HUMAN LIMITATIONS

Standing at the base of the tall pine tree,

I stared up through the branches trying to see how far it was to the top. The kids around me challenged, “Just start climbing and see how far you get!” Being about 11 years old, I figured I’d better get moving before someone double dog dared me. Shortly after climbing a few branches, my hands were already sticky from sap. Maybe this will help to keep my grip, I thought to myself. Moving further up the tree, the trunk began to narrow and the branches got thinner. At that point, the wind was very noticeable, causing the tree to sway back and forth. Thanks to the encouragement of my buddies hollering from below, “Don’t be a sissy, keep going,” I pressed on. As I felt a branch crack under my foot from the weight of my body, it suddenly became difficult to weave through the narrowing branches. Figuring I was probably high enough off the ground, I took a quick moment to enjoy the view and began my descent. Upon making it safely back to the ground, I brushed the bark and pine needles from my hair and out of my shirt. Looking up the tree, I felt confident in my conquest.

Just as my ego started to inflate, some smart aleck kid said, “That’s nothing, I’ll show you how to do it.” He jumped up to the first branch and like a chimpanzee, continued to swing from branch to branch. In a matter of seconds, he was most of the way up the tree. I asked one of my buddies if the kid reached as far as I did. “No, he’s about ten feet higher,” he replied. “I never liked that kid,” I huffed under my breath and walked home. I spent the next week trying to wash the sap from my hands. Sometimes, we would like our bodies to be able to do things that are just not possible.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. And that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.

MAKE ROOM FOR GROWTH

My wife and I needed to mix things up a bit. Our typical Sunday routine was getting a bit ordinary, so we decided to take a mini road trip. We packed a picnic lunch and immediately after church we headed down the road.

The destination was a small town an hour’s drive away. It was a gorgeous day with the sun shining and a warm breeze…perfect conditions for a road trip. The road was fairly straight as it cut through seemingly infinite farms fields. Eventually, the road started to curve following the banks of a river that led to our planned destination. We pulled into the city park, found a shady spot to sit, and enjoyed our lunch.

After lunch, we took a short hike to the actual destination of our trip - the last old-fashioned covered bridge in the state.

It wasn’t like old paintings of a covered bridge; in fact, it has been well-maintained because cars haven’t been allowed to drive on it for decades.  We walked over it a couple times and started heading back to our car. As we walked down the path, I noticed a cluster of birch trees in their full shedding state. Birch trees are one of the few trees where you can actually see the bark’s shedding process. The old bark needs to shed to allow for the tree to continue to grow, which seemed rather fitting since the purpose of the trip was to shed our ordinary routine and allow for growth.

1 Peter 2:2 Like new born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

THANKFUL IN ALL THINGS?

ENOUGH ALREADY!!! I'm almost positive that I share this thought with most people regarding the miserably cold temperatures that has had a death grip on much of the United States - definitely the upper Midwest. It’s like a constant running nose that causes a person to go through an entire box of Kleenex in a day, or a sore back that makes you realize how much you use your back muscles every minute of the day, even when you’re trying to sleep.

Back to the ugly subzero temperatures, it was getting pretty old trying to avoid it...having to put on multiple layers of clothing just to take out the garbage, or having to let your car run for an eternity so it's somewhat warm enough to sit in. I HAD ENOUGH of sitting around, so I asked my wife if she wanted to go on a hike New Year’s Day to enjoy the great outdoors. She looked at me like I was crazy and said, “you know how cold it is, right?” I took that as a yes, so we bundled up and headed out the door.

The destination was a nearby waterfall. I figured the current sub-

A view well worth the cold.

zero temperatures, combined with a waterfall, would create something spectacular…at least it was worth a look. It was reassuring to see we weren’t the only people there, and the view was well worth it. It seemed nothing good could come from such bitter temperatures, but thankfully we didn’t let them win. After a couple minutes though, the sub-zero wind-chill was starting to bite at our faces, so we took a few pictures before our camera froze and headed back to the car, which seemed to run for another eternity before we were warm again.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

THE GIFT OF GIVING

My eyes slowly opened, and everything was blurry. After blinking a few times and rubbing the sleep from my eyes, things started to come into focus. I noticed the house was quiet. This was a rare occasion in a house with four young boys. It felt so good just lying there until it dawned on me; it’s Christmas morning; what am I still doing in bed?! I threw myself out of bed, probably yelled something at one of my brothers about it being Christmas, and flung the bedroom door open, banging it against the wall. I ran through the hallway, which seemed a lot longer back then, and headed down the stairs. The stairs were non-existent to me. I took one large leap to the first landing and then one more as I thunderously landed on the living room floor.

As I straightened up and gazed toward the Christmas tree, there it was...the best Christmas present of my youth! The metal and brass pieces glared blinding reflections of light as I cautiously walked toward it squinting my eyes. I sat on the little throne, picked up the two smooth, wooden sticks and began to play my first drum set. It was a Mickey Mouse set and I loved it! If anyone was still sleeping at that point, no one was asleep anymore.

Maybe not the exact set...but this is how I remember it

My parents had a knack for knowing what we wanted for Christmas. It was one of those things I took for granted as a kid - like how they provided food, shelter, and protection. They never seemed to think much about it, they just did it. Being a husband and father, I now understand how you just do things for those you love without thinking much about it.

Much like my parents, the woods provide many of the same conditions. Trees provide food for us and many critters of the earth. We build homes from their timber and the critters build nests within their limbs. They protect everyone from the scorching sun, heavy rains, and relentless winds. I am grateful that both my parents and the woods are a part of my life.

I'm also thankful for you, the readers of this blog! Without you, I would just be some guy hammering away on a keyboard. To show my appreciation, five of the new Timber of Faith caps will be given away. If you are interested in a cap, please comment below, or send me a message on Facebook. Your name will be placed in a drawing to distribute them. THANK YOU!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

MAN, IT'S DARK OUT

It’s that dark time of year. It’s dark when you go to work, it’s dark when you get home…it always seems to be dark. On December 21^st (the Winter solstice) It will only be light for 8hrs 46min 12secs of the 24hr day. That’s a lot of darkness!

As a pre-teen I was able to find my way into plenty of trouble. On one occasion the trouble was serious enough to bring me in front of a judge. Leading up to my court date I tried to act cool and pretended like it was no big deal. Within our family it was a very big deal. My dad had to take time off work to be at court. He even cut my hair, so I wouldn’t look like a vagabond. The night before court was the longest, darkest night of my life, I didn’t sleep a wink. I laid in bed thinking about all the “what if’s”. At that age I didn’t know how to clear my thoughts and be at peace. I anxiously waited for the sun to rise. The seconds seem to tick by in slow motion. My body tossed and turned hundreds of times that night. I can vividly picture the bottom of brothers bunk from starring at it for hours and hours. Eventually the sun finally rose, and the day begun.

Fortunately, this current very dark time of year does offer many opportunities to catch a sunrise. I love watching the sunrise! A sunrise marks the fresh start to a new day. It doesn’t matter what happened earlier, currently, or what is yet to be; while watching the sunrise, nothing else matter. It’s 10 to 15 minutes of complete bliss for me. Do you have a way to find your peace?

A recent winter sunrise

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

GUARD YOURSELF

There are a ton of trees in our area, however only a few fire hydrants. You may be thinking, “yeah, so?” Well, there are also a ton dogs.

Dogs and fire hydrants make me think of those cartoon images from my youth where it seemed like dogs only “relieved” themselves on fire hydrants.

Maybe those cartoons were of dogs that lived in the heart of dense inner cities, or maybe it’s easier for an artist to draw a cartoon of a fire hydrant rather than a tree. Either way, dogs in my neighborhood have a plethora of trees to choose from, and they seem to take advantage of each and every one.

So, why all this talk about dogs and where they relieve themselves?

Well, the other afternoon I was walking our dog (a female, who doesn’t utilize either a tree or a fire hydrant) and noticed that a lot of the trees are discolored from dogs relieving themselves. So, of course, that got me wondering if it’s harmful to trees. After some research, turns out it is and can also cause long term effects to the tree. The bark of the tree provides some protection, but not very much. These trees, though rooted firmly in their foundation, can’t defend themselves, so there they stand, day in and day out, taking whatever the world (or dogs) dumps on them.

Thankfully, we have a way to protect ourselves from becoming the world’s dumping ground.

Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

STAYING FOCUSED FOR SUCCESS

Knowing it could be many hours before getting out of my deer stand or even seeing a deer, I nestled into my seat and patiently waited for the sun to rise. While sitting in the darkness I reminisced of previous hunts and felt certain there were deer sneaking all around me. Finally, the sun began to rise, just as it has for the past 31 deer hunter opening mornings. 

As the darkness gives way to the light, my eyes and ears go to work. My head slowly pivots from side to side like an owl scanning for field mice. In recent years it takes a bit longer for my eyes to focus. 

An experienced hunter could see many possible deer in this picture

In the twilight everything looks like a deer; the short oak tree with its brown leaves, the trunk of a fallen pine tree; even my own shadow looks like a deer. My ears pick up sound as well; the flutter of a chickadee’s wings swooping overhead and the woodpecker looking for breakfast in a dead tree.  I also hear a red squirrel chattering away; maybe to warn me of an approaching deer or maybe to warn the deer of me. Nevertheless, I am completely focused on my immediate surroundings. My eyes zoom in around each tree and behind them looking for any movement. As the sun continues to rise the frost begins to settle on my shoulders and everything else in my life fades away; it’s just me and the woods. I know that the longer I stay focused on my objective, the higher percentage of success, so for countless hours I continue to focus on the woods in front of me and nothing else. Now, if only I had that type of focus in other areas of my life.

Proverbs 4:18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter til the full light of day. 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.