Daily Signs of Hope

A place to find Hope

Tag: anxiety (Page 34 of 37)

It is Pretty Depressing to be in This World Right now

September 4, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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It has been hard times here in Salem, Oregon. I live very close to Portland, Oregon, and it is breaking my heart to see all the violence and looting going on there. Another person has been shot and killed.

We are living in very different times. In Portland, there was a time when they closed the streets to go to church. Now they close the streets to rioting.

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We need to look beyond the struggle. We need to seek what ahead of us.

I was fearing for our country, and yet my fear doesn’t stand a chance when I stand with God’s love. It seems we are all broken at this point. We need healing.

Every night before I go to sleep I pray the following prayers:

I pray for the leaders of our country.

I pray for the local leaders of Oregon.

I pray for my children and their spouses.

I pray for my grandchildren.

I pray for my wife.

I pray for all my relatives.

I fall asleep in the hope of the Lord.

We need to have important people in our lives to also give us hope. This is needed in case we fall. We are better together. We can not take on this world on our own.

There are some who are happy, some are sad. Some are healthy, and some are ill. There are many who are poor and others who are rich. This is the main reason we need to come together as one. Reaching out to each other. Giving support to those who need it.

Does it seem too hard in our world today? We need to get back to when it wasn’t hard.

Do I love the rioters? Am I really concerned about their well being? If I truly follow Jesus, I do love them and are concerned for them. If we don’t have God as our center piece we will fail.

We need to find encouragement in discouraging times. It is hard, I know. We need to seek it, and we can find it in the Bible. It has a complete guide for encouragement.

I thought about all of this and it honestly sounded pretty depressing. Again I remembered that God doesn’t purposely take us down the worst path, He takes us through the best path possible for us.

He knows there are good things coming. He knows that we will be freed from our burdens. We can’t think that God has turned away from us, we will lose all hope. He is there with you each and every day.

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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 / / 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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+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!

Do You Hate Being Told What to do?

August 28, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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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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+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.

Through Afflictions, We Know That God Will Do Something Better

August 14, 2020 / / 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:

  1. A single mom with one child has to work had to provide for her son, and also pay the bills.
  2. 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:

  1. Be joyful.
  2. Be prayfull.
  3. 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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+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!

Are You Desperate for God’s Word?

August 13, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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I am as bad as some are who don’t read their Bible every day. I think about God often. I pray to Him every day. I never miss a prayer, but I miss times I could be reading and learning.

In my prayers I need to start asking God to give me the desire to read His Word. I need to be hungry for it. I need to realize that it is life’s manual for survival.

I have come up with a plan to stop whatever I am doing and read every day at 10:00am. It doesn’t need to be a long time in the book. Just read!

It just happens to be 10:00 am, so I best be reading.

(Later)

I felt the need to read Proverbs. Most of Proverbs was written by Solomon, the son of David, who was the King of Israel.

Solomon was a very wise man. He made judgements for people. They lined up to ask him his advice.

One day two women came before him both claiming that a child was there’s. He asked them many questions to see who the real mother was and then he said, “I will have the child cut in half and you both can have him.” One woman screamed, “No Master! This woman can have my son so he will still be alive.”

Solomon instantly knew who the real mother was, and gave her the son. She truly loved her son enough to give him away so that he could live.

That is what I learned by reading today. I am blessed!

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Are you struggling during all the turmoil right now? A pandemic is killing our people. There is rioting in many cities. There are many people out of work because of the pandemic.

How can we survive all of this?

Go to the top of this page and read again. We need to be in God’s word to survive. We need to find comfort and hope through His Word.

God’s Word is a manual of guidance we can all use. Just take one half hour of each day to read His Word and grow.

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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!

You have to Go Through Basic Training to Survive in This World

August 11, 2020 / / 0 Comments

I was in the Military. I am a Army veteran. I was deployed to South Korea. My heart goes out to all those who are serving now around the world.

Before you get trained in your MOS (job,) you need to go through basic training. This is eight week of torture and pain.

You have the crawling on the ground with live ammo go over your head. You have a gas chamber you have to go through without a mask. You throw grenades hoping you get it out of your hand. Then there is the shooting range. Don’t forget the many push-ups you do all day, because the drill sergeant loves you.

Now think of this as a Christian. You have to go through basic training once you accept christ into your heart.

Being a Christian is not for sissies.

God wants you to be part of His Army. He wants to train us in a certain way. The grace that saves us is the same grace that trains us.

When we have storms and trials, we should consider them as training.

Where do we get the training? The Bible. Even long time Christians need the Bible. We are never too old to need to learn more. The Bible bridges all racial, cultural, and social deviations. The Bible is for everyone, not just Christians.

Reading the Bible is not the goal. The goal is to grow spiritually while reading the Bible.

However, just reading the Bible is not enough.

  1. We go to church.
  2. We Read the Bible.
  3. We serve in the church.

What we really need to do is to be concerned about God’s glory.

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How are you doing? Do you feel you still need a lot of training? Are there times when you slide just a little bit and not go to church one Sunday? That is where it starts. Never shrink backwards when it comes to God.

Always keep learning. Always keep training. The world is tough out there. Put on the armor of God, and be ready for what comes.

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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 / / 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:

  1. God never wavers. He is always by your side.
  2. Jesus went all the way for you and I to have eternal life.
  3. 99% of what we worry about never happens.
  4. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
  5. Block out all the negative stuff in your brain and replace it with positive stuff.
  6. 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!

So What is so Good About the Heavenly Kingdom?

August 6, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Watered the plants, cleaned up the dishes after dinner, put some beverages in the outside fridge, straightened up my side of the closet, and I thought I was done for the evening. I sat down here to start my post when my wife shouted from the den, “Did you take out the garbage?” No rest for the wicked. 🙂

Life has been pretty hard for me because of the Pandemic. I have underlying issues and I am basically in lock down. My wife and I go on drives to nowhere, and we enjoy that. I go for walks often. Other than that I stare at the walls

I have watched more movies in the last few months than I have in my whole lifetime.

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I got to thinking recently, (it gave me a headache) why do we cling to a God who has total power over us? What do we get out of that?

Four things came to my mind:

  1. The Kingdom is priceless.
  2. There is a price to be in the Kingdom.
  3. There is a purpose of the Kingdom.
  4. There is the peace of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom is priceless

All the silver and Gold we can pile up is even close to the Kingdom. There will be golden streets, angels singing, meeting our families, and we will have a new body.

There is a Price to pay

Here is where we lose many people. They do not want to obey anyone. You can see that in our day and age right now. Mass rioting, arson, people shot, people beaten up, and heavy destruction of the businesses.

These people will face God some day and they will beg Him for mercy and He will say, “I know you not!”

However, we, as Christians, are ready to meet God. We are made righteous in God’s eyes, because we accepted Jesus into out hearts.

The purpose of the Kingdom

We will all see that the purpose of the Kingdom is for us to have a heavenly home to go to. Jesus said, I have built a mansion for you. There are many rooms there. We will be living in style with Jesus.

The Peace of the Kingdom

This is the one I really look forward to. No more pain. No more death. No more cancer, No more heart disease. The peace will overcome us through the Angels singing to us. It will be hard to comprehend, but I think we can get used to it. 🙂

Some short thoughts:

You can’t change Jesus to fit your personal needs.

When we get to Heaven, the weak will be made strong.

We can not hide from God. He knows every hair on our head.

In today’s world…God will lead us through the fires.

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How about you? Are you sympathetic, towards the rioters? Do you run from God because you think He is controlling you?

I hope you are not this person. Pray for God’s forgiveness, and mercy, and He will hold you in His arms and protect 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!

There Are “Karens,” Out There Who are Racist

August 3, 2020 / / 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!

Do What God Wants You to Do, Not What You Want to Do.

July 31, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Not long ago I saw a fly trying to get out by banging on a window with its head. It was getting nowhere. He never gave up. He kept pounding that window over and over again.

I finally opened the window to let him out to the fresh air. Guess what? He still stayed in his spot and kept hitting the window.

Many of us are like that. We struggle on our own and try to face life without God. We need to end that! We need to stop trying do do what we want to do for our lives, and do what God wants for our lives.

We go around like using a GPS in our car. If we make a wrong turn it says recalculate.

Well, you have your own personal GPS. You may think it is guiding you in the right direction, then you hit the wall. That is when God says, “recalculate!”

Let ME guide you!

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What are you favorite foods? I love pumpkin pie. I also love peanut butter. Both of these sweeten my tooth and soothes me.

Here are some better sweeteners:

  1. Wisdom sweetens your soul.
  2. Optimism (gluten free by the way) also sweetens your soul.

These sweeteners are non fattening, and good for you.

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Some thoughts about God:

  1. God will never abandon you.
  2. God’s power is much greater than any evil.
  3. God fits into your plan.
  4. God’s Son died to provide eternal life.
  5. God has promised to help you when you are in need.

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Take an inventory of your life. Are things going in the right direction for you? If not, what is causing you to not be going in the right direction?

God allows U-turns. Now is the time to turn around.

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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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