Daily Signs of Hope

A place to find Hope

Category: thankful (Page 2 of 3)

Some Are Saying That The Christian Church is Collapsing

June 14, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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In an earlier post, I commented on the struggles that the churches are having. Less people coming. Turning their backs on the church. Many think this is because of the pandemic. Many were on lock down, and just lost the habit of going every Sunday.

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A true Christian would not accept those reasons. A friend told me, “If you have nothing to do with the church, then you have nothing to do with Jesus.” If you trust Jesus you are a member of a church.

Contrary to what people think, the power of the church is more powerful than anything else on earth.

I was on lock down for over a year because of the pandemic. I was “At Church,” every Sunday anyway. It is called online church.

It has been a true blessing for me. It is like I am sitting in my favorite pew, and listening.

Since my church is online, I invite you to come back and enjoy Sunday, with lots of singing, and worship.

http://www.mstar.church.com

I am there in the chat section to answer any questions the online people may have, plus throwing in encouraging thoughts from time to time. I will even pray with you.

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Has it been a while since you have been to church? The above link will you back in the groove. I guarantee you will be blessed, and will have found your own church home.

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Be sure to say hello when you see the name Doug in the chats.

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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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Exercise Can Change Life in a Very Positive Way

June 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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I am going to rant a little today. I have seen some shocking things happening from our National Leadership.

I read an article that stated that a marine was going to handed over to a foreign country so they can try him for attempting to help a citizen defect to the U. S.

This is a death sentence!

I think this Marine should be considered a hero not a criminal. Our president, once again, is turning his back n the military. Write your congressman to stop this death sentence.

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Sorry for the rant, but I am a veteran, and this Marine is my brother in arms.

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I have been going to physical therapy for a while now to help me with my balance. The young lady that is helping me is doing wonders for me. I am already feeling better, and gaing my balance back.

This is happening to prepare me for a trip to Hawaii the end of August and the first week of September. So excited to be going there. I love Hawaii.

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Have you had times that you wish you could be doing better with your health?Have you lost a few steps here and there?

You certainly are not alone. Many people seem to slow down as they get older.

So what can we do the fight back.

  1. Exercise…I diffidently diced that when I started therapy. The change is awesome for me.. Much stronger and more agile.
  2. Park far away from wherever you stop to shop or visit. You will be surprised how just that one little adjustment will give you more strength.
  3. Don’t take the elevator. Walk those stairs.
  4. Ride bikes, or go on walks. Lots to see as you are doing this.

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Trust me I am not your health expert. Just some thoughts on getting back the body you want.

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How are you days going? Are they long and tedious? Do you struggle to make it through them?

Time to lean on God. He has big shoulders, and loves you.

Allow God to do a change in your life for the better. He can do that in a moment.

Drop those burdens for relief from God.

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

May 27, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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

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

The dictionary says…….

Sanctify:

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

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

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

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

A criminal was saved and sanctified all in one day.

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

As a Christian we should never think we are retired.

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

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

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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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Death Has Ways of Pulling us Down Like huge Magnate

May 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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I was posting on my other blog this morning at www.dougbolton.com, and I realized that I have lost close friends not only in the military, but in life as well.

The two in the military were in peacetime. My best buddy, who had signed up with me to go into the military, died of some kind of crude while in Korea.

The second buddy died right in my own platoon, also in Korea, He suffocated in a honey bucket. A honey bucket is where to locals put their human waste for fertilizer.

These two deaths were extremely hard on me.

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When I got out. I went back to college to be a teacher. I got a job in Albany, Oregon.

I lost three students during my career there.

The first one was a car accident. The boy had taken his mom’s car without permission and went on a joy ride. He was only 14 and had no license. As he was driving, he hit same loose gravel and went off the road. He was killed instantly.

The second student died right in front of me in the school. He had a massive brain injury. The last thing he said was, “I can’t see.”

The last one was suicide. He was a troubled kid, who kept getting into fights. I am guessing he didn’t like where he was in life, and ended it all.

So, I lost five people who I cared very much for. This doesn’t even include my own family members who have passed away.

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Have you been there? Have you lost friends and family?

You certainly are not alone. Many of us have had to face that.

How do I keep going after all the death I have seen?

  1. I thank God for each and every day I have on this earth.
  2. I love all of my family to the max.
  3. I keep in touch with old friends to see how they are doing. It cheers them up and I cheers me up as well.
  4. I pray for God’s protection which gives me peace and comfort.

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Never let the dark side overcome you into thinking the world is lost. Be strong and know God is with you. He can overcome any fears you may have. He will give you peace and comfort through the toughest of storms.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

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Thank God For Today. You Never know if it’s your Last

April 28, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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Another beautiful day here. Few clouds, and a high of 75. Nothing can go wrong right?

Well, we know that isn’t true. Things can go belly up pretty fast.

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I remember horrific stories from the day the twin towers were destroyed. Many dead, and lots of saddened hearts.

However, did you hear some of the miracle happenings?

A woman stopped at a shoe story on her way to work, and was there long enough to miss the danger.

A man made a wrong turn and drove away from the disaster.

A mother had to stay home because her child was sick.

A man was in a car accident. No one hurt, but he is still alive today.

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God was working for many people. These are just a few of the positive stories from that day.

Why did God pick these people to be saved? We may never know. However, everyone of them had their lives change.

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It is hard to comprehend why some things happen. I have turned down the wrong street myself, only to read in the paper the next day about a deadly crash happening on the street I was to be on at the same time as I was going by.

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Here’s what I think…

Thank God for every day He gives you. He still has plans for you.

Never be upset if you are late for anything. There may be a reason.

Love your family more each day they are with you.

Always know that God is near. He is with you wherever you go.

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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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Vaccines Are Being Given. Be Patient and Your Time Will Come

January 15, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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Had a very interesting day and I was blessed much beyond what I deserve.

They are now doing vaccine shots for the COVID-19 virus. They had a list of who gets the shot and when. I was a ways down the list. My wife and I decided we would attempt to get one anyway. They have a huge vaccination center at our State Fairgrounds.

We went a different route to get there faster. That was a very wise choice. (God directed us) The lines of cars to get into the grounds was at least a mile long coming towards us, but our line was very short.

The light changed to green, but the the traffic from the other way attempted to keep turning in. My wife became a race track driver at that time and forced her way ahead of a car that had no business trying to cut us off. Of course that person gave a friendly salute with her hand. 🙂

The line from there was tremendous. About another mile long, but we were moving forward pretty fast.

W got to the correct parking lot, and saw people scurrying towards the building where the shots were being given out.

I knew a wouldn’t be able to move fast, so I used my walker to guide me. That turned out to be a blessing from God.

We got to the end of the line, and I sat down on my walker exhausted. We were very slowly moving up when a Private First Class National Guards man came up and told us to follow him. We went through a side door. He talked to the directing nurse and she waved us through.

The PFC took us to a side room that was set up for handicapped people. Only those who were struggling could go in that area.

We were in there 20 minutes, and was done. We had to wait one half hour in an area to make sure we didn’t have any reactions.

We got there at 8:00am and was done at 9:04am. We saw the same people who was in line when we came up to the building still waiting to get in.

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So what does this mean:

If I hadn’t decided to use the walker I have still been there waiting my turn. I think God pocked me and said take the walker.

I decided? God, decided that I needed to wear a hat in case it was chilly. The hat I wore was a military hat for the Army.

The PFC was able to see the hat through all the people and came out to help me.

+ A side note is that the vaccine center closed two hours after we were done, because they switched to only giving care givers the shots. Another blessing from God.

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God was completely in charge yesterday and I thank Him for His guidance and love.

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We have no side effects from the shot. Another blessing from God.

How are you doing? Have the burdens of this world been weighting you down like a huge magnate? You certainly are not alone. There is wide spread chaos throughout the world. (The end times?)

Be strong. Face the storm, and cling to God’s promises. He loves you. He made you in His image, and God never makes mistakes. He has a plan for 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!

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It’s Time to Set Goals for 2021 Choose Wisely

January 1, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Was Your Merry Christmas Really Bah Humbug??

December 28, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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The Rush is Peaking. Don’t get Caught in the Rat Race.

December 21, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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My last post I told you that I wasn’t able to get any presents for my wife. Well, I got brave and took off shopping. What I got wasn’t too romantic, but I think she will like them. She collects metal reindeer. I bought her a beautiful silver plated reindeer last year.

I went to same place where I bought last it year. I was hoping I would find something. GOD IS GOOD!! When I walked into the shop I saw it instantly. It was a matching silver plated reindeer with the head looking the other way. Perfect!

I got two other gifts I hope she likes.

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I also told you in my last post that I wasn’t going to be able to see my children in person. It would only be by Zoom.

That changed completely. On Saturday, my daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren came to give us their gifts. They didn’t stay long.

Then yesterday, we were surprised again as my son, and daughter-in-law came by bringing gifts. They stayed a little longer, and we got lots of talking done.

THEN! Last evening my third child came knocking at our door with gifts. It was my oldest son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. I couldn’t resist, I gave my youngest grandchild a huge hug.

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All that worrying I had done wasn’t needed. I found presents for my wife, and I saw all three of my children, plus four grandchildren. Doesn’t get much better than that. We will still do our Zoom gathering, but I will have a bigger smile on my face.

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How are you plans going? Do you still have Christmas shopping to do? By the way it looked out there, I think many haven’t finished yet.

Here is the key thought. Do not let the rat race pull you down like a huge magnate. In just five days the rush will be all gone. Time to relax and smell the roses.

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2020 is a year we won’t forget. It will be on our minds for years. The thing we need to do when we get through this storm, is to thank God that we made it through the storm. Over a quarter of a million people in the United States didn’t.

There is a reason God wants to spare you. Seek that reason out through prayer.

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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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Beware The Christmas Rush Could Pull You Down.

December 7, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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Well. the pandemic has hit very close to home. I live in a cull-de-sac and just three house away a neighbor has come down with the virus. Last night she got worse and they came with an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

Praying for her each day.

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I watched my church online yesterday, and as I listened to the songs, I found these encouraging thoughts.

1.I know I will never be alone.

2. We need to let the King of our heart be the wind for our sails.

3. God will never let you down.

4. Sing louder in the presence of your enemies.

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Thoughts from the service itself:

  1. Apart from God we are in darkness. Jesus is our light.
  2. In a time of hopelessness, God brings hope.
  3. God’s fullness is coming. (Jesus)
  4. The light we need to survive is Jesus.
  5. The wisdom of Jesus is forever.
  6. Reach out to Jesus in faith.

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While you watched the video you can comment on the side. The pastor asked when does Christmas really start?

Some said the day after Halloween. Others said the day after Thanksgiving. Then one said,” It shouldn’t start until Christmas Eve, and end by 5:00pm Christmas Day.

Yes, this person got a few not so friendly names like Grinch, and Scrooge.

I posted this:

“We enjoy our time with family at Thanksgiving and we are thankful. We love our fun times at Halloween and we are thankful.

BUT!! Christmas isn’t just like for family at Thanksgiving. Christmas isn’t just like laughter and trick or treats at Halloween. Christmas is a birthday party for the baby Jesus. It is a time of joy that He came into the world for us.”

That seemed to quiet the “Grinch.” I know the guy and he is is a special Christian. I think he was just joking and the people didn’t realize it.

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This is way off subject, but today is December 7th. On December 7th, 1941 Pear Harbor was bombed. Thousands lost their lives. We must never forget and honor those heroes who gave their all.

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How are you doing? Has the Christmas rush hit you? Is the rat race too fast.

Take a big breath, and realize that God just gave you that breath. Concentrate on His love. Yes, it is a hectic time. Do not let it pull you down. Cling to the robe of Jesus, and let Him lead you through the storms we face.

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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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