Category: General stuff

Announcements and posts that do not fit any other catagory

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Death Has no Calendar. It comes in the Night When you Least Expect it

                            Death Where is Your Sting? 

 

This last Monday I went to a BSF Bible study. BSF stands for Bible Study Fellowship. We were in a group of men that discuss the previous week’s lesson. At the end of our discussion one of the members said, “My friend who has been coming here with me each week has died.” The group was stunned. The man seemed to be in good health. It was very sudden. 

This incident reminded me of one of the chapters from my book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World. This is chapter 6.

I hope that you will find some comfort from this post:

 

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

1 Corinthians 15:55–56

 

As believers, we have the comfort of knowing we have eternal life. According to Romans 5:12, death comes to all of us. We have to go through the process that all living things must go through. However, we can be reassured that we will have new bodies, and be in heaven with God.

It is also hard to lose loved ones and friends. God doesn’t explain to us why He takes some people earlier than others. It is not for us to decide who should stay. God chooses and we should thank Him for each day we have with our loved ones.

In May of 2001 my father was on his deathbed, dying from a stroke. On this day, I had a close encounter with God. I wanted to make sure that he was right with the Lord. I decided that I was going to talk to him when I was with him at the hospital. I went out into the hall to gather myself and pray.

I looked to my right. Coming down the hall was the pastor from the church I had been attending. He was coming to visit another member of the church. I stopped him and said I needed him to come in and talk to my father. The pastor did come in and talk to my father, and we were sure then that he had the Lord in his heart. I was overjoyed that the Lord had sent the pastor just at the time I was getting up the courage to talk to my father.

He just happened to be coming to the hospital? He just happened to be on the right floor? He just happened to be in the right wing, and he just happened to be coming down the hall when I went out into the hall? I don’t think so!! God sent my pastor on a mission to talk to my father that morning. My father died two days later.

It is all right to grieve for your loved ones and friends, but if you know they are Christians, you have tremendous comfort. You know you will see them again some day.  

If they are not a Christian, take time to share with them the love of God. You could also have the hospital chaplain talk to them, or have your church’s pastor talk to them. You may even go out into the hall, and have a pastor coming toward you to talk to them!

I also have had the privilege of having many friends that were very dear to me. They each made an impact in my life. In just the last few years, I’ve had to say good-bye to several of them. Physical death took them from us, but spiritually they live on. I am only sharing this to let you know that I will be able to see each of them when it is my turn to walk the walk.

Arlene Corn was probably the best Detroit Tiger fan in the whole world. She lived in our cul-de-sac. She also was also a wonderful Christian. When she went to be with the Lord we all sang “Take Me out to the Ball Game” at her packed memorial service. There was not a dry eye at the service. She was an instant friend in the neighborhood. You felt you knew her from day one. Cancer took her from us.

My neighbor, who lived across the street, was one of the toughest women I have ever met. She called a spade a spade, and wouldn’t hesitate to let you know if you needed to be corrected. When someone mentioned that a friend had “passed away,” she scolded, “They didn’t pass away; they died!” She did pass away, and she will be greatly missed by all of her neighbors. She loved dogs, and the neighborhood dogs seemed to have known it. They lined up at her home for treats. Cancer took her from us.

A teacher friend of mine was a single parent of two sons that she loved very much. She also loved teaching kindergarten children, and they loved her. My wife and I took her for many of her chemotherapy sessions because her sons needed to be in school. She wanted to look special for everyone, so she wore a wig and made sure she was dressed well for her doctor visits. She remained positive to the very end. She passed away in her sleep. Cancer took her from us.

Another friend of ours was very tough woman. She could bite the head off a pit bull, but she was a person who spread her love as far as she could reach. She loved the “boys” who came to visit her. They were high school kids who needed someone to talk to. She had them over almost every night. They would sit around and talk to her and her husband. It was a place for them to unload.

She unloaded on my wife and her husband one time at a doctor’s appointment they had gone to with her. They started to break down at something the doctor said. “Quit being wimps!” she scolded. She didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for her. At her memorial service no one was allowed to say anything sad about her. Cancer took her from us.

Another teacher friend was a very proud woman. She refused to dwell on her illness. She always felt she was going to beat cancer. She was a woman that fought for the right to have an assisted suicide in Oregon, the first state to allow it. She felt that we all should be able to die with dignity. She even spoke before Congress on the issue. She passed away before she was able to have assistance. Cancer took her from us.

Howard Girod and I met about six years ago when we moved next door to him and his wife. He was the kind of person you were not sure you would be friends with. He once jokingly called me the village idiot. But as I got to know him, I found out that he was the most loving man I had met in a long time.

I almost fell off a ladder he was holding for me, and he scolded me like I was his son. “Be careful!” he shouted. Another time just before his death, when he was very weak, he whispered to me from his hospital bed, “If I could start over again … I wouldn’t!”

His favorite line at the end was, “God bless you.” That meant so much to me, especially since he had once called me the village idiot. Howard was a strong Christian who said a strong word once in awhile, but his love for you made you know that he was going to have a seat close to God when he passed. Leukemia took him from us.

God took all these people the same way. They all died from some form of cancer, except my father who died from a stroke. There is not an answer why they had to leave us so soon, but God has His reasons. I thank Him for sharing these people with me for the time we had together. A father or a friend is a precious person that you should cherish each day you have them. You never know when they will not be with you anymore.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Psalm 23:4

 

I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

John 8:51

 

Further adventures

You never know when your signs of hope will be. I have had many that I know of, but I probably had many more I didn’t know about. Try to keep track of when you have signs of hope and let me know about them by sending your story to me.

 

S0mething to ponder

Isn’t it funny that our children can’t read the Bible in school, but they can in prison?

(This is an excerpt from: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World) Chapter 6


 

 

 

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Rapists Steal the Lives of Those we Love.

Do we have the Right to Judge Criminals?

I was looking at CNN.com this evening and I saw an article about a serial rapist that not only raped many women, but killed most of them.

The is  horrible  and very sad story. This man not only ruined some women’s lives; he took the lives away from some of them.

What should we do about it? In the old days the vigilantes took care of it. They went to the criminals house and hung him from the nearest tree.

Would that make us feel better? Should we go back to being the judge and jury?

The answer is that there is only one supreme court judge, and that is God. We can convict people under our current law system, and that is far as we can go. We can’t even judge them in our minds according to the Bible.  

Roman 2:1 Says, “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else,  for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning your self, because you who pass judgment do the same things.”

Wow! That is pretty heavy words from Paul, a man who was persecuting Christians himself at one time.

If you remember Paul had a rather rude awakening on the road to Damascus on day. He heard Jesus say, “Why are you persecuting my people?” Paul fell flat on his face, and his life changed right there on the  spot.

We have been there haven’t we? We have sinned and we felt to conviction of the Lord in our heart, and we fell on our faces too.

I suggest to you that we as born sinners leave the judgments up to God, and try to0 bring peace in our own hearts.

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We are in the second day of the new book promotion. The featured book is,  Moments this Good: The Softer Side of Alzheimer’s, by Bonnie Nester. Bonnie autographed the book. This is a wonderful story about being a caregiver and a daughter at the same time.  The story is about Ruth, who is Bonnie’s mother.  There are parts that will have you in tears, and other parts that will cause you to chuckle.

The warmth and love shared in this book will inspire all care givers that are struggling with their own burdens.

To have a chance to win this inspiring book you go to the right sidebar, and click on the icon that talks about subscribing to my free newsletter.

Once you subscribe you will be in all future drawings for top selling books with the author’s autograph in them.

A future featured book will be “The Shack,” by William Paul Young. This book has sold over 8 million books in just two years. Paul has autographed the book and made a personal note to who ever wins. This will certainly be a collector’s item.

When you subscribe you will also see that you will be able to download a free eBook when you receive the first newsletter. It will be at the bottom of the newsletter. All you have to do is click on the download spot, and the book will pop up for you to download.

So…. You get a free newsletter-free eBook, and have chances to win all future books that will be given away.

That is a pretty sweet deal for even the toughest of critics.

Do it today. I know I forget to do it if I go out and not do it while I am on the site.

You will not get hives, but you will get a lot of free stuff, and possibly a wonderful book as icing on the cake.

If you sign-up now for the featured book you will still be eligible for the drawing for, The Shack.”

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Hope for Those Who Suffer in this Economy

                Don’t Close the Door on Life. Stay Strong and Survive

 

It seems like things will be getting worse before they get better. The economy showed signs of recovering in the market today, but the jobless rate hasn’t  budged. People are still struggling.

I got an email from an 84 year old man this evening and he said that the last three months have been the toughest in his whole life time. He is 84 years  old and struggling financially.

This type of situation has led many people to battle self doubt, anxiety, fear, depression, hopelessness, and all the other usual suspects.

What re we to do? What will happen to all of us if this keeps up? These are questions that many people are asking right now.

Let me give you some thoughts to try to help you through these troubling times:

  • Don’t ever give up. Remain strong. You will persevere by just decided that nothing can force you to collapse.
  • Try to enjoy the little things while the economy is faltering. Go to the park. Rent DVDs instead of going to the movies. Buy the store brands instead of the expensive brands.
  • Make some great home cooked meals that you found in the old recipe book you found on the shelf. If it was good for our elders it still must be good. By cooking your own meals you will save money from not eating out. Have  a “family,” meal. That means everyone sitting down at the table at the same time. Actually do some talking. Won’t that be different?
  • Go one a vacation with in driving distance. You can just as much fun somewhere closer as you can hundreds of miles away.

I realize that these aren’t exciting solutions. What we probably really need to talk about is how to cope in this troubled world.

My book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, talks directly to you as readers about how to do that very thing. It shares ways to fight anxiety, fear, depression, self doubt, hopelessness, etc.

You can read some excerpts from, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, when you sign up for my free newsletter. You can do that by going over to the right side bar and clciking on the icon that talks about subscribing.

Notice that you will also receive a free eBook that I have written called, The Top 25 Ways to Survive in a Troubled World. There are 25 ideas on how to stay tough during these hard times. It is yours for free just by subscribing.

When you subscribe you also have a chance to win free books. Many will have the authors autograph in them.

The book being featured right now is called, Moments this Good: The Softer Side of Alzheimer’s. It is written by Bonnie Nester. It is the story of Bonnie’s mother Ruth. It is kind of like a dairy with many heart breaking stories, but also some that make you chuckle. Bonnie has autographed the book for you.

So if you sign-up right now, you get:

  1. A free newsletter full of excerpts from: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World. Three other pages with interesting articles on them. A brand new page that will come out in the next issue is for writers. It will be called: Becoming Famous Before you are Famous. This alone is worth signing up for if you are a writer or even have thoughts of being a writer. It teaches you how to get known before you go to the publisher.
  2. A free Ebook called, The Top 25 Ways to Survive in a Troubled World. It shares many ways to cope.
  3. Free books with autographs in them through a drawing that is held every two weeks.

It hard to understand why someone would pass this up, but I am tooting my own horn. I happen to think that you would love any part of the three free bees above.

I hope you take advantage of this and sign-up.

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