God's Great Outdoors... brings out the real man inside Written by David Lingner
As we were sitting there eating fixin's girls brought out to us "hard working men", I was observing Riley, Devon's old Golden Retriever. I said, "I bet Riley really likes it out here in country." Devon responded, "You know, since we moved out here I've really seen his natural instincts come to surface." I sat and thought about that for a minute, and replied, "You know what Devon, its same for men..." Recently I was visiting my brother in-law Devon Rolf, a patent attorney with Garmin International (Most of you outdoorsmen know Garmin by their handheld GPS units and fishfinders). Our families were getting together, girls catching up on news inside while guys (Devon, me and three of my sons) were out workin' in woods. A few years ago Devon moved out on some acreage outside of town, and we were clearing some walking trails... no doubt we were checking out all signs of deer activity while we were out... rubs, scrapes, droppings, etc. My 8 year old son Christian found a nice antler from a 12 point buck out there. He wants to mount it somehow in his room to hang stuff on. After we were done with our work, we sat down in pasture to rest a bit. (You know how good it feels to sit and rest after doing some good ol' hard work.) The girls, anxiously awaiting our appearance, spied us sitting there from inside house and they (My wife Nancy and our two daughters, and her sister Becky and her four daughters) promptly brought out some soup, homemade wheat bread with butter, and refreshments. (The men are teaching boys to work, and women are teaching girls to bless men... ain't that way it should be?) As we were sitting there eating fixin's girls brought out to us "hard working men", I was observing Riley, Devon's old Golden Retriever. I said, "I bet Riley really likes it out here in country." Devon responded, "You know, since we moved out here I've really seen his natural instincts come to surface." I sat and thought about that for a minute, and replied, "You know what Devon, its same for men..."
| | A Servant's HeartWritten by Alyice Edrich
Publishing Guidelines: You may freely reprint this article in a print or online magazine, e-zine, or newsletter provided you leave byline intact, don’t change content, and make The Dabbling Mum web address clickable. Please consider sending a courtesy copy for my records. Send an email to dabblingmum@yahoo.com A Servant’s Heart By Alyice Edrich May 31, 2004 Do you have a servant’s heart? Has God blessed you with insight to see needs of others and reach out in compassion and understanding even when they, themselves, cannot reach out and ask for help? This month I had rare opportunity to not only reach out and touch a few lives, but to be blessed in return. I say rare because in my own experience, it’s either been one or other—not both at same time. I used to believe that it was because giving and receiving at same time would take focus off what God intended for us, or other party, to learn. But this month, as I was fulfilling God’s desire for me to serve others, He sent others to act as servants to my family. And you know what I learned? Humbling yourself to receive God’s blessings is just as important as humbling yourself to give God’s blessings to others. Whether you give or you receive, you must first humble yourself before Lord and let His will take precedence over your circumstances, your emotions, your finances, and your actions. It doesn’t matter what you own, how much money you have in bank, how talented or educated you are, or how many people you know. If God calls you to have a servant’s heart, He will make a way for you to accomplish what He has put on your heart to do. A servant’s heart has more to do with your relationship with God than it has to do with your desire to be recognized for your good deeds. Having a servant’s heart is one most beautiful expressions of love I know. It’s showing your love to another human being by simply being who God intended you to be. It’s about seeing a need and fulfilling it without any strings attached. It’s about making yourself uncomfortable so that someone else could be comfortable. It’s about showing Christ’s love through your actions and words. And finally, it’s about touching lives of those around you with such a gentle kindness that your act will be remembered for years to come.
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