A place to find Hope

Tag: hurts

Help is There for Those Veterans Who Are Suffering.

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I have been doing way too much ranting and I apologize for that. I am so frustrated with how our country is moving in the wrong direction.

I promise to share signs of hope today, which is the title of my blog.

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I am writing a new book called, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the trenches of life.

It is a book written just for my fellow veterans from the military. It reaches out to those who suffer from PTSD, TBI, depression, wounds, etc.

I have had many wonderful endorsements from leaders in the military. One I am especially proud of the following endorsement:

Endorsement

Doug is a veteran turned counselor, blogger, and prayer warrior.  His most recent book provides the ammunition that we need to turn the tide in the battle against PTSD and suicide.

Doug Bolton’s “Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life” is a powerful tool in the battle against PTSD. He provides the insights that we…. that you need to stem the tide of hopelessness that many of our veterans and first responders experience.

Doug is a counselor and author, but most importantly an “encourager” who knows the daily pain and discouragement that so many experience.  You can feel Doug walking beside you acknowledging the hurt and depression.  But at the same time that he validates what you are feeling, Doug provides down to earth guidance and encouragement to move you forward.

Most importantly, Doug “walks the talk.”  Whether through his blogs or his leadership in several veteran’s organizations, Doug is engaged in this battle daily.  He is a founding member of the board of directors of Victory for Veterans actively encouraging the Board and senior leaders to raise funds and provide the tools so desperately need in the battle against PTSD.

Jim Jaeger, Brig Gen, USAF ret.

Jim Jaeger is a retired USAF Brigadier General and was the founding President of Arete Incident Response.  He continues to fight cybercrime as Partner and Senior Cyber Strategist at Arete .

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General Jaeger read the book and was very impressed.

I will be sharing more endorsements in future posts.

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If you suffer with any afflictions like above. Know that God is there for you. He knows your hurts, your disappointments, or fears.

He will guide you down the right path, and hold you in His arms, with love.

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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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God is There to Help Us through Pain and Disappointments.

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I did some ranting in my last post. Sounds like I thought the world was coming to a horrible end.

I will be more optimistic today.

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I am on vacation this week with my family. We are at Sun River, Oregon. A beautiful setting, and lots of fun for everyone.

As I look out the window I see deer grazing. Chipmunks climbing, and people riding their bikes. Perfect weather.

When I see all of this I am thankful for the years I served my country in the military. There isn’t too many countries that have the freedoms that we have. Thank a veteran for that.

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Have you had days where you would rather stay in bed all day rather than face the world? I have been there. I won’t go into the reasons I sometimes feel that way, but we need to get past those days.

My way of handling it is pray! I pray to go to help me through the day. I ask him to soften some pain I may be going through. He knows our hurts and disappointments. He loves us, and will answer our prayers.

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

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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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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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Stop the Rollercoaster Ride of Life. It May Throw you Off

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Another beautiful day outside. I hope to go for a walk this afternoon. I need to get the fresh air, and build up my legs.

I have been exercising more right now. I certainly need to get back my strength, after having a battle with Pneumonia.

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It seems to me that this world is going in the wrong direction very fast. The gas prices are skyrocketing. The military may take a big hit to help pay for President Biden’s fantasies. It already has been mentioned.

He has started a avalanche I am not sure he can stop.

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I was able to have breakfast with some good friends yesterday. They are the “Coffee group,” that used to meet everyday before the pandemic hit. It has cleared up a little, so now we meet once a week at a restaurant to catch up.

Lots of laughter, and talking going on.

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It is so important to keep up with you friends and family. They are the saving link in your life. They can cheer you up and listen to your hurts and pain.

I try to connect with my children as much as I can. It makes them feel better and it brings a smile to my face.

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How is your life going? Are you connecting with family and friends? Do you take time to “Check in, ” with them? I think it is vital that this happens. You will be glad you did it, and so will the people you connect with.

Our world seems to be spinning too fast for some of us. It is like a rollercoaster ride without any handrails. You hold on to something, and hope you aren’t thrown out.

Don’t let the world spin you out of control. Seek the light, and stay away from the darkness.

God will be with you during your troubling times. He never leaves your side.

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Remember;

You are never alone.

You are enever forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Battling Illnesses Can be Very Hard to Handle

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I am not usually negative about anything, but lately I have seen some alarming things happening with our government.

President Biden, has signed a massive amount of executive orders. I think some of them a very wrong.

He stopped building the border wall, which means thousands of people who are up to no good can still cross.

He ended the construction of a huge pipeline that caused over 11,000 people to be suddenly employed. I thought the democrats were union supports.

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I am OK now since I was allowed to let off some steam. 🙂

I have not been feeling all that good the last week. Had blood tests that do not look to good. Got a doctor’s appointment coming up.

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Have you battled with problems with your health? You can tell I understand. It is hard, at best, to face illnesses. They seem to come knocking at our door like a long lost relative and don’t want to leave.

What can we do to overcome those type of troubling times:

God is always with you. He knows your hurts and will hold your hand.

95% of what we worry about never happens. I my first book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, I had a chapter title that said, “Worry is the Dark Room Where Negatives Develop.

It stresses us to rely on God, and let him have to other 05% of our worries. He has big shoulders.

Be strong and face the storms head 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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We Have to Remember God is Near to Help us

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I am tired and weary today. The rigorous days I have faced are slowing me down. I had a doctor’s appointment today that was good news. Sure needed that.

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We are close to our second week without knowing who our next president is going to be. There is growing evidence that something is not being done like it should be. My thoughts are that no matter who wins, it has to be fair and square. Not cheating. Time will tell.

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I really enjoyed my online church service last Sunday. It stressed calmness, and turning all of our burdens over to God. I have to reminded often about this. I take on way too many burdens that God could be helping me with.

The service online went on to say: We are never alone. One of my closing thoughts on every post I send out to you. Must be true then don’t you think?

Some think Jesus was very alone on the cross. Jesus was fulling human and felt in the ways we do. However, He was not alone. God was there with Him. You have to know that God was in pain watching His only Son die.

My pastor also mentioned that God allowed all the turmoil we are going through right now, because He wanted to bring the world closer together. Makes sense to me.

It’s almost like we have all fallen asleep about God being there for us. We fear everything. We doubt everyone. We are angry way too much.

Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Be anxious about nothing.” That pretty much covers it in my world.

If you have fallen asleep like so many Christians seemed to have done, wake up, it is time to praise the Lord. Do not hold it in any longer!!

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I hear you when you say, “I love the Lord, but I am overwhelmed with burdens.”

In this day and age, there seems to be way too many burdens each of us has to carry. Stop in your tracks right now and turn all of them over to God. Now, can’t you feel the weight lifting off of your shoulders. I do every time I give him my hurts, disappointments and fear.

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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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Let God Show You the Path so You can Face the World

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Had an interesting day yesterday. I had cataract surgery on my right eye. It went very smoothly and my eye is getting better by the minute. I am able to do this post today.

I had to miss my Wednesday post because of several reasons. Sorry about that.

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While I was waiting to go in for surgery, I had the usual worrying moments. That is when I always hit back saying, God is in charge!!

The surgery was done so well, and I have not pain today at all.

Why do we get worked up over things that don’t really happen. In my first book I have a chapter called, “Worry is the Dark Room Where Negatives Develop.” That is so true and we can really worry ourselves to death.

I have had too many times when I wasted my time worrying. I have found that 99% of what we worry about never happens. Just give the rest to God.

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I agree that there are many things that people worry about today. The pandemic, rioting, wild fires, the election, etc.

Each one of those can cause people to overheat. They try to face each day, but it sometimes gets too overwhelming. Panic comes and there are many problems with people rebelling, and attacking anything that represents the government. Even policemen are attacked. Several have died during the rioting.

My feelings on this are not panic, but determination to keep calm and face each day with positive thoughts. My children really have noticed that.

They look up to me for guidance. I certainly not an expert, but I share that God is with us, and He will never give us more than we can handle.

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I certainly have reasons to complain! I am on a complete lock down. I have health issues, that my doctor says makes me a prime target for the virus. I will not survive if I get it.

What do I do?? I cling to God’s promises, and keep going forward directly into the storm.

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How are you doing? Is the current status of our country overwhelming you? Do you want to stay in bed and not face the day?

I hear you, but you have to have courage and take on the world with God on your side. He is with you 24/7. He will guide you down the right path to safety.

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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 You Hate Being Told What to do?

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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.

How can we face the Rioting, Looting and the Pandemic?

The days along and tedious. The pandemic seems to be spreading again. There is rioting, looting and arson. How do we face this dilemma?

I have a lot of time, of course, to think about this. Let me share some thoughts:

Use Your Hardships to Shine

  1. There is always someone or something that is worse off than what we are facing. When I was teaching I had a young lady in one of my classes that was severely handicapped. She was strapped to a electric wheelchair. She couldn’t move and had no control of her hands. There was one thing I noticed with her. She was always smiling. She never got upset. She never got too hurt when the other students picked on her. When I came in the classroom she was the first one I would look for. Why would I do that? It was because of her attitude about life and her circumstances. She knew she was handicapped. She knew she couldn’t play on the swings and slides with the other kids, but she was out there laughing and cheering on the other kids. Believe it or not, I realized I wanted to be like her. She was a wonderful example of someone who seemed to have the whole world against her, and yet she faced the storm head on. BTW… She was a bright student. she had an aide with her at all times, and she took all the tests, by having the aide write the answers down. She was very good at math. I still think of her often.

Let People know When You Are Hurting

I had another student with Tourette’s Syndrome. That is a disease where the child blurts out nonsensical words for no reason. He also had a tic in his face. His face would twitch a lot. He had a hard time getting along with the other kids. Mostly because of his handicap. I decided to let him move his desk up close to my desk. I could look over his shoulder and see his work all day. I could see that he was very hurt by other kids picking on him. So I had a little class “counseling,” session. We sat in a big circle and I asked each kid what was bothering him/her. Most of the kids couldn’t really think of what was bothering them, but it came to my student I had my desk, he unloaded. He said he can’t help what he is doing. He said he wasn’t trying to offend anyone. He had tears flowing. I saw that several other students began to cry. I ended the session and a little miracle happened. One of the students came up and asked if my student could move his desk next to him. I agreed and the class applauded when he moved. From then on he was in the good crowd and not an outcast. What did I learn from this…Everyone needs to be heard. Being silent doesn’t help anything. Let others know of your pain and hurts.

How does this fit into you and I facing a pandemic, rioting, looting, arson?

To me it shows that we can make it through anything. We can conquer our fear and worries.

I had many other student examples of perseverance, and courage. We need to think like these children. Take on our fears. Take on the worries, and with God’s help we can conquer anything.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!

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