Tag: fortress (Page 1 of 2)

Our God Accepts All Knee Mails. He Loves to Talk.

April 18, 2022 / Butch / 0 Comments

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Here is another excerpt from my Award winning book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Surivive in an Unfriendly World.

Chapter 17

God Accepts Knee Mail

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:2

In this day of modern technology, we can “talk” with someone in Africa in an instant. We can send e-mails faster than we can even say, “snail mail.” Instant and text messaging through our computers or cell phones make it so we can talk back and forth as easily as if we were sitting in the same room conversing. Isn’t that amazing? What wonderful advancements the world has made!

You know what is coming next, don’t you? God can answer prayers that fast. You don’t even need a computer to do it, and it is like He is right in the room with you conversing. God is watching right now as you read this chapter. Think about it, He knows every hair on your head. (I know—for some of us that’s not hard.) He knows when you are sad. He knows when you are happy. He knows when you are in danger. Psalm 139 tells us He knows all about us.

If you question how He can know your own thoughts, it’s because God is all knowing—or omniscient, as the theologian would say. He knows the thoughts of nobodies like us who want to be somebodies. Each of us is just one person among millions and millions of people. Why would He care about you and me? Because He loves us so much He doesn’t want us to be alone. He wants us to love Him back and seek Him in times of trouble. That’s what your earthly father would do, wouldn’t he? (I realize that question assumes a healthy parent-child relationship, which isn’t the case for everyone.)

Yes, He even knows your inner thoughts—your very own personal thoughts. That can be a scary thought, but it shows us His tremendous love for us. He loves us so much that He listens to even you and me.

God is all-powerful—omnipotent in theological terms. You follow the weather report each day to see if you need an umbrella for the rain that God created. You look at the beautiful mountains, and know that they tremble before God. You see a crocus come up in the spring, and know that God designed it. You look at a newborn child and see God’s greatest work.

Yet, even though God is so powerful, He takes time to listen to you and me. He lowers Himself to your level and listens as you speak in His ear. He loves us so much He even came to show us His love in person. In human flesh. He sent His only Son for us so that we would have a person who will pass our hurts, fears, and shame on to the Father. That is why we always say, “In Jesus name,” at the end of all our prayers. We are going through Jesus to have God also feel our pain.

Have you had times when you thought no one cared? Did your spouse leave you? Did your child grow up and move away—emotionally, if not geographically? Has your brother or sister stopped talking to you? Did your dad or mom disown you?

God feels your pain. Everyone left His only Son when He needed them the most. They turned their backs on Him and let Him die on the cross because they feared for their own lives.

God feels your pain. David escaped angry King Saul by hiding in a cave. When David became king, he committed adultery and had a man killed, yet God (through Paul) called him a man after His own heart (see Acts 13:22).

God feels your pain. Jonah tried to run from God and got as far as a whale’s stomach before God turned his pain into obedience.

God feels your pain. It hurts Him when people die in wars. He gives people choices and many leaders make painful, evil choices that hurt others.

Remember: God came down to this earth and felt pain. He cried. He worried. He knew fear. He knows (and understands) what we are going through. He has gone through it. So it makes sense to rely on someone with experience.

We probably wouldn’t hire someone to fix our toilet whose specialty is doing hair and makeup. Nor would we ask someone who has never been outside the United States (and is afraid of snakes and spiders) to lead us on a trek through a thick jungle. And we probably wouldn’t let a blind person show us how to climb the side of a rock cliff.

Rely on someone who knows you better than you do. Use someone who can change outcomes, before they happen. Count on someone who loves to make your life better than it is right now. Use God. Get on your knees and pray for God to direct you the rest of your life. God loves knee mail. He accepts it every day.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

and though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

Psalm 46:1–3

Further Adventures

We all have friends we can turn to in order to share with them our deepest hurts and fears. They are a must on this tainted planet. However, when you leave them after a long talk, they are not with you anymore. You can’t talk to them without calling them or e-mailing them. You don’t have that problem with God. He is sitting right next to you as you read these lines. He will always be right there for you. You are never alone. Let Him hear your inner thoughts and rely on Him to show you the way.

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that God can move mountains and calm the seas, but we still doubt He will help us in time of trouble?

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Keep coming back to see more excerpts. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on Subscribe. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Getting on our knees to talk to God, is not humiliatingly, it is accelerating. Try doing just once and see how much closer you are to God. He loves to talk to you.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never every give up!

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Everything That Can go Wrong Probably Will

January 12, 2022 / Butch / 0 Comments

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I had four days of exercise last week. At my age you would think that I was almost dead. 🙂 However, I now feel stronger, and will be doing four more days of exercise this week. We will see what happens.

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I am sharing another excerpt from my first book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.

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Chapter 2

Everything that Can Go Wrong Probably Will

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:4

Murphy must have been a sad soul. We all live by the laws he created for us. It seems that we blame everything that goes wrong on Murphy’s Law.

You’ve had those days. You get up in the morning and start out happy as a clam. (Not sure how happy that is.) You have some errands to do, and you begin to do them.

You run out of gas, or you have a flat tire. You forgot your grocery list. The item you thought was on sale wasn’t. There is an accident on the freeway, and you are stuck for hours.

Ever had those kinds of days? Let me tell you about mine! I had volunteered to help my son Greg out when he vacationed in Disneyland with my granddaughter Molly. I told him I would pick up his mail every day, put the garbage cans back on Tuesday, and feed Charlie the cat all week.

Everything went well Sunday through Tuesday. But on Wednesday, the worst thing happened. I lost the door key. I had it in my summer shorts when I went to shower. I took off the shorts, showered, and then put on a clean pair of shorts. I left the house and headed over to my son’s house.

Charlie was waiting for me, and already had started his purring sound to let me know he was glad to see me. I got the mail, walked up to the door and reached into my pocket to get the key. It wasn’t there. Charlie was looking up at me looking like, “Why are you taking so long to open the door?”

“Sorry Charlie,” I muttered, sounding like a tuna commercial. “I have to go back home and get the key.” He wasn’t very happy with me as I walked to my car. I felt badly.

I got home and looked everywhere for the key. It was nowhere in sight. I even dumped out the hamper where the dirty clothes were. Zilch! Notta! Ouch!

I remembered that we had a bunch of extra keys in the desk drawer that had no names on them. I dug all of them out and drove back to my son’s house. You guessed it: None of them worked!

I was desperate by this time. I thought that I might have to call a locksmith, or call my son and have him Fed Ex his keys to me.

I prayed for help from God and immediately thought of calling my wife Charlotte to see if she had any ideas. (This was my close encounter with God.) I probably sounded shook up when she answered the phone—maybe because my only words were, “Now what do I do?”

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I’ve lost the key to the house, and the cat food is on the inside.”

Without hesitating, she suggested, “Go to the grocery store and buy another bag of cat food and feed Charlie outside. He’s an outside cat anyway. Greg can make a new key when he gets home.”

Charlie was really mad at me when I left the second time without feeding him. I returned with a tasty tuna and salmon meal (yum). He gobbled it up and was purring again when I left.

Of course, going to the grocery store was the obvious choice. (You realize, of course, that I actually knew it all along. I was just testing Charlotte.) The important thing was that the answer came after I had prayed for help. Charlotte was the messenger, but God answered the prayer.

God can answer prayers in many ways. It can be directly, or it can be through someone else. Charlotte was my answer to prayer. She knew the easy solution I needed, but I wasn’t able to think of.

Do you call on God to help you when you have a problem, or do you panic like I did? (God has a speed dial you know.) At least, I knew I couldn’t do it on my own and turned to God for help. The calming feeling that came as soon as I finished praying was very reassuring.

It was in God’s hands, and I knew something good would happen. Charlie got fed, and I have a whole bag of cat food for future lockouts.

Don’t let obstacles stop you. Turn your problems over to God. Let Him figure out a solution. It may not come as fast as mine did, but He will work it out the way He knows is best for you.

Since I am on the subject of prayer, please don’t just call on God when there is a problem. Talk to God every day. He loves to hear from you.

I know it is hard to pray when you are at work. It is hard to pray while you are driving. But you know what? When you are driving might be the best time to pray. It is when you are likely to be tense and need a calming spirit. A guy is blowing his horn behind you. Pray seeking patience because you do not know what is going on in this man’s life. He may want to get home because his wife called and is ready to have their first baby. Wouldn’t you be honking?

Prayer should be done without ceasing. Pray each and every day. Use it to praise God. Use it to thank Him for your good health. Use it to pray for peace. Whatever is on your mind, God wants to hear from you. It should be like He is sitting in the room with you. Carry on a conversation with Him.

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6–7

Further Adventures

Have you gone along in life thinking that everything is fine, only to have a day that makes you realize that the world is not always a rose garden? First of all, remember that we can’t look at everything through rose-colored glasses.

Second, when a bad day comes knocking at your door like it was your long-lost relative, make sure it understands that it can only stay for that day. Then boot it out at the end of the day by giving it over to God in prayer. You should never let your bad days stay longer than they should.

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that we always have a direct line to God, but we sometimes think the connection is dead?

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I will be sharing more excerpts in the future so keep coming back. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe.” When you do all future posts will directly to your inbox.

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Does it seem like the storms are coming too often? Would you rather stay in bed all day?

FEAR NOT!

God is with you 24/7. He will never forsake you. Lean on Him as your fortress. Never give in to the darkside.

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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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People Are Caught up in the Rat Race of Sin

July 26, 2021 / Butch / 0 Comments

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Some thoughts I heard at church yesterday…

The answer to sin, injustice, and rebellion, is to turn to God and His Word and trust.
Long for the lord and His future reign. How blessed are those who long for Him.
Pray for those who have fallen under the spell of the secular, social justice movement.
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.
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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Forget the Bad Days Concentrate on the Good Days

July 14, 2021 / Butch / 0 Comments

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I am pretty sure you guys are tired of hearing about my physical issues, but I had two tests in the last two days and they were both great. So we are back to the beginning still trying to figure out why I have such a shortness of breath. I see my primary doctor next week. I will see where we go from here.

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President Biden still doesn’t have any plan for getting the Afghanistan interpreters out of harms way.

They will certainly be slaughtered once we leave. Just put them all in planes and bring them to the United States. They served us well.

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I have been so frustrated with the way our country is moving these days. Christians are getting the bad wrap. More people hate us than ever before. I wonder why that is happening?

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So how are you doing? Do you worry about each day and what it may be for you? Are the days hard to face?

I certainly hear you. I have been struggling myself.

I have tried to cling to the promises that God has given us. He will not forsaken us. He will not allow us that have more problems than we can handle.

He is our fortress against the darkness. Go towards the light of Jesus.

I can do all things through Christ!!!

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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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You Are Right or You Are Wrong, Who Decides?

July 12, 2021 / Butch / 0 Comments

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Society seems to have a standard as to what is right and what is wrong. When I was young there weren’t too many high standards set by society. Now, however, people condemn you if you don’t rise to their standards.

Deciding if you are right or wrong is set by our peers.

Righteousness and justice are not to be separated.

The justice that people push today are not righteous or justice. It is not even love and kindness.

In a perfect world there is no race, gender, all equal. We have drifted far away from that.

+there is only one spot we can find justice. It is when we truly seek God.

We should hate evil and love good.

+ Justice is based on a clear distinction between good and evil.

+True love comes from above.

Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream.

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What I have been sharing is about justice. I see justice going in the wrong direction very fast in our world. People who should be punished for what they do haven’t even been arrested. (Rioters)

The defunded police are over whelmed and can only handle the worst of crime.

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This seems a little overwhelming right? It is for me anyway. I know that I have to hang on to God’s robe very tightly, or I may be pulled down into the muck and mire. He is our fortress against evil. Turn to him with your prayers and fears.

He listens to every prayer. Be strong with him by your side.

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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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Everything Looks Great. What Could go Wrong? Everything!

June 24, 2021 / Butch / 0 Comments

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We are off to the Oregon Coast. Beautiful day, and tons of God’s beauty to see. What could go wrong??

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When I think about that I realize that many things could go wrong. We do not live in a perfect world:

The Pandemic.
Rioting.
Storms that are hitting many states.
Drought for the whole West Coast.
This leads to many wildfires. (Already having one in Oregon.)

This is a short list and I am sure you could add many more.

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So, how do we face each day when so many bad things are coming our way?

Face the storms of life.
All storms end.
God is there during your storms.
Turn all your fears over to God.

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So simplistic yet so true. God has the power to build a fortress for you to protect you from evil and everyday hazards.

Never try to take on this world alone. Pray for God to give you the armor you need to survive.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Getting Relaxed With our Masks. Big Increase in Illnesses

April 23, 2021 / Butch / 0 Comments

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Thoughts of the day

I have felt that I had a wall around me and no one cared.

Isn’t it funny how we look for the silver lining and find rust? We are looking in the wrong place. We need to check our hearts.

When you are talking and walking, do it with wisdom and grace.

Why god? Why jesus? Why not?

Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a person as if he will become what he could and should be.

We need a tent mentality, not a castle mentality.

The darkness will not prevail.

The battle belongs to you Lord. I am not strong enough.

When you fight your battle, it may look like you are surrounded, but you are surrounded by God.

Don’t be the cause of your trials..

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Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something only to see it was too small? You still left hungry.

With God you have a full portion of His love everyday. You will never hunger for more.

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We are still battling a pandemic, and people are getting too loose with their masks. They think the terrible times are over. Of course there is a tremendous up swing of new cases because of it.

We have to be patient and wear our masks. It will save so many lives.

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How are you doing? Are you OK with the way our world is going right now? Maybe you don’t like what is happening. Maybe you wish things could be better. Well, you certainly ar enot alone. All of us would like that.

What we all need to do is to have God form a fortress for us to keep us safe. He is always there. He will give you comfort and peace.

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Remember:

You are not alone.

You are not forsaken.

You are not unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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The Storms Come, But God is There to end Them

April 19, 2021 / Butch / 0 Comments

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Notes from my online church service:

Our motives are always mixed.

God is here, and He is on the throne.

God is in the U.S.

God is in your home state.

God is in your home town.

God is in your home church.

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It has been beautiful here for several days.

In the low 80’s and no clouds. Clear signs of spring in the air, and flowers starting to bloom.

This always reminds me of a fresh start in our own lives. We need to refresh. We need to regroup.

Now is a wonderful time to take inventory as to what direction you are going and see if it is the right direction.

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I have another blog that is called, www.dougbolton.com. Pretty creative right?

On that site I talk to veterans, and share my stories of when I was in the military. It is also promoting my new book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of life.

I am hoping to have the book published this coming fall.

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How is your world doing?

Spinning too fast? Are there far too many problems coming your way? Have you fallen into the muck and mire?

Fear Not!!

I mentioned in my church notes that God is with you. He will guide you on your path. He will help protect you when the storms come. He loves you.

There are no barriers that God can not break. He can get you over the highest mountain. Just pray and ask for Him to be your fortress.

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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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Storms Come; Storms Go, But God Will Never Forsake You

March 6, 2021 / Butch / 0 Comments

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I am still struggling with various health issues. Today it is severe shortness of breath, and dizziness. I could blame the dizziness on when I look at my beautiful bride, but the shortness of breath has me concerned.

My blood pressure is great. My heart capacity is at 36 which isn’t too bad for my age.

Something is not right though. Hope to find out soon.

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Our country is in turmoil. There is a 50/50 split in beliefs in the United States. Because of this nothing can get passed in Congress, and there are people suffering because of it.

We need to pray for our governments both national and local. Pray that they will make good decisions that will help the people, and not necessarily themselves.

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It seems to me that we all face storms these days. The storms may be a serious surgery coming up. It could be that you are out of a job, and there are bills to pay. It could be a break up of a relationship you have.

We need to remember that all storms pass. Then we have the SON.

Jesus is our fortress during the terrible storms we face. He can calm them down so we can handle them better.

When ever I know a storm is coming I pray ahead of time for God’s love, compassion, and protection.

Never take on this world alone. I can’t imagine trying to face my storms without God in my life.

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If you seem to have more than your share of pain and headaches from the daily trials of life. Turn them over to God. He has tremendous shoulders for you to lean 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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Surprises Tear Into Our Daily Struggles in Life

November 4, 2020 / Butch / 0 Comments

+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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What a day I have had so far. Had a doctor’s appointment early this morning and it was almost frightening.

My doctor surprised me with a dementia test. He was concerned and wanted to see if my thinking process was OK.

He handed me a sheet with several test questions on it. He pointed to the first one where I had to draw a line from dot to dot. Somehow I missed number ten. BUSTED!

Then he had me draw a copy of a square that was on the page. It seemed like an optical illusion to me so I blew it there too. BUSTED!

Then he had me read five words in a row three times. After that he had me repeat them without looking. Got four out of five. PASSED!

Then he had me name three pictures of animals. Peachy easy! Passed.

He went on to me repeating two sentences right after he said them. Aced!! Passed!

He then aske me what year, month and day it was. He finished that part with what day of the week it was. My mind blocked. (I am retired. What do I know about days of the week.) Before he went on I blurted out WEDNESDAY! He allowed that. PASSED IT!

The final question from him was the game changer. If I missed it I failed the test. He asked me what the five words were that he had me say at the beginning of the test. I named four out of five. He said that this test was the best one he had had in many months. PASSED! 27 out of 30!

He suggested that I do a lot of crossword puzzles, and solitaire to keep my brain active. Already doing both of them.

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Do you like surprises? Is it hard to accept them? We all have surprises every day. The car won’t start. You turned on the wrong street. You forgot your cell phone. (I do that a lot.)

Surprises are hard, at best, hard to handle, but they come and test us frequently.

We still have our Lord looking out for us even when those pesky surprises attack us. He is there to calm the spirit and let us handle them.

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Do not give in to this world. We are not part of it. We are only here for a short while if we believe. The world is a very scary place right now. The pandemic is just getting worse. The rioting has not stopped. Wild fires are still burning. The election is upon us.

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We need to remember that God is our fortress during our storms. He will never let us face something that we can not handle. Lean on Him during these troubling 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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Tag: fortress (Page 1 of 2)

Storms Come; Storms Go, But God Will Never Forsake You

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