Holding On Tight

…The Ideal place to build a log home would be in a country setting, possibly on a large parcel of land. Years ago, there was this movie called ‘The Wilderness Family’. It was about a young couple whose dream was to build their own log home, live off the land, and raise a family. One day, while sitting in traffic, the young couple looked at each other, smiled and said, “Let’s go and build that cabin.” So they rented a float plane, and got dropped off in a remote valley, ready to build their homestead. I’m not quite there yet. My ideal place to build a log home would be on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. One of my favorite things to do there, is stay at one of the many B&B’s. I love to meet the owners, and hear their life’s stories. I’ve often thought, if I owned a B&B, I would call it, ‘Open Door B&B.’
Your heart is your door, an entranceway of sorts. You could be very receptive to the things of God, or you could be so closed off that you miss even the simple things. It’s as though you have a lock on your door. I’ve come to realize that it’s our choice, how we react to situations. For some people their entrance way is a path full of flowers leading up to a welcome matt. For others it leads up to a moat with a draw bridge, and nothing is going to penetrate my castle, my space, my thinking, my bank account, my my, my. Lord forgive me. As I am sitting in my front room, I’m looking out a window with see through curtains, barely able to make out what’s outside. Wondering, do I need to add curtains to my log house or leave the windows plain? I want to be able to look outside, at all the things His hands have made, and not be afraid of the unknown. Shirley commented the other morning, maybe in a log home we don’t need curtains. Have you ever had that “aha!” moment? This was mine. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to remove the curtains, to be transparent, to be who we are on the outside, is who we are on the inside. I am not saying we need to remove all of the curtains so that the world can walk by and see us exposed, but I think we need to let the world see our Faith. Working on this part of the house has made me realize I still have some work to do in this area, and I am thankful that I know this, and feel it’s a step in the right direction. I am not sure what lesson I will learn next, as I continue, but I’m excited to see where the Lord leads.
Job 8: 9-18 (Message Translation) For we're newcomers at this, with a lot to learn, and not too long to learn it. 10 So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what's what, instruct you in what they knew from experience? 11 Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil? Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water? 12 Blossoming flowers look great before they're cut or picked, but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass. 13 That's what happens to all who forget God - all their hopes come to nothing. 14 They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web. 15 One jiggle and the thread breaks, one jab and the web collapses.

Lord help me to hold on to all that is true, all that is noble, all that is from you. My prayer is that you hold on to His word with both hands. Log-On

A light unto my path...

…I was so looking forward to this day. The day that I get to add lights to my log house. Now that it’s here, I’m feeling just a little uneasy. When you think about it, it’s the light that dispels the darkness. Right now my mind is racing with thoughts of light. Turning a light switch on in a dark room makes it impossible for the darkness to stay. Try this: sit in a room that has a ceiling lamp. Now just relax, let the light be absorbed into you. I hope that doesn’t sound too weird. Now get up, walk down a dark hallway, or go into another dark room, and turn on the light switch. Now try the same thing with the lights off. Sit in a dark room, now get up, walk down the dark hallway, or go into another dark room and look for the light switch, and turn it on. I don’t want to influence your thinking, but when I sat in the room with the light on, and had to get up and turn on the light switch in the dark rooms, I almost felt comforted, like I had taken some of the light with me. I could also turn around and see where I had come from, or I could return to the main room and absorb more light.
I have always thought the opposite of light was darkness. The more I think about it, the more I feel its temptation. We are told to resist temptation and stand your ground. The more temptation leaves us, the more opportunity light has to shine. When we pray, asking God to help us, we expel the darkness. If your heart is real, and your prayers are sincere, I believe God honors that. Psalm 119: 105. "By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path." As you read His word for yourself my hope for you is that your spirit will absorb some of His light. Log-On

The Guarantee

…As with any product, there are many variations, as to what accessories are included as standard equipment, and what are options or luxury items. Most log home companies offer a shell package where all you get are the outside walls. Some offer a lock-up package, which includes roof, doors, and windows, then the owner takes over and hires the sub trades. Plumbers, electricians, finish carpenters, are brought in to bring the home to completion. Isn’t odd that Jesus was the son of a carpenter? A sub trade.
I think by now if you have read some of my past blogs, you know where I’m going with this. Our bodies, in a way, are much like a log shell waiting for the sub trades to come and complete us. We are all made pretty much the same, but some of our options are a little different. Maybe you have blue eyes, or your skin color is a different shade. Some shells are blessed with different talents, but really we are all the same shell. We all want a guarantee when we purchase a product. We want assurance that it lives up to what it’s supposed to do. If the product comes with instructions, that they are easy to understand, and when the item is put together it’s complete, with no parts left over...Whole. Did you know that the word of God comes with a guarantee? It’s not a guarantee that you will be wealthy, drive a big car, or live in a fancy house. It’s a guarantee that says, “If you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” There are many good books on the market. Books on how to get inner peace, books on spiritual growth, books to help you grow… all good tools, but don’t let these books overshadow the original instruction manual, The Bible. Ephesians 1:14. The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us everything he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. This is just one more reason for us to praise our glorious God.
Wholeness to me means peace. There is a peace that passes all understanding. My prayer for you is that you find His peace.
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…It’s Friday morning. I spent much of the morning detailing; adding moldings and trim around the door and window openings. I’ve also started to add some color. My first choice was green for the trim, but the more green I applied, the more I didn’t like it, so I’m am going with blue. I’m so surprised in the amount of time that this stage of construction has taken. It feels like after the major construction is over we have to deal with the smaller details.
Samuel l6. 7 But God told Samuel, "Looks aren't everything. Don't be impressed with his looks and stature. I've already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart." (The Message)
The bible says that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We are instructed to live one day at a time, not to worry about tomorrow, that tomorrow will take care of itself. We all have different gifts to build up the body, and if we withhold these gifts the body suffers. Years ago I believe I was given a word for the church we were attending at the time. The word was to worry about nothing, pray about everything. We are called to pray at all times, to pray in every situation, and expect God to answer our prayers.
Have you ever gone ahead of yourself in things that you needed to do? Maybe you weren’t too proud of something you said, or something that you needed to make right. A promise you made, that you still need to keep. I believe our hearts can grow cold if we let these moments pass us by. So many people struggle to hear Gods voice, I think we hear fine, the struggle is in doing what He says. Somewhere in our lives we left things unfinished. It could be as simple as writing a letter to someone and thanking them for the encouragement they gave you, or visiting your mom and giving her a bigggg hug, or calling an old friend and sharing your heart. It’s funny how sometimes we have to be reminded of the simpler things of life. I’m so looking forward to the day when I start to add lights to my house, but for now I have to take stock of where this building is at, and complete what needs to be done. My prayer is that each one of us would take stock of where we’re at before we move on. Log-On.

The Gift

… Have you ever picked up your camera because you needed that special picture? It really shouldn’t come as a surprise to me anymore but it still does, that the Father of the universe wants to bless me. As I’ve said in earlier blogs this isn’t about dreams or log houses, it’s about going deeper and hearing God for yourself. On an earlier blog, I needed a picture of our church building. Since our church doesn’t look like a church, and it has many functions, the picture I needed to take would be special. Did you know that God gives good gifts to his kids? As I’m standing, thinking, do I take a picture of the people in the congregation, or a picture of the building? Just then my son walks by holding his sons hand, and my spirit is moved, and my thoughts turn to a Holy Father. A proud father, a strong father, holding his child’s hand, and the child being so comfortable, as there is almost a oneness to their stride. This isn’t the picture I had come for, but it’s the one that impacted my spirit. God wants to walk with us, all we need to do is reach up and take his hand.


Psalms 25:4-5 Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to follow. 5 Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

The Heart

…The Fireplace: it’s the focal point, it’s where things happen. If I close my eyes I can almost see myself sitting in a big, old armchair drinking a cup of coffee, and reading a good book. Or just being quiet and listening to the fire and feeling the heat. Because of the massive size of the logs, the heat from the fire is retained in the logs, giving the home a warm, friendly feel.
When designed, a good designer takes special attention to where he places the fireplace in a log home, so that maximum heat penetrates the rest of the home.
Fuel is the heart of the fire in the fireplace. Heat you can feel, but you can’t touch. Flames give character as they dance and move, as if they were reaching upwards. If you don’t add fuel, the fire will go out. If you were to keep a small ember going, you could add more fuel and reignite the fire. Why is it that when you walk into a room and the fire is lit, you get drawn to it? Maybe you hold your hands out to warm them, and rub them together, or you turn your back to the fire to warm your back. People with passion, people with a dream, draw me in. I love to hear their stories. You can almost feel their excitement, like heat from a fire as they share their passion. They started with a thought that turned into a dream. As they added more fuel it turned into reality. You may have a dream that if you were to add fuel to; such as schooling, volunteer, serve an apprenticeship, put the time in; who knows what could happen, who knows what would get ignited? On my blog profile I stated that one of my favorite movies is the final Rocky. It’s a movie about heart; having something inside of you that needs to be taken care of, going the distance, and finishing well. Leavin’ it all in the ring.
Heart, a word I have never really been comfortable saying, is not that organ that beats inside of us, keeping our bodies alive. It’s more that part of us that we can’t hold, but you can feel it. We all want to feel GOD’S presence, to hear from Him, to know the He walks with us, to be passionate about the things that are pleasing to Him. The Bible says we’re to have a heart after the things that please God. What is that, and what does that look like? At times I’ve shared my heart with my daughter. It’s usually a lesson, or a promise from some experience that I have felt God saying something to me. Sometimes, not all the time, I tear up, and she can see how much of what I am saying means to me. I believe it’s moments like these, she see my heart. The other morning we were having a chat, and a cup of coffee, and as she started to tell me something that has impacted her, I could see how something inside her was moved, something in her spirit, and as she shared her heart, she started to tear up. She paused, looked at me, and said, “I get that from you”. The Father’s heart. We are called to have a heart after God’s own heart, it’s loving, always forgiving, always wanting the very best for us, it’s excited for us when things work out, and sad when things fall apart. My own heart has been encouraged, as I have tried to share some of my thoughts with you, and I am thankful for that. I am also wondering if it’s time for some of us to get back in the ring?

Jeremiah 15:20 They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall. They will not conquer you, for I will protect and deliver you. I, the LORD, have spoken!

It,s Just a Building

…It wasn’t that long ago that people lived in log homes, grew their own food, had some farm animals, and were basically self-sufficient. My son commented he wished he had grown up in the Sixties, because the music back then was better. Sometimes I wish I would have grown up in a different era. I wonder what it would have been like to live off the land? Hard work I’m sure; rewarding probably. I’m sure they took the time to rest, go to church, be with family and friends, or just enjoy a day away from work. But the world has changed. I think we have given that away, and lost something in return. With the pressures of life, high mortgages, the fast pace we are all moving in, it’s difficult to find a place to be still. Church isn’t about the building; it’s about the people, it’s about a sense of belonging. It’s about coming together as one, and giving thanks as we worship. Our church service this week was a worship service-Super Sunday. Our God is a God of second chances, and I am so grateful to this body of believers. As I look over the congregation my mind is reminded of some of the people that have prayed for my family, and I rejoice in my spirit. Sometimes we can leave a service with a word, a thought, or maybe a conviction. Today I was so grateful to Graham and the worship team because I got to leave with a song, ‘Our God’: “And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?” Monday. I’ve sanded the dark look away. It took longer than I had hoped it would. Wow! All I can say or feel at this time is, “Lord you know my heart, and I will search for yours.” There’s a real darkness that wants to remind us that we aren’t good enough, that we fail more than we win, that sin leaves it’s mark on us. But we need to press in to all that God has for us. I think its o.k. to be reminded how far we’ve come, and give praise and thanks to where we are. Hebrews 12: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. My prayer, as you read this verse is that you take out your Bible and read the remaining verses. Log-on.