Daily Signs of Hope

A place to find Hope

Tag: church (Page 2 of 3)

People Are Caught up in the Rat Race of Sin

July 26, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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Some thoughts I heard at church yesterday…

  1. The answer to sin, injustice, and rebellion, is to turn to God and His Word and trust.
  2. Long for the lord and His future reign. How blessed are those who long for Him.
  3. Pray for those who have fallen under the spell of the secular, social justice movement.
  4. Politics is about a core group of people who believes a community ought to be ordered for the common good. It is call misplaced trust.
  5. Justice comes to the very heart of how human beings made in the image of God are to treat one another. It is a bearing on how marriage is supposed to work, how the family is to be ordered, and where the state has authority from God to reward good and punish evil.

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Interesting thoughts. It mainly is talking about the turmoil our country has gotten into. So many people believe what they are doing is right. The protesters, rioting, racism, sexual and mental abuse.

God has taught us to rebel against those kind of people in a loving way. We can’t fight fire with fire. We must pray or them and hope they will open their eyes to their folly.

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Where is your mind today? Are you clinging to God’s robe of righteousness? Do you pray every day for guidence?

If you are struggling, open your heart to God and ask Him to give you His loving fortress. He will protect you and clam your storm.

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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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Don’t be a Father Doing Drugs and Alcohol. Monkey See Monkey Do

June 7, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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I heard the story about King David from the Bible and his son, Asbolum. It is a story about a father not paying attention to his son, and the son plotting against him to try to be the king.

Where was David was the question. Why didn’t he see what was going on and correct his son?

This made me think that our lives as fathers. Since Father’s Day is coming up a good discussion would be, where are we with our children?

Satan can be a huge detriment when it comes to being fathers. He will say, you can stay and have beers with the guys after a round of gold, instead of being home and playing with the kids.

He lets people hear what they want to hear. “It’s OK to forget your family and have fun.”

What I came up with is a guide for father s as to how they can be a good father:

  1. Love the mother of your children.
  2. Let your children hear you pray for them.
  3. Bring your children to church.
  4. Get home from work on time to be with family.
  5. Do not work when off work.
  6. Spend the majority of your free time with family.
  7. Play with your kids often.
  8. Say, “I love you,” every day.
  9. Put yourself on “time out,” when you are angry.
  10. Quickly admit to your mistakes and say, “I’m sorry.”

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Here are some shocking results of a survey held recently:

  1. 22% of adults stopped going to church since the pandemic started.
  2. 50% of millennials have stopped going to church.
  3. Podcasts and Tik Tok, lead people away from the church.

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How do we guard our hearts from Satan?

  1. A serious pursuit of holiness.
  2. A serious pursuit of worship.

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So where do you stand in all of this? Do you go to the bar and forget about your family? Remember…Monkey see and monkey do. Your children will end up bars too.

Do you do drugs and alcohol too much? Monkey see monkey do.

Do you play golf every chance you can to get away your family? Monkey see monkey do.

Don’t be that kind of father. Put your family first, and love them with all your heart.

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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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Do We Really Need to Go to Church to be Christians?

November 30, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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It’s Monday, and I am suppose to dread the thought of it, but I am retired and every day is like Saturday to me. I put in my time, and now I am enjoying every day.

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Things are still in a turmoil in our country.

The rioting has spread. The pandemic is at a all time high, and we STILL do not know who our next president will be.

It is hard, at best, to be optimistic during this time. I am stubborn and will not let the dark side put out my light of hope, who is Jesus.

He is with each of us every day, 24/7. Never wavering. Never forsaking, never turning his back on us.

That gives me tremendous comfort. When I am down and depressed, He is there to take my hand and give me hope.

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I was told by someone that they don’t go to church.

I asked why? They said they are a Christian, but don’t feel they need to meet every week with other Christians. They feel they can make it on their own.

Dr. Phil might ask, “How is that working for you?”

I can not separate myself from the church. Right now I can only be at church through an online set-up, But I am refreshed and ready to take on another week.

Just being there, hearing the songs, and listening to my pastor reassuring me, makes the whole world different to me.

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Another thing I have been doing is talking to God every day.

I thank His Son for dying for me on the cross, and then I got through my list of family and friends I pray for. I even pray for our national and local governments.

I do this every day. I love my family and friends, and I love my country. I seek God’s wisdom to guide us all through the storms.

Things don’t seem to be going the way we would like it, but God is in charge and He never makes mistakes.

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How are you doing?

Is there a lot of turmoil in your life as well? Do you wonder what is going to happen to you in the future?

There is millions of people with you in the same boat. Many are clinging on for dear life. Some are ready to give up. The suicide rate is sky rocketing during these times.

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Don’t let the world dictate to you what you should fear. Jesus said, “Fear not.” He will be there for you during the good times and the bad times.

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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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What Are The Things You Are Thankful For?

October 9, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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I was sitting here wondering what I was thankful for, and what I had trouble with in my life. Complete opposites and yet we have them every day.

The Thing(s) I am thankful for is long, but here are a few:

  1. My family.
  2. I do not have the COVID-19 virus.
  3. I am working hard on my health by walking a lot.
  4. My church.
  5. That God is with me 24/7.
  6. Friends.
  7. Books to read.
  8. God’s glorious mountains and valleys.
  9. I still have my breath that God gives me.
  10. Naps!

I have many more, but you get the picture. Now about things I have trouble with:

  1. Procrastination.
  2. Not enough communication with others.
  3. Not going on walks enough.
  4. Motivation, at times.

There are others, but I really need to work on these first.

How about you?

Make your list and be glad, plus work on your list that you are having trouble with.

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Another day of wondering what is going to happen in our world. So much to consider. The Pandemic, rioting, debates, wild fires, and facing each day.

So, what can we do to survive?

I have my own list I have for me, so I will share some with you:

  1. 99% of what we worry about never happens. Give the rest to God.
  2. There will always be storms, but then the Son.
  3. There are some things you can’t control, let them go.
  4. Be sure to tell your children you love them every day.
  5. Never let someone else tell you who you are.
  6. Smile at everyone you see. They will often smile back. A win, win.
  7. Check with your neighbors to see if they are Ok.
  8. Have family time at you house at least once a week, Everyday would be better.
  9. Love others as yourself. (Jesus)
  10. Never, ever, give up!

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I was thinking (gives me a headache) about my new book coming up. I haven’t told you much about it here. If you want more information about it go to: http://www.dougbolton.com. There I share daily updates on how it is going.

I have a publisher who is very interesting, and I am almost done. It will be called, “Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.” It reaches out to those veterans who may be suffering from PTSD, TBI, depression, anxiety, Lost buddies, or war wounds.

At the other site I have been sharing interviews I have been having with veterans. Some are WWII veterans. Those interviews are gut wrenching. Every one of them. If you are a veteran, please check out the site and subscribe. It will give you hope and peace, Plus you will get every post sent right to your in box.

The reason I am writing the book is that 22 veterans, or current service people are taking their own lives every day. Yes, I said every day. Hopefully this book will help them in some way.

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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.

I Need to Check Out of This Evil Hotel Called Earth

October 5, 2020 / / 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!

+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.

There Needs to be a Change in what we Think About

September 16, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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I am very tired of reporting post after post, about rioting, looting, the Pandemic, shootings, wild fires, etc. It is hard, at best, to dicuss them.

What I want to do today is just give each of us hope and contentment. So if all of this is going on, how am I going to be able to do that??

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I have a huge amount of notes from church and books I have read. I am going to share some of them and let you decipher what they mean to you:

  1. If you still struggle with sin after you are saved, you are still saved. No one can take that away from you.
  2. C.S. Lewis once said, “We have to be against the world FOR the world.”
  3. We must rejoice no matter what we face.
  4. God rules! He is control of your destiny.
  5. Pray for the well being of those who have no thought of following the Lord.
  6. We are wine to God, and God breaking new ground in us. He is making new wine.
  7. Am I really comitted to God? Am I a true light that shines so others can see it?
  8. Our fear doesn’t stand a chance when we stand in God’s love.
  9. Wise in your own eyes, is worse than a fool. (proverbs)
  10. You come to a crossroad, one way is wisdom and the other is folly, which way would you choose?
  11. Like a river wash me over, and fill me to overflow with your love.
  12. Do not judge others. That is God’s job to do.
  13. During this awful time, think of those who have what they need.
  14. Break the walls around your heart.
  15. Jesus said, “Fear not!“
  16. I will trust only you God.
  17. Am I just living, or am I living well?
  18. Am I trusting the Lord to lead me, or am I wanting to do it my way?
  19. Are you desparete to read Gods word? If not, why Not?
  20. Anger comes from envy.
  21. If I fall I am going to need all of you around me.
  22. In this world, some are rich, some are poor, some struggle with health, others are healthy. Some are sad, some are happy.
  23. We need to come together as one to reach out to others.
  24. If one of us suffers, we all suffer. If one is honored, we are all glad.
  25. The weight is not on you to prove you are worthy.

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I hope these notes and thoughts helped you in some way. Think about each statement and how it pertains to you.

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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!

Stress is a Huge Part of Life These Days

September 15, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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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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+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.

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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+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!

Garbage in Garbage out, or God in God Out

July 23, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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

How did we get to this point?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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