One Day at a Time

Got a minute, this is Bob!

Most of the time in life, with all of its challenges and daily needs, what we need is a simple reminder. Last week I was coming home from Rochester, thinking about what was ahead and all of the commitments I have made and the work to be done. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and as I turned into the Ranch’s driveway, it read on our sign, “One Day at a Time.” Well, I have heard that a million times, but there it was in front of my face just at the right time. After all, God says, “As our day so is our strength.” In Matthew 6:26-34, the word WORRY is mentioned five times. So I guess it is important to God that we share with Him all our troubles and disappointments and, yes, He cares for us. Have you prayed and talked with Him today?

The Reason Why

The problems you are facing today may just be your human perspective. This may help! THE WEAVER: “My life is but a weaving between the Lord and me, I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily. Oftentimes He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride, forget He sees the upper and I the underside. Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly, shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why. The dark threads are as needful in the Weaver’s skillful hand, as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.” – Author unknown

Man’s greatest handicaps?

Got a minute, this is Bob.  I recently found an old brochure that I printed in 1975, two years after my accident. The following is the summary: “On July 16, 1973, I was involved in a heavy construction accident, leaving me paralyzed from the waist. The fact that I survived this accident was a miracle. I had several broken ribs, lungs collapsed,unconscious, and a  crushed spinal cord.” Everyone suffers from trials, adversity and disappointments and yet we need to be reminded that man’s greatest handicaps are often not outward but inward.

Some of the obvious outward handicaps we face include: wheelchairs, crutches, braces, prosthetics, diseases, amputations, blindness, deafness, scars, and the list continues. Inward handicaps include: resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, false values, guilt, anger, hatred, and life without God.

How to face the outward trials? I Peter 1:7 “I know you are harassed by all kinds of trials and hardships.” Now it’s up to you to make the choice between trust and reliance on God or to turn away in despair, retreat, relinquish, quit and go home. I can assure you it is a process of patience, trust, perseverance, and endurance, which results in peace of mind, stronger character and then most often we can look back and see that things did happen for a purpose.

STRONGER THAN BEFORE!

“Even though the rain comes down, it brings life into the ground, and I know the sun will shine, that brings hope again to this heart of mine. I know that God will heal all things, broken lives and broken wings, only He can mend the heart that this world has tore apart. As the seasons make their turn, there’s a lesson here to learn, broken wings take time to mend before they learn to fly again. On the breath of God I’ll soar, I’ll be STRONGER THAN BEFORE. Don’t look back into the past, what was fire now is ash, let it all be dead and gone, time is now for ‘MOVIN ON’ for ‘MOVIN ON.'” quoted.

BRIGHTER TOMORROWS!

Welcome to 2016!  I already made my first boo-boo. clicking the wrong buttons and it only said Happy New Year!

So:  Wouldn’t you know that the first retreat at Ironwood in 2016, is called BRIGHTER TOMORROWS!  This is a non-profit that puts on retreats at Ironwood for those with ‘life threatening diseases’.  If people with life threatening diseases can forecast a brighter tomorrow,what is your excuse?

Yes, I have once again planned for 2016 to be my best year ever filled with promise, health, challenges and choosing JOY each day. I just read an article which says, “leave everything in God’s hands without looking at tomorrow.  Often what you might imagine to be so terrible and unbearable is not so bad when it actually happens. Isn’t that the truth! We fret about what will happen to us – and to our loved ones, and to our country and the world – but when it we look back, we realize how much of our fretting was needless.  Bad things do happen, yet worrying changes nothing except to disturb our peace and drain our spirits.

Look back and THANK God, Look Forward and TRUST God, Look within and SERVE God!   God is good.  Bob

Reflections from 2015!

Got a minute, This is Bob!   As another year comes to a close, we should all take time to look back over the year and take  INVENTORY of our lives and how we used the days we were given. How did I treat my wife and four daughters; did I grow in my faith, were my words ‘true, kind and necessary, how did I treat my neighbors and fellow workers?  Just some good food for thought as I start another year.

A  couple books that impacted my life were 1) “Do Less and Be More”  by John Busacker. At first I thought there was a spelling mistake, but upon reading the book, it was all about priorities and a call to live a more focused and generous life. The other book was called,  “Bonhoeffer – Pastor, Prophet, Martyr and Spy”.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer was an evangelical pastor during the Nazi regime. His courage and convictions ultimately lead to his death. It reminds me of the Jews who revolted against King Herod in the first century and “gave their lives rather than become slaves to the Romans”.

May you and your family have a Merry Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior  and the joy of being with family.  Love, Bob

 

 

 

Thanksgiving!

Got a Minute, This is Bob! What an exciting time of the year to begin a blog. I have read many blogs but today is the day for me to ‘get to the starting line’. My purpose in bloging will be to uplift and encourage you the reader with stories, experiences, challenges, and blessings. The month of November I spend more time giving thanks or as I often say ‘count your blessings’. We all will be spending Thanksgiving somewhere probably with somebody. Not knowing your circumstances I can only let you know what has sustained me in my daily journey, particularly the past 42 years being in a wheelchair resulting from a heavy construction accident. Since my relationship with Christ started when I was 19 years old, I continue to experience 1) His amazing grace and 2) His unconditional love.

So my task is not to try and convince everyone I know that they need God, but rather to share how my life could not have survived without Him. Leaving God out of my life would be for a carpenter to build a house without a hammer.

So I encourage you to take time today to think of things for which you are grateful. For some the list may be short. I just heard on the radio someone said, “If you have difficulties and pain that shows you are alive” – so I guess that is a starter. Be grateful today for your life, things could ALWAYS BE WORSE. So let’s lift our spirits with the Attitude of Gratitude and celebrate each day. God is good. Bob Bardwell

40 years and counting

In 2016, we will be celebrating Ironwood Springs’ 40th anniversary.  During all of those years, Bob has been inspiring many people through his message of God’s faithfulness and helping people look beyond their limitations and circumstances.  This blog will allow Bob to reach many more people with his inspirational words of faith and hope. We hope you will be blessed by this.