Deck Work of Art

Posted on by Gary Fultz

I was quite sure the deck was decorated beautifully. A few lights and a manger scene. Our little Buddy dog loves the scene from his doggy chair. A couple days ago the temperature warmed for one day and melted the snow off the deck. The next morning an unsigned artist (we all know who) decorated the deck boards…with temps far below freezing I was hoping but half expected to hear “take your shoes off, you are standing on a Holy Deck”

Does God really care about the tiny details of our life? My question was immediately answered in my thoughts…Probably more than God putting his graffiti art in frost in tiny detail on deck boards (Click on boards to enlarge).

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not [a]arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6: 28-30).

Warming up my feet now…

Frost is an amazing art form.

Gary

A Consideration

Posted on by Gary Fultz

Happy coincidences may often be God’s secret delights.

While the rest of our flowers are submitting to Autumns floral destruction, this nice wild rose came up and visited our permanent plywood Nativity Scene on our front deck. Sheer happy coincidence…you think?

This kind of stuff happens all the time. This reminds me of the old hymn “Oh Worship the King“. I love symbolic pictures. I pray our Wild hearts bow before the King of Kings.

Gary

Becoming… Beckoned

Posted on by Gary Fultz

With dawn breaking darkness my woods walk found me pondering one of life’s questions. “Why am I not enough?” If I telescope the universe, I am small. I cannot blip the “important” scale, or any other. It’s really quite simple. I am not enough.

Silk worm (like me) just hanging in there…

I find ways to be important. Causes, being a voice, influencing, money, power and being bigger-better-smarter than “those”. All zeros as life slips into the ultimate irony when all my numbers and zeros are worth…”ZERO” I cannot be enough.

As my walk nears the open field, I can barely see the sun through the fog. The sun, much bigger than me. No life without the sun. No questions without the sun. Enough to see. Enough to be. Why do I think there’s more?

It’s sad when two are not enough for each other. One cannot deny the divorce commonness. Deflections, clamoring’s and finger-pointing abounds when nothing can fill the voids of life. Even in mourning I still find myself collecting grief shells in a small overflowing time bucket. It’s written in the DNA; No one is enough.

I gaze at the sun gradually melting the fog. The Son. Predictions and promises of enough. “I am The Way, The Truth and The Life. NO ONE come to the Father (ENOUGH) but through Me”

So I, in dew drenched knees, dump out my “enough” bucket of shells, trinkets, plastic trophies, grief shells, aspirations, zeros and accolades. I reach for the outstretched hand of the Son and hear the familiar “follow me”. I leave my bucket. I smile as an odd thot crosses my mind, “I am filled with enough and have plenty to share”. The next time I walk by my old bucket I may just kick it.

“Whoever has the Son has life (ENOUGH); whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” 1 John 5:12

I have found I am not enough, but walking, talking and being fulfilled in a relationship Jesus is my enough.

Gary

The Artist Within

Posted on by Gary Fultz
Indoor garden plants waiting for spring transplant…New creations

Some of us want to create, create, create. Most of us want to be “known,” for whatever it is that drives us internally in our particular art. There are few of us who would prefer to be an unseen but unique- undiscovered flower in the woods- off the beaten path- unknown and Ok with it… maybe. I don’t know what I want, but I still like to create without timeframes or borders. A blog here and there, a few pictures of a walk in the woods or a wilderness adventure. I am not very driven to be known by more than a few.

My flower in the wood’s moments would be my music. I write songs or remake familiar tunes. My sacred moments happen on the piano or keyboard. Maybe down the road I will share some video of this last piece, but the words for me are shareable. They are my expression as a follower of Jesus. You might relate.

Anytime Anywhere

Anytime, anywhere, seek my savior, He is there. Bow my heart and know He is near.

Know HIs love and seek HIs face. Find HIs joy and let HIs peace

flood your soul, shine His presence

I want your heart, to beat in my soul, seeds of your love-grow, in your control.

Pour out my will. Wash me until, you fill with your peace, untainted and still.

Anytime. Anywhere. Your My God…who is there. Nothing can stop your Love.

Anytime. Anywhere. When My world is in despair, My Jesus, I rest in your care.

My Jesus, I rest in your care.

Written by Gary Fultz 02 04 2025

Gary

Being OK

Posted on by Gary Fultz

Our furnace quit as the outside weather decided to sit at -25 (f). The first “emergency” furnace guy didn’t have the right igniter. The second “emergency” furnace guy didn’t either, but he banged on a bracket with a hammer to make a “close enough” igniter long enough to spark in the “propane path”. HIs parting words were “it works for now; we will let you know when the right part comes in.” Meanwhile, I get to choose how much to worry or not. I have thoughts about how to protect our handicapped daughter’s inability to control her bodies temperature as well as freezing the waterpipes in the house. A bridge to cross if another emergency happens. I now have 5 electric heaters I can borrow and use in case of another emergency. I’m also going to have a spare igniter handy.

In northern Minnesota it’s wise to be prepared for extreme weather. One can blame the weather for life problems only so far. I like to define “the weather” as the circumstances we live in today. Our political circumstances, choices made by our leaders, choices made by our neighbors and even crimes that affect us is a part of “the weather” and climate we live in. It’s life. It’s always been that way in every time and culture that has ever lived.

Some of our winter weather coping pictures…we are ok. I keep some outdoor Christmas till Easter…The birds and squirrels add to the decor.

I like nice weather. I like comfort. It’s attractive. While we hit our high weather temperature today of -6 (f), my wife was browsing at condos on a warm beach on the internet and checking the numbers in our savings. “Wow they all look new” she said. “that’s because they just built them after the last hurricane” I said.

I cannot help but feel very blessed. Despite “the weather” of life I have a wife who loves me, Great kids and grandkids, Knowing God loves me and wants to shepherd me through all life’s weather. I have been reading and rereading Psalm 23. A simple psalm with layers and layers of depth, laced with scriptural threads of truths about our Shepherd weathering us through life. I also want to share the best book I have used in going through Psalm 23 by Brian Troxel from “A Word In Season.” Go to Brians site, sign up for his Blog and buy some books to read and give away.

You will want to buy extra for gifts. Trust me on this one…Depths shared simply.

My last thought about being ready for “the weather”. One should walk with God and let his spirit make us ready for anything. His fruit is much better than what the world tells us how to believe and behave. Galatians 5:22-23: “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

I hope you are wintering and weathering well.

Gary

Uh-Oh

Posted on by Gary Fultz

Uh-oh, was the name of our handicapped daughters first doll. Poor dolly had a lot of those moments, so the expression stuck. Ironically, that was the same expression uttered by the attending doctor when our middle daughter was born. He quickly noticed the purplish bulb on her back containing the unfinished spinal column.

I uttered uh-oh 3 days ago while sawing firewood with the chain saw as I lost control of my legs and fell forward towards the running saw. My back had suddenly gone out of place and my limbs instantly quit working. Thankfully my thumb was by the shut off and the saw quit immediately.

After 3 days, I am finally able to walk with help. Actually, I call it the four-inch-sideways shuffle. My wife thinks we are dancing. This uh-oh is painful and slow healing. I am hoping to be able to get in a car and ride to a chiropractor this next week, which will be painful. I tell myself it’s a good pain. I tell myself I will go back to doing what I have been doing. Soon. Maybe. Have a look at some pictures of my doings in semi-retirement. Click to enlarge. I wish the fish got bigger that way…

My year has been filled with able bodied tasks, till now. Cutting and splitting firewood, cutting out wood plaques, making a covered home for the snowblower attachment to the skid steer, ice fishing, cleaning up the woods from dead standing and fallen trees, grilling, making jerky and planning more wilderness canoe treks. The list goes on. Those plans are on hold, if and until I get my body back to being able. I think I have been taking the able body thing for granted more than I thought. An accident-prone person ought to know better.

Meanwhile, I am getting claustrophobic in a body that can’t do anything or go anywhere, yet I am really good and content inside. My wife loves me, possibly too much for her own good (I chose well, we have grown well together). I’m accepting of the possibility that my life’s plans and even passions may take a back seat to reality. My wife and I talk of how many hard things have happened to us and also how much of our lives have been enriched and blessed in spite of the hard things. I see these tensions that seem to combat one another, how good they are and understand that all the contentment comes from many years of having a right relationship with God. No other explanation exists. I’m overwhelmed and good inside. I sometimes struggle with the right words or word pictures, but it’s important. How many people can get to be content inside themselves with this crazy upside-down world? I say we all could.

Everyone has a pail full of faith. Everyone’s pail seems to be a different size. Some have filled their pail with themself. Their opinions, learnings, education, perceived facts and experiences and whoever they may listen to in doing life. They may be labeled atheist, agnostic, or whatever, but they live by faith. Religious people live by faith. Some have a bucket full of beliefs, rules, people they follow and a perceived way to live like God wants them to believe and live. Much of the world is a combination of both. I would also dare to guess that many do not know what’s in their faith bucket, and some don’t care. We sit in a chair believing it will hold us up. In money some trust (if I could just go viral,,,) and life would go well.

The object of our faith is important. I know that I am not enough. I don’t belong in my faith bucket. Right now, I can’t walk across the room without help. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” He addressed the what’s in your faith bucket. Millions of books are written on why and how Jesus needs to fill our faith bucket while so many people stuff their faith bucket full of books and a bible that talks about it (ugh, there are so many ways to try to be God).

A part of eternity is lived here, day by day. Someday when we are gone from here, there will be a moment when we make eye contact with the king of kings. The one who died for our sins so we could be declared perfect to God. Will this king have that tinge of recognition in his eyes, or will we be seen as a stranger? He will only invite those he knows inside forever. It will be beyond important then, which makes it important now.

I still do not enjoy uh-oh’s, but in the context of life and where I’m sitting, I’m really doing well. My pail of faith may be way less than the size of a mustard seed, but I want only Jesus in it. Whether I live in pain or die in luxury, I am really alive because of Jesus.

Her middle name is Joy.

37 surgeries at this time,

some life flights, lots of pain.

A radiant smile. coincidence? I think not.

Gary

Some of you have a great Bible verse or passage, so post in comments.

Finding The Source

Posted on by Gary Fultz

“I want what you and M have.”

He poked at the campfire ashes, revealing the live coals under layers of ash. “How symbolic” I thought.

“You guys are Christian. I’ve been thinking of converting to Christianity, but I don’t want church like my relatives. I don’t want to be like them. I want what you got.”

“What do we have?” I asked. “I don’t know, but I want it. I have to find it because that’s what I am missing. I know that it has to do with God and I know that you and M have it.”

A long talk ensued about the difference between having a relationship with God and being religious. One is becoming like God while the other is full of rhetoric and just believes strongly. One knows inner peace in the midst of chaos, a deep joy in the midst of sorrow as well as laughter, Love for more than those who are close (even one’s enemy), patience that grows with time, hope in and beyond this life, thankfulness and a heart for mankind and generations to come. Things that are not natural to our nature

God knows everything about us, down to the heart’s deepest motives, but He cannot have a relationship with us unless we have a relationship with Him. It takes two.

How can we explain, much less understand, a God who would become human to die in our place out of his immense love for restoring his creation into deep relationship again.

The opposite is often the truth. This world is a place where the deceiver would make honest liars of us all. Where good is bad, lovers are called haters and opinions trump reality.

He poked the stick at the ashes mounding over the glowing coals. He was done for now. “How symbolic” I thought.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Street sign obscured by snow…Yes, how symbolic!

Gary

Nature in Hallelujah Mode

Posted on by Gary Fultz

Click to enlarge and forward

Oh that we could all stop and enjoy the depths of Gods creativity and the ends to which nature declares the glory of their creator. I thought I heard my camera say “wow”. So I said “My thoughts exactly!”

The leaves whisper, the trees shout, nature happy dances until raindrops ride leaves to the ground and autumn shuffles off the stage

“Let everything that has breath, Praise the Lord.“

Gary

Many of my photos can be downloaded free from unsplash@Garyfultz

Another Reason

Posted on by Gary Fultz

As if we need another reason to stand in awe of God’s creativity. This moth is mesmerizing.

Out of the hundred different kinds of hummingbird moths, this is the “White-lined sphinx” moth (according to my brother who looked it up).

While attempting to photograph this late summer moth on our back deck, I discovered this very unique insect can move from flower to flower very fast, zip around corners and instantly hover as well as any hummingbird I have seen. Its face resembles an owl and it’s straw like limber tongue for sipping nectar is very long but can be retracted. In one picture it looks like its tongue is wrapped around his wing (it’s not)…that would hurt.

Click on any picture to enlarge.

And, yes, the purple petunias are amazing as well.

Those who have walked with God deeply tell us that creation in comparison is a small drop of water should God be like the oceans. Our finite minds need a reference point as an infinite God doesn’t compare to anything finite. So, here I am, thanking God and sharing a few mesmerizing moments.

Gary

Only 79 Steps

Posted on by Gary Fultz

I stepped it off. 79 steps from the end of the wheelchair ramp, at the end of our house, to the oak block steps leading to the little rustic cabin in the woods. The two spaces are worlds away. It’s a different universe in the woods than where our house sits in the open spacious yard. One represents the hustle and bustle of daily life while the other a “getaway” to peace. Is it that easy?

So far, all who have stayed there quickly mention the word “Peaceful”

Built from mostly left over and donated materials, the largest expense has been running electricity to it and my personal labor. I used lumber from piles by my brothers sawmill, left-over windows and decking material from other building projects, donated second hand flooring and a menagerie of nails and screws to build quite a solid cabin. I believe it’s “bear proof” and “insect proof” unless the door is left open. I doubt that a medium size tree would break the 2×10 oak rafters falling in a storm. It’s quite solid.

Notice I used the word “rustic”. Aside from the setting, it has no running water and it has some features to make it feel rustic. Birch trim with the bark still on is rustic to me. Ironwood trees for posts on the deck. rough cut siding with live edge on the exterior. 10 species of wood make up the interior. Oh, you caught the “no running water”; ah, there are pictures and bowls in the bathroom and kitchen and jugs of water for all your needs. A hot pot quickly makes hot water and a propane gas stove and oven is handy for cooking. An under counter refrigerator with freezer helps as well as a ceiling fan for moving air nicely for one’s comfort. I know, I know, I am borderline on the rustic claim…right? Click to enlarge

The cabin was built for my wife and I for some “getaway time” in 24/7 caregiving. It’s also a writers cabin and personal retreat cabin. Friends and family are welcome. I do have quite a few bloggers I follow that I would consider “friends”. This is to be shared. How can one have such a place of peace and not share?

I want to give a special thanks to Alicia of “For His Purpose” blog She contacted me and offered to put a verse on the wall with her cricket. When someone gets out of bed in the morning, they are greeted with this verse above the window…thanks Alicia

This brings me back to that tricky thing called “Peace”. If peace could be found in a place, this little cabin would be the ticket. World peace is a stones throw away. 79 steps to world peace?? It’s peaceful here. But, no. The kind of peace that lasts is only given by God and put inside of us as he resides to exude his peace to the rest of the world around us. The kind of peace that withstands life’s storms ripping up the terrain around us and falling trees our direction. The kind of peace I saw in both my parents eyes as we said our goodbyes. The kind of peace uttered “it is finished” and offered freely as an undeserved gift to anyone who would believe in Jesus. Way beyond world peace found in the smallest of spaces…my heart.

These are my thoughts as I built this small 12×16 little cabin in the woods….It’s peaceful here. It’s OK to ask if you come this way

If you have not seen My other blog and some more pictures, check out “Outside”

Gary

Oh, the bathroom looks like this…Yep, small but nice.

now it has a 16″ bowl and big picture