the plans I have for you . . . “.  Yet what is often missed when that verse is quoted is the context of a people whose time of exile in Babylon is nearly up and a reminder to them that to experience the plans God is talking about, they must seek Him with a whole heart so that He will be found.  Using the word “FOUND” as the outline, here are the main points we considered this morning.

We must seek a God who will be . . . 

• Faithful:  In 2 Timothy 2:11-13, we find a God who responds to us in manner similar to our approach to him . . . until it comes to our unfaithfulness.  Even when we are not faithful, He is always faithful.  We can be assured that when we seek Him with our whole heart, He will be faithful in His promise that He will be found.  God’s faithfulness doesn’t depend on our faithfulness, but it ought to produce a greater faithfulness in us as we seek to live like Christ.
• Observant:  In 1 Peter 3:10-12, we read that “God’s eyes are always upon the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayers.”  It is easy to feel overlooked by people around you that are just as busy as you are or simply have no desire to notice others.  God, on the other hand, is always observant and never misses what is going on in the lives of His children.  Even in the midst of a generation whose every thought was inclined toward evil all of the time, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”  We can rest assured that the God who will be found can, will, and does observe us even when we are surrounded by evil.
• Understanding:  Hebrews 4:15-16 lets us know that we have a God who can sympathize with our struggles and weaknesses.  It is easy to go through life feeling misunderstood because, frankly, no one else can see accurately into our heart and motives.  Even more reassuring than having someone who understands when we choose to do right, God understands the struggles we face when we are tempted to choose what is wrong.  Rather than demanding perfection that we will never achieve on our own, through Jesus we have a mediator between God and us who understands and can speak accurately and lovingly on our behalf.  The God who will be found understands us completely and still wants to be found by us.
• Nurturing:  When I read Matthew 23:37, I hear great sadness in the voice of Jesus as He looks out over Jerusalem and longs to gather the people to Himself “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing.”  God has not simply called us to Himself and left it up to us to make it to Him on our own.  As His children, He cares for us and nurtures us with a love that is more complete and pure than any other.  He makes it clear that it is He who has provided the gifts of leadership throughout the ages for the purpose of building up the body to complete maturity with Christ as the head.  When we seek a God who will be found, we find a God who nurtures us and cares for us as His own — because we are!
• Decisive:  In 2 Peter 3, we find Peter warning individuals that people would make the claim that Jesus was not going to return.   Those spreading such rumors would point to the amount of time that had passed and claim that everything was happening on earth just as it had since the beginning of time.  These “scoffers” would show up and mock those looking forward to the return of Christ.  Peter explains to his readers that God is not slow, as the world counts slowness, rather He is patiently waiting in order to give people everywhere the opportunity to repent.  But there will be a day when that patience has run its course and Jesus returns “like a thief in the night.”  On that day there will be no question of who belongs to Jesus and who doesn’t.  The decision will have been made by us and proclaimed by the Son of Man.  When we seek a God who will be found, we find a God who is decisive and holds fast to what has been decided.

So, does this sound like the God you are seeking?  I pray that it is not only the God you are seeking, but also the God you have found!

Here are some other thoughts, lessons, and/or reflections from the day:

• Today was a “multi-hat” day — both literally and figuratively. 🙂
• The cold air temperature made multiples hats beneficial as I cleared snow from the sidewalks this morning.
• Once the snow was cleared, I took off those hats and put on the “cleaning hat” as I took the floor scrubber to the floors while the building was still empty — at least when I began.
• With the floors cleaned, I took off that hat and put on a “trash collectors hat” as I emptied some of the trash cans to get ready for the day.
• With the building ready, I put on my traveling hat as I made the drive to Dowagiac to share with the North Wayne Mennonite Church this morning.
• Once at the church building, I set aside the other hats so that only my “worshiper hat” remained . . . at least until I was needed to run the song lyrics computer and had to put on my “A/V tech hat”. 🙂
• Eventually I was able to put on my “preacher hat” and share the message God had given me for the morning.
• I suppose there were some other “hats” throughout the day, but that was at least most of the morning ones.
• I am thankful for the abilities God has given me which allows such variety in my life.
• I am thankful for the wonders of photography which allows me to revisit some great family times from the past year.
• I am thankful for the opportunities I have to preach.
• One of the hats I didn’t wear today was “photographer”, so today’s photo is one from our trip to Silver Beach yesterday.  Even on a cold snowy day, the beauty of this scene caught my eye.

Here are some thoughts, lessons, and/or reflections from the day:

• Uninterrupted sleep is sometimes elusive, but great when it does happen.
• I spent some time working on the sermon I’ll share Sunday morning at the North Wayne Mennonite Church in Dowagiac, Michigan.
• In the process of sermon refinement, I ended up with an entirely different one that will probably be what I share tomorrow.
• Seeking God is only as effective as a willingness to obediently listen when He leads in a different direction.
• Found out there was a glitch in the process and my registration to have a display at the camp leaders conference didn’t go through.
• Fortunately, I found that out today and could make it right rather than not know until I got there and didn’t have a room — I guess since it’s a camp conference, I could always have camped out.  🙂
• The sun came out so we set out on a family adventure to photograph the winter wonderland.
• Our first stop was to travel some roads in an area where a snowy owl had been sighted the last few days — after some careful looking, we found it perched out in a field on an irrigation rig.
• Sometimes the more elusive something is, the more joy it brings when you can find it.
• After some owl photos, we headed to the beach to take some lighthouse photos.  It was a beautiful day at the beach if you like ice and snow.
• If you look for beauty you are more likely to find it than if you focus on the things you don’t like.

Some thoughts, lessons, and/or reflections from the day:

• Starting the day with a drive across town made me thankful that my usual commute avoids much of the “city” traffic.
• Most drivers that I saw this morning seemed to have finally come to an understanding that winter driving requires a more cautious approach than what most are used to using in the summer.
• Even when the roads are completely covered in ice, snow, and slush, it seems there is always someone who thinks the speed limit signs represent some sort of “half-life” of the actual speed limit.
• When dealing with a company where one service tech sends you a prepaid shipping label to send an entire computer to them for service and the next day another tech offers to send you a part that might be the problem, the company might have a communication problem.  (Especially when both service techs, along with their supervisor, were copied on the same series of emails.)
• It was encouraging to see the written expressions of praise and prayer as I packed up the journals and art paper from the Watch & Pray vigil.
• It seems there are many who like the idea of having rules and policy that protect . . . as long as they don’t have to live by them.
• As we headed to a late lunch Susan had a seizure, and then another one in the evening.  They always make me consider what’s really important.
• We made a late afternoon stop at a county park to take photos but the gray sky made the lighting a little difficult.
• There was a small waterfall at the park that had a patch of running water at the top and a few small patches of running water visible at the bottom.  While not seen, the water was still “falling” behind the ice which covered most of the visible part of the falls.
• Sometimes it is difficult to see the working of God’s Spirit; but you can be sure that if He’s in you, He’s still at work.
• I loved seeing the ornamental grasses waving in the winter air.  While they may look dead, like the other unseen perennials in the garden, they are merely asleep until the time is right to grow.
• Sometimes we need to rest until its the right time for us to grow.
• I don’t deal with surprises well.  Doesn’t really matter if its a good surprise, bad surprise, or something in between — it messes with the internal balance I try to keep in my mind.

Here are some thoughts, lessons, and/or reflections from the day:

• Six inches of powdery lake-effect snow is beautiful to look at but it still takes work to clear it from the places you don’t want it.
• Not everything that is good is good in every place and time.  “Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial.”
• Clearing sidewalks along a roadway is a lot more work than clearing the ones that don’t accumulate the extra slush and snow from the snowplows.
• I’m still working at putting away the supplies and resources from the weekend’s prayer focus — it’s easier to do a little at a time and make sure it gets stored where I want it.
• Sometimes wisdom requires that you step back and accurately evaluate your plans and goals.
• It can be difficult to admit that the timing and/or implementation of your plans need major adjustments, but it is easier to admit that than to push forward with something that isn’t going to work because of circumstances beyond your control.
• An eighteen degree air temperature may not sound very warm, but when you consider that is more than a thirty degree increase from the minus fifteen a couple mornings ago, it was actually rather pleasant outside.
• The Bible says that God’s ways are higher than man’s ways so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to realize that our ways will often need major adjustments in order to align with God’s.
• An evening out photographing in the snow was rather refreshing.
• As the day turned to dusk, we found a hawk that tried to stay hidden while still keeping an eye on us.

Some thoughts, lessons, and/or reflections for the day:

• I’m still not sure what I think about this abbreviated format for each day’s page, but I’ve not yet felt compelled to return to the fuller version or do anything different than this. 🙂
• Cleaning up and putting things away after a prayer-focused event is a lot less exciting than the setup and preparation.
• Uncertainty can be both frightening and enticing.
• I finished up the writing of next week’s prayer guide as I spent time focused on some things God wants us to seek.
• When I seek the things of God, I find the things of me become less important.
• As I worked this morning the following song lyrics filled my mind: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
• I am amazed at how well my aging eyes can focus on individual snowflakes and the big picture scene at the same time — the eyes God created are much more complex than my best camera equipment.
• Sometimes I think it would be nice to see into the future before I make decisions, but I think it would often frighten me as much as it would help me.
• I didn’t take any pictures today, so today’s photo is from a January 2017 trip to Lake Michigan.  Even when it has the feel of a frozen tundra, there is beauty to be found.
• When we limit our view of beauty to what we like, we will often miss the best God has to offer.

Some thoughts, lessons, and reflections from the day: 

• With an actual air temperature of negative fifteen to start the day, all the layers of clothing I could find wasn’t enough to make me want to stay outside very long.
• It was so cold that my windows frosted over on the inside of the truck on my way to work since I wasn’t willing to stop breathing.  🙂
• I am thankful that someone figured out building heat that moved beyond open fires, wood stoves, and coal furnaces.
• I am even more thankful when I walk into a building and realize the heating sources are working.
• I don’t always find what I’m looking for, but I’m definitely more likely to find it if I look than if I don’t.
• God wants to be found, but He also says we will find Him when we seek Him with a whole heart.
• In addition to Himself, there are a variety of things that God tells us to seek.  Some of those will be the daily topics of next week’s prayer guide.
• Even though the air temperature was still below zero by late morning, the sun brought the cardinals out in search of their berry buffet.
• Nearly everyone wants to be heard, but few really want to listen.
• We often react based on perception that may or may not reflect what is actually meant.
• Updating can be a long process, especially when you don’t really know how much updating needs done.
• It’s amazing how warm five degrees felt when I came home compared to the minus fifteen when I left.
• Improvement is improvement even if we are not yet where we would like to be.

I think I may stick primarily with the thoughts and lessons from each day this year.  Or maybe this format is just for today because I’m still tired. 🙂

Some reflections and/or lessons from the day:

• I can still keep going for 20 hours straight when needed, but rest has never been more welcomed than after a long day.
• When I’m doing what God has called and created me to do, the days don’t seem nearly as long as the hours make them sound.
• A new year is probably more symbolic than anything else, but sometimes we need the symbolism to motivate us to make the fresh start that is needed.
• Spending the first half hour of the new year praying with others is a pretty good way to start the year.
• A high temperature for the day that doesn’t reach double-digits is not very effective in enticing me to leave the house.
• Spending a cold winter day going through photos from last summer is a good way to kindle a flame under the vacation planning region of my mind. 🙂
• Sometimes we hold onto things that are not very useful because it seems easier than replacing them with something new which often requires us to learn a new way of doing things.
• Today’s photo from last summer is a reminder that vacations are both relaxing and necessary.