A place to find Hope

Category: reaching out (Page 4 of 4)

How Do We React to Someone Who Had done something Wrong to Us?

+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.

___________________________________________

Well…The inauguration is over and there was very little problems. That is a very good sign at the moment. However, we have to ask, “What is next?”

Such a divided nation. Split right down the middle. This causes lots of turmoil, and hardships. We have to let God be in charge, and hope He will get our country to where He wants it.

___________________________________________

What would you do? Coming face-to-face with someone who has caused you so much pain, how would you act? What would you decide in that moment? And maybe the more important question is to discover, is why?

We find an example of this type of situation in the Bible. The story of Joseph.

Genesis 50…

2 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years
old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons
of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of
the bad things his brothers were doing.
3 Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. 4 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him.

1) Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, who decided to profit off of him, rather than kill him.
2) Thrown into prison, after being falsely accused of attempted rape because he refused to sleep with his master’s wife. 3) For two years, alone and forgotten in prison by the man he witnessed to. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a rough life. For anyone, this would give them ample reasons to turn to anything but God—to give themselves over to bitterness and anger—to turn inward—to turn to self-pity—or have a legitimate cry for JUSTICE and VENGEANCE! ALL THAT TIME IN PRISON TO STEW OVER THE WRONGS THAT HAD BEEN DONE!

__________________________________________

Well, here is what happened next…

The brothers had come to Egypt because their families were starving and were asking for mercy. They didn’t recognize Joseph and bowed down before him seeking help. Then Joseph broke down and started weeping. He said,

3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers
were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in
front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And
he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in
Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to
this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This
famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there
will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep
you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who
sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the
manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.

__________________________________________

So how would you have handled this? What would you have done?

Can you forgive someone that had done so much wrong to you? Will you forget the past and open your arms to this person, or persons?

___________________________________________

I have to admit it would be very hard for me, but I would do it. We must think of Jesus hanging on the cross and had the complete right to be angry, bitter, and want revenge, but He said, Father, forgive them for the do not know what they are doing.

He was being killed and He ask God to forgive them!!

With that always stuck in my mind, I overcome any bitterness I may have and forgive.

___________________________________________

Think about this in the future. Think, what would Jesus do?

____________________________________________
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.

It’s Time to Set Goals for 2021 Choose Wisely

+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.

___________________________________________

It is now 2021. 2020 is gone. It is in the past. Let’s move on. Enjoy the new beginning. Enjoy the new hope.

__________________________________________

Today is a big day for football fans. You could watch bowl games all day. I have picked my favorite to win it all. Clemson has a tremendous quarterback, and they look pretty good.

___________________________________________

What is your goals for the new year? I suggest you do not do resolutions. They are too easy to break. You goals should be realistic and reachable.

__________________________________________

Here is my goals for 2021:

Finish my new book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

I have been spending over three years on this book. So much research and phone calling. I want this to be just what our military needs to win their inner battles.

If you want to know about the book, go to www.dougbolton.com. I have been sharing excerpts there.

______________________________________

The next goal is to be healthy. I have been having issues, and I am tired of being tired. Need to find the ways to be stronger, and healthier.

______________________________________

Then I want to be able to go where ever I want, when ever I want to. This pandemic has caused me to be on lock down since last March.

______________________________________

Of course, I want to be closer to God. He is my heavenly Father. I need to read the Bible more. Pray more, and do more to glorify His name.

_________________________________________

I have many more goals in my head, but they can be added as I finish some of the others. Do not over load your goals.

__________________________________________

How about you? Have you thought of the new year and what you have for goals? Make a list right now. Most important goals first. Put them up somewhere to remind you to be doing them.

__________________________________________

God has plans for you. He will reveal those to you when He feels it is the right time. Listen to Him. Do not ignore His instructions. He wants the best for 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.

Was Your Merry Christmas Really Bah Humbug??

+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.

___________________________________________

My apologies for not posting for a few days. Christmas took up all my spare time.

It has been quite a ride. Coming into last week, I was in a hum bug mood. I couldn’t get the Christmas spirit going. I was having my pity party that no one wanted to come to.

Then things started to happen.

Christmas Eve came and it was just my wife and I alone. Except that we did a Zoom gathering. ALL of my family was on one screen. Three of my children and their spouses. Nine grandchildren, and a partridge in a pear tree.

We all opened our presents while the others watched. We did gift baskets this years so that we didn’t have to buy so many presents. It was wonderful. Each basket had goodies galore. Wine, bakery goods, nuts, and many other wonderful stuff. The bakery goods were hand made by the way. I have gained six pounds just since Christmas Eve!!

Then we went on and had a very small gathering of my wife’s sister, brother-in-law, their daughter and her husband. We exchanged gifts, and I made out like a bandit. I got a logo mask from my alma mater at Oregon State University. Yah! A great puzzle of different dogs. (I love dogs!)

We had homemade snacks.

Then yesterday afternoon we connected again on Zoom with some close friends we have known for over forty years. One couple was from Cannon Beach, Oregon, and a lady friend from Jacksonville, FL. Each of them also had their children on Zoom with them. It was so much fun. Remembering things from the past and catching up.

We were on for over an hour there. Too many memories.

___________________________________________

Why am I sharing my boring times this holiday? It is because I needed it to happen to get me out of my funk. I was so deep in despair that I couldn’t see the forest through the trees.

___________________________________________

How about you? Did you have a nice Christmas? Were you able to connect with family like I did?

If you didn’t, do not fear. You aren’t alone. We all have your back. There is always that rainbow to remind us what is most important. God is with us. He is in charge.

We all need to cheer up. A new dawning is coming. A new year is coming for us to start over. We can forget 2020 in a few days and move on.

___________________________________________

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.

You’re Probably Asking, When Will I Get the Vaccine?

+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.

___________________________________________

The wonderful news is that the COVID-19 vaccine is available. The bad news is when do each of us get our shot? There is a priority list and some have a long time to wait.

I completely understand taking care of the doctors and nurses, and even the police and firefighters. I also have no problem with the assisted living people getting their shots before me.

Then what? I am a health risk with underlining health issues. I hope it isn’t too long before my name comes up.

___________________________________________

With the pandemic causing havoc at Christmas time, I am heart broken that I will not be able to see my children on that day. The best we can do is have a Zoom gathering, but that isn’t even close to being able to gather together. We do a lot of hugging, laughing, and opening of presents. That is all gone.

__________________________________________

We need to be strong and hang tough. All storms end. This storm will end. We will mark 2020 off as the year of all years in our lifetime. We need to remember that God is with us. With him on our side who can be against us?

__________________________________________

As I said before I am on lock down since March, because of my health issues. I haven’t been able to get out and even get my wife a present. The hurts deeply. I so want to let he know how much I love her, and ordering online is not my cup of tea. I will have to venture out and get creative.

____________________________________________

The COVID-19 has struck close to us. In our cul-de-sac, a married couple came down with the virus. They only live two houses away from us. Even worse is that yesterday we found it has hit one of our family. My nephew has come down with it.

__________________________________________

So what should we do to wait out this horrific storm?

Pray for God’s protection. Lean on Jesus to hold your hand and guide you. Be sure to continue your worship on Sundays by going online. I have a connection to my home church, and it is so reassuring to see the pastors sending out their messages of hope.

Never let the dark side overcome you! Go to the light of Jesus.

Reach out to others that you think may be suffering. You do not have to see them in person. Email them or call them.

Keep in touch with your family. Zoom has become a wonderful way to keep in touch with loved ones. Yes, it is not the same, but very important.

___________________________________________

May God be with you! May He protect you, and give you peace.

__________________________________________

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.

Being a Servant to Others Can Change the World

+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.

____________________________________________

It is another day of sitting here in my PJ’s and typing. I guess that is one plus to being on lock down.

The vaccine is on its way. It will take a while to get down the list of people, but it is available now. Stand strong and this will all be over in the next few months.

___________________________________________

I learned through prayer that during this horrific time, the best we can do is be servants. Too simple, and yet the outcome is huge, if we all took this approach, what a difference there would be in this world.

What does it mean to be a servant? It doesn’t mean you are a slave for someone. It means you are reaching out and helping those around you who are hurting.

An example of this is right in my neighborhood and just two houses down from me in our cul-de-sac.

The husband and wife there have both come down with the virus. It had gotten pretty serious for the wife. She was sent to the hospital with double , Severely dehydrated, and failing kidneys.

It didn’t look good for her at all. I shared her problem with a breakfast of Christian men. There were ten of us. We all prayed for the family yesterday morning. This morning we got an update and the wife did a complete reversal. The doctors were dumbfounded. They didn’t think she would even recover. She will be coming home once she is stabilized.

Prayer is powerful!!

The men at the breakfast didn’t know who the people were, they still prayed for them. They were acting as servants for this couple.

___________________________________________

Where can you be a servant?

Reaching out to those around you is a great start. You neighbors may be hurting. Give them a call and see how they are doing. Some may be ill. Some may be depressed. Check with your family as well. You call may put a smile on their face and give them hope.

Go volunteer at your local food bank. There are huge lines all over this country. They will be so thankful that you have come, and will place you where they need you the most to help out.

Set up prayer groups, and find out where prayer is needed. There are hundreds of people suffering right now. Pray without ceasing. God will hear you!

Come up with your own ideas on how to serve. You will feel that you are doing God’s work, and you will be helping people that need help.

___________________________________________

When I think of being a servant, I can not compare my self to Jesus Christ. He came onto this earth to be a servant. Everything He did was to serve others.

If we could just try to use Him as an example in everything we do, miracles would happen.

___________________________________________

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.

Newer posts »

© 2024 Daily Signs of Hope

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑