I Wanted to Check out of this Hotel Called Earth

I will be changing the format on my author site. I need to get back to sharing with you about my book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.

In about two weeks the book will be officially in the marketplace.

It has been a hard, long road I have traveled to get to this point. I started writing, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, almost ten years ago. It will be ten years next March.

Why did I start writing the book? I am glad you asked.

I was at the end of my rope. I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I felt the ship sinking and I didn’t have a life jacket.

I was having weekly pity parties, and no one was showing up to help me celebrate.  I was fighting self-doubt, anxiety, fear, failure, depression, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

I was ready to check out of the hotel called earth.

I was in a school parking lot on March 31st 2001 sitting in my Ford Explorer considering suicide. I didn’t want to face the trails of life any more.

I had retired from teacher, and was going from one job after another searching for something that I could feel good about after retirement. Nothing was working for me. I failed at each job I partook in. I even started my own business of find funds for businesses when they needed some while waiting for their invoices from costumers to come in. That failed because I couldn’t see taking money from them when they desperately needed cash at that time.

Every job I tried I needed to try to convince people of getting something they may not need. I worked at a department store in the housewares department. I sold pots and pans, coffeemakers, knifes, etc. I was pretty good at it. I even earned a seven day free trip to a health spa for me and my wife because of my efforts.

One Christmas Eve, I was working the late shift. I noticed that there weren’t any women shopping in my area. It was all guys desperately looking for something for their wives at the last minute. I had a field day. I came up to a guy and asked him if I could help him, and he said, Yes! please find something for my wife for christmas. I can’t think of anything! I saw dollar signs in my head, and directed him to the sets of pans. I convinced him his wife would love a $500.00 set of new pans.

There were several men just like him wandering around, lost in my section. I sold something to eveyone of them. I set a record for sales that night. They bought from me because I was  a man and they trusted me.

I went home that night and wondered, What have I done? I sold a bunch of men something their wives probably didn’t need just so I could make another sale. I was very upset with myself, and quite the job a couple of weeks later.

( Men…never buy your wife something for the kitchen at Christmas. Go down to the jewelry department. You will be rewarded much more if you do that.)

So I went on like this, going from one job after another in sales. The last sales job I had was in leasing, and the same nightmare was forming while doing that. I was trying to have someone lease something when it may be better to buy it outright.

I hit rock bottom on March 31st. I drove to that parking lot I told you about. I was sobbing so much I could hardly see out the window of the rig. I stopped and parked, and was on verge of doing something very drastic.

I finally cried out to God, “I can’t take this anymore!” There was a sudden calmness inside my rig, and in me. The air even seemed different. It was as if God was saying, “It is about time you came back to me. Now let me carry you the rest of the way.”

The rest is history. I started writing Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, a couple of weeks later.

It took me almost ten years to get my thoughts down, and organized. There were doubts along they way. Satan did every he could to stop me, but I prevailed, and now you have to chance to read my story and learn for yourself how to survive in a not so friendly world.

I hope you will read it and let me know what you think of it. I have been blessed with some very impressive endorsements written in the book. I have had many authors and important people in the publishing world recommend the book.

You can preorder Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, and save 27% by going to www.winepresspublishing.com. Go to the top and click on “bookstore.” Write in the search area, “Signs of Hope.” That will take you right to my book page. The book will only cost $14.59 there for a short time, and then it will be $19.99 once it is public. Take advantage of that now.

God bless you nad NEVER give up. Fight back the attacks of Satan and turn to God to supply you with all the armor you need to survive.

 

We are All Disciples Once we Accept Christ into our Hearts

Where Did all the People Go?

We had 2,500 people at my home church this last Easter Sunday. Many of the people were visitors. I always wonder where the people are the rest of the year? There a is great number of people in the world that only go to church at Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter.

Some people think the church isn’t reaching out enough the other Sundays of the year. The members talk about Christ on Sundays, and about Duke beating Butler on Mondays.

We as Christians have been giving the title of disciples as soon as we accept Jesus into our hearts. Agreed that it takes a while to grow enough to speak to others about Christ, but we face people everyday that may be searching for the word we will be telling them about our journey to becoming a Christian.

It could be the mailman, the appliance salesman at Sears; your next door neighbor, or the person waiting with you for the bus.

God provides us with the opportunities, and we should use them as a vessel to share.

Many don’t. They feel uncomfortable talking about a man that was put to death, and then rose again. Who could believe that?

I placed a post on Facebook this week that said this, “People are upset because the stores are all closed. Some are putting jokes on that say have a nice hare day. Am I missing something… HE HAS RISEN!!!””

The second response I got from a woman said that I needed to know that there are many people on Facebook that do not believe like I do. The myth of Jesus’ resurrection comes from the word Easter meaning a day of egg hunts, and hares being celebrated.

I was very blessed by over 31 people responding to her remarks with, “Yes indeed, He has Risen!” Many supported my statement and went on further to praise God.

I made another post at the end saying, ” We all have a right to our own opinions, and I will use my right here. If you feel that Jesus is a myth, then there are choices to make. If He is a myth then you can live your life any way you please. But, if He really did rise from the dead, then you may want to seek atonement, and find ways to ask for forgiveness.”

I hope that wasn’t a slam of the woman that made her point. Like I said she had that right to speak, but when she said Jesus was a myth, I couldn’t  let it ride. That is when I stood up and gave my witness. I took the extra step to defend my belief, and hopefully helped others to see the truth.

What about you? Have you been faced with ridicule, and harassment? How did you handle it? Did you clam up right on the spot, or did you stand up for Jesus and share your beliefs with even more vigor?

When the next opportunity comes up, put on the armor of God, and be strong in your faith. God will reward you for each time you have had to “defend,” your beliefs. I put the word defend in parentheses because we aren’t really defending anything. We are sharing the truth, and it is up to the listener to discard or accept our thoughts.

March on Christian soldier!

HE iS RISEN!!