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September 19, 2011

Life is Tough and Then You Die

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I am happy to announce that we now have a bookstore over at our blog: www.dailysignsofhope.com. It was just added a few weeks ago.

The book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” is also there to be ordered.

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What follows is an actual excerpt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” This book reaches out to those who suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, and hopelessness.

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LIFE IS TOUGH AND THEN YOU DIE

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

—Psalm 30:5

GOD DIDN’T PROMISE us a rose garden—besides, there are thorns in a rose garden. He allows us to go through the storms. He wants us to learn from them and grow.

We question if God is still there for us when we have a crisis. Things pile up and we wonder,

Where are You, God? He allows things to happen that are very hard to understand. Why would He let bad things happen to us?

The psalmist wondered the same thing. In the psalms, crying and wailing come out with a vengeance. Psalms can be also joyful and uplifting, but some of them are not joyful, and they teach us that it is OK to question God. It is OK to voice your true feelings to Him. He knows how to handle your feelings—even your anger.

Despair and anger are combined in Psalm 89:46–47:

How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? …For what futility you have created all men!

In our world today there is much despair and anger. There are gang wars, school shootings, sex abuse, battered wives, seniors getting scammed, racists and terrorists. All of these could cause even the strongest Christian to act on that anger. You have choices. You could seek justice like a vigilante. You could forget it and let it build up inside you, or you could turn it over to God, who is the only Supreme Court Justice in heaven.

He will judge those who have wronged others.

We should never stop being angry or sad about what happens in the world, but we need to turn it over to God, and let Him bring peace in our life.

Too many people have decided that acceptance of wrong is much easier than trying to fight it. Some live in their own little world and go on as if nothing were happening around them.

I saw this in action when I was in the military. Uncle Sam had me stationed in Korea, and we were traveling through Seoul, Korea. I saw an old woman sitting and leaning against a wall. She was begging for help because she was ill and starving. No one stopped. They just kept on walking by.

All military personnel had been instructed that under no circumstances were we to get out of our vehicles—just keep going. This was because if you tried to help someone they could claim you were the one that caused the problem and then get a big settlement from the government. There were rumors of Korean parents throwing their children in front of army trucks to collect a settlement. We retraced our route on the way back to camp. By then, the woman had fallen over and was dead.

I was very angry. I felt helpless. I wasn’t allowed to help the woman, and she died because of that.

I didn’t know if I could make any difference in life. Could one person out of the billions of people on this earth make a difference?

My mother once remarked that she didn’t know why she should get out of bed anymore. She has macular degeneration (partial blindness) and has to use a walker. Her two main loves (besides my brother and me, of course!) were reading and working in the garden. Now she cannot do either of them. I could understand completely what she meant, but it hurt me deeply that she felt that way. I again felt that same helplessness because I wasn’t able to help her.

Why keep going on? The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The weak fall by the wayside. You spend your whole life trying to have a good retirement, and the cost of living eats up all of your income. Evil seems to win—and good seems far away.

The prisoners in the holocaust had all the reasons to be depressed and to commit suicide. They didn’t do that because they kept clinging to their faith in God.

Is that the secret? By just turning our hurts, frustrations and failures over to God, we can have peace? Of course we can. God is the key. If there is no God, anything goes, but everything is meaningless.

If you stay the course, and always let God hold your hand, everything will have meaning, things will come into focus, and everything will fall into place.

As of this writing, my mother is still alive. She is 94 and lives in an assisted living home. She has trouble understanding why she has to be the way she is as far as her health. The world is coming to the stage where 100-year-old people are more common than ever. But many of them are clinging to life assisted by a machine, or they do not have a quality of life that they prefer.

We have developed many new drugs to help people live longer, but we haven’t invented ways to make them happy. We spend millions to help the poor in our country and other countries, but the number of starving children in Oregon alone is growing at an alarming rate.

Its got to the point that there is an AIDS epidemic. School drop-out rates are at an all-time high. Pornography can be found for free on the internet. We thought that we sent racism away in the 70s, but it is still staining our society today.

It is no wonder that we feel depression, despair and apathy. This world is not a rose garden anymore. The thorns are tearing at our skin, and leaving scars that won’t go away.

Let me make something very clear: God will take the world as you see it today and make it into the world He wants. I’ve read the end of the book—and we win. The end is all set, and it is up to us to believe it.

So—can you make an impact on the world? You are just one grain of sand on the beach. Can you make a difference? God thinks you can. He made you with a purpose in mind. Yes, I said you.

As you read this book, God has a plan for you. God just needs you to ask Him what it is. You can make a difference for others in this tough world.

I used the Psalms as an example of despair and anger. Now let the psalmist soothe you and let you know God is there for you and will carry your burdens for you.

Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.

—Psalm 119:143

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will never let the righteous fall.

—Psalm 55:22

Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need: rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.”

Psalm 142:4–6

(Think of the Korean woman dying on the street.)

When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

Psalm 94:18–19

(This should be our prayer any time we are depressed or sad. We can read it to God and let Him comfort us.)

Further Adventures

There are times when you feel so low that you are not sure you can make it through the day. Use this time to pray. Sit quietly with God and share your deepest feelings. Do not hide anything. (God knows even your inner thoughts.) Let Him know that you need to lean on Him completely right now, and He will pick you up and carry you the rest of the way.

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that God knows our every move, but we go on like He is not watching us?

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NEVER, EVER, GIVE UP!

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This was an actual excerpt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” You can order the complete book, by clicking on the “Bookstore,” tab at the top of this page. There is a special sale going on right now. In the Retail stores the price is $19.99, but on this site it is only $15.99. The shipping has been cut in half as well. A total savings of over $6.00.

September 14, 2011September 14, 2011

Worry Never Gains us One More Breath of Life

I am back from a trip to Wisconsin. (That is a state in the United States, for those of you who live in another country.) It was a relaxing, but grueling trip of getting up very early every day to go onto the next adventure.

I am back now, and should be posting on a regular basis.

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One of the amazing things we saw was while we were in the Glacier National Park. (Look this up through Google. You will also be amazed.)

We were able to see a mother brown bear and two cubs, walking along the road we were traveling on. They ran up the hill when they saw us coming. We also saw mountain goats, and big horned sheep.

These weren’t at a zoo. They were in the wild, and it seems so different when you see them there.

Of course there were the Glacier Mountains as well. They were as high as 10,000 feet above us as we drove through them. Majestic doesn’t seem to be enough to describe them.

All of this was placed here by our God. God doesn’t make mistakes and He sure didn’t here.

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I mentioned at one time that I was going to start sharing excerpt from my book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” I will be sharing an excerpt today. The book reaches out to those who suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, or hoplessness. This is Chapter 12:

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WORRY IS THE DARK ROOM

WHERE NEGATIVES DEVELOP

CHAPTER

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

—James 1:12

I had A real dream the other night, and it was a western. It had me tossing and turning until the outcome unfolded.

The wonderful thing about dreams is that no matter how terrifying they are in the beginning, they almost always turnout for the good in the end. You notice that you never quite get caught by the monster that is chasing you.

Isn’t it fun when you are flying and you can see everyone below you? I just flap myarms, and I fl y. (OK, I know you’re thinking, “This guy is crazy!”)

How about the fact that you are the hero and you always save the day? Everything is wonderful. That is how life can be if you follow God. It doesn’t pay to worry, have anxiety and be full of fear. It doesn’t pay to be full of shame. It doesn’t pay one cent tobe gossiping all the time. My dream is an example of that.

The characters:

The good guys: Matthew, Mark, John

Stranger on a white horse

The bad guys: Anxiety, Gossip, Shame, Death

Matthew, Mark, John and the Stranger—the four good guys—were riding on their horses through Sin City towards the Not OK Corral. Hiding from them were Anxiety, Gossip, Shame and Death—the four bad guys. They didn’t want the good guys to findthem and stop the harm they were doing. They had control of all the people in the city and they wanted to keep control. Matthew, Mark and John were riding on brown horses because that was what they rode in those days. The Stranger was riding on a white horse.

The good guys were not gunslingers, they were Bible-slingers. The good guys got down off their horses and went searching for Anxiety, Gossip, Shame and Death.

Matthew found Anxiety leering around a corner trying to see where everyone was. Anxiety had a worried look on his face. He kept looking everywhere in fear—in back of him and in front of him. He didn’t know what to do.

Anxiety (aka worry) can be caused by a doctor’s appointment that holds the results of a blood test. It can be wondering if you can pay this month’s bills. It could be from a dispute you had with your wife. Whatever the case, from stage left comes Matthew, who says to Anxiety: “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He has done” (taken from Philippians 4:6).

Anxiety felt like a ton of weight had been taken off his shoulders, and he left the Not OK Corral much happier. Anxiety was gone.

Mark was looking for Gossip. When he found him, Gossip was talking so fast Mark couldn’t understand him. Gossip said, “Did you see Clem at the Horse’s Breath Saloon? He said he would never take another drink, and I just saw him walk in there!”

Gossip can ruin a person’s life. Talking about someone behind their back can only spread hurt and can cause unwanted hardship.

Mark put his hand over Gossip’s mouth and said: “As charcoal to embers and as wood to fi re, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 26:21–22).

Gossip was dumbfounded and was unable to speak further. He went away with a swollen tongue and was gone. There was no more gossip.

John found Shame hiding in a closet because he was so ashamed of what he had done all his life. He didn’t want anyone to see him this way.

Shame is often the last fatal nail in the heart of a person who is hurting from something they did in the past. Turn anything you are ashamed of over to God, and He will wipe it out of His books.

John felt pity for him and said, “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name”

(1 Peter 4:16).

Shame rose and came out of the closet. He was a different man. He felt self-worth. He felt he was loved. He wanted to learn more about God. After this, Shame was gone. There was no more shame.

Then the Stranger went right to where Death was, for He knew where everyone was, and what they were doing every second of the day.

Death was a hideous creature. He was caring a sword and had a look on his face that would melt anyone who looked into his eyes.

He really was the leader of this gang. There was fire coming out of his ears, and he laughed a chilling laugh. (This is the part where I was tossing, and turning!) He said, “You may have calmed the rest of my gang, but you have no power over me. Everyone has to die, and I will wait until they come to me.”

Yes, death will happen to all of us, but if we are under God’s protective wing, we do not have to fear death. It is just a stepping stone to be with our heavenly Father. You can be assured that the angels are waiting for the moment you are ready to be with theLord. It is like a parent anticipating a newborn. The angels will say, “Cool, here comes another one to be with us in heaven.”

The Stranger took off His cloak, and uncovered his head. It was Jesus. Jesus walked up to Death and said, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Death spun around in pain and, weaker but still standing,turned back toward Jesus. Jesus said, talking to God: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (from Psalm 23:4). Death began to wither and fell to the ground. He had no more power over people any longer.

So there was no more anxiety, no more gossip, no more being ashamed, and most importantly, no more death.

God is the final power. He controls all things. We can stop worrying about anything. Worrying and fear does not gain us one more minute in a day—and it saps our strength. Turn your anxiety, gossiping, shame and the fear of death over to Him, and He will send them on their way.

The four horsemen got on their horses and headed to the next town to see what gangs might have settled there. As they rode into the sunset, they all sang praises to God and worshipped Him.

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

—Romans 2:7

Further Adventures

Have you had one of those bad guys come into your life? Have you been faced with anxiety? Has someone said something about you to someone else that wasn’t true? Do you live in shame for past sins that you cannot get out of your mind? Have you lost a loved one? Always remember that God is always there. He knows what your anxiety is. He knows about the gossip that has been spread about you. He wants you to throw away your shame, like it was a broken toy.

And remember that death has no power if your loved one was a Christian. God is the final Word. He controls everything. Lean on Him through whatever trial you are going through. You will have some storms come into your life, but God is there to help calm them for you.

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says?

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You can see that every chapter will have a Further Adventures, and Something to Ponder at the end of each chapter. People have told me that they really like this. They read a chapter a day and then use the principles at the end of each chapter to help them through the day.

You can order this book right from this site. Just go up to the top of this page and click on “Bookstore.” There will be description of the book, and a copy of the cover there.

There is a special price going on right now so don’t miss it.

BTW…. Never, ever, give up!

September 13, 2011September 13, 2011

99% of What we Worry About Never Happens

I want to thank those who have been signing up for the RSS feed for this site. It really helps. If you haven’t done that, please do it today. It helps us have higher Google rankings.

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There is exciting news! We now have bookstores at both of our sites. You can order, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” here on this site by clicking on the “bookstore,” tab at the top of this page.

This book reaches out to those who suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, and the many other usual suspects.

AND now you can also order the book at www.dailysignsofhope.com. We just added a bookstore there for your convenience. Just go to the top of the page and click on “bookstore,” there as well.

We are very proud of our blog. We are ranked # 5 out of 56.1 million similar sites. That is because of over 10 people signing up for the RSS feed there. The site speaks to the readers about hope; how to weather the storms and trials we face, plus how to cope in a not so friendly world. Go there to see why it is ranked so high.

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I am still battling jet lag from my trip to Wisconsin. It was very relaxing while I traveled, but on the way home, I was already tired, and we had a two hours flight delay. Then when I got home, I was too exhausted to post on our blog. I am getting better as the time goes one, but jet lag is for real, and it has pulled me down like a huge magnate.

One of the things I noticed on my trip is that people are seeking ways to help others even though there is no crises. That is something that has come from the 9-11-01 incident. People in the terminals were letting other people sit that were elderly. They went out of their way to greet others. One person let a another person bump them off a flight, because that person had been waiting so long to get home to their loved ones.

It is too bad we have to face trials and storms to have this happen, but God allowed it to happen and now the results is more caring people and a bonding of the world, in general to never allow terrorist to bully us again into fear and chaos.

The fear of 9-11 may still be lingering in people’s minds, but they have decided that they will not let the bad guys control their lives by making them change their daily routine. I think this is what the terrorist had in mind, and in that case, they have lost.

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I failed to mention above that the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” is on sale on both sites right now. In the stores it is on sale for $19.99, but on our site it is only $15.99. The shipping is cut in half as well. A total savings of over $6.00.

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Never let worry take over you life. The statistics show that 99% of what we worry about never happens. All you have to do is give that 01% over to God and let Him carry you the rest of the way.

Never, ever, give up!