Tag: Stress

“Night Watcher” #7 / Poet

Path Without End

75364021-1200px “SPIRIT”

Excellence… Mastery…So many desire…So few achieve.

Peacefulness of soul…Life that flows…You are a Spirit walker.

When there seems to be no way…Faith is power to stay…

Spirit walker.

One with time…No stress, no strain…Precious state of mind.

What is this power? This force? This poise?

Falling…falling…falling…Only to land…Upright!

You are a Spirit walker.

Let others faint…Let others strive…You seek His voice.

Let patience have her perfect work…A path that lies upon the Wind.

A wisp of smoke…A feeble trail…The slightest strain disturbs…

Go ahead pilgrim, test your worth.

If you should fail…there is One who knows…One who cares.

He watches every step.

He too is a…

Spirit walker.

Xyli_Snowy_Owl Are we Skypeople or Earthdweller? They are two very different ways of living. One lives by their wings, the other by human reasoning. One has a focus on Infinite, the other finite. One goes on forever, the other trapped in the numbers. One walks by what he hears within, the other by what he sees without. What we hear from above, or what we see from below. Two very different ways of living. It cannot be hidden or faked for long.

Which you are always shows.

Jesus said, “Follow Me.”

“Night Watcher” #1 / Microchurch.

Path Without End

75364021-1200px The study of human nature is the study of darkness and light in us.

More and more I find myself “a watcher”. I believe wisdom dictates it. I’m always looking “big picture”. I set my life according to the Infinite, not the finite. I have a mission in this earth and I must not let the foolishness of others interfere with the treasure I see before me.

America is in trouble, but mostly because “the church” is in trouble. There is no city upon a hill lifting a true standard of light for us to find our way. And now those seeds are coming to harvest.

“The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds. They beat and bruised me and stripped off my veil, those watchmen on the walls.” (Song of Songs 5:7)

No other book of the Bible is speaking to me louder at this time than the “Song of Solomon”, also known as “Song of Songs”. A materialistic money loving church has become comfortable in her bed and failed to rise when her lover showed up, dripping with the anointing. Now she is out in the darkness and in the streets searching for Him, and he is not to be found by her. The Night Watchmen find her and she is beaten and treated as a common thief.

Spiritually we are back at King Saul and a rising shepherd boy named David. We have two churches. The old traditional system that has been the status quo for many generations, and a rising young lad of an idea/ vision that is yet to prove itself. The one is very large, the other small, as in Microchurch. This is what I believe I have seen. I believe it so much that I put my feet where my mouth is and left the King Saul church to begin running with David. We got to get the anointing back! We got to bring the Ark of the Covenant back into the church, the body of Christ!

We are all aware of the perfect storm we’re in. Frustration is starting to set in as conflicting messages whirl all about us. People are beginning to reach max stress point. No one knows what to do with Covid, or what it will do with us as the next flu season arrives? Fear sweeps through the streets like a winter wind. Add Racism, protests, and rioting to the mix. Add a very heated election to the mix. Add China to the mix. Add people being evicted, loss of jobs, poverty, hate, media propaganda, and whatever else may be next to this mix. And what to do with our precious children? Go to school or not? Have we ever seen such a time? And where is the church in all this?  Lost in a virtual world of “my best life now”.

David was a rag-tag group of mighty men before King Saul was finally overthrown by God Himself. There is a journey of the white owl we need to make, a journey of pure wisdom. This blog site will not be liked by the King Saul’s of this world, but maybe there are a few who are drawn to the caves of David.

Jonah admitted to the pagan sailors that the storm was because of him. Have we admitted this yet? Are we willing to be thrown overboard by the pagans? Or do we stay asleep in the bottom of the boat having our virtual services?

Violence is filling the land. The Magnificent Mile in Chicago was a result of foolish leadership entrenched in high places. They have tunnel vision. They refuse to see the forest because they have a tree or two they love. They love the finite rather than the Infinite, and yes… that is as foolish as Esau selling his birthright for a pot of beans! Anyone should be able to “SEE” it! And yet they don’t?

In recent months we could point to many such examples taking place in our cities. My own city of Indianapolis, the downtown area has been crippled! No one is going there. They fear for their life when they do. Stores are going out of business. And yet our leaders fail to fix the problem. The forest is burning while they drool over a few seeds they plan to plant.

They are determined to burn down the forest in order to plant their own tree. But I am not of their way, and I have a mandate from heaven to perform in the midst of even this perfect storm. How will God see it through? Can we walk on water? Can God keep us in the eye of the hurricane? And what shall come of the King Saul church and their King Theology? More virtual reality? We shall see… because I intend to be a Night Watchman.

snowy owl in Colorado
The night watchmen found me as they made their rounds.

Are you a Rowboat, Motorboat, or Sailboat?

Path Without End

photo-1540946485063-a40da27545f8 (1) If we are three part beings: physical, mental, and spiritual; which is YOUR dominant trait? Are you a rowboat, motorboat, or sailboat? This is one of my favorite analogies to share. It has delivered clarification and inspiration to my soul many times. It is my constant.

Of course the spiritual person would be the sailboat, driven by the Wind. The rowboat is a very physical person, perhaps even one of those very sleek, fast, and fancy rowboats used in the races, or maybe an old beat-up canoe. That leaves the motorboat. This is the mentally dominated person who by the power of the mind invents the gasoline engine to power his boat. Now he can rip and roar by man-made power and ignore the Wind. Whether we like to admit it or not, most people have a dominate lifestyle choice, whether physical, mental, or spiritual. We do choose. We can choose and do choose; with or without the help of God.

So try to envision with me the sweat and strain of the Rowboat, or the noise and power of the Motorboat churning up the waters, or the peace and beauty of the Sailboat. Now I think we all look at the beauty of a Sailboat with great admiration, it touches our soul, but in spite of that, statistics show most of us never become true Soul Sailors, we’ve always been a minority.

It is interesting to note we are currently in a forced event that would test the metal of any Soul Sailor. If you claim to be the Captain of a sailboat, have you felt the strain of staying true to your chosen path? Did you panic over toilet paper? Did you need anti-anxiety meds? Have you gone stir crazy in the house? Did your prayer life grow? Your study time? Your peace? Or have the shipboards been moaning and creaking under the strain? Do not fear brothers and sisters, your sails will see you through long after the Motorboat has been too long at sea and run out of gas, and the Rowboat is adrift, overwhelmed with exhaustion.

Of course this Blog Site is all about being a true Soul Sailor. For those who hunger for such a romantic life at sea, this is the place to be! I take the word “sailor” very literally. In other words, I love those who are so dedicated to the Wind that they have thrown the oars overboard! They have cut the motor loose and watched it sink to the ocean floor! They are true sailors! They are entirely dependent upon their sails catching the power and direction of the Wind! They are in love with the Wind and Sea!

photo-1500917832468-298fa6292e2b Are we in uncharted waters? Whether we be Rowboat, Motorboat, or Sailboat, I think we are. Rowboats are already busy in the kitchen, perhaps in a panic, trying to work their way through this. Motorboats are studying the stock market and trying to think their way through. But Sailboats? They’re at the feet of Jesus simply in love with his every word.

In some ways, nothing ever really changes for us. And I mean that in a good way. Things outside us change a lot, but that within us has been trained to maintain course. We do not walk by sight, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God! Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. It’s good to have that kind of control, no matter what storms may arise. That which happens around us does not change that which is within us.

Jesus even said once: “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.“ (John 3:8)

Many claim to live by the Wind, but their lifestyle, their daily actions, indicates otherwise.

I’m keeping this short because as all of us Captains of the various boats are navigating these uncharted waters, I feel led to delve into this my favorite analogy for a series. This will be the opening article for a series I’m calling: “Soul Sailors” I want to raise up more true spiritual sailors. I want to encourage all those who have a heart like Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus, in love with the sea, the Spirit, while Martha raced around in the kitchen worried and fretting over many things. Jesus did rebuke her, you realize. He said it in kindness, but it was a rebuke.

I hope you will enjoy this series and not miss a single beautiful sunrise as we fall more and more in love with life at sea in a sailboat powered by the Wind!

photo-1555341271-4d07915672b1
Is it too much to ask for a life that is magical? Not if your life is born of the Spirit!

 

“Yinney” – Chapter 10

Path Without End

sloth_blog Yinney was happy. He had his 7th Day Tree. He had the lagoon to swim in. He had the Presence of God, and now he also had a vision. His life had purpose, meaning, and passion, and yet he had very little in the way of material things. His was a way of simplicity. One of Yinney’s teachings began with a question, “What is the ‘least’ stuff that makes you the ‘most’ happy?”

The question was deeper than most realized, or took the time to realize. Creatures of simplicity are aware of the law of diminishing return. It’s not more and more that makes us more happy. The focusing of a life upon their own special purpose is the happiness we seek. Therefore, we need our basic comforts met, and we need meaningful ‘fellowship’, but beyond that we mostly need to find our ourself, and who we were designed by God to be.

Yinney knew his gifting and found peace in that. He was a teacher of spiritual truths. He loved reading the ancient writings, especially of the Hebrews. His specialty was the understanding of both the old and new covenant, and why God’s relationship with man had to come by such an odd way. He knew many mysteries of the universe, but still had many more to search, and he loved it. Peace he had, and peace he taught.

Most people are living a fictional character the world has slowly shaped them into, but they have not found themself. Happiness continually eludes them and they do not know why. They have become a predator chasing more and more stuff, always hungry, always on the hunt for that next thing. They do not realize they are living as a character playing a part on a stage, but not the true self, in essence, they are fiction.

Yinney had his tree; this was his simple home. The tree provided food, shelter, and a certain amount of comfort. He was content in this simplicity. He also had a very rich inner world, because in his wisdom he focused more on soul than flesh. He loved his Creator, which brought relationship and fellowship. This had recently surprised him with a great vision while he was meditating at the bottom of the lagoon. The vision consisted of creating a place of communion, teaching, refuge, and there would be a man.

What was the message this man would carry back to his own land? And who was the man? How would he end up deep in the Amazon? How does he find his way to Yinney’s tree? Is he a traveler that simply gets lost? Surely there is more to it than that. And the vision said he had three years to prepare. But prepare what? A special place for the man to see? A particular teaching the man will need? Perhaps both? He did not know. He would follow his heart. He would follow the beauty of slow and it would unfold slowly, like a blossoming flower day by day.

People do not intend to become a fictional character. It happens very innocently. They have become fiction. They are not real. They may play the part well, but they do not know themself. God does not know them either, for they are far from his design in them, and so they do not know themself, they are but an actor playing a part on a stage, but who are they?

From the time of a child we have teachers. How else can we learn? And we love and admire many of our teachers, such as our parents, and we have a desire to please those ones we love. We desire the approval of those we respect. However, in our desire to please them, we may forget to ask, “Who has God designed me to be? What is my own spiritual DNA, for we are all a unique individual upon this earth.”

So before we are old enough to understand, we have slowly evolved into a character who pleases those we are influenced by, and this includes all the pressures of this world, which come at us from every direction. And in all this we forget to seek the one who absolutely knows us best…GOD.

Yinney was a sloth, and he knew it. He had no desire to be anything other than what God had gifted him to be. He lived in his personal design from God. As he pondered all these things, guess who flew in? “Lu-Lu!” he shouted. “I found my sacred tree! Welcome to my home!” And then, in a much more serious tone he added, “Boy do I have some things to tell you.”

 

“Yinney” – Chapter 7

Path Without End

images (1) It had been a long seven day journey, and now that he had found his 7th Day Tree he just wanted to rest and enjoy. In other words, not move! But as he laid back admiring the great tree his spirit had led him to, his mind and soul were rejoicing. Yinney’s inner world was highly active.

Sloths fool people. They look at a sloth and say, “Nothing much going on there. Hello? Anybody home?” Then they laugh and move on.

“Let them move on,” Yinney thought. “Maybe someday they will learn to appreciate the beauty of slow, when they are no longer young and foolish. Now that I have my tree, I can begin writing my book: ‘The Teachings of Yinney’, with a subtitle of : ‘The Beauty of Slow’.”

Yinney’s contemplation continued, “It’s not about slowing down simply for the sake of going slow, but it’s about the ‘glow’ of slow, and the ‘flow’. I will write of these things, and my 7th Day Tree becomes my classroom, my place of rest, my place of faith.”

The sacred tree was not called the “7th Day Tree” only because it was the place a sloth pooed every seven days. Sloth’s were avid readers of ancient texts. When a sloth is not moving, they may be reading. They have very tiny books hard to be seen by someone on the ground. His father had left books for Yinney, and among them was the great Jewish books of the Hebrews. These books were revered by all three-toed sloths because they spoke of living in a state of rest. If there was one thing sloths understood, it was rest.

In the Old Covenant, the Creator had instructed for the 7th day to be kept holy and be a day of rest. However, it is plainly written as the Christ completed the Old Covenant, that day of rest was expanded into a lifestyle! Not just on the 7th Day, but by faith live in the 7th Day all week long, even as Yinney would live in his 7th Day Tree!

He slowly reached for a leaf as he continued, “Most people don’t understand how you can be at rest and still get anything done, but rest is a state of peace, a state of faith, a state of flow, spiritual and supernatural, empowered by the All-Creator. It is contentment while still reaching,” his claws finally reached the leaf.

“So many people are asleep, but have no rest,” he continued. “But he who walks in spirit knows a rest that is fully awake. ‘Desire’ is a hard taskmaster. Better to be content and flowing forward like a lazy river, rather than caught in rapids. The beauty of slow is to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. You could say the journey is the destination. Does anyone ever fully arrive? And if one does, what happens then? Boredom?”

And so Yinney was enjoying the fruit of his journey as he laid back in his 7th Day Tree. It would be another seven days before he needed to poo again, meanwhile he was safe in his tree. The sounds of the Amazon echoed all around. The exotic birds, the occasional roar of a large cat, the screams of monkeys, he enjoyed it all, for the Amazon was full of life!

While Yinney rested way to the south, Jerry was fit to be tied in North America. He still had a large order of wood to deliver in two days. Tomorrow was Sunday and certain “church-goers” in his employ did not like working seven days a week. Not only that, but there was talk of inviting a Union Rep to organize all the mills around the state, and push to join the Union. If that happened, not only would overtime be “time and a half”, but Sundays would be “double-time”!

Jerry thought he knew who were the main two stirring everyone up about the benefits of the Union. He was still the boss here. There must be a way to stop this, he thought. No Union was coming into his mill if he could help it.

A small picture on his desk momentarily catches his eyes, causing him to pause. There was Dorothy and his two kids. He reminded himself he was doing all this for them. He smiled as he thought of Dorothy getting in shape. She was all excited last night as she told him about joining the spa, how it got her out of the house, the great bargain it was, and it was good for her. Yes, she seemed happy. Jerry was glad, this distraction kept her off his back. She had been doing a lot of complaining about how much he was gone. He would gladly pay the spa bill if it kept her busy.

Suddenly pain hit his stomach and began crawling up his throat. “Yuk!” Pulling his desk drawer open he reached for the bottle of antacids. “I gotta stop drinking so much coffee,” he concluded, as he swallowed several pills. He had been saying that for a year, but so far drank just as much, maybe even more.

Yinney spent his day slowly exploring his new home. It was big enough to provide protection, with many limbs too small for a Jaguar to climb upon. But it was also a humble tree. It will grow with the nutrients of Yinney’s special poo. It was perfect, and tomorrow he would find the best limb dropping into the lagoon. Holding his breath for as long as forty minutes, he wanted to try underwater meditation. This had been part of his master plan all along.  He continued thinking about the dire implications Lu-Lu had spoke of also. Yes, if this was true, then there would be much need for three-toed sloths of the old ways. They would find his tree, and he would give them hope, as only his people could.

What could he see from the highest limb, he wondered. Looking upward he liked the idea of it, but decided to save his energy. It had already been a lot this day. Tomorrow the lagoon, and maybe a climb to the top the next day. After all, there was no rush. Yinney was in complete peace as he enjoyed his many pleasures.

images (1)

“Yinney” Chapter 4

Path Without End

Dorothy was bored. Dorothy was lonely. Dorothy was restless. Dorothy was gaining weight. Dorothy was Jerry’s wife.

Jerry was gone to work as usual, and both children were at school. She flicked off the flat screen after watching the latest episode of finding homes for lottery winners. She would have a fine home like that someday, but what to do today?

Rising from her sofa and opening a closet door, she looked at herself in the full length mirror. “Hhmmm, I don’t like what I see, Dorothy,” she scolded herself.

She considered turning on some music, but had done that all week. Looking outside it was a cold nasty day. She didn’t enjoy reading, had tried that, too, but it just wasn’t her thing.

Once again Dorothy was drawn to her bulletin board where she had stuck an add torn out of the paper. Her local L.A. Fitness was running a special if you joined this month. The special included a personal trainer for the first six weeks. Time was running out. She looked around at the quiet house. It felt dark like a cave. It was a cave she spent too much time in alone. She needed to get out, make some adult friends, live a little. It was time. She would do it, and no better time than right now.

Grabbing her keys, purse, and jacket, Dorothy headed for the door. No looking back. This was her answer. She needed this. The fitness center was only a fifteen minute drive away. She was there in no time; and signed up even quicker after one of the trainers showed her around.

She couldn’t help noticing how fit the trainer was. His name was, Kevin. Mmmm, Kevin,” she thought. He was hot. So were a few of the guys working out, she noticed. Jerry use to be that way. But those kind of thoughts were for days gone by. Weren’t they? Of course they were! “Get your head on straight, Dorothy. That’s not why you’re here.”

Many many miles south, Lu-Lu had just finished describing to Yinney what she called Predator Cities, and the danger they posed. “They are so hungry!” she added. “They are always on the hunt. They never seem to be full or satisfied.”

Sloths are prone to lots of meditation. They spend a lot of time “not moving”, but a lot is moving on in the inside, in the soul. Yinney knew he only had four days left to find his 7th Day Tree, but now he wanted to ponder this new knowledge Lu-Lu had revealed to him. “Thank you, Lu-Lu, for a great revelation I did not know. I will meditate on your words. Will I see you again?”

“You most likely will,” she affirmed. “I like this neighborhood. I still travel around from time to time, but I live a more settled life now. I’ll be seeing you, Yinney. Good luck finding your tree,” and away she flew.

Yinney did not move. He was on his way deep within, deep in thought, as he pictured these ugly, dirty, noisy, hungry cites Lu-Lu had so vividly described.

Jerry, on the other hand, was not bored at all, and never one to meditate, he was in his element at the mill. He had been on the phone making calls, selling lumber, wheeling and dealing, and laughing all the way to the bank. Now he was very much enjoying himself as he read some very interesting statistics on the Internet.

“I am definitely in the right place at the right time!” he shouted while quickly jotting down some numbers on scratch paper. “According to this,” he continued out loud, “the average square footage of U.S. homes have nearly tripled since 1950! The average in 1950 was 1000 sq. ft.. By 1970 it had risen to 1500 sq. ft.. 1990 it grew to 2,000! And present day is almost 3,000! And all this in a time when the size of the average family has dropped tremendously! How in the world do you account for that? That doesn’t even make sense! Most families do not exceed two children, and yet? Hhmmm. Ha! Whatever the reason, it’s all good for me!” Rejoicing in his good fortune he hit the computer button and decided to check on his workers. They had a big order that needed to be completed soon, and he was hoping not to pay overtime.

The clock was ticking for one and all, as time always does. Time is a river always flowing forward. Dorothy saw her life flowing by in the mirror, asking if her best days were gone? Yinney knew he only had four days left to find his sacred tree, but went into meditation anyway, for what good is a sacred tree if one does not live in a sacred way? Jerry was worried about his bottom line. He saw time as money! Time that would cost him “time and a half” if his guys didn’t get a move on! And so it was on planet earth as a simple sloth named Yinney needed to find his tree to poo.

images (3)

<This story property of D.A.>

 

The Formula – Part 2

Path Without End

100_3284 The Teepee has come so far from this place, as you shall see, but let’s talk more about our personal God Task, one very important part of our Formula. This Teepee has been a God Task to me, and not a small one at that. That’s a very large tree you see through the Teepee frame, and I have built this by myself. I had help only one day, when raising the first three legs.

The Formula is meant to bring “Balance” to our living, so we can enjoy peace, simplicity, depth, things of true value, and not be the slave of this world’s rat race. Let the rats run the race, not those who believe in a higher way. What do you want your life to teach? Do we speak of a higher way, but run with the rats? What kind of teaching is that? You do realize we’re all teaching someone, right? That’s the next part of “The Formula”, that Inner Circle of Influence.

How can we find OUR God Task? And what does it say of us? What does it preach? How can we be certain of what it is? And how does finding that bring peace to my life, rather than just more chaos, guilt, and stress? Well… for one thing… your God Task COMPLETES you.

Without it you’re not satisfied inside, and that dissatisfaction causes you to chase MANY things instead of being able to FOCUS on the FEW things that truly give MEANING to who God created you to be. Chasing these MANY things that do not satisfy is the reason you’re so unbalanced, stressed, and near exhaustion. Not to mention how much this is likely ageing you. It’s a very unhealthy lifestyle. But many people care more about what others think of them, than their own health, or even what God thinks. (Sad to say, but true.) As a result, their life ends up teaching what the world pressures them to teach, and not what they really wish they could.

Trust me, you don’t want to find yourself at the end of your life having pleased the world, but never found yourself. Your “God creation – God design”, is a DNA you cannot get away from. You will never feel completed as long as you ignore who you were designed to be, your God design. Therefore, your God Task is connected to who you really are, and the things of this world, ARE NOT. So don’t be fooled any longer. It is the truth that sets us free. God truth.

The Teepee came to me as I left the modern American Church, because I was finally convinced it wasn’t me who was messed up, but it was up to me to finally pursue what I believe to be scripturally true, in spite of what the so-called experts may be saying. I was hungry for more of God, but didn’t know where to go. My experience has been, that if you truly desire God, you will begin to get the vision for your life. In a very short time, God began revealing to me, that I had a place I could begin to develop into something special he had in mind, and my heart began seeing a large Teepee, of all things.

God had been setting me up for this for a while. My wife and I got interested in “Tiny Houses”, but after some study of the situation, decided it was not for us. Still, a certain seed, a certain interest had been planted. And then there was a desire to connect more to my Grandkids. But how?

Admittedly, there are many ways to connect, but we had this “place”, and what was I supposed to do with it? One thing kept leading to another. Then came the idea of Grandpa White Feather. I was hungry for more of God, and God was leading me to a divine task. I talked to my parents about building the Teepee behind the barn. They thought it was a great idea. This was a green light, and I started the huge project with great interest and delight.

A few months after I started building, someone spoke to me about early retirement, and I felt led to do so. One day at a time I have been on the journey of “one” of my God Task, for no life is simply one thing, but we must control how many things. I started this blog so I could share this journey and preach this message in a different way. God put the writer/teacher design in me. It has been a natural flow. I love it. But let me show you a few newer pictures of the Teepee. It’s still a work in progress, and every month brings considerable changes. I’m about to go multi-colored with outside of Teepee, but hasn’t quite happened yet.

 

There are now three windows in the Teepee. You can also see air vents I added at bottom. That tarp flap at the top can be opened and closed by ropes I ran up and over tree limbs. But let’s go inside.

20180926_130339

That’s a wall I recently installed. It’s attached to 700 pounds of concrete in the ground. Very solid wall. It’s also our “White Feather Signing Wall”. Anyone who has benefited the Teepee in some way, gets to sign the wall. The wall is new and we have a few people not yet signed, but coming soon to do so. (We had people signing a beam before, but we are transferring them to this wall, and keeping the original dates of 2017, or whatever their date was.)

20180926_161740 When I first started the Teepee, I wasn’t sure how God was going to use this. It’s not in a big city. It’s isolated. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was putting a lot of time and effort into something that would only have very small impact? However, I have been amazed at the people who have been touched and affected by this Teepee, not to mention people reading this blog site, of which I have no way to know, in most cases, who really reads and who does not? You can sort of tell, and there are a few of you who really read. I thank you so much, and I hope this helps you find a path of simplicity and depth in Christ as well. Here is a workbench I just installed, in which I hope to use wood to create works that teach our message. Like wood plaques and so on.

20180927_163057 In next article we look at the “Inner Circle” of the Formula. Jesus had his Inner Circle. He had the 70, the 12, and the 3. We all have an Inner Circle of Influence, but what are we doing with it? Does it bring value, meaning, purpose, and balance to our life? Or have we not really developed our Inner Circle in a way like Jesus DID? WDJD. This too, can bring balance or chaos to our daily living. Let us truly follow Christ.

Again, begin to hunger after God if you do not know who and what he created you to be and do. You will only be half a person without knowledge of your God Task, and you will chase many things trying to satisfy that hunger, only to no avail. And you will teach that same sad life to others as well. The “Herd Mentality” is a path well trodden by the masses. It takes a truly wise person to leave the herd, and hear the voice of God.

db2adaca27ca91021117ff0b5ee90bcf

“God Balance”

Path Without End

402894471-free-wind-wallpapers We’re talking about “Surrender” because so many Christians have failed to enter “Rest” and are still “Fighting”. Fighting to keep their head above water. Fighting with the cares of this life. Fighting to prove themself when we’re supposed to be proving God! Except a seed fall to the ground and die, it abides alone. And let that seed be carried by the Wind.

I surrender all, the song says. So why am I still fighting?

Hebrews chapter four speaks of a rest available to us all. A rest connected to the 7th Day when God ceased from all “His” work. He said, It is finished, it is good, and he entered rest. That rest is available to us when we truly surrender, cease from our own works and enter His. We enter His finished work, and we do His work in our life, not our own.

When Jesus said, “It is finished!” If your faith is strong enough, and your love for God great enough, the cares of this world become simply more water off a duck’s back. It’s not that you won’t feel emotions, but we can also have control of those emotions, because no matter what, we know God has a plan for us.

H-O-W-E-V-E-R… If God’s will and God’s plan is not enough for you… T-H-E-N… enter stress, anxiety, lust, envy, fighting, struggle, rat race, fear, etc. etc, etc.. Your life will always be out of balance because like floating on water, there needs to be a surrender.

This world will always disrupt your peace unless you have learned to lay down your own will and flow with the Father. Cease from your own works and rest in God. For the one who has died with Christ, no matter what I wake up to each day, even if it be WWIII has suddenly broke out, nothing changes for me! The desire of my heart is to find God’s will in this day. Not yesterday or tomorrow, but today. And be the Godwalker. Flow in that. Stay in faith, in Spirit, in peace and joy. Can it really be that simple?

Simple yes, but also very deep.

Have we really thought deeply about what Jesus taught? How is it we have read his words and heard his words a thousand times and still don’t get it? Because his words are simple and deep! (And we’re not paying attention.)

Our only explanation for our lack of understanding is we’re not paying attention. We read the Beatitudes and have pictures of pretty butterflies flirting about from flower to flower when that message is actually about losing our own identity and being swallowed up in his! It is a type of death, not dancing butterflies! And it leads to true joy.

Here is a quote, I think from Bo Lozoff: “The cause of all our personal problems, and nearly all the problems of the entire planet, can be summed up in a single sentence: Human life is very deep, and our dominate lifestyle is not.”

Wow…that is what I see in so many people. So busy running here and there trying to grab the golden ring, that they read the Beatitudes and praise the wisdom and beauty of it all while never realizing it’s speaking of their death to flesh! They hear those words “Blessed” at the start of each verse and that is as deep as their brain goes! They claim to love the ocean but they never leave shallow waters! Do they not even realize the lie they’re living? Evidently not.

Mister Rogers, an ordained minister who dared to have a “serious” television show for children, said this: “I feel so strongly that deep and simple are far more essential than shallow and complex.” The evidence seems to support that Mister Rogers lived what he spoke. He was a true believer.

I have dared attempt putting together a “spiritual formula” for finding our “God Balance” after deep thought about the living example of Christ. In other words, WDJD? (What DID Jesus do?) I compare this formula to a jigsaw puzzle. The formula is not complete without all the pieces.

True surrender, a true love for the things of God, is one piece of this puzzle. If there has not been a true DEATH, then how can there be a true resurrection into a newness of life?

Unless the seed falls to the ground and dies…it abides alone…and not only that…but how can it be happy in simplicity? Most struggle is the result of too much complexity we invited in because we wanted too many things too quickly. Or things we would be better off without. So how can we look at the piece of the puzzle known as “simplicity”, how can we get that piece in place if we constantly cause our life to be more and more complicated?

We have barely begun to teach this subject of the “God Balance”: How to find it and love it. I feel led to continue short teachings given more frequently. But if we’re paying attention, if we’re thinking deeply, we should be pondering what did Jesus do that enabled him to walk in such a God Balance as he said was also available to us? A few things make up that formula. I believe simplicity is one of the things the formula will produce. Simplicity is not part of the formula itself.

Lifestyle habits. Of course you’re thinking prayer. Yes, but…perhaps if you have a little bigger picture of a few more pieces, perhaps the prayers will come easier, than they do when our vision is only of shallow waters. Deep calleth unto deep. Follow your heart into deeper waters. There is a rest waiting for us there.

776683

 

“Real Life Stuff”

Path Without End

Continuing our previous article, what is John the Baptist really telling us?

Really love God, and really love people. We are called to real love.

cropped-20171021_162320

 It’s a faith revealing itself in OUR cross. Yes, “OUR” cross. Show me your faith without works, and I’ll show you mine by my works!

The cross really is the perfect picture of Christianity, and if your actions don’t fit that picture, then you’re not following Christ. You may be following some success guru, or weak version of Christianity, but you have not gotten into the real stuff of life yet, because God’s word is not about making us “first”, it’s about us learning to love being “last”. Wow. Somehow, the place where my teepee is going, must fit that picture.

“The Golden Rule”

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” (Matt.7:12)

I painted a cross on the side of the teepee, not yet knowing how meaningful that was going to be.

How can I be last? What is God showing me I could do, but in the doing of it, I put others first? I’m talking real sacrifice based on your real love for God and people.

Donald Trump may well usher in a new age of prosperity in this country, but what will the average Christian do with it? “Blessings” have always been our greatest “temptation”. A failure to properly handle God’s blessings has always brought our greatest judgements. The church has always thrived best in hard times. Sad but true statements. Like Constantine blessed and empowered the church, and it led to idolatry, does today’s church really know how to handle more prosperity?

There is a simplicity to God’s call. Really love God, and really love people. Embrace your cross.

Consider what your gifting is when you look for your place. Now that we have the vision of the Priest/Servant, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t find fulfillment in our sacrifice. The Christian walk is a call to a life of “meaning”. Meaning is more needed than happiness. I believe we search for real purpose and meaning. In this we find fulfillment. These kinds of people know what true happiness is.

So when you look at the world around you, where do you see yourself standing in line? Last? No?

Me neither. And that’s got to change for me! This Path of the White Feather has been a path of revelation personally challenging me. The ministry at Tumble Pigeon Farm must be a place teaching this personal God, personal love, and personal cross. I may never reach the very end of the line, but I’ve got to move more in that direction. I take this as a personal challenge to myself, to be more real in my faith, to really love God, and really love people.

John the Baptist declared what time it was on heaven’s clock, and he said there was an axe about to drop and chop off the original branch of the tree, and graft in something new, something different, something real. Are we at such a time again? I need to find my place in this line!

I watched a movie that was connected to a ministry called “Embrace a Village”. I don’t know a lot about this ministry, but it seemed real. God called them to help people in India with leprosy! I mean, they get right involved with them! Move towards the mess as they say.

I believe, now that I’m not so tied up inside the four walls of a modern church, I’m ready to find something “real”, to pour some of my sweat, blood, and sacrifice into. Now that I know I’m not under some law to give 10% of my income to a church, what other need is going on around me, where I might be able to make a real difference in the name of Jesus? It’s time to look with new eyes. It’s time to leave the padded pews and stage lights, and move towards the mess!

For anyone following this site, if you don’t feel you’re already doing this, I hope you will join me in making this a personal goal, a journey we can all make together, a journey towards the back of the line! Yes! I’m excited about moving towards the back! Just imagine if Christians all over the world truly caught the vision of moving towards the back of the line. Of letting God lead them towards a mess God has gifted them to thrive in, and they moved towards that mess! Wow…what a different world it could be.

This is what the true spirit of Christmas is meant to be. Not some materialistic stressful holiday of fearing people won’t think you love them if you didn’t buy for them. Or you’re cheap because you couldn’t afford them a nice gift, so you went in debt to show how much you love them. Now you’re stressed out all year because you struggle to pay that credit card that never seems to pay off, and guess what? Christmas is almost here again! Now what do I do? This is not what the baby Jesus was born for. This is not what he paid a price on the cross for! Let Christmas become going last!

God’s most powerful message is in the cross. God’s glory is in the cross. Let us bring that message back to the world by taking OUR cross and following Him. Jesus says, Walk with me. God says, Learn my ways. The Holy Spirit says, I will teach and empower you.

I did not know where this message was going when I started writing it. This is a message moving towards the mess. The mess of our own selfish materialistic lives, to a vision of embracing our cross, the beauty that can come out of that cross, and proving ourselves to actually be the Bride of the Lamb, because we really love God and are fulfilled in His ways. Amen.

(The previous article kind of led into this, so you might want to check it out.)

23172849_1888930274467739_1699942031487216785_n

My first born grandson, Gabriel, who helped paint on this teepee. His current name given by me is, “Fire Keeper”. He helped to keep the fire going in the teepee.