Daily Signs of Hope

A place to find Hope

Category: depression (Page 5 of 6)

How do We handle the Pandemic?

May 13, 2020 / / 0 Comments

This Pandemic is causing many problems for many. People feel the sky is falling.

I had an interesting day yesterday. Got our daily walk in. It has been difficult for me. Something wrong with the legs. Got to go to Walmart and buy some new ones. 🙂

Charlotte and I also went on a drive. We went through downtown Salem, where I live. It was eerie. No one walking on the sidewalks. Not many cars. Stores closed. It almost looked like a ghost town. We have a population of close to 200,000 and they are all in lock down.

I never have seen anything like it, I hope I never do again.

So what can we do??

  1. What a perfect time to work on your yard, and flowers.
  2. Get a book off of that huge book shelve you have and read.
  3. Check on your neighbors. Keep that six foot distance though.
  4. Call your family and see how they are doing.
  5. Find some movies that are uplifting, and fun.
  6. Clean out that closet, or what ever area you have been forgetting about.

I gave some other suggestions on my May 8th post.

So, are you troubled? Do you wonder what may be happening next? Is what happening in our world overwhelming you?

Remember you have support through our Heavenly Father. He is there where ever you are. We cannot hid from Him and that is a good thing.

Go to Him in prayer and ask for His protection and love. He will listen to your plea, and answer you according to what He feels is best for you. We may not always agree with the outcome, but again it is what is best for you.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Your’e A Speck in Life, But God Loves You

February 14, 2020 / / 0 Comments

The Universe is Huge and You Are Part of it

This may confuse you and make you wonder. We are just a speck, of a speck, of a speck, and even smaller.

The truth is, that as you look up into the skies you see literally billions of stars. Each star is created by God.

Let’s check on our own little planet.

I live in Oregon, and as I go on walks, I can see snow capped mountains, mainly Mount Hood. It is very beautiful to see. God created it. I drive to the Oregon coast and see a vast ocean. God created it.

Also think on this:

God created our earth, but did it with very sharp precision.Think of the placement of our planet. If we were a little closer to the sun we would all burn to death. If the earth was a little farther away from the sun we would freeze. God put it in the perfect spot for us to exist.

He created much more.

He created all the animals; all the plants, and all the people like you and me. He even gave you your first breath.

You are the pinnacle of his creations. Yes, you are a tiny speck compared to all the wonders He created and yet you are the joy of His life. There was no one like you before you were born, and there will be no one like you after you are gone.

Even your DNA is your own.

You have your own DNA and fingerprints. To top all of that, He has plans for each and every one of us. Yes, the universe is huge but we still don’t grasp that.

We all still sin.

Knowing all of this, we tend to still wander. We know there is a God, but we sway and falter, because Go gave us the freedom to choose.

God still loves you.

We must remember that God loves us very much. He created each of us in His own image. When you are facing fear, depression, and trials know that God controls everything. He is there for you.

He is the creator and there is nothing else else we should be worshiping.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!

Why Can’t we All Just Get Along

February 7, 2020 / / 0 Comments

One of the hardest things for me to face is how the United States is so divided. It breaks my heart to see this happening, and I am not sure how to correct it.

The recent happens in Congress has even the most loyal Americans cringing.

Our country is so divided. What can we do to try to heal our wounds?

It is easy to say everything will be OK, but not everyone agrees with that.

There are people protesting and causing riots. There are people who boycott businesses they disagree with.

I have all kinds of suggestions, but people have to follow through to make them work:

  1. Pray for our leaders. This is a tough one for many, because they hate our leaders. To me it doesn’t matter what party is in charge I will be praying for the president.
  2. Don’t believe much of the news you see. The fake news is running rampant now.
  3. Take care of your own nest. Make sure your family is happy. They are your inner circle.
  4. Spend time at your church meeting people who agree with your beliefs are. That sounds kind of silly doesn’t it? However, we need to make friendships with the right people. The people of your church may be the pillar you need to lean on.
  5. Speaking of church, I have also seen people coming to the services, and leaving with a blank look on their faces. They didn’t hear anything. They just come to show people they are “Christians.”

I exercise at least twice a week. I do the treadmill for one half hour. It gets me going, and the rest of the day I am eager to do things. Talking more about # 5 above, It is great to be in good physical shape, but it is even better to be in good spiritual shape.

Thoughts:

  1. God has work plans for you. Even if you are a senior citizen like me. Serve God just as hard as the others. God will use you no matter what you age is.
  2. We only on this planet called earth for a short time. Use you time wisely.
  3. People are so afraid of failure. I can’t tell all the times I failed and grew more because of them. Do not fear failure.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all… never, ever, give up!

Looking Back at the Holidays

January 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

The holidays are past, but I have had time to reflect and thought I would share some thoughts.

We should have joy around the holidays, but some don’t think so. They have to face their relatives.

From that I learned that we need to have a family mentality.

We need need to be related by faith, family, caring. If we do that and more, we are a family that is glorious.

Yes, we have some relatives that we have differences with. When they come to visit it seems like they know what buttons to push to make us angry.

How do we deal with that?

Even if there is a problem with one of the relatives, we need to know that they have needs just like we do. We need to calmly sit with them and seek out the problems and try to find ways to help.

This should cause a miracle. They will be glad someone cares, and they will look at you in a whole new way.

I Have learned to pray for them.

I am so angry sometimes that this is very hard. If I can just spend 30 seconds praying for them that would be a good start. Then stretch it out to 35 seconds, and so on. I realized the more I prayed for them the less I was angry. It should be like daily exercise. The more you pray the stronger you become.

Try this out and let me know how it goes. Show me other ways I can reach out to those I sometimes find unpleasant.

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There is much happening causing me to roll fast on finishing my second book, “Signs of Hope for the Military: In an Out of the trenches of Life.” All I have left are a few interviews with veterans who have been in the trenches. Their stories will warm your heart. They will cause you to cry, and wanting to help them.

You can go to http://www.dougbolton.com to see the progress.

You should always remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Don’t Let Others Define Your Faith

April 8, 2019 / / 0 Comments

This is the second of a series of discussions on Faith. My last post mention the sadness of thinking there was no hereafter. They who have no faith feel that they die and then turn into dust.

For those of us who believe and have faith, there is a bright path we are walking on. We know where we are going. We know because we saw the last chapter of the book.

One mistake we all make is to try to keep calmness around us, because there are many who will persecute us for our beliefs. We fear we can’t come up with the right things to say when we are challenged.

Here are some thoughts on that.

  1. You never have to try to convince anyone about their own lives being wrong. They already know it, and will probably attack if you mention it.
  2. My thought is to just share why I believe without out judging the other person. I share what my life was before I believed and the after I believed.
  3. Let them ask you questions. Don’t worry about getting the answers wrong. They are now in a different level. They are inquisitive.
  4. Just show other about your faith by your everyday actions. I have had more people ask me why I am so optimistic all the time. Boom! I can open up my heart. Many times They say they want some of that.
  5. Don’t hide your faith, but you also don’t need to stand on a corner and shout, “You are going to Hell, if you don’t believe!”I have gone to big sporting events, and sure enough there are always one or two people outside who are screaming at you. To many they are driving people away not bringing them closer.

The bottom line is that you just need to be you, and show others your love and caring way. That is a living testimony.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!!

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This is where I share some more about my upcoming book.

Today I am going to share how the book is laid out.

  1. The book starts out with me sharing my life while I was in the military.
  2. I share some funny and not so funny things that happened to me in basic training.
  3. I then share my advanced training school time.
  4. After that I was deployed to South Korea. Many stories. Some scary.
  5. Then I will share my time at Ft. Bragg. My scariest moment happened there.

This is the best part:

The rest of the will be actual interviews with veterans who have been in the trenches. I can guarantee you some of the stories will be very scary, sad, and tense. They will be some humor as well.

The appendix at the end will have several pages for jobs and careers for the military. Very extensive.

Subscribe:

By subscribing, you will get all these posts sent directly to your in box. It will be a good way to keep up on how the book is going. Just lick on the subscribe icon at the top right of the page.

What Does Faith Really Mean?

March 31, 2019 / / 0 Comments

What is faith? How does it work? What does it mean to us?

The dictionary says that faith is:

1.Trust

2. Belief in something we can’t see.

What are the myth misconceptions about Faith?

Faith is contrary to common sense.

Faith is contrary to reason.

Faith is contrary to science.

Now let me share some thoughts on Faith.

Faith gives us strength.

Faith gives us courage.

Faith in something never seen, gives you hope.

The main thing we all have are difference levels in faith on the reality that there is a God. Some people laugh at those who believe that. They say it is not possible.

So what do they have going for them if they are right? Nothing! They spend their days on this earth, and when they check out they have nowhere to go in their eyes. They think they turn into dust.

Not very good way to live their lives.

Now, for those who have faith. There is hope. There is anticipation of eternal life. There is the peace that they have somewhere to go after they check out of this hotel called earth. They enjoy life, and take each day as a gift from God.

So, for me having hope, and anticipation, is far better than fearing death, and trodding along each day.

Believe and have faith. Be happy and joyful. Each day is blessed.

Remember:

You are not alone.

You are not forsaken.

You are not unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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+++I will be using this spot to start up dating you on my new book coming out soon. It is called,”Signs of Hope: In an Out of the Trenches of Life.”

This book is written just for our veterans and our current military. It reaches out to those who may be suffering with anxiety, fear, depression, PTSD, TBI, etc.

One part of the book is set aside with interviews of veterans. Many pages of interviews, with thoughts and hurts from those who have actually been in trenches.

I will share part of one interview for you now:

Just yesterday I had and interview with a WWII and Korean veteran. He shared some pretty scary moments. The one that was amazing was that he was being sent to Korea for the “conflict.” He was in a hanger waiting to be assigned what plane he was to ride one. Then he saw an old buddy from his WWII days. They hugged and was trying to catch up when the sergeant started calling name by the alphabet. He saw he wasn’t going to be on the same plane with his buddy. He ask if he could be changed to the other plane. The sergeant said there was nothing he could do. The veteran then saw the officer in charge. He went up to him and asked him if he could change. The officer said no. The veteran kept asking, and the officer finally said, “Get on the other plane now and get out of my hair.”

The veteran went to the other plane. The plane he was supposed to be on took off and they followed. They were in the air on their way to Korea. They got to Wake Island; refueled and took off again. The first plane suddenly crashed killing everyone on board. The veteran I was interviewing was supposed to be on that plane. The words he used to describe his feelings about what happened will either have you in tears or in awe.

More information about the book in later posts. Need to subscribe to keep up with what is happening with the book. Just click on the subscribe button at the top of the page and go from there. Then you will get an update right to you inbox each time I post.

Just What Does Love Do For Us

March 22, 2019 / / 0 Comments

It’s been a long time since I last posted.

I was rolling at a fast pace over a year ago. I had 108,000 followers and growing fast every day. Then I was hacked. I lost all of my subscribers.

I was having a huge pity party that no one wanted to come to. Just a month ago, I decided to stop whining and to get back at it. After all, these post show hope and reach out to those who may be suffering anxiety, fear, depression, etc.

You can help me fight back against these horrible hackers by subscribing to this blog. Just click on the subscribe area at the top of this page and go from there. If you do, you will receive encouraging words every time there is a post. You won’t be sorry.

The title asks a very good question. You have heard the song, “What Does Love Have to do With it?” Well, what does love do for us in the first place?

We assume love is a given, but in truth it is not. I have learned that you have to show love to receive love. We can’t expect others to make us happy.

So, what do we do to reach out to others and show love?

We should treat love like it is family. In others words, it should be for everyone, even the guy on the corner begging.

We should have our love to be “wide open.” That means even to strangers.

We should love those in pain as if their pain was our pain.

Love rightly. This means not to love just to move yourself up in the world.

There are some don’ts in this line of thought. Do not love money. Be satisfied with what you have.

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Here are some random thoughts for the day:

You can’t have fellowship with sin and God at the same time.

The truth will set you free.

The Lord is my helper so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

Remember:

You are never alone.

Your are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

God wants Peace for Your heart

December 18, 2018 / / 0 Comments

Peace, Be Still!

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” -Mark 4:39

God’s desire for your life is that you would have an overflowing abundance of peace! In fact, one of the names Jesus is referred to in scripture is the ‘Prince of Peace.’ And as we know, when someone is referred to as a King or Prince, it’s because they carry a mantle of authority in that area. Jesus literally carries the authority of abiding and everlasting peace with God.

Peace with God is not to be confused with peace with this world— because the two are contrary to one another. If you choose peace with the world the outcome is internal chaos. And if you choose peace with God you will have internal peace, but the world will hate you.

The reason Jesus went to the cross was to restore peace between God and man. As the Prince of Peace, Jesus is the access point for us to receive peace. Jesus is waiting for us to come and receive His peace as a free gift. But we can’t receive His gift without surrendering our old ways of thinking and living. We must put off the old if we want to put on the new. When we yield to him, then we receive. Once we surrender our hearts to the Prince of Peace we can expect a great calm to come over our lives from the inside out!

Here are 5 Reasons God wants His peace to rule in your heart today:

1)You are a new Creation— 2 Corinthians 5:17 says you are a new Creation, the old has passed away and all things have become new. Your new creation identity in Christ is the root of all things becoming brand new in your life. Jesus stripped the power of sin from your life by dying on the cross, and now you are given a new inheritance of life instead of the old inheritance of death. Apart from life in Christ death  remains. As you continue to grow into Jesus, by experiencing His presence and understanding who you are in Him, your life will overflow with peace!

2)You can only give away what you have received— This point might sound obvious, but it’s so true and can’t be overstated! We simply can’t give away something that we don’t have. We can’t lead someone into a land that we’ve never been to! If we are going to be people who lead others in peace we have to first enter into that peace.

3)Peace is a Fruit of the Spirit— Galatians 5 teaches us the one of the core fruit of the Spirit is “Peace!” If you have been struggling to find peace, I hope this produces a spring of excitement in your heart. Peace isn’t something you need to try and achieve, it’s simply an outcome of growing closer to Jesus. Abiding in Christ is where every fruit of the Spirit comes from. All we need to do is abide!

4)Peacemakers reveal Jesus to Non-believers— In Matthew 5:9 Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and He showed us what the life of Sonship looked like in its purest form. In this scripture he clearly defines the role of a child of God as a peacemaker. The more we discover our identity as God’s sons and daughters, the more we will invite others into a relationship of Peace with God.

5)Peace is a sign of Hope—
There are probably many things that could be added to this list, but the final point I want to make is this; Peace is a sign of Hope! Whenever we as Christians share about the hope we have in Christ people are looking for evidence of that hope in your life.The evidence works just like a sign because it points the source. God always has been and always will be a God of signs and wonders. A transformed life that has been overwhelmed by God’s peace is one of those signs!

God is working powerfully and abundantly through believers in every nation, to reveal who Jesus is to the world. We are part of God’s story!

“You are loved more than you know, and God’s plan for you is bigger than your biggest dream!”


Praise God!

Taylor Wilkins
FCA (503)754-3783

“The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

What are we doing Here?

December 11, 2018 / / 0 Comments

This will be my first blog in over a month. There are many excuses that I can throw at you. I could even invite you to my pity party. 

I am not going to do that anymore. I am just going to write, write, write! Daily Signs of Hope is just that. I should be putting out posts that give you. I should forget my troubles and share what my hurts are and how I have overcome them. 

A year ago I was in the fast lane doing daily posts and reaching out to over 108,000 subscribers. The site crashed and left me with zero. All 108,000 are going.

I am asking you to show the hackers that they didn’t win. I am asking you to subscribe and help me build this blog back up to where it is helping people every day. Just click on the subscribe sign at the top right.It will guide you from there.

Then you will get a post in your box every time one is written, that is full compassion, love, and hope. 

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So, what are we doing here today. What meaning is there to life. Is there a reason why I was born? 

It is near Christmas time. It is supposed to be a time of joy and happiness. Not all people feel that way. Some don’t have what others take for granted. Examples could be: No home, Job, health insurance, or family. There are many more some people are facing, but I am pretty sure you get the picture. 

So, what can we do to help stop that?

I have thought about this for several months. What on earth can I do to reach out to those who are suffering?  

  1. If it is a neighbor who is suffering. Call them and give them some kinds words. Go to them just to talk and be a friend.
  2. Check the senior centers in your area. There are seniors there every day who have no one to talk to, or be friends with. An hour from you being with them can give them hope. 
  3. There are more and more assisted living homes in our areas. That is a place that is oozing with people have have been left and forgotten. I know because my mother was int one before she passed. I was there every day to cheer her up, but as I looked around there were so many who were just sitting in a corner looking sad. CHEER THEM UP!  
  4. Send a letter to someone you know is hurting. It can be short but loaded with hope. Getting a letter can brighten anyone’s life. 
  5. You finish making this list. I am sure, by now you have thought of some other things you can do. ENJOY!

Some other thoughts I have come up with this week are: Everyone seems to greet you with “Happy Holiday!” What does that mean to you? Saying Happy Holiday, literally, means Holy Day. Christmas is not a Holy Day. It is the birth of Jesus Christ. A common man who was a carpenter. Never really had a home. He lived with believers. 

Speaking of Jesus Christ…think about this. As a mother or father, how would you feel if your only son was dead at 33? That sounds very sad, but Jesus was crucified when he was only 33 years old.  I can’t imagine the torment I would be feeling if I watch as they hung one of my son’s up on a cross to die, and yet Jesus didn’t thinking of us. He did it for us so that we can have eternal life. 

Now I am speaking right at you. Yes you! 

Never feel alone. Never assume no one cares for you. Never hide from the world because you feel you have no self worth. I love you! I really do. If you need special help fill out the comment section, and I will pray for you. 

Remember

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You and never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!!

+++Check out my author site at https://dougbolton.com/ Updates on the new book: “Signs of Hope for the MIlitary: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.”

A Special Veterans Day Tribute.

November 13, 2018 / / 0 Comments

It is such a good feeling to be back with you. I have been down for almost a year do to technical difficulties. 

I lost over 108,000 follower over night. I am starting over. You can let the hackers know they didn’t win by subscribing. You can do this by clicking on the icon at the top of this page that says, “Subscribe.” You will then get a post in your inbox everything there is a post. 

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As a treat I have invited a young man to post. I was down for the veterans day celebrations, so this is a day late, but the thoughts are spot on. Please read Taylor Wilkins From Fellowship of Christian Athletes, aho is having a marvelous impact in the high schools of Salem Oregon.

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“When God’s people lead, hope is the outcome.”

“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
II Timothy 2:1-4

Yesterday was Veterans Day, a day to honor people of courage, love, and sacrifice. I grew up in a community where veterans day was a really big deal. The community, and especially my high school celebrated Veterans Day at a level I don’t think most ever experience. In fact, my high school put on a veterans day assembly that lasted the entire school day, and brought in veterans from around the united states. We had veterans representing both World Wars, Tuskegee airman, Jewish Holocaust survivors, and many more. One year our school was featured on national news to showcase the veterans day assembly. It was an incredible honor to have all those amazing people share their lives with us for the day!

I believe we have many things to learn from our war heroes, and I think 2 Timothy 2 does a great job identifying some excellent qualities in soldiers.

Here are 4 Leadership qualities that Christians can learn from soldiers:

1) Soldiers are Strong– That might sound overly simplistic, but I believe it’s at the core of every great leader. If you are going to begin your journey as a Christian leader you have to be strong! Faith is the ability to see hope in the midst of life’s trials— weakness in faith blinds you from seeing hope. What I love about this quality is everyone can grow in Spiritual strength, just like we can all grow in physical strength. Getting stronger might be uncomfortable, but we need to consistently exercise our faith if we want to see growth!

2) Soldiers are Listeners— Whether it’s boot camp or the commanding officer leading his troops into battle, soldiers have to be acute listeners, eager to learn, and committed to following through! Believers who haven’t learned how to listen will struggle to find personal breakthrough, and will fail to see the fruitfulness God designed them for. God is always speaking, but if we don’t learn to listen we will miss out on His encouragement, and the hope-filled adventures God wants to take us on!

3)Soldiers are Faithful— Soldiers are trained to respond to obstacles and a variety of challenges by putting others first. Whether sacrificing for their Country, fellow soldiers or family, soldier’s embrace a mindset that always puts others first. Jesus demonstrated perfect faithfulness in his journey to the cross. Jesus sweet great drops of blood before heading to the cross because the weight of His calling was so heavy, yet He didn’t waiver, but fixed his face like flint toward the cross! Even though his road wasn’t easy he remained faithful to the call on His life. As a believer, you were created for the same kind of faithfulness Jesus demonstrated. Don’t get down on yourself if you feel like you have fallen short, God is still working in you and through you. Closeness with Jesus will always draw faithfulness out of your life!

4) Soldiers Endure Hardship— Soldiers must count the cost of serving their country. Before soldiers train for war, they must be willing to lay down your life. If a soldier can’t do that, he won’t be ready for action when he’s called to the front lines. Christian leaders are called to count the cost. Faith in Jesus comes with many blessings and promises for abundance, but it also comes with the promise of persecution. Jesus said, “if they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” Enduring hardship is one of the most attractive qualities in Christian Leaders because it draws out confidence in other believers.

When we grow closer to God we will see these qualities exponentially increase in our lives. I believe we will see more Christians standing at the front lines of leadership within politics, business, education, psychology and every type of profession.

Soldiers live their lives on a mission and with purpose. As God’s Children I believe we need to do the same. When God gives us clarity in those areas I believe we and the world around us will be flooded with hope!

“You are loved more than you know, and God’s plan for you is bigger than your biggest dream!”

Taylor Wilkins
FCA
(503)754-3783

“In all your getting, get understanding”

Visit the authors site

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