A place to find Hope

Category: contentment (Page 1 of 2)

Our God Accepts All Knee Mails. He Loves to Talk.

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

______________________________________________

Here is another excerpt from my Award winning book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Surivive in an Unfriendly World.

Chapter 17

God Accepts Knee Mail

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2

In this day of modern technology, we can “talk” with someone in Africa in an instant. We can send e-mails faster than we can even say, “snail mail.” Instant and text messaging through our computers or cell phones make it so we can talk back and forth as easily as if we were sitting in the same room conversing. Isn’t that amazing? What wonderful advancements the world has made!

You know what is coming next, don’t you? God can answer prayers that fast. You don’t even need a computer to do it, and it is like He is right in the room with you conversing. God is watching right now as you read this chapter. Think about it, He knows every hair on your head. (I know—for some of us that’s not hard.) He knows when you are sad. He knows when you are happy. He knows when you are in danger. Psalm 139 tells us He knows all about us.

If you question how He can know your own thoughts, it’s because God is all knowing—or omniscient, as the theologian would say. He knows the thoughts of nobodies like us who want to be somebodies. Each of us is just one person among millions and millions of people. Why would He care about you and me? Because He loves us so much He doesn’t want us to be alone. He wants us to love Him back and seek Him in times of trouble. That’s what your earthly father would do, wouldn’t he? (I realize that question assumes a healthy parent-child relationship, which isn’t the case for everyone.)

Yes, He even knows your inner thoughts—your very own personal thoughts. That can be a scary thought, but it shows us His tremendous love for us. He loves us so much that He listens to even you and me.

God is all-powerful—omnipotent in theological terms. You follow the weather report each day to see if you need an umbrella for the rain that God created. You look at the beautiful mountains, and know that they tremble before God. You see a crocus come up in the spring, and know that God designed it. You look at a newborn child and see God’s greatest work.

Yet, even though God is so powerful, He takes time to listen to you and me. He lowers Himself to your level and listens as you speak in His ear. He loves us so much He even came to show us His love in person. In human flesh. He sent His only Son for us so that we would have a person who will pass our hurts, fears, and shame on to the Father. That is why we always say, “In Jesus name,” at the end of all our prayers. We are going through Jesus to have God also feel our pain.

Have you had times when you thought no one cared? Did your spouse leave you? Did your child grow up and move away—emotionally, if not geographically? Has your brother or sister stopped talking to you? Did your dad or mom disown you?

God feels your pain. Everyone left His only Son when He needed them the most. They turned their backs on Him and let Him die on the cross because they feared for their own lives.

God feels your pain. David escaped angry King Saul by hiding in a cave. When David became king, he committed adultery and had a man killed, yet God (through Paul) called him a man after His own heart (see Acts 13:22).

God feels your pain. Jonah tried to run from God and got as far as a whale’s stomach before God turned his pain into obedience.

God feels your pain. It hurts Him when people die in wars. He gives people choices and many leaders make painful, evil choices that hurt others.

Remember: God came down to this earth and felt pain. He cried. He worried. He knew fear. He knows (and understands) what we are going through. He has gone through it. So it makes sense to rely on someone with experience.

We probably wouldn’t hire someone to fix our toilet whose specialty is doing hair and makeup. Nor would we ask someone who has never been outside the United States (and is afraid of snakes and spiders) to lead us on a trek through a thick jungle. And we probably wouldn’t let a blind person show us how to climb the side of a rock cliff.

Rely on someone who knows you better than you do. Use someone who can change outcomes, before they happen. Count on someone who loves to make your life better than it is right now. Use God. Get on your knees and pray for God to direct you the rest of your life. God loves knee mail. He accepts it every day.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

and though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46:1–3

Further Adventures

We all have friends we can turn to in order to share with them our deepest hurts and fears. They are a must on this tainted planet. However, when you leave them after a long talk, they are not with you anymore. You can’t talk to them without calling them or e-mailing them. You don’t have that problem with God. He is sitting right next to you as you read these lines. He will always be right there for you. You are never alone. Let Him hear your inner thoughts and rely on Him to show you the way.

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that God can move mountains and calm the seas, but we still doubt He will help us in time of trouble?

__________________________________________

Keep coming back to see more excerpts. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on Subscribe. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

__________________________________________

Getting on our knees to talk to God, is not humiliatingly, it is accelerating. Try doing just once and see how much closer you are to God. He loves to talk to you.

__________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never every give up!

_________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

People Are Broken, Distraced, and Weary From Life

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

_____________________________________________________________

Satan is getting desparate, because he knows his time is short, and he wants to sabotage your efforts to serve the Lord.

The truth is, the closer we become with Jesus, the more intense our spiritual battles will be. We must be aware of Satan’s schemes.

It is God’s will that everyone will come closer to Jesus than to Satan. But Satan will do everything he can to distract you from following Him.

We need to let God establish our priorites.

Love God-Serve God

If we truly love God we will serve wherever we need to, for example:

  1. Your spouse…God has directed us to love and serve our spouses.
  2. Single? Serve your family and friends. Don’t let anybody distract you.

Knowing the truth doesn’t strengthen you, doing the truth does.

Whoever does the will of God will abide forever.

Don’t do what ever your are doing for yourself. Do it for others.

Back to Satan.. he wants you to feel awful about yourself. He wants to deceive us so we will disobey God. If he succeeds you are on his trophy wall.

To fight all of this we need God’s armor.

When we are attacked by Satan we need let the love of Jesus control us.

We don’t give into fear. We don’t look for the paths of least risistance. We follow Jesus weherever He leads us.

_______________________________________________________
Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

_______________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

When Life gives You Lemons, Make lemonade

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

_____________________________________________

It has been over week since I last posted. Sorry about that. I went with my two sons, and son-in-law fishing last Friday through Sunday. Then doctor’s appointments, and a trip to the coast wiped out the other two days I should have posted.

______________________________________________

Speaking of the fishing trip……..

We went to Diamond Lake, Oregon. It is absolutely my favorite place to go fishing. Beautiful mountains on both sides of the lake, and great fishing. We caught 28 trout in two hours the last time we had been there.

Well, we got to the lake on Friday night. The lake was quiet and beautiful. We ate dinner and did a lot of laughing to telling stories of yester years.

Then it cam Saturday. We rented a very comfortable looking pontoon boat that was big enough for several people.

However, as we went to get the boat it started raining. I mean real hard rain. We decided to go out on the lake anyway and try to fish.

That lasted 45 minutes only. Only one bite, and soaked down to our under ware.

We went back to our cabin and that was it for the whole weekend. It rained hard all the rest of the day Saturday. It did let up towards evening, but then the wind came and turned the lake into solid whitecaps.

So our whole weekend of fishing was for 45 minutes of drenching rain.

_______________________________________________

Has that happened to you? Have you had plans for something and then have it disrupted with something that caused you to have to cancel it?

You certainly aren’t alone. The storms come into our life often, like it did on our fishing trip.

_______________________________________________

We need to face the storms and make something good happen from them. In our case at the lake we had a wonderful time in the cabin watching football, eating great food, and joking a lot. It turned out to be a blessing for me to be with my two sons, and son-in-law. We were much closer by the end of the week.

________________________________________________

This is what you need to do as well. Make storms into special times, by adjusting to it. Let God provide you with a wonderful substitute like it did for my family.

________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

_________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

Satan Wants You to Slip and be a Trophy on His Wall

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

_______________________________________________________

Just can’t get my mind off of how our country seems to be going down the tube. Lack of leadership. Other countries taking advantage of our weaknesses. I keep reminding myself that God is in Charge. I finding hope in that.

________________________________________________________

As far as I know there are still hundreds of Christians trapped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. Please prayer for them, and the hundreds of Americans who are there as well.

_________________________________________________________

I have been taking inventory on my well being everyday. I can be easily distracted and fall into the darkside. So many wrong things going on these days. What I have decided is that I need to be searching for the light, and forget the darkness.

__________________________________________________________

How is you your world turning? Out of control? Do you fall for all the media lies? So many news articles are fake news.

Here is what I suggest to help you AND me:

  1. Never believe all that your hear.
  2. Fact check everything.
  3. Get reliable sources.
  4. Cling to the robe of God.

___________________________________________________________
That last one is the most important. God will hold your hand and lead you in the right direction. He loves, and He made you in His own image.

Never fall for Satan’s lies. He would to have you as his trophy on his wall.

____________________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…..never, ever, give up!

____________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

Everything Looks Great. What Could go Wrong? Everything!

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

__________________________________________

We are off to the Oregon Coast. Beautiful day, and tons of God’s beauty to see. What could go wrong??

___________________________________________

When I think about that I realize that many things could go wrong. We do not live in a perfect world:

  1. The Pandemic.
  2. Rioting.
  3. Storms that are hitting many states.
  4. Drought for the whole West Coast.
  5. This leads to many wildfires. (Already having one in Oregon.)

This is a short list and I am sure you could add many more.

____________________________________________

So, how do we face each day when so many bad things are coming our way?

  1. Face the storms of life.
  2. All storms end.
  3. God is there during your storms.
  4. Turn all your fears over to God.

___________________________________________

So simplistic yet so true. God has the power to build a fortress for you to protect you from evil and everyday hazards.

Never try to take on this world alone. Pray for God to give you the armor you need to survive.

___________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

It’s Easy to be Saved, But Can we be Sanctified?

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

____________________________________________

I was at a Christian Men’s Zoom call on Tuesday. It was very inspiring for me. Many things that were said gave me comfort and hope.

We can easily be saved, by the blood of Jesus, but can we be sanctified? That seemed to be the thoughts of all eight of us.

The dictionary says…….

Sanctify:

  1. To make holy; set apart as holy; consecrate.
  2. To be purified and free from sin.

That seems to be a problem with many of those who can’t asked to be saved. They don’t think that can be purified from sin for what they have done in the past.

God wants you to come as you are, but god doesn’t want you to stay that way. In other words, what ever you have done does not close the door on you.

Remember the other two men who were crucified with Jesus. Both of them deserved what they were getting. However, one of them asked Jesus to save him. Jesus did and said, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

A criminal was saved and sanctified all in one day.

One of the Zoom guys mentioned that people need to come and see; go and be. Meaning we need to accept Christ into our heart, and then tell others.

As a Christian we should never think we are retired.

  1. We still a lot to learn from God.
  2. We are still a parent to our children, and we need to always lead by example.

____________________________________________________

Are you thinking you are retired from the world? Do you feel you are done nurturing your children, family, and friends. God says otherwise. Never think you can sit back and let others save the world. God still has many plans for you no matter what your age is.

___________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

_____________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.

Envy or Love, which one would you choose?

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.

There seems to be a growing trend of people who hate others because they are successful, and they aren’t as successful.

People see the new car, new boat, and new home, and want it.

This is all called envy.

DICTIONARY:

Envy: A feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, or possessions.

Have you ever seen a person that you know was a devout Christian, but then did a nose dive?

This is happening all over the world.

I want what they have!

___________________________________________

Envy is a resentment fueled by the success of others, and the sick belief that their triumphs or blessings is in someway diminishing you.

Envy is resentment with great loss.

___________________________________________

So how do we avoid envy? What can we eliminate to assure we don’t get caught in that trap?

One reason we envy is because of our own inner pressure. We struggle to try to keep up with the Joneses.

Pressure is never an excuse to disobey God’s word.

___________________________________________

Contentment is a good way to go. Be happy with what you have and enjoy your day.

I realize this is very simplistic, but life should be simple. We do not need to allow envy to overcome us into hatred.

God provides for us and that is all we need to know. He has a plan for you no matter what your current status is. He loves you.

__________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never ever, give up!

___________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.

Whining to God Doesn’t Put You on the Right Path

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.

___________________________________________

Have been battling pneumonia since Tuesday. On a antibiotic prescription routine. Have one day left for that. Getting better, but it seems slow.

___________________________________________

Another day another dollar. That was the saying when I was a child. They really meant it. A dollar a day was the wage back then. The amazing things about all of this is that I never felt poor. My single parent mother made sure my brother and I had, food to eat. A roof over our head, and even had a dime to go see a movie on Saturdays. We were happy.

___________________________________________

It pains me to hear about the “terrible” conditions people feel they have to go through these days. “Can’t buy the boat I wanted! Never able to drive the car I really want. Can’t give all my children I-Phones.” PLEASE!

Buckle up and face the day people. Things aren’t even close to being bad right now as far as material things. Be happy with what you have.

___________________________________________

I sound whiny today. Sorry about that. There really are bad things we do have to face:

The pandemic, rioting, fake media, illnesses, and threats of war.

The only suggestion I have is to depend on God to see you through all of this mess. He knows what is going on, and in my opinion, we shouldn’t question His ideas. He knows what is best for you , and it may not be what you want. However, in the long run you will look back and realize that what He did for you was the right choice.

___________________________________________
Never succumb to the earthly muck and mire. Stand strong and keep moving forward. Pray for guidence from God and He will show you the way.

___________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

___________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know about it.

There Are Benefits to Facing Trials

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit for the site, please let them know about it. Your comments will not be seen by other people, just me, and I will connect with you to see if you are OK to share it.

___________________________________________________

There are very trying times right now, with the pandemic, rioting, and wild fires. There are some things I have seen while facing trials:

  1. We draw closer to God and others.
  2. We see things more clearly.
  3. We become more compassionate.

It happens time after time.

I am from Oregon and we have been devasted with wild fires. People have died and over 600 homes destroyed. This would normaly cause widespread depression, and panic.

It is not happening.

The people who lost their homes are out helping others to sift through the rubble to try to find some memories for them. People in my neighborhood have opened their doors for those displayed. People have volunteered to hand out water, food, and masks.

________________________________________________________________

People are very tired of the rioting, and have bonded together to confront the rioters. It is not pretty, but the rioters are gettng the message.

________________________________________________________________

Here are some more thoughts I love to share. You also seem to like them. (Let me know)

  1. Forget what others think you are.
  2. God is love, so we sshould love one another.
  3. Perfect love casts out fear.
  4. Praying is not just for praying. It is to speak to God.
  5. Reading the Bible is not the goal. The goal is to grow spiritually while reading the Bible.
  6. Only through death can we find life.
  7. Every pain, every disappointment, is covered by Jesus’s love.
  8. Live life like you are expecting Jesus to come.
  9. Be joyful; be prayful, and be grateful. (Always without ceasing)
  10. Through affliction, we know that God will do something greater.
  11. We need to be more concerned about God’s glory.
  12. We should obey God even if we are in pain.
  13. If one suffers all of us suffer. If one is honored, all of us are glad.
  14. Envy: Painful or resentful of some one’s possession. Leads to dissatisfacton, discontentment.
  15. Always look at the cross. It reminds you to trust.
  16. Are we just living, or are we living life well?
  17. Are we trusting the Lord to lead us, or are we wanting the Lord to do things our way?
  18. Are we mangaing our time to serve the Lord; our responsiblities, or our relationships?
  19. Do we need to be desparate to read the Bible? Are we willing to let God give us the desire to do so?
  20. You come to a crossroad. There only two directions to go. Left is wisdom, and the right is folly. Which way will you go?

I always suggest you go through those thoughts one at a time and ponder them. Much wisdom could come from them.

_______________________________________________

What is your life like?

Are you happy? Do you think life is great, or are you depressed with what is going on around you? Never let the dark side overcome you!! Reach for the light. Yes, there are many painful things happening right now, but always remember God is in charge. Stay strong and alway lean on Him for His love.

_______________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit for the site, please let them know about it. Your comments will not be seen by other people, just me, and I will connect with you to see if you are OK to share it.

_______________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unlloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!!

Don’t Pretend to be Someone you Are Not

We can not do that. We need to be ourselves. God created each of us into a unique person. No one else is like you.

I actually fell into that trap during my teaching days. I went to graduation school to get a Masters in counseling because that seemed to be how you got promoted to principal quicker. I went for several summers. I neared the end where I just needed two classes to get my degree.

I stepped away from it at that point. I never went back to finish up.

WHY ON EARTH WOULD I DO THAT??

I realized that I loved being in the classroom with my students. If I became a principal my time with students would mostly be with the ones that needed discipline.

I really didn’t want to be a principal, and I fell for the trap of joining the rat race to try to get ahead.

I can not be someone else. God wants me to be myself. He wants me to be guided by him, not doing things to better myself for selfish reasons.

How about you?

Do you push hard at your work to get ahead. Do you try to keep climbing that corporate ladder? Do you want that beautiful car your neighbor has, because you feel people will think you are important?

God loves you the way you are. He created you in His image and wants the best for you. Don’t try to impress anyone. Just listen to God and walk the path He has for you. This way you are glorifying Him and not yourself.

___________________________________________________________________________

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

« Older posts

© 2024 Daily Signs of Hope

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑