Daily Signs of Hope

A place to find Hope

Tag: veterans

Aging Ain’t For Sissies, But There are many Blessings.

November 28, 2022 / / 0 Comments

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This old warrior,(Ex military)is feeling his age. It is getting harder to walk. Need a cane now, and considering a walker. Don’t feel sorry for me. I love life, and cherish every minute of it.

I always think of my family when I feel sorry for myself. They are my fortress and my tower of strength. They are the most caring, loving, people I know.

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I mentioned that I was in the military above. I served from 1959-1962. That was many years ago, but I still have memories of the good, and the bad days.

I am telling you today about my second book, 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, war wounds, or depression. I share stories about my life while in, and share thoughts on how to survive in this not so friendly world.

I hope you will check it out. Especially if you are a veteran, or know somebody that is.

Go to www.dougbolton.com to check it out.

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How are you doing today? Getting ready for a cane or walker? I hear you. We need to know that it isn’t the end of the world when that happens. Here are some thoughts on that:

  1. Storms come, but they end.
  2. Be thankful for each day.
  3. Love your family every minute.
  4. Lean on some body close, when you need help.
  5. Getting older isn’t for sissies.

That last one was to make you smile. Aging has its bad moments, but in general it is a blessing. I feel that my children respect me for all the years I have been in this hotel called earth.

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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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A Little Child Provided Enough Food for 5,000 People.

May 30, 2022 / / 0 Comments

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Today is Memorial Day. A day where we honor those who gave their all to protect our country. It is fitting to say thank you to every veteran also you see today and in the future. I am a veteran myself and am proud I could serve.

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I am going to do some rambling today. First I want to talk about Jesus feeding 5,000 people with one basket of fish and bread. He said, “We need to feed all of these people, who has food to share? Well, with 5,000 people there you know many had food with them to feed their children or themselves. None one stepped up.

Finally a little boy came up with a basket of two fish and a loaf of bread and said, “This is all I have Lord, but maybe it will help.” Jesus smiled at him and he started feeding all the people out of that one little basket. He kept reaching in and pulling out fish and bread.

The faith of a little child. We all need that.

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Now I am going to really shift gears and share some things I have learned from reading the Bible. These are negative words found in the Bible and their meaning:

1.Deceit-The act of lying or cheating.

2. Malice- Wishing harm on someone else.

3. Hypocrisy- A person who pretend to be different or better than he really is.

4. Envy- A feeling of wanting what someone else has.

5. Slander- A false statement or statements made to hurt ones reputation.

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General thoughts

  1. Read God’s Word.
  2. Ask..What do I need to get rid of?
  3. Who can I share with about God?
  4. Families are valuable.

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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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Be Strong During all the Turmoil We Must Endure right Now

April 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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Another beautiful day outside. Going to have to go on a walk to build my strength back up.

Whenever I think of walking, I think of our brothers and sisters in the military, who don’t dare go on a walk. They are hunkered down for fear of being shot. Never forget them.

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I can’t list all the things I think our country is doing wrong right now. The list would be long. I pray for our president, because to be honest with you, I do not think he is even in charge.

The far left is dragging him down like a huge magnate.

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I read an article where a second Lieutenant, in uniform, was dragged out of his car and pepper sprayed. The video doesn’t show him doing anything wrong. He told the officers he was afraid to get out of the car. Their answer… “You should be!”

He has sued the police department and I hope he wins.

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We still have more National Guardsmen in the nation’s capital than there are in Afghanistan. That is appalling. What are they afraid of?

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While in the military I found that the more you accept orders the less strain you will be in.

Some of the guys I knew tried to “buck,” the system, and it didn’t work out well for them.

The discipline I learned for the military has helped me in my civilian life.

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Up date on my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

I have added another person to interview. I spoke to him while at the Oregon Coast. He has some funny ,and yet sad sharing to do and I know it will help other veterans.

Everything else is in the final stages of preparation.

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How are you doing today? Is the world spinning too fast?

You are not alone! There are many people struggling right now.

No job, lost relationship, death of a loved one, the pandemic.

It goes on and on. It is hard not to drown in the muck and mire.

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FEAR NOT!!

Even though it sometimes feels like there is no hope, God uses some of our darkest moments as our doorways to hope.

To know God’s voice is calling you is hope.

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Things can affect your life, but it can not define your life.

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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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Being a Senior Citizen Has Good Points and Bad Points

January 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments

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It has been a rocky start to 2021 for me. I was helping my wife put some boxes up on a shelve in our storage closet. I slipped off of the ladder and feel onto the vacuum cleaner.

I thought I only had a smashed finger that will cause the nail to fall off eventually. However, I woke up the next morning with pain on my upper leg, and on the left side of my upper back. I took clothes off to checked.

I was shocked to see a huge eight inch by two inch bruise running done my leg, and then found a deep bruise on the left side of my upper back.

The pain followed closely behind. I had a very bad day. Not enough to go to the ER, and taking Tylenol seemed to keep me feeling OK.

I decided I am grounded from any type of ladder, and my wife agreed. I apparently hit her with my feet and gave her a big bruise on her arm, plus something big landed on her foot causing much pain. We both grounded ourselves. My son lives close and he can do those kind of chores for us.

It is a huge sign of old age. I can’t do many things I could ten years ago. It hurts me to tell my wife I can’t do something.

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Have you been there? Is the daily chores seem to be getting harder to do? I use to think being called a senior citizen was a good thing. Not so sure now.

I have, since my fall, come up with some thoughts on how to slow down gracefully:

Only plan things that will not need physical help.

Try to help yourself, by exercising even if it only walking. I try to do that now at least twice a week.

Do not be ashamed to ask for help. I called my son and he said he will be there when ever I need him. He is such a caring person.

Do not climb ANYWHERE. Ladders can ruin your life.

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I just started working on my third book called, Signs of Hope for Seniors: The Alligators that Chase us.

It will cover getting older with grace and dignity. The Alligators are:

Loneliness

Rejection

Death

health

Losing a loved one

And a few more I haven’t come up with yet.

I will let you know the progress I make with this.

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My second book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, is ready to be published. I am close to choosing the right publisher.

I have worked on this book for over three years. There was much research, and many calls for interviews of soldiers.

I have found that many veterans are excited about this book and I need to get it going so they can have it.

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How are you doing? We have a new beginning, and new hope in 2021. Forget the past and move on to new challenges.

God has planned a new path for you in 2021. Be open to His calling.

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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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Please Remember What is Christmas Really All About

December 11, 2020 / / 0 Comments

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It has been a rollercoaster ride this whole week. I am beyond tired, but I am going to post anyway.

I have been “running,” all week. Not to the point where I can brag about my step totals, but just going, going, going!

I had two appointments to go to. A trip to the Oregon Coast. A trip to pick up groceries we had ordered, and much more.

It is called the “rat race,” and I am not able to keep up with it. I haven’t done all of my Christmas shopping yet, but I have to do it online. I am on lock down because of the virus. I have too many health problems. I would be a dead duck if I caught the virus.

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Poor me, poor me, poor me!!!

How do I even exist through all of this turmoil. Here are somethings I do to keep my sanity:

  1. Pray every day for God’s peace and comfort. REALLY helps me through the day.
  2. Think about my family, one person at a time.
  3. Call someone to cheer them up. Cheers me up too. Win! Win!
  4. Write my two blogs that reaches out to those who need help. (My other blog is www.dougbolton.com.)
  5. Read, read, read!
  6. Watch free movies. Only on Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
  7. Stop and take a big breath, and let the air out slowly. It is amazing how this helps.
  8. Go for a walk. Not able to do that much lately because of the weather, but I do work out twice a week.
  9. Just sit and think. Very relaxing, and I come up with many ideas by sitting and jolting down what I am thinking about.
  10. Make posts on Twitter, Facebook, Parlor, plus, another social that is only for veterans called, www.rallypoint.com. Check it out if you are a veteran. Made many friends there.

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We need to take a step back and remember what the season is really for. I hear some say they hate Christmas because of the hustle and bustle. They dread this holiday.

My thoughts are that getting Christmas presents for each other is a wonderful idea, but that is not what we are celebrating. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus. We are celebrating His coming onto our earth to save us.

Think about that during the rush. Thank Him for what He has done for you.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved,

And above all…..never, ever, give up!

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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.

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!

Looking Back at the Holidays

January 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

The holidays are past, but I have had time to reflect and thought I would share some thoughts.

We should have joy around the holidays, but some don’t think so. They have to face their relatives.

From that I learned that we need to have a family mentality.

We need need to be related by faith, family, caring. If we do that and more, we are a family that is glorious.

Yes, we have some relatives that we have differences with. When they come to visit it seems like they know what buttons to push to make us angry.

How do we deal with that?

Even if there is a problem with one of the relatives, we need to know that they have needs just like we do. We need to calmly sit with them and seek out the problems and try to find ways to help.

This should cause a miracle. They will be glad someone cares, and they will look at you in a whole new way.

I Have learned to pray for them.

I am so angry sometimes that this is very hard. If I can just spend 30 seconds praying for them that would be a good start. Then stretch it out to 35 seconds, and so on. I realized the more I prayed for them the less I was angry. It should be like daily exercise. The more you pray the stronger you become.

Try this out and let me know how it goes. Show me other ways I can reach out to those I sometimes find unpleasant.

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There is much happening causing me to roll fast on finishing my second book, “Signs of Hope for the Military: In an Out of the trenches of Life.” All I have left are a few interviews with veterans who have been in the trenches. Their stories will warm your heart. They will cause you to cry, and wanting to help them.

You can go to http://www.dougbolton.com to see the progress.

You should always remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Don’t Let Others Define Your Faith

April 8, 2019 / / 0 Comments

This is the second of a series of discussions on Faith. My last post mention the sadness of thinking there was no hereafter. They who have no faith feel that they die and then turn into dust.

For those of us who believe and have faith, there is a bright path we are walking on. We know where we are going. We know because we saw the last chapter of the book.

One mistake we all make is to try to keep calmness around us, because there are many who will persecute us for our beliefs. We fear we can’t come up with the right things to say when we are challenged.

Here are some thoughts on that.

  1. You never have to try to convince anyone about their own lives being wrong. They already know it, and will probably attack if you mention it.
  2. My thought is to just share why I believe without out judging the other person. I share what my life was before I believed and the after I believed.
  3. Let them ask you questions. Don’t worry about getting the answers wrong. They are now in a different level. They are inquisitive.
  4. Just show other about your faith by your everyday actions. I have had more people ask me why I am so optimistic all the time. Boom! I can open up my heart. Many times They say they want some of that.
  5. Don’t hide your faith, but you also don’t need to stand on a corner and shout, “You are going to Hell, if you don’t believe!”I have gone to big sporting events, and sure enough there are always one or two people outside who are screaming at you. To many they are driving people away not bringing them closer.

The bottom line is that you just need to be you, and show others your love and caring way. That is a living testimony.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!!

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This is where I share some more about my upcoming book.

Today I am going to share how the book is laid out.

  1. The book starts out with me sharing my life while I was in the military.
  2. I share some funny and not so funny things that happened to me in basic training.
  3. I then share my advanced training school time.
  4. After that I was deployed to South Korea. Many stories. Some scary.
  5. Then I will share my time at Ft. Bragg. My scariest moment happened there.

This is the best part:

The rest of the will be actual interviews with veterans who have been in the trenches. I can guarantee you some of the stories will be very scary, sad, and tense. They will be some humor as well.

The appendix at the end will have several pages for jobs and careers for the military. Very extensive.

Subscribe:

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