Category: Riots (Page 2 of 4)

I Need to Check Out of This Evil Hotel Called Earth

October 5, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

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What a fun time we are having right now. The Pandemic is not letting up. The rioting is still going on. The wild fires are wilder than ever.

It is almost like we are on spin cycle in our own washing machines!! It is crazy, and we are holding on for dear life.

That reminds me of a story about my mother.

When she was a teenager she was out riding her horse. The horse stepped in a yellow jackets nest and the horse got stung several times. The horse started running and was out of control. My mother just held on for dear lfe. The horse was running back to the farm. When they got there he calmed down.

Is your life on spin cycle? Are you out of control like my mother’s horse was?

This is the time we have to listen to God. He says, “Be still and know I am God.”

A good example of relying on God happened in the wild fires near me in Oregon.

A man was trapped, and the fires were burning all around him. He got a plastic chair and sat it in a river he was near and waited it out. He was saved by praying and God gave Him the answer.

I am sure that many of you are screaming, “Stop and let me out of this house. “(earth)

It can be very frustrating.

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With all of this going on we may be thinking, “Why am I here?”

Let me make this clear to you. God created you in His own image. Why would He do that? It is becasue He loves you and considers you His child. He has plans for you. He may have not showed you His plan yet, but be patient. God is on His own timing not yours.

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Here is a little side note that I thought of yesterday while I was watching the online broadcast of my church.

I would love to have been at the tomb when Jesus came out! Wouldn’t that Have been a glorious moment?

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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 Benefits to Facing Trials

September 25, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

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

We draw closer to God and others.
We see things more clearly.
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.

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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.

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

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

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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.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unlloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!!

Thoughts to Help You Survive

September 24, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

Sorry I missed posting yesterday. Too may errands to do.

I have really enjoyed putting thoughts down for you to ponder.

I am going share some more today:

We need to find encouragement in discouraging times.
We will be given new bodies when we get to Heaven.
Jesus didn’t have a New Testament, He IS the new testament.
Selfish sin makes justice impossible.
Who can test my faith when there is an army of Angels on my side?
We spend way too much of our lives glued to the TV screen.
When is the last time we have reflected on what Jesus has done for us?
God’s plan is much better than anything we can expect.
Are we living for ourselves, or for God?
Some are always fighting not having enough, discontentment, discouragement, and bitterness.
We all face storms. It is what we do with them that defines our character.
If we think God has turned away from us, we lose all hope.
God doesn’t take us through the worst paths. He takes us through the best path possible for us.
Shame has no place to hide, because you are forgiven.
My fear doesn’t have a chance, because God is always near.
God knows what you want before you ask for it.
I think back to my days with boom boxes, 8 track tapes, and CD’s. I have to accept the new makes the old absolete.
I often hear God telling me, ” Now I am speaking to you, because you were not listening to me before.”
Backsliding: Not believing in that which you already know is true.
Forget what others think your are!

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I have been on complete lock down since early March.

That is seven months of self imprisioning. I only do dirve up for fast food, go to cardiac rehab, where there are several nurses, and a walk with my wife from time to time.

It is, of course, very hard on me. There only so many movies you can watch on TV. I am enjoying reading, and doing these blogs.

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The wild fires in Oregon have devastated many towns near me here.

Three towns were completely wipped out. The people there have bonded, and are helping each other with clean-up and support.

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It amazes me how people come together after they are faced with disaster.

It happens over and over again. This shows there is still love out there even though there is rioting everywhere.

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How are you doing?

Do you have some not so fun days? Have you been overwhelmed? BE STRONG! God is there with you. He will not forsake you. He made you in His image, and that makes you His child.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Thoughts for Survival inThis Not so Friendly World

September 21, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

I really loved just putting positive thoughts on my last post. That’s what this site is all about.

With all the turmoil we have been going through for months, I saw some lyrics from a song that fits perfectly:

To God:

Let the rain of your love soak our souls.
Let it come as a flood.
(for the West Coast people facing wild fires.) You bring beauty from the ashes.

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Some of my own thoughts:

34% of all quotes from the founding fathers came from the Bible.
Our #1 prioity is read the gospel of Jesus Christ, and not some politicians words.
You have read in the Bible, “Give onto Ceasers what is Ceasers, and give onto to God what is God’s.” That means go ahead and pay your taxes to the government, but obey God. (Matthew 4:8-10)
you ahve heard the new term of “Canceled culture.” That means to eliminate a culture that doesn’t agree with you. That is what is happening in the rioting. They are trying to destroy our way of life to fit theirs.
Forgiveness:

A. Pray for those who pursecute you. Do not dwell on the incident.

B. Do not bring the rpoblem up again.

C. Do not talk to others about it.

D. Do not let it hinder the relationship.

Remember, Jesus always has and atitude of forgiveness.

If we don’t forgive others, we are turning our back on God’s forgiveness.

We aren’t sinless, but we can sin less.

Without god as your centerpiece, you will fail.

To fear the Lord is to take God seriously.

A Christian life is never boring.

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To survive:

Be on guard.
Stand firm in the faith.
Be courageous.
Be strong.
Do everything in love.

Much of what is written above will give you peace and hope. Reread each of the words and let them guide you.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!

Stress is a Huge Part of Life These Days

September 15, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

It has been very stressful the last six months. Where I live we add the wild fires to our stress. Hundreds of homes are gone. Millions of acres burnt. People have died.

We just got some news that arsonists started two of the deadly fires. Two people have been arrtested, and will face a long time in prison if anyone is killed.

The question is how will we be able to handle all of this. Besides the wild fires, there is the Pademic, rioting, looting, shootings, beatings, etc. Pretty overwhelming for a every day Joe like me.

I was watching my church online yesterday, and our Pastor spoke to this very concern.

When a virus hits that attacks the vulnerable, isolates individuals, and shuts down the economy and schools. We can say, the harder it gets the better I live.

When protests stop being peaceful, when elections become polarizing, when families, friends, communities, and churches become divided. We say the harder it gets the better I live.

When everything you own is burned to ash, when families flee for their lives, when the smoke makes the day night. We can say “the harder it gets the better I live.

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Let me explain what he means.

His theme was God knows what to give us.

He is saying that God knows what is going on. He knows the dangers we are all facing. He knows what to give each of us ACCORDING TO OUR NEEDS.

Every person has different fears. Each person faces storms every day.

God doesn’t want us to compromise so He knows what to give us to help us face those who try to sway us.

What the thoughts are from the pastor is, we should know that the harder it gets the better we live. We are sons and daughters of God. He will not gives us more than we can handle.

He may give some peace. He may give others courage. He may give some knowedge to help others.

When it comes to your daily life; choose your battles carefully. Choose your friends wisely. Choose your solutions intentionally. Do not waver God has given you a path to take. Stay the course.

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

September 11, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

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!

Are You Driving Between the Lines in Your Life?

September 8, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

I am at the age where is am not sure I should be driving anymore. When I drive my wife keeps telling me that I have crossed the center line, and I also cross the solid line for the other side. Not a good pattern.

I got to thinking about that. Are we as Christians driving between the lines? Do we sometimes go across the line and face danger? As Christians we have to be careful because the road for Christians is narrow.

I hope you are doing well in your driving. It is hard, at best, to maneuver through the storms of live. You have to be very alert all the time.

Remember though that God is in control. He will guide you if you let Him. He knows what roads you should driving on. Use Him as your GPS.

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Still violence in Portland, Oregon. Another shooting, and fires everywhere. it has been over 100 days of rioting and no end in sight.

Here is a hard fact that God is telling us. Pray for even those who have no thought of following the lord. I posted the other day asking if we could pray for those who set businesses on fire; shoot people, and there are tons of beatings going on?

My thoughts on that was, yes we should. All of these people are God’s children, like it or not. We can’t discriminate as to who we pray for and not pray for.

I am sure you have some people in your life that do not like you. I sure do. That’s who you pray for. Pray for understanding and love towards them. It may not always work, but you are free of guilt, and have taken a step in the right direction.

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God didn’t promise us a rose garden, plus there are the thorns. Life will turn against you from time to time. That is when your true character comes out. When you fall, do you get back up or give up?

Never give up!

Stand with courage in the love of God. He is there for you. With Him on your side, who can be against you?

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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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Category: Riots (Page 2 of 4)

There Are Benefits to Facing Trials

Thoughts for Survival inThis Not so Friendly World

Stress is a Huge Part of Life These Days

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

Wild Fires Are Out of Control in Oregon

Are You Driving Between the Lines in Your Life?

Our Hope is Not Found in a Political Party

Do You Hate Being Told What to do?

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