garyfultz

Finding Calm

Our little wilderness group found something rare on a huge lake. Calm. Perfectly still water. I have never seen this lake calm. This lake always wants to eat canoes. Usually when navigating these waters we are focused on the next wave, one wave at a time and no time to look around and actually see. A lot like life I’m thinking as I had never taken the time to really see what that big lake looked like. My brother commented that he may have normally seen two bald eagles while fighting the waves, instead he saw 8 bald eagles. Sorry, my camera was out of batteries. Sigh. It’s a good thing my memory still has battery life.

We moved our paddles as silently as we could, enjoying the reflections, commenting in low voices. Bald eagles soared and some watched from high perch. Ducks, geese and swans paddled silently as others flew by. Fish chased in the shallows of islands and narrows as we paddled by. We were leaving this pristine wilderness through some sort of vortex for the cacophony we call reality.

I wondered how many have a place of calm in their lives. To be at peace deep within is worth seeking. To have a place of calm in life’s space, a must. To have relationships calm from the surface to the deep, a wonderful-intentionally-cultivated gift coming from the calm within. The calm within must have a source bigger than anything life can throw at us.

My prayer when I experienced this calm in the wilderness on one of the wildest lakes I have navigated many times: “Thank you Jesus for this inner peace you have given to the wild wilderness within me…amen”

Here are some other peaceful pictures for the soul. Click to enlarge and forward.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (Jesus to his disciples…and us John 14:27)

Nature gives so much to reflect on about life in so many ways. I’m always amazed.

Gary

Much more to come later…Yes, there were big fish!

Gone and it’s OK

My juggling act came to an end this May. Probably for awhile. I’m 300 blog notifications behind and I am spending most of my time outdoors. I will be somewhere between mowing the lawn, planting garden, finishing up our little cabin in the woods and being in a canoe in the wilderness. I have intentionally dropped many of the internet connection juggling pins. One can only juggle so many fishing rods and fillet knives which still remain in the air.

I’ll be in and out here and there. Have a great summer (or whatever season you are in around the world). I do appreciate all my word Press friends. Enjoy a couple of this springs shots. The header picture color was caused by the Canadian wildfires

A time to renew with friends and family in nature, reflect with natures insights, re-evaluate life relationships and my walk with God and rest around a camp fire and in a canoe.

Be warned: I’ll be back

Gary

Shaping the Slow Edge

There’s a place where my zero to 60 lifestyle each day simmers down to almost nil for a week at a time. I personally need an edge and speed doesn’t do it. This is me I’m talking about. Your place to slow down, regroup, recover (or however you say it) and recharge your life is possibly quite different.

I last wrote about “Life in the edge” and my idea of living on the edge is in a canoe exploring the rugged wilderness, traveling and camping from lake to lake. I have to go some place where five miles per hour is fast to slow down.

I’ll share some pictures with you from my last week. Yes, I did get cold in my 20 degree sleeping bag. No, there is no internet there and the phone may as well be used to record the frogs, birds, waterfalls and mosquitoes to remind one later when doing 60.

Click to enjoy the slides and to enlarge. (The computer does better than a phone).

Reflective time. Good conversation flowing into depths of friendships. New determinations. Fresh fish to eat but most released as most would not fit in the fry pan. A week of wonder, awe of God’s creation and finding muscles that previously did not exist. Thankful for bonds of friendship grown in the hardship of many rugged portage trails (longest was a mile). Thankful for safety in the many roiling water rapids and exhilarating river chutes where atheists’ pray.

I often wonder how many partake in the journey to slow down and deepen who they should be becoming. I wonder how many ways there are to sharpen and shape the slow edge

A couple side notes on pictures. The wrong fish bit because it’s not season yet and must be released if they catch themselves on a walleye lure. Another picture could have been labeled ‘why have only brain freeze when you can freeze the whole body?” (you will figure it out). Also, there a thousands of acres of Canadian wildfires and the smoky air was very noticeable part of the time.

Gary

Life in the edges

Edges. We are drawn there. Shorelines, sunrises and sets, mountain peaks, field and woods edges, seasonal changes/overlaps. Edges make life exciting. We want to live on the edge, Okay, some more than others.

We celebrate edges. Births, birthdays, first day of schools and lasts of every kind and species of edge draw us. News edges, people edges and you get the picture(s) framed and hung.

Edges have colors brilliant to beyond sight. I thought of this when a hole opened up in the racing black storm clouds and then the sun colored the edges.

People edges-texture-bites, cuts, pokes, sooths and heals from instant to eons. Some we really like and some not so much.

I wonder my edges? I can’t see or feel my own but I can be sensitive to others reaction to my edges (or not). It would be good to find out and hone a few maybe.

I can’t help but think of the edge of eternity. We are all there, close, closer, life after death and it matters that we know God now. It really-really matters!! Be a seeker of truth and you will find (yes, a Jesus quote).

Pond scum. It’s what will happen before long. They are fresh now. Give them a week and pond scum will begin. There’s a smell. Who wants to take a dip in the slimy water? The news is full of those people. More edges. Pond scum thinking verses the deep water in the lake nearby where it’s clear. Oh the hills people are willing to die on.

My Prayer: “May my character touch, taste, and be pleasing colors to the eyes”

My question: “If I rub off on you in any way will you be better, bitter or baffled?”

I know you see what I did there. Is there another B? Add your thoughts and read Fred’s comment.

Gary

Nibbles and Sips Storm-sided

40 hours ago I tilled my garden as all the snow in that space had melted. Even the earthworms and night crawlers were up as the frost has come out of the ground. A couple hours ago I took the header picture from our front deck. I won’t be planting seeds today.

It’s still snowing. Nibbles and sips are somehow slipping into my agendas of plowing out the drive, taking the dog for a walk, finding the little guy in the drift he jumped into and taking a walk with the camera and umbrella as the snow fall came and went.

Somehow between nibbles, sips and taking winter-again pictures, one can become a philosopher, artist, customer of more expensive clothing online and notice storm-side similarities to life.
Let me show you some pictures of life perspective quality. You can pick up on some of your own thoughts as I present sneak peeks to gazing and gaping. Click to enlarge and hit the arrows forward and back.

I deliberately took every picture with a perspective of life’s storms in mind. Did you notice the tree that seemed to get more snow than the others around it? No, you cannot identify with it…that’s me. My tree!

How about the two depths of field looking down the fence line? The one with short depth of field is realistic, or is it just me, or the Jimmy Cliff song “I can see clearly now the rain is gone…”

Some hide out in their storms like animals in hiding places on snowless ground under the spruce, or in the wood pile, or the regal spires bearing tons of snow on their boughs of protection (full of birds refusing to come out by the way). I like to hide until I overdose on my nibbles and sips, then I grab the camera and act brave.

Did you notice the snow stuck to everything except the main trunks of the big trees? They are too warm from the recent warming sunny days to let snow stick as their sheer mass has not cooled down in the storm (a life long character lesson there). I was intrigued at the poor visibility walking through the woods, and how short sighted one becomes in the storm. Two people in a marriage storm have very narrow and different perspectives. Just an idea, but maybe sharing nibbles and sips would help??

One last picture just as a reminder. Storms will come. The sun does come out!! When I looked up the huge white pine (#16), it merged into the storm and I longed to see further. Someday I will.

As the sun sets on our storm, remember…“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me” (Psalm 23:4)

Gary

Come to Northern Minnesota for your own personal snow storm. Bring 2 cameras, hand warmers and lots of nibbles and sips stuff.

Seeing is Believing Maybe Sometimes

I feel quite little, as in small, as I am watching tons of snow falling out of the sky here in Minnesota. Forecasters giddy with bad news have predicted 12-24 inches in the next couple of days. At the present rate nonstop it will double that (I have faith in the brilliant forecasters accuracy though…_______________???).

Instead of just drinking some more coffee, hot chocolate, more teas and munching on stuff, I cannot resist creating something. I express my creativity mostly by writing, making up songs (I just posted one- click here- on God’s ways are different), play piano keyboards and create picture puzzles for friends to figure out how it’s done.

I took these awhile back but now the context is different. I’m older, thus less wise because I know more and it’s a different season of reason (I feel therefore I am). Those of you who have experimented with cameras know what I did here. Kind of fun ya?

One click each picture, no overlay or layers or photoshop…totally un-doctored.

See the 3 ghost figures on the shoreline?

A ghostly figure raising hands over the ready to harvest wild rice on the lake

One click of the camera, no altering the picture. This kind of stuff just happens unintentionally of course

It’s the celebration of Easter where millions of people will in some form recognize that Jesus Christ, who died by crucifixion, was put into a tomb surrounded by guards and came to life. God who entered his own creation by becoming flesh and blood through a physical birth got into his own picture.

I suppose some will doubt I took those pictures with the three of me in them with one click of the camera and no photoshop alterations. It’s OK and no harm done to me to conclude I lied but they would be wrong. However, if it keeps snowing and I keep snacking, I won’t fit into another picture. I guess you would really have to know me well, or read a lot of reviews to really know.

Is it any different with God? I’ve read all the eye witness reviews. I have also committed my life to being a follower of Jesus. He is definitely not dead but alive and still changing lives today including mine.

I realize I have a cheesy way to introduce God’s Easter message but if the whole world could know God’s love…why he got into his own picture…wow. Life changing. World changing.

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:30-31

Gary

It’s Picnic Season

Spring is not officially recognized in our family until we can have an picnic. I guess it was up to me to find the fire pit, check and make sure fires wouldn’t spread and burn down the forest and make the picnic table presentable.

My pictures prove it. Spring has come to northern Minnesota!! My wife declined, evidently she didn’t want her picture taken. Some birds and animals wandered about so they got in the pictures. I also threw in a couple good morning shots as it was a good looking morning. Click to enlarge and use the slide show arrows.

Every day is so unique. The beautiful frost quickly and quietly let go when the sun hit. I couldn’t let the day go by without getting the snow shoes out to have a picnic. It’s hard to imagine a back yard picnic in Minnesota without mosquitoes...I think I glimpsed a bit of heaven today.

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Gary

Navigating Winds Seasons

Clattering branches

snows lost in thought shifting

blame winds of the soul

I’m waiting for Spring. Wanting another season. Nature says not yet.

Gary

But you, O Lord, know me; you see me, and test my heart toward you. Jeremiah 12:3a, ESV

For what it is

Evil walked into the store. The wretched man was encased. I looked into his hollow eyes that darted everywhere but seeing only his own pain. He was giving all his food away. Like a madman desperate to give everything away. Now. It had to be now. I had to take it or he was putting it in the dumpsters across the street.

I asked his name and the foulest unworthy proclamations came out. Desperate. More desperate. I told him I knew of three freezers with some space as he threw huge bags of food in my trunk. I gave him a contact card almost forcing it upon him in case he needed someone to talk to or in case he wanted his food back later. He couldn’t get away fast enough. Like it’s owner that car is not long for this world.

“What have I opened myself up to?” I thought as I walked back into the store.

I think He wants to kill himself and he wouldn’t even tell me his name” I told my new friend. “Most people are very afraid of him and would be happy if he did” he told me. Then he told me more that I didn’t want to hear. All I said was “Jesus loves him too.”

I had just met the shell of a man, dead to life, a house for demons and not capable of saying his own name. He said he didn’t deserve a name “for what it is”…whatever that meant.

It’s hard to see well in the storm

As I drove home, I prayed “Lord, I failed. I said only a few words to a desperate man and only gave him my card. What good is that?” The answer came swiftly and almost audibly (which doesn’t happen often to me). “You know what I did with a couple fish and some barley loaves. I can do that with words in someone’s life”

I watched the snowstorm come from the safety of our warm loving home. I thought of the evil I had encountered. It’s like cancer, as the cells are there in all of us looking for a place to grow. It’s bigger than my love for mankind. It’s not bigger or stronger than God’s love that he can show through me.

At least these were my thoughts just before the phone rang. It was him.

Gary

28,000 Word Frost Collection

Click any picture for enlarging and slide show

People have this crazy ability to live as if there is no God.

Nature cannot.

Gary

A picture can be worth a thousand words or more.

I’ll add a couple links. I see Cindy used the same header picture as me today and here verse goes along with my blog as well. realchristianwomen Also David from Davids daily dose used a couple of these pictures with his haikus here

Some of my pictures here are posted for free download at unsplash here