Stop the World and Let me Off. I’m Tired of Going ‘Round and ‘Round

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I will be starting  a new feature with today’s post.  I will be sharing actual excerpts from my book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.

This will give you a feel of the book that is selling quite well. It has sold over 300 books in less than a year. That is very good according to the publishing  industry statistics. A first time author, should feel fortunate to sell 100 books for the whole life of their book according to the reoprt.

I have just begun to really promote the book, and I am hoping you will want to take a look at it through these excerpts.

The first excerpt will be the first chapter. It has been highly supported by pubishers as a great hook. Let’s see if it hooks you too.

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Chapter 1

  

Stop the World and Let Me Off. I’m Tired of Going ’Round and ’Round

 

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 

Psalm 34:18

  

I was out of control. The sobbing filled my eyes with tears. I couldn’t see the road ahead of me as I drove my Explorer.

Everything seemed to be going wrong in my life. I had quit two jobs because of guilt. I even failed at running my own business. I quit the two jobs because I had to sell something to customers and I had a hard time trying to force people to buy something they may not really need.

The business that failed was a cash flow venture that helped businesses have a better flow of money while they waited for their accounts receivables to come in. I left that venture because I again had to convince people to take part in something they may not have needed.

Depression, self doubt, fear, anxiety, and even hopelessness, overcame me until I was in the pit of despair. I was a happily married man with three children and several grandchildren. I had a wonderful 25-year teaching career. Why was I feeling so low? Why did I feel so unloved?

All I wanted to do was to stop the madness and check out of this wretched hotel called Earth! I pulled my SUV into a high school parking lot in a secluded area. I was ready to commit suicide. The date wasMarch 31, 2001. The next day was April Fools Day. A very fitting time to have your life end, don’t you think?

I did have the common sense to call my wife Charlotte. She came quickly to where I was. She calmed me down enough to where I thought I could drive myself home. After she left, I sat there behind the steering wheel still crying, and then I yelled, “God, I can’t take this anymore!”

In a flash, there was calmness in me. It even felt different in the vehicle. The air was fresher and cooler. It was as if God were saying, “It’s about time you came back to Me. I have been waiting for you. Let Me carry you the rest of the way.”

My life changed that day. I gave my life back to God.

I had been a Christian since I was about 16. But I was the poster child for a lukewarm Christian.

Yes, I went to church and made sure my children went also, but I wouldn’t say I was a perfect example for them. I rose up in my church to where I was the Sunday school superintendent and on the important Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, but in my heart I didn’t put God first.

On Sundays, I stayed home if there was a good football game on. You didn’t have to go to church every Sunday, did you? God let me know I did. He also let me know of a new direction for me to go.

Why had I allowed myself to fall to such a low spot? Why had I drifted so far away from God?

The answer my friend is I was in a battle with many afflictions like self-doubt, anxiety, etc. Those aren’t fancy medical terms like cardiovascular disease or leukemia, but they are just as deadly. These demons of the mind can control your life to the point where you are not functional. It can cause you to hide from the world and let your life go on unnoticed until you die. It can push you to ending your own life.

This book is for those who want to discuss all the enemies of man like self-doubt, fear of failure, divorce, death in the family, and many others. I want to share with you how God used me to write this book, and how He pulled me out of the muck and mire.

The walls we put up in life can be caused by a loss of a loved one or extreme trauma. We can put them up because of sexual abuse, inappropriate or unclear expectations, divorce, poverty, violence in the family, family addiction or environment.

Do you often feel like you don’t want to go to work? Are there times when you feel like you would rather stay in bed and not face the world? Have you fallen into the pit of despair without even knowing why you did? Have you ever felt lost—and alone?

You are not alone! Close to 19 million American adults, or about 9.5% of the U.S.population age 18 and older, suffer from some kind of handicapping mental disorder in a given year.1

Now that I have totally broken you down—there is hope! There are treatments that can help you. See your doctor to find what treatment is best for you. Then go to where there is eternal treatment, and that is through your loving heavenly Father.

The first part of this book talks about putting on God’s armor and fighting against the many mental afflictions. This information is from the horse’s mouth. That would be me. I have gone through many battles of my own. I have felt lost, and I thought that there was nowhere to go. I lived that way for many years. I existed from day to day, struggling with my emotions. I found out that I didn’t need to go through the torture. I had places I could go for help. I found out what they were, and I invite you to find out too.

            Bear with me! There is a happy ending.

 

“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”

Isaiah 57:18–19

 

Further Adventures

You know how easy it is to let your emotions take over in your life. You’ve been there. It is too easy to let the little things grow from molehills to mountains. When each trial comes up, try to put it into perspective. Is it something that is going to be life-changing? Is it something you can’t handle yourself?

You could tell in this chapter that I couldn’t handle what was happening to me, and what happened next? I felt God was changing me.

Stop in the middle of your grief and say, “Why am I so out of control? What can I do to stop this madness?” The answer was easy for me. I ran to God like a long lost prodigal son, and He opened His arms and took me back in like any father would do with his own son. You should do the same: Run to God and let Him carry you the rest of the way through your life like He is doing for me.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how we let the smallest winds grow into a full-blown storm?

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There is many more similar chapters in the book. Take a look at the description of the book, by clicking on the  “Bookstore,”  tab above. You will also see a copy of the cover there.

There is a special sale going on right now. In the retail stores the price is $19.99. If you order from this site, it is only $15.99. When you order from this site you will also recieve an autographed copy.

Never, ever, give up!

 

 

Never, Ever, Give up!

I am finally back from two different trips I took.

The first trip was to the Oregon Christian Writer’s Conference in Turner, Oregon. It was a great time of meeting with agents, and publishers, plus an  outstanding list of workshops and coaching classes.

I then went to Central Oregon, and spent four days with my son and daughter-in- law. It was a great time of relaxing and catching up. We went fishing to three different lakes in the area. I never even got a bite all three days, but the time with my family was wonderful.

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I want to remind you that I will be at the Oregon State Fair starting this Thursday the 25th, through Labor Day September 5th, signing my book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.”  Drop by and say hello if you happen to come to the fair. I would love to see you.

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Please check out my book by clicking on “Bookstore,” at the top of this page. You will see a description of the book, and a copy of the cover. There is a sale going on right now. In the stores the book sells for $19.99, but on this site, it is only $15.99, and it will be autographed. Hope you will take a minute to have a look.

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Never, ever, give up!

Don’t let Afflictions Overcome You

I hope you will take a couple of minutes and sign-up for my RSS feed here. It helps in the Google Search Rankings. When you sign-up you will receive a notification each time I post.

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I had a wonderful birthday yesterday. Went to the Oregon coast, and had dinner. Sat by a huge window and was able to see the sun set while I enjoyed my dinner. Doesn’t get much better than that.

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We all know that we don’t always have special days. Some days seem like eternity. They have several storms come through to ruin your day. I know you have been there. I certainly have. You turn down the wrong street and then are late to work. You forgot you have steaks on the BBQ and now you have black  squares of nothing. The dog bites the neighbor, and they are suing.

I am sure you have many other stories to share. What does this do to people? I know what it does! It causes anxiety, fear, depression, self-doubt, low self-esteem, and even hopelessness.

You don’t have to let any of these afflictions overcome you. 

You know that you have a heavenly Father who will be there to hold your hand through all the storms. He doesn’t stop them, He is just there to help calm them.

I have written a book called, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” that speaks to all of these afflictions and more. It has chapters on persistence, prayer, and perseverance. It covers ways to cope, and how to be strong during the trials of life.

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Right now there is a big sale going on for the book. In the retail stores it prices is $19.99, but on this site it is only $15.99. The shipping has been cut in half as well. A total savings of over $7.00.

To order go up to the top of this page and click on, “Bookstore.” You will see a description of the book, and a copy of the cover. If you want to read some endorsements of the book you can click on…. you guessed it….”endorsements” at the top as well.

Hope you will take time to check it out.

Never, ever, give up.