The fruits–I’ll read ‘flowers’–of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control, and some of these grow only in the canyon.”
–Ralph Connor (The Sky Pilot)

“You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.”
–Psalm 71:20 (NLT)
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“Stick to your gifts, and your gifts will stick to you.”
–James Fenimore Cooper

I have often wondered about why people hark at others, “get out of your comfort zone.” Perhaps this may be true of a younger person, for they may still be seeking what God has for them; they may be wondering what their gifts and talents are and how to use them. They have not had all the experiences that life will bring.
However, I wonder at the wisdom of that statement when a person knows their talents and God-given gifts and are using them for the Kingdom of God. If we believe the steps of the righteous are ordered by God, then experiences that come should help us further the use of gifts and talents.
Now, why would I want to do something that is not what God has given me? Too many times people who say these things are prompting their own agenda. In other words, “do my thing.” We are to use our gifts for the glory of God. What I see as a danger is when a person is not seeking the gifts God has given, nor using the talents God has given for His glory.
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There are a few things I don’t quite get. Maybe it’s my feeble brain, or maybe it is just beyond my understanding and comprehension.
A woman, Behr, I think is her name, comes out and apologizes to Vice-President Pence and to the Christians of America by her statements. Here is what I would like to know. Was it a forced apology, or was it sincere?
Something else I don’t understand. How can a mayor or sheriff, or governor disregard federal law and protect illegal aliens? Many of those who they protect in their so-called sanctuary cities, are criminals and murders. How do they get away with it? You try disregarding a federal law and see what happens.
I’ve been trying to avoid politics this year, and so far, not bad, but this takes the cake. I don’t think it’s really politics, but just plain stupidity. Why is it that Hillary cannot understand that she lost? Now she is blaming husbands forcing their wives to vote for President Trump. Hmmm, so did Bill force Hillary to vote Trump? Then she said she won the dynamic, progressive states and regions. Hmmm, guess I live in backward Texas.
The “smartest man in the world” atheist Stephen Hawking died yesterday. He went to stand before his Maker. I wonder what he thought?

He abhorred the drone of life. The desert taught how useless were the idlers–how nature ruthlessly cut them off.”
–Zane Grey (Wanderer of the Wasteland)

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
–James 1:2-4 (NLT)
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Sometimes things happen to us that we cannot figure out or understand. It may be that God has seen fit to place us in a wilderness region for one reason or another. The following is an excerpt from my book, “Trails in the Wilderness”.

“Nature and God would take care of the slackers.” –Zane Grey

If you find yourself in the wasteland of the wilderness for more than one day, and even one day may be enough to do some in, you had better be prepared to survive. Some die in one day because of injuries, hypothermia, sun stroke or a hundred other calamities. The largest part of survival is to be prepared. If people are prepared, they have a decent chance of overcoming the obstacles they might face.
But I might add that one of the main reasons that people find themselves in a wilderness is simply because they were not already prepared; not knowing their way, they end up lost. Being lost in the wilderness is frightful! Fear of what lies ahead or what might be following them, or the fear of the unknown–a major factor in the wilderness. Now, in some ways, fear, the right type of natural fear, makes one alert. But fear can also debilitate and paralyze. They key to dealing with fear is to have courage, which have described as “the control of fear.”
Fear in itself is not so devastating, but that uncontrolled fear often leads to panic. Panic is destructive. Wasted energy, irrational thinking, and a pessimistic outlook are all products of panic. Maybe the greatest product of panic is the loss of hope. With the loss of hope, the will to survive begins to break down.
No matter the type of wilderness a person finds themselves in, the loss of hope is devastating. Even with all the fear, panic, and lack of hope currently prevailing in this world, the Christian should be able to take heart. Therefore, in one sense the whole of life is a wilderness, and the believer is just passing through. We are wandering, looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. Wandering through this wilderness called life, or called earth, many challenges arise, but the lack of hope should not become one of them. While others are aimless in their despair, the believer survives, looking upward to the Hope that is in our Redeemer. When natural fear begins to bring on a panic attack, look to the Author and Finisher of your faith and have hope. Hope is the first great tool of survival.

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
–1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)

It’s not in the power of human beings to produce full justice. That’s in the hands of another and better judge.”
–Ernest Haycox (Whispering Range)

“But to the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice.”
–Hebrews 1:8 (NLT)
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“We have stepped off a cliff and are falling into madness.”
–Ted Dekker

Perhaps you have heard of it; by chance you may have experienced it–high altitude sickness. It may be mild in some, but in others it may be severe. I have observed a few cases over the years. Many years ago I was part of a group of Royal Rangers that took more advanced boys on a trip to Colorado. We went to the Indian Peaks Wilderness to camp. As we were setting up camp two of the boys became dizzy and sick, enough so that we had to take them to the emergency room. The doctor diagnosed high altitude sickness. I have seen people get dizzy and fall over, while others do things that they didn’t know why they were doing. My Mom said she had this feeling of euphoria went driving in the mountains that instead of following the road she just wanted to go straight off into the air (thank goodness she was able to control that).
Why are people doing they crazy things they are doing? Why are they saying the crazy, stupid things they are saying? Surely it is not high altitude sickness. Hmmm, maybe it is a form, for there is a rustling in the heavens. Soon, the Almighty Judge of all creation will appear and take those who have been sealed by the Holy Spirit with Him into heaven. Now if that isn’t “high” I don’t know what is. Perhaps some of these crazies on earth are rejecting the thoughts of the Creator and Heaven.
You may be in a form of desolation–a type of wilderness or you may know someone facing a time of spiritual survival. It may not be high altitude sickness, but a struggle for survival within your soul. I hope you will ponder the following–it may help you survive.
“The enemy of our soul wants to take us to this barren land of desolation. He wants us to see it through his eyes. It is a barren land; empty of life, water, and hope. Why try to survive? It is not within your power. To try to do so would be torture; the body and soul will be torn time and time again. It is better just to give up and die, succumb to the desolation of the wilderness wasteland. It is too wearisome a task to take another step; give up now to the ruthless hand of the devil.
Now is not the time to give in to his schemes! Blessed (to be envied) is the person who realizes the lessons of the wasteland. This person, currently you, is becoming more and more aware of the dangers and perils of the wasteland. You walk warily, looking constantly for something to aid in your survival and to also be aware of the pitfalls and evils that lurk there. Your eyes are constantly searching, looking for those landmarks that help direct your steps.
The desert is ruthless! But never forget–there is a Guide. Someone who has gone on before. Listen! Do not think for a minute that you can avoid the wasteland. If Jesus was forced there, why do you think that you will not taste of it? Your soul, right now, is being tested and tried. If you do not quit, if you are not beguiled by the devil, if you watch your step and listen to your Guide: you will walk out of this wilderness victorious!” (Trails in the Wilderness)
Remember, your Guide knows the way; He has the solutions, and He carries ample supplies of refreshing “water.” This Guide if you allow Him will also allow you to see through the madness of the world and to stay stable in the midst of deceit.

These were his kind of men. Winning or losing, they made no great fuss about it.”
–Louis L’Amour (The Riders of High Rock)

“So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”
–1 Peter 1:13 (NLT)
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Instead of racking my poor feeble, pea-brain I thought I would use something that I read this week. It is about the great preacher Charles H. Spurgeon.

“Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, read voraciously through the week, but not until Saturday night did he determine and develop his message for the following morning. Only on Sunday afternoon did he prepare his evening address. But it worked. For 30 years, he kept London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle packed. On Sunday night, March 8, 1874, Spurgeon preached from 1 Corinthians 6:20: ‘God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.’ Had you entered Metropolitan Tabernacle that evening, you would have heard Spurgeon’s carillon voice pealing these words through the lamplit hall:
‘…you young men who come to London amidst its vices, shun everything that is akin to lewdness or leads on to unchasity, for your bodies were bought with your Lord’s lifeblood, and they are not yours to trifle with. Shun the strange woman, her company, her wine, her glances, her house, her songs, her resorts. Your bodies are not yours to injure by self-indulgence of any sort. Keep them pure and chaste for that heavenly Bridegroom who has bought them with his blood.’
And then your soul is bought too. I was obliged to mention the body, because it is mentioned here, and it is so needful it should be kept pure. But keep the soul pure. Christ has not bought these eyes that they should read novels calculated to lead me into vanity and vice, such as are published nowadays. Christ has not bought this brain of mine that I may revel in the perusal of works of blasphemy and filthiness. He has not given me a mind that I may drag it through the mire with the hope of washing it clean again…
Your whole manhood belongs to God if you are a Christian. Every faculty, every natural power, every talent, every possibility of your being, every capacity of your spirit… It is all bought with blood. Therefore keep the whole for Jesus, for it belongs to him.” (On This Day, by Robert J. Morgan)
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Ponder This: Proverbs 20:5, “The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.”
Today, more than ever, discernment is needed. The heart is deceitful and man will try to keep what is in his heart hidden, but eventually what is in his heart will manifest itself. Therefore, it is good and important to look into the depth of peoples’ hearts.
We should hide the Word of God in our hearts and use it as the basis for our discernment. On top of that it is important that each person is his own philosopher. He needs to understand his own heart, his motives, and to seek real understanding of his purpose. Our heart should reflect that of Christ.