The Quiet of The Morning

This morning was not a good morning for me. I was pretty frustrated. Do you ever get that way? It's not fun. BUT, I found something today that washed away all of that frustration. Want to know what it was?

A few weeks ago our pastor was preaching out of Mark 6. Right before Jesus fed the 5,000. There is a short passage of scripture that explains it all.

"30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place." - Mark 6:30-32

Do you have a quiet place where you can go to "get away from it all"? I do. For me it's the woods or, more specifically, a trail through the woods.

When I get frustrated in life all I have to do is ask myself, "When was the last time you went for a walk in the woods?" My answer to that question is usually, "Too long ago" and then I go for a hike. I always feel better afterwards.

For me, hiking puts everything in perspective. I begin looking at the beauty surrounding me and I quickly forget about the struggles within me. I can spend time talking with God about my struggles. I watch the birds flying from tree to tree and all my frustrations just fade away.

Jesus often went away to a quiet place and prayed. Why was that do you think? I think it was because He wanted to spend time alone with God. When was the last time you did that?

Do you have a quiet place you can go to? Right now? What are you waiting for?

Fields of Gold - Sting

Off The Trail

Mike, Bob & Ron (photo by Chris)

When I was in college back in the 70's I used to spend my spring breaks in the Smoky Mountains. My friends and I were quite the adventurers. We didn't know it at the time this picture was taken but we were about to become massively lost in the woods.

Most trails are well marked in our national parks. Except the ones that are no longer in service. Those trails are not marked because they don't really want people walking on them. They might get lost you see. Yeah.

Well, we got on one of those trails. We thought we knew where we were going but before we knew it the trail had disappeared. We were too far down the trail to go back. Too prideful too. So we forged ahead. No GPS, no cellphones, just a crude map we had picked up at the visitor center.

No problem. We knew where we were . . . basically . . . and we knew where we wanted to get to. We just had to climb over this one mountain . . . and then that other mountain . . . and then . . .

We soon began to get frustrated, especially Ron who began to lag behind. At one point we passed a huge log and saw some fur "breathing" inside through a knot hole. We guessed it was a bear. We tried to warn Ron but he wasn't listening to us. Fortunately the bear was asleep.

We eventually made it to our destination. There was even a park ranger waiting for us when we got back to our car. After the lecture, he followed us all the way back to our campsite.

You know, our walk through life is like one big, long hike. The trail we walk is clearly marked by God's Word - The Bible. Yet we seem to wander off the trail every chance we get. It is only through God's grace, and His continual efforts to redirect us back onto the correct path, that we have any chance of making it back to our "campsite" at the end of the hike.

"4 Some wandered in the wilderness, lost and homeless. 5 Hungry and thirsty, they nearly died. 6 “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress. 7 He led them straight to safety, to a city where they could live. 8 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 9 For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." - Psalm 107:4-9

Always carry a map with you on a hike and ALWAYS read God's Work to navigate your way through life. If you do that one thing you will never become lost and you will always find yourself on the right trail.

Not Getting Lost In The Woods 101

The Still of the Night

My wife and I went for a candlelight hike through the woods this past weekend. Even though is was single digit temperatures outside we both were warm. Why? Because weren't thinking about ourselves.

We live right next to Hartman Creek State Park in Central Wisconsin. It is amazingly convenient for us. My wife goes there to swim in the summer months. I take long hike through the woods there, simply by walking out my back door.

Although we have often returned quite frozen in years past, that didn't happen this year. We were rather comfy. True, lessons learned from our past frigid excursions to this winter event taught us how to dress. Still there was something different.

Perhaps is was the stillness of the whole thing. There was no wind blowing. It could have been the near-full moon which illuminated the woods (in additions to the hundreds of candle-lit bags). Perhaps it was the sound and sight of running water as it flowed from lake to lake. Or, more likely, it was each other's company, as we walked, hand-in-hand through God's creation.

I think the main reason we felt so warm though was because it was a beautiful night and that was just it. There was no television, no crowded malls, no sound of people arguing, no Facebook, no phones. Just peace . . . and quiet.

God created places like Hartman Creek and, thank God, we humans had enough sense to set it aside for future generations to enjoy. Even God enjoyed "walking through the garden" now and then.

"7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake," - Mark 3:7

"13 Jesus went up on a mountainside " - Mark 3:13

My wife and I stopped several times along the way to just look at the beauty of the night. What a beautiful way to worship.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." - Romans 1:20

The Rocky Path

I went for a 15-mile hike this past weekend. The weather was nice for a change. But taking a hike that day was a mistake. Why? Because my over exuberance for hiking outweighed my preparedness for it. Now, I find myself reminded of that TOO-LONG hike with every step I take - walking on the blisters that were formed on my not-ready-for-walking feet.

The length of my hike that day was due more to a "lack of scale" on the map I was using than it was to manly endurance. It's always best to build up one's endurance before hiking such long distances. And the wisdom it takes to use it.

The Ice Age Trail I walk on contains many different types of terrain - rocky formations, grassy savannahs, moist swampland, forest paths and asphalt roads. Each type of terrain has its own characteristics and hazards. And a hiker must be prepared for them all.

As Christians we must also be prepared for the variety of things we encounter on our walk with Jesus. Spiritual warfare, political correctness, sexual sin, greed, pride . . . there are many things to trip us up along the way. SO, how do we keep from tripping all over them as we walk along life's pathway?

1. Pray - Pray to God that He would keep us from falling, that He would guide our steps. "The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;" - Proverbs 37:23
2. Read - Spend time in God's Word. The truth you will find their will illuminate you walk. "105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." - Psalm 119:105
3. Focus - Keep on the lookout for stumbling blocks. God's creation is beautiful to look at but if we aren't watching where our feet are stepping we can easily stumble. "14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14
4. Endure - However long our walk is we need to endure to the end of it. "4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:4

A good, healthy, well thought out spiritual walk is essential in the life of a Christian. Watch every step to make sure it is fully planted and then walk on in the presence of the Lord. He leads us. We are the ones who must follow.

Psalm 23

Stop And Smell The Roses

I went for one of my long walks last weekend. My wife and I are blessed to live right next door to the Ice Age Trail and one of Wisconsin's state parks - Hartman Creek. I am trying to walk as many sections of the Ice Age Trail as I can.

There are many interesting things to see along the trail and I always have my camera with me. I walk and walk and walk but occasionally I will stop along the way to take some pictures.

One of my favorite things to search for during this time of year is the illusive Jack-In-The-Pulpit. They are out there but they can kind of hide amongst the other green spring plants and it's easy to miss them.

On my latest walk I entered an area where I thought I might find some, and I did! There, on the left side of the trail at the base of a tree, sat Mr. Jack. So I stopped and began taking pictures. When I had finished taking pictures of this solitary plant I took a look around. There was another Jack-In-The Pulpit! And another!! There were dozens of them!! What an incredible find!

Recently, I finished reading the Bible for the third time. It was exciting when I got near the end. I was excited! With only a handful of pages left, I told my friend at work how close I was to finishing! I was so excited! Did I tell you how excited I was to accomplish the reading of this magnificent book? I was excited!!

So, my friend says this to me.

"Usually I like to take my time reading through the Bible, study its meaning, and learn all that God wants to teach me."

Ouch.

But my friend was right. I had been so focused in finishing the Bible it is quite possible that I missed the very things that God wanted me to learn. That became doubly apparent after my encounter with my little plant friends. I wonder just how many people passed them by even though they were right there waiting to be seen.

There is so much knowledge and wisdom to be seen in the Bible as well. And this next time through I am going to to stop at the end of each chapter and go back and check out every note in my study Bible. It would be a shame to miss things that might be hidden along my journey through God's Word, even though they were right there to see.

We need to pause as we read the Bible and dig down a little bit. We need to discover those hidden treasures that might otherwise remain out of view. Won't you please join me?

"Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." - Psalm 119:105

Stop And Smell The Roses - Mac Davis