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

• I was up early and on the road toward  Warsaw, Indiana to share at a prayer breakfast.
• It was a beautiful drive as the sun rose over the horizon along the way.  There were many times I was tempted to stop and take some photos, but I knew I needed to arrive at my destination on time.
• Even good things can distract us from the necessary things if we don’t keep our mind focused on our upward calling in Christ Jesus.
• After a good breakfast, I shared some thoughts on developing a lifestyle of prayer in everyday life.
• The first part of my teaching wrapped around three words:
  • Developing:  The developing part means that it is a process.  It requires that we begin with where we are at in our prayer life and follow a path that leads us to where we want to be.  Developing takes intentional time and effort to produce results.
  • Lifestyle:  When I consider lifestyle, I think about the things that have become natural in a life through repeated practice of them.  For most of us, our lifestyle changes at various points in our life — sometimes by our choosing and sometimes by circumstances we have little control over.  When it comes to prayer, we must choose to make it our lifestyle or it will soon be set aside for “a more convenient time”.
  • Prayer:  I tend to define prayer to include the complete process of communication with God whether through talking, asking, listening, singing, responding to His work, or any other way we would approach Him.  While many of us were taught to pray by bowing our head, closing our eyes, and folding our hands, that method is good at times but is not very sustainable as a lifestyle.  For prayer to be developed as a lifestyle, we must find ways to make it as present in our life as breathing.
• The second part of my teaching looked specifically at the act of listening as a part of developing a lifestyle of prayer in everyday life.  The teaching was about “full-involvement” listening which uses all of our senses to pay attention both to the work God is doing and to the needs of the people around us.  I believe we begin to pray more effectively when we’re paying attention.
• After the teaching time, I spent the rest of the morning talking with people and sharing about the prayer ministry.
• After lunch I stopped to visit my mom and dad on the way home.  Once home it was time to unwind and relax for a little while.
• With being away from home for a good part of my Saturday, we decided to head out on an evening family adventure in search of photo opportunities.
• Our first option didn’t yield anything to photograph, so we headed to Lake Michigan where the sun was shining brightly which made the brisk wind somewhat bearable.
• After a couple stops along the lake and an incredible sunset view, we headed toward home hoping to find a snowy owl or two to photograph.
• We finally found one as the sun disappeared over the horizon, so while the photographs were a little more challenging, it was still beautiful to sit and watch for a while.
• Today’s photos include the beauty of the sun setting over Lake Michigan and a snowy owl perched high atop what I believe is an emergency warning siren tower.

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

• My morning wake-up today was courtesy of the sounds of a seizure rather than the sound of my alarm clock.  My alarm would have gone off eventually, so while I was up I got dressed and headed to work.
• As I went outside, I noticed the moon dancing among the clouds with such beauty that I attempted a few photos.  None of them turned out in they way I had hoped as the lighting and appearance of the moon was constantly changing, but it was fun to watch and attempt the shots.
• Some days I think I can picture clearly in my mind how God would want me to live that day.  While the complexities of life generally keep it from happening quite as pictured in my mind, I still seek His help in making the day as close to what He wants it to be as possible.
• My morning tasks didn’t have much music in my mind but they were accompanied by much prayer for my daughter, that she would rest well following the seizure and would have a good day.
• With a funeral dinner scheduled to take place at the building later in the day, I turned my attention to getting that area cleaned and set up once my regular morning tasks were done.
• With the building as ready as possible for the day, it was time to add the contacts from Tuesday’s camp conference to my mailing list so the new prayer guide would go out to them Sunday morning.
• As the sun came and went among the scattered cloud cover, the birds seemed to be quite joyful as they feasted among the sumac heads outside my office window.
• I had to cut a lock off of a locker today as the key managed to get locked inside.  It made me think of all the things we try to protect, and that sometimes in doing so we lose the benefit we could have had from them.
• It also made me think of junior high, where it seemed like every Monday my first stop in school was at the office to have them look up my locker combination — I couldn’t seem to remember it over the weekend for anything. 🙂
• In between tasks that needed done, I finished printing and putting together material for the prayer breakfast I will teach at tomorrow morning.  
• With activity in the building throughout the afternoon and again this evening, my Friday cleaning and building prep for Sunday will have to wait until either Saturday night or early Sunday morning so by mid-afternoon I called it a day and stopped for a late lunch on my way home.
• Today’s photo is of one of the Eastern Bluebirds that stopped by to sing for me this morning. 🙂

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

• Another day, another fresh coating of snow on the ground to start the day.
• My first task at work was to clear the walks.  The clean snow covering everything was beautiful even if it did create a little extra work.
• I don’t remember any songs running through my mind as I did my morning prayer, cleaning, and building prep tasks.  Songs are good, but quietness can be good too.
• When I took the trash out after the inside of the building was ready for the day, I discovered that my cleared walks were once again covered with snow . . . it must have snowed rather intensely while I was inside cleaning.
• As I cleared the walks a second time, I thought about the ongoing need for cleansing in my life.  Sure, it would be nice to experience the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus once and never need it again, but life doesn’t work that way . . . at least not for anyone I know.
• Today was a day to work on missions accounting and correspondence, so I turned my attention to that once the walks were cleared again.
• Once the sun came up, it warmed up the sidewalks enough that what little snow fell throughout the day melted as it landed so I didn’t have to keep going out.
• Between my work with the missions ministry and continued preparation for Saturday’s prayer breakfast in Warsaw, my morning was gone before I knew it.
• They say time flies when your having fun . . . I guess that is even true of work if you enjoy what you are working on.
• Lunch was spent with a friend but we were both in pretty quiet moods for some reason.  As I dropped him off after lunch he said, “I guess that says a lot about how comfortable we are with each other that we can both be quiet during the entire lunch time and each be okay with that.”
• I think most people are afraid of quietness and it was interesting to me that my day began with a reminder of the benefit of times of quietness and then at lunch had another reminder of the same thing.
• After lunch I took care of some errands to finish up the work I had begun in the morning, and then headed home to unwind.
• As evening came, we headed down to Potato Creek to see if the bald eagles were out and wanting photographed.  We saw them chasing each other through the sky and shot what photos we could, but they were too far away to get the shots we really wanted.
• Even if we don’t find what we’re looking for to photograph, a visit to the park is never wasted.  The sunset view over the lake was incredible tonight and was a good way to rest in God’s presence.
• Today’s photo is one of the sunset photos I took tonight.  It seemed to fit with the lesson from earlier in the day on cleansing.  I would do well to clean my camera lens more often than I do if I want to avoid the spots showing up on my photos. 🙂

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

• Winter does not seem quite ready to let go as I woke up to another round of snow covering the ground and coming down rather steadily.
• The early snow had melted and then froze to the truck, so the doors weren’t excited about opening and the windows and windshield required some effort to scrape them clear.
• It had been cold long enough that today’s snow accumulated on the sidewalks, so my first task at work was to clear the snow and put down some ice melt to take care of the iced over parts of the walks.
• With the outside ready, I turned my attention to getting the inside of the building ready for the day.
• My morning soundtrack was courtesy of an exhibitor next to me at yesterday’s camp conference.  He was representing a ministry that used to have a children’s radio program that I loved listening to as a child.  The theme song included the following lines: “Boys and girls for Jesus! This my earnest prayer!  Boys and girls for Jesus — at home, at school, at play and everywhere!”
• As I went about cleaning and preparing the building for a school day, it was a good song to fill my mind.
• As the snow fell off and on throughout the morning, I made sure the sidewalks stayed clear and enjoyed a variety of birds that stopped by in the brush outside my office window.
• I checked in with the coordinator for the prayer breakfast I will be speaking at this weekend and was excited to hear they have had a good response from people planning on attending.
• By mid-afternoon the snow had quit falling and the sun finally broke through the clouds so the walks were finally staying clear.
• I stopped for a late lunch on the way home and then spent some time doing some basic editing of the bird photos I took today.
• Today’s photo is of on of the cardinals that stopped by in this morning’s snow.

Page 65 was such a good day that it lasted all of the way until bedtime, so I’m writing the day’s page the next morning.  Some thoughts, lessons, and/or reflections from the day:

• It was beautiful outside as I began my day.  A fresh coating of snow had fallen overnight and the moon was shining brightly in the night sky as I left the house and headed to work.
• It had been warm enough prior to the snow that the sidewalks were mostly clear and just needed a little touch-up in a few areas.
• It made me think about how the warmth of God’s presence living within us can keep much of that which falls all around us, and on us, from sticking to us.
• Once the outside was ready for the day, I began my morning prayer, cleaning, and building prep routine.  My internal soundtrack was from a hymn I haven’t heard for quite some time as I found myself singing the words, “Make me a blessing, make me a blessing!  Out of my life, may Jesus shine.  Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.  Make me a blessing to someone today!”
• I suspect that life would be different for me, and for each of us, if we were to pray those words each day . . . and then look for the opportunities that God will give to bless someone.
• Once the building was ready for the day, I loaded up books and display material then hit the road for a 2+ hour drive to set up the prayer ministry display for a camp conference.
• I made a couple stops along the way to take a few photos and pick up “convention bait” (chocolate) for the display.
• Once at the conference location, I set up my display and then had lunch with one of the vendors I had met last week.
• The afternoon was filled with great conversations and many prayer-based devotional books were put into the hands of camp staff.
• It always does my spirit good to hear the positive feedback from individuals who had picked up some of the resources last year.  Perhaps one of the greatest encouragements to me was the number of people who brought others by the display and highly recommended the resources to their friends.
• Hearing that the resources were being used made me realize I need to remain diligent in the work on the current writing projects I have in process.
• After a very good afternoon, it was time to pack up the display and begin my journey home.
• As I would be driving near it, my plan was to stop by Lake Michigan to take some photos on my way home.  I was beginning to think that wasn’t such a good idea as the first hour of my drive included a mix of snow, rain, and slush falling from the sky.
• As I approached the highway exit that would take me to the lake, there was still some form of precipitation falling but it looked like there was some clearing to the west so I took the exit.
• Sometimes it is easy to think our current situation is permanent, or all there is.  While our current situation my be very real and we need to pay attention to what is going on in it, God also wants us to look to the horizon ahead and realize a better day is coming.
• When I arrived at the beach, the clouds had lifted from over the lake and the sun was shining brightly upon the water.  Even as I photographed the surrounding scenes, ducks, and lighthouse, the clouds began to build again on the western horizon.
• The scenes were beautiful and the approaching clouds made for an incredible sunset view . . . about an hour or so ahead of the official “sunset time”.
• After leaving the lake, I drove through the area where we have seen a snowy owl a few times.  She wasn’t in any of the areas where I have seen her before, but as I drove around the country block I saw on on top of a pole watching the setting sun.
• I stopped along the road and took a number of photos of the owl before heading for home.  It was dark by now, but a few miles down the road I saw another snowy owl sitting on another pole along the road as I went past.  I turned around and took a few photos in the darkness and was surprised that some of them turned out okay even with the lack of light.
• Once home, it was time to get something to eat and relax as I reflected on the day.  My remembrances of the morning thoughts and the afternoon conversations caused me to believe that God had indeed made me a blessing to someone today.
• It was late enough after looking at the photos I had taken that I decided to call it a day and write the page the next morning.
• Today’s photo is actually a few photos from the day.  One from a quick stop on my way to the conference, one of a group of ducks that were enjoying the evening sun, and one of the sun setting over the lake.

Morning view of St Joseph lighthouses

Happy Ducks

Evening view of lighthouses.

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

• The air was crisp and clear as I headed out of the house this morning on my way to work.  I was surprised at how much the moon had waned in the few days since it was last visible.
• The moon phase waxes or wanes a little each day whether it is visible to us or not.  It has been said life is a lot like that — we are either growing a little each day or we’re dying a little, there is no standing still.
• As I went about my early morning tasks at work, I set up a camera to time-lapse record the sunrise. 
• By the time the building was ready for the day, the sun was up and my recording of it was beautiful.  My camera takes a photo frame every 10 seconds which allows for 50 minutes of the sunrise to be compressed into a 10 second video.
• As I settled in with God to work on the prayer guide for next week it seemed to take longer than usual to set aside the distractions from my mind.
• Listening usually takes work, and listening to God is no exception to that.
• For me, listening to God is all about knowing Him more fully in order to understand the application of scripture in my life.  He’s already revealed Himself in scripture, but His Spirit has been given to us to help guide us into a greater fullness of the truth that has already been given.
• Once I was able to clear my mind and put aside the distractions, I settled on the topic of above all.  It was fun to look at various scriptures that instruct us to do various things “above all”.
• As I worked on the prayer guide and took care of some maintenance issues, the trees outside my window were kept busy with an assortment of birds and the occasional squirrel and chipmunk.
• By mid-afternoon, the prayer guide was written and I spent some time packing the prayer-based devotional resources that I will take with me for a prayer ministry display tomorrow.
• With a late lunch on my way home, I called it a day and spent the evening relaxing at home.
• Today’s photo is of a little guy that was moving in to a hole dug in a tree by a woodpecker . . . I guess he decided the plastic bag would make some great bedding material. 🙂

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

• I think winter is catching up with me before it gives way to spring . . . I slept through several rounds of the snooze button this morning, which is a very unusual thing for me.
• Once I woke up, I went through my notes and spent time with God allowing Him to refine the sermon I would share.
• As I finished preparations, I received word that the church I would be preaching at was dealing with a variety of issues with both the building and the people.
• On my drive to church, I prayed that God would prepare me to share just what the congregation would need this morning and would keep me from saying things that would not be helpful.
• The sermon I shared this morning was based around a passage from 2 Timothy where we are told to purify ourselves from ignoble purposes so that we would become instruments for noble purposes.
• In a sermon titled “A NOBLE Calling”, here are the main points I shared this morning:
  • A New Calling:  To live the noble calling that we are called to requires that we accept a calling to be made new.  It is far too easy to claim “that’s just the way we are” to excuse thoughts, actions, and/or habits that are not fitting for a child of God.  God says we have been called out of darkness and into the light.  We are not simply to become a new creation, in Christ we are a new creation.
  • An Obedient Calling:  This noble calling is also a calling to obedience.  Many times people look at the Christian life as being all about not doing certain things that make up the list of “thou shalt not’s”.  While that is a part of the obedience we are called to, God calls us to a greater obedience — one that knows the good we ought to do, and does it.
  • A Blessed Calling:  Our life of obedient faith leads us to experience the blessings of our calling.  When Jesus spoke to the crowds He spoke with such love and authority that they were often quite amazed.  In fact, one time as Jesus taught, a woman was so amazed that she shouted out blessings on the woman who gave birth to Jesus and nursed Him.  I believe the response of Jesus wasn’t meant to diminish the blessing of Mary, but to proclaim an even greater blessing upon those who hear His words and obey them.
  • A Life Calling:  A noble calling is a calling for life.  Not only is it a calling that gives us life, it is a calling that must last for the extent of our life.  Throughout scripture we are called to a perseverance of faith that that both believes and acts upon that belief until the end.  James writes that the crown of life is given to those who persevere.  There are many things in life that are difficult, and Jesus made it clear in His teaching that following Him in this world would include times of persecution and trouble.  But He also said to take courage, He has overcome the world.  As we accept this noble calling, we follow this calling for life.
  • An Examined Calling:  While this noble calling relies on faith, it is not a blind faith rather it is a faith that holds up to an examination of both life and scripture.  When Paul and Silas visited the Bereans, they are described as being of more noble character because they not only received the message with gladness, but they examined scripture daily to see if the words being shared were accurate.  There are a lot of voices in our world calling each day for our attention.  Living according to a noble calling will lead us to examine what we hear each day and see how it fares according to the Word of God.
• In Sunday School class we looked at the story of Abraham being called by God to sacrifice his son only to have God provide a substitute sacrifice in response to Abraham’s obedience.
• Following God’s calling to live a more noble life will require that we trust His provision to do so.
• By the time I made it home and relaxed for a while, I found a sense of weariness overtaking me so I took a nap before heading out for dinner with some friends.
• Today’s photo is one from yesterday as I didn’t take any new ones.  It was a peaceful scene both in person and as a photo, and reminds me of the rest God calls each of us to.