Category: fear (Page 3 of 6)

There is Fear Because of Wild Fires, Riots, and the Pandemic

September 11, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

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The wild fires are out of control. Two big fires are about to merge here, and then that area will be an inferno. I pray that you are not affected by the fires. We are on a stage one here right now. The fires are about 15-20 miles away. That is pretty close.

So may people are under tremendous stress right now. There are the wild fires, rioting in the big cities, looting and arson, plus the pandemic. It is pretty overwhelming for the average Joe like me.

This is suicide prevention month. I fear that many people are thinking there is no more hope and are considering this. Do not let the dark side overcome you! Go to the light of Jesus. He is your fortress, your comfort, and your savior. Pray to him for your families and your safety.

If you are at the end of your rope and can’t go on, there is a toll free number to call for help. There are highly qualified counsleors there to help you. They will not hang up until the know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255

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When I think of all of this turmoil, I think of Paul, who was shipwrecked, beaten, put in jail, bitten by a snake, and disliked by many people.

Yet, this man fought hard for the Lord. He loved the people. He reached out to them, and gave them comfort.

This was a man that was killing Jews, and dispised by his fellow people. He had his awaking on the road to Damascus. Jesus wondered why he was so against Him. Paul fell down and was blinded for a while. That woke him up big time.

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Where are you at today? Do you dispise the way God is running the show? Do you wish He would end all of the tragic happens? I am with you there. I so would like all this pain to go away, but we have to always remember, GOD IS IN CHARGE!

He knows what is happening, and there is a reason for His approach.

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We, as Christians have to be strong to show those who do not believe how we react, and then they will say, “I want to be like them.”

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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.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Wild Fires Are Out of Control in Oregon

September 10, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

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It has been very scary here in Oregon right now. Wild fires are all around us. Several towns are completely gone along the Santiam river. The following towns have burnt down:

Detroit-huge tourist spot for boating and fishing. Also, Idhana, Lyons, Gates, Mill city, Mehama, and they have evacuated Silverton, which has over 20,000 people. That is east of us. Silverton is only 20 miles from us.

To the west of us on the Lincoln City is on fire on the Oregon coast. The Safeway store there is ablaze at the last report.

So we are surrounded at the moment. We are packed and ready to go when ordered.

All three of my children are in harm’s way.

That seems enough to handle, but we still have the Pandemic, and rioting in Portland.

That would seem enough to cry, “Enough,” Lord.

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The bottom line is that God is in charge and I am not. I rest in his love and protection. We will get through this. We won’t be the same, but we will get through this.

My family is constantly texting back and forth to see how we are doing. It give us comfort to lean on each other.

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How are you doing? Are things in your life on fire? Are the flames nipping at you heels? Too many burdens to handle? I certainly hear you right now. We all have to trust God to see us through the storms in our lives.

We have an awesome God. He knows each and every one of us. He loves each and every one of us. He is here to protect and give you hope. I am sure leaning on him right now. I am glad he has big shoulders to lean on. I am the one who needs to be strong for the whole family. I pray for strength from God.

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We all need to pray not only for our safety, but for our country. President Trump is being attacked from all sides. The democrats are doing everything they can to make him look bad. Please do not believe the news you see. Do a fact check every time. Trump loves the military, and the deomcrats are trying to get you to believe that he does not.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never ever, give up!

Our Hope is Not Found in a Political Party

September 3, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

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It is getting to that time of the year. I have been hearing so much back and forth attacks from the two political parties saying they are the best people to run our government, and help the people.

Let me make something very clear. Our hope is not found in a political party!

I have seen so much turmoil the last six months that it is hard to think positive. Rioting in the big cities. People killed there. The pandemic is taking many lives. Anarchy is rampant in our country.

How can we depend on a political party to “save us?” We can’t. We need God in our lives to withstand all of this. We need to let people know HE is in charge, not any political party.

I live near Portland, Oregon. The rioting there has gone on for 90+ days. Has the political party there been able to stop it? No, it has actually gotten worse. A young man was shot and killed last night. It used to be that they closed down the streets of Portland so they could go to church. Now they close down the streets to let rioting happen.

My heart is aching for all the people who are being terrorized. They hide in their homes and hope the rioters do not come near them.

People do not seem to be fed enough.

I tell a story about when I went to a restaurant to eat. When they brought out our portions of food, I thought my portion was too small, and it was, because I was still hungry after I was done. Well with God you get a full portion of love. You will not be hungry anymore.

We have to face trials during the pandemic and rioting. We have really learned what trials are. Then, I think of Paul. He had more trials than most people could handle. He was ship wrecked. He was bitten by a snake. He was beaten in prison.

Could you think you could have comfort and peace if all that happened to you? Well Paul did. He rejoiced with his followers when he got out of prison, thanking God for all the afflictions he had received. Why on earth is that?? It is because all of the afflictions were because he loved the Lord and told many people about Him.

So we can’t find hope from a government to help us and protect us.

We have to rely on God to give us hope. We need Him to protect us.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Do You Hate Being Told What to do?

August 28, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

We struggle with criticism. It is hard to be told what to do.

Proverbs says, “Timely advice is like gold and apples in a silver basket.” Another verse from Proverbs says, “The ones who listen to advice is like a gold earring. “

Why is it so hard to accept criticism? I know that we all hope we never receive criticism. It hurts, and make us feel unworthy.

At this time we need to realize that others opinions does not define us.

Now that I have said all of that, let me say that most criticism is good for us. The wise listen to others. We need to receive and assess.

So, why am I harping on criticism and being told what to do.?

If I am truly listening and assessing, it helps me growing. I filter out the negative and thrive on the good ideas.

Proverbs once again tells us, “Iron sharpens iron.” Meaning that to have someone criticise me, means I am getting sharper at what I need to do in life.

Words have power. They can help you, or they can hurt you.

Through all of this we often get down and depressed. It is can be easy to be broken and hurting. We need healing. That’s where God comes in. He is always there to soften the blows of criticism, and anger. He will be there to hold your hand, and help you to face the storm.

Have you been criticised? Were you felt knocked down and find it hard to get back up? I certainly have been there. When it happens to me is when I need to closest to God. I need to lean on Him for His love and compassion. My fear of criticism doesn’t stand a chance when I stand in God’s love.

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I have been battling lately because of the Pandemic. I have been on lock down, because I have several underlying problems. Thankfully I am able to get out and walk, but that is about it. I never thought that going on walks would be so precious to me.

My wife and I often just get in the car and drive to nowhere in particular. We have seen some places we have never been before right in our city. It has been a fresh air feeling.

There are other things that can drag you down. The rioting, shootings, looting, etc. It is very hard for me to watch the news anymore. Most of it is very negative. I have to find other things to do. I came up with a novel idea. READ THE BIBLE! (creative right?)

I make 10:00am my reading time. There are times when I learn something new every time I read. I have the Bible through several times, and yet each time I read again, I find something that I learned that was new.

Stay strong!

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Through Afflictions, We Know That God Will Do Something Better

August 14, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

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The dictionary says:

Affliction: A state of pain, distress, grief, or misery.

That is a sorry state of affairs. Who would want to be afflicted?

Some examples of affliction:

A single mom with one child has to work had to provide for her son, and also pay the bills.
A young college student is taking 18 units of credits. He has a job to help pay for his tuition. Then he goes home on the weekends to care for his ailing mother.

Those afflictions are hard to bear, but in each case the person is doing it out of love.

Do you have overwhelming burdens?

Is life not good to you?

Here is a recipe for a cure for all of this:

Be joyful.
Be prayfull.
Be grateful.

You are saying WHAT? You want me to do all that during my afflictions?

Yes, and I am saying for you to do those three things without ceasing. During these times we need to have a running conversation with God.

He is our fortress, our protector, and He is our loving Father.

He knows what each of us is going through. God is not ignoring us. He is taking the same steps we do, and is walking beside us each step of the way.

I have had my share of physical afflictions, and some wonder how I can be upbeat through all of my pain. It is simple for me, but hard to understand. The more afflictions I have the more help I can give others who are going through the same things.

When I think about my afflictions, I think of Paul who had many more afflictions then anyone can emagine.

He was shipwrecked, bitten by a snake, beaten, thrown in prison, and people wanted to kill him.

His thoughts on that were that he too could use those moments to reach out more to others.

Another person who had way more afflictions than we can grasp was Jesus Christ. He was shunned by his own people. They cursed at him, spit upon him, beat Him, put thorns on His head. They even crucified Him.

He had many afflictions, but He knew that God had something better through all of His torture.

How about you? Do you feel overburdened? Are you thinking the world is out to get you?

You are not alone. Many people are feeling the same way with all the turmoil that is around us. There are the Pandemic, rioting, shootings, killings, threats from our enemies.

We are under daily afflictions.

Stay strong! Be grateful for what God has in mind for you. Pray without ceasing, and, yes even be joyful.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!

The Best Four Letter Word in the World is Hope

August 9, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

Times are not friendly on our planet. There are riots, pandemics, shootings, and violence.

Some people do not know what hope is. They hide in their basements and try to not face the world.

You often see the picture of an animal sticking his head in the sand out of fear. That is what we are facing.

What things do we need to do to overcome all of this?

Suggestions:

God never wavers. He is always by your side.
Jesus went all the way for you and I to have eternal life.
99% of what we worry about never happens.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Block out all the negative stuff in your brain and replace it with positive stuff.
Walls form. Work your way around them, through them, or under them.

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In the title I mentioned that hope is the best four letter word in the world. Well, the worst word in the world is hopelessness. Just the opposite of hope.

Hope is an anchor for our lives. This anchor solidifies like a boat in the wind. our hopes are in the promises of God.

Hope is my favorite word. I have two books with the word hope in them. The first one is Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World. This book won a national award from the Readers Favorite Awards. You can order a copy from this site.

My second book that is almost finished is called, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. This book is reaching out to veterans and current service members who may be struggling with PTSD, TBI, depression, anxiety, etc.

Why am I writing this book? I am heart broken that 22 veterans or service members, are taking their own lives every day. Yes, I said every day. I am hoping this book will help bring that number down to zero.

Cling to hope. Hope gives you a chance to face life as we know it today.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

There Are “Karens,” Out There Who are Racist

August 3, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

There is far too much anger floating around. I saw a Facebook page that shows a “Karen,” yelling racist words at two girls who were from Asia. The words were of course hurtful. The two girls took it, and kept walking.

I have no idea where they came up with the term “Karens,” I have friends who have that name. However, it is now a label, and you see far too much of them hurting people.

Makes me think of the Bible. In Luke: 25-37 we are told that Samaritans were hated by the Jews. People ignored them and were forbidden to associate with them.

Jesus told a parable about this.

A man was walking on a road back to his home. A thief attacked him and took all of his belongings. He left the person for dead on the road.

He laid there bleeding and dying. Along came a priest. When he saw the man he went to the other side of the road to pass him. Likewise a Levite also went to the other side of the road to avoid him. But a Samaritan came to where he was and had deep compassion. He fixed up his wounds and put him on his own animal. He took him to an Inn, and asked them to care for him. He said he would pay for anything they used to help him.

Jesus told his disciples to do like the Samaritan.

Which one are you of the three men do you fit into? Are you the Priest, Levite, or the Samaritan?

It is so easy to get angry. It happens to all of us. We probably wouldn’t attack someone and take all their belongings, but we do get overly angry at times.

I try to think about someone who may have made me angry. I have learned that love extends further than pride. We need to swallow our pride, and forgive people.

Who has the lord placed in your path to make you angry. Make a list right now. I have done that. It is sitting right next to me.

Thank of each one of them. What did they do to make you angry? Is it worth it to just go on like it didn’t happen?

I think not.

Love is not just love. It is love in action.

Using words like you are expendable, or you are worthless, should be in our vocabulary.

The sad part is that we seem to define ourselves by who we disagree with.

It is OK to disagree, but not to hate.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never unloved.

You are never forsaken.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

God Never Calls us to do Something easy

July 29, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

We are certainly in tough times in our country. The Pandemic virus is growing fast. There is mass rioting throughout our country. People are out of work because of the Pandemic. Children can not go back to school to learn.

I was told the other day that this is a huge sign of the end times.

It may be, but what do we do if it is?

We need to have FAITH!

1 Faith is always true.

2. Faith always goes forward.

3. When God speaks to us we have enough faith to say yes.

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God is in the business of doing the impossible. It sure makes you wonder why he is allowing so much chaos. Remember…God is in charge.

The world was shocked when President Trump won the presidential election. Shouldn’t have happened? GOD IS IN CHARGE!

He is watching over us. The next question is… Why is He allowing so much tragedy to happen? This is a tough question. However, God gave us choices. He allowed us to make our own decisions, and then face Him later. That is why dictators exist. That is why there is sex trafficking. That is why there are wars. That is hard for us to have to face, but it is reality with god.

All the rioters, seem to think what they are doing and is noble. They think they are heroes. God will be speaking to each of them later.

How about you? Are you walking the narrow path, or the wide path to destruction? God knows and you know. He knows every hair on your head. There is no place to hide from Him.

Now, I have made God sound like a mean, awful person. Know that He loves you very much. He made you in His own image. He wants the best for you.

BUT, we have to abide by His rules, not ours. There is a wonderful manual to guide you on how to act and how to be. It is called the Bible. If you read and live by it, you are in God loving graces.

So, God never calls us to do anything easy. A friend once told me,”Life is tough and then you die.” Pretty sad. That was many years ago that he told me that, but it still sticks with me today.

Don’t be allowing the dark side to overcome you. Look to the light, which is Jesus Christ our Lord. He died so that you have a chance for eternal life. I say you have a chance, because you have to accept him as your personal savior to receive that gift.

Life IS tough, but be strong and know that God is with you during your storms.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…Never, ever, give up!

Don’t Pretend to be Someone you Are Not

July 24, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

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.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Garbage in Garbage out, or God in God Out

July 23, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

It seems like our country is on a pace of complete disarray. Rioting, shootings, burning buildings, people getting beat up.

How did we get to this point?

As retired teacher I can say that as each year went by, the students became more aggressive. I would talk to their parents about it and they would say, “They are just being kids,” and shrug it off.

If children aren’t disciplined properly at home. They grow up to be those who are on the streets causing havoc.

They have lived their lives with garbage in and garbage out. All they hear is garbage, and it is planted in their brains. Therefore garbage out, is what comes from them.

How do we turn this kind of problem around? We need to start in the homes. We need to teach what is right and wrong.

If there is a Godly home, the family will have a God in and God out. They will teach their children about God. Make sure they grow spiritually, and get them involved in a church.

As they grow, they will see that their lives are much more acceptable to others, and keep growing.

How about you? Do you talk garbage in, garbage out, do you have God in and God out at your home.?

I look at it this way. It is the monkey see, monkey do theory. If you guide you children and the proper path and be a good example. Your example will have then saying, “I want to be like them.”

But if you do drugs, drink heavily, and use bad language in your home Your example will have your children also wanting to be like you. Garbage in garbage out.

Take inventory of your life. See if your path is the right path for your children to follow.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Category: fear (Page 3 of 6)

There is Fear Because of Wild Fires, Riots, and the Pandemic

Wild Fires Are Out of Control in Oregon

Our Hope is Not Found in a Political Party

Do You Hate Being Told What to do?

Through Afflictions, We Know That God Will Do Something Better

The Best Four Letter Word in the World is Hope

There Are “Karens,” Out There Who are Racist

God Never Calls us to do Something easy

Don’t Pretend to be Someone you Are Not

Garbage in Garbage out, or God in God Out

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